Motorsport Series News for April 27, 2022-The New Race Cars Edition

A lot of new race cars are featured in this week’s edition of Motorsport Series News. I have video and photos of new cars from Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, and a sneak peek from Lamborghini. I also have news from Indycar, the S5000 Tasman Series and Indy Lights.

Sportscars

Motorsport Series News for April 27, 2022
Photo: Chris duMond/IMSA
  • Porsche will remain open to supporting customer teams that want to race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD Pro class next year, in addition to the upcoming launch of its factory LMDh program in the top GTP class according to an article on Racer.com. “Head of Porsche Motorsport Thomas Laudenbach told Sportscar365 that the German manufacturer is continuing to follow the “very clear philosophy” that it holds for top-level GT customer racing and that this won’t be interrupted by the arrival of the LMDh.”
Motorsport Series News for April 27, 2022-The New Race Cars Edition
  • And if you are curious at all about the sound of Porsche’s new LMDh car’s V8, check out the video above.
Motorsport Series News for April 27, 2022
Photo: Lamborghini
  • Meanwhile Lamborghini has been teasing the new Huracan GT3 EVO2. The car will be eligible four a four-year run through the end of the 2026 season.
Motorsport Series News for April 27, 2022-The New Race Cars Edition
  • As you can see from the video above, the new Ferrari 296 GT3 has been testing at Fiorano for the first time. As reported by Jalopnik, “the new 296 GT3 will replace the 488 GT3 in international GT racing. Over five years of competition, the 488 GT3 has amassed over 300 race wins, including an overall victory at the 2021 24 Hours of Spa. The 296 GT3 will also likely be Ferrari’s representative model at Le Mans after class convergence raises GT3 to be the top category of GT endurance racing.”
Motorsport Series News for April 27, 2022
Photo: BMW
  • BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos looked back positively on the new-for-2023 BMW M4 GT4’s debut outing in last weekend’s NLS round, stating that the car “hinted at great potential”. According to Sportscar365, “development will now continue further, with BMW currently going through an ‘intensive program of testing’ that is set to involve a wide range of tracks. Paul Ricard, Almeria and Miramas are among the circuits that have already been visited during private testing.”
  • Sportscar365+ looks at how the DTM has evolved for its second GT3 season. “DTM has always refused to stand still. During its recent history it has made frequent radical moves, such as attempts at international expansion, the reintroduction of turbo engines and adjustments to the points system and weekend format. But arguably the most significant change occurred in 2021 when the series adopted a GT-based car philosophy.

Single-Seaters

Motorsport Series News for April 27, 2022-The New Race Cars Edition
S5000 cars raced at Albert Park earlier this month. Picture: Australian Racing Group
  • Speed Cafe reports that Adelaide could play host to the 2022 S5000 Tasman Series finale in a grand return for open-wheel racing in the South Australian capital. Australian Racing Group CEO Matt Braid acknowledged it would be an ideal scenario for S5000 to be on the support card, little more than a month after it looks to mimic the IndyCar tradition of old on the Gold Coast.
  • IndyCar has decided to extend the DW12 chassis lifespan through until at least 2024. “I don’t see any urgency (to replace it) at all, there’s no reason,” Roger Penske told RACER. “When you think about, and I don’t know exactly how many cars are in service, but there’s probably 60 or 65 cars, and to spend $600,000 per car to replace them, with the racing as tight as it is today, doesn’t make sense to me.”
  • RACER reports that Penske Entertainment has conducted a private tire test for its Indy Lights series that portends change could be coming to the top step of the Road to Indy. “IndyCar asked Firestone to participate in an on-track test with Andretti Autosport as part of their evaluation of the Indy Lights series,” a Firestone Racing representative told RACER. “As always, we are willing to work collaboratively with the series as they determine the future direction. This does not affect our current role as sole tire supplier for the NTT IndyCar Series.”
Mark Boudreau
Author: Mark Boudreau

Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.