![American Le Mans Series LMPC No](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/American_Le_Mans_Series_LMPC_No.05_VIR.jpg)
The Le Mans Prototype Challenge (shortened to LMP Challenge or LMPC) was a
spec Spec may refer to:
*Specification (technical standard), an explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service
**datasheet, or "spec sheet"
People
* Spec Harkness (1887-1952), American professional baseball pitcher
...
sports prototype
A sports prototype, sometimes referred to as simply a prototype, is a type of race car that is used in the highest-level categories of sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars, unlike street-legal and production-based racing cars, are n ...
formula created by the
Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (English: Automobile Club of the West), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organ ...
(ACO), organisers of the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
, and
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
constructor
Oreca
ORECA (Organisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles) is a French racing team and race car constructor, founded in 1973 and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport. ...
. The formula is intended as part of a
ladder system for young and upcoming drivers into the world of
endurance racing while also serving as a value engineered entry for drivers and teams into
Le Mans Prototypes
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were create ...
due to limitations on manufacturers and suppliers.
[ ]
Initially launched as an independent racing series known as the Formula Le Mans Cup in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, the formula has since been expanded to allow participation in three separate series for 2010. The
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
used the title Le Mans Prototype Challenge since its inception.
The
Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
used the name Formula Le Mans until 2011. All ACO series adopted the name Le Mans Prototype Challenge in 2012.
[ ]
Oreca FLM09
The Formula Le Mans car is built by French manufacturer
Oreca
ORECA (Organisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles) is a French racing team and race car constructor, founded in 1973 and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport. ...
and known as the FLM09. The
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
is based on Courage's LC75 LMP2 chassis, while the car's
carbon fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
and
kevlar
Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s a ...
bodywork is a simplified version of the LC75's design. All FLM09s use a production-based
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
small block
LS3 V8 which produces approximately . Transmissions are supplied by
Xtrac
Xtrac Limited, also known as Xtrac Transmission Technology, is a British engineering company founded in 1984 by the former Hewland engineer Mike Endean to make 4WD systems and gearboxes for rallycross and later rally and racing cars. Endean, tog ...
and feature a six-speed
sequential transmission Sequential transmission may refer to:
* Automated manual transmission, a type of mechanical power transmission; which is based on a conventional manual transmission, but is controlled by a computer, and can operate fully automatically.
* Semi-auto ...
operated by paddle shifters. Engine management is regulated by
Magneti Marelli
Magneti Marelli S.p.A. () is an Italian developer and manufacturer of components for the automotive industry. The firm is headquartered in Corbetta, Italy, and includes 86 manufacturing plants, 12 R&D centres, and 26 application centers in 19 c ...
. Up to 2012, all FLM09 cars ran on
Michelin
Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...
slick tire
A racing slick or slick tyre is a type of tyre that has a smooth tread used mostly in auto racing. The first production slick tyre was developed by M&H Tires in the early 1950s for use in drag racing. By eliminating any grooves cut into the tre ...
s based on their LMP tires but in March 2013, it was announced that
Continental AG
Continental AG, commonly known as Continental or colloquially as Conti, is a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company specializing in tires, brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis compo ...
would be the tire supplier for the LMP Challenge class in the upcoming
American Le Mans Series season owing to Continental's deal with
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
as sole tire supplier for their sportscar arm.
Reinforced carbon-carbon disc brake
A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...
s are supplied by
Brembo
Brembo S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. Its head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy.
History
Brembo was established in Paladina, Italy on January 11, 1961 ...
.
In order to accommodate
endurance races in 2010, Oreca also offers an endurance upgrade for the FLM09 which adds an
air restrictor
A restrictor plate or air restrictor is a device installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power. This kind of system is occasionally used in road vehicles (e.g., motorcycles) for insurance purposes, but mainly in automobile racing, to li ...
to the engine to increase reliability as well as slowing the car in comparison to LMP2 category cars.
Series
Formula Le Mans Cup
When the Formula Le Mans category was introduced in 2009, it was initially a support series for many races in the
Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
in Europe as well as at the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
. The ten race
Formula Le Mans Cup organized by the ACO and Oreca included over a dozen entries and was dominated by the
:DAMS driving pair of
Gavin Cronje
Gavin Cronje (born 21 April 1979 in Johannesburg) is a South African racing driver. He has competed in such series as Euroseries 3000 and the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. He won the inaugural Formula Volkswagen South Africa Championship in 2008 ...
and
Nico Verdonck
Nicolas Verdonck (born 5 December 1985) is a Belgian racing driver. He was born in Brussels.
Career
Formula Renault
Verdonck competed in Formula Renault 1600 in 2003, his first year in single seaters. His race engineer was Tim Wright.
Formula 3 ...
, the latter of which won the inaugural Drivers Championship. Most races were one hour in length with a mandatory pit stop to allow teams to change drivers, while a season finale at
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some from Paris and from Lyon.
It staged the Formula One French Grand Prix from 1991 (succeeding Circuit Paul Ricard ...
was held for three hours.
Sportscars Winter Series
As a further development of the Formula Le Mans Cup, Oreca launched the
Sportscars Winter Series in late 2009 in order to allow further amateur driver development during the Le Mans Series off-season. The series, which is held exclusively at the
Circuit Paul Ricard
The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has ho ...
, France, combines Formula Le Mans cars with competitors from the GT2 and GT3
grand tourer
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either ...
categories. The three race season includes two races of thirty minutes and one race of an hour in length.
Le Mans Series
In the
2010 season the Formula Le Mans Cup was integrated into the
Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
, becoming one of five categories within the series. The inaugural season, Formula Le Mans cars participated in four of the Le Mans Series' European races, while a fifth event held solely for Formula Le Mans cars. Teams will be required to have at least one amateur driver in order to further driver development. Championships will be awarded for professional drivers, amateur drivers, and teams, with the winning amateur driver earning a test in an Oreca Le Mans Prototype.
In 2012, the class adopted the Le Mans Prototype Challenge name and took part in the
European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
until
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
.
IMSA
On 16 August 2009, the
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive direc ...
announced a reorganization of the class structure of the
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
, creating a new category known as Le Mans Prototype Challenge. The class utilizes the Formula Le Mans ruleset similar to the Le Mans Series, and competes in all nine American Le Mans Series events.
American Le Mans Series regular
Intersport Racing
Intersport Racing is a former American auto racing team founded by Jon Field. The team was based in Dublin, Ohio. They previously operated two Oreca FLM09 sports cars in the American Le Mans Series. At current, the company has transitioned into ...
became the first North American team to purchase an FLM09, allowing the team to progress drivers from
IMSA Lites, through LMP Challenge, and into their LMP1 category entry. After NASCAR Holdings purchased IMSA in late 2012 in preparation for the
2014 unification of sportscar racing in North America, tyres changed from Michelin to Continental, owing to the carryover Grand American Road Racing Association specification tyre contract with Continental.
IMSA decided to drop the Prototype Challenge class from the championship at the end of 2017, thus retiring the class altogether.
References
{{Class of Auto racing
Sports car racing series
One-make series
European Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Le Mans Prototypes
Racing car classes