new car to ALMS

[brihev]

There is a new manufacturer headed to ALMS in 2007.  Acura is entering the LMP2 racing, chassis unknown.

i saw this on americanlemans. com and speedtv.com

[racerboyadam]

The way I read it, there will be 2 teams running it.  One with a Courage and one with a Lola.

[BillBones]

Photo Credit: Dan Boyd, American Le Mans Series

Power will be a 3.4 liter V8, and testing will begin the summer.  Debut race will be Sebring 2007.

Looks like they forgot the headlights!

Full story is at http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=1913

[amazing]

That is good news.Does anyone else they should be competitive out of the box.Look out Roger there is a new kid on the block,and they like to WIN.

[Misplaced Floridian]

Glad to see the field growing, Acura has a decent 'pedigree' in other forms of racing, they should be competitive 'out of the box'.  It would be nice to see more involvement in GT1 - maybe a couple Vipers, maybe some of the larger Ferrari's.

LMP1 could use some more competition too, if it wasn't so expensive - they couldn't even fill the podium with finishers after the 54th race.

Is it too early to start getting excited about next year?  :lol:

Cheers,
Scott

[racerboyadam]

LMP1 could use some more competition too, if it wasn't so expensive - they couldn't even fill the podium with finishers after the 54th race.

It will come.  Last year at Mid-O not a single LMP2 car finished the race and look where we are just a year later.  In 2008, we will see Porsche, Audi and Acura (possibly Toyota as well) in P1.  

Is it too early to start getting excited about next year?  

Not at all.

[racinaddict]

The return of Acura to IMSA is great news!! They were the best of the Camel Lights class in the early 90's. Remember Parker Johnstone? That surely isn't a Lola chassis in the picture based on the looks of the nose.

[KTJeffries]

the speculation is that F1 teams/manufacturers will flock to LMP cars for year round testing of engine platforms with the new engine longevity/testing rules. If that happens we could see the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Cosworth, Honda, and Ferarri in the ALMS with prototypes which would be a dream come true.

[ScienceTom]

I heard the chassis will be by Courage (Henri Pescarolo). Drive train by Acura.
        Tom

[racerboyadam]

I think that 1 team will run a courage, but I still think that there will be another team out there running a Lola.  In the press release they used the term "teams" and pointed out both Courage and Lola chasis.  Pescarolo himself would not be involved.  There would be no way he would step down to P2 when his cars have been faster than the R8.

[BillBones]

New picture of the Acura P2 car on the Speed TV web site. http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/alms/23078



Photo Credit: Speed TV