[LM24] Le Mans 2017 Entry List and Driver Updates

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

Having looked at the schedule, has there been a full day of track action on the Thursday in previous years, or have I been too preoccupied by cold beverages to notice?

From memory, there was a full day of Thursday on track action last year, but not prior to that, it was normally a 4pm (or thereabouts) start to the action. It was the Ferrari Challenge cars first up at 10am last year, although at the time we were indulging in morning coffee, croissants and pains aux chocolat, at our favourite bar in Saint Saturnin, while you were presumably

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

...while you were presumably

What a slur on my Good Character!

[KA]

Tucked away in DSC's Spa paddock notes from Wednesday, a comment from Egidio Perfetti whose Porsche was on the reserve list that there's no chance of the car getting into the race this year:

“There is no way to the grid for us this year, either with our own car (the final reserve entry) or with me taking a drive for another team. I will race at Le Mans this year though, in the Carrera Cup support race. I hope to be on the grid for the 24 Hours in 2019.”

I'm probably tempting fate, but is this the first year in recent memory that we've not had any pre-race withdrawals from the original entry list announced?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Schedule released

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-released.html

This just adds in the Porsche Cup and RTLM race and practice details. There are other details that I've included in my timetable (albeit that some of them assume that the ACO will do what they do at various times every year!).

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

From memory, there was a full day of Thursday on track action last year, but not prior to that, it was normally a 4pm (or thereabouts) start to the action. It was the Ferrari Challenge cars first up at 10am last year, although at the time we were indulging in morning coffee, croissants and pains aux chocolat, at our favourite bar in Saint Saturnin, while you were presumably

Definitely right James - this was last year's Thursday timetable -

Thursday 16 June
08:00 - 15:00 - Pitwalk (those with Pitwalk Ticket)
10:00 - 10:45 - Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Free Practice 1
11:30 - 12:15 - Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Free Practice 2
14:30 - 15:30 - Road to Le Mans (LMP3 & GT3) Free Practice 2
16:00 - 17:00 - Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Qualifying
18:00 - 18:30 - Road to Le Mans (LMP3 & GT3) Qualifying
19:00 – 21:00 - 2nd Qualifying practice session - 24 Heures du Mans
20:00 - Concert (Stage at Dunlop Bridge) 'Retrospective'
21:00 - Concert (Stage at Dunlop Bridge) 'Julian Perretta'
22:00 – 00:00 - 3rd Qualifying practice session - 24 Heures du Mans


Good to see we get an extra RTLM race though this year!

[Hawkwood]

Might we see some re-branding on the DH Racing Ferrari?
Tracy Krohn just posted on Instagram that Krohn Racing is making its 12th consecutive Le Mans start this year.

I hope we see that bright green again this year!

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

Might we see some re-branding on the DH Racing Ferrari?
Tracy Krohn just posted on Instagram that Krohn Racing is making its 12th consecutive Le Mans start this year.

I hope we see that bright green again this year!

It looks like he's bought into the entry so I'd be amazed if it wasn't bright green.

A few other drivers according to DSC:

Kraihamer (ByKolles)
Beretta (Spirit of Race)
Bertolini (DH Racing)

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-24-hours.html

[Mike E]

Corvette line ups confirmed.

#63 Magnussen, Garcia, Taylor
#64 Gavin, Milner, Fassler

Those are the two most experienced crews on the list. They have 67 Le Mans starts across the six drivers!

http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/201...e-mans-lineup/

[Simmi]

In support race news - the entry for Road to Le Mans is pretty good. Up a few cars on last year too. Will be interesting to see how many of these drivers enter the main race in the next few years. A quick scan of last year's list for the same race shows 12 guys who will race LM24 as rookies this year.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/wp-con...-mans-2017.pdf

[Simmi]

Beechdean add Gunn and Bryant for Le Mans - http://www.beechdeanmotorsport.co.uk...river-line-up/

[antonylight]

This years scrutineering timetable, paddock allocations etc now appear on "Regulations" at www.lemans.org

[Richard117]

Originally Posted by antonylight

This years scrutineering timetable, paddock allocations etc now appear on "Regulations" at www.lemans.org

In the scrutineering timetable JMW has changed from Ferrari 458 to 488.
I was looking forward to hear that screaming Ferrari engine again.

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Richard117

In the scrutineering timetable JMW has changed from Ferrari 458 to 488.
I was looking forward to hear that screaming Ferrari engine again.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/j...r-24h-le-mans/

It's going to be a quieter race! Although 25 Gibson V8s might have something to say about that...

[KA]

A few more 'TBA's we can fill in.

Drivers now confirmed for the SMP Dallara- Mikhail Aleishin is joined by Sergey Sirotkin and Victor Shaytar

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/s...n-smp-dallara/

[Simmi]

Wow the JMW lineup is a pleasant surprise.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...r-le-mans.html

As much as I have a soft spot for this team, their Le Mans efforts have seldom had class-winning potential. This is one of the more aggressive Am lineups I've seen in a while.

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Wow the JMW lineup is a pleasant surprise.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...r-le-mans.html

As much as I have a soft spot for this team, their Le Mans efforts have seldom had class-winning potential. This is one of the more aggressive Am lineups I've seen in a while.

That is a great line up, especially with the switch to a 488.

[Simmi]

Almost all the Proton names filled in. Great ringing around by DSC this morning following the entry deadline.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...at-proton.html

Cool to see occasional forum visitor Mike Hedlund get a drive too.

[Simmi]

As significant as those on the list this year - is those who aren't.

Jorg Bergmeister and Nicolas Minassian both snap 15-year consecutive start streaks, dating back to 2002. Always quite sad to see those runs come to an end.

Also for the first time in 11 years Benoit Treluyer won't compete at La Sarthe. That's probably the biggest surprise of any for me. He'd be a very valuable asset to a P2 team.

It will also be the first Le Mans I've done where I haven't seen Gianmaria Bruni, Loic Duval and Marc Lieb.


On the flip side it's a very decent rookie class at LM this year. Maybe doesn't quite have the clout of the last couple of years. But it makes for a nice list across the classes.

Lopez, Kunimoto (the two most under-pressure rookies!)

Rosenqvist, Vergne, Lynn, Sirotkin, Laurent, Hanley. Some guy called Barrichello.

Molina, Serra

Cairoli, Yelloly, D.Vanthoor

It's always an interesting juxtaposition that Le Mans has the most prestige of any 24hr race, but is often the third weakest entry list in terms of pure driving talent behind Daytona and Spa.

[Mike E]

Keating opts for Michelin.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/k...s-lmp2-attack/

[Mike E]

Do we know the third driver in the #22 G-Drive, alongside Hirakawa and Rojas?

Then there are just 3 other empty seats, as far as I know. Two in the #40 Graff and one in the #88 Proton.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Do we know the third driver in the #22 G-Drive, alongside Hirakawa and Rojas?

Then there are just 3 other empty seats, as far as I know. Two in the #40 Graff and one in the #88 Proton.

Had assumed it was Leo Roussel but removed him as DSC said it wasn't confirmed.

I had Franck Matelli down in the #40 alongside James Allen too but not sure what's happening with that. There's potential that Graff car could be turned into something competitive I guess, but it doesn't seem in keeping with their budget/philosophy.

The #88 need to find their bronze guy.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Had assumed it was Leo Roussel but removed him as DSC said it wasn't confirmed.

I had Franck Matelli down in the #40 alongside James Allen too but not sure what's happening with that. There's potential that Graff car could be turned into something competitive I guess, but it doesn't seem in keeping with their budget/philosophy.

The #88 need to find their bronze guy.

Graff lineups now confirmed:

#39 Eric Trouillet/Enzo Guibbert/James Winslow
#40 Franck Matelli/James Allen/Richard Bradley

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-line-ups.html

So that's just the third seats in #22 and #88 still to be filled

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by KA

Graff lineups now confirmed:

#39 Eric Trouillet/Enzo Guibbert/James Winslow
#40 Franck Matelli/James Allen/Richard Bradley

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-line-ups.html

So that's just the third seats in #22 and #88 still to be filled

Enzo Guibbert just slapped it on pole at the ELMS in Monza ahead of Albuquerque, Lapierre, Hirakawa, Pla, Bradley etc. Tells me I need to brush up on a few of these new P2 guys.

[Simmi]

Ooooosh - http://sportscar365.com/lemans/leman...r-24h-le-mans/

Let's see what happens (if anything) here.

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Almost all the Proton names filled in. Great ringing around by DSC this morning following the entry deadline.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...at-proton.html

Cool to see occasional forum visitor Mike Hedlund get a drive too.

Thanks Simmi!

ps: I read TenTenths every day!

-mike