MOTORSPORT: Yet another new race category for Australia

It’s raining new categories in Australian motorsport – or it will be if recent announcements come to fruition.

In the past month there’s been confirmation of TCR 2-litre touring car racing coming to Oz, of S5000, an Aussie kind of modern Formula 5000 open-wheeler category but with a control chassis and engine, and this week news of a sports prototype series, LMP3 Cup Australia.

The latest will be for sleek, European-made sports cars with a price cap of A$330,000 and a powertrain engineered by Oreca and featuring a Nissan 420-horsepower normally-aspirated 5-litre V8 engine and an X-Trac gearbox.

All three are envisaged largely as additions to the Shannons Nationals program as early as next year.

While TCR and S5000 are to be managed by the Australian Racing Group headed by former Volvo and Supercars executive Matt Braid, no category manager has been named yet for LMP3.

The driving forces behind it though have been Sydney-based former Formula 1 engineer and Carrera Cup Australia team owner Chris Papadopoulos and Gold Coast racer Josh Hunt.

An agreement has been struck between LMP3 Cup Australia Pty Ltd and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, (ACO), which stages the biggest sports car race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France each June, and basically runs the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

As with TCR and S5000, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) chief executive Eugene Arocca has strongly supported introduction of the sports prototype category.

Only time will tell whether there is the appetite and the money from competitors, sponsors, broadcasters and fans for these new categories to survive and flourish.

Formula 4, an international junior open-wheeler category introduced in Australia in 2015, is yet to see anywhere near full grids of the 20 cars CAMS bought to start it here.

A six-round LMP3 series is envisaged next year, with two one-hour races at each at circuits including Sydney Motorsport Park, Victoria’s Phillip Island and South Australia’s new Tailem Bend venue, but no calendar has been announced.

The ACO established the LMP3 class in 2015 to be a global base for sports prototype racing and to provide a pathway to the WEC. There are a dozen series around the world for the category, including the European Le Mans Series (with a support race to the 24-hour classic), the lMSA Prototype Challenge in the US and the Asian Le Mans Series. Papadopoulos claims LMP3 racing in Australia will be “just mega”.

“The Cup is going to be great for spectators with the close and exciting racing, but also for teams and drivers looking to experience the high-speed thrill of Le Mans prototype racing,” Papadopoulos said.

“The cost-cap on the cars and the nature of the category will means it is a cost-effective racing option in this market. The one-hour race format means teams will not need expensive refuelling, or pit stop equipment and crews, making it easier for new teams to get involved or expand existing programs.” Hunt said that partnering with the ACO had been important.

“This brings us into the ACO pyramid and gives Australian drivers a better opportunity than ever to progress into overseas racing and hopefully a world championship in WEC like Mark Webber, Alex Davison and Matt Campbell,” he said.

There are claims that prospective competitors have already begun placing orders for cars.

The ACO-designated constructors are Ligier (Onroak Automotive), Ginetta, Adess AG and Norma and about 150 cars have already been built since the LMP3 began overseas in 2015.

ACO president Pierre Fillon has said LMP3 is “the fastest growing prototype category globally”.

“Australia is well known for creating world-class motorsport events. The cars, style of racing, and the organisation, combined with some of Australia’s most iconic race tracks should be an exciting prospect for both professional and gentlemen drivers,” Fillon said.

“Through the introduction of the LMP3 Cup in Australia we hope to see more Australian drivers racing with us, and potentially we could see an Australian team racing at the highest level globally.”