Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[NelisB]

John Dagys just posted a tweet to expect a announcement of a new LMP2 team with a yet to be announced engine supplier. After some tweetering back and forth it's pretty clear the team is MarcVDS and it's probably a BMW engine. The older news source has already been given by Gwyllion but here it is again : http://sport.turbomagazine.be/news_N...rachtbron.html

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by NelisB

John Dagys just posted a tweet to expect a announcement of a new LMP2 team with a yet to be announced engine supplier. After some tweetering back and forth it's pretty clear the team is MarcVDS and it's probably a BMW engine. The older news source has already been given by Gwyllion but here it is again : http://sport.turbomagazine.be/news_N...rachtbron.html

To enter WEC next year?

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by Salamus

To enter WEC next year?

Probably yes.

[Simmi]

Really nice to have MarcVDS back in a more permanent capacity. Very solid team.

[Duff_44]

If it is a BMW, I'm assuming it will be based off of the S65 V8 in the M3 (3999cc) & M3 GTS/Z4 GT3 (4361cc).

Does this spell the end for the Judd, which is based on the same engine? (FYI by rule, it doesn't have to, in theory multiple engines can be based on the same one) And who builds it? BMW's M division? Do they farm it out to someone like Dinan who already builds Grand-Am BMW DP powerplants?

...Or could the Bavarians be throwing us a little curveball and be thinking diesel???



Plus I'd like to see somebody big time take a stab at the Ford motor that Libra ran at Laguna Seca, seems like a good combination, if not in a not-so-good chassis.

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by Duff_44

If it is a BMW, I'm assuming it will be based off of the S65 V8 in the M3 (3999cc) & M3 GTS/Z4 GT3 (4361cc).

Does this spell the end for the Judd, which is based on the same engine? (FYI by rule, it doesn't have to, in theory multiple engines can be based on the same one) And who builds it? BMW's M division? Do they farm it out to someone like Dinan who already builds Grand-Am BMW DP powerplants?

...Or could the Bavarians be throwing us a little curveball and be thinking diesel???



Plus I'd like to see somebody big time take a stab at the Ford motor that Libra ran at Laguna Seca, seems like a good combination, if not in a not-so-good chassis.

Don't forget the costcapped nature of the engine. They are not allowed to cost more than 75000 for a whole season if I'm not mistaking. This would make entering a diesel or anything very new to expensive I'm afraid.
Expect the engine to be the same powerplant as the M3 GTE and the Z4 GT3 are running.
Dinan would be a unlikely engine builder because of their location. Wouldn't make any sense to use a DP engine builder when you got a load of GTE and GT3 engine developing talent in house now does it?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by NelisB

Don't forget the costcapped nature of the engine. They are not allowed to cost more than 75000 for a whole season if I'm not mistaking. This would make entering a diesel or anything very new to expensive I'm afraid.
Expect the engine to be the same powerplant as the M3 GTE and the Z4 GT3 are running.
Dinan would be a unlikely engine builder because of their location. Wouldn't make any sense to use a DP engine builder when you got a load of GTE and GT3 engine developing talent in house now does it?

WR tried to make a LMP2 Diesel, with very little success. How far they actually got, i don't know.

[GT3.14]

Hopefully Maxime Martin will be able to free himself from the DTM prison to race the P2 every once in a while.

[Duff_44]

Originally Posted by NelisB

This would make entering a diesel or anything very new to expensive I'm afraid.

I would normally think that, but that's precisely what Mazda - on a seemingly shorter budget than BMW would have - is doing with their 2.2L SkyActiv diesel.

If it is BMW, it's a welcome addition. I don't even care what the engine configuration is! The more, the better.

[Canada ALMS fan]

Originally Posted by Duff_44

Does this spell the end for the Judd, which is based on the same engine?
Plus I'd like to see somebody big time take a stab at the Ford motor that Libra ran at Laguna Seca, seems like a good combination, if not in a not-so-good chassis.

Judd hasn't exactly covered themselves in glory this year in racing for a variety reasons, I will be surprised if they have any customers next year except for an Uber-Gentleman effort or two. Sad to see. Just like AIM a couple of years ago.
As for Libra, after finally proclaiming he had found funding to run ALMS post Laguna Seca, and not showing up AGAIN, I am done getting my hopes up to see the Radical in P2 again. I wish Ian all the best but seriously...
Hopefully Dempsey is able to run the Mazda P2 diesel in North America beyond 2013.

[Koenigsegg]

Only thing I hope for is that they don't run an Oreca. I'm guessing that they will run a Morgan LMP2. Morgan road cars use BMW engines.

Still, GTE makes much more sense for MarcVDS if BMW build an Z4 GTE.

[gwyllion]

Next year the Oak LMP2 chassis will no longer be called Morgans. This is a one year deal only

[Coach Ep]

Leinders and Martin drove an OAK entered Morgan in the Le Mans 24H this year, finishing 7th in class. Would think that VDS had some behind-the-scenes-involvement leading to a possible WEC entry in 2013 on their own.

[GT3.14]

Don't forget 2011, where they helped Kronos with their Lola Aston Martin and brought it home in seventh overall with Vanina, Max, and Bas. I'm not sure how the team was structured with Kronos and Marc VDS, but it was in Marc VDS colours.

[Nick6]

Kronos is a MarcVDS subsidiary team.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Nick6

Kronos is a MarcVDS subsidiary team.

Is that similar to the MarcVDS Moto2 team?

It'd be a shame to lose Maxime Martin to DTM but in another way he deserves such a ride given how good he is behind the wheel. If he does get a ride in DTM hopefully he can still fit in some sportscar stuff especially if MarcVDS continue down the BMW route.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by John Dagys

A number of teams are continuing to push for the inclusion of drivers’ titles for the LMP2, GTE-Pro and GTE-Am categories. Currently, the series only awards a single Drivers’ World Championship, ranked according to the overall finishing positions in each race.

Oh, come on! We need less titles, not more!

[deggis]

I agree that less is more, but the way the Drivers' points are now awarded is totally nonsensical.

[Simmi]

I would have thought it was logical to reward the GT teams and their drivers.

[Victor_RO]

They could just use the ALMS points scoring system, adapted with the FIA points scale. But then that would make too much sense, wouldn't it?

[KlBD]

Originally Posted by Koenigsegg

Only thing I hope for is that they don't run an Oreca. I'm guessing that they will run a Morgan LMP2. Morgan road cars use BMW engines.

Still, GTE makes much more sense for MarcVDS if BMW build an Z4 GTE.

Dagys also specifies though that the chassis is also going to be new to WEC... that confuses me, since all 5 major P2 types (HPD, Oreca, Oak, Zytek, Lola) are already represented, and I can't see a team that likes to be as competitive as MVDS does taking on a Norma or something.

Anyone think this might be the new Lotus?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by KlBD

Dagys also specifies though that the chassis is also going to be new to WEC... that confuses me, since all 5 major P2 types (HPD, Oreca, Oak, Zytek, Lola) are already represented, and I can't see a team that likes to be as competitive as MVDS does taking on a Norma or something.

Anyone think this might be the new Lotus?

We also got the Bailey

[Jameson]

Originally Posted by Nick6

Kronos is a MarcVDS subsidiary team.

Where on earth did you get that from?

Kronos is actually a pretty famous rally team (WRC) and has done some stuff on circuit including the official Peugeots a while back and more recently running Ickx's LMP1 last year in Le Mans. Marc VDS provided two drivers, staff and equipment to run Le Mans, hence the VDS logos on the car.

I believe these two companies / teams have nothing else in common than that they are based in Belgium and did that one project together.

[KlBD]

Originally Posted by CTD

We also got the Bailey

Very true, but as the earlier speculation pointed out, their past exploits with LMPs makes me wonder why not choose an Oak-Pescarolo

Of course, I wouldn't mind them taking a role in brining a new car like the Bailey to the front of the LMP2 field either!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by KlBD

Very true, but as the earlier speculation pointed out, their past exploits with LMPs makes me wonder why not choose an Oak-Pescarolo

Of course, I wouldn't mind them taking a role in brining a new car like the Bailey to the front of the LMP2 field either!

Well there is always the possibility of greater performance with a new still-in-development car, where your input is transferred directly into the car development so it matches your wishes. But also to get stuck with a car which can't get the same pace as the proven competitors.
If MarcVDS got the funding to race and develop the Bailey, then we got a potent-mix.

Remember with a "mass" produced car, your closest competitor got the same material, which makes mistakes so much more expensive under a 24hour race.