With the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge season complete, CRP Racing owner Nicholas Short is looking ahead to 2018, considering a switch to a prototype program. Returning to his roots of endurance racing, Short is interested in running an LMP2 program in the IMSA Weather Tech SportsCar Championship.
Short has made a career out of motorsports with experience in IndyCar, NASCAR, Group C Endurance Racing, Pirelli World Challenge and Vintage SVRA and HSR. When Nicholas formed CRP Racing in 2001, he brought along with him over 25 years of racing experience. Throughout the 2017 season, Short began to entertain the transition to prototypes, drawing on the insight and advice from driver Ryan Dalziel.
Following the Pirelli World Challenge 2017 season finale at Sonoma Raceway, Short traveled to Braselton, Georgia to the IMSA season finale’s Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Short spent his time at the track consulting with series participants, in an attempt to estimate the resources necessary to run an LMP2 program in IMSA’s Prototype class.
“The purpose of the trip was to meet with manufacturers and drivers while getting a lay of the land,” said Short. “It is a new challenge, and I am only interested in an LMP2 program if I can do it right, emulating well run teams such as Tequila Patrón ESM and Wayne Taylor Racing.”
While the team continues its active quest for additional sponsorship for the program, Short also expressed interest in speaking with funded drivers.
“An LMP2 program is not for the faint of heart,” he said. “It will be a very competitive class, and I’m interested in speaking with partners who are committed to take on this challenge and build a long term relationship with us. We want drivers who understand how serious we are about this project and are able to bring funding to the program.”
While the DPi program in the IMSA Prototype class has been the media and fan focus as of late, Short desires to run an LMP2 car to keep the team’s Le Mans chances open.
“Everyone who is involved in endurance racing has the dream of running Le Mans as well as Daytona concluded Short. “With the standard ACO/FIA homologation, we could run a full season in the IMSA series and still have the chance of getting an entry into Le Mans. We have the infrastructure in place, but there’s a lot of details to think through and people to talk with before we make our decision. We’re interested to talk to all parties at this point.”
