Thread: Le Mans: LMP2 Preview

As I write this look into the LMP2 fleet for Le Mans '10, I regret that the dream battle between Honda and Porsche will apparently never happen. I'm not necessarily saying that Honda chose this year to enter its ARX chassis to duck the RS Spyder, but a matchup between the two marques would've produced more interest in a class, which unfortunately has made more news at Le Mans for cars struggling to reach the finish, much less winning. After Sebring, the questions still linger if the latter statement will hold true again.

TIER A: Highcroft Racing Honda PD, Strakka Racing Honda PD, RML Lola-Honda Coupe

Highcroft Racing, without a doubt has the most promising driver lineup in this class, led by defending overall race winner David Brabham. Brabham paired with Scott Sharp to win the ALMS P1 title with the ARX-02a. The team though has switched back to LMP2, in part due to lack of competition and the struggle for the car to keep pace with the diesel Audis and Peugeots. Brabham isn't alone in his quest this year (Sharp left to form his own GT2 team, which won't run at Le Mans), as he is joined this year by Marino Franchitti, the underrated younger brother of Indy 500 winner Dario, and by multiple overall Le Mans winner Marco Werner. If you went solely by driver lineup Highcroft would run away with LMP2, but the reliability of the car is still in question after it found the garage a couple of times at Sebring, which cost it the class win.

If Highcroft fails to get the job done, the class honors could fall to either of two other Honda entries.

Like Highcroft, Strakka Racing has moved from P1 down to P2 following an impressive debut last year. Danny Watts and Nick Leventis flew under the radar last year, but will be expected to run up front this year.

Also based on its recent performances at Le Mans, the boys at Ray Mallock Limited can never be counted out as they return with their Lola coupe, with Honda power replacing the Mazda motor it ran last year. Brazilian Tommy Erdos is always overlooked, but always seems to put the car in contention in the European Le Mans events.

TIER B: Quifel-ASM Ginetta-Zytek, Racing Box Lola-Judd Coupe, Oak Racing Pescarolo (2 cars)

The former Chamberlain squad Quifel-ASM has always had decent speed in qualifying at Le Mans, but when it comes to race day results have been hard to reach.

Racing Box should produce plenty of power in qualifying with their Judd powered coupe, but the V10 motor has a bad habit of blowing up at the wrong time.

Oak Racing has never been a rabbit in LMP2, but the Pescarolos (one with Judd power and the other with Mazda in the back) have shown enough reliability to challenge in the Le Mans Series for podiums and could steal one if a trouble-free run comes in June.

TIER C: Welter Racing WR-Zytek, Team Bruichladdich Ginetta-Zytek, KSM Lola-Mazda, Race Performance AG Radical-Judd

Good to see long time competitor Gerard Welter return to the mix this year, but the underpowered machine won't likely feature in the top flight results unless the usual armageddon crops up again. (Rumor for 2011 has WR joining the diesel club in LMP1, stay tuned)

After several uncompetitive years with the aging Radical chassis, culminating in a crash in last year's race that was not Tim Greaves fault, the Bruichladdich boys have acquired a Ginetta Zytek 09S/2 for its 2010 assault. Although the driving trio will likely remain unchanged last year, it's unknown whether the team will experience better results with the new toy.

KSM has been a non-factor in its last two years at Le Mans, unfortunately making more news for crazy accidents than for being competitive.

As for the Radical SR9, the car is making an unexpected appearence after the ACO added a pit garage to increase the field to 56 cars. As a result, Race Performance gets a stab with the SR9, but the short prep time won't help them.

DrumsofThunder's Prediction: Highcroft Racing Honda

Before the Porsche RS Spyder made its long-awaited debut at Le Mans in '08, the LMP2 class was always the most unpredictable class to forecast. Even though I place the Highcroft team as the favorite to win class honors in its debut at Le Mans, there is enough concern that the newness of the ARX 01-c will lack the reliability to make the finish, the fact that their drivers are so far above the rest of the other LMP2 pilots makes them my pick to win..for now.