>>Q & A with John Judd:

Mulsanne's Corner:  With the ACO restrictor formula effectively capping power outputs and therefore masking the advantage of increased power through higher revolutions from the engine, why go the normally aspirated route for a contemporary endurance sportscar engine?  What do you feel are the advantages of a normally aspirated engine over a turbocharged power plant?

John Judd: In our case, the base engine was normally aspirated so it was the logical thing to develop for Sportscar racing.  There is no evidence that we suffer from a lack of power compared to our turbo rivals. Judd powered cars have been the fastest on the straight at LeMans for the last 6 years.  Advantages of the n/a engine: Cost, consistency of performance, ease of installation, less to go wrong, more tolerant of high temps / low fuel pressure / battery volts, less fire risk etc.
 

MC: How much on-track (during the event) adjustability is there in the engine mapping for the Judds?  Say given wet conditions at a track like Le Mans, how are the Judd engines able to respond to that reduced grip level?

JJ: There are different engine maps available in the ECU, selectable by the driver.  These can be used to adjust fuelling / ignition and other settings, or to disable features if there has been some sort of failure.  There is also a programmable fuel trim switch.  When telemetry is available on the car, this can be used to adjust the fuelling for the changing conditions.
 

MC: How difficult is it to compete with the likes of manufacturers such as Audi with their ability to introduce technology such as direct injection?  Is this something on the horizon for customer sports car engines?  How tangible is the technology for your operation?

JJ: We do the best we can with the resources available.  We are trying to run a business around the supply of customer Sportscar engines whereas Audi don’t appear to have to make a profit from their participation in LeMans. They may be in Sportscar racing for other reasons.  The direct injection is one element of the Audi package, which when added to the fantastic car, their driver lineup and organization gives them the best overall package.
 

MC: How are new developments measured in engines (more power, torque, better economy, lighter unit, etc.)?  How actively are engine developments pursued during the year?  During the off-season? 

JJ: We measure new developments in terms of all of the above.  The engine is very actively developed throughout the year.
 

MC: What new developments are on-line in ’05 for the GV4/GV5 engines?

JJ: The main focus will be on developing the engines for running on the larger restrictors, plus some mechanical and software upgrades.
 

>>2005 ACO regulations released:

>>LMP 1 & 2
>>LMP900, LMP675, LMGTP900

A very brief look indicated only detail changes and a few clarifications.  More later if anything more significant is evident.