Has the sun set on major league North American sports car racing, or are we at a new beginning?

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. With the sun setting on major league American sports car racing as we know it - Grand-Am finished-up last week at Lime Rock Park and the American Le Mans Series has two more races to go (VIR and Petit Le Mans) - the hand-wringing has begun, or let's just say that it has never stopped since Jim France bought the ALMS lock, stock and barrel from Don Panoz. I'm not going to rehash everything here today, because you've all read just about every possible angle of the story already. But when it comes right down to it, there are only two issues that really matter.

1. Will the blend of LMP2 cars and the slower, lower-tech Grand-Am Daytona Prototypes be resolved in a positive fashion? Starting with a five-second difference a lap between the faster P2 cars and the slower DP cars (or thereabouts, depending on the track), IMSA is working out the details as you read this as to how it will all work. Clearly allowances will have to be made, meaning the DPs will have to be made faster, and the P2 cars made slower. And how that will turn out is anyone's guess, but there are some teams (see below) that are "all in" to the new prototype class no matter what happens.

2. When all is said and done, does Point 1 really matter? We're talking about fundamental philosophical differences here, aren't we? It doesn't help that the world's major manufacturers participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the prototype class can't be bothered to run on the North American racing calendar. First of all it is an insult to the racing enthusiasts here, many of whom spend big money on the particpating manufacturers' (Audi, Porsche, Toyota, etc.) products. This not only doesn't sit well with the paying racing enthusiasts, it doesn't sit well with the American divisions of these manufacturers and it certainly doesn't sit well with the powers that be in the new Tudor United Sports Car Championship (USCC), either. (At least with the ALMS faction of the new group anyway. The Grand-Am faction doesn't want to see the factory prototypes because it would completely marginalize the DP category once and for all, so they're relieved.)

But if that's the reality then why have the prototypes at all, or why doesn't the USCC write its own prototype rules package? Well, it's the connection to the 24 Hours of Le Mans that's driving everything, and the ACO overlords who run Le Mans have made a deal with the USCC that will allow their prototype classes to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans up to and including the 2016 season. 

But that also puts the USCC in the very bad position of having to present nothing more than a blending of second-tier prototypes as their "feature" class, which is a giant bowl of Not Good. So what we're left with is basically a glorified Grand-Am format with the addition of a first-rate, factory-backed GT category and multiple prototype classes of varying degrees of sophistication and competence levels. Is it any wonder that several top prototype teams are contemplating moves to the GT class?

A lot of observers are saying that things will look up by Daytona when the 24 Hour race series opener rolls around at the end of January and that 2014 will be a transition year, but I don't see 2015 or 2016 being any different. (As I've said before, I would like to see an American spin put on this new road racing series that is completely independent from the wishes of the French-run ACO, like a run-what-you-brung "GTX" class that would see highly modified GT-based "experimental" cars capable of running noticeably faster than the prototypes.)

Is this a new beginning for major league sports car racing in North America? Or has the sun set on the sport once and for all?

I see at as something in between, which is far from ideal.

But it's what we're stuck with.

(Image courtesy of Ford Racing)
Ford is going in a different direction with their DP engine package by bringing its 3.5-liter EcoBoost® V6 engine to the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Michael Shank Racing is the first team to sign on with the EcoBoost engine program. The new engine, which will debut at the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona Jan. 25-26 and run the entire 12-race USCC season, will power a new-look 2014 Riley Technologies Daytona Prototype machine created with Ford corporate design influences by lead Ford production designer Garen Nicoghosian with aerodynamic support from Ford Racing chief aerodynamicist Bernie Marcus. “At Ford Racing, we really put great emphasis on racing production-based vehicles as well as production-based technologies,” says Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing. “We’re proud to bring a direct-injected, twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine to the United SportsCar Championship in a field of competitive V8-powered entries. We want to show Ford EcoBoost’s capabilities as an engine that provides both performance and fuel economy, on and off the track.” “This engine is the future,” says Doug Yates, CEO, Roush Yates Racing Engines. “This Ford EcoBoost engine includes all the newest technologies - direct injection, turbocharging and high efficiency. We’re looking at taking it to the next level through this sports car racing program.” “Ford Motor Company has taken today’s Daytona Prototype and injected into it unique Ford attributes and unique Ford design characteristics,” says Allison. “This EcoBoost-powered car is obviously adapted for racing applications with racing controls, but ultimately we’re running what we’re selling and selling what we’re running.”

While the new engine will make its competitive racing debut at the highly anticipated 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona, it will actually hit the Daytona track for the first time Oct. 9, weather permitting, in a joint effort between Michael Shank Racing, Ford Racing and Continental Tire. The 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona championship team will aim to set a new track record at the “World Center of Speed” by eclipsing the 210.364 mph lap laid down Feb. 9, 1987, by NASCAR champion Bill Elliott, who pushed his Ford Thunderbird to the top of the speed charts in qualifying for the Daytona 500.

“It’s really a privilege to have an opportunity to put your name in the record books like this,” says team owner Mike Shank. “It is almost inconceivable that this record has stood for such a long time, so it’s pretty special to be involved. We worked a long time to develop our relationship with Ford to be in a position to take on projects like this. Anytime you can get in the record books, it is a great opportunity and just builds on what this company has done.”

“Ford Motor Company stands for innovation and leading-edge technology, so having a chance to debut our Ford EcoBoost technology in a high-visibility setting such as this record run attempt, as well as the entire 2014 USCC schedule with its iconic races is great,” says Allison. “Through USCC racing and its fan outreach, we want to showcase how EcoBoost technology presents the combined benefits of performance and fuel efficiency – something all consumers would want in their vehicles.”

(Image courtesy of Ford racing)

 To prepare for the record run and upcoming season, the EcoBoost engine has recently undergone endurance testing at Ford’s Dynamometer Lab in Dearborn, Mich., specifically at the specialized 17G cell. Production and racing engineers from Ford and specialists from Roush Yates Racing Engines have collaborated to ensure the engine is ready for the season.

“The key about this dyno cell is that it’s dedicated to motorsports, but it’s within Ford’s dynamometer facility,” says David Simon, Ford Racing engine engineer. “We can do full vehicle simulation in racing conditions, in a way some of our other cells aren’t capable of doing. It’s very, very specific to high-performance racing engine programs.”

Racing enthusiasts can follow the progression of the record run attempt on Ford Racing’s Twitter channel (@FordRacing) and Facebook page throughout the day on October 9th.

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Photo by Dave Friedman courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Daytona Beach, Florida, February 2, 1966. The Ken Miles/Lloyd Ruby No. 98 Shelby American Ford Mk II leads the Walt Hansgen/Mark Donohue No. 95 Holman & Moody Ford Mk II followed by the Chris Amon/Bruce McLaren No. 96 Shelby American Ford Mk II in the Daytona 24 Hour race at Daytona International Speedway. The Miles/Ruby Ford would win by eight laps. The Dan Gurney/Jerry Grant No. 97 Shelby American Ford Mk II finished second, while the Hasgen/Donohue Ford would finish third. Watch a short video here and see a few images here.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD