The Ligier JS P320 ready to ROAR
Just one week to go before the ROAR, the official tests for the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona, and before the first race of the IMSA Prototype Challenge season, on January 22-24 in the United States. It will be an important weekend for the French constructor with the Ligier JS P320, the new generation Ligier LMP3 introduced in Europe in 2020, set to make its competition debut on American soil. It will also be the first time that the LMP3 cars will participate in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, hitherto reserved for DPi, LMP2, GTLM and GTD. Following an unquestionable success in Europe with two LMP3 titles, 15 pole positions, 12 victories, 35 podiums and 14 fastest lap times in the 16 races contested in the three European championships, the Ligier JS P320 is ready to take up this new American challenge.
Six Ligiers entered for the ROAR and the 24 Hours of Daytona
Six Ligiers, five JS P320s and one JS P217, will take part in the official tests and qualifying race that will determine the starting grid for the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona on January 30-31.
In the LMP3 category, five Ligier JS P320s entered by four different teams will make their debut in the championship. Present in the IMSA Prototype Challenge for the past several years, Performance Tech Motorsports and Sean Creech Motorsport have each swapped out their Ligier JS P3 for a Ligier JS P320, the # 38 and #33 entries. CORE Autosport and Riley Motorsports will make their debut in the LMP3 category. With the #54 Ligier JS P320, CORE Autosport will reunite with Ligier after racing the #54 Ligier Nissan DPi in the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. GTD category regular, Riley Motorsports will line-up two Ligier JS P320s, the #74 and #91 cars.
In LMP2, Eurasia Motorsport and Rick Ware Racing will join forces in the #54 Ligier JS P217. The two teams both competed last year in the Asian Le Mans Series in which Eurasia Motorsport finished third in the Pro championship with the #36 Ligier JS P217 and Rick Ware Racing won the AM title with the #52 Ligier JS P2. This collaboration promises to make sparks fly.
For the complete entry list, CLICK HERE.
Nine Ligier LMP3s in IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC)
In the IPC Championship reserved for LMP3 sports prototypes, the two generations of LMP3 will share the track. Seven Ligier JS P320s and two Ligier JS P3s will be in action in the first round of the season during the ROAR weekend at Daytona.
In the new generation LMP3 camp, four teams present in 2020 with the Ligier JS P3 will compete this year with a Ligier JS P320. Performance Tech Motorsports will enter one Ligier JS P320 in addition to its participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Following a first successful season with the #3 Ligier JS P3, JR III Racing will take their racing to the next level with two Ligier JS P320s, the #3 and #33. 2020 runner-up, MLT Motorsports and One Motorsports will each line-up one Ligier JS P320, the #54 and the #81.
Two new teams will make their debut in IPC. The Andretti Autosport team will have its first go in sports prototypes with the #18 Ligier JS P320 after several years in GT4, IndyCar and Formula E. The VOLT Racing with Archangel team will also move up from GT to LMP3 with the #7 Ligier JS P320.
In addition to the #81 Ligier JS P320, One Motorsports will also enter a Ligier JS P3, the #86 car. Wulver Racing will also be present in the P3-2 category with the #60 Ligier JS P3.
For the complete entry list, CLICK HERE.
The first practice sessions will be held on Friday January 22.
To consult the planning of the ROAR and the first race of the IMSA Prototype Challenge, CLICK HERE.