18 RACE SEASON ENTRY GUIDE
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CONTENTS 5 Welcome 7 The LMP3 Cup 9 2017 Highlights 11 Weekend Timetable 13 Special Prizes 15 Evolution 17 2018 Calendar 19 Nationwide Coverage 21 Get Involved 23 Demographics 25 Media Coverage 27 Digital 29 Hospitality 31 Contact Details 3
We pride ourselves on our passion and high level of customer service and it is why we know we can make the Championship a success. 4
WELCOME as well as in Europe. With our extensive abilities in race event promotion, Bute Motorsport is ideally placed to grow the appeal of the LMP3 formula racing in the UK. Continuous improvement has long been a characteristic of Bute Motorsport and a core value of our business is to listen carefully to feedback from teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans, to refine the details of championships we run to ensure longterm success. We pride ourselves on our passion and customer service and it is part of why we know we can make the LMP3 Cup Championship a National success. A year ago, we were extremely excited to launch the LMP3 Cup Championship in the United Kingdom, and having learnt a great deal we head into the series second season eager to get back on track with these wonderful machines. Thanks to our continued endorsement from the Automobile Club de l Ouest (ACO) the championship has firmly been established as a step on the Road to Le Mans for drivers who hope to compete in the famous 24-hour race. It not only took a lot of hard work to get the series on track, but also to keep things running, so credit and thanks is due not only to the Bute Motorsport team, but to our strategic partners, drivers, and teams who raced with us in 2017. Demand is clearly there for the new LMP3 formula, which has now become a global racing option with championships from the US to the Far East, It was brilliant to watch a season-long battle between Alasdair McCaig and Colin Noble, and Tony Wells and Matt Bell, and credit must be given to the former for securing the title by just 20 points. The return of the iconic Ecurie Ecosse name, in partnership with Nielsen Racing, as a championship-winning outfit once again was brilliant and to see young drivers coming into LMP3 and immediately be competitive was a delight. Alasdair and Colin will now race a fully-funded entry in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, just one rung below competition in the European Le Mans Series, and the pair will race at Le Sarthe on the morning of the famous 24-Hour race, in front of some 250,000+ spectators. If that isn t motivation for teams and drivers in 2018, nothing is! All the best, Christopher Haynes, Managing Director 5
THE LMP3 CUP Identifying a gap in the global prototype racing ladder, the Automobile Club de l Ouest (ACO) launched the LMP3 category, cost-capped and ready to help drivers understand the cars. Six manufacturers were approved to build chassis: Ginetta, Ligier (Onroak), Adess, Dome, Riley, and Norma, with identical Nissan V8 engines providing 420 bhp, which must last for 10,000km without maintenance, and X-Trac gearboxes. The price of the LMP3 car must not exceed 206,000, keeping it an affordable entry-level format. Cars currently race in a number of championships across the globe; in the European Le Mans Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup, VdeV, 24H Prototype Challenge, Supercar Challenge, Trophée Proto Sprint, IMSA Prototype Challenge, Asian Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup, and FRD LMP3 Series. With such a variety of championships running throughout the year, teams have the ability to keep the cars running on track, reducing overall costs. As the LMP3 Cup Championship transitions to run on Michelin tyres, it is envisaged that teams across Europe will find the UK series more appealing to enter. The LMP3 Cup has an emphasis on driver development on the road to Le Mans, but is a National Championship in its own right. The LMP3 6
Cup Championship has identified and opened up the driver options to allow for four different categories: Silver/Silver+, Silver/Silver, Silver/ Bronze, and Bronze/Bronze. The different driver pairings will assist a growing demand for talented single-seater drivers looking to transition to endurance prototype racing and provide greater flexibility with different drivers from different backgrounds to compete alongside each other or indeed for solo drivers to compete on their own. Only Silver/Bronze and Bronze/Bronze driver pairings will be eligible for the Michelin Road to Le Mans entry in 2019. 7
2017 HIGHLIGHTS 7 RACE WINNERS Manhal Allos Paul Bailey Matt Bell Bob Berridge Jack Butel Karun Chandhok Richard Dean Andy Demetriou Christian England Andrew Evans Dean Gibbs Bonamy Grimes Sir Chris Hoy Alex Kapadia Alasdair McCaig Scott Mansell Sandy Mitchell Sarah Moore Devon Modell Johnny Mowlem Khaled al Mudhaf Mike Newbould Colin Noble Callan O Keefe Thomas Randle Jason Rishover Andy Schulz Jamie Spence Steve Tandy Michael Vergers Tony Wells C.J. Wilson 2017 CHAMPIONS DRIVERS Champion Alasdair McCaig & Colin Noble Ecurie Ecosse / Nielsen Racing Vice-champion Tony Wells & Matt Bell United Autosports Third Jack Butel Speedworks Motorsport TEAMS Champion United Autosports Ligier JS P3 Vice-champion Nielsen Racing Ligier JS P3 Third Speedworks Motorsport Ligier JS P3 8
LMP3 DEBUT Former Formula 1 racer and Channel 4 pundit Karun Chandok made his LMP3 debut at Donington Park, helping Steve Tandy to a thirdplaced finish in the first race of the season. 118 ENTRANTS for the Young Driver Initiative, but the prize was won by 17-year-old Sandy Mitchell, who promptly finished second in his first appearance, racing alongside Sir Chris Hoy. DOUBLE STINTING Bonamy Grimes & Johnny Mowlem made their LMP3 Cup debut in September, dovetailing it with a race-winning drive in the GT Cup, where they gave the Ferrari 488 Challenge car its UK debut. ONE QUICK LAD BRDC F3 racer Callan O Keefe made an impressive debut at Silverstone, taking two podiums and fastest laps. 9 LONDON TO ROME 1147.9427 miles raced in LMP3 Cup during 2017, across 12 races at six European top circuits. The equivalent of a one way trip from London to Rome PATIENT WINNER Jack Butel was on the cusp of victory all season and finally achieved his objective on a solo drive at a soaking Donington Park.
WEEKEND TIMETABLE TWO DAY WEEKEND Saturday: Practice - 60 minutes Qualifying - 10 minutes Race - 60 minutes with mandatory pit stop Sunday: Qualifying - 10 minutes Race - 60 minutes with mandatory pit stop THREE DAY WEEKEND* Friday: Practice - 45 minutes Qualifying - 35 minutes Saturday: Race - 60 minutes with mandatory pit stop Sunday: Race - 60 minutes with mandatory pit stop *Spa Francorchamps round held over three days. 10
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PRIZES The winning Silver/Bronze or Bronze/Bronze pairing in the 2018 LMP3 Cup Championship will receive a free entry into the 2019 ACO organised Michelin Le Mans Cup. The prize will include: Full entry fee into the 2019 series, valued at 45,000 Participation in the Road To Le Mans races, the second of which will take place on Saturday 16 June, ahead of the 86th 24 Heures du Mans 5 additional two-hour races at top circuits around Europe The prize cements the LMP3 Cup Championship in the UK as a key step on the ladder to Le Mans. It also gives teams and drivers a tangible promotional element to make their programs more appealing to partners and investors. Sunoco race fuels, supplied to the LMP3 Cup by the Anglo-American Oil Company, are the designated championship fuel suppliers. All championship drivers are be automatically entered into the exciting Sunoco Daytona Challenge - an amazing opportunity to win a race seat at the famous Daytona 24 Hours in 2019. Eligible racers score points from finishing positions, poles, and fastest laps throughout the year. The winning driver will be given a seat in the Sunoco-backed car in the historic 24-Hour event. Flights, hotels, race suit, and start fee, plus a three-day test at Daytona at the beginning of January, are also included. 13
EVOLUTION Bute Motorsport made three key changes in 2017, which should help to improve the championship for competitors. After unanimous agreement was reached from last year s entrants and with approval from the ACO, the driver classification was opened up from Silver/Bronze (Pro-Am) to include Silver/Silver (Pro-Pro) driver pairings. After the successful running of a live experiment at Silverstone in July, the Silver/Silver driver pairings were allowed to compete in the remaining four races of the season. Using the FIA s driver grading system the new regulations will allow teams to run a variety of different drivers either as a pair or as a single driver. These are Silver/Silver+ (Pro 1), Silver/Silver (Pro 2), Silver/Bronze (Pro Am), and Bronze/Bronze (Am). Extra pit stop time will be added as the following: Pro 1-40 seconds, Pro 2-30 seconds, Pro Am - 10 seconds, Bronze - 0 seconds. Bute Motorsport has long had a reputation of working with its customers and delivering what they want from a racing package. It also refined the 2018 calendar to allow for bigger gaps between LMP3 Cup and European Le Mans Series rounds where possible, giving teams greater turnaround time between Championships. The final announcement was that Michelin becomes the tyre supplier for the 2018 Championship. The move brings the LMP3 Cup in line with the Michelin Le Mans Cup, ELMS, and other ACO approved championships, which compete using tyres supplied by the French manufacturer. This will hopefully make it easier for teams running the cars to field entries in the UK. 14
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21/22 April 19/20 May Rounds 1, 2 & 3 DONINGTON PARK NATIONAL Rounds 4, 5 & 6 BRANDS HATCH GP 1/2/3 June 11/12 August Rounds 7 & 8 SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS Rounds 14, 15 & 16 SNETTERTON 300 8/9 September 13/14 October Rounds 17, 18 & 19 DONINGTON PARK GP Rounds 20, 21 & 22 SILVERSTONE GP 16
2018 CALENDAR PRE-SEASON ACTIVITY Event Date Location Autosport International 11-14 January NEC, Birmingham 2017 Awards Dinner 20 January Brands Hatch Media Day February (TBC) Brands Hatch RACE SCHEDULE Rounds Date Location 1, 2 21/22 April Donington Park (National) 3, 4 19/20 May Brands Hatch (GP) 5, 6 1/2/3 June Spa Francorhamps 7, 8 11/12 August Snetterton (300) 9, 10 8/9 September Donington Park (GP) 11, 12 13/14 October Silverstone (GP) It s the first time ever Le Mans Prototypes have raced in England and it s given the fans a chance to see it. A British Le Mans series is how I d sum it up. Richard Dean, co-owner, United Autosports 17
European COVERAGE The LMP3 Cup Championship returns for a second full season of racing in 2018, after Ecurie Ecosse with Nielsen Racing duo Alasdair McCaig and Colin Noble were crowned champions in the inaugural year. The championship gets underway once again at Donington Park in April, then heads into the forests of Kent for two races on the famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. Two weeks later the cars will return to the Ardennes for split-grid races with the GT Cup championship at the legendary Spa Francorchamps. Snetterton hosts the mid-summer event to launch the second half of the season, with the second weekend at Donington in September on the Grand Prix configuration. The series closes at Silverstone in October, on the Grand Prix circuit, where new champions will be crowned. With all the circuits lying so close to major cities including London, Norwich, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, and Brussels, it opens the championship up to a large catchment area of fans, making each event appealing to sponsors and corporate partners. With four classic Grand Prix circuits on the calendar Bute is certain that the LMP3 Cup in 2018 will appeal to the drivers as well. 18
DONINGTON PARK EAST MIDLANDS SPA FRANCORCHAMPS BELGIUM SNETTERTON NORFOLK SILVERSTONE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BRANDS HATCH KENT 12 RACES WEEKENDS 6 19 5 CLASSIC RACE TRACKS
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get involved Motorsport is a fantastic way to engage with a passionate demographic of the population. Your sponsors and partners can gain superb exposure through the championship. This activity can prove to be a very cost-effective alternative to advertising a brand and increasing customer awareness with a loyal fan base. What better place than a race circuit to hold meetings with current and potential clients? Away from the formal location of corporate boardrooms, the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of the LMP3 Cup Championship paddock is a perfect place to communicate with fellow business people. Sponsorship is an incredibly versatile and effective means of marketing a company or brand with wide exposure, press, hospitality, video, and photo content all contributing to the toolkit. Add in the use of a race car at a business networking event, show or corporate day and you will understand why more and more brands are sponsoring teams and drivers in LMP3 Cup Championship. Whether it is enhancing a brand by association with this dynamic and exciting world or creating content for online and promotional campaigns, the LMP3 Cup Championship can aid your sponsorship programme and help you accomplish your objectives. BECOME A CHAMPIONSHIP PARTNER Our championship partners have access to the Race Hub at events, where breakfast and lunch is served daily, as well as hot and cold drink facilities throughout the day. The hospitality unit is also an ideal location to host clients or undertake meetings at your leisure. Copyright-free images and videos can be made available upon request. Bute Motorsport team members will carry your brand on official clothing, and your logos will feature on the official website, press releases, on the hospitality unit, and most importantly on the race cars themselves. If you would like further information on how we can help or how to become a championship partner, contact Championship Director Hannah Wilson to discuss our 2018 partnership opportunities. 21
DEMOGRAPHICS LMP3 Cup continues to appeal to a demographic group, with the 25- to 34-year-old male fan making up 30% of the Championship fanbase. The international appeal of the series is not in any doubt, with 53% of viewers coming from outside of the United Kingdom. Some 18% of fans are based in the United States, and almost 11% come from key markets in Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Australia. As consumption of media moves towards an on-demand future, 82% of online viewers now enjoy LMP3 Cup on tablets, smartphones, and computers. Continuing to meet the demand of racing fans, the Championship will explore online and social media-based outlets for video content. LMP3 Cup has enjoyed hour-long highlights programmes on motorsport.tv, both on television and on-demand, as well as extensive coverage on Front Runner in the UK and internationally on Motor Trend On Demand. With motorsport.tv coverage reaching 81 countries and a potential audience of over 25 million, good brand exposure is guaranteed. 22
30 % LARGEST DEMOGRAPHIC: MALE, AGED 25-34 Audience breakdown by age group (percent) 53% Percentage of viewers outside of the UK AUDIENCE BY DEVICES: AN INCREASINGLY MOBILE DEMOGRAPHIC 44 % 16 % 24 % 11 % 23
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MEDIA coverage The LMP3 Cup Championship has already received excellent coverage from the motorsport press, with extensive coverage in Autosport and Motorsport News, as well as online. This is set to continue as it builds from its first full season of racing in 2017 and it fosters close working relationships with media partners. The internet presents the biggest opportunity to reach a large audience immediately, which is why the LMP3 Cup Championship website features all the latest news along with streaming video to sit alongside its social media channels. The LMP3 Cup Championship carries live race commentary on Twitter, as well as regular email communications, and daily recaps on Facebook. Behind the scenes photos and videos are shared on Instagram, and events and information shared on Formulr. Its in-house team will maximise every promotional opportunity for the series, its competitors, and partners, as it moves forward. = Motorsport News = Autosport Cumulative readership of LMP3 Cup articles in Motorsport News and Autosport 25
16,964 MINUTES OF VIDEO CONTENT VIEWED ON YOUTUBE IN 2017 166 Average number of Twitter followers gained a month Average number of Facebook followers gained a month 26
DIGITAL The LMP3 Cup Championship utilises the speed and reach of the internet to target content at the global motorsport audience immediately. It undertakes live race commentary on Twitter, posts behind the scenes pictures and videos to Instagram, adds photo galleries and race reports to Facebook, and releases regular email communications. Its audience numbers grow at impressive rates year-on-year, and the LMP3 Cup website consistently increased numbers of visitors. Videos posted to the championship You- Tube channel receive encouraging views and is an identified area of growth. The championship also works with motorsport.tv to provide coverage on demand for its internet services. The LMP3 Cup will continue to explore the benefits of social and digital medias with a fresh focus on internet video content, helping fans, teams, and drivers to share their racing exploits with friends, family, and fans throughout the year. 3.59 Average watch time, in minutes, of videos on the LMP3 Cup YouTube channel Number of website visitors during 2017 44,122 27
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HOSPITALITY If the pit lane is the soul of the LMP3 Cup, then the beating heart is the Bute Motorsport Race Centre. Prominently located in the paddock at every LMP3 Cup round, it is the centre of everything to do with the Championship. Team managers, drivers, and invited guests can enjoy the superb catering provided, and relax in their home-from-home at the race track. Guests can brush shoulders with competitors, which contributes to the friendly, family-based paddock atmosphere that is a trademark of Bute Motorsport. However, the Race Centre is not just for the drivers, the teams, friends and family; it plays an important part in welcoming corporate guests as well. With hospitality being such an important and valuable tool, it allows businesses to build relationships with partners, suppliers, and other race attendees. Our professional hospitality services will cater for all your guests needs and our options can be scaled to suit every budget. Hospitality in the LMP3 Cup Race Centre includes as standard a cooked breakfast, drinks throughout the day, and a two-course lunch, all provided within a warm and welcoming environment. For further details please contact Hannah Wilson by telephone; 01963 442787 or email; hannah@butemotorsport.co.uk HOSPITALITY FOR ALL OCCASIONS Team Hospitality: Full cooked breakfast Hot & cold drinks Packed lunch VIP Race Centre Hospitality: Entry to the hospitality lounge Full cooked breakfast Hot & cold drinks all day Two-course hot lunch Hosted VIP Service: Entry to the hospitality lounge Full cooked breakfast Hot & cold drinks all day Two course hot lunch Entry ticket Programme Host/Hostess to greet and look after your guests for the day 29
CONTACTS Managing Director Christopher Haynes Mobile - 07976 946591 Office - 01963 442795 Email - chris@butemotorsport.co.uk Championship Director Hannah Wilson Mobile - 07500 116687 Office - 01963 442787 Email - hannah@butemotorsport.co.uk Technical Co-ordinator Philip Boland Mobile - 07836 608615 Email - phil@butemotorsport.co.uk Marketing & Media Co-ordinator Thomas Baker Mobile - 07974 779657 Office - 01327 850500 Email - tom@butemotorsport.co.uk Bute Motorsport Limited Sparkford Nr. Yeovil Somerset BA22 7LH www.lmp3cup.co.uk 30
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ENDORSED BY THE ACO Bute Motorsport Limited Sparkford, Nr. Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7LH www.lmp3cup.co.uk