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

[Fab]

Originally posted by JAG
Oh, and now we know Pesca will be using the Judd 5l, any news on his program and whether he will run 1 or 2 cars.

Henri will have an "official" one, and is trying to rent the other one to paying drivers. Not done yet...

[rdjones]

Originally posted by JAG
Regarding the Corvettes. Arn't Xero building 2 of there self developed GT spec C5s for a new team that will compete in British GTs and the LMES.

Also any news on the 'works' Vauxhall Monero' that is supposedly destined for British GTs and possibly LMES. They didn't do to badly in the Bathurst 24HR.

Finally are any of the British GT TVR/Morgan teams planning on entering the LMES?

From what I understand Xero are planning to run one car in LMES, next year. You are correct there is a new tem running them in British GT championship, based not to far away from me here in Wakefield, but they are looking to run in the British Championship and then stepping up to the LMES next, with the overall goal of running at Le Mans in 2006.

Not sure what the latest on the Vauxhall Monero, again from what I understand they are looking to run the British GT Championship, with a possible entry at Le Mans. If that project does get of the ground then I expect to see them in the LMES next year.

As for TVR, the only car that are in ACO spec are the two De Walt cars. Not sure about Morgan, but I think the works are trying to put a program together.

[KA]

Originally posted by rdjones
From what I understand Xero are planning to run one car in LMES, next year. You are correct there is a new tem running them in British GT championship, based not to far away from me here in Wakefield, but they are looking to run in the British Championship and then stepping up to the LMES next, with the overall goal of running at Le Mans in 2006.

The other team is Embassy Racing- their Corvette is being built by Xero

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes, and the drivers will be Paula Cook and Alan Bonner. For more information on this new and exciting team visit www.embassyracing.com

[Tim Northcutt]

So...

Team Nasamax is no longer the "Green Machine" with the "revolutionary" Cosworth engine that burns the "environmentally-friendly fuel to save the world."

Unless they plan to run the Judd on Ethanol...

Well....that was a waste of a season, wasn't it...

[Fab]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
So...

Team Nasamax is no longer the "Green Machine" with the "revolutionary" Cosworth engine that burns the "environmentally-friendly fuel to save the world."

Unless they plan to run the Judd on Ethanol...

Well....that was a waste of a season, wasn't it...

It was worth it :
- it could have work better
- they are famous now !

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
So...

Team Nasamax is no longer the "Green Machine" with the "revolutionary" Cosworth engine that burns the "environmentally-friendly fuel to save the world."

Unless they plan to run the Judd on Ethanol...

Well....that was a waste of a season, wasn't it...

My understanding is that Nasamax is very much based on bio-ethanol - it's the team's raison d'être.

[PaulSands]

me too I thought they meant to continue along the bio ethanol route...they are more than just a race team

[Tim Northcutt]

If they would have actually raced the car during the year, as opposed to letting it collect dust in a garage, they might have improved and possibly could have achieved success with the Cosworth....

Now that they are running a Judd...unless they convert it to methanol or ethanol fuel....they are going to be just another face in the crowd....

What will that do to their funding and sponsorship from the Bio-fuel company that was a big part of their "effort" (and I use that term loosely).....

When they announced their program last year, I said many times on this forum that the whole "Green Machine" thing was smoke and mirrors and that there was nothing "new" about what they are doing by running a CART-based Cosworth on ethanol instead of methanol....

Now without their publicity hook, I wonder how successful their PR machine will be....or their ability to secure sponsors...

But I gotta admit...they drew plenty of attention for what was a less than stellar effort...

[PaulSands]

gotta agrre with Tim there...a season of development in the FIASCC or ALMS would've reaped huge benefits and gained them even greater kudos and publicity
I also have to admit that I was a little confused about what was supposed to be a huge technological leap when I was under the impression that the CART teams used fuel from a renewable source already, but that could be just down to ignorance on my part (most of the time it is )

[Fab]

Originally posted by rdjones
I have just uploaded an update entry list to my site.

Rob, have you a special entry list for LM, or do you inted to post one ?

Just because the entry list seems much more wider in LMES than at LM. I tried to compare your list with David Legangneux's one (french journalist), and the amin difference stays in the couples : except for the RFH Domes, the other teams mentionned on D. Legangneux's site seem to enter inly one car.

On the opposite, you didn't mention the Champion possible entry, and the Interpsort R&S one as well.

In both cases, the field is already very strong, and I can't wait to see :
- the Audi privateers dog fight - imagine the first lap
- the Judd battles as well : Domes, Courages, Courages Evos, Durango and... Dallara

Do we have to buy hear defenders ?

Still missing : a private Panoz or two. Any chance to see the grey GTP back in June ?

We all love the factories' races, but this privateers' battle could be a real cracker !

[Fab]

I only mentionned here the LMP1s !

LMP2s are still to come, and the field is not bad at all !

[KA]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt

Now that they are running a Judd...unless they convert it to methanol or ethanol fuel....they are going to be just another face in the crowd....

According to the report on DSC a couple of weeks back, they are running the Judd on ethanol- they appparently tested the car at Le Mans Bugatti in that configuration in mid-December

[FIRE]

Afterall they [Nasamax] have just changed engines from there Cosworth V8 to a Judd V10.

Pescarolo switching to Judd power

It will be a busy year for Judd.

[Tim Northcutt]

Thanks, KA!!!!

At least THAT makes sense...so that they can keep their "angle" for funding and visibility for their team...

NOTE: Bobby Rahal raced in CART with a Judd engine in the late 1980s, so they won't have a lot of issues that Judd isn't already aware of from that excursion....

One Other Note:

Ethanol and/or Methanol as racing fuels burn hot and provide good power, but neither is as dense in its mass than gasoline.....

Thus a race engine really chugs methanol to create the same fuel flow and power.....

Look for Team Nasamax to make more pit stops for fuel than other competitors for this very reason....

[rdjones]

Originally posted by Fab
Rob, have you a special entry list for LM, or do you inted to post one ?

Fab, it is already there

I also started a thread quite a while ago about Le Mans entries. That is here

[jhansen]

Tim, a question about Nasamax. I noticed your disapproval of their lack of a race schedule. I agree a car needs to be raced to gain mileage and success. Cadilac didn't learn this lesson as we all know. But how big is Nasamax's budget? Could they afford a full season? It's one thing to run a limited schedule on a manufacturer budget (like Caddy did), but another to run few races/testing due to lack of funds.

[JAG]

Nasamax will run the full LMES and LM/Sebring. They are a European team and so, I presumme, have no interest in an ALMS campaign.

2003 was just a toe in the water effort. It seems well funded, considering they are buying/converting a car to 2004 spec.

[Tim Northcutt]

Nasamax was supposedly well-funded last year....Cosworth was dumping a lot of R&D time on the dyno, etc. into the effort as a "partner" with them, because before Cosworth had cut the deal to provide the "Chevy" replacement engine in the IRL, CART was their only ballgame....and if CART failed, or changed it's engine formula, Cosworth needed a new application for the turbo V-8s they had been developing over the many years...

Nasamax also had good $$$ from the Bio-Ethanol fuel corporation for their program as well....

Their website last year listed a full season of ALMS events that they were supposedly going to compete in as well...even though the team was based in the U.K....

That tells me they had $$$$....

For whatever that is worth....

[SALEEN S7R]

One last thing I hope that can be clarifed for me 100% certain, (particulary in writting if possible)the GTS cars this year in the ALMS and LMES will revert back to the 2002 restrictors that they ran with in 2002, correct? I know for certain that the FIA GT GT/GTS cars didnt change the restrictors for 2003 because the restrictors would be back to the same size come 2004. However, I have heard conflicting things from differnt people here, some saying that the GTS cars will run the 2003 restrictor size in 2004, I dont think this is the case but havent seen any confirmation that the cars will switch back to the 2002 sizes for 2004 either, I know DSC covered the new rules for the LMP classess, but they havent covered the GTS/GT classess yet. As far as I understand it they will be running the same restrictor sizes as in 2002, the same applies to LMP 1 and LMP 2 cars, although 2003 restrictors for old LMP 900, LMP 675 machinery. Right?

[JAG]

We may have to wait a few months as the ACO/FIA and manufactuers are trying to get one set of GTS and GT regs for 2004. There are now only a few small differences between the FIA and ACO regs.

It seems the ACO have adopted the FIAs 'Supercar' regs for carbon chassied cars (and the Saleen) which allow more limited mods than 'regular' GTS cars such as the Viper and 575.

[SALEEN S7R]

Not sure about the ACO adopting the FIA's supercar regulations, have to wait and see over that but at present there has been no official statement from the ACO. What I really want to know is if the GT/GTS cars in LM and ALMS will be running with the 2002 restrictors like the new LMP 1 and LMP 2 cars. FIA GT didnt change restrictor sizes for the 2003 season and are therefore the same as the GTS class cars restrictors in the ALMS were in 2002. The ACO said this would happen for 2004, for both GTS and GT class cars, and the same for LMP 1 class cars and LMP 2 class cars, but as of yet Im not sure if the ACO has announced that the GTS and GT cars will run to the same restrictors as in 2002.

[JAG]

From what I understand the 'Supercar' regs have already been adopted by the ACO, maybe under another name. The Zonda was built to them I belive. They say engine/gearbox location/mounting poionts and supension mounting points cannot be changed as in N-GT. Undercar aero is also the same as the road car, although this may be changed to a regualr GTS flat bottom, as a purpose built 'Supercar' like the Masarati may exploit this rule and have a major advantage over regular GTS cars.

Originally the ACO did say GTS/GT restrictors would return to 2002 sizes in line with the new LMP1/2s. I've not heard anything to say this will not happen, particualrly as the ACO want GTS cars to be closer to the LMP1s, nebce the larger fuels tanks for GTS in 2004.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by JAG
Originally the ACO did say GTS/GT restrictors would return to 2002 sizes in line with the new LMP1/2s. I've not heard anything to say this will not happen, particualrly as the ACO want GTS cars to be closer to the LMP1s, nebce the larger fuels tanks for GTS in 2004.

Yeah thats what Im thinking too - was beginning to think Id imagined that the ACO had said that. Will be intresting to see how the GTS cars do next year, and it could be a possibilty that we have a GTS car running in the top 6 during the early part of the race, not because of their outright speed but because the old LMP 900 and LMP 675 cars only have 80 litre fuel tanks, unlike the GTS cars with 100 litres. A GTS top 6 finish anyone? With a bit of luck and good speed and reliabilty I think its very possible.

[SALEEN S7R]

Just read a article on DSC regarding JMB entering 3 Ferrari 575's purley for the FIA GT Championship, the team had apparntly taken delivery of the cars before christmas. So no Ferrari 575's for the LMES from JMB it would seem. - What I found more intresting though is when I saw the photo on DSC I decided to go to JMB's website, www.jmbracing.com now when the site loads there is a pop up window wishing us a merry christmas and happy new year, and a photo of the team with 3 cars, 1 Ferrari 360 Modena GTC, 1 Ferrari 575, and 1 Ferrari 333sp.

What are the chances of JMB entering the LMES, but not in the GTS class, but in the GT class and LMP 900 class. JMB will continue with their 360s in FIA GT too but we had been expecting to see them in GTS and GT in the LMES, but it appears GTS wont be happening, so how about GT and LMP 900?