Positive Reaction to IMSA’s LMP2 Extension

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 competitors have expressed support for the series’ confirmation that its second-tier prototype class will continue through the 2025 season.

As reported last week, IMSA President John Doonan recently informed teams that the LMP2 category’s stay in the WeatherTech Championship will be extended for two seasons after the current one.

Reacting to the news at last weekend’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, reigning class champion John Farano was one of the multiple competitors to voice approval of the decision.

“Certainly, we’re in for the long haul here,” the Tower Motorsports driver told Sportscar365.

“So it’s great to know that we can now continue to plan for a couple more years and continue our investment in the series.

“It makes it a little more comforting for everybody that they’ve got a job at the teams.

“It certainly came at a good time. I think we already had an idea that this was going to happen, so it’s no surprise.”

Another Bronze-rated driver to respond positively to the confirmation of LMP2’s continued IMSA eligibility was TDS Racing’s Steven Thomas.

“We want to keep driving as long as they’ll let us,” he told Sportscar365. “The tracks are awesome, and the racing is pretty hard-nosed. That makes it a lot of fun.

“Driving with guys like Scott Huffaker and Mikkel Jensen… you get to drive with the best sports car drivers in the world. That’s pretty amazing for a gentleman driver.

“If I need to know what to do in, say, Turn 7, I have one of the best drivers in the world say, ‘do this!’ That’s amazing for a gentleman driver.”

Era Motorsport team owner Kyle Tilley added that his organization is expanding its LMP2 stable, meaning that news of the category’s continuation was assuring.

“We’re delighted about it because we’ve just bought two new cars,” he said.

“It’s a good thing, as far as we’re concerned. We’re definitely committed through to the end of the LMP2 homologation. We’ve got four of the [Oreca 07s] right now.”

With LMP2 confirmed for another two seasons, Tilley added that he would like to see the class eventually return to prior performance levels that existed before a series of reductions were made to ensure stratification with the new GTP class.

“We would like if it we could have some RPM back in the first three gears,” he said.

“As the GTP cars find their feet and become a bit more untapped, I think they’ll hopefully give us some performance back.

“But LMP2 is such a great formula. You had five cars going onto the last lap within two seconds of each other. It’s great racing, and any major endurance series would be silly not to have LMP2.

“It’s a big win to have it confirmed. We were hopeful they were going to keep us. But to actually have it in writing makes me feel a bit better.”