Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S - Racing History

Racing History

The Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S would make its debut at the second race of the inaugural American Le Mans Series season in 1999. Backed by title sponsor Visteon, only one car was available in time, leading Panoz to use an older Esperante GTR-1 modified for the LMP class. However, the LMP-1 Roadster-S would perform well on its debut, taking fifth place a mere lap behind the race winner. The second chassis was completed after this race in time for the team to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Both cars finished in their endurance debut, taking seventh and eleventh places behind BMW, Audi, and Toyota.

On returning to the ALMS for Mosport, both cars were able to overcome the older Riley & Scott-Fords, Ferrari 333 SPs, and withdrawn BMW V12 LMRs to take first and second place. The next round would see the BMW V12 LMR retake the top position, although the two Panozes completed the podium. Both Panozes would again take the podium and win at Portland, before the Petit Le Mans endurance event. A third LMP-1 Roadster-S was now completed, being sold to J&P Motorsport, allowing for all three cars to finish the race. With the one factory car taking the overall win over BMW, the second would take fifth and the J&P Motorsport entry eleventh. The two factory Panozes would finish out the season without another victory, but their achievements allowed Panoz to take the LMP teams championship by a mere two points over BMW.

For 2000, one former factory LMP-1 was sold to the Danish Team Den Blå Avis for competition in the Sports Racing World Cup, while two new cars would be built for the factory team in the American Le Mans Series. The season did not begin well for the factory however, as neither car managed to finish the 12 Hours of Sebring. The cars would rebound at Charlotte to finish second and fifth before the series traveled to its new European rounds. Silverstone would once again see a second place finish behind a BMW before the factory team headed to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

At Le Mans, the two factory Panozes were joined by the Den Blå Avis Panoz that had had a best finish of third so far in the Sports Racing World Cup. Two more LMP-1s were also there from Japanese Team Dragon, using one ex-factory car and a newly built car. All five would finish, although Den Blå Avis' entry would not be classified. The other four cars took fifth, sixth, eighth, and fifteenth. Before returning to the United States, the 1000km Nürburgring would be held for the ALMS. A Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S would manage to take the race win over BMW, the only win that the car would manage the entire year. Panoz would not manage another podium finish in the ALMS until the seventh round, followed by another at Portland. The defending Petit Le Mans winners would once again lose to BMW by taking only third and fourth at the event, before closing out the season without another podium.

Panoz would finish third in the LMP championship behind Audi and BMW, while the LMP-1 Roadster-S' successor, the LMP07, would make its debut at the season finale. In the Sports Racing World Cup, Team Den Blå Avis would be joined by a second LMP-1 Roadster-S for the team, yet they would not manage another podium finish the rest of the season. They too finished the season in third in their championship, behind a pair of Ferrari 333 SPs.

For 2001, Panoz would start the initial race of the season with a pair of LMP-1 Roadster-S before committing fully to their new LMP07 at the next round, the 12 Hours of Sebring. This meant that the LMP-1s would be sold off to privateer teams, with most competing in the new European Le Mans Series. Westward Motorsports would be the first to compete with a customer chassis that season, taking fifth place at Donington Park ahead of the two factory LMP07s. The team would not continue though, and an LMP-1 Roadster-S was soon bought by Lanesra, taking a third place finish at Most before winning at Vallelunga.

However, by this time Panoz had become frustrated with their new LMP07 following several disappointing performances, when it was decided following Le Mans that the team would bring back their LMP-1 Roadster-S. One car finished on the podium on its return debut before following this with a race win at Portland ahead of Audi R8s. A second at Mosport was followed by another win at Mid-Ohio. However the team would suffer difficulties at Laguna Seca and Petit Le Mans, leaving them off the podiums. Panoz's combined points between the LMP07 and LMP-1 Roadster-S would earn them second in the LMP900 championship, once again behind Audi.

For 2002, the redesigned LMP-01 Evo would make its debut for Panoz in the American Le Mans Series, fully replacing the abandoned LMP07s. Although they suffered at the 12 Hours of Sebring, they managed to show winning form at Sears Point. However on return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, neither car would finish the race. An older LMP-1 Roadster-S was also run in the race as part of a camera car for Michel Valliant, yet also failed to finish.

The team would later win at the temporary street course at RFK Stadium in the ALMS, before troubles with the aged cars saw Panoz fail to score a podium in any of the remaining races that season. Panoz would finish third in the LMP900 championship behind two Audi teams.

The LMP01 Evos would continue into 2003, this time being run by the JML Team in place of the Panoz factory itself, yet still retained factory support. However the pace of the cars was lacking in comparison to its competitors, with a string of five third place finishes in a row finally eclipsed by a second place at the finale at Petit Le Mans. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of JML's two entries managed to finish in fifth place behind the Audis and Bentleys. The car would officially be retired after the 2003 season, with Panoz deciding instead to concentrate on the new Esperante GT-LM production-based race car for the GT2 class in American Le Mans.