Formula Le Mans

[FIRE]

New single make prototype series for 2009:

In the field of endurance Le Mans
is synonymous not only with
the most prestigious race in
the world but also with a label
that denotes excellence. It has
exported this label with success
to the United States (ALMS) for
the last ten years and to Europe
for five (LMS).
The ACO wants to complete this
increasingly successful venture
and extend its development,
which is why the club has
decided to take another big step
forward by launching its own
single-make Formula.
In 2009, the ACO in partnership with
ORECA and Hugues de Chaunac will
launch a new prototype championship
named Formula Le Mans.
This single-make championship derived
from the LM P2 championship will use
a fast prototype, and will be easily
accessible from both a sporting and
budgetary point of view. The ACO’s
and ORECA’s aim is to meet the everincreasing
demand engendered by
endurance racing.
From the opening round of the 2009
season, the ACO and ORECA will jointly
organise the Formula Le Mans Cup
providing gentlemen drivers and young
hopefuls with the opportunity to drive a
Le Mans Series prototype, and discover
the mythic endurance circuits in curtainraisers
to the 1000km events counting
towards the Le Mans Series.

Technical description of the Formula Le Mans prototype
• Open prototype
• Carbon monocoque
• 420 bhp V8 engine

Sporting description of the Formula Le Mans Championship
• 7 race meetings
• Two 1-hour races per meeting
• 2 drivers per car with an obligatory drive change

Source: http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans..._lemans_gb.pdf

[mufc6000]

Seems a good idea.

[Nick6]

Spec... boring. I guess courage had a few LMP2 tubs that they couldn't sell.

[zac510]

Just read about this , had same cynical thought as Nick6

Kinda seems like the same thing as VdeV/etc and the Radical series are already doing, except they may be slightly faster and with more ACO support.

[dj choc ice]

when i read this i had thoughts of group C 3.5 litre racing through my head, close roof, high downforce short wheelbase cars with screaming V8, V10 and 12 cylinder engines, instead it just seems like another crock of crap.

severly disapointed, was expecting some lairy fire breathing monstrous ear splitting beats, instead we get a glorified radical eurocup.

[isynge]

Only real disappointment here is that it's basically a spec series. Okay that's great for drivers etc, but so much of sportscar racing is in building and running a car that can do the business effectively, and I don't see this helping anyone really other than ORECA.

Why not adopt VdeV style regs and use those for short support races at the LMS?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by zac510

Just read about this , had same cynical thought as Nick6

Kinda seems like the same thing as VdeV/etc and the Radical series are already doing, except they may be slightly faster and with more ACO support.

And probably more expensive. But maybe this series is an option for drivers who can't raise the budget for F3. With the support of ACO it gets probably more promotion as VdeV or other "LMP3" series.

[dj choc ice]

Originally Posted by isynge

Only real disappointment here is that it's basically a spec series. Okay that's great for drivers etc, but so much of sportscar racing is in building and running a car that can do the business effectively, and I don't see this helping anyone really other than ORECA.

Why not adopt VdeV style regs and use those for short support races at the LMS?

or why not just have VdeV instead for the support races, i feel the one area that the LMS trips up in is the support races because quite frankly they are dull and uninteresting, particularly the peugeot 207 cup things and the radicals are guilty of the same thing as well, only the CER gets my attention out of the support package.

just seems like a waste of time this formula, not unless the cars turn out to be properly lairy flame spitting ear spiltting beasts which from the reading they probably wont be.

[isynge]

With the VdeV looking to long races I can see why they might not want to be on the same billing, but there are a lot of cars out there already and could probably service another series, especially if the ACO wants to encourage young aspiring pro drivers into this sort of thing.

Agree incidentally re the LMS support package - I know with 6 hours of full billing racing we're not exactly starved, but getting a few more things happening on track would be no bad thing at all.