Le Mans Series Thread

[RACECAR]

2008 marks what look to be a very exciting year for the fifth season of the Le Mans Series. This thread will be dedicated to everything regarding the series race results, Latest news and general discussion about it. There is one rule that shall be followed:

Keep It Mature
In fairness, Equality and with open mind, I ask that anyone posting in this thead keep their comments strictly adult and sensible. That means no insults or arguments towards other users. Bashing of this particular series in any shape or form is unnecessary and not tolerated. You do not like this series, simply stay away and do not post, period.

Now lets begin with the lastest news:​

The # 35 Courage LC75 AER from Saulnier Racing is for sale. Anyone interested?

Jacques Nicolet of Saulnier Racing and Henri Pescarolo of Pescarolo sport have merged to create Pescarolo Automobiles.

Oreca has purchased French Le Mans Prototype manufacturer Courage.

Suddenly, the french have gotten more interesting.

 

[dougiemeats]

Audi is planning to enter the Le Mans Series with the R10. We don't have to wait until June to see the two diesel superpowers on the same track again (well, Peugeot will be at the Wheels Down Winter Test at Sebring later this month ).

Here are some speculative entries from Mariantic: http://www.mariantic.co.uk/lmp/LMS08.asp

A fairly large grid as usual, although GT1 seems to be lacking (relative to the other classes) as seen in the ALMS. I'll be paying close attention to this series and I'm looking forward to the season to come.

 

[The359]

The Saulnier Courage was sold off because the new LMP2 team (under the Pescarolo Automobiles banner) will run Pescarolo 01s.

 

[kjb]

Let me ask you guys a question why does it seem that the Gt1 division is dying a slow death?

 

[RACECAR]

Let me ask you guys a question why does it seem that the Gt1 division is dying a slow death?

If your talking about GT1 in the ALMS, it mainly is because(Except for Prodrive) no one is willing to spend all that money to go against the Factory Corvettes. Notice that in the LMS GT1 class there are no factory teams. This leaves open a more competitive and unpredictable field. The ALMS GT1 however, has the two car factory team winning almost every race it goes thus the class isn't very competitive.

 

[Mt. Lynx]

I sure hope that the rulechanges for 2010 in GT1 and 2 will attract more manufacturers.
Buuut, I can also see IMSA ignoring these new rules pretty much, at least for the ALMS. Wich would be a major drag, since that would make the GT2 field huge (consisting of ACO/FIA approved GT1 cars), and the GT1 field would stay as it is...

As for the LMS series, I´ve heard that Audi will compete with their R10, but I can´t confirm it. Anyone know more?

 

[kjb]

If your talking about GT1 in the ALMS, it mainly is because(Except for Prodrive) no one is willing to spend all that money to go against the Factory Corvettes. Notice that in the LMS GT1 class there are no factory teams. This leaves open a more competitive and unpredictable field. The ALMS GT1 however, has the two car factory team winning almost every race it goes thus the class isn't very competitive.

Okay thanks for clearing that up. Hopefully somebody will try to challenge the Vettes.

 

[The359]

No factory teams in LMS? What do you think Oreca was doing? They were the factory Saleen team up until they decided to buy Courage.

Larbre was the factory Aston Martin effort in LMS (alongside Scuderia Italia's effort in FIA GT).

 

[RACECAR]

No factory teams in LMS? What do you think Oreca was doing? They were the factory Saleen team up until they decided to buy Courage.

Larbre was the factory Aston Martin effort in LMS (alongside Scuderia Italia's effort in FIA GT).

How exactly? I think they have a factory type approach to race car development much like Care Racing did, but I don't see a Corvette Racing or Penske racing Factory effort so explain to me how.

 

[The359]

What exactly is there to "see" about it? Saleen chose Oreca as their official team. They build the cars at Oreca's shop.

Larbre is given support by Prodrive, hence the name change to Aston Martin Racing Larbre.

 

[RACECAR]

What exactly is there to "see" about it? Saleen chose Oreca as their official team. They build the cars at Oreca's shop.

Thats interesting considering I usually associate Factory teams as teams that are the first to recieve and run the cars straight from the Factory with Heavily backed support from the manufacterer themselves, such as Corvette Racing does.

Larbre is given support by Prodrive, hence the name change to Aston Martin Racing Larbre.

Wasn't too hard to figure out "AMR Larbre". And I kind of figured Prodrive supports them seeing that "prodrive" is stamped on the car (Not Literally).

 

[The359]

Oreca builds all the new Saleen S7-Rs now. If their team isn't the factory team, who is? S7-Rs were never actually built by Saleen themselvse, the previous factory team was Ray Mallock Ltd. (RML).

Racing Box's S7-R was built by Oreca, other S7-Rs that had previously been built are maintained and supplied through Oreca.

 

[RACECAR]

Oreca builds all the new Saleen S7-Rs now. If their team isn't the factory team, who is?

I pretty much got the point after you told the first time and the "What is there to see" question isn't needed either. If your gonna correct me, do it in respectible fashion. I'm not disrespecting you so you don't need to do it to me.

S7-Rs were never actually built by Saleen themselvse.

By that same token, neither are the Corvettes and as you have already pointed out, not even the DBR9s or since you mention FIA GT, the Lamborghini R-GTs. You know what, There really doesn't seem or hasn't been a lot of true factory efforts. I kind of always thought factory efforts were Solely Manufacterer-driven with tboth the chassis and engine put together by the maker, Like Porsche did with 956s, or the 911 GT1s or most recently with the Spyders. But explain to me this: Whats different about these teams that Priviteers are more willing to go against them? All accept for Monza and them not even competing in the last round, Oreca pretty much dominated GT1 just like the vettes usually do in ALMS.

themselvse

Themselves

"Spell Check Complete" 👍

 

[RACECAR]

A skilled graphics designer named Kim Stapleton has created his view on the Audi R15, a future racecar for 2010. Please make your own mind!
After almost two months of design and construction, Stapleton is now ready to share his Audi R15 TDI Coupe Concept projected for the ALMS, Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Full Story here
While this is only a graphic design, This is very impressive.

 

[The359]

Not all 962 chassis were built by Porsche either. Several were built by Fabcar in the US because of the demand, while other teams merely built their own chassis and bought 962 bodywork/parts.

Pratt & Miller is one of the designated factory racing divisions, they covered the Cadillac CTS-V SCCA division, the Corvette C6.R Le Mans division, the former GTO.R Grand-Am division, and even the old Oldsmobile Aurora GTS-1 IMSA division. The decisions of factory support come from Pratt & Miller at the behest of GM.

And teams were happy to go against Oreca because they're a 1-car team. If they run into a problem, someone else can easily take the win. Luc Alphand and Larbre were certainly able to fight the Oreca Saleens, they just never managed to come out on top.

I'd also not suggest spell checking others until you check your own posts....

 

[RACECAR]

Not all 962 chassis were built by Porsche either. Several were built by Fabcar in the US because of the demand, while other teams merely built their own chassis and bought 962 bodywork/parts.

Oh Thats right, I forgot Fabcar was partly involved with the 962s. Now that you mention some of the other teams, I remember in particular two very Unique 962s from Joest and Dyson which didn't use the standard body work of the factory cars.

Pratt & Miller is one of the designated factory racing divisions, they covered the Cadillac CTS-V SCCA division, the Corvette C6.R Le Mans division, the former GTO.R Grand-Am division, and even the old Oldsmobile Aurora GTS-1 IMSA division. The decisions of factory support come from Pratt & Miller at the behest of GM.

Ah, so Pratt & Miller have been involved with GM longer then I thought.

And teams were happy to go against Oreca because they're a 1-car team. If they run into a problem, someone else can easily take the win. Luc Alphand and Larbre were certainly able to fight the Oreca Saleens, they just never managed to come out on top.

Luc Alphand did take advantage of that at Monza when the saleen retired. Also, The Team Modena Aston Martin often out performed the Larbre astons in qualifying. Of course with Larbre being the only Official team now, How many more entries do you expect to see.

I'd also not suggest spell checking others until you check your own posts....

Pardon me for that, I was joking. I usually do that just to joke around.

 

[The359]

Larbre is no longer running Aston Martin, they purchased two Oreca Saleens. Team Modena is the only team running Aston Martin at the moment.

Luc Alphand is upgrading to two C6.Rs with some support from Pratt & Miller. Gavin and Beretta will drive some races.

Reiter Engineering also plans to enter their Lamborghini in select rounds.

Belgian PMB Motorsports is considering running their home-built 997 GT2-Rs in LMS as well, although they have not confirmed their final plans.

 

[Appie]

Why are so many teams leaving AM? I thought they were capable of building a good car

 

[The359]

The three year GT1 program is over, basically. Prodrive and Aston Martin are leaning now towards production of the Vantage GT2 for customers, and taking on LMP1.

This means full support for the Larbre and Scuderia Italia programs are over, so both teams have moved on. Larbre to GT1 Saleens, Scuderia Italia to GT2 Ferraris.

Prodrive will be the only "factory" GT1 team left, and they currently are just running Le Mans.

 

[RACECAR]

Translated News from Pescarolo's website:

HENRI PESCAROLO AND JACQUES NICOLET ANNOUNCE the CREATION OF AUTOMOBILE PESCAROLO Henri Pescarolo and Jacques Nicolet is happy to announce the creation of Pescarolo Automobiles. The two men, linked by their common passion for the races of Endurance, give each other at the same time industrial, sporting and teaching objectives. Pescarolo Automobiles will specialize in the study, the construction and the marketing of sport-prototypes. Pescarolo Sport and Saulnier Racing will get busy to show in competition qualities of the production of Pescarolo Automobiles. A production which, in complement of the powerful LMP1, will grow rich in the next months by a LMP2. This alliance will lead on the one hand to the evolution of the activities d`Heritage Racing Cars, centered on the restoration and the exploitation of VHC and sport-prototypes CN, and on the other hand on the development of the Institute European of formation to Sporting Mechanics, which will be able to make profit its young technicians from the experiment and the activities of the Group

 

[kjb]

Full Story here
While this is only a graphic design, This is very impressive.

The R15 kinda reminds me of the Toyota Gt-One. IMHO anyway. I like it though.

 

[dougiemeats]

It's been confirmed: Two Audi R10s on the grid for 2008 with Dindo Capello, Allan McNish, Mike Rockenfeller and Alexandre Prémat as the drivers.

Story at Endurance Info.

 

[Studentdriver]

Full Story here
While this is only a graphic design, This is very impressive.

Erm, is it just me or is it missing a left rear?

 

[RACECAR]

Erm, is it just me or is it missing a left rear?

The view is obscured by the Cockpit so its not missing a left rear, its just not visible.

 

[Studentdriver]

Oh, I see, I didn't realize it sloped all the way down behind the cockpit.

 

[The359]

WR LMP2008-Zytek

The return of Welter Racing with Zytek power in an all new design.

 

[RACECAR]

Very Interesting. And if you look at it closely, it appears we have another F1-esque styling:

 

[Appie]

What an great looking car and as RACECAR was saying, it looks a bit like a F1 car with the round sidepods and the flaps. Okay for me:tup:

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Unfortunately, the WR has a face only a mother could love (and she'd probably blame the father, anyways).

Now, in much prettier news in LMP2, there's the Speedy Racing Lola B08/80 coupe and the Horag Porsche RS Spyder.

(wind tunnel model only available, car won't make it's official debut until Wheels Down at Paul Ricard in March)

 

[The359]

The 6th Le Mans Series race has sort of been announced.

A 1000 km event in Shanghai will be held on November 2, as a preview of the new Asian Le Mans Series to launch in 2009.

However, the event will not be part of the Le Mans Series season, and will instead be a stand-alone race. As a bonus for participation, winners in the four classes will earn automatic entry in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This means the Le Mans Series will likely only have 5 official events.