Famin: MSR “An Option” for Possible Alpine GTP Program

Alpine has confirmed talks with Meyer Shank Racing on the possibility of running its new A424 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship by as early as the 2025 season.

The French manufacturer, which will debut its LMDh car with a two-car Signatech-run program in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, could look to the Ohio-based squad as form of expansion for its second year of competition.

MSR, which won last weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans, will not return to the WeatherTech Championship next year following its split with Acura, although has indicated ambitions of rejoining the grid in 2025.

A common link between the two organizations is longtime MSR sponsor AutoNation, which has been tipped to serve as the automotive retailer for Alpine road cars in North America, a deal that could bring the French brand to the U.S. market in the coming years.

When asked about MSR, Alpine’s Vice President of Motorsports Bruno Famin confirmed to reporters at Alpine’s multi-day test at the Circuito de Jerez that the manufacturer has been in contact with the Mike Shank-led operation.

“I talked to them, yeah,” said Famin.

“Quite a long time ago, even before they separated, they decided to [go] separate ways with Acura. Of course, it could be an option, but we could have some other options.”

Famin stressed that an expansion to the WeatherTech Championship is not a first priority for Alpine as it first seeks to prepare for its entry into the WEC’s Hypercar class next year.

“For the time being, to be honest, we are not pushing much on that,” he explained.

“The key topic is to be ready for the WEC. To develop the car, to understand, to be ready as much as we can for the 2024 WEC championship.

“We will do our best to have an IMSA program, as we [will] have the homologated car already. It was part of the choice of developing an LMDh. 

“If IMSA comes, it will come together with the brand in the US. It’s not for 2024, maybe for 2025, I don’t know. But there’s no need to take contact too early. We need to have more information first.”

An Alpine GTP effort would precede an entry for the French brand into the U.S. market with its line of sports cars, with the racing program serving as a marketing platform ahead of the brand launch that’s been earmarked for 2027.

This means Alpine would be seeking to join the grid before its production cars go on sale in North America.

Sportscar365 understands that LMDh manufacturers would be allowed to join the series even if cars are not currently sold in the U.S., providing they fulfill IMSA’s commercial agreement for entry.

Famin voiced similar comments, indicating that the racing program would serve to build brand recognition, although he said there’s currently no start date.

“It will depend very much on the fact that Alpine, when Alpine will be back on the U.S. market. It’s not yet decided,” he said.

“But as the Alpine strategy is really to develop the Alpine awareness, thanks to a motorsport program, for sure that the day we will decide to go back to sell a car in the U.S.

“We will do our best to have an IMSA program, as we have the homologated car already. It was part of the choice of developing an LMDh.”

Famin Skeptical of LMDh Customer Market for A424

Famin also indicated that Alpine would be open to supplying its A424 to customer teams, although he does not anticipate a significant market for the car.

The Frenchman pointed to the rapid growth of manufacturer entries in WEC as the reason why, noting it would be difficult for a customer team to be competitive in such an environment.

“Why not? Not for 2024, for sure,” he said. “I think we have enough to do with the current development.

“But if there is an interesting opportunity, why not? But to be honest, I’m not sure the customer market will be huge.

“Because when you have already 20 factory cars on the grid, spending quite a big amount of money to have one car, it’s not easy.

“If we have a customer, we will consider it. Of course, we have from time to time contact with teams, but for the time being, we have nothing formalized.”