Go... East?

It started with a few moves here and there but what we are seeing now can be a trend in the very near future: American racing teams pursuing opportunities to race in Europe. More and more teams are now aiming for more than a 24 Hours of Le Mans shot and are establishing themselves in different championships, may them lead to a Le Mans trip or not.

We can say that one of the reasons why various USA teams are considering a racing campaign in Europe is the balance of the US Dolar to Euro currency, and if a team can attract some amateur drivers and sponsorship interested in appearances in the European continent, the adventure can be paid with some ease. This is the case with Krohn Racing and Extreme Speed Motorsports, which have good sponsors behind them and specially, representatives of these companies that are directly involved with the teams.

The most “recent” case refers to the announcement that DragonSpeed, a team that is well-known for its GT Racing commitments, step up in the latter with the purchase of ORECA 05 LMP2 model, which is intended to be used in the 2016 European Le Mans Series season. Probably the season spent in the Blancpain Endurance Series opened the eyes of team owner Elton Julian about higher flights, and it may not be their only championship to be raced next year, as BES, Pirelli World Challenge and even the United Sportscar Championship are still being considered.

Other teams announced their intentions or already confirmed entries to race overseas next year, as the so much awaited Ford return to La Sarthe and the participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship is one of the main headlines of the year. This is followed by a possible Starworks Motorsport campaign in ELMS, which was initially intended to be in the LMP3 class but was reverted to LMP2, which was Peter Baron’s original plan.

It may be a sponsor desire, an unwillingness to participate in the North American championships or just a desire to race in other continents, but the reality is that more and more American teams will expand their horizons to leave their mark wherever they are, for a longr time than before.

PHOTOS: Extreme Speed Motorsports, Krohn Racing, DragonSpeed, Starworks Motorsports