ALMS NEWS: Porsche (and Audi, sorta) is gonna have a fight on their hands next year
04-11-2006, 09:17 PM
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ALMS NEWS: Porsche (and Audi, sorta) is gonna have a fight on their hands next year
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/17807/acura_front_3_4_high.jpg"></center><p>*you read it here first!!*
NEW YORK, NY (April 12, 2006) - Acura will enter the 2007 American Le Mans Series, competing in the LMP2 class, company officials have announced. This will mark Acura's first factory motorsports program in the 20-year history of the company.
An Acura-powered endurance-racing prototype will make its competition debut at the 55th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March of 2007, racing against manufacturer-supported efforts from Audi, Porsche and Mazda, and a variety of well-equipped privateer teams.
"As Acura marks its 20-year anniversary, I can't think of a better racing series to showcase our technology and performance than the American Le Mans Series," said John Mendel, senior vice president, auto sales, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Our entry as a full factory team in the American Le Mans Series will accurately reflect Acura's position as a leader in automotive performance and technology, and provide us with an arena in which to compete against other manufacturers in endurance sports car racing."
The American Le Mans Series draws on the heritage of long-distance "endurance" sports car racing in both Europe and the United States. The 10-race domestic series includes the 12 Hours of Sebring - a U.S. fixture since 1952 - plus events at the country's premier road circuits, including Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park and Road Atlanta.
Sports car competition in the American Le Mans Series features multi-class racing of high-tech sports car prototypes and production-based Grand Touring machinery, with both factory-entered manufacturer teams and relentless privateers battling for victory. State-of-the-art technology and engineering, in everything from electronics to aerodynamics to fuel efficiency, are keys to success in the Series. Manufacturers currently fielding teams include Volkswagen/Audi, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Lexus, Aston Martin, Panoz and Chevrolet.
The American Le Mans Series is one of the fastest-growing racing series in the U.S., with a rapidly growing fan base attending the events and watching on television. Five of the 10 races in 2006 will be broadcast by CBS, with the remaining five events and Le Mans telecast on the cable/satellite SPEED network, including a prime-time season finale at Laguna Seca.
NEW YORK, NY (April 12, 2006) - Acura will enter the 2007 American Le Mans Series, competing in the LMP2 class, company officials have announced. This will mark Acura's first factory motorsports program in the 20-year history of the company.
An Acura-powered endurance-racing prototype will make its competition debut at the 55th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March of 2007, racing against manufacturer-supported efforts from Audi, Porsche and Mazda, and a variety of well-equipped privateer teams.
"As Acura marks its 20-year anniversary, I can't think of a better racing series to showcase our technology and performance than the American Le Mans Series," said John Mendel, senior vice president, auto sales, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Our entry as a full factory team in the American Le Mans Series will accurately reflect Acura's position as a leader in automotive performance and technology, and provide us with an arena in which to compete against other manufacturers in endurance sports car racing."
The American Le Mans Series draws on the heritage of long-distance "endurance" sports car racing in both Europe and the United States. The 10-race domestic series includes the 12 Hours of Sebring - a U.S. fixture since 1952 - plus events at the country's premier road circuits, including Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park and Road Atlanta.
Sports car competition in the American Le Mans Series features multi-class racing of high-tech sports car prototypes and production-based Grand Touring machinery, with both factory-entered manufacturer teams and relentless privateers battling for victory. State-of-the-art technology and engineering, in everything from electronics to aerodynamics to fuel efficiency, are keys to success in the Series. Manufacturers currently fielding teams include Volkswagen/Audi, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Lexus, Aston Martin, Panoz and Chevrolet.
The American Le Mans Series is one of the fastest-growing racing series in the U.S., with a rapidly growing fan base attending the events and watching on television. Five of the 10 races in 2006 will be broadcast by CBS, with the remaining five events and Le Mans telecast on the cable/satellite SPEED network, including a prime-time season finale at Laguna Seca.
04-11-2006, 10:00 PM
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Interesting. I remember reading rumors about this in (I think) a Robin Miller article on Honda
pulling the plug on its IRL program if they had nobody to race. I wonder if there will be customer versions of this car and if there will be a reason to buy it instead of the Porsche!
Bit odd that there are two and a half (the Mazda effort doesn't get a full count) manufacturer teams in P2 and only one in P1 though...
Bit odd that there are two and a half (the Mazda effort doesn't get a full count) manufacturer teams in P2 and only one in P1 though...
04-12-2006, 10:03 AM
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Now "official" from the ALMS - see link
Official press release from the American Le Mans Series<ul><li><a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=1913">http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=1913</a</li></ul>
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