[LM24] Group C - Le Mans 2004

[JAG]

Theres a few in the US. Plus 'NissanGTP' wants to run the Nissan P35, I believe.

A Lola Judd 3.5 is also going to run if allowed.

[The Badger]

whats the time frame on the entries , from when to when ? Is a Porsche 935 a possibility ? Ive never seen one of them race and would love to . I hope that Wallace will be allowed to do the race in the morning and a few other origional drivers too !

[JAG]

In the GroupC/GTP series it covers all Group C and IMSA GTP cars plus an invitation class for suitable cars such as the XJR-15 and Harrier GT1. The 935 has raced in this series.

[aries-project]

I'm pretty sure there won't be an invitation class,there will be too many pukka group c cars wanting to run.

[NissanGTP]

'BTW, Nissan GTP, is this the car you will be racing this year?

http://gto-racing.nexenservices.com..._nissanNP35.htm'

The P-35 won't be ready for LeMans this year I'm afraid. We will be running two NPT-90 cars instead. The P-35 won't realistically be ready until next season.

[JAG]

Great to here you will run two NPT-90s.

Any other new cars out this year?

[The Badger]

Are 3.5 atmo cars eligable ? I mean like the Peugeot 905 and the Toyota TS-010 .

Is there anybody running one of those Dan Guerny IMSA Toyota's in the states ? That would be a nice one to see at LeMans .

[JAG]

The 3.5 cars are debatable?

Some may eventually be allowed.

The Spices can race I believe.

The problem seems to be the speed differential from early Group C cars to the last generation 3.5 cars.

However the last generation Group C1 Turbo cars (XJR-11, Sauber C9, C11 etc.) are almost as quick. The last of the turbo IMSA GTP cars are also very quick.

You could argue, in historic events the old turbo cars would be quicker than the 3.5l cars, as they can run lots of power reliably. The 3.5 cars would have to run with low revs/power for greater reliability.

[The Badger]

Originally posted by JAG
The 3.5 cars would have to run with low revs/power for greater reliability.

Surely not for a 40 minute race they wouldnt !!! They were very reliable in the end .

[JAG]

More to do with cost, i.e. engine rebuilds, than actually being capable of doing a 40min race.

It is historic racing afterall. No need to spend extra on engine rebuilds if you do not have to.

[The Badger]

Depends if you want to win or not I suppose . I want Wallace in a Jag and Stuck in a 962 .

[JAG]

Wallace was at Monza in an XJR-10 and Nielson was at Donnington in a Kremer 962

[The Badger]

Thats more like it !!!

[chocmonster7]

Originally posted by gi_gav
Fantastic news! Again, i'll probably be heading down with MRI, so i'm not likely to see it...

We went with MRi last year on one of their coach trips.

We'd arrived at the track by 7am and had more than enough time to have breakfast then watch the Legends race that morning.

Hopefully it will be the same again this year as I'd love to see those Group C cars!

[Williamp]

I wonder what their lap times will be??

Do you think they could be quicker then the current crop of cars, racing to a different set of tules???

9I'm hoping they will be...)

[NissanGTP]

"Great to here you will run two NPT-90s. Any other new cars out this year?"

We will also have a third Nissan out next year!!! Phil Stott has some more cars, which are almost complete including a Porsche powered Tiga which we are expecting to be pretty rapid on the Mulsanne and a Cosworth turbo powered Tiga. Hopefully the LeMans race will encourage some cars out of the woodwork and prove a real boost for the series... the more of these spectacular cars on the track the better.

"I wonder what their lap times will be??

Do you think they could be quicker then the current crop of cars, racing to a different set of tules???

9I'm hoping they will be...)"

I'm going to be pretty interested to see what sort of lap times we will do as well. The real trouble is that we will only get an hour of testing before the race. With my Nissan, the amount of drag it carries will make it comparatively slow on the straight but it will make up a lot of that with better acceleration.

[aries-project]

I agree with NissanGTP lap times will be very intersting,especially as one or two drivers like David Mercer and Nick Adams have raced there a few times before.The spice has a choice of 3 rear wings so that will complicate things in an hours qualifying,do we go for absolute top speed??? I will check out some period photos!

[NissanGTP]

"The spice has a choice of 3 rear wings so that will complicate things in an hours qualifying,do we go for absolute top speed???"

As you know I used the tiny LeMans spec wing at Monza in the Spice but I wouldn't do it again without some time on track to set the car up around it. It put the wheel frequencies at the rear right out on my car which made it stiff and twitchy at the rear – not what you need when you are learning a new track. I’m not sure that a set up that was run in 1990 would still work as the track has changed so much anyway. Will be interesting to see. Whatever wing you run on the Spice you will still have a higher top speed than the Nissan.

[aries-project]

Not sure of the circuit changes,I know the chicanes on the mulsanne were there in '90 or did they go in in '89? have to look it up tonight.Anyway all the pics including '90 show the spices' running the tiny wing (the one you didn't like) certainly didn't slow the car down at monza!!!

[NissanGTP]

It's difficult to know whether the big wing would have been quicker at Monza. Although the car went well I actually think the big wing would have been a bit quicker with the set up I was running but the smaller wing would certainly have been quicker given some time to settle the rear of the car down. Curve Grande was a bit hairy to take flat and it really shouldn't be and I wouldn’t much like to repeat the spin I had coming out of Ascari. Might be worth a day at Silverstone with the small wing and a bunch of rear springs.

[JAG]

Fastest LMP900 time at LM:-

3.29 Audi R8 2002

Group C1

3.27 Nissan R90C (with a 1200BHP qualifying engine)1990

3.36 Jaguar XJR-12 1990

3.21 Peugeot 905B 1992
3.30 Jaguar XJR-14 1991

Take into account also that the LM circuit is at least 3 seconds a lap slower now than in 1992.

Also the turbo Group C cars were very quick in qualifying, with huge boost, but much slower in race spec. The current top LMPs can run within a few seconds of there qualifying pace.

Donnigton 2003 GroupC/GTP race.

Pole 1.29 Kremer 962
2001 ALMS 1.21 Audi R8

[Es Nes]

big slicks, 7l+ twin turbo engines with underbody tunnels, then i wouldnt be surprised.

[KA]

Just flicking through the adverts in Autosport and spotted this-

'Factory GTP Corvette as run by Peerless Racing in IMSA series as well as Le Mans history in 1990'- it's none other than the 'Eagle' which DNQ'd at Le Mans 90- still complete with it's 10.6 litre Eagle V8

Interesting that it's condition is described as being 'as it came off the track at Le Mans in 1990'. From memory, I thought the problem was it hardly spent any time ON the track due to assorted engine and electrical problems...

Anyone feeling brave...?

[ceeslm]

fantastic to see them back again

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by KA
Just flicking through the adverts in Autosport and spotted this-

'Factory GTP Corvette as run by Peerless Racing in IMSA series as well as Le Mans history in 1990'- it's none other than the 'Eagle' which DNQ'd at Le Mans 90- still complete with it's 10.6 litre Eagle V8

Interesting that it's condition is described as being 'as it came off the track at Le Mans in 1990'. From memory, I thought the problem was it hardly spent any time ON the track due to assorted engine and electrical problems...

Anyone feeling brave...?

And a windscreen wiper that swept clean air beautifully, as I recall.......