Glickenhaus to concentrate on road cars following Le Mans exit
Indie sportscar team moves focus to its road car line-up as it says farewell to Le Mans
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus, the independent sportscar racing team headed up by arch enthusiast Jim Glickenhaus, confirmed yesterday that it will not be entering the 2024 World Endurance Championship, following three years in the WEC.
Glickenhaus says SCG will refocus its efforts on its road cars built in Connecticut, notably the 004S, as driven by evo in 2022, and the Boot off-roader, inspired by Steve McQueen’s Baja buggy. The 004 S (for Stradale) is a road-legal version of SCG’s 004C (for Competizione) endurance racing sportscar, campaigned with success at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. A return to the N24, last competed at by SCG in 2022 as the outfit concentrated on Le Mans and the WEC in 2023, is likely.
Jim Glickenhaus has intimated to journalists that a return to the N24 – a race which SCG has a longstanding history with, having first entered the Ferrari-based P4/5 in 2011 – would have more of a direct correlation on sales of its 004 road cars. With funds and focus freed up from leaving the WEC, that could enable SCG to begin development of new road-going models, too.
SCG was one of the first manufacturers to enter the WEC’s new Hypercar class along with Toyota, attracted by a €20million budget cap for development. Costs have since spiralled as a greater number of factory-backed squads from Porsche, Peugeot, Ferrari, Lamborghini, BMW and more have joined the series, with Glickenhaus citing greatly increased development costs for its exit, along with the need to concentrate on the road car side of its business.
Aside from supporting the WEC as its Hypercar formula got off the ground, the American marque has achieved great things for a comparative minnow in terms of size and budget over three seasons in the WEC. Together with partners Joest Racing, it achieved a 100 per cent finishing record at Le Mans, including an overall podium in 2022, the first for an American marque in decades. It also achieved two pole positions, and came close to an overall win at Monza before succumbing to a reliability issue.
As a further legacy of its WEC adventure, a 24-car run of road-going versions of SCG’s Le Mans racer, the 007S, is still planned to be completed.
