TOOELE — Prototype racing has a whole new look to it in the American Le Mans Series this season.
Joining the traditional LMP1 cars on the track is a new series of LMPC cars. These cars are part of a new LMP challenge class that has essentially replaced the old LMP2 class in 2010 and added a different wrinkle to ALMS racing.
All of the cars are ORECA-Courage FLM09 models. With the same cars and essentially the same parts in each car class-wide, focus on each race has shifted to a great degree from manufacturer back to the driver.
"What it does is it really brings out the real driver," said Level 5 Motorsports driver Scott Tucker. "That's one of the biggest things I like about the class versus the other ones."
Tucker and his teammate, Christophe Bouchut, have flourished in the new class. Coming into the Utah Grand Prix — which will be staged this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park — they hold the overall points lead in the LMPC standings with a tally of 71 points.
Experience has played a huge part in success for Tucker and Bouchut, which has included a pair of victories and a second-place finish in three races thus far.
"I went over to Europe and raced in those cars before the series started this year," Tucker said. "I was able to get more acclimated with the car and understand it. We took some of our crew members over there – on the engineering side and the mechanical side – to understand the cars.
"And I think that gave us an advantage out of the chute that we were just more familiar with them."
LMPC cars are similar to LMP1 cars in that both models of vehicles weigh around 1,985 pounds. There is a drop-off in other areas, though. An LMPC car has a top speed ranging from 160 to 180 miles per hour and has an engine with 430 horsepower. LMP1 cars, on the other hand, can reach speeds exceeding 200 mph and range from 600 to 700 horsepower.
Still, LMPC drivers like what their cars offer and they also like that the class offers a level and competitive playing field.
"It really epitomizes a lot of what sports car racing is all about," said Sandy resident Gunnar Jeannette, a driver for Green Earth Team Gunnar.
Jeannette and teammate Elton Julian are second in the LMPC standings with 64 points. They have kept pace with Tucker and Bouchut through the 2010 season, winning once and placing second in one race and third in another.
With podium finishes the norm for his team, Jeannette's next goal is to start piling up the victories. But he knows in an ultra-competitive class, like LMPC, that doing such a thing is easier said than done. "We definitely want to get back on that top step of the podium and claw our way back into first in the points," Jeannette said. "But, you know, even for every race, qualifying has been super close. All the top cars are just within a couple tenths of a second. I think that just shows what a success this class is."
The one advantage prototype challenge racers will have this weekend is that the Utah Grand Prix is a much shorter race than ones annually staged at Sebring or Laguna Seca. The 2-hour, 45-minute window makes it less of an endurance race and puts much less strain on the cars.
"I'm not going to say it's a walk in the park, but it's much different preparation and stress level on the team," Tucker said. "It almost seems like a little sprint race to us now."
This weekend's Utah Grand Prix will feature several past winners looking to defend victories earned at Miller Motorsports Park a year ago.
Reigning LMP1 Utah Grand Prix champion Simon Pagenaud returns and has teamed with 2009 LMP1 season champion David Brabham for the 2010 season. The duo currently leads their class with 71 points.
Pagenaud set LMP1 track records both in qualifying and in the actual race last summer. He completed his qualifying lap in 1:30.645 minutes at 121.052 mph. His top race lap clocked in at 1:32.815 and at a top speed of 118.222 mph.
Defending GT2 class champions Patrick Long and Jorg Bergmeister will look to win at Miller for a second year in a row. They are currently leading the pack in the GT standings this season with a total of 65 points.
Bergmeister feels confident that he and Long will do well this weekend given their respective familiarity with the track.
"In general, the track suits our car pretty well," Bergmeister said. "Last year, we were pretty dominant here. And we'll see how it is this year. I have a good feeling."
Qualifying for the Utah Grand Prix is this afternoon starting at 2:55 p.m., and the flag drops for the main race on Sunday at 2:35 p.m.
e-mail: jcoon@desnews.com
Utah Grand Prix
What: Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix
Where: 3.048-mile, 15-turn road course at Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele
When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Length: 2 hours, 45 minutes
TV: SPEED (live) 2:30-5:30 p.m. MT
Radio: American Le Mans Series Radio @ americanlemans.com, XM/SIRIUS