24 Hours of Le Mans - 2007

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Thanks a bunch, RACECAR. I think Audi needs Tom Kristensen in the Audi/Peugeot matchup at Le Mans. I may do my own outlook on GT2 in a later post. You're free to start on GT2 talk if you like.
 
Audi have all of their factory drivers as well as access to a good number of Porsche factory drivers if Tom can't make the race. Not to say Tom wasn't a huge part of the Audi success at Le Mans, and his talents won't be missed, just saying Audi appear to have six of the drivers that seem to optimize Le Mans veteran experience, and he isn't exactly the glue that held the wins together.

m.piedgros
 
Let's have some retrospect. I'm talking Class of 1992 here.


Le Mans Look Back: The Peugeot 905 #EV17

Peugeot's new rocketship is the Peugeot 908 HDI FAP, but where were you in 1992? You've seen it in Gran Turismo 4. You probably bought and raced it (or against it) in GT4. The world's finest race car drivers and teams were battling hour after hour against the 905 LM. They entered in 1991 with this thing and didn't fare too well. But in 1992, the boys from Peugeot got it done at Le Mans. I read that it pulled a 252 mph speed down the Mulsanne/Hunadieres. I think this was the chicane-less ultra-long section of the track (wasn't it 1993 when the chicanes were implemented at Le Mans?). The Peugeot 905 featured an 80-degree V10 making about 512 horsepower. It was a 3499cc, normally-aspirated engine with four valves per cylinder. Much like today's 908 HDi FAP, this was a closed-body car with a mid-engined/RWD drivetrain. The winning model was the #1 Peugeot. It started 2nd with the tandem of Frenchman Yannick Dalmas, British driver Derek Warwick, and Mark Blundell also British. Three of these Peugeot 905 models actually raced Le Mans while two were just test cars. Their Le Mans win was still enough for the Paris, France-based Peugeot to party it up after a great win. Question is- can this mid-engined machine upset Audi?

Click on this link for a picture of Peugeot's weapon of the 1990s courtesy of racingsportscars.com: < http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1992/Le_Mans-1992-06-21-001.jpg >


And to think since then, Peugeot basically powered most privateer teams. I best recall privateer-entered, Peugeot-powered machines racing those Welter Rachel (WR) prototypes. The thing I'm usually fearful of in sportscar racing is the learning curve. Not every team will have perfect go-rounds first time out. The full Le Mans circuit is only available once a year, so you have to get it right out the gate to win. I'm thinking that inexperience and a car virtually unknown to most people (especially most of us here in America, who never got to see this car perform in the States) are key factors as to whether or not this thing will shine this year at Le Mans. Winning Le Mans if you're Peugeot can be done. Question is... will they? Or will inexperience settle in and give Audi yet another win? I don't know if Bentley's still part of the VW/Audi group, but the last non-Audi or non VW/Audi team to win Le Mans was BMW in 1999. Someone has to knock off Audi! Peugeot might do it. Continue speculation, please.
 
I'm using Wikipedia to discuss the GT2 possibilities now. Here is the link I'm using: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_24_Hours_of_Le_Mans >. Set me straight on any racing tidbits I may have overlooked/forgotten. Now let me talk about GT2 as promised.


--- John's Grand Touring 2 Preview ---
At times, it used to be that [what we now call] GT2 was Porsche... then everybody else. GT2 is more than healthy as Ferrari, Panoz, and Spyker will all compete for supremacy in GT2. Most people probably don't care too much about lower classes like this one. While this is the lowest class of competition, it's fiercely competitive. It's the majority of the competition in the ALMS (except for P2). Panoz upset everyone with their Esperante GT-LM. It wasn't an ALMS Panoz, however. The Dutch maker, Spyker, has been around in racing in modern times. I dig those Spyker C8 models. Some of the earlier Spyker C8 models had the tops off, but I suspect they've gone to full-top cars. I think it's a bit rare to see GT cars with the tops off. I don't know of too many GT racing machines that had the tops taken off and replaced with a roll cage. Ferrari's F430 is a beautiful car. Its racing variant is a capable racing machine. One of those Ferrari brothers saw some wicked racing including that memorable battle between Risi Competizione vs. Flying Lizard at Sebring back in March. The best GT2 team from America is clearly Risi Competizione. They have been 4-0 in GT2 heading into this weekend's race in Utah. Risi will be racing hard in Utah, but they know they have a chance to acheive something great if Houston-based Risi Competizione can win it all on the world's biggest stage.

I mostly know ALMS teams, so I can't speculate on any of the non-ALMS teams. -Ferrari- All I do know is that some boys at Flying Lizard are going to continue their rivalry (if you want to call it that) with Risi Competizione. But instead of central Florida, it's northern France. You all know I support my hometown sportscar racing team. Whether or not they can get it done at Le Mans this year is the question. There is another Houston effort in this year's event. That would be a fellow by the name of Tracy Krohn. Risi Competizione and Krohn Racing are both based in Houston, Texas. The Risi-Krohn combination is sort of a two-team Texas attack on Le Mans. They may be the best Ferrari team in this year's event. They aren't the ONLY ones, however. Scuderia Ecosse is one of those non-American teams with Ferrari power. I think AF Corse/JMB Racing and G.P.C. Sport could be viable non-ALMS Ferrari teams in this year's race. -Spyker- It looks like Spyker has only two cars set up for Le Mans. Their chances of being a Le Mans threat are there, but they will likely be overshadowed by the other three makes in this year's event. - Panoz - Time for some American attitude. Panoz is the defending GT2 winner heading into this year's race. The defending champions of GT2 is Team LNT. The winning team was the #15 entry with an all-British tandem for this British team. The team consisted of Lawrence Tomlinson, Tom Kimber-Smith, and Richard Dean. Most of the team will be back to defend the title, except that they will be racing different cars. I think they are the only Panoz team in this year's race according to the link I'm using. - Porsche - Save the last dance- it's Porsche! Flying Lizard is likely the best American Porsche threat. The tandem of Johannes Van Overbeek, Seth Neiman, and J&#246;rg Bergmeister (Germany) are ready to tussle with their Porsche 997. They are based in Sonoma, California- the city of the amazing Sears Point Raceway. They'll be going up against other Porsche teams including Seikel Motorsport/Team Felbermayr-Proton and Autorlando Sport/Farnbacher Racing among some others.

Who will come out on top for GT2? Here are some of my predictions:
* Risi Competizione (80% chance)
* Flying Lizard (75% cchance)
* Team LNT (60% chance)
* AF Corse/JMB Racing (40% chance)


DID YOU KNOW...
(a)...that the actual surname of Don Panoz is actually Panunzio? It was shortened to Panoz.
(b)...that Panoz is pronounced "PAY-nose?" I've always pronounced the "a" with a short "a" sound like in the word "cat."

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Panoz)


What are your GT2 thoughts for Le Mans?
 
Let's have some retrospect. I'm talking Class of 1992 here.

......

But in 1992, the boys from Peugeot got it done at Le Mans. I read that it pulled a 252 mph speed down the Mulsanne/Hunadieres. I think this was the chicane-less ultra-long section of the track (wasn't it 1993 when the chicanes were implemented at Le Mans?).


No it didn't. La ligne droite des Hunaudières have had two chicanes since 1990. And, you've read it wrong, the one doing 252 mph (more than 400km/h!!!) was the WM P88 in the 1988 race.

The Peugeot 905 featured an 80-degree V10 making about 512 horsepower. It was a 3499cc, normally-aspirated engine with four valves per cylinder.

512 bhp? Maybe in GT4, but not in real life. Add around 150 bhp and you'll have a fairer output number.


Their Le Mans win was still enough for the Paris, France-based Peugeot to party it up after a great win.

No they didn't. They returned in 1993 and won again, with the same car (the 905 Evo1Bis), against the same opposition (the Toyota TS010).

👍 👍 👍
 
Most of my "facts" came from ultimatecarspage.com and maybe even Wikipedia. I knew Peugeot won either in 1992 or 1993. Any chance of Peugeot winning again in more than a decade at Le Mans, Gil Abobeleira?
 
Look what the nice people at UPS delivered for me today!!
dsc01375yj0.jpg


dsc01376tw6.jpg


Its my first Le Mans and i cannot wait! The second pic shows the back of the tickets.

Spec....
 
Look what the nice people at UPS delivered for me today!!
[
Its my first Le Mans and i cannot wait! The second pic shows the back of the tickets.

Spec....





Snap. How cool are the tickets? Especially the back.

First time for all of us too. 5 of us going and staying in a hired motorhome. We travel down Tuesday/Wednesday getting a 2am ferry. Can't wait for it.

Oh, it's my mates stag do.

Anyone else on here going?
 
Snap. How cool are the tickets? Especially the back.

First time for all of us too. 5 of us going and staying in a hired motorhome. We travel down Tuesday/Wednesday getting a 2am ferry. Can't wait for it.

Oh, it's my mates stag do.

Anyone else on here going?

Yea they are extremely cool tickets! There are about 15 of us travelling down on varying dates meeting at Le Mans itself. Personally im catching a ferry to Boulogne with a couple of mates at about 8.30pm on the thursday evening hoping to get to lemans for the early hours of Friday morning, however were staying in france for the week after for a holiday.

Spec....
 
Are you guys camping at Le Mans then or just pulling a couple of all nighters? We wanted to see quali and stuff to plus it's our main holiday this year anyway so thought the full experience would be good. We are camping on Houx Annexe.
 
Yea we are camping at lemans untill the sunday afternoon then making a move onto our next destination sometime the same afternoon. I beleive were in Beaujour (sp?) partly becuase it was the only campsite left with spaces and its also the cheapest :lol:

From what ive been told sleeping isnt really much of an option. Were going to try and get a few hours on the friday morning as ive been told there is a huge parade in lemans on the friday which extends into the evening. As for the sat its apparently a huge party atmosphere around the track during the 24 hours of the race so i expect even more drinking to be on the agenda.

Theres a few pics of me in this thread LINK so if you see me around feel free to say hi.

Spec....
 
It's cool that some of you all are going to and/or camping out at Le Mans. I'd personally love to go to Le Mans, but I'm so stuck up with school. I hope you all have fun up at Le Mans. Feel free to share what the Le Mans experience is like with all of us. From what I heard, Tetre Rouge has been either re-profiled or modified. It's the only real track updates I've heard of for this course. You have to get Tetre Rouge right because it sets you up for that very long and bumpy straight afterwards.

Looking back at Le Mans, I looked up racingsportscars.com's photo archive. I looked up Le Mans in 1983. The year 1983 was when I was born. So what was Le Mans like then? Join me...

--- Le Mans Look-Back: 1983 ---
I was born well before Le Mans of 1983. I was born on January 15th of 1983. The Daytona endurance wasn't even finalized at this time. As I glanced over Le Mans of 1983, I knew that Porsche won. Something surprised me as I looked up some of the cars of 1983 that challenged Le Mans. The majority of racing machines were Porsche models. Racing classes consisted of Group C, C Junior, and B. None of IMSA's GTX or GTO class cars made the 51-car field at Le Mans in 1983. The #3 Rothmans Porsche was the outright winner with the tandem of Vern Schuppan/Al Hobert/Hurley Haywood. The Porsche 956 was the of-the-moment car featured in this race as many teams in Group C had a Porsche 956 to race with. It wasn't ALL Porsches, however. Some of the other machines that campaigned in Group C includes the Dallara-built Lancia LC2, WM (doesn't stand for Waste Management!) P83, Lola T610, Sehcar C6, Grid S1, and Ford C100 among others. One Porsche team had a Porsche CK5 to race with with Porsche Kremer Racing. For you "Top Gear" or "Fifth Gear" fans, Tiff Needell was racing Le Mans 1983 in an Emka C83/1! About six C Junior machines raced around Le Mans in 1983. The winning car in C Junior was the #60 Mazda 717C, which placed 12th overall and first in C Junior. The winning team by this Mooncraft-made machine included an all-Japanese lineup of Yoshimi Katayama/Yojiro Terada/Takashi Yorino. Mazda would acheive something special at Le Mans eight years later. You almost can't have a true sportscar racing series without Porsches. There were two models that took the green flag, including a lone BMW in Group B. So you could say that this was German dominance (give or take Mazda's C Junior triumph) in terms of German-made automobiles entered. The only BMW M1 failed to finish. Porsches in B were either the 930 or the 928S. The winning machine was the #93 Porsche 930 by Charles Ivey Racing. The tandem of John Cooper (remember this guy?)/Paul Smith/David Ovey got it done with their all-or-mostly white Porsche 930.

To see more cars from the 1983 race, visit this link: http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1983-06-19-photo.html

-end



I profiled P1, GT1, and GT2. I'm thinking of a P2 preview when I get a chance to actually examine the official entries.
 
I think a big story line for this year's Le Mans could be Porsche's 997. A brilliantly quick car just hasn't seemed to be able to cement themselves a win in America and Europe no matter where they run. In Europe, Romania to be specific they showed their prowess on slow, wet, street courses proving to have gobs of mechanical grip and still couldn't lock up a win. If they make it onto the podium at all they appear to be always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Will the youngest of the 911 family break out of its shell and live up to the reputation its sisters, mothers, and grandmothers have laid out for it at Le Mans (well, and around the world at that!)?

Is Le Mans a Porsche track or a Ferrari track? Which of the Porsche's have the best shot at the class win? I think most of us can agree that Risi are the favorites for Ferrari, is there a Porsche team anywhere that is a Risi-like powerhouse?

m.piedgros

I stand corrected, Porsche have one once, in the LMS with Felbermeyer-Proton at Valencia. My mistake. I think my point is no less true. They have had wortten luck and growing pains with the new girl. How soon, or how long is it 'til we have to stop saying "well, wait for 2008!"?
 
This post has nothing to do with the 2007 Le Mans endurance event. However, I want to share some art work with you for the first time. Back in 2001, I had to do an art project to make up high school credit I didn't get when I took art in the Ninth Grade (1997-1998 for me). I think I had to draw whatever I wanted. The thing I chose to do was draw the Audi Sport North America Audi R8 from 2000. It is not a colored picture, but most of the same cues are still there. The reason why the picture looks so dark in areas that should be white is because of trouble with the scanner. I still have the picture on my little drawing notebook. Anyhow, take a look at my Audi R8 drawing:



What do you think? I'm just keeping you all in the sportscar racing mood. All eyes are to Le Mans now that the Indy 500 is done. This is the next big race of the year. I'll key in a bit more on my thoughts of Audi vs. Peugeot or provide a Prototype-2 preview.
 
I think a big story line for this year's Le Mans could be Porsche's 997. A brilliantly quick car just hasn't seemed to be able to cement themselves a win in America and Europe no matter where they run. In Europe, Romania to be specific they showed their prowess on slow, wet, street courses proving to have gobs of mechanical grip and still couldn't lock up a win. If they make it onto the podium at all they appear to be always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Will the youngest of the 911 family break out of its shell and live up to the reputation its sisters, mothers, and grandmothers have laid out for it at Le Mans (well, and around the world at that!)?

Is Le Mans a Porsche track or a Ferrari track? Which of the Porsche's have the best shot at the class win? I think most of us can agree that Risi are the favorites for Ferrari, is there a Porsche team anywhere that is a Risi-like powerhouse?

m.piedgros

I stand corrected, Porsche have one once, in the LMS with Felbermeyer-Proton at Valencia. My mistake. I think my point is no less true. They have had wortten luck and growing pains with the new girl. How soon, or how long is it 'til we have to stop saying "well, wait for 2008!"?

I would never count the Porsche 911 out in any of the GT classes, i bet there's been a varient of the 911 racing every year at Le Mans for the last 40 years!. The 997 doesn't seem to have the measure of the F430 so far this year, in either LeMans rule series, but it's early days yet...
 
LeMans.org
Official: the list of 55 cars
vendredi 25 mai 2007 - 19h07

From today onwards as laid down in the 2007 Le Mans 24-Hours supplementary regulations, no team on the reserve list will be called upon to complete the list of 55 cars invited to scrutineering and administrative checks.

Thus, the official list is known and a quick look at the teams entered promises a hotly-contested 75th le Mans 24 Hours in all categories.

All the entrants will participate in the test day on Sunday 3rd June after having been checked by the scrutineers on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd June at the circuit.
As for any places that are still to be attributed to drivers (3 drivers maximum per car), teams have until Tuesday 12th June at 17:00 to announce their final choice namely, after the final scrutineering sessions before the race.

And here is the final cut:
LM P1 Team - Tyre - Car - Drivers
1 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA DEU MICHELIN AUDI R10 5499T F.BIELA DEU E.PIRRO ITA M.WERNER DEU
2 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA DEU MICHELIN AUDI R10 5499T R.CAPELLO DNK T.KRISTENSEN DNK A.McNISH GBR
3 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST DEU MICHELIN AUDI R10 5499T L.LUHR DEU M.ROCKENFELLER DEU A.PREMAT FRA
5 SWISS SPIRIT CHE MICHELIN LOLA AUDI B07 - 10 3596T J.D.DELETRAZ CHE M.FASSLER CHE I.ALEXANDER CHE
7 TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL FRA MICHELIN PEUGEOT 908 5500T M.GENE ESP N.MINASSIAN FRA J.VILLENEUVE CAN
8 TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL FRA MICHELIN PEUGEOT 908 5500T P.LAMY PRT ST.SARRAZIN FRA S.BOURDAIS FRA
9 CREATION AUTOSPORTIF LTD GBR DUNLOP CREATION JUDD CA07 5496A J.CAMPBELL-WALTER GBR F.ORTIZ CHE S.NAKANO JPN
10 ARENA INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORT GBR MICHELIN ZYTEK 07S 3997A ST.JOHANSSON SWE H.SHIMODA JPN
12 COURAGE COMPETITION FRA MICHELIN COURAGE AER LC70 3596T A.FREI CHE J.COCHET FRA B.BESSON FRA
13 COURAGE COMPETITION FRA MICHELIN COURAGE AER LC70 3596T J.M.GOUNON FRA G.MOREAU FRA
14 RACING FOR HOLLAND BV NLD MICHELIN DOME JUDD S101 5496A J.LAMMERS NLD D.HART NLD J.BLEEKEMOLEN NLD
15 CHAROUZ RACING SYSTEM CZE MICHELIN LOLA JUDD B07 - 17 5496A A.YOONG MYS ST.MÜCKE DEU J.CHAROUZ CZE
16 PESCAROLO SPORT FRA MICHELIN PESCAROLO JUDD 5496A E.COLLARD FRA JC. BOULLION FRA R.DUMAS FRA
17 PESCAROLO SPORT FRA MICHELIN PESCAROLO JUDD 5496A H.PRIMAT CHE CH.TINSEAU FRA B.TRELUYER FRA
18 ROLLCENTRE RACING GBR DUNLOP PESCAROLO JUDD 5496A J.BARBOSA PORT ST.HALL GBR M.SHORT GBR
19 CHAMBERLAIN - SYNERGY MOTORSPORT GBR MICHELIN LOLA AER B06 - 10 3596T G.EVANS GBR B.BERRIDGE GBR P.OWEN GBR

LM P2 Team - Tyre - Car - Drivers
20 PIERRE BRUNEAU FRA MICHELIN PILBEAM JUDD MP93 3397A M.ROSTAN FRA G.PICKERING GBR CH.MACALLISTER USA
21 TEAM BRUICHLADDICH RADICAL GBR DUNLOP RADICAL AER SR9 1995T T.GREAVES GBR ST.MOSELEY GBR R.LIDDELL GBR
24 NOEL DEL BELLO FRA MICHELIN COURAGE - AER LC75 1995A
25 RML GBR MICHELIN LOLA AER B05 - 40 1995T T.ERDOS GBR M.NEWTON GBR A.WALLACE GBR
29 T2M MOTORSPORT JPN MICHELIN DOME MADER S101-5 3393A R.LONGECHAL FRA Y.YAMAGISHI JPN
31 BINNIE MOTORSPORTS USA KUMHO LOLA ZYTEK B05 - 40 3396A B.BINNIE USA A.TIMPANY GBR CH.BUNCOMBE GBR
32 BARAZI EPSILON FRA MICHELIN ZYTEK 07S/2 3396A J.BARAZI GBR M.VERGERS GBR K.OJJEH USA
33 BARAZI EPSILON FRA MICHELIN ZYTEK 07S/2 3396A A.FERNANDEZ MEX H.KUROSAWA JPN
35 SAULNIER RACING ESP MICHELIN COURAGE AER LC75 1995T B.JOUANNY FRA J.NICOLET FRA A.FILHOL FRA
40 QUIFEL - ASM TEAM PRT DUNLOP LOLA AER B05 - 40 1995T M.AMARAL PORT M.DE CASTRO ESP W.HUGHES GBR
44 KRUSE MOTORSPORT DEU KUMHO PESCAROLO JUDD 3395A T.BURGESS CAN J.de POURTALES GBR N.SIEDLER AUT

LM GT1 Team - Tyre - Car - Drivers
006 A.M.R. LARBRE COMPETITION FRA MICHELIN ASTON MARTIN DBR9 5993A P.BORNHAUSER FRA R.BERVILLE FRA G.FISKEN GBR
007 ASTON MARTIN RACING GBR MICHELIN ASTON MARTIN DBR9 5993A T.ENGE CZE J.HERBERT GBR P.KOX NDL
008 A.M.R. LARBRE COMPETITION FRA MICHELIN ASTON MARTIN DBR9 5993A C.BOUCHUT FRA F.GOLLIN ITA C.ELGAARD DNK
009 ASTON MARTIN RACING GBR MICHELIN ASTON MARTIN DBR9 5993A D.BRABHAM AUS R.RYDELL SWE D.TURNER GBR
53 JLOC ISAO NORITAKE JPN YOKOHAMA LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO 5990A M.APICELLA ITA Y.KOJI JPN
54 TEAM ORECA FRA MICHELIN SALEEN S7R 6998A L.GROPPI FRA N.PROST FRA J.P. BELLOC FRA
55 TEAM ORECA FRA MICHELIN SALEEN S7R 6998A ST.ORTELLI MCO S.AYARI FRA N.LAPIERRE FRA
59 TEAM MODENA GBR MICHELIN ASTON MARTIN DBR9 5993A A.GARCIA ESP L.HALLIDAY USA CH.FITTIPALDI BRA
63 CORVETTE RACING USA MICHELIN CORVETTE C6.R 6993A J.O'CONNELL USA J.MAGNUSSEN DNK R.FELLOWS CAN
64 CORVETTE RACING USA MICHELIN CORVETTE C6.R 6993A O.BERETTA MCO O.GAVIN GBR M.PAPIS ITA
67 CONVERS MENX TEAM RUS PIRELLI FERRARI 550 MARANELLO 5853A R.PERGL CZE A.VASILIEV RUS T.KOSTKA CZE
70 PSI EXPERIENCE BEL PIRELLI CORVETTE C6-R 6993A D.HALLYDAY FRA C.Y.GOSSELIN FRA PH.PETER AUT
72 LUC ALPHAND AVENTURES FRA MICHELIN CORVETTE C6.R 6993A J.POLICAND FRA P.GOUESLARD FRA
73 LUC ALPHAND AVENTURES FRA MICHELIN CORVETTE C5-R 6993A J.L.BLANCHEMAIN FRA V.VOSSE BEL
100 ASTON MARTIN RACING BMS ITA PIRELLI ASTON MARTIN DBR9 5993A F.BABINI ITA J.DAVIES GBR M.MALUCELLI ITA

LM GT2 Team - Tyre - Car - Drivers
71 SEIKEL MOTORSPORT DEU YOKOHAMA PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR (997) 3795A PH.COLLIN USA H.FELBERMAYR Senior AUT H.FELBERMAYR Junior AUT
76 IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT FRA MICHELIN PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR (997) 3795A R.NARAC FRA R.LIETZ AUT P.LONG USA
78 AF CORSE ITA MICHELIN FERRARI F 430 GT 3996A J.MACARI GBR B.AUCOTT GBR A.NEWEY GBR
80 FLYING LIZARD MOTORSPORT USA MICHELIN PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR (997) 3795A J.van OVERBEEK USA J.BERGMEISTER USA S.NEIMAN USA
81 TEAM LNT GBR PIRELLI PANOZ ESPERANTE 4600A T.KIMBER-SMITH GBR D.WATTS GBR T.MILNER USA
82 TEAM LNT GBR PIRELLI PANOZ ESPERANTE 4600A L.TOMLINSON GBR R.DEAN GBR R.BELL GBR
83 GPC SPORT SRL ITA FERRARI F 430 GT 3996A M.MARSH HKG
85 SPYKER SQUADRON b.v. NLD MICHELIN SPYKER C8 SPYDER 3782A A.BELICCHI ITA A.CAFFI ITA A.CHIESA CHE
86 SPYKER SQUADRON b.v. NLD MICHELIN SPYKER C8 SPYDER 3782A J.JANIS CZE M.HEZEMANS NLD J.KANE GBR
87 SCUDERIA ECOSSE GBR PIRELLI FERRARI F 430 GT 3996A CH.NIARCHOS A.KIRKALDY T.MULLEN
93 AUTORLANDO SPORT ITA PIRELLI PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR (997) 3795A L.E.NIELSEN P.EHRET A.SIMONSEN
97 RISI COMPETIZIONE USA MICHELIN FERRARI F 430 GT 3996A M.SALO FIN J.MELO BRA J.MOWLEM GBR
99 RISI COMPETIZIONE USA MICHELIN FERRARI F 430 GT 3996A T.KROHN USA N.JONSSON SWE C.BRAUN
 
Thanks for the update, Team666. We're now going to get a better idea regarding how well these cars will do in testing and such. The big race is on June 16th. In addition, I'll prepare "FACT OR FICTION" statements regarding this race and the participants involved.

Thanks for the heads-up!
 
That entry list isn't quite final. A few sports car sites around the web are reporting that Audi have jumbled their driver line-ups in the #2 and #3 cars to cover themselves in case TK is not a go for Le Mans. I believe they've gone as far as reporting that Tom is still at home recuperating while most drivers are en route to, if not in Le Mans for the pre-tests starting tomorrow.

m.piedgros
 
A few sports car sites around the web are reporting that Audi have jumbled their driver line-ups in the #2 and #3 cars to cover themselves in case TK is not a go for Le Mans. I believe they've gone as far as reporting that Tom is still at home recuperating while most drivers are en route to, if not in Le Mans for the pre-tests starting tomorrow.

m.piedgros
thats not what I read on Speedtv.com as Audi said it has 2004 DTM Champion Mattias Ekstrom is on reserve in case Tom Doesn't make it. by the way, Liz Halliday is no longer driving with Team Modena as she is instead racing in LMP2 with Team Noel Del Bello.
 
That entry list isn't quite final. A few sports car sites around the web are reporting that Audi have jumbled their driver line-ups in the #2 and #3 cars to cover themselves in case TK is not a go for Le Mans. I believe they've gone as far as reporting that Tom is still at home recuperating while most drivers are en route to, if not in Le Mans for the pre-tests starting tomorrow.

m.piedgros

You are correct, sir, and that is in part adressed earlier!

LeMans.org
Official: the list of 55 cars
vendredi 25 mai 2007 - 19h07

From today onwards as laid down in the 2007 Le Mans 24-Hours supplementary regulations, no team on the reserve list will be called upon to complete the list of 55 cars invited to scrutineering and administrative checks.

Thus, the official list is known and a quick look at the teams entered promises a hotly-contested 75th le Mans 24 Hours in all categories.

All the entrants will participate in the test day on Sunday 3rd June after having been checked by the scrutineers on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd June at the circuit.
As for any places that are still to be attributed to drivers (3 drivers maximum per car), teams have until Tuesday 12th June at 17:00 to announce their final choice namely, after the final scrutineering sessions before the race.

EDIT: This should answer most questions about the Audi-drivers:
DTM.com
Audi DTM stars ready for Le Mans debut in R10 TDI
Audi DTM stars Mattias Ekström, Lucas Luhr, Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller get the chance to complete their first laps in the Audi R10 TDI around the legendary Le Mans race track this coming Sunday. The official test day hosted by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) is the only test opportunity of the year on the 13.650 kilometre "Circuit des 24 Heures" and is therefore a particularly important component of the preparations for the season highlight on 16/17 June.

Audi Sport Team Joest runs all three Audi R10 TDI cars, competing in this year’s 24-hour race, which are, in part, equipped with additional data logging equipment, on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. "The lap times are not of primary importance," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "It’s all about making the most of the eight hours available to us, to collect as much data as possible and to find a good base set-up. Our new drivers also get the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the peculiarities of the circuit at the wheel of the R10 TDI."

Alexandre Prémat (25) and Mattias Ekström (28) drive at race pace for the first time around the famous circuit, which runs, in part, along roads usually reserved for public vehicles. "I borrowed some in-car video footage and studied the circuit last weekend," explains Mattias Ekström, DTM Champion from 2004 and winner of the Race of Champions in Paris last December. "I’m already very intrigued as to just how the circuit feels."

Alexandre Prémat fulfils a dream with his entry at Le Mans in the Audi R10 TDI. "Le Mans is the world’s greatest race for me," says the Frenchman. "I was determined to be able to race there and I’m more than happy that I got this chance from Audi."

Lucas Luhr (27) and Mike Rockenfeller (23) also start for the first time in an LM P1 Sportscar at Le Mans. However, both already know the circuit from previous outings in GT cars. Luhr has celebrated two class wins to date, and "Rocky" won once. "We can fight for overall victory at Le Mans with Audi," say the two Germans. "This was one of the reasons why we came to Audi."

Audi Sport Team Joest practiced pit-stops with the "juniors" and their team mates for two days last week. Since the fuel tank capacity has been reduced from 90 to 81 litres this year, and the refuelling time is correspondingly shorter, the driver change must be completed even quicker. "Refuelling happens so quickly that it is now possible to lose valuable time during a slow driver change," explains Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "That’s why the pit-stop practice, which we traditionally hold before every Le Mans race, is so important this year."

After the pit-stop practice, "Team Building" was on the agenda for the Audi Le Mans drivers: They spent a long Whitsun-weekend in a mountain hut in Austria together with their boss and DTM team mates. "Team spirit is of particular importance at Le Mans," says Dr Ullrich. The goal is ambitious: Audi aims to add TDI Power for a second time to the 24 Hours of Le Mans winners list.

Original story here.
 
Personally I cant wait for LeMans this year!It's going to be a great matchup in LMP1 between the 908 and the R10.I personally think the 908 is going to win overall because of they really know how to make cars that can go around Lemans at a breakneck speed(If I remember correctly the 905 was recorded doing 250mph on the Mulsanne striaght).Not only that but it matches up/ has the higher numbers in the car stats.


Correct me if I'm wrong,I'm a total n00b.
 
Here are some quotes from corvetteracing.com about the new track:

Olivier Beretta, No. 64 Corvette C6.R:
"The track is now also a lot better and safer. The ACO have done a fantastic job in redesigning the Tertre Rouge corner, making it quite a bit faster. They also moved the gravel back a bit at the Ford chicanes which will prevent gravel from being strewn on the track and thus avoid the large number of cut tires we had the last few years. Indianapolis corner is now also a lot more enjoyable because you feel a lot safer with the extended run-off. And the new paddock is of course a big improvement. Happy 75th anniversary to them!"

Ron Fellows, No. 63 Corvette C6.R:
"Overall the changes to the track are very positive. Tertre Rouge is more fun - it's smoother and it's faster. Every time I've gone through there, I thought I could go a little faster. Arnage is a slightly wider at the exit and that's helpful as well."

Oliver Gavin, No. 64 Corvette C6.R:
"All of the changes to the track have been positive from my perspective. The way the circuit flows now is very nice. The changes in Tertre Rouge were a big improvement - the tarmac there has a lot of grip and the corner is quite quick now. Last year it was a third-gear corner, and now it's a fourth-gear corner that lets you really shoot down the Mulsanne straight. They've also made a change on the exit of Arnage and there's a little more room to work with on the exit of the corner."

Summary of testing at lemans.org
http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/actu/2007-06-03_JS_1718_gb.html
 
Have you seen some commercials on Speed Channel promoting this year's Le Mans? Next weekend is Le Mans. If you have nothing special to do and you love racing, this is the best ticket. You can make Father's Day come early by giving him the gift of Le Mans. It's coming. Be afraid.

Now let me look at LMP2 going on Post #50 by Team666.

--- John's LMP2 Preview ---
Predicting a winner for LMP2 is like trying to predict who will win the NCAA Men's basketball title- so many names to choose from. If you ask me, I don't see any standout favorites in LMP2. I'd like it if Porsche or Acura joined this year's Le Mans ranks. Most of these teams are unfamiliar to most of us ALMS and JLMC types. I'll tell you a few names that I think could shine in LMP2. Radical makes awesome track cars for those who may never get to race in bigtime sportscar racing. Now that they are in big-league sportscar racing, that Radical SR9 was pretty radical last year. I think a Radical SR9 was a championship-winning car in the Le Mans Series last year. Could Radical win Le Mans in LMP2? There's a great chance. * Since the early 2000s, I've grown to love the Courage chasses. I remembered the beautiful model run by the Mazda boys in the ALMS as well the machine Miracle Motorsports campaigned in the ALMS and even at Le Mans. * The Zytek machines should be potent challengers as well. * Finally, I noticed a Pescarolo in the LMP2 ranks. It might be a dark horse. Willing to put some chips down on Kruse Motorsport?

So at this point, I've offered my views to all four classes of Le Mans competition. I will attempt to come up with FACT OR FICTION in regards to this year's Le Mans event. If it hasn't already happened, I'd like to put the Le Mans Classics event into focus for this year's thread on Le Mans. Any of you want to share some thoughts on this year's LMP2 battle?
 
Great thread! This is my preview (just for LMP1 and LMGT1, I'm not familiar enough with the other categories):

LMP1 - The Peugeot are fast, maybe faster than the Audis (Bourdais made the fastest time in the test session a few days ago). They have in both cars ex-F1 drivers (Lamy and Villeneuve, I suppose they'll be the "flyers" in each of the cars). So, they can win if ... at least one of those 2 cars can make the 24 hours without any major problem. There lies the problem. The Peugeot have won the only two races they made so far (1000 kms of Monza and 1000 kms of Valencia), but in both races ONE car had problems. Considering 1000 km races take about 5 hours to complete, that means ... IMHO ... a most probable Audi win this year. Unless the Pescarolos have a surprise for us concerning laptimes (they are reliable, that we know).

However, I think the first few hours of racing will be dominated by Peugeot ... They need that to impress, even if ultimately losing the race, because they have an excellent excuse: This year they just made their comeback, and the main goal was "learning" ... and that's one excuse they'll not have next year.

LMGT1 - The test session proved that the Aston Martins and Corvettes are similar in performance, with the Saleen cars very close. So, once again (and as always, when we talk about Le Mans), reliability will decide the winner.

And, concerning reliability, the test session also showed that the Corvettes have no equal. Both endured this 8 hour session without ANY problem, while both the Aston Martins and the Saleens had a few mechanical failures/problems.

So, Chevrolet is the clear favourite for another win at Le Mans.
 
Just did a quick search for the campsite name and its "Beausejour". Found near the bottom of the map below.

lemans.jpg


Spec....

Have a great time Ben. Looking at the map i've noticed a marker for the 'Grand Prix Experience' - avoid it at all costs, it's actually the 'Taki Inoue Grand Prix Experience' which involves been run over by a Tatra safety car ;)
 
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