LMP3 Cup to introduce another class for CN cars in an attempt to boost entries
The LMP3 Cup is to add a new CN class for the final two rounds of 2018 to boost grid numbers, and turnout is vital for whether the class is retained.
For the final two rounds, LMP3 Cup has been given permission by the Motor Sports Association to add a new invitational class, aimed primarily at Group CN cars – that include some Radical and Juno models – in order to build grid numbers and in turn entice more LMP3 cars to the grid.
Grid sizes have been a persistent issue for LMP3 Cup since it started in ’17, with numbers never being higher than 10 and sometimes as low as three.
“The final two rounds of the LMP3 Cup are going to be very telling,” series boss Chris Haynes said. “They’re going to be really influential as to what happens next year – I can’t stress that enough.
“To make it [CN class] viable we need to see them out in Donington and Silverstone.”
Haynes says that basing the championship on LMP3 cars only is now not sustainable.
“The P3 is clearly too small, there’s just not enough interest out there for the P3 to come racing in the UK in sustainable numbers,” Haynes added.
Speedworks Motorsport boss Christian Dick, who enters a car in LMP3 Cup, agreed that a CN influx could have wider benefits.
“It will bring an element of traffic management,” Dick said. “If you look at the Spa round where we mixed the grid with the GT Cup field – it looked fantastic. More cars on the grid will breed some confidence.”
A PT4 class was also created for this season – for the Ligier JSP4 and Radical RXC – to boost numbers but has had only two one-off appearances in it so far.