Photo : - Lola Cars & dorchesterdesign.com

In the USA, Le Mans Prototypes and Daytona Prototype will be united in one class in 2014. This was the main information in a press conference today.

LM P2 Honda (Starworks Motorsport)

Daytona Prototype Riley (Starworks Motorsport)

LM PC Oreca (Core Autosport)

GT Ferrari 458 Italia (AF Corse)

Grand-Am GT Ferrari 458 Italia (AF Corse)

The American press gathered this afternoon (local time) at the Daytona Speedway as part of a conference on the future regulations of the series that will unite the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am in 2014. Both these series have been in place for more than a decade, and until now have raced with totally different regulations, so one of the challenges of the merger will be to adjust the classes so that they can coexist.

This first conference was therefore to define the main direction of future technical regulations :

• The existing LM P2 (ALMS) and Daytona Prototype (Grand-Am) will race in the same class. To do this, LM P2 performance will be sightly reduced. Also, the organizers ensure that LM P2 cars can be easily brought into conformity with the ACO regulations, so that the teams will be able to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

• The existing LM PC category is unchanged and will be a second prototype class.

• The GT class of ALMS (GTE for the ACO) is unchanged, and the Grand-Am GT will form a second Grand Touring class.

Finally, although comparative tests have been done​​, more will be completed before January 2014 so that performance equilibrium can be confirmed.

Julien HERGAULT – Illustrations by Andy Blackmore of SpotterGuides.com