The Decline and Fall of Constructors Prototype Racing

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Protoype racing as we know it is finally coming to it's end, making it's way to full spec and bop regulations. The days of constructors, especially smaller scale ones, building their own cars and engines is no more, not in the way we used to know it. There are still cars titled "Le Mans Prototypes", but there's nothing Prototype about them any longer.

But how did it all start, how did we come here, what are the origins? Could this be it?
https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110027
It's an aspect that gets very little notion, but I've firmly started to believe that it was FLM/LMPC category that started the downhill trend for (privateer) constructors prototype racing, and ultimately finally destroyed it. In a little over a decade the legacy of LMPC, and more importantly Oreca and Hughes de Chaunac would have fingerprints all over the sportscar racing as we know it.

Of course, there had been numerous spec-series for prototypes before 2009, such as Radicals supporting the Le Mans Series, as well as quasi-spec formats as seen in the despised Daytona Prototype category - even the ones before DPG3. On paper, the Formula Le Mans concept didn't really look anything special: Oreca detuning old Courage LMP1 car and racing it in a little support series on it's own. ACO on the other hand was letting Oreca, a company that had supported them for years, to have little fun and side business, it all looked perfectly normal. There really wasn't anything to write home about. In fact, other than the support race at Le Mans 24 Hours in 2009, it is doubtful anyone even noticed these things existing. However, by 2010 they had silently been integrated to the Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Series. Never before had there been a category in ACO main series reserved exclusively for one make (money making) opportunity, under the guise of feeder series and entry level opportunity for new drivers and teams.

Now, it is true that the only series to actually have been successful in recycling these old Courage-Orecas from year in, year out was the ALMS, and it's successor merger-fusion series with Grand-Am. ALMS had had special for need for LMPC (and GTC) in 2010 with shrunken fields in other classes, and many new teams especially from Prototype Lites series adopted this class as their own. So Oreca was making good cash in servicing and supplying these cars in States, but not so much in Europe. In LMS/ELMS, fields had started to shrunken in 2011 and especially 2012, and by 2013 Oreca was even entering races on their own, under banner "Team Endurance Challenge". One could say that ineligibility to enter Le Mans 24 Hours was one of the reasons why it didn't take off as in USA. But regardless, the seeds had now been laid for future, the future of spec regulations and "chosen ones".

Before we continue on, there's a side note I'd like to discuss. Besides having a pure spec car, there were two other aspects of early FLM/LMPC concept that would ultimately extend their filthy arms all around sportscar racing: pro-am drivers and cost-cap. In 2009 and even as late as 2010 these two concepts were still relatively new and unheard. After all, all of the four ACO main categories had remained open for anyone - factory team with factory drivers and unlimited budget could race in LMGT2 just as easily as in LMGT1, and you could have your LMP2 team consisting of Formula 1 superstarts just as easily as they could have been Renault Clio drivers. There was no artificial separation or handing of sub-trophies. But now in LMPC there was a category that did have a limit. Once again, it did came under the guise of "entry level category", and in fact it indeed was a reasonable explanation for the time. But, but, it only took a fraction of a second before this ideology was implemented from LMPC to both LMP2 and LMGTE-AM in 2011. From there out there was never coming back. Now, admittedly this ideology started reigning in all other aspects of sportscar racing in this period as well, so it's not fair to call it the sole legacy of LMPC, but nevertheless I'm willing to call LMPC as one of the first steps on the road towards it. A Prototype, if you will (ha-ha).

Going back to constructors-oriented prototype racing beginning to slowly crumble, the 2011 regulations for LMP2 did start introducing some minor elements of specification, but more importantly freeze-regulations. Such prevented constructors from advancing their cars further after they had been homologated. So if they built crapwagon chances were they were somewhat doomed, although EVO packages were permitted in certain intervals to help things out. Another aspect was allowing constructors - well, a constructor a la our old friend Oreca - to entirely rebrand their chassis as something else. And thus Alpine was born, legacy which started the further disgusting trend of rebadging and which still continues on. But all in all, the 2011 LMP2 regulations still allowed constructors to switch engines, switch tires or build new chassis altogether. Anyone could still enter if they wanted. There was freedom to be had.

The next major evolution in this road leading up to the demise, was the introduction of LMP3 category in 2015. LMP3 promised a new haven for entry-level ACO prototypes, with not only the now-familiar cost-cap and pro-am privateer concept, but also the introduction of mandatory requirement that only "chosen manufacturers" were allowed to supply the chassis. Ideology utilized by Daytona Prototypes, this concept also had the roots of LMPC in it - there was clear desire for control. Now, at the time of LMP3 introduction, LMPC at that stage was still making cash for Oreca in the United States, and would continue to do so for few years until the end of 2017, but in Europe it had fallen apart. Not that it really hurt Oreca, they were after all also still supplying LMP1 (Rebellion) and LMP2 cars (now both with ageing Oreca 03 but also Oreca 05), but nevertheless you can never have too much money can you? Can you? Well, the new LMP3 category would have five eligible manufacturers hand-picked by the ACO - Onroak, Ginetta, ADESS, Riley, Dome (lol), and later on as the latter ones crumbled Norma as well. As you can see here, there was no Oreca on that list of cartel participants - or was there? Of course there was, as Oreca was responsible for supplying the spec engines, spec electronics and spec gearboxes for all LMP3 cars, regardless of who built them. Sound like something we had before?

The next, and ultimately biggest nail in the coffin for prototype racing, finally came in 2017 with the formal launch of spec regulations for LMP2, demanding everyone to utilize tech-frozen spec cars from four chosen manufacturers - Oreca, Onroak, Dallara and Riley. These regulations were famously brainchild of Hughes de Chaunac, and his aspirations of making more money for Oreca, as if all the other categories weren't enough. Also much as was the case in LMPC and later LMP3, everyone would also be forced to use spec engines and other shared elements. Later on, also spec tires (at the time of writing this still in the future but inevitable). In the IMSA series, there would be a pretense of more variety and freedom under the guise of OEM body panels and engines installed on top of mentioned spec chassis, once again ideology which had been carried over from previous Daytona Prototype generation. But no amount of rebadging could hide the fact that LMP2 was now a spec cartel category, and by the end of the decade almost entirely supplied by Oreca. Oreca, which had had miraculous headstart for the regulations with their older 05 LMP2.

By 2018-2019 all that was left was LMP1, and the old LMP2 (coupes) over at the Asian Le Mans Series. But with LMP1 poised to be replaced by a category revolving around balance of performance in 2021, and the Asian Le Mans Series finally ditching the old non-spec cars as well in 2020, the end of the road had finally been unveiled. The future involves spec cars from LMP2, LMP3 and bop and/or spec cars from LMH/LMdH. Some rebadged, some not. Most of them running spec engines, all of them running spec tires. There are also new spec series, like the Ligier Cup, making more mockery of the word 'prototype'. All in all, when we come to conclusions, I am placing the blame on two parties; ACO for letting this to unveil of course, and Oreca - or Hughes de Chaunac - turning his admittedly great company that had supported sportscar racing trendemously in the noughties, into greedy Cartel Empire.

What started 11 years ago with LMPC, and was followed by LMP2 and LMP3 is the ultimate resolution of what we have today in ideology.