Le Mans 24h 2013

[SuperB70]

Race is on!

At prototypes Audis leading, Toyota close behind.

At GT Am :Corvette is going well, SRT Viper not so well. It's first time in 13 years when factory Viper has enter'd race. Have to take is as learning trip.

One fatal crash, Danish driver Allan Simonsen.. R.I.P Allan

More news: http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/#

[groovyjay]

Another Finnish studio going on here. Not looking too good for the Vettes or Vipers, but Vilander is still hanging there in the Ferrari. Looks like the GTE Pro is dominated by the Astons again this year...

A lot of bad luck for Audi, still the #2 car is leading the pack...

[SBDave]

I'm surprised more people aren't chiming in on this thread. I watched all the coverage they had on SPEED, took a couple days to get through it, but I really enjoy these endurance races. I think endurance races magnify all the elements that come in to play in any motor sports race. The weather really shook things up and the tragedy definitely put a damper on it. I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dave

[SuperB70]

Well Dave if I'm honest: I'm not.

I had a feeling that this wouldnt get groups intress.

First: it happens on this side of the pond.
Second: no US car maker/ race team/ driver has won there. Some mae say Mr P. Dempsey, well they got to the polium and where the most followed team the hole week so it can be sad that he was the best yankee this year. But to be honest, he had two great drivers at his team. One is rain driving specialist.
Third: for that race, US is not direct market area. So no live feed, no big advertising and so on.

The factory SRT-Viper team performed as expected, this year was a "schoolclass trip" but even the Corvette team performed so low. They cant be happy.

I'm not trying to get anybody going but maeby wanted to let be seen that there is life and action on this side also.

It would be cool place to be in. Action nonstop 24/7, no really, 24/7 8)
have come clean, watching it live from EuroSport, I'd fell to sleep between 2ish -7.30 am at living room sofa. Woke up and continued watching..

[FETorino]

Originally Posted by SuperB70

Well Dave if I'm honest: I'm not.

I had a feeling that this wouldnt get groups intress.

First: it happens on this side of the pond.
Second: no US car maker/ race team/ driver has won there. Some mae say Mr P. Dempsey, well they got to the polium and where the most followed team the hole week so it can be sad that he was the best yankee this year. But to be honest, he had two great drivers at his team. One is rain driving specialist.
Third: for that race, US is not direct market area. So no live feed, no big advertising and so on.

The factory SRT-Viper team performed as expected, this year was a "schoolclass trip" but even the Corvette team performed so low. They cant be happy.

I'm not trying to get anybody going but maeby wanted to let be seen that there is life and action on this side also.

It would be cool place to be in. Action nonstop 24/7, no really, 24/7 8)
have come clean, watching it live from EuroSport, I'd fell to sleep between 2ish -7.30 am at living room sofa. Woke up and continued watching..

Originally Posted by ratman67

"Second: no US car maker/ race team/ driver has won there."

you might want to revise that statement....

this is NOT a pic of a porsche 917, even though it had a similar paint scheme to the GT 40s. Finishing 1,2, and 3 counts as a win where i come from.

Geeze I'm glad somebody can get this right. And Ratman is a BBC guy I'm pissed he beat me to the punch on this.....

How many times do I have to remind all you guys it was three Sideoiler 427 TPs that DOMINATED the racing world in 1966.

Then after Ferrari called foul and cried for a rule change because of the unfair big Ford motor Shelby went back in 67 and won again with a small block Ford. Then some english teams took the GT40s with SBFs back again to win in 69 and 70.

A US manufacturer has been on top.

It has been a long time so here is a visual.

It hurts to admit but even Chevy has won a class there (not the overall) with the Corvette. I took them till 2000 and something but they did do it.

The track has been reconfigured due to safety concerns and I think it is slower now so you can't compare times and such but I think (may be wrong on this) the Ford win in 66 is still the most laps completed in 24 hours.

[Musclerodz]

Originally Posted by SBDave

I'm surprised more people aren't chiming in on this thread. I watched all the coverage they had on SPEED, took a couple days to get through it, but I really enjoy these endurance races. I think endurance races magnify all the elements that come in to play in any motor sports race. The weather really shook things up and the tragedy definitely put a damper on it. I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dave

Rolex and Grand Am is my favorite form of motor racing on TV. With V8 Supercars a close second, it does not get much better than this.

[SuperB70]

So now we got some action on this.
This I know to be coming..

So I will correct my self:

Americans has won the overall race but the last time was over 40 years ago.
And '67 was only year with US-drivers. '68 & '69 winning GT's where from private British team.
And why is it so big deal that Ford won four years on a roll. Porsche has won 7, Ferrari 6 and Audi 5. 4-timers are also Alfa-Romeo, Bentley and Audi.
Is there a great hipe about some old Alfa?
Dont get me wrong, I like the styling of GT40, but I wouldnt want to own one. Maeby if I could sell it right away.
I like more of the 100-years celebration GT-model and would like own one.
In 2005, North American Audi-team won the overall, driving by a FINN, JJLehto. NAA-Team has also won 2010, 2008, 2007
In my book if you are the third driver of the winning team, or just for the marketing you name your team as an "North America"something. you cant say that winners where American.

Yes, Corvette has won it's own category.

As I wrote, I think everything above is why this race is not popular that side the pond.

[FETorino]

Originally Posted by SuperB70

So now we got some action on this.
This I know to be coming..

So I will correct my self:

Americans has won the overall race but the last time was over 40 years ago.
And '67 was only year with US-drivers. '68 & '69 winning GT's where from private British team.
And why is it so big deal that Ford won four years on a roll. Porsche has won 7, Ferrari 6 and Audi 5. 4-timers are also Alfa-Romeo, Bentley and Audi.
Is there a great hipe about some old Alfa?
Dont get me wrong, I like the styling of GT40, but I wouldnt want to own one. Maeby if I could sell it right away.
I like more of the 100-years celebration GT-model and would like own one.
In 2005, North American Audi-team won the overall, driving by a FINN, JJLehto. NAA-Team has also won 2010, 2008, 2007
In my book if you are the third driver of the winning team, or just for the marketing you name your team as an "North America"something. you cant say that winners where American.

Yes, Corvette has won it's own category.

As I wrote, I think everything above is why this race is not popular that side the pond.

I believe Dodge also won their class a few times with the Viper.

[SuperB70]

GT40 won:
'66-'67 with Shelby Automotive,
'68-'69 with J.W. Automotive Engineering

Viper where run by Oreca.

Chrysler believed that in order to adapt their car not only for North American but also European circuits, the French racing and engineering firm Oreca, who had many years of experience in sports car racing. Oreca would construct and maintain the racing cars in their shops, as well as run Chrysler's official factory teams in Europe.

Although Oreca would construct the cars, key elements would come from British engineering firm Reynard Motorsport. This would mainly consist of the construction of the car's basic chassis and other integral parts before they were shipped to Oreca for assembly. As for the Viper's engine, it was ideally suited for competition at the time due to limits of 8000 cc being just beyond the Viper's 7986 cc. Modifications were therefore light for the 356-T6 V10, with concentration on redesigned intakes for horsepower and reinforcements (oiling modifications) for endurance.

off topic: I have a '08 race viper (SRT-Competition Coupe) brand new engine in my shop waiting to be custom build ( custom made main caps, ARP studs, crank, rods, pistons, intake) for boost up with 4.2 L twin screw.
And then to be installed in '70 Bee. How many knows that the engine is Ilmor Marine boat engine?