2012 Acura ARX 03B

USED TO SCORE BOTH 2012/2013 ALMS LMP2 DRIVERS & TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

3 ALMS LMP2 CLASS VICTORIES (INC. PETIT LE MANS)

11 CLASS PODIUMS IN THE ALMS 

2X LE MANS 24 HOURS ENTRANT

At the start of the 2012 season, Honda Performance Development (HPD) released its new challenger for both the LMP1 and LMP2 categories. It’s predecessor was heavily influenced by the design of the Courage prototype and was constructed by ATR. The newer ARX 03 would not only be constructed by HPD themselves, but it would also share similar DNA to the ARX 01.

The ARX 03b featured a carbon fibre monocoque as part of the LMP2 homologation process. The engine was a production-based Honda V6 twin-turbo with a single overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder. However, the biggest development from its predecessor was its improved aerodynamic performance, which largely came from the development in bodywork. This combination of chassis, engine and bodywork attracted teams on both sides of the Atlantic.

Starworks were trusted to represent HPD in the World Endurance Championship where they would not disappoint. The team would start strong in Sebring winning the famously gruelling 12 Hours. Thereafter Starworks set their sights on the biggest race if them all, the Le Mans 24 Hours. The team would achieve their goal of a dream Le Mans debut for the ARX 03b by winning the LMP2 class and finishing 7th overall on its first try. Honda management must have been very satisfied. To cap off a stellar year, Starworks would also bring home the LMP2 World Endurance Championship title.

Meanwhile over in the American Le Mans series, Level 5 motorsport were enjoying similar success with their two-car team. In the 2012 ALMS season, the ARX 03b dominated the LMP2 class, taking home no less than 8 class victories plus ultimately securing the Drivers Championship. The 2013 season saw Extreme Speed Motorsport join the mix with an ARX 03b in the ALMS championship as HPD focused their efforts on the popular Americas series. The 2013 would produce similar success to the previous year as both Drivers and Teams championships would go to the ARX 03b and its drivers.

The car presented here, chassis 03, was one of two examples delivered to the multiple championship winning American team, Level 5 Motorsport. Level 5 raced 03 with huge success in the ALMS during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The chassis scored an impressive total of three class victories, and eleven class podiums across the two seasons. The success of chassis 03 and its sister car chassis 02 saw Level 5 win the LMP2 Teams Championship in both years, whilst Scott Tucker (who raced both cars) was crowned LMP2 Drivers Champion in both years.

Chassis 03 would start its racing life at Sebring taking on the iconic 12 Hours. While chassis 03 would ultimately retire from Sebring, it bounced back in the next round at Long Beach with 3rd in class. Its best result of 2012 came at Laguna Seca though where it won LMP2 in style and finished 2nd overall against stiff LMP1 competition. From Laguna, chassis 03 would head over to Europe to take on Le Mans as HPD’s American representative at the biggest endurance race of them all. The 80th edition would however not prove fruitful for Level 5 with the car retiring just after sunrise on Sunday morning with fuel-pressure issues.

The team skipped Lime Rock and Mosport with chassis 03, before it returned to service at Mid-Ohio, again taking 3rd in class. A 4th in class followed at Road America before 03 took an impressive 2nd overall at Baltimore in what proved a Level 5 lockout with its sister car winning outright. Whilst Le Mans and Sebring are undoubtedly two of the biggest endurance races, Petit Le Mans arguably one of the next most important to teams and manufacturers alike. This American endurance classic and takes the form of a 10 hour race around the famous Road Atlanta Circuit. It would be here that chassis 03 would bring home its second LMP2 class victory of the season and its second overall podium against LMP1 competition.

In 2013 chassis 03 would prove to be the model of consistency during its ALMS campaign. In total it scored a staggering eight podiums and one class victory in LMP2, an impressive 80% ratio of races entered! Starting at the Sebring 12 Hours, 03 would come home 2nd class with Level 5 utterly dominating LMP2. Podiums followed at Laguna Seca, Lime Rock, Mosport, Road America, Austin, Virginia and Petit Le Mans, with a class victory coming at Baltimore. The incredibly successful 2013 season saw Level 5 . For the remainder of the season, chassis 03 would not finish off the class podium including a 3rd in class at Petit Le Mans.

Today chassis 03 presents in excellent condition having a freshly rebuilt engine (by HPD), low km gearbox and a plethora of spares, including multiple low and high downforce bodywork. Seldom does an opportunity arise for collectors to acquire a car with such racing provenance, let alone one produced by a major manufacturer. This exquisite Acura ARX03b in highly eligible for the new ‘Le Mans Legends’ series by Peter Auto, and presents a superb opportunity to compete at the front of the LMP2 class at iconic circuits all round the world including Le Mans Classic in 2026, where this generation will race in Plateau 10.