Scott Sharp’s Extreme Speed Motorsports announced Wednesday that the team will be moving from the American Le Mans series GTE class to P2 for 2013 and 2014, the first season of the merged North American Sports car series. Following ESM’s announcement, Daily Sports car said it expected an announcement from Level 5 for two cars in P2 in 2013.
This gives the formerly empty P2 four solid entries for 2013 and also provides for at least two confirmed entries for the following season, which will force the new series management to balance P2 with Daytona Prototype.
Scott Sharp is no stranger to prototypes. He drove in both P21 and P1 with Highcroft Racing, finishing second in 2008 and winning the championship in 2009. Sharp left Highcroft in 2010 and formed Extreme Speed Motorsports, driving GTE Ferraris with friend and sponsor, Patrón Tequila CEO Ed Brown.
ESM tested both its updated 2013-spec Ferraris at the ALMS Sebring Tuesday and started testing immediately.
ESM tested both its updated 2013-spec Ferraris at the ALMS Sebring Winter Test earlier this month. The team took possession of two HPD-ARX-03bs (one new, one ex-Starworks) Tuesday and started testing immediately. ESM will debut its new prototypes at the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 16.
“I’m very proud that ESM will move to the P2 class, effective immediately. We will have two Honda ARXs for next month’s ALMS season-opener at Sebring,” Sharp said in an ESM press release.
“We enjoyed our three-year run in the GT class with Ferrari. If the GT class is a strong factory-supported class and you are not a full manufacturer entry, everything falls on the shoulders of the team. As a result, the independent teams are at a serious disadvantage compared to their factory-supported counterparts.
“For ESM to win two races last year, finish second in the GT championship and beat the top factory GT teams in the world is a huge testament to the time, effort, energy and dedication of everyone at ESM and Tequila Patrón.
“Moving to P2 is a new chapter for us at ESM and a homecoming for Tequila Patrón. We feel we have a terrific opportunity to learn and develop the P2 car this year, and that will put us in an ideal position going into the merged season of 2014.”
