Black Swan Racing owner and 2011 GTC co-champion Tim Pappas has confirmed to ALMS.com his intentions of stepping up to LMP2 competition in 2012.
Alongside his team-mate Jeroen Bleekemolen, Pappas enjoyed lots of success in the baby category of the American Le Mans Series, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. His decision to move to a bigger challenge only seemed logical.
"The level of competition in GT right now is unbelievable, but it's not the place for a guy like me. [I] want to go head-to-head with other top independent teams […]. These [LMP2] cars have a cost structure that is fixed thanks to the rules. You don't have to take them and spend thousands of dollars to develop them and become competitive […]."
The car Pappas and Bleekemolen will be driving next year hasn’t been purchased yet. So far, the pair test-drove Oak Racing’s P1 car at Sebring, the P2 version they’re interested in being still worked on.
"The Oak Racing P2 car is still under development," Pappas said. "We drove the P1 car, but I'd imagine there are a lot of similarities in the chassis construction and other elements. There is a lot of technology in those cars for the price."
"I think most people, who would look at a prototype car from a fan's perspective, would be incredibly surprised at how easy these cars are to drive," Pappas noted. It will be interesting to see how he fairs next year with his team-mate, in the much quicker class.
Alongside his team-mate Jeroen Bleekemolen, Pappas enjoyed lots of success in the baby category of the American Le Mans Series, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. His decision to move to a bigger challenge only seemed logical.
"The level of competition in GT right now is unbelievable, but it's not the place for a guy like me. [I] want to go head-to-head with other top independent teams […]. These [LMP2] cars have a cost structure that is fixed thanks to the rules. You don't have to take them and spend thousands of dollars to develop them and become competitive […]."
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| The Porsche 911 GT3 of the 2011 GTC's champions, Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen. (Photo: BSR) |
The car Pappas and Bleekemolen will be driving next year hasn’t been purchased yet. So far, the pair test-drove Oak Racing’s P1 car at Sebring, the P2 version they’re interested in being still worked on.
"The Oak Racing P2 car is still under development," Pappas said. "We drove the P1 car, but I'd imagine there are a lot of similarities in the chassis construction and other elements. There is a lot of technology in those cars for the price."
"I think most people, who would look at a prototype car from a fan's perspective, would be incredibly surprised at how easy these cars are to drive," Pappas noted. It will be interesting to see how he fairs next year with his team-mate, in the much quicker class.