Page 5 - Motorsport News (January 2020)

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‘Still going after all these years’

Bob Beales and his VW Beetle, p19

Photos: LAT, Jakob Ebrey

DPi cars were the leading
class at Daytona 24 Hours

PROTOTYPE RULES CONVERGE

AFTER IMSA AND ACO TIE-UP

Daytona Prototype internationals will compete directly alongside WEC cars in the future

By Gary Watkins in North America at the start of 2022 – will Further technical details of the LMDh of machinery racing in the WEC. this long-term sporting and marketing
be able to go up against the LM Hypercar class are due to be announced at the That would mean that the future vision will open up.”
The next generation of IMSA prototypes and road cars that will kick off Super Sebring weekend in March when IMSA contenders will be slower WEC boss Gerard Neveu claimed
Daytona Prototype internationals a new era for the WEC later this year. IMSA and WEC race on the same bill. than the current DPis. that “the bigger winner today is
will be allowed to race in the World What had been dubbed DPi 2.0 will But both organisations have stated ACO president Pierre Fillon said: “This endurance racing”.
Endurance Championship from be rebranded as LMDh under the that the longer-term aim of their latest announcement is the crucial starting Doonan added: “Providing a common
September 2021 and at the deal, which was signed ahead of last accord is to create one set of rules. point for a joint endurance racing future, platform for top-level prototype racing
Le Mans 24 Hours from ’22. weekend’s Daytona 24 Hours. John Doonan, IMSA president, supported by both the ACO and IMSA. globally has been a goal for the
An accord between IMSA and WEC The new LMDh cars will, like the explained the aim was to make the “A manufacturer will soon be able sanctioning bodies, our manufacturers –
promoter and Le Mans organiser the current DPis racing in the IMSA series, performance of LMDh machinery as to compete in the top category of two and most importantly, sportscar racing
Automobile Club de l’Ouest announced be based on LMP2 machinery and will close as possible to the LM Hypercars, championships, the WEC and the IMSA. fans everywhere – for many years, and
last Friday means that the new breed of incorporate a spec hybrid system even though the Balance of Performance “We can’t emphasise enough, as it’s we are proud to say the opportunity
IMSA contender – due to come on stream driving the rear axle. will be used to equate the different types exceptional, how many opportunities has finally arrived.”

Gunn left ‘embarrassed’ Hoggard’s baptism of fire after tough Daytona race
after pitlane exit crash BRDC British Formula 3 runner-up Eric Lux was rear-ended entering
Aston Martin factory driver Ross Gunn said Johnathan Hoggard was hampered the pits by Alex Riberas in the Heart
he would “never forget” his accident exiting by diffuser damage and gearbox woes of Racing Aston.
the pits at the Daytona 24 Hours, which on his endurance racing debut at the Repairs cost the car four laps
ended the works Aston Martin team’s race. Daytona 24 Hours last weekend. but, despite significant rear diffuser
The 23-year-old, who was promoted to The 19-year-old Briton was at the damage, Hoggard lapped within 1.3
Aston’s World Endurance Championship event after winning the Sunoco seconds of the quickest Lamborghini
programme for the 2019-2020 campaign, Whelen Challenge and was due to time set by factory driver and race
was sharing the AMR-run Vantage at the race a Riley/Multimatic prototype in winner Andrea Caldarelli and helped
IMSA season opener with Pedro Lamy, the LMP2 class entered by NASCAR the team win back a lap.
Mathias Lauda and Andrew Watson after squad Rick Ware Racing. But after an But its race was ended with
car owner Paul Dalla Lana was forced to accident for team-mate James Davison four hours to go by terminal (L-r) Van der Zande with
withdraw with a knee injury. curtailed their pre-race test, the gearbox problems.
The crew were delayed when Lamy squad then withdrew from the race “It’s not the result the team wanted Briscoe, Kobayashi, Dixon
tangled with Nicky Catsburg’s Corvette, but when its funded bronze driver quit. or deserved,” Hoggard reflected.
after changing tyres, Gunn understeered Sunoco scrambled to get the Aston “We started off well, but I had a knee CADILLAC WINS AGAIN AT DAYTONA 24 HOURS
into the pitwall on exit and retired. Martin Autosport BRDC Award injury which put another spanner in
He said: “The pain I am feeling right now is winner into a Performance Tech the works, so we had to figure out a new The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac Ben Hanley, Henrik Hedman, Colin
indescribable. I am completely embarrassed Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan way to do driver changes, and then I recovered from an earlier penalty to Braun and Harrison Newey ORECA
and disgusted in the mistake I made last Evo in the GTD class. also had to learn to right-foot brake. win the 2020 edition of the Daytona beating the PR1 Mathiasen car of
night! I will never forget this, and will After completing his opening double “It has been a great experience, 24 Hours. Gabriel Aubry, Ben Keating, Simon
push to come back stronger very soon.” stint in sixth, Hoggard’s prospects of racing during the night time is mega, The car was hit with a 60-second Trummer and Nick Boulle by a full lap.
success were shattered when co-driver I’ve really enjoyed it.” stop-and-go penalty with around In GT Le Mans, Jesse Krohn
five hours of the race still to run for won with the #24 Rahal Letterman
Morris to make further a pitlane infringement, dropping off Lanigan Racing BMW M8 GTE he

Bentley outings with CMR the lead lap to fourth as a result. shared with John Edwards, Augusto
Farfus and Chaz Mostert.
However, the entry was able to

Bentley factory driver Seb Morris will bounce back from this and finish The Finn had to pass both Porsche
contest the GT World Challenge Europe ahead of the polesitting #77 Mazda 911 RSRs over the course of the final
Endurance Cup this season with French RT24-P driven by Oliver Jarvis, couple of hours.
squad CMR. Tristan Nunez and Olivier Pla. Earl Bamber in the #912 car he
The 24-year-old, who won the British The triumph – by Kamui Kobayashi, shared with Laurens Vanthoor and
GT3 Championship in 2017, will dovetail Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Renger Mathieu Jaminet engaged in a frantic
his Pro driver role with CMR alongside van der Zande – keeps alive Cadillac’s duel with Nick Tandy in the final
the Intercontinental GT Challenge. 100% winning record in the classic hour, but held on to restrict the
Morris will team-up with Pierre- IMSA SportsCar Championship Tandy, Fred Makowiecki and Matt
Alexandre Jean who has raced with season opener. Campbell-driven machine to the
CMR for the past two seasons, and The 58th running of the event also lowest step on the podium.
a third driver due to be confirmed, at the featured a record distance completed The GT Daytona class featured a
wheel of a Bentley Continental GT3. due to only six caution periods, the Lamborghini Huracan 1-2, the Paul
He said: “It’s a huge honour to be top three completing 833 laps. Miller Racing entry of Bryan Sellers,
entrusted by Bentley with the Pro driver The #5 JDC Miller MotorSports Corey Lewis, Madison Snow and
role in one of CMR’s Bentley Continentals Cadillac of Sebastien Bourdais, Andrea Caldarelli triumphing ahead
this year and, along with my factory drive Joao Barbosa and Loic Duval of the GRT Magnus entry steered
in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, I’m completed the podium. by Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly,
determined to deliver the absolute best LMP2 was won by DragonSpeed, the Marco Mapelli and John Potter.
performances I can for Bentley.” Hoggard made late switch to the Lamborghini Huracan Evo at Daytona