Le Mans Series 2009

[airbusA346]

In my opinion the races should stay at 1000km, because I think any shorter and the races wouldn't really be endurance races and would just become sprint races like the FIA GT.

Tom.

[Speed-King]

Ok, here's my take.

1. No race(s) in March to allow teams to go to Sebring and come back in time to get ready for the first LMS-round
2. No race in June, as that month is reserved for Le Mans, the test day and the teams rebuilding their cars afterwards
3. End of season in mid-September to allow teams to participate in the PLM.

So races for the LMS can be held in April, May, July, August and early September. That gives us about 18 weekends to put races on. As we want to avoid back-to-back weekends the highest realistic number of races is 9. But let's go with 8 for the moment, as this seems to be the general consensus on here.

April: 1000k of Monza
May 1: 500k of Spain, I'd choose Jarama, but Barcelona would be ok as well
May 2: 1000k of Spa
July 1: 500k of Anderstorp, Saturday "night" race. Guess it won't get that dark just a couple of weeks after Mid-summer up there.
July 2: Norisring with DTM. 200 miles is the classic distance and probably easier to incorporate in the DTM-schedule
August 1: 1000k Nürburgring
August 2: 500k Brno
September 1000k Silverstone

Possibly 9th round in early september: Brands Hatch with another 500k race.

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Ok, here's my take.

1. No race(s) in March to allow teams to go to Sebring and come back in time to get ready for the first LMS-round
2. No race in June, as that month is reserved for Le Mans, the test day and the teams rebuilding their cars afterwards
3. End of season in mid-September to allow teams to participate in the PLM.

So races for the LMS can be held in April, May, July, August and early September. That gives us about 18 weekends to put races on. As we want to avoid back-to-back weekends the highest realistic number of races is 9. But let's go with 8 for the moment, as this seems to be the general consensus on here.

April: 1000k of Monza
May 1: 500k of Spain, I'd choose Jarama, but Barcelona would be ok as well
May 2: 1000k of Spa
July 1: 500k of Anderstorp, Saturday "night" race. Guess it won't get that dark just a couple of weeks after Mid-summer up there.
July 2: Norisring with DTM. 200 miles is the classic distance and probably easier to incorporate in the DTM-schedule
August 1: 1000k Nürburgring
August 2: 500k Brno
September 1000k Silverstone

Possibly 9th round in early september: Brands Hatch with another 500k race.

Also races shouldn't clash with FIA GT rounds, because of what happened at Silverstone/Brno.

I thought ADAC GT Masters ran at the same rounds as the DTM?

And could Brands actually handle 40+ cars for LMS? And then there are the noise restrictions.

Tom.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

Originally Posted by airbusA346

Also races shouldn't clash with FIA GT rounds, because of what happened at Silverstone/Brno.

I am affraid, that if LMS goes to 6 or 7 races we will have more than 1 clash, don't forget Audi is in DTM too, and Dr. Ulrich insist that NO clashes between Le Mans Series and the German Touring Car

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by airbusA346

Also races shouldn't clash with FIA GT rounds, because of what happened at Silverstone/Brno.

Right. Clashes with FIA GT would be bad, but then FIA GT can race in March, June and October, so clashes would be smewhar avoidable.

I thought ADAC GT Masters ran at the same rounds as the DTM?

Nope, they ran with DTM only at Hockenheim last year and the Norisring this year, but were pretty unhappy with the way they were treated. So this might be a thing of the past.

And could Brands actually handle 40+ cars for LMS? And then there are the noise restrictions.

The track is certainly long enough. I don't know about the pit-facilitites, though. IIRC they have some "noise-days", what are they currently spending them on?

[Mirage M6]

I was delighed thinking about a night race at Anderstorp, but I just checked the website and the max number of cars is 24 for races 30 for training

http://www.scandinavianraceway.info/...radesfakta.asp

[deggis]

Originally Posted by NightStalk3r

If the Races were shorter then many fans wouldn't make the trips to the circuit, i know i wouldn't make the 3 hour trip to Silverstone for a short race.

And many many more fans don't want to watch/follow 6 hour races on tv.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Subaru_WRX_STi

I am affraid, that if LMS goes to 6 or 7 races we will have more than 1 clash, don't forget Audi is in DTM too, and Dr. Ulrich insist that NO clashes between Le Mans Series and the German Touring Car

Who cares about clash's , imo . Either your doing a series or not .

Why does everything have to be so difficult & differant as years go by ?

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

As we want to avoid back-to-back weekends the highest realistic number of races is 9. But let's go with 8 for the moment, as this seems to be the general consensus on here.

LMS organizers are asking teams to choose between 4-7 races.

http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/08/...e-near-future/

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by deggis

And many many more fans don't want to watch/follow 6 hour races on tv.

As much as I agree with 1000kms races , I find it hard to sit in one place for 6 hours .

If they showed 3 good hours , that would be brilliant , and of course uninterupted by vollyball or yoga class's !!! ..... hint at Eurosport

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by deggis

And many many more fans don't want to watch/follow 6 hour races on tv.

6 hours of racing is easy to watch on TV.

Tom.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Mirage M6

I was delighed thinking about a night race at Anderstorp, but I just checked the website and the max number of cars is 24 for races 30 for training

http://www.scandinavianraceway.info/...radesfakta.asp

Too bad, though I think that there were more cars on track in the (brilliant)WTCC race last year. I think the limiting factor is not the track length or width, but the number of pitstalls. Now if they relocate pitlane to the airfield-straight and use temporary pitstalls like at American street circuits that problem might be solveable....

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Who cares about clash's , imo . Either your doing a series or not .

me, I love bith of them and I want to see them both with their regulars derivers, Gimmi Bruni couldnt be the LMS GT2 champion as a result of last week foolish clash, IPB Lambo as well is doing both, Collard, Westbrook, Bouchut and many others

[LeMans.pt]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Who cares about clash's , imo . Either your doing a series or not .

Why does everything have to be so difficult & differant as years go by ?

that's it!!!! I'm getting tired of that talk... no clashes with F1 schedule, no clashes with FIA-GT schedule, no clashes with WTCC... blá blá blá.... there are only 52 weekends in a year, what should we do? move races no the midlle oh the weeks? on wendsday maby?

I don't give a damn about the other, and the others dont give a damn about LMS you ca bet on it... forgot 92? I don't....

[LeMans.pt]

Originally Posted by Mirage M6

A 12 HRS race wouldn't be a good idea, many teams would find difficult to race in another European event which more than 1000km.

Don't see why....

Originally Posted by Mirage M6

Thinking about the 3hrs/500km events it seems hard to find worth places(...)

No worthy circuits? You got to be kidding....

Originally Posted by Mirage M6

(...) but I think Brno should be in the LMS next season, is a good track and there are hundreds of czechs who would be there, the circuit seems always full of people!

And Portimão (algarve), that will be one of the best circuit in Europe? No "worthy" for you?

http://www.autodromodoalgarve.com/en/amp.html
http://autodromodoalgarve.com/articles/gallery/7/

[LeMans.pt]

Originally Posted by deggis

LMS organizers are asking teams to choose between 4-7 races.

http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/08/...e-near-future/

Yep.... fans are not their biggest concern in the moment... unfortunately!

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by deggis

And many many more fans don't want to watch/follow 6 hour races on tv.

There are plenty of Series out there for people with short attention spans with 2.45, 2, 1 hour races, its good to have the option of a proper endurance series with good 6 hour + races.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by LeMans.pt

move races no the midlle oh the weeks? on wendsday maby?

Saturday could be an option. At least would help with television - no other races at the same time, e.g. F1. LMS is not really trying to compete with F1, to be realistic, but you can bet if there is some Average Joe who opens up telly and theres F1 and some other series going on, you can bet he chooses F1. Having a race exactly at the same time does not help to get more tv viewers.

I don't give a damn about the other, and the others dont give a damn about LMS you ca bet on it... forgot 92? I don't....

Huh?

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by LeMans.pt

Don't see why....


No worthy circuits? You got to be kidding....


And Portimão (algarve), that will be one of the best circuit in Europe? No "worthy" for you?

http://www.autodromodoalgarve.com/en/amp.html
http://autodromodoalgarve.com/articles/gallery/7/

It's good to see the Portimão circuit is coming along nicely!
It reminds me of the Estoril circuit. It's a pity they didn't go for some thing radically different.

Um abraço fraternal!

[HORNDAWG]

I think a 7 race schedule with 4 1000K and 3 500k in a more compact range as Spee-King suggested is what is needed. Then if some or all were moved to Saturday as Deggis suggested then co-ordinated with the ALMS schedule it would/could alleviate clashes with other series, be more t.v. frienly, fan focused and prosper more. But we've had some monumental discussions on this subject.
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91165


L.P.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

no clashes between LMS and ALMS and the same between LMS and FIA GT !!! how ?

[deggis]

Originally Posted by NightStalk3r

There are plenty of Series out there for people with short attention spans with 2.45, 2, 1 hour races, its good to have the option of a proper endurance series with good 6 hour + races.

I do not think ALMS would be so successful if it had adapted 6 hour format. I'm just saying people want to see and 6 hour format makes it hard to see on tv and produces less exciting racing. I see this purely from a tv viewer perspective because I will probably never attend a real race, for geographical reasons. I can understand for people who go to races, that more time there is to see cars the better...

I would welcome shorter races. I don't enjoy 1000km races because there's too much pacing instead of racing. Despite the history of 1000km races they do not feel special to me at all - unlike Le Mans, Sebring and Petit.

I guess it is ironic that in WSC, 480km format was introduced in 1989 (all races, and 430km for 1991). Aren't these often regarded as the greatest years of Group C...

[Mirage M6]

Originally Posted by LeMans.pt

Don't see why....


No worthy circuits? You got to be kidding....


And Portimão (algarve), that will be one of the best circuit in Europe? No "worthy" for you?

http://www.autodromodoalgarve.com/en/amp.html
http://autodromodoalgarve.com/articles/gallery/7/

Don't get nervous Le Mans.pt today is still Sunday just try to relax yourself and everything will be better. They were just some opinions about motorsport, not really important, trust me.

[johntt]

IMO its important that there ar no clashes between LMS and ALMS at least, this is important as a lot of the paid drivers are paid by the race, hence why they participate in more than one series, especially in the GT classes.

[LeMans.pt]

Originally Posted by Mirage M6

Don't get nervous Le Mans.pt today is still Sunday just try to relax yourself and everything will be better. They were just some opinions about motorsport, not really important, trust me.

dont worry "hermano"