Метка: Proton Competition

Keating returns to WEC with Proton Ford squad for Austin

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Two-time World Endurance Championship title winner Ben Keating will make a return to the series for his home race in Austin next month.

Keating will join up with the Proton Competition Ford squad in LMGT3 at the Circuit of the Americas on 1 September for his first appearance in a regular WEC race since leaving the series, in the wake of winning his second GTE Am title last year.

The 52-year-old American will race the #88 Ford Mustang GT3 together with factory driver Dennis Olsen and Mikkel Pedersen.

He takes the seat for the mandatory bronze-rated driver in a LMGT3 line-up filled for the first four races by Giorgio Roda and then team boss Christian Ried last time out at Interlagos in July.

The winner of the GTE Am title with the Corvette Racing and the TF Sport Aston Martin squads in 2022 and ’23 respectively opted not to chase a hat-trick of GT titles in WEC this year in the first season of LMGT3.

He told Motorsport.com last September that he wanted to scale down his racing activities in 2024 and focus on a single programme in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America.

#33 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R: Ben Keating

#33 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R: Ben Keating

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Keating explained that time constraints when the WEC calendar was expanding by one race were behind his decision.

But he is coming back to the WEC, a series in which he competed from the 2019-20 campaign, for his local race in what is expected to be a one-off.

Keating’s dealership group is based in Texas and includes multiple Ford outlets around the state.

An appearance at the Le Mans 24 Hours WEC round in June was part of his programme with United Autosports in LMP2 in IMSA, in which he is seeking a third title after his 2021 and ’22 triumphs with the PR1/Mathiasen squad.

The only other change to the WEC entry for Austin, released on Wednesday, is the return of Harry Tincknell to Proton’s Hypercar class Porsche 963 LMDh.

The Briton missed Interlagos because as a Ford factory driver his IMSA GT Daytona Pro campaign with the Multimatic Motorsports squad took precedence and he contested the Canadian round of the North American series at Mosport instead.

#64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3: Harry Tincknell, Mike Rockenfeller

#64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3: Harry Tincknell, Mike Rockenfeller

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

Neel Jani and Julien Andlauer raced the car as a duo in Brazil.

Track action for the Lone Star Le Mans WEC round in Austin kicks off at 12:40 local time on 30 August.

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Porsche customer Proton eyeing second car in WEC and IMSA

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Proton Competition is eyeing an expansion of its World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship assaults with the Porsche 963 LMDh as the German manufacturer makes more customer cars available.

Christian Ried, boss of the German team currently fielding one 963 in each series, has revealed that he is working on plans to increase its presence in the respective Hypercar and GTP classes of the two championships.

“It is always better running two cars than one,” he said. “It makes sense, but we need the customers and sponsors first.”

Asked if he was specifically looking at WEC or IMSA for a two-car programme, Ried replied: “Both.”

Ried, whose WEC and IMSA campaigns with the 963 came on stream in mid-2023, added that a decision could be made “in the next few weeks, more or less”.

Proton’s plans coincide with Porsche revealing that it is again in a position to build and support more 963s after putting a temporary hold on production of customer cars late last year.

Urs Kuratle, boss of the 963 programme at Porsche Motorsport, revealed that discussions were ongoing with teams looking to run the car in both WEC and IMSA.

“Chassis are available, parts are available, and then it is a question of demand,” he said. “We are in discussion with other customers: if the situation demands that we should sell some more, we will sell more.”

#5 Proton Competition Porsche 963: Gianmaria Bruni, Bent Viscaal

#5 Proton Competition Porsche 963: Gianmaria Bruni, Bent Viscaal

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images

He confirmed that the departure of the Jota team from the Porsche customer ranks to take over Cadillac’s WEC programme, a move that has yet to be officially announced, would free up capacity to support new privateer 963s.

Kuratle stressed the importance of the customer programme in the progress made with the 963 this season. “We have done big steps in reliability, and that is also thanks to all the kilometres we can do with the customers,” he explained.

Asked if replacing Jota in the customer roster for 2025 would represent an ideal scenario for Porsche, he suggested that there were “a couple of ideal scenarios”.

What is not clear is if there will be room for an additional Porsche run by Proton or another team in WEC.

The expansion of the grid to 40 cars for 2025 means space for 22 entries in the Hypercar class, up from this year’s 19.

Two of the slots will be taken by Aston Martin’s arrival in the top category with the Valkyrie AMR-LMH, while Cadillac and Lamborghini will also have to double their assaults as a result of the new rule demanding that factory teams must run a pair of cars.

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Should Isotta Fraschini remain in the series — and therefore by regulation field two Tipo 6 LMH Competiziones —  there would be no space for a further privateer Porsche. 

IMSA would welcome additional cars in the GTP division, even though the overall series grid is at capacity this year.

Series boss John Doonan said last month extra GTP cars would be “welcomed with open arms”, while outlining a hope that other manufacturers would join Porsche in supplying privateer teams.

Porsche customers Proton and JDC-Miller Motorsports are the only independents in GTP at present.



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Ford «a long ways away» from WEC podium contention with torque sensor setbacks

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Ryan Hardwick and Giorgio Roda, the bronze-graded drivers in the Proton Competition team that runs the Mustang in the WEC, both identified inexperience with the driveshaft-mounted sensors that enable power outputs to be regulated and help to uphold the Balance of Performance as the main element hampering Ford’s efforts.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, Hardwick said that the torque sensor is «the biggest thing holding us back when we’re around our competitors».

The 2023 European Le Mans Series GTE champion explained that while Proton continues to «make small improvements» with every race weekend, it remains «a long ways away» from the point of challenging at the sharp end in race trim.

«For us to compete at the top five or a podium, we have a long ways to go,» Hardwick said.

Several manufacturers have also experienced teething problems with the sensors, which are a new requirement for LMGT3 cars in 2024 but have been used in the Hypercar class since 2021. They work alongside the ECU to compensate for any spikes that exceed the maximum power allowed under the BoP and ensure cars are within the limits.

«The main thing is the experience from the torque sensor,» Roda told Motorsport.com. «It’s completely new for Ford. And every race is a new thing for us.

«Mechanically and set-up-wise we are getting there, every race we are getting closer. But the main issue is that torque sensor thing.»

#88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3: Giorgio Roda, Mikkel Pedersen, Dennis Olsen

#88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3: Giorgio Roda, Mikkel Pedersen, Dennis Olsen

Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo

In other series where the Multimatic-built Mustang GT3 races without torque sensors, including the IMSA SportsCar Championship and GT World Challenge Europe, it has proven competitive. Proton finished in the top 10 on the car’s GTWCE Endurance Cup debut at Paul Ricard, and has a best finish of fifth in the IMSA GTD class at Long Beach.

Torque sensors are also used in the LMGT3 class of the ELMS, although Ford currently has no presence in that series.

Hardwick noted that its WEC rivals «can just leave us out of the corners» and stressed that «it’s not because of the engine».

«The Ford makes plenty of power, we just aren’t good at putting the power to the ground in an appropriate way, which is this software and the coding with the torque sensor,» he said.

«Pretty much in every straightaway, our ECU is pulling power away from us where the others are getting power.

«It’s a bit frustrating right now. We’ll figure it out, but it’s just going to take time.»

Roda’s sixth place on the grid for Imola is the only occasion to date that the car has made Hyperpole in the WEC, but both cars made the points in the race for the first time at Spa.

Together with Mikkel Pedersen and Dennis Olsen, Roda’s car finished eighth, one place ahead of Hardwick, Zacharie Robichon and Ben Barker.

#88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3: Giorgio Roda, Mikkel Pedersen, Dennis Olsen

#88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3: Giorgio Roda, Mikkel Pedersen, Dennis Olsen

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Proton will scale up to run a third Mustang at the Le Mans 24 Hours that factory driver Christopher Mies will share with ELMS regulars John Hartshone and Ben Tuck, as well as fielding an LMP2 entry and its regular Porsche 963 LMDh in Hypercar.

Roda is optimistic that at Le Mans the extra testing opportunities available will help Proton to get closer to the performance envelope «so we will maybe be nearer the other ones».

«We are altogether working to sort it out as well with the Ford and Multimatic guys, so I believe we’re going to get there,» he added.

«I don’t know when but sometime we’re going to get there.»

The Italian’s view is shared by Kevin Groot, the global sportscar manager for Ford Performance.

He said: «Overall, we are pleased with the progress we are making with Proton Competition and Multimatic in what are still the very early days for the Mustang GT3 programme.

«Every time we go racing, we are learning more and more about the car, the team and the drivers, and this puts us in a decent place for Le Mans.

«We did have some technical challenges during FP1 at Spa which we worked on and improved.

«Our focus now is on preparing for Le Mans and continuing to improve both the car and also understand more about the torque control systems.

«There are gains to be made in all areas and not just in the torque control, and the team have a good line of sight on what it takes to push the Mustang GT3 programme forwards.»

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Derani takes pole for Cadillac by 0.009s, then wrecks

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Derani lapped his #31 Action Express-run Cadillac V-Series.R in 1m11.388s around the 1.9-mile temporary circuit.

The GTP class is using Michelin’s soft-compound tire at Long Beach for the first time outside of Daytona night running, but times were way off last year’s qualifying session on harder rubber – pole being a 1m09.909s by Filipe Albuquerque’s Acura.

Derani laid down an early marker of 1m11.388s, three tenths clear of Jordan Taylor in the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06.

Nick Yelloly grabbed second in the#25 RLL BMW M Hybrid, just 0.009s off Derani’s fastest time. Nobody else could top Derani’s benchmark, but that didn’t stop him from trying to improve.

Derani crashed at Turn 9 but managed to extricate himself from the tirewall before any other drivers on hot laps arrived on the scene, thus avoiding a penalty. He was forced to drag his car back to the pits with a shattered nose.

“I put the lap in early, which was enough,” said Derani. “I tried it [again] in case I need an extra gap but I locked up and went straight into the barrier. I knew I needed to get out quickly, to avoid a red flag.

“I know we can swap out the nose.”

Having opted for a late run, FP2 pacesetter Sebastien Bourdais (Chip Ganassi Cadillac V-Series.R) managed to get stuck behind Mike Rockenfeller, who has joined Gianmaria Bruni this weekend in Proton’s 963. Once released by the German, Bourdais caught a BMW on his final flyer and had to settle for third, 0.023s off pole.

Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Nick Tandy and Dane Cameron were next up, ahead of Jordan Taylor in the best-placed Acura, Tijmen van der Helm (JDC Porsche 963), Albuquerque, Philipp Eng in the #24 BMW, and Rockenfeller.

#89 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Ben Barnicoat, Parker Thompson

#89 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Ben Barnicoat, Parker Thompson

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images

Lexus dominates GTD

In GTD, Parker Thompson (who shares with Pro class ace Ben Barnicoat this weekend) aced the class with a lap of 1m17.357s in the #89 Lexus RC F, 0.262s ahead of class stable-mate Frankie Montecalvo (who shares with Jack Hawksworth) in the #12 Lexus.

Albert Costa placed third in the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 from Roman De Angelis (Heart of Racing Aston Martin) and FP2 pacesetter Danny Formal in WTRA’s #45 Lamborghini.

Saturday’s 100-minute race starts at 1:35pm local time (4:35pm ET).

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