[LM24 Race] The 76th edition of the 24hrs of Le Mans - RACE THREAD

[deggis]

Ok... are you French? Or someone else here, care to explain what is their source?

[batmobile]

Official source on the ACO' site but didn't find the english new, so I give you the french one : here is the page http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans...ticles_fr.html page 4 and it is announced at 20H54 ( Une édition décidément très rapide)

[Félix]

What I can't wait to see is the actual equalization between all the types of cars. The diesels certainly were much faster... but they were also factory cars. The coupés performed very well, with even a (very serious) new car beating long-established Judd privateers. Even the P2 Porsches lapped very fast, right amongst the Gasoline P1s.

I wish they would slow the 908s down to 3:25-3:30, slow the coupés down too and let the P2s and gasoline P1s come much closer... that all works until there's a factory NA P1 or an Hybrid.

[deggis]

Thanks. Didn't find the English one either but Google translation seems to do fine:

http://translate.google.com/translat...F8&sl=fr&tl=en

They must have trap speeds for other cars too?

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by 429CJ

I could not believe, how much the rain affected the speed of Peugeots, their advantage melted like the The Wicked Witch of the West in the rain.

Dome made it to the end after several difficulties, what is it then next year, with Toyota hybrid (?).

Engine location in the Dome may well be a good indication of the hybrid concept for the future


'their advantage melted like the Wicked Witch of the West in the rain!!!!!!!!!!'

[djb]

Originally Posted by batmobile

Official source on the ACO' site but didn't find the english new, so I give you the french one : here is the page http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans...ticles_fr.html page 4 and it is announced at 20H54 ( Une édition décidément très rapide)

merci/thanks Bat for the link, seeing it on the ACO site gives it credibility. Wow, 358k, that is near to 100k more than I have ever driven and with the trees on either side that must be one hell of a rush to experience, I wouldn't say no to a passenger ride in that if possible.

Wasnt it this car that had that odd abrupt turn into the armco late in the race? If so, was it ever mentioned what happened? On Speed they didnt say i dont think, it was an odd spear-off-into-the-armco as I recall.

cheers et salut.

[marcosgt]

I've just posted a few of my shots from the 24 Hours (and the Group C support race) up on :

http://sportsracers.fotopic.net

Hope you enjoy them (even if there is too much bloody catch fencing at Le Mans these days.... )

Mark

[chocmonster7]

Originally Posted by marcosgt

I've just posted a few of my shots from the 24 Hours (and the Group C support race) up on :
http://sportsracers.fotopic.net

Thanks for the link & photos Mark, finally a picture of Johansson driving the Epsilon Euskadi - it's turning out to be a very rare thing!

[sssssssss]

So, no other trap speeds afterall (execpt for the Dome one)?

I've posted earier on the warmup trap speeds that "auto-racing" published on the internet, but the race seems to have been a lot faster. The Dome did 336 km/h in warmup, but in the race tehy hit 358 km/h. I'm just extremely curious about the R10s and the 908s.

[kingkai]

Originally Posted by Subaru_WRX_STi

Corvette has 2 options, supporting customers like AMR is doing now (Modena in LMS and JetAlliance for FIA GT) or come to Europe and challenge the finest GT1 teams in both European series !

Does that with Luc Alphand Aventures. 24hoursof Spa this year LAA will join again, maybe with Corvette Racing drivers again...

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by kingkai

Does that with Luc Alphand Aventures. 24hoursof Spa this year LAA will join again, maybe with Corvette Racing drivers again...

LAA could actually run both cars and use the ALMS drivers in one and their own drivers in the other or mix and match.

DK

[henk4]

some spam...

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/event...f-Le-Mans.html

[marcosgt]

So - A Joest Peugeot would've won?

I think the efforts of McNish are a bit underplayed in that (otherwise very good) review.

Capello was consistently slower than McNish and it seemed that Kristensen barely drove at all (slight exageration, I admit, but...).

Sure the no 2 was quicker in the pits than the no 7 Peugeot, but neither of the other Audis was really ever on or near a pace fast enough to have benefited from slick pit work.

I've not always been a fan of McNish (in his F3 days I felt he was performing no better than his huge Marlboro backing demanded - He never seemed any better than the oft derided Mike Conway later did in F3 and beyond F3 he just seemed to fade to nothing), but he really won Le Mans for Audi this year - I don't believe that car would have been the winner without his performance.

Well done Alan!

Mark

[sssssssss]

I remember dr. Ullirch stated he will announce Audi's plans for next year after the 2008 24 hours of Le Mans. Anything new on that (I didn't find anything yet, except that their racing program is a 5-year one)? It's a big question whether they will bring a new car fr next year. I don't think they can afford to confront with Peugeot, and maybe Toyota and who knows who else, with the R10, which really got to its limits this year and was hardly good enough...

[HORNDAWG]

As per usual (and stated by the good Dr.) the announcement will be post season. November-ish.



L.P.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

As per usual (and stated by the good Dr.) the announcement will be post season. November-ish.



L.P.

Last year his press conference took place at the Essen Motorshow in early December....

[henk4]

Originally Posted by marcosgt

it seemed that Kristensen barely drove at all (slight exageration, I admit, but...).

were you partying or sleeping when TK made the decisive move forward during the night/early morning?

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by henk4

Last year his press conference took place at the Essen Motorshow in early December....

Ya, I think that the most likely again also. But as he did not state it I did not wish to imply that he did.

Here is a quote that is in print and not just what I heard during the race.

"I can tell you there's a big chance that we will be here because we have announced already last year our five-year program," he said. "We will have the final decision about the program for next season, as usual, in the final months of the year. But in general, we have this program for the next five years."

link


L.P.

[marcosgt]

>> were you partying or sleeping when TK made the decisive move forward during the night/early morning?

Probably sleeping

I did admit it was a slight exageration...

Mark

[henk4]

Originally Posted by marcosgt

>> were you partying or sleeping when TK made the decisive move forward during the night/early morning?

Probably sleeping

I did admit it was a slight exageration...

Mark

"slight" as in British understatement????

[rob21]

Originally Posted by sssssssss

So, no other trap speeds afterall (execpt for the Dome one)?

I've posted earier on the warmup trap speeds that "auto-racing" published on the internet, but the race seems to have been a lot faster. The Dome did 336 km/h in warmup, but in the race tehy hit 358 km/h. I'm just extremely curious about the R10s and the 908s.

I think that Dome must pick up a big tow from another car to hit 358 km/h because it is to fast compared to warm up and qual. speed

[rob21]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

The full timing data is available at http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans...se/24Hours.pdf

The speed of the Peugeot in the Porsche curves is amazing:
#8 Peugeot: 261,56 km/h
#7 Peugeot: 258,83 km/h
#9 Peugeot: 257,53 km/h
#2 Audi: 244,93 km/h
#1 Audi: 244,41 km/h
#3 Audi: 243,84 km/h

15 km/h difference Clearly Peugeot had much more downforce!

Yeas it clearly shows that Peugeot makes their times in fast corners.
If I remember correct last year Peugeot did avg speed in Porsche curves around 245 km/h.I will be interesting to compare it to 92/93 Peugeot 905 or some other fast prototypes such as Toyota GT1 or Audi R8.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by rob21

Yeas it clearly shows that Peugeot makes their times in fast corners.

what about the Dome or the Lola there? Are diesel engines required to set fast cornering times?

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

The full timing data is available at http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans...se/24Hours.pdf

The speed of the Peugeot in the Porsche curves is amazing:
#8 Peugeot: 261,56 km/h
#7 Peugeot: 258,83 km/h
#9 Peugeot: 257,53 km/h
#2 Audi: 244,93 km/h
#1 Audi: 244,41 km/h
#3 Audi: 243,84 km/h

15 km/h difference Clearly Peugeot had much more downforce!

This difference is not for the downforce. The main reason is the different weight distribution. Audi is not as balanced as Peugeot, because its weights are more assembled on the rear axle, and this makes the R10 less stable in the fast turns like Virage Porsche.
Peugeot is better balanced, due to have its engine placed 20 cm before, and the exhaust system is placed on the sides of the car. This makes Peugeot more stable.
R10 has the filters and exhaust system in the rear part of the car, so this is the main cause of its less stability and speed in the fast turns.

[rob21]

Originally Posted by henk4

what about the Dome or the Lola there? Are diesel engines required to set fast cornering times?

Lola Aston Martin did 239,35km/h and I´m little bit surprised that Dome did only 226,29 km/h.
So we can see that Lola´s Porsche curves avarage speed is close to Audi R10.
I think that big torque of diesels cars help them to accelerate from exits of those curves.