Sportscar365’s Story of the Year

Sportscar365 is recognizing its top performers and key events from the 2022 sports car racing season. Up next is the story of the year, as selected by website staff.

Story of the Year – LMDh Manufacturers Overcome Challenges to Take to the Track

Despite supply chain challenges and early setbacks with one of the spec hybrid suppliers, the LMDh platform made its on-track debut this year, with four manufacturers now set to give the formula its highly anticipated debut in next month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Porsche was the first to begin on-track testing in January with its 963, nearly six months before Cadillac hit the ground with its Dallara-chassied V-LMDh, followed by the Acura ARX-06 and BMW M Hybrid V8, also in July.

Early issues with the Bosch electric motor generator unit led to complications for Porsche, which was effectively the guinea pig in LMDh development, and allowed the three other manufacturers to catch up through an intense development phase in the summer months.

Accidents in testing from Acura, BMW and Cadillac led to further setbacks while Porsche completed a mammoth 36-hour endurance test at Sebring International Raceway, one month before Cadillac achieved a 24-hour run. BMW, meanwhile, was forced to abort its planned endurance test due to gearbox and engine issues.

All four manufacturers, however, assembled for IMSA’s sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway in December, and despite continued gremlins, have continued its development programs ahead of the 2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, and in the case of Porsche and Cadillac, dual efforts in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Honorable Mentions

***While four LMDh manufacturers forged ahead with its programs, Audi’s planned return to the top prototype ranks was scrapped as part of a restructuring of its motorsports activities that eventually led to the announcement of a move into Formula 1 beginning in 2026. While only officially stating that its LMDh program was ‘paused’ the German manufacturer’s u-turn had significant ripple effects in the sports car racing world, including losing four of its factory drivers to BMW and Peugeot.

***Longstanding Audi GT3 squad WRT also announced a move to BMW as a direct consequence to the LMDh program’s cancelation, with the Belgian squad to campaign BMW M4 GT3s in Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli and Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS next year ahead of representing the brand in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class in 2024.

***The German GT racing scene underwent a seismic shift post-season with ADAC taking over the rights to DTM and folding it under its ever-expanding motorsports umbrella. As first reported by Sportscar365 in November, DTM parent company ITR had put the GT3-based sprint series up for sale before ultimately dissolving the company once the German governing body had purchased the branding rights. The change in ownership has had significant effects on once-rival series ADAC GT Masters, which will now race alongside LMP3 machinery under the DTM Endurance moniker.

***While announced in 2021, the FIA and ACO’s plan to introduce GT3-based machinery into the WEC took significant steps forward this year, although not without some complications. Plans for mandatory ‘Premium’ bodykits, announced at Le Mans in June, were revised six months later by making the costly developments optional to GT3 manufacturers, as long as its cars fit the increased performance window. It was also announced the name of the single Pro-Am-enforced class would be called LMGT3 when it debuts in the world championship and European Le Mans Series in 2024.

***Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February had direct effects in the motorsports world as well, with sanctions from the FIA forcing Russian drivers to run under a neutral flag, while longstanding Russian-backed team G-Drive Racing exiting LMP2 competition in the WEC and WeatherTech Championship. It left program operator Algarve Pro Racing with holes to fill in its program, which was taken up by Steven Thomas in the WEC in a last-minute deal prior to the season-opening 1000 Miles of Sebring.