2017 LM P2 Rule Changes Announced

[RSBro]

http://autoweek.com/article/united-s...structors-2017

How does everyone else feel about this?

Personally I'm a bit miffed. LM P2 to me is the most exciting category in endurance racing. Putting any category like this "to spec" typically never bodes well. This is what happened to Group C at the height of its popularity with the "spec" 3.5L F1 engines in the cars.
IMO, it's going to take the first year pretty much to see what the fastest chassis is and everyone is going to jump onboard with that manufacturer. The Nissan only engine bit is also pretty lame. They say such hasn't been selected yet, but can't imagine it not being Nissan...

Only positive I can see is more foreign teams running in TUDOR but the DPs are going to get the BOP edge over them since Chevy has the $$ behind the series (tin foil hat on lol).

Hope it doesn't crash the category. It's certainly my favorite with all the diversity and difference in coupes and open cockpit cars which the latter I'm sure will be gone here in the short future, unfortunately for safety regs reasons.

[hellrotm]

Basically like current Tudor Prototype Challenge class, just with more chassis choices. LMPC is Oreca chassis and Chevrolet engines.

Any rumors on the engine manufacturer for the ACO and FIA LMP2 series? Kinda weird the Tudor teams have a little more choices with engine manufacturers and aero setup.

[ptack]

Not that surprising. P1 is the main act so I would expect all other classes to be more cost conscious.

[SMURFDADDY]

That sucks, although the reality is cost. They should get rid of LMPC and re-add LMP1 in the Mix

[Rix313]

The reason for it is simple. Oreca (a French manufacturer) said they would stop producing cars unless they could be guaranteed a minimum quantity of 10 cars otherwise it wasn't viable. The ACO (a French organisation) pandered to them and thus the 4 manufacturer rule has arrived. You'll probably find a fair bit of 'badge engineering' going on any way, for example the Morgan P2, Lotus P1.... and many others.

P2 is super competitive and I sure it will remain to be.

[RSBro]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Basically like current Tudor Prototype Challenge class, just with more chassis choices. LMPC is Oreca chassis and Chevrolet engines.

Any rumors on the engine manufacturer for the ACO and FIA LMP2 series? Kinda weird the Tudor teams have a little more choices with engine manufacturers and aero setup.

For the engine, as I mentioned in the OP I can't imagine it not being the Nissan V8 since so many teams use it already. I highly doubt it would be Chevy like we have in LM PC in a Euro-Asian series.

[Flying Ace]

I don't think it'll end up being a defacto single spec b/c of the BOP adjustments that can be made. This will allow teams to continue to run different motors. So in a sense might increase/maintain diversity in the class. Even today, there's only 5 chassis in LMP2 in the WEC.

What's the word on the top class in the now Weathertech (Tudor) Series in 2017? I heard DPs are gone. They want LMP1 cars to run in Weathertech/Tudor Series in 2017 but it doesnt' seem like any teams have enough money to run in US and WEC for a full season.

We already know about the GT3 spec going in effect in the US for 2017 and that's a great thing IMO. Any word on a lower-class of GT cars similar to WEC right now? Are WEC GT-Am cars different than GT-Pro?