SMP racing are not new to LMP2, last year they ran the classic design which was the ORECA O3; an open cockpit racer seen competing at the top end of LMP2 for over decade. Last year saw the team begin design work of an all new prototype for the P2 class, this year was race against time just to be able to race at Le Mans. The Project was run by Boris Rotenberg with designer Paolo Catone helping on the
design work, both of which worked with Peugeot on the 905 and 908 HDI LMP1
cars. This was a big undertaking by SMP, who were running the 458 Italia GT3 car at the same time of its design work and construction.
When looking at the car, we can see the fairly old school design on the chassis, which is a pure Carbon Fibre constructed monocoque. The car however is ultra-
aerodynamic for a LMP2 car, which features a very low cockpit ride height as well as bulkhead centre line, of which just fit into the LMP2 regulations. SMP use
Carbon track rods with six pot brake callipers on the end with Carbon ceramic disc’s. The engine is the reliable Nissan VKE 4.4L naturally aspirated with a very small plenum on top. The gearbox is from Xtract, and is six speeds.
The engine is mounted behind the cockpit, which is fairly conventional, but from the rear chassis bulkhead has two think steel composite tubes running in front of the gearbox for added strength on the car. When looking at the bulkhead in more detail, SMP do not run torsion bar suspension, but use classic coil over dampers; this is given away by the horizontally laid springs, with no view of the torsion bar itself. Suspension at the rear see’s push rod with double wishbones all round.
Where the mechanical side is fairly basic, the cars aerodynamics is where this baby racer pulls back some points. This LMP2 car has been given the philosophy of ‘smallest surface area’ we are able to see a very low bulkhead design and ultra slim front nose structure. The nose has a step in it so that the car will speed the air flow over the cockpit - the cockpit being very low in comparison to other class racers.
Furthermore SMP reduced several mm’s of the windscreen to save weight and to help move the air flow to the back of the car.
The front footplate of the car also sees a stepped concept, which helps air flow under the car which is used in the higher prototype categories. The nose also features very small dive planes, adding to the low downforce design.
At the back we can see the eight tier slated rear wheel pod. This is the way the team will gain some extra downforce. SMP will harness the rear tyre wake, and pass it through the pod (when the air hits the slats) and will push it into the road. BR Engineering also added a gurney flap to the rear deck, so that the rear exhaust outlet will be forced to the rear wing mainplanes, therefore harnessing the blown diffuser effect, but to a different design as seen in Formula 1.
Overall the new SMP Racing BR01 is a great little P2 car, and with sensible development, can take the fight to the LMP2 power houses of the Ligier JS P2’S and ORECA O5’s.