Taking Center Stage
With the top-class GTP teams off this weekend, IMSA's stop at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park has the LMP2 class at the head of the field.
No matter what flavor of top-tier sports car racing grabs your attention, IMSA delivers.
The growing GTP class allows some of the world's most revered car manufacturers to show off their race car-building bona fides. The GTD classes--one for pro drivers and one mixing in amateurs--are a gearhead's dream, with sizable fields of recognizable production models from iconic brands such as Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Porsche.
Not to be outdone, but sometimes overlooked, are the LMP2 prototype competitors. The chassis can be sourced from four approved manufacturers--Ligier, Multimatic, Dallara and ORECA, though all but one IMSA team uses ORECA. They all run the same 4.2-liter, 500-horsepower Gibson V-8 engine. The tight technical parameters limit costs without sacrificing too much performance.
They also regularly produce stellar on-track battles. Five of the 13 LMP2 entries at this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona finished on the lead lap, for instance.
That show paled in comparison to the 2023 event, when James Allen maneuvered his Proton Competition No. 55 past Ben Hanley in the CrowdStrike Racing by APR No. 04 as both cars crossed the finish line, generating an iconic photo finish.
This weekend, IMSA's LMP2 class is back in the main event at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP) for the first time since 2019. And the 12 LMP2 competitors will get plenty of attention. The GTP class is not competing at the Canadian track, leaving LMP2 as 34-car field’s headliner.
"I think it's neat from an LMP2 class perspective, what IMSA has done to give this class a spotlight race where they can compete for the overall win," said Colin Braun, co-driver of the No. 04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR entry. "I think that makes it really fun for us as teams and good for our sponsors and partners, and just brings some awareness to how great the racing is in the class."
A variety of factors, from paddock sizes to team budget limitations, means not every class competes in each of IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship events. CTMP is just the fourth race of the year for the LMP2 teams (and first sprint race), but a compelling full-season title battle is already brewing.
The Riley Motorsports No. 74 team came to CTMP with a slim six-point lead over the No 18 Era Motorsports entry on the strength of three top-five finishes. The No. 18, which won the first two races, lost the points lead with a 12th place finish in the most recent event, last month at Watkins Glen. Meanwhile, lurking in third place is the Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports No. 52 squad, whose best finish so far is third.
"Oftentimes there's some storylines that maybe go untold or unseen," Braun said. "There's so much good racing in IMSA right now, you can't cover everything, and so it'll be neat to really have some spotlight on [LMP2] and showcase what the class is about.
"It's a heck of a class," he continued. "I think with the fact that we're all with the same cars, there's no [balance of performance adjustments] to talk about, there's no different performance levels. It's how good each team executes, and how good the drivers and engineers can come up with a setup that is fast."
The LMP2 driver requirements combined with this weekend's scheduling circumstances will see some of sports car racing's best so-called amateurs, or gentleman drivers, battling a few top-class stars.
IMSA rules require each LMP2 team to have at least one amateur, or FIA bronze-rated driver. While classified as amateurs, many in LMP2 are experienced veterans.
Ben Keating, the United Autosports No. 2's so-called amateur, won at least one IMSA race in 10 of the previous 11 seasons. A.O. Racing No. 99 team principal and co-driver P.J. Hyett will start on pole this weekend, extending his fastest-qualifier streak to three races.
"Man, these bronzes are so good, they're so competitive, they drive so well," said Braun, who teamed with Tom Blomqvist to take the GTP class and overall wins at CTMP last year for Meyer Shank Racing. "The racing in and amongst themselves at the start of these races is fantastic."
The bronze drivers share their seats with pros. With the GTP teams off this weekend and a few LMP2 regulars opting to drive in the FIA WEC's 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, some top-class IMSA prototype drivers will be in action at CTMP.
Filipe Albuquerque is co-driving of the No. 22 United Autosports USA ride, Louis Deletraz is alongside Hyett in the No. 99 "Spike the Dragon" car, Pipo Derani will co-drive the Richard Mille AF Corse No. 88 and Renger van der Zande will share time in the Tower Motorsports No. 8.
While the added experience will alter the LMP2 battle some, not having the GTP cars brings bigger changes. The LMP2 field usually starts just behind the faster GTP class, but on Sunday, they will lead the grid to the green flag.
No GTP cars also means less rear-view mirror watching. The LMP2 cars will be cutting through the slower GTD Pro and GTD fields, but not having to give way to faster prototypes.
"I think the restarts may be a little bit different just in the fact that we're not having to be behind any of the GTP cars," Braun said. "Quite honestly, sometimes the GTP car tire warm-up takes a bit longer. And so when you're in [LMP2] as a pro on a restart behind the guys in the back of GTP, sometimes that can have an effect on the restart as a leader in [LMP2].
"I love a good restart, and love having a chance just to lay the laps down straight off the bat and go," Braun added. "It'll be nice."
References
Braun quotes: IMSA pre-race pool interview.
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