'10 LMS Round 1 • Castellet • April 9-11

[R4z3rw33n]

Originally Posted by isynge

We shouldn't be all that surprised by this (even although let's be honest, we probably are), the Acura has been shown to be a match for an RS Spyder - and we'd expect one of them to be the class of this or any LMP2 field.

That sort of gap however really does surprise me. I haven't up to now seen any evidence that the Acura is that much faster than a well sorted Lola - based on the evidence with Dyson last year - to say nothing of the Zyteks.

I know I'm a perennial optimist, but it's a long race tomorrow and I'd be genuinely surprised if the Strakka car was over 2 seconds a lap faster than everything else consistently over 8 hours. I'm sticking with the call I made in the predictions thread - I see Quifel or Oak winning this one after 8 hours.

None of the US tracks have a 1.8km straight, though.

Fairly sure it was Strakka/RML that had the fastest trap times for Mistral during the pre-season tests (from memory, it was around a 5km/h gap to the Zytek).

I tend to think you're right about the possible result.
Either way, it should be a decent test for LM.

[Victor_RO]

The RML Lola was the fastest P2 through the Mistral speed trap if I remember the data correctly.

[arakis]

Originally Posted by CTD

I wouldn't use the word "Are" as we do not know how much Audi was sandbagging!.
Audi has no reason to show full strength if not necessary.

neither has peugeut! since you don't know witch of the cars sandbaged more, it is useless to entertain the idea that Audi is faster, or peugeut for that matter.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by porsche91722

If they can go the distance.

They can!!!








L.P.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

They can!!!

But whether their wiring loom can go the distance without frying itself is another matter... They're very likely to finish the race, but will they finish without issues?

[Da_LEGENDARY_NiNJA]

were there be any live streaming for the race

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by dxk1

Most surprising thing to me, as was posted above, was the Acura smoking the rest of the P2 field.

DK

Why would the ARX-01 being the car setting the mark be a suprise?
They were mixing it up with the 'Werks' Porsches back when, and the (privateer) Spyders were clearly the mark in the LMS in the past 2 years!





L.P.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

But whether their wiring loom can go the distance without frying itself is another matter... They're very likely to finish the race, but will they finish without issues?

They'll finish first in class!








L.P.

[Audi Racer]

My goodness! that Acura! as i like to call it. 6th fastest in the first sector, fourth fastest in the 3rd sector.

[Audi Racer]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

Why would the ARX-01 being the car setting the mark be a suprise?
They were mixing it up with the 'Werks' Porsches back when, and the (privateer) Spyders were clearly the mark in the LMS in the past 2 years!





L.P.

Mixing it up is kinda soft. I prefer to say dominating except Petit Lemans

[Victor_RO]

Random question for the race tomorrow: will we hear Hindhaugh ranting about the poor driving standards of the guys(and girl) driving the Signature-Plus car again?

[Holt]

I'm fed up with this sandbagging. I'm tired of sportscars being all about Le Mans and everything else being treated as a giant test or something.

[Félix]

Originally Posted by Holt

I'm fed up with this sandbagging. I'm tired of sportscars being all about Le Mans and everything else being treated as a giant test or something.

I feel you. How can we make a sportscar season-long championship where at least two manufacturers would come and fight for real matter to the public? When did this last happen? The ALMS is a semi-success at best because not many in the general public care about it. LMS2009 was not a continuation of LMS2008 because the manufacturers saw no interest in the way it was covered. (Was Group C really a marketing success around 89-90-91?)

The simplest solution I could see is sprint races that could get good coverage where manufacturers would go instead of F1. Anything else is not TV-friendly and doesn't give them nearly as much media exposure as focusing only on doing well at Le Mans.

If they really wanted to try they could go for a mega time-buy/ad-buying/journalist-inviting mission for the Spa race, while everybody is there and racing for real.

[tux1234]

I wish prototype racing could be about whos car is fastest instead of who can afford to run a Audi/ Peugeot. Thanks. I remember when i first became intrested in sportscar racing it was awesome you had so many different manufacturers fighting at the front and they produced NOISE. Now all you get is 2 cars fighting with a rather pathetic woosh. Sorry for rant but it is annoying when the 2 diesels run away with everything.

[arakis]

here is a solution, more races 15+, short race format <2h,

to make it endurance championship, add a rule that no one is alowed to touch the car mechancly, from the start of the season to end, except setup!


so no engines that run only <2h!
add a rule that mechanical failiurs are worth a lot of points!

Well get fast, reliable Le Mans racer that will have a cool folow up championship.

make it a season from Le Mans to Le Mans , jun to october Northen hemisphere races, october to march Southern Hemisphere racing and again march to june Northern!
Season Starts after Le Mans, teams rebuilt their cars, and rebuild them again for Le Mans!!!

My 2 cents

[sssssssss]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

The RML Lola was the fastest P2 through the Mistral speed trap if I remember the data correctly.

By the way, kinda off topic, but does anyone have those speeds? I'd like to know how fast these cars are going around the fastest point of the Paul Ricard.

[arakis]

Originally Posted by sssssssss

By the way, kinda off topic, but does anyone have those speeds? I'd like to know how fast these cars are going around the fastest point of the Paul Ricard.

me too

[JAG]

Originally Posted by CTD

I wouldn't use the word "Are" as we do not know how much Audi was sandbagging!.
Audi has no reason to show full strength if not necessary.

Audi have been second best for quite some time now, there's no reason to suggest they have anything in hand.

Of course Audi may come out and blow everyone away, but IMO Peugeot will once again have the edge at Le Mans.

The 908 is the new 962, it remains competitive even against newer opposition.

[courageous]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Random question for the race tomorrow: will we hear Hindhaugh ranting about the poor driving standards of the guys(and girl) driving the Signature-Plus car again?

you mean Signature Minus? the guys seem to have a soft spot for vannina, so they may go a bit more gentle this year (although Hindy has already done at least 1 tirade on the car's livery god bless him).

[Victor_RO]

I do hope he has something to rant about when it comes to them, it'll certainly cheer up my weekend. (I'm pretty down due to the appaling weather here)

[fiend540]

Originally Posted by JAG

The 908 is the new 962, it remains competitive even against newer opposition.

you can't be serious

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by fiend540

you can't be serious

Well it's not run by people as ultra-uber-competent as Rothmans Porsche were back in the day, let's put it like this. (Not saying that Peugeot Sport aren't competent. But you can't really beat the Germans at this chapter)

[Tom908V12]

Originally Posted by JAG

...
The 908 is the new 962, it remains competitive even against newer opposition.

I would like this very well !!!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by fiend540

you can't be serious

Why not?.
The 908 is very much like the 962 and the R8, all fast in several years both in privateer and manufacture hands.

[Purist]

And Oreca is certainly getting more out of it than Kolles has been with their Audis.