Club Arnage

Had a  quick glance through this weeks Motorsport News this morning (stopped buying it- its crap) and the front cover screems that DR and Aston Martin will build an LMP1 car for 2010. The ACO announced shortly after the race that it intends to make the top prototype class cars resemble real cars from next year on, they will have a wider cockpit and screen amongst other tweeks. This has prompted DR and Co. to commit to a full on assault at Le mans.
 I have yet to see a copy of Autosport (it tends to take an extra day to get this far north) but I imagine it will expand on this story in greater detail.
 
 So- will we be cheering on Aston in LMP1 in a few years time? will it be an oil burner (if so it should have shooting brake coachwork?;D) Will it take 3 years to win? will the yanks strap a truck motor onto a roller skate and steal their thunder?

 Also on the subject of things that have appeared to have slipped under the CA radar- The Audi totem pole? Nasty or what? and was it just me and the beer or is it leaning over to one side? Whatever next?

Sure, Jan Lammers won't go on forever! ;D

Let Aston do LMP1, then maybe Jaguar can return to GT1 with a car too. All the same company, but who cares. As long as they win in a fair way, ie. spending less on developement than Audi and Peugeot. Now that would be a great win!

2010, thats a long time.  The Kuwaitis may have sold it by then

Not the same company now old chap, Ford are in the sh*t and have flogged it to Dave Richards and his oil mad chums from Kuwait. (will this mean an end to crappy Ford Scorpio switch gear in Astons?) They only want about a tenner for Jaguar according to one rumour going around at the moment, anyone on here fancy it??

Would love to see Jag back at Le Mans, but will both Jag and Aston battling at Le Sarthe mean more British piss head chavs attending?? Double edged sword that one me thinks!

Sconefinger,

I agree with much you said, Dave Richards is a serious guy and deserves a lot of credit, oil or no oil.

As for Jaguar, their more recent attempts were by privateers (TWR) and the chassis still won as an Audi!!

It would be really great if manufacturers were BANNED and only 'privateers' were allowed to compete.  Yes, it costs mega bucks, but all the risks are known.

Having club raced and hillclimbed/sprinted, there is cammeraderie.  I dont see that in motorsport these days except at the lower levels.

Anyway, how are we to judge the goings on of corporate bodies.

Jerry

Yeah, forgot that for a minute. Thanks for the reminder.

Still, if AM leaves GT1, the door might be open for Jag. Last thing we want is Corvette vs. Saleen and no more.
That would be a bit like GT1 in ALMS this year :-\

Looks very odd,

I like the way if you went to the village before Friday night, it was slowly being covered up and you see what it looked like, so you did not go and watch the big unwrapping (when ever that was it). Acutally I was looking at the Cherry Picker next to it  :-\

The question I have - is the audi logo at the top easy to change? -for when audi ever leave LM - What was their comitment to LM? (how man years)


As for Jag entering, as said before Ford are in big doo doo's - and as I understand Jag is for sale (along wth Land rover), so I can't see Jag/Ford at LM for a while - may be the new owners may be their - Read in the press, Jag yours for $1 billion (whip round?)

The question - who would buy Jag? - The Japs, Koreans or Russians?

AM diesel......do they have the technical capabilities and experience to develop such a motor?

Clearly Pescarolo does not.......from Autosport.

Pescarolo unsure of Le Mans return

Henri Pescarolo has said that his team may not be able to return to the Le Mans 24 Hours next year due to the domination of diesel cars, this week's Autosport reports.

The Frenchman's privateer team have been the closest opposition to the diesel cars for the past two years, but Pescarolo has clearly stated that he does not feel that petrol cars can compete on a level playing field.

Pescarolo did see one of his cars make the podium at Le Mans last weekend, but he has hinted that he might not come back to the race next year if he is unable to fight with the diesel cars from Audi and Peugeot.

"If there is no guarantee that we can fight with the turbo-diesels, or at least not be too far away, why should we come back?" he said.

"Even if I don't make the decision myself, it might be made for me. How can I find sponsors if I don't have a chance to win?"

Sebastien Loeb, who had raced for the team at Le Mans in 2005 and 2006, admitted that one of the reasons he did not race this year was because he had no chance of overall victory.

I think the Audi tower was paid for by Audi, so I guess their logo can stay as long as they want it to.

I was expecting something a bit more adventurous in looks, but then it is Audi! (aka master of understatement)

It quickly became covered in sticky finger prints and scratches as people made an attempt to climb up the lower corner.

And that lower pointy corner is sure to be an ankle breaker before long as people trip over it unsighted bumbling along in a large crowd.

In a moment of blinding clarity whilst enjoying a tipple on the saturday night I found the perfect solution to the diesel v petrol equivalancy debate. No restriction on air intake or fuel tank size. Tyres?- Nope. If you want to race diesels at Le Mans you have to tow a caravan (with an aptitude for sport naturally!)  Problem solved.
I think its a goer, I shall E.mail Henri at once!

This sounds like Henri's annual veiled threat to not return unless the ACO change the rules to reduce the 'advantage' of the diesels.  He generally cites his lack of funding and hence development in the hope that the nationalistic ACO will relent and give him a leg up.
I don't suppose his case is as strong now that the french fans can cheer for Peugeot instead.

This doesn't provide much comfort to Shorty though.

Henri had a car on the podium (again) this year, plus his car could have been 2nd had the last Peugeot surcumbed (and not parked up at the Ford Chicane!)

In a couple of years, he'll have to be building a closed coupe LM GTP anyway (as reported in yesterday's Autosport).

But I thought the ACO had relaxed the closed coupe rule. Originally they said that LMP1 would be closed from 2010, but then due to pressure from Audi and Pescarolo they siad it would be optional.

Basically, becasue to force teams to develop a new closed car would drive up the costs again, especially for the private teams.

So have the ACO done another U-turn?

Last I heard, Christopher, the jury was still out and they were "considering" relaxing the closed coupe rule.  Henri still has a lot of clout here, for obvious reasons.  He is well aware of the fact that if he threatens to withdraw, the ACO will take him seriously, if only to avoid a second French revolution.  But it's true, with a factory-backed French team, his voice may not be as loud as it once was.  Rumblings and rumours will abound over the closed season - no doubt about that.

I may have miss heard but the approx 5 sec a lap advantage the Audi and Pug had was maintained even when the track was wet.

To me this points to to a chassis advantage as well as a power advantage and Henri will have a hard job to convince the ACO otherwise so if he is expecting a large change in the rules then he will be mistaken.

The ACO will be worried that any relaxation to petrol regs will open the door to Porsche for example to return and dominate.

But returning to the Aston and P1, I think Corvette had some sort of mock up as well.

LMP1 "Corvette" Pic (http://www.endurance-info.com/2007_Le_Mans/Qualifs/ConfACO_lmp2010.jpg)

Article (French) (http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=3767&mode=&order=0)

Oooh I hope they go for it, thats a handsome racecar. Coupled to that Corvette rumble and you've got a classic racer!