Dillmann looking to capitalize on LMP2's day in the sun at CTMP

Reigning IMSA WeatherTech LMP2 champions, Tom Dillmann and Inter Europol Competition, kickstarted their run to the 2024 title with a win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It was the first time that Dillmann had ever driven around Canada's most famous road course – without even a prior test – but immediately, he found a rhythm.

Dillmann and then co-driver Nick Boulle took their only win of the season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, in the only IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event to feature LMP2 cars as the headlining category. But through relentless consistency, that one win was all they needed to end the season as champions.

A year later, Dillmann has taken his first class victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours, His European Le Mans Series campaign, also with Inter Europol in LMP2, has been good, with runner-up finishes in the last two races.

"I think the team has been strong every weekend. Actually, we were joking that every race that we had no technical issue, we won or finished second," as Dillmann pointed out earlier this week. "This year we had three technical issues – two in IMSA, one in Europe. We know that usually we have a quick car, and we execute good races, so I expect the same in Canada."

Mechanical issues took Dillmann and company out of the running in Daytona and at the ELMS opener in Barcelona. At Watkins Glen, the team also had to overcome an early clutch problem, but in the end, it was a pit work infringement – having crew over the wall before the car stopped in its box – that cost the No. 43 ORECA at least a chance at a podium, when it looked like Inter Europol had executed a winning pit strategy.

He heads into the sprint at CTMP fifth in the LMP2 Drivers' Championship, now 166 points behind United Autosports USA's Daniel Goldburg with only three more races left afterwards – Road America, Indianapolis, and Road Atlanta.

As good as Dillmann has been this year, Jeremy Clarke, his co-driver since Sebring, has also been a 2025 revelation among LMP2 Bronze drivers. Even before Clarke won at Sebring in his first-ever IMSA start, his first outings in an ORECA P2 during the Asian Le Mans Series captured the attention of fans and those within the paddock. That includes Dillmann, even when they were on rival teams that winter.

"He surprised a lot of people, and it was great that he could join us and me in the car," Dillmann said of Clarke. "He's so new to motorsport. I guess he has a natural ability, he has some talent for it – and he is flat out, every day, on his simulator. Trying to learn the tracks, compare the data with me, trying to get ready before being on track. He may have found a new passion with motorsport, and he's taking a lot of time to catch up."

Looking ahead to the Chevrolet Grand Prix on Sunday, Dillmann knows that a fast car and track position will be the biggest factors that will determine if Inter Europol will repeat their 2024 success at CTMP.

To the benefit of himself and the other LMP2 runners, the start and restarts should have one less headache as they will be the leading class.

"We don't have to deal with the GTPs struggling a little bit on cold tires," he said. "If you're the leading LMP2, it's difficult to hold the lead if you're fighting with a GTP, so it makes it a bit easier. And of course, it's a little bit cooler to win overall.

"The way we approach it, well, we need a quick car – but the strategy, especially the transition from the Bronze driver to the Pro driver, is really key. It's very likely that we are not fuel-limited, but driver change-limited, so it's important to nail those moments for us. And after, having clean air is key as well. If you're stuck behind another LMP2, it's really hard to overtake. We have some traffic every six or seven laps to have opportunities. But still, it's really hard to overtake with the amount of understeer we get behind another LMP2."

Managing GT traffic will be another crucial factor. Mosport has always been a fast and flowing circuit by nature, but particularly in the first two turns, multi-class racing can be risky.

"Turn 1 is quite straightforward," Dillman said. "We need to back off if we cannot overtake before the corner to anticipate. But if you back off, it's a massive loss for us. So we have to try and see if we can pass the GTs before the corner, which sometimes they are not really keen on. And then Turn 2 is also very tricky. Either you cross back, or you do the outside. But there's a lot of GTs – some GTs run wide, and some give you the room to the outside. It would be nice if the GTs all do the same, but it's not the case!"

As good as this season has been for Dillmann and Inter Europol on either side of the Atlantic, if they want to stay in the fight for a second consecutive set of IMSA titles, a good result in Canada is absolutely imperative.