ACURA LMP1 already done?

[roost89]

Strakka racing runs the HPD ARX-01d
Pretty sure another team runs another car too, can't think who though

[wesley123]

Strakka racing runs the HPD ARX-01d
Pretty sure another team runs another car too, can't think who though

I thought Strakka ran the c? Then there is another team in White Red/Blue of which I remembered its name yesterday, but have now forgotten which runs the d under LMP2 rules which is essentially a detuned c.

Anyway point was, Highcroft ran the 01e but dont anymore due to cash problems, I'm sure they would receive the Closed top f if they still ran the e, how is that going now? Will there come a new team next year or will Strakka simply run that one?

[HampusA]

Strakka racing won Le Mans in the c last year.
It was a very good car who also took home the title with Highcroft in the ALMS.

The c is however not a LMP1 car. It´s a LMP2 car.

[wesley123]

for this year the c is a LMP1 car, due to different rules. the d is the tuned down c spec to stay within the cost spec, I am pretty sure of that.

[HampusA]

No the LMP1 is called ARX-02

The 01-a,b,c,d,e is the same car more or less just different aero packages mostly.

The c was specifically aero-designed for Le Mans. = lowDF package
The b was designed for ALMS = highDF package

[wesley123]

saw it, both JMB and Strakka run the 01d.

I'm pretty sure that the highcroft ARX-01e was enlisted as LMP1 at Sebring and was planned to rn in the LMP1 class too at Le Mans. Also the f, the rumored closed top will run in LMP1

[HampusA]

No you forget wrong m8.

The 02 was specifically done for the LMP1 class in ALMS.
The 01 was designed together with the teams that ran the cars, they all had different areas they focused on for development.

The 02 is entirely designed by Acura/HPD.


the 02 made it´s debut in 2009 at Sebring 12H with the teams, Highcroft & de Ferran.

[HampusA]

Actually you dont. Sorry.

When Highcroft and de Ferran bailed on the LMP1 programme, Highcroft came back in 2011 with an updated 01e

After the race HPD pulled the LMP1 programme.
(had to check wiki to double check everything i said was correct and surely enough i found the 01-e there as LMP1 car.)

[wesley123]

Did HPD pull out the plug on those teams? I thought it was funding.

Anyway, quite awkward of HPD to do so, now they are going the Lola route if i'm correct? If they want to win Le Mans in P1 they really need to backa team well like they did with highcroft and De Ferran for example.

[HampusA]

i think it was HPD pulling the LMP1 programme and won´t have any LMP1´s for any races in ILMC or ALMS.

But you say there are rumours for a closed cockpit, sounds plausible as closed cockpit seems the way to go. Especially now with the LMP1 regs.

Could be that they realised that quickly and instead of spending more money on that they close it down and went back to the drawing board.
Maybe we could see a hybrid version? Pug is running theirs next year i believe.

I have no idea regarding Lola. Yea i´m not sure even if they did back a team that they would win Le Mans. The regs are too much in favour of the devil´s juice.

[wesley123]

I believe there were rumors for a long time now, HPD/Wirth eventually opting for an closed top P1.

I do believe that when one comes up with a really good car they can sure challenge the diesels, an Diesel itself is more heavier, way more and requires more cooling. an gasoline car has to play in on these advantages. The ARX-02a played in on this but barely got a chance to prove itself, by the first 3 races it was already clear that HPD was going to can the ARX-02a, over the whole season both teams drove with barely enough spares and one spare tub left over the whole season

[HampusA]

Check the times from Le Mans, the diesel powered cars dominated it.

Fastest time set by a diesel powered car, 3.25.7 min
Fastest time set by a gasoline powered car, 3:32.883 min

That´s 7.145 seconds, you won´t find that time no matter how good the car is if the regulations stay the same.
7 seconds every lap for 24 hours is huge. Even if they are 2 seconds of a lap that´s still a few laps down after 24 hours.

Regs in 09 was a bit different then what we have today.
LMP1 cars are generally much much slower this year and the ARX-01c is actually faster around Sebring then todays LMP1 cars from Audi and Peugeot.

[HampusA]

Like what races? there isn´t much more then ALMS, Le Mans & ILMC.

You also have a huge disadvantage in traffic with gaspowered cars due to the lack of torque (relatively speaking)
That puts the gap in races even further between gas/diesel.

I hope they can match diesel powered cars but i doubt it, 7 seconds is an eternity and not something you just pick up building a better car.

[RacingManiac]

The state with HPD as my understand was this, 01e was mothballed after Sebring(where it finished 2nd to Oreca 908). Highcroft can't bring any money to the table to run Le Mans or the rest of the season, and Honda/HPD wasn't going to back the car by itself, so they stopped the program. 01f, which is the P2 non-costcapped version of car was used by Strakka this year but was saddled with a lot of restriction because its not cost capped, and the Honda V6 is under performing relative to the rest of the engine selections for P2. 01g was developed for the cost-capped formula and I think Level 5 Motorsport(runs ALMS and ILMC) are swtiching from a Lola Coupe to it. I don't think it has raced yet though.

01e has certainly the chance of being the best of the gas powered car. 01e's debut even with the problem suffered by factory Peugeot and Audi is still very impressive as it was matching the old Peugeot on speed. And considering the car ran for the first time on track only a week before Sebring speaks volume to the potential of the package. Its one of those case of we may never know what the car is fully capable of. Also since the car has a relatively compact 3.4 liter V8, it might well be well suited for hybrid application. I think Wirth was working on a Coupe, but they are not going to build it I think until they can get another manufacturer on board....

[Pierce89]

The state with HPD as my understand was this, 01e was mothballed after Sebring(where it finished 2nd to Oreca 908). Highcroft can't bring any money to the table to run Le Mans or the rest of the season, and Honda/HPD wasn't going to back the car by itself, so they stopped the program. 01f, which is the P2 non-costcapped version of car was used by Strakka this year but was saddled with a lot of restriction because its not cost capped, and the Honda V6 is under performing relative to the rest of the engine selections for P2. 01g was developed for the cost-capped formula and I think Level 5 Motorsport(runs ALMS and ILMC) are swtiching from a Lola Coupe to it. I don't think it has raced yet though.

01e has certainly the chance of being the best of the gas powered car. 01e's debut even with the problem suffered by factory Peugeot and Audi is still very impressive as it was matching the old Peugeot on speed. And considering the car ran for the first time on track only a week before Sebring speaks volume to the potential of the package. Its one of those case of we may never know what the car is fully capable of. Also since the car has a relatively compact 3.4 liter V8, it might well be well suited for hybrid application. I think Wirth was working on a Coupe, but they are not going to build it I think until they can get another manufacturer on board....

Wirth might have blown his F1 chance, but his LMP cars with the miniscule budget he had were awfully impressive. The 02a or 01e I believe would've been awsome with a powerplant competitive to Audi or Peugot. From the few comparisons I ever saw between the three, it seemed Wirth had developed better chassis than either the Audi or Peugot Goliaths. They alway had near as dammit lap times with VERY SIGNIFICANT power disadvantages, and in quali where a superior chassis is easier to cover up a power disadvantage when you only have to crank out one super committed lap, they even topped msot of the diesels often, and beat all the diesels to the Sebring pole in 08 or 09 with the 02a