Could bad weather have come some other time? Around 6AM EDT in Houston, I had to unplug everything in my room and in some other parts of the house because of horrible rain and thunder. So I wouldn't be able to sneak in a peek of Le Mans during the morning hours. I ended up being somewhat asleep since 7AM and waking up around 2:22 PM CDT. This was my guesses as to who won:
NOTE: I haven't seen any results prior to this post. These are simply guesses as to who I thought won the event in their respective classes.
LMP1 - Audi cleans up with their R10 as so-close-yet-so-far described the Pescarolo boys.
LMP2 - It's a Toss Up. Don't know. Probably RML.
LMGT1 - Aston Martin acquired sweet revenge against the Corvette boys in yellow.
LMGT2 - No non-Porsche winner here as I believe the #83 team cleaned house. Good effort by the other teams even though Panoz and Ferrari really tried their best. Spyker did good too despite the fact they were done sometime around 1AM CDT or 2AM CDT.
Now here's my commentary on the REAL race results:
--- Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) ---
Audi is too damn good. You can hate them because they win all the time, but you can't hate that they can get it done. Audi are clutch players.
--- Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) ---
RML got it done.
--- Le Mans Grand Touring 1 (LMGT1) ---
Corvette got it done again. That's one of the bad things about not being able to tape the race because of bad weather- never know what happens overnight in the States. Aston Martin had their best chance to win, and the road of broken dreams took its toll on Aston Martin. Still, you have to give credit to Aston Martin whether you like Aston Martin or not. They were on a stellar pace and just fell short down the stretch. The race isn't over until all 24 Hours and all 8+ miles of track have been covered. Chevrolet became the winningest manufacturer in GT history with this win. Last most successful (then) GTS car was the Dodge Viper GTS-R (Dodge, get your asses back in GT1! I miss seeing those Vipers win race after race!).
--- Le Mans Grand Touring 2 (LMGT2) ---
Panoz upset Porsche! I couldn't believe it!
Congratulations to all winners. This is the part where I add my own little commentary. This is the best race out there and one that I personally love. Seeing these cars battle this track and test time is one of the joys of not only sportscar racing in general, but Le Mans in general. I am also grateful enough to share all of this with my buddies here on GTPlanet.net. It's the best message board I've been on since being on some now-defunct Speedsims where I've been b:censored:ed around, hated on, didn't have as many buddies as I do here on GTPlanet. I'm thankful for more than two and a half years on this message board with caring and respectful people. I think I've done Le Mans discussions since 2004, and I try to outdo myself each year with my own personal commentary. This has been the event I've loved for a long time and love to share with others. It is a great racing event in which the Le Mans faithful pack the stands and enjoy the lifestyle around Le Mans. They carry great passion for this event, about as much as (if not bigger) than NASCAR's Daytona or Charlotte events. It was told that this year's event had a HUGE crowd. Over 200K spectators pack the house. And for my college football people, that's abouth as much as Ohio State's Buckeye Stadium and Tennessee's Neyland Stadium combined. These people still packed the place even though World Cup 2006 was the big world sporting event during Le Mans. Each year is a new memory. Radio Le Mans was very good in their coverage as well, even picking up my E-mail to them with my questions about closed-top LMPs and air conditioning. If only the weather was better around here during the weekend, I could have taped Le Mans 2006. Now for some extras.
"FACT OR FICTION?" IN REVIEW
* Pescarolo will finally beat Audi.
MY VOTE: FICTION
RESULT: Audi beat Pescarolo. Pescarolo was on pace, but not as much of a pace to take down the Audis. Better luck next year AGAIN. If they keep winning like this, the only way to beat Audi would be to just BAN Audi from the LMP1 ranks. Audi may singlehandedly be the best sportscar racing marque in the modern era. This is not only another win for Audi, but the first for a diesel car that I can remember. Now Audi is going to be a trendsetter for many bigtimers to beat. Audi's diesel effort is going to be like a fashion trend. That's like how most ladies see pictures from fashion shows and of certain celebrities and want to look just like that celebrity or for that fashion show. Speaking as a person who follows fashion, there are some people who want to add different twists to a trend. Other car companies and their diesel programs are going to look to build their own monster to combat (or at least compete) with Audi. The only sad news is that Tom Kristensen wasn't on the winning team. Kristensen could have been 8 for 10 at Le Mans, but he's 7 for 10 now. He's still a hell of a man. SOMEBODY PLEASE STOP AUDI!!! (RESULT: FICTION)
* Intersport will in in LMP2.
MY VOTE: FACT
RESULT: RML gets it done, not Intersport. The Welter Rachel in LMP2 had some crazy moments flying off the course and eventually being burned up like Burger King's burgers. The Belmondo team had a hellacious way to go out. First, the car loses the rear bonnet. Afterwards, it slammed into the left guard rail losing the left-front tire. The car would then lose its entire front bodywork. It would then catch fire. Talk about going down in a blaze of glory! Give credit to Miracle Motorsports for their efforts in the race. That Lola which won is a 4-cylinder turbo motor which took the leade and never looked back with the lead. Of course next year, Acura will hopefully get its name across with their lovely LMP2 car next year. (RESULT: FICTION)
* Aston Martin will get sweet revenge over the Corvettes in GT1.
MY VOTE: FACT
RESULT: my result was true... except when I went to bed trying to sleep from the bad weather around 5AM CDT. I got the shock of a lifetime when the Aston Martin crew were having problems. Corvette was on pace in LMGT1 unlike Pescarolo in LMP1 (no disrespect to Pescarolo). Even then, the Corvettes were only one lap down. Prodrive is a solid team, no doubt. Just too bad the Aston Martins didn't have the stuff of champions to take down Corvette in their native continent. Aston Martin wins in America at Sebring last year... and I hate to say- have yet to beat Corvette at Le Mans. (RESULT: FICTION)
* All three Japan-based teams will not finish.
MY VOTE: FICTION
RESULT: The point to this "Fact or Fiction" is that the statement in question actually happens. The point to this one is that all three Japan-based teams won't finish. Meaning, not one will finish. I voted Fiction to my own question and got it right. The JLMC has a great future to it as three represented teams made the Le Mans journey. My ultimate dream for the JLMC is that a Japanese-based team will win it all at Le Mans. Last Japan-based team to win Le Mans was Audi Japan Team Goh back in 2004. (RESULT: FICTION)
* After years of domination, Porsche will not win in GT2 this year.
MY VOTE: FACT (I had this as my upset special)
RESULT: I was shocked as hell because I thought the #83 Porsche would OWN my prediction that Porsche wouldn't win. I actually wanted either the lone Ferrari F430GT to win or the ALMS Panoz Esperante GTLMs to win. But it was the British who won with an all-American Panoz Esperante. Now answer me this. I hear about the Corvette almost all the time. The latest Mustang is a modern retro beauty. I wish the wonderful Vipers would one day return to sportscar racing. My problem- how come the Panoz Esperante gets little (if any) attention in mass media? I say that Panoz is like Mosler- underrated and almost unknown American sports car companies. Great job to Panoz, and happy 10 years of Motorsport to you all! Love Panoz? They may show their stuff when the Panoz G-Force chasses race around the Richmond "short" track in the IndyCar Series next weekend. I still had this as my Upset Special, and it came true. (RESULT: FACT)
3 out of 5. I did pretty good with my own questions!
JOHN'S EXTRAS
* I thought the 24 Hours at the Nürburgring already happened. Andrew Marriott (wonderful reporter) was talking with one driver who was planning for the 24H in Germany, but went to Le Mans. So you have one endurance with some of the world's finest racing machines, and then one with mostly touring cars and low-level GT cars. How do you choose?
* Germany must have had it GOOD this weekend. You got the Nürburgring endurance AND the World Cup in Germany? Who's more active this weekend, France or Germany?
* The fans in France at the Le Mans enduro is kind of like me on a normal day- have the time of your life until about 3AM when you have to get your sleep on! Mad love to you all in Le Mans!
* It was reported that back on January 11th(?), some digging and excavations around Le Mans revealed a bomb in the ground by the British Royal Air Force. It was told that fans seeing the Le Mans endurance were not allowed to visit certain parts of the track because of land mines in the area.
* Most Americans are still like "hate the French." Regardless of any America/France tensions some people put on, the French really love seeing and listening the Corvettes zoom around Le Mans. The car is actually loved by the French around Circuit de la Sarthe. See what happens when you open yourself up to the world? You just might find someone who likes the same things you like.
* This year's entries were 50. The least was about 28. Le Mans and the ACO must have gone good on finding about 50 good entries. This is world-class talent on a world-class track. While it is expensive to run these entries, they find the money and such to get as many on the track.
* It is wonderful to see more Japanese enties and Japanese racers try their hardest to win at Le Mans.
* Typical American broadcasting. Speed News begins with what? NASCAR at Michigan. It continues with Champ Car, which I have no problem with the CCWS. But Le Mans comes up after the first commercial break. I always say that "racing" is better than "rating." Why let some silly numbers tell you otherwise about an event like Le Mans? Haven't my musings tol you otherwise?
* Bob Varsha is probably one of the most solid American announcers. The handsome New Englander seen his hair fly nicely into the French wind as he helped call down another great Le Mans. Forget Pantene. His hair held up pretty good. But could that performance last even if he was calling the event midway between Tetre Rouge and L' Arche Chicane? Chicks dig the hair. Not mine- I had a haircut that Saturday morning! And most of my own black guys don't have flowing hair unless we get jheri curls or afros.
Now that Le Mans is over... it's time to make the slow transistion back to our daily lives... all until next year's Le Mans rolls around! Being a Racing Fan never takes timeouts. Comment at will, and thanks to everyone for offering their views and inputs on Le Mans 2006. Though the race is over, discussion of Le Mans 2006's aftermath carries on. You can also look to 2007's event.
where did you find this out?
