BAR1 closing in on Prototype move

Brian Alder's BAR1 Motorsports team is one of two remaining full-time PC entrants this season, and with the class set to fold next month after Petit Le Mans, plotting a new Prototype course for 2018 has been his priority.

"There's a lot of moving pieces to put together, but we're making progress, for sure," Alder told RACER. "We have everything in position and we're ready to go. It's just a matter of how we get to that point. We have lots of irons in the fire, and it's just figuring the best way to position everything. If everything comes together, we could have two cars on the grid. It's the last five percent of the deal that is hardest to complete."

Beyond considerations of what kind of Prototype model Alder will race next season, the shift from being a leading PC entrant to taking on factory DPi efforts and other privateers with a WEC-spec P2 is a major adjustment for the Ohio-based team. A new business plan is, first and foremost, the greatest challenge to execute.

"Unless you have a wealthy gentleman funding your team, budget is the first thing you need to make everything work if you're going up to the big class," he said. "You want to do well and win, and those will come in time, but you have to have the right budget in place to structure your team and purchase the cars. And will that budget let you hire a pro driver, or two, or will you need a gentleman driver? It's a lot more complicated than just getting cars and going racing."

Selecting a chassis supplier will be the easiest part of process, according to Alder.

"If we went with ORECA, Ligier, or Dallara, we'd be in great shape with any of them," he said. "Picking one comes down to a couple of things: customer service, spare parts availability, past experience with the manufacturer, and whichever route we go, I don't think we can make a bad decision."