HARRISBURG, N.C. — The shape of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season took on at least some definition late last week with the announcement that Audi will again field a two-car R10 turbocharged diesel effort in the LMP1 category.
Buried in the announcement was a declaration by the German manufacturer that its continued entry in the Don Panoz-owned championship was based on the stipulation that the ALMS would run under what Audi called “stable regulations with the clear positioning of the LMP1 sportscars as the top category.”
In the release, attributed to Audi’s racing boss, Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich, the car maker  also announced it would expand its prototype involvement in ’08 by entering two cars in the European Le Mans Series, this while it continues to contest the German Touring Car Championship, which it won in 2007.
The increased effort with its R10s likewise was based on rules stability and the continued positioning of the LMP1 category as the premier class in the ELMS, as well as the prospect for good television ratings like those enjoyed by the ALMS here. Although Allan McNish, Rinaldo Capello and Marco Werner will be returning to the LMP1 spyders, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro will move to the touring car scene, with Lucas Luhr coming to the prototypes as a replacement.
According to Ulrich, the R10s will be further developed for the coming year with Reinhold Joest overseeing the European side of things, while Audi Sport North America, through Florida-based Champion Racing, will do the same here. Still, whether any of this actually becomes a reality, at least here, remains a matter of conjecture because ALMS head Scott Atherton and IMSA chieftain Tim Mayer have both been under pressure from Porsche and Acura to not accede to the demands of the Automobile Club du L’Ouest, the organizers of Le Mans and the people from whom the ALMS leases it regulations, to add 50 kilograms of weight to the LMP2 prototypes — something that would almost certainly ensure that the Porsches and the Acuras would not be competitive against the Audis.
While the ACO has the prospect of a turbo diesel war between the German R10s and their French Peugeot counterparts at both the annual 24-Hour long distance classic and the ELMS, the ALMS may have to choose between Audi and the LMP2 entries from Acura and Porsche, each of whom have indicated that they may pull out of the championship if the ALMS does add weight.
Under the 2007 scriptures the equality between the three brands, regardless of the fact that the Audis were on paper the better performing cars, was nearly dead equal. There was no real opposition for the R10s in the LMP1 class, and choosing would be a difficult proposition for the ALMS since it could endanger the prospects for its long-term future.
In short, the success enjoyed by the series in 2007 was based mainly on the battle for the overall honors, a fascinating contest between the three brands, and one that would be at best compromised, and at worst become non existent if the ALMS follows the lead of the ACO, going where Ulrich wants it to go. However, at press time, with both Atherton and Mayer in Europe for talks with officials there, what happens in 2008 remains an open question.
When the answers do come, they could define the Panoz title contest not just for 2008, but for years beyond.