IMSA TUSC 2015 Entries, Schedule, and Rumors

[TheMightyM]

Major developing story from Marshall Pruett: No ARX-04bs at Sebring. The ARX-04b needs additional development and will not be FIA homologated this year.

ESM will run their old ARX-03bs at Sebring will searching for an alternate P2 chassis for the WEC season (Ligier?).

And then there’s this:

A Honda representative confirmed the most probable direction involves ESM's pair of ARX-04bs being returned to HPD where an intensive testing program would be implemented. If those R&D efforts are successful, the ARX-04bs could be seen in competition later in the year—most likely in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

And:

It's unclear when the ARX-04b would return to competition, but it would not be a surprise to see it reappear later in the season with Andretti or SPM under the same provisional IMSA homologation it used to race at Daytona, before re-launching the ARX-04b as a customer car program in 2016.

[Lanky Turtle]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Major developing story from Marshall Pruett: No ARX-04bs at Sebring. The ARX-04b needs additional development and will not be FIA homologated this year.

ESM will run their old ARX-03bs at Sebring will searching for an alternate P2 chassis for the WEC season (Ligier?).

And then there’s this:


And:

It was kind of odd, them running both cars at the Sebring test last week.

[Deleted]

What.

Boo.

[Coach Ep]

I'm expecting ESM to drop out of Sebring all together in a couple of days - much like Petit last year.

O well, at least the weather is looking great!

[Maelochs]

Apparently ESM plans to run its ARX-03bs at Sebring ... slow and steady wins the race, maybe? One of the cars I was most looking forward to seeing won't be on the grid—oh, joy.

At least the whole event hasn't been cancelled.

So ... ESM scraps HPD and buys Ligiers, and we are all supposed to hope Andretti has time after messing about with aero kits in IndyCar to enter some HPDs for the end of the season? Apparently that's where the best of Wirth's work went—or IndyCar is going to be a huge Chevy romp this year.

I am not assuming a lot of customers are going to be lining up for the ARX-04b in 2016.

[Rcz]

Well at least you get to see more open top P2 action at least at Sebring.

[Rodger Davies]

And it was the quickest car there last year in Dalziel's hands. Here's hoping for more of the same, though it's a real pity to lose those new coupés.

[David Land]

I like the open tops better anyway... should have won last year.

[JoeF]

There is some inkling in my mind with new proposed P2 regs. that make me think there is more to this.

[Rcz]

Hmm... You think they would just run the car anyway to get the bugs out. The best way to find problems is to run it.

I'm mean their are pretty much the HPD factory team aren't they? And they have a good sponser so money shouldn't be too much a problem.

My guess is maybe there is something structuraly wrong with the car?

[schmidder]

Originally Posted by JoeF

There is some inkling in my mind with new proposed P2 regs. that make me think there is more to this.

+1

[BullMan]

I'll believe Andretti runs those HPDs when they take a green flag. If Andretti ran all of the programs they said they would, we would have tracks choked full of cars in every series everywhere.

[cdsvg]

Originally Posted by Rcz

Hmm... You think they would just run the car anyway to get the bugs out. The best way to find problems is to run it.

I'm mean their are pretty much the HPD factory team aren't they? And they have a good sponser so money shouldn't be too much a problem.

My guess is maybe there is something structuraly wrong with the car?

The issue with the P2 regs is that once homologated, you aren't really allowed to iron the bugs out. This is one of the problems with these development restriction rules we've had since 2011.

[TzeiTzei]

Originally Posted by cdsvg

The issue with the P2 regs is that once homologated, you aren't really allowed to iron the bugs out. This is one of the problems with these development restriction rules we've had since 2011.

That didnt stop them from racing at daytona. So racing at sebring shouldnt be a problem either.

[cdsvg]

Originally Posted by TzeiTzei

That didnt stop them from racing at daytona. So racing at sebring shouldnt be a problem either.

As far as I know, they don't need ACO homologation to race at Daytona, but they do for Sebring.

[Rcz]

But Sebring isn't part of the ACO.

[Deleted]

Don't think Sebring had required it but they would have needed it in time for Ricard Prologue which is coming in two weeks time. I think they just pussied out

[Maelochs]

No doubt they could have run the AREX-04bs at Sebring, but Why? When they were at Daytona the cars were brand new and the team did what it could to sort them out. Testing at Sebring revealed that the problems could not be "sorted out" with a few new bits of bodywork for different spring rates, so why would ESM race cars it knew needed more work and would never be competitive?

ESM at least knew the ARX-03bs inside and out, and knew that if they weren't as fast as the Ligier coupes they were still faster than the 04bs Why not send the cars back immediately and let HPD get to work, and also maybe salvage a decent finish at Sebring in car which had already run well there before?

If "pussy out" means "do the smartest thing most likely to bring the best results," then yes, that's what ESM did.

[wdave0]

Even though they probably could run the new car at Sebring it makes most sense for them to run the old car because they have to run the prologue a week later and either can't run the new car there or have to homologate the new car in non-competitive form in order to run it.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by JoeF

There is some inkling in my mind with new proposed P2 regs. that make me think there is more to this.

Yep, I'd don't think the 04b will see the light of day again. I hope to be proven wrong, however.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Yep, I'd don't think the 04b will see the light of day again. I hope to be proven wrong, however.

It will still be eligible stateside, so there is more than a couple years of life potentially left.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by joeb

It will still be eligible stateside, so there is more than a couple years of life potentially left.

If they don't get the engine deal, is that enough for them? I just can't see the justification for it.

[Maelochs]

I'd imagine they'd update the old chassis they have sitting around and sell them to the highest bidder just to recoup whatever costs they could. Even if they end up paying for the upgrade out-of-pocket, it would be better than swallowing three or four chassis perhaps.

[Rodger Davies]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Yep, I'd don't think the 04b will see the light of day again. I hope to be proven wrong, however.

I agree with you. Hope I'm wrong.

[BullMan]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

If they don't get the engine deal, is that enough for them? I just can't see the justification for it.

Honda says they have no desire to build an N/A V8.