Prior to the entry of the Penske Porsche LMP2 (P2) cars in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 2006, the LMP1 (P1) class dominated the series, much like the P1 cars do at Le Mans.
Now with the Porsche and Acura P2 cars being just as competitive, is there a point to keeping the P1 class?
P1 cars feature engines that produce 600-700bhp and have a minimum weight of 1,985-2,040lbs. P2 cars produce 500-550bhp but have a minimum weight of 1,760lbs.
On the track, especially last year and this season, the Penske Porsches and Acuras have been just as competitive, if not more, than the Audi R10s, who classify as P1 cars. On the track, the P1 cars are faster on straights, but other than that, the P2 cars' track times are similar.
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The popularity of the class is also waning. Although there are four teams competing in the class, only the factory-backed Audi cars are truly competitive and the other teams do not necessarily participate in each event.
Should there be a P1 class anymore?
Personally, I believe that either a class combining P1 and P2 ought to be created or that P1 be dissolved in the American Le Mans Series. P2 cars are relatively cheaper to run and the popularity they have because of the Porsche and Acura cars is not one the P1 class experiences anymore.
In the Le Mans Series and the 24 hours of Le Mans, the P1 cars are truly in a whole different class than the P2 cars, but in the ALMS, the difference is negligible.
I have been a fan of the R8 since 2000 and now the R10 and love to see them getting a run for their money because it's what makes racing great.
If they were all in the same class, or the cars were adjusted to find a middle-ground, then it would not be so awkward that a higher class car's main competition is a lower class car that technically should not be.
With ALMS popularity on the rise, it is time that the officials of the series look at the two classes and make a decision if it is worth it to have two separate classes that are not all that different.
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21 days ago
How about the news of more LMP1 cars in 2009?
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