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1 Jun 2011, 10:06 (Ref:2889287) | #1 | ||
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Australia Le Mans Series
What would the prospects of a proper Aus Le Mans Series be? Using the GTE-Pro and -Am formula for the main GT class maybe LMP2 as the top class and Carrera Cup cars as the lower class? Thoughts?
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1 Jun 2011, 10:38 (Ref:2889299) | #2 | ||
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The chance of running is remote but you would expect LMP1, LMP2, GT3, GT4 classes to run at Eastern Creek and Phillip Island.
Eastern creek could manage a 12hr LM event with Phillip Island managing a 1000km event. The best you will see at Bathurst is the GT3 which have the 12hr in Feburary. Excellent event which may go 24hr in the near future. |
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2 Jun 2011, 05:10 (Ref:2889752) | #3 | |
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There's already an LMP3-like 'Sports Racer' series here with cars like the Radical, West, Speads, etc which would support nicely any higher-level prototype class. Plus the Aus GT (GT3) championship looks pretty healthy. In any case, I'd do anything to see proper prototypes around Adelaide again
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2 Jun 2011, 05:36 (Ref:2889760) | #4 | ||
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Would be a great idea for us the fans having the lmps on our shore but I doubt the series would get many enteries unless some teams from overseas came over. I can only think of one GT2/E spec car over here but it's for sale and no LMPs that I know of.
I think we'd be better off hosting a round of the Asian Le Mans Series when (if) the series relaunches or a round of the ILMC. |
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2 Jun 2011, 05:53 (Ref:2889763) | #5 | ||
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Couldnt see a proper Australian Le Mans Series up and running, I dont think there is enough money (and interested parties with money) to support such a series. Well that and the fact that all of the sportscar fans down here could fit in a phone booth (if you could find one) doesnt help.
Its nice to dream of LMPs flying down Conrod........ Closest thing would be a round of the ILMC at Phillip Island perhaps? |
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2 Jun 2011, 07:38 (Ref:2889790) | #6 | ||
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What about a round of the ILMC at Bathurst with local GT Championship (GT3) cars instead of GTC cars maybe?
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2 Jun 2011, 08:18 (Ref:2889805) | #7 | ||
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I don't think Bathurst is certified for LMPs....
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2 Jun 2011, 09:35 (Ref:2889853) | #8 | |||
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If the Bathurst 12 hour expands, and gets a few more overseas entries, who knows, it could go to the next level, sometime in the future. Again..... I'd like to think that! No matter what anyone thinks of V8 Supercars, they have done an excellent job of getting into bed with most of our state governments here in Australia, which makes it even harder for another motorsport discipline to get a leg in the door. I think we missed our great chance to cement something in place, after the Race of a thousand years. |
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2 Jun 2011, 09:59 (Ref:2889870) | #9 | |
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I don't see an Australia specific series sprouting anytime soon, but I guess an Asia-Pacific Le Mans Series is always a possibility. I think the key will be to see what the LMS does next year. They may provide a formula for a purely domestic series that may be able to be replicated elsewhere that is centered around lower cost cars such as LMP2s, FLMs, LMP3s and GT3/GTC/GT4 or something similar. Stuff like that may work, although the actual connection to the Le Mans race is quite questionable.
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2 Jun 2011, 17:55 (Ref:2890087) | #10 | |
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Wouldn't it be best to build the current GT series and hope a team emerges that can step upto the ILMC?
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2 Jun 2011, 21:14 (Ref:2890210) | #11 | |
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Do the manufacturers have any interest to perform in Australia? Ultimately, the ACO will go where Audi and Peugeot wants them to go. China is hardly a hub of Le Mans style racing, but they may soon have two races!
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2 Jun 2011, 21:58 (Ref:2890237) | #12 | |
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That's why I said an Australian team in the ILMC is more realistic than an Aussie round/series.
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3 Jun 2011, 01:32 (Ref:2890308) | #13 | ||
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The United States and Canada, with a population of roughly 350 million are having a hard enough time pulling it off right now.
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3 Jun 2011, 13:03 (Ref:2890500) | #14 | |
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As much as it saddens me, I'd say poor, very poor. At best, as mentioned, you might be able to get the GT3's and something like Group CN prototypes into an endurance format, but 2 hour races might be as much as you could get. For years I've looked at Sports 2000 with deep envy, but they're about the quickest things you'd expect could be run by enough people for long enough, and I doubt they're "appealing" enough for more than local/state series. Last edited by Malfunction Junction; 3 Jun 2011 at 13:10. Reason: Adding the green-eyed monster |
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19 Jun 2011, 05:54 (Ref:2901706) | #15 | ||
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Of course, over here, the Rolex Series draws off some resources, so it's not as if there is one, united sportscar community here at present.
Given the presence of a noticeable GT3 series in Australia, and a Porsche Cup series in New Zealand, I would say there is some significant backing of GT racing at least in the area. However, given the population issue, perhaps an Indo-Pacific Le Mans Series would work better. Just looking at the countries with current Grade 2 or higher circuits, you have Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Between these countries, you should have nine possible venues right off the bat. And if you get a little creative, I think you could push that up to 15 venues. Definite Possible Venues: Australia- Albert Park Eastern Creek Philip Island Surfers Paradise Indonesia- Sentul Malaysia- Sepang New Zealand- Hampton Downs Taupo Singapore- Marina Bay I'm just putting that out there. Yes, I know it would be an extremely difficult proposition to put together, but between those nations, given the number of suitable venues and the number of people, it doesn't look quite so outlandish as Australia and New Zealand trying to support a series on their own. |
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19 Jun 2011, 09:40 (Ref:2901760) | #16 | ||
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best we can hope for is a round in the new world championship. Even that is probably a slim chance.
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19 Jun 2011, 12:00 (Ref:2901816) | #17 | ||
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Agree with you KSM86.
Forget the series concentrate on a single race in the new FIA/ACO world series. Make it a 24 at Bathurst and make the whole world take notice. |
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19 Jun 2011, 12:02 (Ref:2901818) | #18 | ||
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Sounds great , but Im not sure Bathurst could handle Proto traffic , maybe a bit on the tight side .
Would look great though . |
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19 Jun 2011, 12:26 (Ref:2901827) | #19 | ||
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Drivers gotta drive the track not the track driving the drivers (if that makes sense). A Bathurst 24Hour or 12Hour with LMPs and GTEs would certainly make the world stand up and take notice, would probably make the local bogans angry tho that its not Holdens and Fords....
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19 Jun 2011, 16:56 (Ref:2901912) | #20 | |||
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Quote:
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19 Jun 2011, 17:55 (Ref:2901944) | #21 | ||
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I think you could pull a 12-hour race; however, the boys at Le Mans itself will NOT allow another 24-hour race in THEIR championship.
Now, the REALLY fun/crazy one would be to attempt and LMP/GT race at Macau; those "insane" motorcycle road racers run there, so, what the heck. The question is, how much impact is just one race a year of this type really going to have in Oz? It seems that in this day and age, you would NEED a full-on series to capture and KEEP peoples' attentions on the sport. So, does the road still exist in the infield to run the International Circuit at Sandown again? |
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19 Jun 2011, 19:22 (Ref:2901999) | #22 | ||
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Given the arrival of WEC, I think LMS/ALMS are as dead as dodos.
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19 Jun 2011, 22:08 (Ref:2902106) | #23 | ||
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You hope that they realize they NEED those regional series to ensure strong grids at the WEC rounds. Otherwise, 1991-93, here we come again!
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19 Jun 2011, 22:24 (Ref:2902117) | #24 | ||
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also bathurst aint an FIA approved track. If we do end up losing the F1 round, then i think there might be even a greater chance for it.
Last edited by KSM86; 19 Jun 2011 at 22:31. |
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19 Jun 2011, 22:27 (Ref:2902118) | #25 | ||
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The WEC did fine for almost 40 years without a European sub-series.... and the US racing scene didn't contribute that much to it either, often running to completely different regs...
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