24h Le Mans
Following the abrupt end to the LM P1 program for British team Strakka Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Honda still claimed titles in the American Le Mans Series in 2013.
-HPD-ARX-03b---HONDA-ACA-1324A-ACA-1324ADSC-0213_hd.jpg)
Photo : Arnaud CORNILLEAU / ACO
In LM P1, the 2013 season saw the second consecutive title go to Honda in their prototype's final season in ALMS, ahead of the new merged series in North America, the Tudor United SportsCar Championship (TUSCC).
As in 2012, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing took the LM P1 title with their Honda HPD ARX-03a with eight consecutive wins for drivers Klaus Graf-Lucas Luhr, only beaten in the opening round of the season by the Audi R18 e-tron quattro at Sebring, driven by Fässler-Javis-Tréluyer and in the finale at Petit Le Mans by the Lola-Toyota of Prost-Jani-Heidfeld (Rebellion Racing). Honda also dominated in the LM P2 class, this time with two competiting teams racing the HPD ARX-03b chassis. Level 5 Motorsports claimed its third title against Extreme Speed Motorsports, who moved up to LM P2 in 2013 after racing Ferraris in the GT class (F430 GT then 458 Italia).
In 2014, the two sportscar series will be merged under one banner, TUSCC, which will unite LM P2 (ALMS) and Daytona Prototypes (Grand Am) into one class, P. Extreme Speed Motorsports will remain faithful to Honda, with two HPD ARX-03b entries.
Another HPD ARX-03a was also entered in the Teams Trophy for private teams in LM P1 for the FIA World Endurance Championship, but their season was cut short after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the British team bested Rebellion Racing, their rivals in the championship.
Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translated by Rainier Ehrhardt / ACO
Photo : LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013, RACE. Title winners in LM P2 in the ALMS for the third year in a row, Level 5 Motorsports also took part in the 90th anniversary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its Honda HPD ARX-03b.
