Any Le Mans news yet?
Discussion
Yes they are - they are doing GT1 for ALMS up to Le Mans then are switching to GT2 after Le Mans for the remainder of the year in ALMS races. I'm ignorant of the class rules so not sure how/why they switch classes mid season but I am sure someone will tell us all about it...? All I've read is that the competition is more interesting in GT2 which is an odd thing to say (they want to beat Porsche and Ferrari maybe?). Possibly cheaper too.
Possibly? GT2 requires less than half the budget of GT1.
GM/Pratt & Miller have nobody to race against in GT1 anymore.
Last chance for me to see them in the flesh will be at Sebring in a few weeks time.
I can't be arsed to schlep all the way over for Le Mans - it's lost a lot of what I attended for years and years to experience. Sebring has most of what Le Mans has pissed away in recent years.
GT2 makes a lot of sense in that Corvette sales competition in the US is firmly in Porsche 911 territory and GT2 has been very entertaining racing in the ALMS for the last 3 years or so.
Makes sense on all levels.
GM/Pratt & Miller have nobody to race against in GT1 anymore.
Last chance for me to see them in the flesh will be at Sebring in a few weeks time.
I can't be arsed to schlep all the way over for Le Mans - it's lost a lot of what I attended for years and years to experience. Sebring has most of what Le Mans has pissed away in recent years.
GT2 makes a lot of sense in that Corvette sales competition in the US is firmly in Porsche 911 territory and GT2 has been very entertaining racing in the ALMS for the last 3 years or so.
Makes sense on all levels.
zapbrannigan said:
Sebring for me as well this year, instead of Le Mans. Le Mans is not what is used to be, sadly 
I'll be at both Sebring and Le Mans. ACO have announced the 55 car entry for Le Mans it's over on PH Le Mans Forum so look there if interested. Suffice to say with 4 GT1 Corvettes and 2 privately entered Astons it should still be an interesting race. Oh and 2 Lambos.vetteheadracer said:
zapbrannigan said:
Sebring for me as well this year, instead of Le Mans. Le Mans is not what is used to be, sadly
I'll be at both Sebring and Le Mans. ACO have announced the 55 car entry for Le Mans it's over on PH Le Mans Forum so look there if interested. Suffice to say with 4 GT1 Corvettes and 2 privately entered Astons it should still be an interesting race. Oh and 2 Lambos.vetteheadracer said:
zapbrannigan said:
Sebring for me as well this year, instead of Le Mans. Le Mans is not what is used to be, sadly
I'll be at both Sebring and Le Mans. ACO have announced the 55 car entry for Le Mans it's over on PH Le Mans Forum so look there if interested. Suffice to say with 4 GT1 Corvettes and 2 privately entered Astons it should still be an interesting race. Oh and 2 Lambos.G4HKS said:
Is Sebring really that good then? I have never been.
It genuinely is.It doesn't have quite the heritage of Le Mans, but pretty much sticks to it's roots, whereas Le Mans has changed very dramatically - particularly in the last 10 years or so.
The 24 Heures circuit has had to change due to FIA and ACO mandates - inevitable when the facility is used for more than endurance racing. What makes me despair is the acres of concrete and razor-wire that the ACO have placed between the paying public and (part of) the reason they are there.
The Sebring circuit is pretty much the same as it was in the 50's - a WW2 B-17 training airfield in the middle of the orange groves. It is a punishing track (and a traditional shake-down test for Le Mans) comprised of runways, access roads and a little purpose built race track. Downside is that it's totally flat - upside is everything else.
Gates open Wednesday morning and the race kicks off at 10.30am Saturday. It's a full-on party all the way through. The crowd is friendly, boozy and just a tiny bit yokel. Some fans have obviously been occupying the same spots around the fence for dacades. One of the real attractions for me is that you can pitch-up, right on the fence (Turn 10 is my preference) and set up your tents, RV, car etc., grill, kegerator, hi-fi - whatever and get all the race action and all the party simultaneously. You can't do that at Le Mans.
It has also become a bit of a Spring Break venue, so there is quite a lot of jailbait totty prancing around aswell.
I've been doing Le Mans since the early 80's and this race (which is very local to me, thankfully) since 2001. I think last years 24 will be my last for the forseeable future - just because I can't justify and 8000 mile round trip for less than 50% of the sh!ts and grins I can get on my own doorstep.
Finally, it's off the radar and out of range of all the scum-suckers who seem to have gravitaed to Le Mans in recent years. That in itself is significant to me.
Edited by Matt Harper on Friday 27th February 03:01
At risk of over-egging this subject, check out this youtube clip made by one of our Dutch buddies who come over for the race (Drinking For Holland). It was shot from our self-built grandstand at Turn 10 during the cool-down lap.
The ALMS "For the Fans" ethos clearly realised by Johnny O's demonstration of how the rev limiter works on a C6-R. (at 1min 52secs for those who can't be arsed to sit through the whole thing).
To put things in real perspective, the previous evening O'Connell helped himself to a cold tube of draught Guinness out of my cooler, during the Turn 10 pre-race party. It's that kinda gig and is a good indicator of the difference between Sebring and Le Mans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsPzPR4GRxM
The ALMS "For the Fans" ethos clearly realised by Johnny O's demonstration of how the rev limiter works on a C6-R. (at 1min 52secs for those who can't be arsed to sit through the whole thing).
To put things in real perspective, the previous evening O'Connell helped himself to a cold tube of draught Guinness out of my cooler, during the Turn 10 pre-race party. It's that kinda gig and is a good indicator of the difference between Sebring and Le Mans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsPzPR4GRxM
Class entrants for GT1 class this year are reported as,
63 Corvette Racing - Corvette C6.R
64 Corvette Racing - Corvette C6.R
72 Luc Alphand Aventures - Corvette C6.R
73 Luc Alphand Aventures - Corvette C6.R
60 Gigawave Motorsport Ltd - Aston Martin DBR9
66 Jetalliance Racing - Aston Martin DBR9
55 IPB Spartak Racing - Lamborghini Murcielago
68 JLOC Isao Noritake - Lamborghini Murcielago
So there's an opportunity to fill the podium if we're feeling optimistic!
63 Corvette Racing - Corvette C6.R
64 Corvette Racing - Corvette C6.R
72 Luc Alphand Aventures - Corvette C6.R
73 Luc Alphand Aventures - Corvette C6.R
60 Gigawave Motorsport Ltd - Aston Martin DBR9
66 Jetalliance Racing - Aston Martin DBR9
55 IPB Spartak Racing - Lamborghini Murcielago
68 JLOC Isao Noritake - Lamborghini Murcielago
So there's an opportunity to fill the podium if we're feeling optimistic!
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