2010 Le Mans Intercontinental Cup

[tkelland]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Slice out China and put in LM itself and I'd be perfectly happy with that.

Unless the ACO remove the rule limiting entries into the 24 hour classic, that is completely unfair or discouraging to those who have kept sports cars going through tough, down economies in the past - the privateers.

[Birddog07]

For 2011 I'd love to see Sebring added, Abu Dhabi (sad they won't race there this year , hope it's in next years calendar), and a race at Interlagos would be a hit IMO (1000km race after F1 qualy? Realistically probalbly wouldn't work with the small paddock ). The idea of Sebring being the last race seems nice, but in reality teams will probalbly need from the New Year on to focus on the next season. Although, this could be different if the ACO stops changing regs so much after 2011. I think for atleast 2011 it is more realistic to start the ICC at Sebring and have it run thoughout the year with LMS/LMS races, then Asian/S American flyoffs in the years ending months. I do also like the idea of the 8h Pual Ricard this year, maybe it could be an event? That however brings an issue of say, an ALMS full season team, either having to miss ICC a race(s) in Europe or miss ALMS race(s). To me this really sounds like something for the big manufactuers like Audi and Puegoet whos main focus is racing a few leading up to Le Mans, going for the win at Le Mans, then racing a few the rest of the year.

So I say a good calendar would be:

Sebring
Pual Ricard
Spa
Le Mans break
Abu Dhabi
Suzuka
Petit
Brazil

[Canada ALMS fan]

We will know who will be participating by May 31. I assume they would not have added GT2 if the manufacturers were not asking for it???
For LMP1 we have Audi R15+ x 2, Kolles R10, Drayson, and likely the Lola AMR.
Speculation has pointed to Signature Plus, Oak, and possibly Rebellion.
Anyone have any informed insight?

For GT2 who knows???

[Graham Goodwin]

Oak is not speculative - They have confirmed they intend to enter with a Pescarolo Judd LMP1

[Canada ALMS fan]

Thank you Graham, I was unaware of that. Great news they'll be at Petit, I've never seen a Pescarolo in person!

[Graham Goodwin]

Hopefully you'll see one in Pink this season!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

We will know who will be participating by May 31. I assume they would not have added GT2 if the manufacturers were not asking for it???
For LMP1 we have Audi R15+ x 2, Kolles R10, Drayson, and likely the Lola AMR.
Speculation has pointed to Signature Plus, Oak, and possibly Rebellion.
Anyone have any informed insight?

For GT2 who knows???

Oreca with one of their own and a 908?

[Tim the Grey]

Backdoor Peugeot entry? Hmm, intriguing!

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally Posted by Purist

I rather suspect LM itself will NEVER again be anything other than a standalone event. The only way I see that possibly changing is if a real World Sportscar Championship comes into being once again.

Don't rule it out just yet.

At the press conference Vincent Beaumesnil was asked if Le Mans 24 would be part of the Le Mans Intercontinental Cup...his response: "that is a good question". Nothing more...

[AndrewF31]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

Hopefully you'll see one in Pink this season!

Are you serious? That would be interesting, to say the least. Brings to mine the Pig Porsches.

[CarolK]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

We will know who will be participating by May 31. I assume they would not have added GT2 if the manufacturers were not asking for it???
For LMP1 we have Audi R15+ x 2, Kolles R10, Drayson, and likely the Lola AMR.
Speculation has pointed to Signature Plus, Oak, and possibly Rebellion.
Anyone have any informed insight?

For GT2 who knows???

I am really glad to see GT2 in this too. My best guess for 2010 for GT2 would be Ferrari (most likely AF Corse), Porsche (several options here), Corvette, AM, possibly Spyker. I'd suspect most entries would be of European origin. It could make Petit interesting to say the least! As mentioned, we'll know in a few months time.

Graham, are you referring to pink as a color or pink as in three female drivers?!!!

[Canada ALMS fan]

Carol, I believe if you look at the link the answer will be very clear!
http://www.oak-racing.com/

[cmk]

Seriously, has nobody seen an Oak Racing car in the last year?!

Graham, do you know whether the news that the LMIC will have a team championship for P2 cars if enough entries are received will cause them to change their plan to enter a P1? I know they found the fact that they would have to enter something other than their P2 cars in standard LMS races was an issue, and who can blame them?

[CarolK]

Originally Posted by cmk

Seriously, has nobody seen an Oak Racing car in the last year?!

Graham, do you know whether the news that the LMIC will have a team championship for P2 cars if enough entries are received will cause them to change their plan to enter a P1? I know they found the fact that they would have to enter something other than their P2 cars in standard LMS races was an issue, and who can blame them?

Seriously, yes, I've seen their cars at all the LMS races last year. One car had Piglet, the other Pooh Bear sitting between the roll hoops. At one race, they had Piglet in the driver's seat wearing a helmet and goggles make out of duct tape, when the cars were not in the garage, Piglet and Phooh were handing overhead...great sense of humor. AND yes, the cars were definitely pink. Sorry, I got the girls mixed up...they are driving the Matech Ford GT and Vanina is driving the Signature Lola Aston at Spa and the 24h.

[NaBUru38]

Official entries list only by June, Asian calendar in about three weeks... I can hardly wait!

[JAG]

I've moved this here as it would have taken the LMS thread off topic.

Originally Posted by Félix

I feel you. How can we make a sportscar season-long championship where at least two manufacturers would come and fight for real matter to the public? When did this last happen? The ALMS is a semi-success at best because not many in the general public care about it. LMS2009 was not a continuation of LMS2008 because the manufacturers saw no interest in the way it was covered. (Was Group C really a marketing success around 89-90-91?)

The simplest solution I could see is sprint races that could get good coverage where manufacturers would go instead of F1. Anything else is not TV-friendly and doesn't give them nearly as much media exposure as focusing only on doing well at Le Mans.

If they really wanted to try they could go for a mega time-buy/ad-buying/journalist-inviting mission for the Spa race, while everybody is there and racing for real.

That's why the LMIC has been introduced.

Tommorow maybe the opening round of the LMS, but in reality it's a glorified test session.

In time the LMS will be a feeder series for the LMIC, in recent seasons too many ACO races have been a shadow of the 24hrs itself.

[GT2-R]

Originally Posted by CarolK

Seriously, yes, I've seen their cars at all the LMS races last year. One car had Piglet, the other Pooh Bear sitting between the roll hoops. At one race, they had Piglet in the driver's seat wearing a helmet and goggles make out of duct tape, when the cars were not in the garage, Piglet and Phooh were handing overhead...great sense of humor. AND yes, the cars were definitely pink.

Best post ever .

[Tim the Grey]

The WORKS Pesca had Pooh hitching a ride?


The OAK racing cars are both, most definitely pink in parts.
Oh, and the drivers at Silverstone went on the podium in Dunlop BOWLER hats?!?!

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by JAG

Tommorow maybe the opening round of the LMS, but in reality it's a glorified test session.

In time the LMS will be a feeder series for the LMIC.

How very sad.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

How very sad.

I want quality not quantity.

Although TV coverage can be patchty, I can watch not far off 20 ACO races per year, in reality only half a dozen of those events will show sportscar racing off to it's best in 2010.

I'm a football fan first and foremost, there are also other motorsport series to follow. I have to prioritise, and for that matter so do the manufactuers.

This year I'm interested in Sebring, Spa, Le Mans, Silverstone, PLM and the Asian LMIC round, you can probably add some more post Le Mans ALMS events too, as they tend to attract interesting bonus entrants.

I know were you are coming from, this is a dilema for the ALMS, they want every US race to be like an LMIC round (potentially), with manufactuer battles like the ALMS saw in 2007-8, if that can be replicated, good luck to them.

Those same worries aren't an issue for the LMS, most rounds were watched by one man and his dog, while the best events are now part of the LMIC.

After getting a glimpse of what the LMS could be, and hopefully what the LMIC will be, when Audi and Peugeot battled in 2008, what is currently served up in P1 doesn't really cut it.

That's before you even consider the huge marketing input the manufactuers put into the series.

This is really going over the same old ground as previous posts.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by JAG

I want quality not quantity.

Although TV coverage can be patchty, I can watch not far off 20 ACO races per year, in reality only half a dozen of those events will show sportscar racing off to it's best in 2010.

I'm a football fan first and foremost, there are also other motorsport series to follow. I have to prioritise, and for that matter so do the manufactuers.

This year I'm interested in Sebring, Spa, Le Mans, Silverstone, PLM and the Asian LMIC round, you can probably add some more post Le Mans ALMS events too, as they tend to attract interesting bonus entrants.

I know were you are coming from, this is a dilema for the ALMS, they want every US race to be like an LMIC round (potentially), with manufactuer battles like the ALMS saw in 2007-8, if that can be replicated, good luck to them.

Those same worries aren't an issue for the LMS, most rounds were watched by one man and his dog, while the best events are now part of the LMIC.

After getting a glimpse of what the LMS could be, and hopefully what the LMIC will be, when Audi and Peugeot battled in 2008, what is currently served up in P1 doesn't really cut it.

That's before you even consider the huge marketing input the manufactuers put into the series.

This is really going over the same old ground as previous posts.

I agree with Fogelhund. It is very, very sad!





L.P.

[Fogelhund]

So now, in Europe, one man and his dog watch LMIC, and the rest don't matter? Ok. Sounds just peachy great.

[JAG]

It's all down to self interest.

The ALMS has attracted the manufactuers, the best US and European teams (for the blue ribbon events), top drivers, and been run in a thoroughly professionally manner, with great TV and media coverage.

The LMS has always attracted large grids, but let's be honest, you guys over the pond have always looked down on the series as second best, and quite rightly so.

The introduction of the LMIC is attractive to the very manufactuers the ALMS want to attract, that's were the self interest lies.

I'm all for the ALMS, but not at the expanse of ACO racing in Europe. If ALMS fans want Audi to return, let Audi Sport North America fund it entirely, or have a set-up like Champion and the R8.

The only time the factory Corvette team venture into Europe is for Le Mans, the rest of the time they are represented by customers.

ALMS fans have had the best of both worlds, the LMIC throws a spanner in the works.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by JAG

It's all down to self interest.

The ALMS has attracted the manufactuers, the best US and European teams (for the blue ribbon events), top drivers, and been run in a thoroughly professionally manner, with great TV and media coverage.

The LMS has always attracted large grids, but let's be honest, you guys over the pond have always looked down on the series as second best, and quite rightly so.

The introduction of the LMIC is attractive to the very manufactuers the ALMS want to attract, that's were the self interest lies.

I'm all for the ALMS, but not at the expanse of ACO racing in Europe. If ALMS fans want Audi to return, let Audi Sport North America fund it entirely, or have a set-up like Champion and the R8.

The only time the factory Corvette team venture into Europe is for Le Mans, the rest of the time they are represented by customers.

ALMS fans have had the best of both worlds, the LMIC throws a spanner in the works.

WTF is it with the ALMS being brought in here? We weren't, nor are, talking about it! This is about the statement that the LMS is even less than it was! And it seems just when there is a potential environment that could produce interest in it, starting with the upgrade of the GT class!






L.P.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

So now, in Europe, one man and his dog watch LMIC, and the rest don't matter? Ok. Sounds just peachy great.

The closest Europe has got to the LMIC model was 2008, that year manufactuer backing resulted in 60k spectators at Silvertone, a three fold increase over a regular LMS event at the venue.

Whether non LMIC events will matter is down to the organisers, the LMS has been able to thrive with little media or fan interest, so for LMS entrants there are only positives, the LMIC rounds should be highlights to rank alongside Le Mans.