SEBRING, Fla. — Sebring International Raceway is going to be a proving ground as much as a racetrack when the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring kicks off the American Le Mans Series season on Saturday.
Two of the most innovative prototypes in the history sports car racing will make their racing debut in the 57th edition of America’s oldest endurance event, with Acura introducing it’s all-new gas-powered ARX-02a and Audi its R15 TDI, the latest diesel-engine car from the German company.
The new cars will face a challenge in the American Le Mans Series’ elite LMP1 class from another diesel-powered entry — the returning Peugeot 908 HDi.
“Obviously, the Peugeot is not a new car so, in terms of knowing the car and reliability, Peugeot has the advantage,” noted David Brabham, who will co-drive one of two new Acuras. “I think Audi and ourselves are still learning and understanding our new cars.
“I hope we all go out there and we’re all reliable and we can race to the end. Because I think if we can do that, it will be one hell of a race.”
The new Acuras — making the company’s LMP1 debut after racing in the LMP2 class last year — will be fielded by de Ferran Motorsports and Patron Highcroft Racing.
Former Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time Champ Car champion Gil de Ferran will team up with Simon Pagenaud and reigning IndyCar and Indy 500 champion Scott Dixon, while Brabham will co-drive the PHR entry with Scott Sharp and Dario Franchitti, another former Indy and Indy 500 champion.
Their new cars were developed by Honda Performance Development in California and Wirth Research in England with an all-new 4-liter, normally aspirated V-8 engine. But the most unique aspect of the Acura design is a front end that allows the same size tires on both the front and the rear — something not seen in major auto racing in more than four decades.
The idea was to make the new Acura so fast through the corners that it will be able to overcome the horsepower advantage of the two diesel-engine cars.
“The goal of this new program was to try and create the fastest and most agile (LM)P1 car that’s been built,” said chief designer Nick Wirth, “and also try and find a fundamental advantage that would offset the diesel’s raw power. This car has the same technology on it, apart from carbon suspension, as a Formula One car.”
“There is a lot of excitement about the new Acura ARX-02a because it is such a radical design,” said Sharp, a longtime open-wheel star in America. “We are learning more and more every time we run. … The last couple of tests have been very productive.
“There is an art to winning a 12-hour race in spending as little time as possible in the pits. Our reliability, strategy and consistency of the car and the drivers will certainly be tested.”
Audi will not race for the ALMS championship this year, running in only three series events while concentrating most of its efforts on the 24-Hours of Le Mans and its European program. But Audi’s R8 won its ALMS debut in 2000 and the R10 TDI did the same in 2006, so the all-new R15 is expected to be a factor on Saturday.
Last year’s Le Mans winners, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello, will share one Audi, while the other will be manned by Marco Werner, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller.
“We came here with the goal in mind to try and win this event, and we’re doing it to the utmost of our abilities, exactly the same as we would be in previous years,” said McNish, a former ALMS champion.
Peugeot has yet to win an ALMS race and it doesn’t have a new car, but its two entries are also expected to be competitive at Sebring.
Nic Minassian, Pedro Lamy and Christian Klien will partner in one Peugeot coupe, while Franck Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin and four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, now racing in Formula One, will drive the other.
“Even if it’s endurance racing, it’s lap after lap,” Minassian said. “You just fight like maniacs. It’s not just a waiting game. It’s proper racing all the time, and good friends outside the track, as well. The ambiance has a good feel about all of it.”
The race is guaranteed to have a new winner this year, with Penske Racing, which won with a Porsche Spyder LMP2 car last year, having moved to the rival Rolex Grand-Am series.
LMP2 cars finished in the top three spots last year. While the bulked up LMP1 class is expected to dominate this time, nobody has counted out last year’s Acura and the brand new Mazdas entered in LMP2.
“I don’t think we can discount those guys at all because the nature of this race, with yellows and fuel strategy and things,” McNish said. “Those guys will be there come the end of the 12 hours.
“I think it definitely does open itself up to be one of the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring,” he added. “We saw last year the competitiveness of the various different marques. … It was a real nail-biter right to the end. This year sets itself up to be even better.”
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