CORE Autosport, LMPC Champion 2012
Flash Back. During the 2010 Petit Le Mans, CORE Autosport announces that they will be entering in the American Le Mans Series’ LMPC (Le Mans Prototype Challenge). The American team has just won the IMSA Lites, both in the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship.
Two years later, the company, based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, has become a milestone in this domain. As the 2011 LMPC title holder, CORE Autosport has once again been crowned after a flawless season with their ORECA-FLM 09. Despite a stiff competition in one of the most disputed ALMS classes, the team has the title in the bag three races before the end of the championship, while Alex Popow has his Drivers’ championship all sewn up, closely followed by his team mates on the sister car, Jon Bennett and Colin Braun. Team manager Morgan Brady shares his feelings before the final stage at Petit Le Mans:
How do you feel after winning both LMPC titles – Drivers and Teams – in American Le Mans Series?
Morgan Brady: “It is a fantastic feeling to have the championships before the last race. Now we can go into Petit Le Mans focused on winning the race and having fun. We do not need to worry about scoring any points.”
What do you think when you look back on this year’s season when compared to the previous one?
MB: “In each season there were different objectives and goals set for the team. In 2011 the expectations were set much lower and the focus was on building he team, compiling the required equipment and acclimating ourselves with the car and regulations. For 2012 the expectations were much higher. We held ourselves to higher standards and wanted to achieve more wins. The focus of 2012 surrounded improving the cars and winning races with good strategy and pit stops. Improving aspects of the team that we could not just buy off the shelf of a store.”
Did you imagine finishing the races on the overallpodium?
MN: “We do not focus much on the overall classification because no points are awarded. However, It is a great accomplishment to have our driver standing on the podium ahead of the P1 and P2 drivers.
“On both of the street circuits this season we made it to the overall podium. The fact that the FLM-09 can beat the LMP2 and LMP1 is testament to the Oreca chassis, good torque from the Chevrolet Katech Engine, and the excellent tire that Michelin has developed which all work very well together on the tight street circuits. Also our drivers deserve much of the credit for staying out of trouble on the tight street circuits.”
How do you assess your team’s progress over the past two or three years?
MB: “We judge the team on many aspects particularly on winning races which we are very good at right now. In addition we look at many other factors including: strategy, pitstops, driver performance and of course budget. In all categories we are doing very well but with racing there are always areas that can be improved.”
What do you think about the LMPC class and the Formula Le Mans car?
MB: “The LMPC class and ORECA-FLM 09 car are perfect for what they are supposed to do. It allows teams and drivers that may be new to endurance racing to come into the sport with a modest investment and race at a very high level without some of the complications that come with the P2 and P1 classes”
What will be your goals for next year and the following racing seasons?
MB: “This is a very interesting time in US sportscar racing. There is going to be a lot of action off track with the formation of a unified series in the US. Our off-track goal will be to use 2013 to position the team to have the best possible opportunities moving forward in the new series. On-track the goal will be to continue to win championships.”
Before the American Le Mans Series’ final event, October 17-20 at Road Atlanta, CORE Autosport has won seven of the nine roungs, with Alex Popow, Drivers’ Champion, Jon Bennett, Colin Braun, Tom Kimber-Smith, Ryan Dalziel, E.J. Viso or Burt Frisselle.