The Le Mans General Discussion Thread

[Jav]

You guys are really missing the point of GT-AM... This class is what's going to keep the teams and the series alive! There's no money coming in from sponsors and not enough manufacturer support. The LMP guys are gonna have to addapt to it, it's not like they're just gonna let anyone in. Potential candidates are going to have to meet quite high standards to be able to race.

 

[Cowboys965]

I'd eliminate GTC, or at least open it up for cars other cars besides just Porsche Cup Cars. They could always allow the GTC teams to run in GT AM at a "discounted rate". On the plus side, this means more potential entries for the ALMS and more money pouring in essentially. I'm on the fence with it though, I'd love to see more entries, but at the same time, 6 classes just seems like to much fluff.

More cars in each class, not just more classes.

 

[LancerEvo7]

Potential candidates are going to have to meet quite high standards to be able to race.

Like Pierguiseppe Perazzini.

 

[Blaze_409]

Just thought I would add some clarification.
The GTC class was intended to be phased out. Its going to be replaced with GT-AM completely by 2014. That was IMSA's intention from the beginning. Allow teams to run GTC to gain experience and have them move up to GTE/2. Why does a GT-AM class matter to you anyway. Its just another GTE car that is capable if taking it to the Pro guys with the pro driver in and good luck with caution periods. Its not like its a class for GT3 cars. Now that would f up everything....

 

[Shinshiki]

Just thought I would add some clarification.
The GTC class was intended to be phased out. Its going to be replaced with GT-AM completely by 2014. That was IMSA's intention from the beginning. Allow teams to run GTC to gain experience and have them move up to GTE/2. Why does a GT-AM class matter to you anyway. Its just another GTE car that is capable if taking it to the Pro guys with the pro driver in and good luck with caution periods. Its not like its a class for GT3 cars. Now that would f up everything....

Thanks for the clarification. It doesn't make sense to have a the GTC class anyways when the Porsche GT3 Cup Series runs as a feeder series to the ALMS on certain weekends.

 

[Blaze_409]

Part of the reason for SportsCar racing decline as been because of all of these rules changes. Teams like Muscle Milk. Running a Porsche RS Spyder in 2010. An Aston Martin Lola in 2011. An HPD ARX.01e in 2012. Thats a sure fire way to go broke. If Greg did not have his Muscle Milk behind him he would be broke and out of the sport. All credit to teams like Muscle Milk, Oak, Rebellion for enduring all of the draconian reg changes. What a potential P1/P2 team owner wants is to know rules are set and to be able to buy an HPD or a whatever and be able to run that car for 2 - 3 years without having to drop 3000G's on a new car every year.

2014 is supposed to bring stability. I think we will get to see more teams racing in WEC and the ALMS in 2014 because the expenses will be less when they do not have to buy a new rules compliant car every year. Porsche - Audi - Toyota in P1. Plus manufactures who could be attracted by rules stability.

 

[gogatrs]

I think it would be better if IMSA/ACO/FIA ran all the GT-Am noobs in a separate race.
They get their money, rich people get to drive, and Alan McNish won't die.
Seems like a win-win to me.

 

[Blaze_409]

The reason the amateurs come is to "race with the big boys." We have seen some stand out "gentleman" drivers through the years. Remember when Fred Makowiecki used to be an amatuer. LOL. Pole at Le Mans this year. Heinemeier-Hanson. They are not all useless.

Allan McNish is not a good reference point for judging the GTE-AM drivers. Its like throwing tomatoes at a weed wacker. Most of McNish's accidents have been his own fault. He hit a Corvette in yesterdays Silverstone Free Practice.. A Free practice....

However there are some tough learners out there like Kauffman and Perazzini who make GTE-AM look bad..

 

[Jav]

Like Pierguiseppe Perazzini.

Do I need to start quoting Pro names that have done stupid and dangerous moves in the past? The great Allan McNish LM 2011 just to name one?(massive respect to Allan) No they are all human Pro or Am, it is very easy to judge from the side lines. From the outside we are all baseball players/boxers/race car drivers/pilots and we never make mistakes! But reality is we all do make mistakes Pro or Am. Why so much hate towards the amateur drivers? If done right it can work.

I think it would be better if IMSA/ACO/FIA ran all the GT-Am noobs in a separate race.
They get their money, rich people get to drive, and Alan McNish won't die.
Seems like a win-win to me.

I don't think they would pay the big bucks for that. They are paying for braging rights, they are paying to have a story to tell on Sundays on their golf clubs, they are paying to say I raced on the ALMS. They won't pay the big bucks to say I did another SCCA club race!

 

[Mac K]

http://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/...forces-for-lmp1-contest-at-fuji-and-shanghai/

Jacques Nicolet, OAK Racing’s owner and president, announced this morning that his team will take on the two Asian FIA World Endurance Championship rounds with Honda Performance Development. The team is currently running two Morgan Judd LMP2s category, and in LM P1, they challenge for the class podiums with their OAK Pescarolo Judd. The #15 will in Fuji and Shanghai will be powered by the HPD-AR6 LMV8 engine that has already shown its speed and reliability.
Nicolet and HPD’s vice president Stephen Eriksen held a press conference prior to the start of this weekend’s WEC 6 hour event on the Silverstone circuit. “I am delighted to announce this agreement with HPD that commences at this year’s final two WEC rounds. We are very grateful that HPD are able to provide us with their powerful LMP1 engine right in the middle of their season and in spite of their various commitments in different championships, particularly IndyCar. We are very honoured that they have made this effort on our behalf,” Nicolet said.
Nicolet also indicated this is the “first step of a collaboration we would like to initiate between OAK and HPD.” OAK Racing will continue to develop their in-house design of their new LMP1 car based on the rules and regulations for the 2014 season at their Onroak Automotive faculties. “We are very keen to continue in the premier prototype class, which is why we intend to build an all-new LMP1 car in 2014 in accordance with the fresh regulations and in partnership with a constructor. I can therefore confirm that our design office is now working on the conception of our 2014 LMP1.”
Eriksen commented: “We are very pleased to welcome OAK Racing to the family of teams powered by Honda Performance Development. Jacques and his team have shown that they have a very professional and competitive approach to endurance racing that is well matched to the proven performance of our engines. We look forward to a successful introduction at the Fuji race to begin this chapter in OAK Racing's LMP1 programme.”
OAK Racing will continue to battle their rivals on the track as they prepare for qualifying and the 6 Hours of Silverstone event this weekend

 

[Jav]

Ok, so Oak is ditching Judd for an HPD powerplant?

 

[nitrorocks]

You guys are really missing the point of GT-AM... This class is what's going to keep the teams and the series alive! There's no money coming in from sponsors and not enough manufacturer support. The LMP guys are gonna have to addapt to it, it's not like they're just gonna let anyone in. Potential candidates are going to have to meet quite high standards to be able to race.

I think they are doing it because of the ELMS too.

 

[freshseth83]

Qualifying has just completed at Silverstone for the 6hr WEC race tomorrow.

LMP1-
1. Audi R18 E-Tron 1:43.663
2. Audi R18 Ultra 1:43.673
3. Toyota TS030 hybrid 1:44.441
4. Strakka HPD ARX 03a Honda 1:46.160
5. Rebellion Lola Toyota 1:46.207
6. Rebellion Lola Toyota 1:46.234
7. JRM HPD ARX 03a Honda 1:46.758

 

[Shinshiki]

It should be a good race tomorrow. A finish for Toyota would be nice.

 

[freshseth83]

Toyota used the same (one set!) of tires through the first 2 practice sessions! They're definitely easy on the tires and that will save them plenty of time in the pits. I expect them to at least quadruple stint their tires.

 

[Jav]

Toyota used the same (one set!) of tires through the first 2 practice sessions! They're definitely easy on the tires and that will save them plenty of time in the pits. I expect them to at least quadruple stint their tires.

Hopefully it'll work to their advantage! As much as I like Audi I wanna see someone give them an actual race!

 

[hawkeye122]

Im still excited to watch the LMP2 battle, hoping to see Sarazin lead Starworks to another win.

Where in the world is Tom Kimber-Smith? Sometimes he runs ALMS, sometimes he's in the WEC... He seems awfully good to not have a full-season drive....

 

[cgr-10]

An hour to the green flag, really excited for what should be a great race. Toyota fastest in the warm up and the #2 Audi got beached in the gravel with McNish at the wheel bringing out a red flag.

 

[Shinshiki]

Race has started.

 

[Furinkazen]

Watch here.

~Epic pass for the lead by Toyota & Wurz!

~Silverstone hare survives.

~Audi has hit a Ferrari

~Felbamyr Porsche blowing up.

 

[RACECAR]

"Team Manager of Car 57, report to race control"

Joke's on you, Krohn.

 

[paskowitz]

Tresson crashed out...

 

[Tired Tyres]

Safety cars totally ruin Endurance races. Code 60 solution is better in every conceivable way.

 

[sumbrownkid]

What's Code 60?

 

[Tired Tyres]

Dubai 24 hour race safety procedure. No safety car, no artificial closing up of the field.

When race control calls Code 60, everyone has to slow down and apply pit speed limiter until the incident is cleared.

It means that if you have earned a 30 second lead, you don't lose it to someone 30 seconds slower than you.

 

[Furinkazen]

Epic GT scrap on last lap! Not covered by TV... Audi win, Toyota 2. Ferrari crash, Aston through!!!

 

[Tired Tyres]

Again. Great fights in the other categories and the TV shows various pit lane people in stead of racing.

 

[fps_christian]

Awesome job Toyota!

 

[RACECAR]

Af-Waltrip Ferrari wins in GT-Am. Not sure if I should be happy or slightly mad.

 

[Shinshiki]

I saw the incident between the Aston and the Ferrari. I couldn't really tell whose fault it was though. I have to give a hand to Audi. They had better fuel efficiency. The race was pretty much like a Group C race. The cars with the best fuel efficiency won. This is true for the LMP1 and GTPro classes.