I've brought you blogs on Formula One, blogs on The Rolex 24 Hours, blogs on the Paris Dakar, hell I even camped out in Speedtv.com over the winter commenting on the Champ Car/IRL merger and relaying everything here.
So here is the latest installment of 'Blogs on non-NASCAR, possibly obsure and occasionally niche motorsport events' - The Le Mans 24 Hours.
After the Month of May swept through (or should that be the weather swept through) Indianapolis, the Month of erm....June has landed somewhere in France. For two to three weeks, the road normally known as Route National 24 becomes the Mulsanne Straight and there won't be a lane hogging hatchback in site.
Le Mans remains the historic 24 Hours, above the various incarnations for other series that have sprung up around the globe. When it was Daytona Rolex time I ran through the names of a few drivers from around the world who had arrived for one race. That is also something Le Mans can boast, albeit in smaller numbers. The Rolex 24 finishes before most racing series have even turned a wheel. This allows drivers from several series to take up drives, NASCAR, open-wheel, European Series. Le Mans sits right in the middle of most seasons, and although for obvious reasons the ALMS series reaches a haitus for Le Mans, most other series carry on meaning only a fluke of luck, or a really nice team boss allow many non-sports car regulars to compete.
Still the entry list isn't lacking any wow! factor if you know where to look.
The obvious big-hitters drive for the favourites in P1 - either Peugeot or Audi. Between the three Peugeot cars the drivers can boast nearly 800 Formula One starts, with Jacques Villeneuve, Pedro Lamy and Alex Wurz being the cheif contributers to the total. The Audis have the sports car pedigree. Frank Beila, Dindo Capello, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen. No official word on how many wins between them in Le Mans history, but it's a lot. Kristensen alone has 7.
And while the Penske Porshes from the ALMS may have stayed stateside, many other teams and drivers have made the switch. GT2 - the Ferrari and Porsche class, shows the biggest ALMS influence with the giants of Risi Competitione and Flying Lizard making the jump, along with the fellow Porsche of the Farnbacher Loles team. GT1 will doubtless see the renewal of proper hostilities between the American Corvette teams and the European Aston Martins, after the phony-war with the privateer Aston in the ALMS, with the perenial French entry of a Saleen looking to make it a three way battle.
As far as drivers from the ALMS go, where teams have stayed at home, drivers have travelled. Saasha Maasen from the Penske ALMS team has showed up for another of the (ACO friendly) Porsche Spyders in a P2 class where one of the two examples is a shoe-in for victory, as European P2's tend to fall apart very easily. Ben Devlin from the Lola-Mazda ALMS squad has found himself a seat in the Bruichladdich Distillery sponsored Radical car (who despite their annual non-finishes remain my favourite Le Mans team - and it's nothing to do with Whisky). Former Champ Car driver Simeon Paganaud will drive for an all French P1 team, including F1 legend Olivier Panis, who, well, there are worse team-mates. Another name worth mentioning is Peter Dumbreck's return to the track which sent him flying in a Mercedes Prototype in 1999. Only this time he's in a GT2 Spyker - a lot slower and less air-worthy - ironic for a car maker who's badge is a airplane propeller.
Practice took place over the last weekend, which included a huge accident for Marc Gene in one of the Peugeots - shown in the link below from one of the tracks own cameras.
Qualify takes place a week from now on the Wednesday and Thursday, before the race over the 14th and 15th June.
As for my picks.
P1 - Yawn, probably Audi. The Peugeot has been fast all season, Sebring was probably the best comparison, and they've had a lot of success in the European endurance season, but they are a little unreliable, again evidenced by Sebring. I'd love to see a Peugoet win it, or better yet, something not powered by a diesel engine, but hell will become the venue for the 2014 winter Olympics before that happens. As a side story if Jacques wins he will become one of the few driver to win one of the Big Three's of Motorsport - Indy 500, F1 title and Le Mans.
P2 - If one of the Porsche Spyders doesn't win, something's wrong. They've been fast in the practice and the American P2s seem indistructable compared to their European counterparts. It got to the point last season where the eventual P2 winner, had such a big lead that they brought him into the pits for an hour because the reliability was so shocking they were scared to keep going.
GT1 - Aston, Corvette, Aston, Corvette, Aston, Corvette. I'm a Brit - Aston. It'll be close, but the colonial power will reign again.
GT2 - Either a Ferrari or a Porsche, the Spykers who make up the number don't stand a chance. Chances are it'll be one of the ALMS travellers, so I'm going for the Flying Lizard car. These guys know endurance racing. Plus I don't like Risi driver Mika Salo after his ALMS temper tantrum a few years ago.
One of the things that frustrates me is that Speed TV doesn't televise from 10 p.m. Eastern until 6 a.m. the following morning. I would REALLY like to see the sunrise on the track and the difficulties it presents.
jbroomy - does your media coverage allow you to view this and, if so, can you enlighten me?
I'm sorry. What I meant was - have you seen how the sunrise impairs the visibility of the track? I know it has rained there recently also during the morning stints.
jbroomy, this is one of my all time favorite races. I get more excited over Le Mans than I do the Indy 500! (Now DaveinIndy is going to be mean to me.LOL)
Le Mans is definitely a great event, and it's interesting to see that you follow ALMS. In August I get to see the ALMS cars in person at Road America near Elkhart Lake (WI), and that is one of the most fun racing events that I attend each year.
I didn't realize the Penske Porsches are not competing in the 24 hours of Le Mans. That's disappointing.
I know the P1 cars are the focus of most people, but to me the most intense (and entertaining) racing is in the GT1 class. Corvette vs Aston Martin is a great rivalry .... and naturally I'm pulling for the 'Vettes. Should be a great race.
Moseby - my bad
Not sure about the sun, it's always going to cause a bit of a problem, but Le Mans runs roughly North-South, so the times they're running right into the sun are limited.
The reason the Penske's aren't running, nor the Dyson cars are the ALMS and the ACO run different rule sets to help the P2 cars compete with the Audis. Just out of interest the two Porsches running are entered by Van Merkstien (sp?) and Essex Motorsport.
Nope, no Monaros, or their various GM equivalents.
Don't quote me on this but I think Monaros are GT3 cars, not the GT1 and 2 cars of Le Mans style endurance racing. GT3 cars tend to be the ones found in national GT series.
I always want to write something witty here, but my wit is always confused with something worse ------------- ------------- ----NASCAR and Auto Racing in general mostly here, but I get distracted by shiny sporting objects as well and give them an airing too---------- ------------- -----Pastimes include rooting for the underdog and trying to fathom why Golf is considered a sport-------- ------------- ---
Send Lawyers, Guns and Money.
