Ok, right off the bat, the answer is no, there are no sport compact cars racing in the ALMS. We can sorta grasp some relation with the fact that the MX-5 Cup pro racing series is a support race and that there is some definite trickle-down technology in the form of engine, turbo, and tire development. But really, who doesn't want to just see lots of pictures of cool racecars duking it out at one of America's most famous tracks?
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (use the entire name or the entire Mazda corporate staff will be after you) is a mere 5 or 6-hour drive away from our office, depending on traffic. Now, this doesn't mean that we cruise by on the way home every day just to check out the schedule but it does mean that the ALMS is an easy weekend trip. So Project WRX V.08 got its tires filled, its gas topped off, and hit the road.
Laguna Seca would be the final stop on the 2008 ALMS calender, which meant that this was the last chance to see the Corvette C6Rs before Chevrolet moved to the GT2 class and the final opportunity to see the LMP2 Acura prototypes before the teams go to LMP1 in 2009. For those not in the know, ALMS is actually four different classes run on track at the same time in the same race. The classes, LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2, are different in terms of construction and speed. This makes for some serious traffic slicing by the prototype cars and for some great racing action as multiple cars are diving for corners and trying to find some space.
LMP1 is dominated by the Audi diesel R10s, LMP2 by the Penske Racing Porsche RS Spyder prototypes, GT1 by the Corvette C6Rs, and GT2 by the army of Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. As you would expect, all of these cars won their respective classes for 2008. Other notable stand-outs from the race include The Black Swan Racing Ford GT, which uses Falken racing tires (hopefully another r-comp entry is going to make its way to the market!), and the Panoz Esperante GTLM, which is a much more real-world relatable build than the chopped and formed Vettes and Aston Martin DB9Rs. Nissan, where are you with the R35 GT-RLM?
SourceAmerican Le Mans Serieswww.americanlemans.com