This afternoon’s 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway looks, er, a little more dangerous than usual. Not because of the weather or track conditions – mostly because of the addition of the LMP3 class, which has turned out to be a bit of a hot mess.
In theory, there is nothing wrong with prototype LMP3 machines, which have usually run their own special series in the United States. They are quite similar to the LMP2 machines, but LMP3s all share a Nissan V-8 that produces 455 horsepower. All in all, it seems pretty simple.
But for some reason, if you put these cars on a track with different classes, disaster strikes. Part of that is that it’s a great move for beginner drivers or gentlemen riders – people who may not have much skill or experience but can race. That’s fine. I don’t judge. But the action on the track – be it practice sessions or last weekend’s qualifying race – has shown that these bad guys can create an impressive amount of chaos.
For example, during Thursday night practice, LMP3 driver Austin Dillon locked himself in Turn 6, trying to avoid the tire barrier by spinning around Turn 1 and meeting oncoming traffic, before finally turning back into Turn 6. According to one Twitter user, race control said, “That was the dumbest thing we’ve ever seen.”
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Here’s a handy picture of the traffic flow to give you a sense of the situation.
Dillon’s instincts were largely right in this situation. As a professional driver Ryan Lewis explained that Dillon was probably just trying to avoid bumping head-on into the tires of the tires. It’s new to the car, so it makes sense there is a learning curve. It’s a shame it had to be during night practice prior to one of the bigger endurance races in the world.
Another big issue here is the fact that LMP3s are pretty much on par with the GTLM class machines in terms of speed, which means we’re about to have two very different types of cars pulling out for the same track positions. Which can get dirty easily.
Sports car fans expect chaos to descend on Daytona Beach this weekend, and many pin that chaos to be fueled by LMP3 machines. The Rolex is always a good watch, but it gets especially fascinating this year with this wildcard in the mix.