24 hrs of Le Mans

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Seems like there Isn't many manufacturers racing this year. Especially in the prototype series

[LateFan]

Too bad about Taylor's Corvette and the last lap flat, but what a battle. Also, too bad about all the P1s blowing up.

One driver said the P2s were like giving a drunk an AK-47. All over the track, slamming into people and fences.

[Jb325is]

Seems like there Isn't many manufacturers racing this year. Especially in the prototype series

Just kind of the ebb and flow of racing. LMP1 costs have become astronomical and aren't attracting manufacturers. The ACO has interest from other manufacturers that want to come into LMP1 if there is a cost cap, but that probably means losing Toyota and Porsche who have already made the investment. Tricky situation. There is a lot of manufacturer involvement in GTE, more coming next year with BMW and I think that class is as healthy as it's been in a long time. P2 has gone with spec engines with 4 chassis options, so no room for manufacturer involvement under ACO rules (see IMSA WeatherTech series).

[ATTACH]115086[/ATTACH]


Too bad about Taylor's Corvette and the last lap flat, but what a battle. Also, too bad about all the P1s blowing up.

One driver said the P2s were like giving a drunk an AK-47. All over the track, slamming into people and fences.

Agreed. I am a fan of the Taylor family, and I hate that it happened to him but it was awesome to watch. Tough but fair racing in my opinion, considering what was at stake. I've seen Jonny Adam do some really dumb stuff in other series so I was expecting much worse, but he drove really well to keep the pressure on. It would have been interesting to see if the 911 would have had anything for them, I think they've been playing the game pretty well this year and that car is better than they're making it out to be... It always comes on curiously strong @ the end of the big races and it looked like it was doing it again if not for the puncture that threw them off cycle

Hate it for Toyota, I like what they're doing right now.

[LateFan]

WEC LMP1 is just too expensive...

https://blackflag.jalopnik.com/the-coolest-racing-series-in-the-world-got-too-expensiv-1797381301

Group C's demise before that...

http://jalopnik.com/how-group-c-died-1790488527

Both of them completely manipulated by people like Bernie E for bald profit.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I knew it was gonna happen. Next year lmp2 and the gt classes will be all the races. And i mean really. I dont even pay attention to the lmp1 class cause there is zero competition. GT racing is where its at. I'm sure if they could bring the cost down to around the lmp2 cost more teams would come back.

[LateFan]

I vote 2.5 liter NA, any number of cylinders, limit rpm to something...12,000?, min weight limit, underbody aero allowed...what else....maybe energy recapture on braking for an acceleration boost..?

It's got to have some redeeming research component - that piece I linked talks about Le Mans' beginnings as a testbed for automotive research and safety. Modern headlight development came out of Le Mans.

< EDIT > ...wait a sec...is a 427 GT Corvette going to be faster than a NA 2.5 V8 / V10...? That wouldn't work.

[LateFan]

&quot;New&quot; Cobra Daytona big blocks

Shelby American will produce a short run of long wheelbase, big block Daytona coupes. I never knew this - this car was supposed to run Le Mans, but the transport truck crashed in France and there was no time to repair it. It did run the next year, but with a small block.

http://jalopnik.com/the-550-hp-big-block-secret-weapon-carroll-shelby-tried-1798103148

[LateFan]

World Endurance Championship may be in trouble... reduced schedule announced....

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/wec-poised-for-reduced-schedule-possible-winter-calendar-shift/

[ThatOneEuroE30]

World Endurance Championship may be in trouble... reduced schedule announced....



http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/w...alendar-shift/

They gotta do something to bring in more lmp1 cars or the series will die. I can see it already. If they dont so something we will have only blancpain and imsa series. Which makes me wonder what would happen with the 24hr of le mans since WEC currently runs it.

[LateFan]

New WEC LMP1 rule revisions announced....

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/146160-wec-confirms-lmp1-revisions

[ThatOneEuroE30]

New WEC LMP1 rule revisions announced....



http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/ite...lmp1-revisions

That super season is interesting

[varg]

Shelby American will produce a short run of long wheelbase, big block Daytona coupes. I never knew this - this car was supposed to run Le Mans, but the transport truck crashed in France and there was no time to repair it. It did run the next year, but with a small block.

http://jalopnik.com/the-550-hp-big-b...ied-1798103148

Now that's friggin sweet. Shelby Daytona Coupes are the best Shelby designed cars. If I were to build a kit car it would be a ridiculously fast factory five type 65 coupe. All of that beautiful styling but with a stout aluminum smallblock instead of a cast iron big block.

[LateFan]

Now here's some vintage endurance video - 1957 Sebring. No guardrails, no building, no belts or roll bars, just old airport runways. Fangio wins in a Maserati.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=675&v=OzegAlq92V0

[LateFan]

1965. Teodoro Zeccoli. Alfa TZ2. Looks like the sand at Arnage to me.

[LateFan]

Interesting footage of the Matra team 1972, the beginning of the post-917 era. That screaming V12. The pit scenes are insane - crowds of photographers and hangers on, out in the road, blocking the cars. The old track with walls close in. Also interesting to see how tedious basic tasks like wheel changing were - carry a tire, hand-thread the nut, get the gun...

Cool to see things like pad changes, damage repair out in the rain...

Cool shots of Cevert and Graham Hill, and sideburns. Great shot of the two Matras coming across the line together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js5nZ54oyfQ