2003 Petit Le Mans this week-end !

[Tim Northcutt]

We've discussed the size of the field, the various entries, etc., in other threads....but not how the race will shake out when it does happen on Oct. 18th:

I feel it's time to talk about what we think will happen on the track....

Back in late June, Leitzinger and Weaver in the Dyson MG-Lola were 2nd on the grid to the Joest Audi, with the Intersport MG-Lola and the other Dyson entry in 4th and 5th (in that order) on the grid behind the Champion Audi at Road Atlanta....

Weaver & Leitzinger also led quite a few laps after getting a great jump at the start....

Granted, Petit is a whole different ballgame than the 2 hr. 45 min. race they ran in June, but I think Road Atlanta sets up well for the MG-Lolas to be pretty racy with the Audis again....provided they hold together over the 10 hours or 1,000 miles of racing....

And in particular, I think that Weaver, Wallace and Leitzinger as one trio of drivers for Dyson is among the best of the entire field....

In the other Dyson entry, Chris Dyson is paired with the two drivers who were sharing the cockpit with him when they took the 675 Class win at Sebring....

Intersport has had a tumultuous, but overall, a successful season that has been the picture of perserverence and the refusal to give up.....they are still in the hunt, and should be quite fast in the 675 class again....

The luck has to turn their way at some point...maybe this will be the race where it does....

This also may be the last time we'll see the Panoz LMPs, unless someone buys them and runs them as a totally private enterprize next year.....it will be sad to see them go.....

They brought a unique approach to sportscar racing and were always an attention-getter wherever they competed....

This is their home circuit....I hope that their possible "last" run will be a successful one....

I expect great racing among the prototypes on October 18...

The Corvette - Ferrari battle in GTS should go one notch higher with the 3rd Prodrive entry that includes the always fast Jan Lammers as one of the pilots.....I think that Road Atlanta's configuration sets up a little better for the Corvettes, but the Ferrari stable has been full of very strong horses this year.....

Might be the best competition to watch on the track during the course of the event...

Finally, in the big picture there are season championships still at stake.....the fortunes (or misfortunes) of many contenders will be decided in a rather long and grueling race where a lot can happen...


I am looking forward to watching it....even though SpeedChannel will not go "Flag-to-Flag" in its coverage this year....

Now....Your thoughts?????

[slicktsax]

but u forget that last year in GTS at Petit, the single prodrive ferrari had a 2 lap advantage over the vettes until a minor suspension problem on the ferrari gave away that advantage. and remember earlier in june the ferraris were just as fast or even faster than the vettes but the vette won because enge spun his ferrari twice in the race but he still managed to be secind in GTS only a few secs behind the winning vette. so we'll see now that the ferrari has proven a reliable car at lemans and with 3 prodrive ferraris not to mention the olive garden car which is always getting faster, we'll see how the vettes do

[Tim Northcutt]

I would agree, slickstax...but you've got to admit that the best action all season long has been the Corvette-Ferrari battles in GTS...

I expect nothing less than the same on the 18th...nad probably the best battle within the race itself...

[slicktsax]

no arguement there. but i thought it was funny when the ferraris lapped the vettes and laguna seca. not much of a battle in that race was there

[Tim Northcutt]

Laguna is a fairly fast circuit...sets up better for the Ferraris than for the Corvettes....

Atlanta has some straights to contend with, but there are lots of sweeper combinations that help the Vettes negate some inherent advantages that the Ferrari has...

I'm not a Corvette fan....nor am I a Ferrari fan....I am a race fan...and I hope that the action is very tight and competitive in this class...and I think it will be...

[billnchristy]

I am sure it will be a fun battle to watch.

I am also looking forward to James Weaver showing the Audi boys how it is done in the MG-Lola...remember how fast he was last year before the thing became a roman candle?

[Tim Northcutt]

I agree...the same way that he was in June in the early part of the race....I like the way Road Atlanta seems to fit the strengths of the MG-Lola as it matches up with the Audis, and with Weaver, Wallace and leitzinger as the pilots, you can bet they will be very fast....

[Chevyguy]

slicksax, I didn't think it was funny when the 550s got drove into the asphault by the Vettes at Trois Rivieres.

Tim, you should know that those Panozes (plural sp?) will be running until 2010.

P900:

Audi 1-2 with Joest on top, the #10 Panoz a distant 3rd.

P675:

Those MGs are gonna break. Essex 1st, Bucknum 2nd. #20 will limp to third.

GTS:

How could you possibly call it? The third 550 might not be much of a factor. The Vette is faster than last year's on this track, so the 550s won't be able to run away. Mags and Brabs get into trouble in this race, so I'm beleiveing they'll crash again. I think the #4 has better driving talent, but the #3 has nothing to lose by going hard, as they've already wrapped up the title. It's hard say anything without seeing some practice and qualifying times. The winner of this class will be third on the overall podium.

GT:

Nobody will match the AJ Porsches. #23 then #24, and #31. White Lightning if I got the number wrong.

[pirenzo]

Next weekend?!

Perfect. A great way to start my 2 week half-term break. And to take my mind off the 5 month break until the first grand prix of next season

[slicktsax]

actually if u recall the ferrari was in the lead in GTS at Trois Riverie. the vettes only got into the lead because the ferraris already had their first pitstops when the yellow came out for the dyson MG lola that broke. then the vettes made the pitstop and gained a lap since they pitted under yellow. then remember both ferraris had mechanical troubles. at laguna seca the ferraris beat the vettes on pure speed. and the 3rd prodrive car will be a factor when u consider Jan Lammers will be at the wheel and policand and dor have proven their drive talent when they were 3rd in GTS at lemans in front of both vettes till their car had mechanical trouble. and as i said earlier in this thread thomas enge spun twice at road atlanta earlier this season but still finished 2nd only a few secs behind the vette also i believe the ferrari set the fastest lap in the race in the GTS. also don't forget that jan magnussen and david finished the petit lemans last year in 7th i belive because of mechanical problems with the car, they were in the lead in the panoz last year for a bit.

[Fab]

Originally posted by pirenzo
Next weekend?! Perfect. A great way to start my 2 week half-term break.

Yes ! Please, anyone to post the main links to follow the race ? Live times ans scoring, radio ? Thanks by advance !

[Liz]

All links can be found at www.imsaracing.net -- live timing and scoring plus radio link.

PLM being a 12 hour race, there's no way of predicting how it will come out, which is very good. And a lot will depend on the weather, too. We have had PLMs where the weather covered three seasons during one race!

I will be there in person if anyone has any information they would like me to find out for them, I will be happy to give it a try. I'll be interviewing at AJR, Petersen White Lightning, and the new guy at Orbit, but would be happy to stop by other paddocks -- will also be covering the SWC.

I don't have a digital camera this year, but if I get the job I'm going after, I'll have one beginning in Sebring (where I have a photographer who knows what she's doing, too.)

[gsmith2424]

Originally posted by slicktsax

but u forget that last year in GTS at Petit, the single prodrive ferrari had a 2 lap advantage over the vettes until a minor suspension problem on the ferrari gave away that advantage. and remember earlier in june the ferraris were just as fast or even faster than the vettes but the vette won because enge spun his ferrari twice in the race but he still managed to be secind in GTS only a few secs behind the winning vette. so we'll see now that the ferrari has proven a reliable car at lemans and with 3 prodrive ferraris not to mention the olive garden car which is always getting faster, we'll see how the vettes do


[/B]

But you must remember one thing about the first Road Atlanta race, the Corvette team had last years cars. We know that the new Corvette is quicker so it should be really close.

[Chevyguy]

slicksax, I made that comment because I'm getting tired of the trash talk that comes with a Prodrive victory. You do not see Vette fans running their mouths when the C5-Rs dominate. Also, in response to that story you posted twice now, maybe the reason Enge spun was because he was trying so hard to keep up with the Vettes. It's not like the Vettes didn't have their fair share of tire problems it that race, so it's not "the only reason" the Vettes won. At Trois Rivieres the Ferraris were pushed by the Vettes all race long, so much that Brabs couldn't hold his line, and went off. I can't remember if the 550 got passed in the pits or not. Sometimes when you are pushing your gear too hard, surprise, it breaks. The Vette team is notorius for that. They'll get behind you, force the issue, and then you screw up. That's Trois Rivieres in a nut shell. Anyway you slice it, the Vettes and the 550s are pretty much evenly matched.

Anyways, there's another thread intended for the Vette vs 550 talk, this is about Petit.

Peace out.

[slicktsax]

dude, get one thing striaght, i'm not trash talking the vettes. just because i said i thought it was funny when the ferraris lapped the vettes at laguna seca doesn't mean i'm trash talking them. trash talking is if i said the vettes sucked or stuff they don't deserve their victories. i know very well that the vettes earned their victories and championships because they've worked hard to come this far. the team is 1st class and i have the utmost respect for the vette team, u need to learn not to take things so personally. yes the 550's and vettes are evenly matched, at laguna i was expecting a closer battle, remember last year the ferrari past the vette only in the closing laps and that battle was closer, the goodyear tires aren't as good on slippery surfaces as the michelins are and if the vettes were on michelins then the battle would have been closer, also remember the vettes are good at corning and breaking while the ferraris main advatage is on straights. also don't forget that the ferraris are still relatively brand new in their development and they only just got their reliability up this year and the prodrive team haven't been to most of the tracks in the ALMS before, they only visited sebring, laguna seca, miami, and road atlanta last year. and don't forget that the ferraris will also get behiund you and cause u to make a mistake, look at what magnuseen did to johnny o'connel at road america on the last lap. also u forget that in trios riverie that brahbs wasn't as familiar with the ferrari yet as it was only his 2nd race in the car while the vette guys have had at least 2 years of experience in their cars. also in trios riverie the vettes had traction control where as the ferraris didn't. also the ferrari vette battle will be taking place at Petit so this does fit in the thread. but bottom line is i wasn't trash talking the vettes, bottom line u take things too personally, bottom line the ferrari vette battle is one of the best battles in sportscar/gt racing in the world.

[Fab]

Originally posted by Liz
All links can be found at www.imsaracing.net -- live timing and scoring plus radio link.

Thank you Liz ; have you the schedules of the race (hour of start) by chance ? (Am I lazy ! )

Sorry, I checked : it's 11h30 am, east daylight time...

And we'll have highlights on Eurosport the 1rst of November : boy, this is hot report, two weeks later !

[Tim Northcutt]

Quick Note to Liz:

PLM is a 10 hours or 1,000 miles race -- whichever comes first, and not 12 hrs. Last year it lasted just a little under 10 hours because they completed the 1,000 miles in about 9 hrs. and 40 min. or so...

But in your defense, being there on a day when you saw 3 of the four seasons in one day made it "seem" like 12 hours -- but as a working journalist, I'll bet your days are about 16-18 hours long when you're covering an event like PLM or Sebring, with all of the interviews, filing of stories, etc., that are required for your job...

I do have one question that I want you to ask Intersport....

For their LMP675 entry in the Le Mans 1000 km., the ACO's site lists their Lola EX257 as having a 3.4L normally-aspirated Judd engine....

Please ask them if that is a mistake, or if they have somehow converted their power from the AER Turbo to that Judd engine that Barbour Racing used a couple of years ago....

Also...please post their answer on the thread that we started about this question....

Thanks in advance for your consideration on this...all of us would greatly appreciate knowing what you find out....

Finally....I envy you....The fall colors should just begin to kick in down by Atlanta this weekend, and if I didn't have to coach my football team this weekend, I'd be making the 7 1/2 hr. drive from Indy to Road Atlanta overnight on Friday night to make the race on Saturday....

An awesome venue and a great race!!!!

[RacingManiac]

Originally posted by slicktsax
but u forget that last year in GTS at Petit, the single prodrive ferrari had a 2 lap advantage over the vettes until a minor suspension problem on the ferrari gave away that advantage. and remember earlier in june the ferraris were just as fast or even faster than the vettes but the vette won because enge spun his ferrari twice in the race but he still managed to be secind in GTS only a few secs behind the winning vette. so we'll see now that the ferrari has proven a reliable car at lemans and with 3 prodrive ferraris not to mention the olive garden car which is always getting faster, we'll see how the vettes do

Back in June though, wasn't it the old cars that they used at Road Atlanta? The new cars I recall was somewhere doing so 50th celebration....

[Tim Northcutt]

I believe that it was the old 'Vette's at Road Atlanta in June, but either way, the action should be very fast and intense between those teams in the GTS class....

I haven't looked at the entry list for Petit in a while...who will be the other drivers with Lammers in the third Prodrive Ferrari???

[Tim Northcutt]

Just checked out the list and saw who will drive with Lammers....ignore the above post....

[theracegypsy]

Just had a quick look at what's in store for us this weekend, looks to be a good field.

I've moved round the circuit from last year, and will be at post 1, with Blueflagger & Lacerat, so, Liz and any other 'tenthers, come down to the end of the pit lane and look us up.

[KA]

Originally posted by Chevyguy

GTS:

How could you possibly call it? The third 550 might not be much of a factor. The Vette is faster than last year's on this track, so the 550s won't be able to run away. Mags and Brabs get into trouble in this race, so I'm beleiveing they'll crash again. I think the #4 has better driving talent, but the #3 has nothing to lose by going hard, as they've already wrapped up the title. It's hard say anything without seeing some practice and qualifying times. The winner of this class will be third on the overall podium.

GTS ought to be a real battle- that third 550 could be a factor, Lammers and Policand are both fast- on the other hand, Dor won't match their pace and it's the first time they've stretched the programme to run three cars....

We already know how close the other two and the Vettes are likely to be- I'm not going to try and predict this one either.....

[Liz]

Tim, I will make a note of your question and find out if I can. It does seem like the days never end on race weekends but generally I'm having so much fun that I only collapse when I get home! I'm hoping to see a few SWC teams while I'm there too, does anyone know if Chili Pepper Racing is still in operation?

[Tim Northcutt]

To Liz:

Thanks! I'm posting a note from 73_Gstock from the thread wehere we are discussing this...he posted it this morning:

A member of the IMSA TAlk board spoke with Intersport at Petit. They have two chassis at the track (Chamberlain and thier own repaired). One has the 2.0 L Turbo (I'll call it Sparky), the other has the 3.4 L Judd. They are going to test each and see which is fastest before deciding on which to use.

http://www.imsaracing.net/dcforum/DCForumID1/4341.html

73 Gstock


Can you keep an eye on those two cars in practice while you're there to see which one is running the better times and/or speeds??? They have said they will run both to see which one is the best...

I'm also interested in knowing how the bodywork differs over the engines, since that Judd V-8 is obviously a bigger package and will have different intakes....

We'd greatly appreciate it....

Tim

[Tim Northcutt]

To Any 10/Tenths Members Who will Be There This Week with a Camera:

PLEASE get some photos of that MG-Lola with the Judd 3.4L engine and post them so that we can see what the bodywork changes look like and what the car looks like as a whole package.....I'm sure Mulsanne Mike would probably be interested in them, too, for his pages....

In a year full of disappointments (with the exceptions of the Dyson win at Sears Point and the DBA/Zytek's win at Oschersleben), the ultimate demise of the DBA project (for now, unless someone else buys it and runs it) and small fields in the 675 class, this is big news...