LMES entry list, including Oreca Dallaras news ( merged threads)

[Tim Northcutt]

The whole LMP2 front has been very quiet....both sides of the pond....

Last August, supposedly Promec was going to build a new 2004 specs LMP2...

I also would think there are the various Lucchinis and Pilbeams out there, as you mentioned above....

Lola will build the new 2004 specs LMP2...but has anyone ordered one or bought one that we know of????

[FIRE]

Isn't the new Lola for 2005?

[JAG]

There are a few LMP2s coming, such as the Promec, and the Pilbeams etc. Just not sure which, or there names.

I think the Lola will arrive in the second half of the season, as there does seem a lot of interest in LMP, in the LMES. Some teams will have an eye on 2005 in either LMP1 or 2 with the Lola.

[FIRE]

Is Pilbeam building a totally new car or is in an updated car?

[Tim Northcutt]

Is Promec is building a new chassis???

Their site shows only the car that would be LMP1 eligible....

But their site is a very basic site that shows that car with the Peugeot engine set-up and the BMW set-up that they originally tested....

Has anyone seen anything on this since last August???

I'd love to know what it looks like....their LMP1 car was designed by a noted Italian designer who did the Rafanelli revisions on the R&S they raced a few years ago....

I loved the looks of the Promec chassis....but they didn't have the funds to mount a strong effort with a good engine...

[JAG]

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...d=28&nid=83634

The Lola looks go for 2005!

[dretceterini]

It's all talk so far. I don't think we will see much, if anything, new in 2004. I think what we will see or not see depnds almost exclusively on the success of the LMES.

[Graham Goodwin]

Lola will build chassis of the new car in 2004 and will test ahead of a race debut in 05 - an LMP1 version is possible

[JAG]

Originally posted by dretceterini
It's all talk so far. I don't think we will see much, if anything, new in 2004. I think what we will see or not see depnds almost exclusively on the success of the LMES.

Thats what makes me optimistic. We have not had a series run to true ACO regs, that is well promoted/run since Group C.

FIA GT is great but, obviously, only caters for GT's.

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes but Jag at the moment the FIA GT series is the strongest sportscar series in the world. Especially when Maserati come and join the party under the new "Supercar" regulations, the same rules that the Saleen S7R is subject to. The LMES has its place, but at the moment LMP racing isnt looking very strong, sure there are a couple of new LMP 2 class cars in the pipeline, but no new LMP 1 class cars, let alone factory backed. GT's on the other hand has numerous manufacturers..

[Duffacus]

I agree, FIAGT has been on the up for many years now

[JAG]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
Yes but Jag at the moment the FIA GT series is the strongest sportscar series in the world. Especially when Maserati come and join the party under the new "Supercar" regulations, the same rules that the Saleen S7R is subject to. The LMES has its place, but at the moment LMP racing isnt looking very strong, sure there are a couple of new LMP 2 class cars in the pipeline, but no new LMP 1 class cars, let alone factory backed. GT's on the other hand has numerous manufacturers..

I don't think theres any doubt that the LMES will be the biggest sportscar series int he world.

By its very make-up it is an arena were the best teams, including FIA GT, can come to compete in the classic sportscar racing.

FIA GT is superb, but it is postioning itself as a made for TV sprint series, and, IMO will be a great success.

The LMES will attract FIA GT teams, as it offers the complete opposite to FIA GTs.

The will both work together.

As for LMPs, the ground work is being done in 2004/5 in the LMES to get manufactuers back, as FIA GT did from 2000-02.

The first step for the LMES is to attract existing, and importantly, new teams to LMPs, which it is successfully doing. By 2006 the manufacturs will be back whether with LMP1s, GT1s or a mixture of the two.


BTW, this is news to me,

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...d=28&nid=83356

And is Johnny Heerbert being lined up for the second Veloqux Audi in the LMES, or just a Le Mans seat.

[SALEEN S7R]

Well we will just have to wait and see which remains the biggest sportscar series worldwide. But what is happening is that in 2005 FIA GT will become (hopefully) a "World championship" The LMES is a great series, but at the moment only has 4 events, will need to have a much bigger calender than that for me if it is to be considered the best sportscar series worldwide. Sure the series will be big, but the LMP grids will be filled full of old cars in 2004, nothing new in LMP 1. If the situation is still the same on the LMP front in 2005 I wonder how strong the LMES LMP grids will be, as for the GTS and GT grids, yes they are strong, but the teams in FIA GT are stronger, most of the GTS/GT teams in the LMES are people who cant afford a full FIA GT campaign.

[Duffacus]

Will there ba any chance at all that both series might become one in the long distance future, creating a worldwide series with a great calender and maybe the best series in the world or don't you think it will ever happen?

[dretceterini]

Maybe I'm being pesamistic, but until I actually see some car makers step up and build prototypes, the success of the LMES is purely potential, and not fact.

Being in north America, I'm even more concerned about IMSA.

[Graham Goodwin]

The quality of a championshiop Isn't about the number of events it's about the standard of those events.

In 2003 the best campionship in the world in terms of quality of competitors and venues was imho the ALMS.

IF the FIA GT series doesn't screw it up at the altar of Maserati and IF the ACO runs the LMES well, either of these could and should take the 2004 crown in what looks like being a transitional year for IMSA.

[JAG]

You only have to look at how FIA GTs built itself up after GT1 was cancelled.

The LMES will do the same for LMPs. It really doesn't matter whether the top class is LMP/GT! or a combination of the 2.

The LMES offers something that sportscar teams and fans have been crying out for.

As I say FIA GTs will be a huge success, but can never be THE sportscar series if it does not have a class for the cars that will be competing for LM overall wins.

Personnally I have never seen as much excitment and enthusiasm about a new series since BPR GT was set up.

The amount of 'new' teams entering LMPs is an indication that the LMES is going to be very different from the FIA SCC/ELMS.

The issuses in the ALMS, IMO, are more do do with the dominance of NASCAR/Oval racing in the US, which are very different problems to those that faced the FIA SCC.

[JAG]

We should be thankful, in Europe, we have 2 series offering differnt, complementary options for teams.

FIA GT/LMES, IMO, are not competitors.

[Tim Northcutt]

From the many posts on many new teams acquiring cars and planning to run in the LMES, I think their prototype fields will have LOTS of cars...

Audis, RollCentre's Dallaras, the Lister, Team Nasamax, Taurus, Pescarolo's Courage, other possible Courage team(s), the RfH Dome, R&M, the DBA Zyteks, Durango, an MG-Lola, etc...

What could you possibly be looking for in numbers that is more impressive -- and Diverse -- than that???

The new cars will come out in 2005, or we might see something late in the 2004 season, either in Europe or maybe at Petit....

There will be a transition year, but it will be an exciting year with this new series....

The worst thing the ACO could do would be to schedule too many events and thus not get a good launch on the series....

I anticipate having more venues added in subsequent years as the series gets settled and grows...

I've already listed places where they "should" expand -- Holland (Assen or Zandvoort?), Iberian Peninsula (Barcelona or Estoril), and Central Europe (Brno or A-1 Ring) -- but I think it would be best to begin adding venues in 2005.....

The news that FIA-GT and ACO rules are going to come more into allignment (se the thread related to this just posted today) tells me that there will be a gradual effort to bring it all together sometime down the road...but not soon....

[FIRE]

Is the RfH for LMES a rumour or confirmed? 1 or 2 cars?

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by JAG
You only have to look at how FIA GTs built itself up after GT1 was cancelled.

The LMES will do the same for LMPs. It really doesn't matter whether the top class is LMP/GT! or a combination of the 2.

The LMES offers something that sportscar teams and fans have been crying out for.

As I say FIA GTs will be a huge success, but can never be THE sportscar series if it does not have a class for the cars that will be competing for LM overall wins.

Personnally I have never seen as much excitment and enthusiasm about a new series since BPR GT was set up.

The amount of 'new' teams entering LMPs is an indication that the LMES is going to be very different from the FIA SCC/ELMS.

The issuses in the ALMS, IMO, are more do do with the dominance of NASCAR/Oval racing in the US, which are very different problems to those that faced the FIA SCC.

The FIA GT series will one day have THE cars to beat, at the moment LMP cars are dissaperaing, and dissaperaing fast. It wont be long until the new breed of cars such as the Maserati, will be as fast as the LMP 1 class cars. At the moment this isnt the situation, but this year the GT's are going to be a lot closer to the LMP 1 class cars than in recent years. Then when Maserati makes its full time debut in 2005 the GT's will be even closer.

Besides, I see no reason why GT1 cant return and become sucessful. Ratel knows what needs to be done in order to have a great championship, and if GT1 is managed properly I see no reason why it cant flourish once again.

[Cadete]

The reason why i think GT1 should not return is that it would take GT from the teams with smaller budgets. In the old GT1s, you had to constantly develop the car, like F1, and small privateer teams simply can't afford that.

While a big class is allways needed as a banner to a series, i think it's as much important to have a smaller one, not only to fill the space, but because people enjoy them as well. Take a look at Freisinger, they aren't in the big boys class but people like them (at least I do, and i'm Ferrari biased...)

[jhansen]

I see no reason why we cannot be positive about the future of the LMP class. Yes right now there has been a minimum of chassis production and new manufacturer involvement. But just as FIA GT has progressed so can the LMP class in ALMS and LMES. We should be thrilled at the new entries this year (I know I am) even if they are older cars. Perhaps new cars are to follow in 2005 and beyond. Why be cynical about it? I prefer to be positive.

As for a class like GT1, bring it on. As I stated in another thread, I don't care what the name is. How much different is a Toyota GT-One from a Bentley Speed 8? The top flight class will always be fast and expensive. If the name of that class has the letters GT in it, I'm cool with that.

GTP has a nice ring to it!

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by jhansen

As for a class like GT1, bring it on. As I stated in another thread, I don't care what the name is. How much different is a Toyota GT-One from a Bentley Speed 8? The top flight class will always be fast and expensive. If the name of that class has the letters GT in it, I'm cool with that.

Now ur talking my language! I more or less agree with everything that u have said, LMP GTP dosent neccarcly have to have the best cars with lids on, as thats where the manufacturers dont want to race, they want GT/GTS. Who knows, if LMP GTP stays vacant for a few more years the class may well be abolished.

[jhansen]

I think you're still missing my point, but I digress.