OAK Racing

[FIRE]

Does that mean the tub will be made of oak?

[MGDavid]

no but the team is re-naming to Ash Racing

[gwyllion]

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsjan12.html has some pictures of the 2012 Oak Morgan LMP2 and some comments on the fender holes.

[Tim the Grey]

Point of order, please? Shouldn't this thread now be re-named MORGAN, not OAK???
Personally, I'm very happy that Malvern's finest are back in the spotlight.

[gwyllion]

No, the LMP1 car is still Oak Pescarolo and the team is still called Oak Racing.

[morningview66]

So let me get this correct both the OAK LMP1 and LMP2 cars are 'based'? on the Pescarolo 01?

The Morgan deal is just branding, the car will still be the OAK/Pescarolo 01 LMP2?

All Judd powered?

[alexkiller8]

oak pescarolo (lmp1 and lmp2) are 2009 pescarolo 01 evo cars with some aero update (lmp1 version) and hugely bodykit reworked (2011 lmp2 version and new 2012 morgan lmp2) both of them powered by judd engines (3.4 v8 lmp1, judd-hk lmp2).
The morgan lmp2 is just a 2012 spec oak pescarolo lmp2 judd powered with the morgan badge nothing less nothing more (same as lotus/lola situation).
Even if morgan situattion is different, isn't the first time for oak to host a manufacter badge on his car, because in 2009 and 2010 there was a similiar situation; in 2009 they had mazda engines and mazda was their main sponsorship (mazda badge on the nose car, but if i remember well mazda wasn't in the name of the car or the team) but when in 2010 they switched for judd engines the mazda presence on the car livery remained untouched.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

oak pescarolo (lmp1 and lmp2) are 2009 pescarolo 01 evo cars with some aero update (lmp1 version) and hugely bodykit reworked (2011 lmp2 version and new 2012 morgan lmp2) both of them powered by judd engines (3.4 v8 lmp1, judd-hk lmp2).
The morgan lmp2 is just a 2012 spec oak pescarolo lmp2 judd powered with the morgan badge nothing less nothing more (same as lotus/lola situation).
Even if morgan situattion is different, isn't the first time for oak to host a manufacter badge on his car, because in 2009 and 2010 there was a similiar situation; in 2009 they had mazda engines and mazda was their main sponsorship (mazda badge on the nose car, but if i remember well mazda wasn't in the name of the car or the team) but when in 2010 they switched for judd engines the mazda presence on the car livery remained untouched.

I've a bit more time for the Oak / Morgan thing than some of the other rebadging exercises like the Kodewa Lola / Lotus thing. At least all Oak LMP2s will be Morgans (or so I understand) - which gives it a little more credibility.

Obviously I'd rather see it evolve into something more distinct (insert flippant comments about three wheelers) but I think there's a lot to be drawn from seeing Oak's level of commercial acumen in spotting an opportunity and building on it - like they did with Mazda, and are now doing with Morgan.

[gwyllion]

The column of Guillaume Moreau in LMR #73 provides some information about the development that Oak Racing did during the winter. See http://www.vif-argent.fr/lmr73/#/36

Oak worked on the aero to produce less drag without losing downforce.

The new Dunlop tyres are now on par with the Michelins, as they also last four stints.

Oak bought a simulator from Aotech. This allows them to test aero configurations in the simulator and to prepare the initial setup for every track.

According Moreau the Judd V8 is no match for the HPD and Toyota V8, both in terms of performance and reliability.

[TF110]

Seems they have a very capable car (chassis), and would be even better with a more powerful and reliable engine.

[The Badger]

Wish Porsche and Ferrari would make engines available to P2 .

[Pandamasque]

Are those BMW/Judds and Nissan/Zyteks stressed? If not, selling some GTE Ferrari and Porsche engines to P2 teams seems like a no-brainier...

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Are those BMW/Judds and Nissan/Zyteks stressed? If not, selling some GTE Ferrari and Porsche engines to P2 teams seems like a no-brainier...

They are stressed members. Only the turbocharged engines are semi-stressed (i.e. MZR-R) or have a cradle which takes up the stress (HPD V6). However... isn't the Ferrari V8 at least semi-stressed in the 458, since the car is mid-engined?

[alexkiller8]

so if they know (but i guess is a think that we all know) that judd engines aren't good like the HPD and nissan ones why they keep on use them?
maybe for the oak 01 they haven't choice, but for the lmp2 car they could switch for the nissan VK45 as pecom team did.

About ferrari engines, i doubt that ferrari will let use their engines to other teams who don't use a ferrari chassis, without the presence of a ferrari official team in the competition (that i guess will never happen, at least in lmp2). In grand-am 2012 regulations, the engine of 458 has been homologated to be used in DP cars, but ferrari won't let this happen.

[Duff_44]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

They are stressed members. Only the turbocharged engines are semi-stressed (i.e. MZR-R) or have a cradle which takes up the stress (HPD V6). However... isn't the Ferrari V8 at least semi-stressed in the 458, since the car is mid-engined?

There is a clause in the GTE rulebook which states:
"The use of the following technical specifications makes the eligibility of a car impossible:

Parts of the suspension fixed on mechanical components :
engine, gearbox, etc ;"
(Section 2.1.4 & 2.1.4.a)

So in theory, a car wouldn't be eligible in GTE if the suspension was mounted directly to the engine/gearbox. So I don't think it's stressed.

That doesn't mean it can't be stressed, obviously the Nissan, BMW/Judd/Lotus, and Honda/HPD don't in their road car applications.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

so if they know (but i guess is a think that we all know) that judd engines aren't good like the HPD and nissan ones why they keep on use them?
maybe for the oak 01 they haven't choice, but for the lmp2 car they could switch for the nissan VK45 as pecom team did.

You are mixing classes. Oak is unhappy with the LMP1 Judd 3.4 V8 because it blew after a few hours at Sebring. And because it is down on power compared to the HPD 3.4 V8 in the ARX-03a or for the Toyota 3.4 V8 in the Rebellion Lola.

The LMP2 Judd 3.6 V8, which is derived from the production BMW M3 engine, is fine. It does not have reliability issues as far as I know, and it is fast enough thanks to a BoP break (+0.5 mm restrictor).

Remember that in LMP1 there is no BoP between the same propulsion technology (e.g., NA petrol), only between different propulsion technologies (i.e., diesel, diesel hybrid, NA petrol, NA petrol hybrid, turbo petrol, turbo petrol hybrid).

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

The LMP2 Judd 3.6 V8, which is derived from the production BMW M3 engine, is fine. It does not have reliability issues as far as I know, and it is fast enough thanks to a BoP break (+0.5 mm restrictor).

Okay, Conquest is switching from Judd to Nissan for their Oak/Morgan LMP2

Originally Posted by @johndagys

Look for a new powerplant in Conquest's Morgan P2 for Long Beach. @ALMSNotes #ALMS

Originally Posted by @jasonhall17

@johndagys finally, a Nissan powered car in lmp2 for the alms thanks to conquest.

I wonder why they made that decision. At Sebring the Morgan-Judd qualified on pole and it was 3th in the combined ALMS/WEC LMP2 class behind the HPD ARX-03b from Starworks and Level 5.

[alexkiller8]

maybe because all lmp2 cars that used a judd-bmw hk last year had never scored good results?

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

maybe because all lmp2 cars that used a judd-bmw hk last year had never scored good results?

Because they had homologated the wrong gear ratios? See http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...23#post3021123

The Morgan and the Status GP Lola did very well at Sebring and Paul Ricard respectively. So I don't think that the Judd engine is that bad.

[alexkiller8]

i knew about that but instead i think that even if VK45 and the honda 2.8 twin turbo come from stock production, these engines have been optimized really good for racing (the nissan engine was used in SGT500 afterall); while the judd-bmw hk gives more the idea that judd just destroked a stock S65 to rise the revlimit but didn't perform any really race update (this engine can't be compared to the based-S65 of the M3 GT, speaking about quality). Infact the transmission wasn't the only problem of the engine, oak tech more than once said that the engine used to suffer of overheating that required bigger cooler hardware than the other 2 engines.

Is really a shame however that as shown in sebring qualifying a good and performant car like the new oak 01 can't be equipped with a better engine.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

i knew about that but instead i think that even if VK45 and the honda 2.8 twin turbo come from stock production, these engines have been optimized really good for racing (the nissan engine was used in SGT500 afterall)

The HPD LMP2 engine needs a huge BoP break (+1.7 mm restrictor diameter) in order to be competitive.

Lets hope that Roush Yates Ford V6 TT becomes a good alternative for the Nissan V8.

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

Is really a shame however that as shown in sebring qualifying a good and performant car like the new oak 01 can't be equipped with a better engine.

Yes, that is a big shame. Lola has the exclusive deal for the Toyota customer engine and the HPD engine seems to come with the Wirth Research car.

This is not only a problem for Oak. The Dome and Pescarolo 03 will also use the Judd engine.

[alexkiller8]

or maybe the BoP break in middle 2011 was a consequence of a wrong initial BoP decision...

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

or maybe the BoP break in middle 2011 was a consequence of a wrong initial BoP decision...

If that were the case, the ACO would have changed their restrictor table in the rule book. The HPD engine is 2.8 liter and gets 1.95 bar absolute pressure, so it behaves like a 5.5 liter NA engine. For me it seems reasonable that they got the same restrictor size as the Nissan 4.5 V8 engine.

Also the ACO has years of experience balancing NA petrol and turbo petrol engines in LMP1. Their petrol equivalence formulas were never an issue in the past. For instance the Audi R8 engine produced similar power as the Judd V10s.

Furthermore IMSA still gives the Ford 3.2 turbo the original restrictors (2 x 28.3 mm) instead of the bigger restrictor that HPD gets (2 x 30 mm). Of course that might change once the engine actually races.

[alexkiller8]

in theory i agree with your argumentation, but analyzing the reality i don't. If the nissan unit was already a race oriented engine, honda had to take the stock 2.8 tt engine and adapt it as they could in a race engine, so i'm not surprised if they need a larger restrictor to be competitive against an overall better and more racing engine like the VK45.
I would agree with you ONLY if lmp2 engines were projected and developed with same/similiar specs, but if different projected/developed/race optimated engines need different restrictor size to have similiar performances, then is right like this in my opinion. After all is almost the same situation that happens in GT1/GT2/GT3 engines, very different engines balanced with a very different range of restrictors.

[joeb]

Oak has officially (sorry don't have link handy) announced their deal with HPD for LMP1 engines for the remainder of the year and next. Then they said they are working on a 2014 coupe to be powered by HPD. Great news!