Lanan to LMP3 Cup with Norma for 2018
Lanan Racing will contest the LMP3 Cup and Michelin Le Mans Cup next year with a Norma M30.
The squad previously ran an LMP3 car – a Ginetta Juno – in the European Le Mans Series in 2015 for two races and currently has teams in BRDC British F3 and British GT.
The Norma M30 has been used by other teams in the European Le Mans Series and has had reasonable success against the older but more popular Ligier model.
Graham Johnson, team principal at Lanan Racing, said: “The car is looking very likely but there’s a couple of things that have to fall into place [to make it happen].
“I think we need to have something different [a car], not for difference sake I think the Norma is the faster car.
“Norma is very keen for us to do something in the UK, we would be one of the few Norma teams so we would get a lot of support.”
announced last week that the LMP3 Cup would also switch to Michelin tyres as of next year – which are used in Europe – as opposed to Pirellis used in 2017.
“I don’t think it’s going to turn the championship on its head [in terms of numbers],” added Johnson.
“It will make it easier to go to a race in Britain and previously they [teams] may have thought they don’t have a set-up for the Pirellis [so it’s not worth it].
“It will make it easier for other P3 teams to do both but it’s not a massive deal breaker, it just takes the edge off the cost.”