Entry List

[Ranger]

Hi All

First post here for about a year so firstly sorry to interupt all you regulars and your usual banter !

Looking for some inside gossip if anyone knows. there seem to be a lot of rumours of teams not paying the ACO the entry fee and the reserve list being eaten up pretty quickly!

I know the Nasmax is the only official one at the moment but with rumours of up to 10 pressumably all the reserves may get in, possibly even need to invite a couple of others? LNT TVR or factory Zytek??

Anyone in the know heard these rumours?

Thanks

[hgb]

No, but that sound very interesting. Where are those rumours from ?

[BigH]

Well, the last thing I am, is in the know. But this was a problem last year as well.
Several teams that many thought should have got an entry had their cars, or one of them, if they had two, put on the reserve list. RFH Dome and TVR for starters. This was in favour of a few teams that seemed to have come from no-where, and obviously most of them were French. I think all the reserves got a race in the end, but it was such short notice for some of them that sponsorship and preparation time became real problems.
It makes you wonder as to the wisdom of the ACO's first choice, it doesn't make much sense to invite cars and teams that hardly seemed to exist, never mind be prepared.
Drop them a line, put your car on the reserve list. Don't forget the French accent though.

[Andy Zarse]

The results at Spa seem to have left the ACO looking like big thick chumps if you ask me.

The TVR wins the GT2 category, and they've only allowed one into race. Saleen? Don't mention them to the ACO. Yes I know it was only a 1000kms race, but even so, it was an endurance race. Right?

[Nordic]

It seems very unlikey that 'alot' of teams have failed to come up with the readies in time for the deadline, one or 2 maybe, there are 8 teams on the reserve list, its possible that some of these are the ones that have not paid.

There is some nonsense spoken about the LNT mob getting a late entry for this years race. This is based pretty much on one race, last weekends Spa 1000 and the amount of money being spent by the team owner. If you look back at the history of the team it seems harder to justify.

The team was born out of RSR Racing and if you take into account its 2004 race at spa last sept where both cars retired within 20 laps of the start, I was not suprised it was omited from the list. Sebring 05 was not a raging success either.

[Ranger]

Agreed it all seems very strange but there is quite a lively thread on another forum suggesting it could be as many as 15 teams !

I think this is probably just forum babble but rumours start from somewhere so sounds like we could see a few more changes yet.......... love to see RfH get the second car in. My question was more, if there is any truth to thr rumour, and suddenly all the reserves are in, do the ACO need to draw up a second set of reserves or do they start the race without a full grid?

[Kpy]

The rules state that reserve entries can be taken up by the ACO in the event that accepted entries are withdrawn or cancelled. Only cars from the list of 8 reserves are eligible, and the final date for the ACO accepting them is May 27.

[BigH]

You have to admit it's a poor procedure though kpy. At that late date how are you going to get the car prepared, and why would you bother working on it in the meantime on the offchance? - and I dare say any drivers you originally had lined up would have jumped ship once the initial line up was announced and their car wasn't on it. Leaving you with the bosses dimwit son.
It would make far greater sense if the ACO were to audit all the entries, at least then they would have a pretty good idea who the timewasters would be, and it would give them a chance to leave them out in favour of the more serious efforts. I'm all for the plucky underdog and all that, but it doesn't mean to say you needn't be looking likely when the ACO turn up.
Mind you, I can see room for a little bit of skullduggery....
H

[Andy Zarse]

I know it's a French race, run by the French, for the French and in France, but there does seem to be a bias towards the amont of French Teams/Constructors.

Just look at LMP2. Out of fourteen entries, six of the teams are French and four other teams are using French chassis. Only four have no "French Connection".  And out of thirteen teams in LMP1, five are French entries. And how many French drivers there are, I've not even bothered to speculate.

Surely sportscar racing in France isn't that big a deal? I mean, how long is it since we had a French team win, 1993 or something? I still say they could make room for a more international field.

[SpriteII]

How much does it cost to enter I wonder?

[Fran]

Mr Zarse.. i find your new pic quite disturbing - please tell me that isnt you!!!

F

[hgb]

LOL, is that you Andy or is it a poor fake ? If yes then hats off for this year's LM outfit. It's brilliant.  

[Lord Steve]

In light of the fact that there may be a couple of gaps at the back of the grid I've decided to make a late entry - Team Lordship. The denim blue Audi A4 1.9tdi is being prepared by a crack team of race engineers from my local. Modifications include a much bigger ashtray, an extra 10 disc autochanger and a new airfreshener. We have some vacancies in this fledgling team for the following:
Chef & bottlewasher
Masseuse
Bloke who fills it up with diesel
Topless bird to clean the windscreen during pit stops

Also, the car will be equipped with a hot plate to keep my tartiflette warm during the night.

Do you think we've a chance?

[Andy Zarse]

Mr Zarse.. i find your new pic quite disturbing - please tell me that isnt you!!!

F

No, it's Commerman. Dressed in Gulf motorsports colours. Anyway, my really name is Clark Kent.

[Nobby Diesel]

For me, the most surreal aspect of this picture, is what appears to be a Gordon the Gopher puppet glove being worn.