Petit Le Mans 2008 Rumors / Entries Thread

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by carsten66

First impressions from the new race-prepared BMW M3 coupe and sound of M3’s V8 (up-rated to 485 horsepower) on track during testing...

http://bmw-motorsport.com/ms/en/fasc.../m3/video.html

It's a car.
(this video was posted here 1 or 2 months ago)

[FIRE]

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[Aslak Vind]

I think Ingolstadt will be calling him very soon...

"Franck, this is Herr Ullrich...."

That would be a sweet deal for both parties, however I doubt it.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by TWK

Winning four of seven races is having your "arse handed to" you?

"AGR splitting from Honda..." That's an interesting turn of phrase. How about "Honda cutting loose AGR.." Not sayin'... just sayin'...

Well I say it then. Bet Honda cut loose AGR.

[JAG]

PLM and Laguna could be much more profitable for LMS P1 teams than previous years, particularly the Lola Aston Martin, which appears a match for the R10 away from the long straights of Le Mans.

It'll not happen, but I'd like to see how something like the Oreca Judd would go on tighter US circuits.

[Duff_44]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Well I say it then. Bet Honda cut loose AGR.

I'd be very surprised if that wasn't exactly how it went...

AGR has struggled since their shock class win at Sebring in 2007, and they could potentially be losing their sponsor with the XM/Sirius merger taking full effect later this year (nothing has been said about that, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit)

Highcroft has been wicked fast and consistent, Fernandez has been quick but had awful luck (the DQ at Sebring & the misfire at Lime Rock for example), and de Ferran was competitive right out of the box.

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by Duff_44

Highcroft has been wicked fast and consistent, Fernandez has been quick but had awful luck (the DQ at Sebring & the misfire at Lime Rock for example), and de Ferran was competitive right out of the box.

One could say some of the same for AGR. If not for bad luck, they would have no luck at all. Both Andretti and Montagny have been wicked fast but have had nothing but bad luck. Montagny certainly would have won P2 if not for his little shunt with the Aston.

DK

[Aslak Vind]

Originally Posted by mattcat

What makes you think that Montagny won't keep racing? Do you mean not racing at all, or not racing for Acura?

I doubt that he will be contacted by Audi Sport, to line up a drive.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by dxk1

One could say some of the same for AGR. If not for bad luck, they would have no luck at all. Both Andretti and Montagny have been wicked fast but have had nothing but bad luck. Montagny certainly would have won P2 if not for his little shunt with the Aston.

DK

Sorry, but not all of it can be summed up to bad luck, some of it has been driver induced.


L.P.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

Originally Posted by Aslak Vind

I doubt that he will be contacted by Audi Sport, to line up a drive.

I agree with you hard to imagine him at Audi, anyway the german brand has many good drivers in DTM, and possibly Marcel Fassler who is flying in FIA GT now

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

Sorry, but not all of it can be summed up to bad luck, some of it has been driver induced.


L.P.

I agree that their drivers haven't been perfect. I just think if they put Montagny, Andretti and Kanaan into that car at PLM and had a little good luck and no bad luck, they would have a great shot at a win. If they ran next year, with Montagny and Andretti as a pair all year, they could do quite well in P2 and probably even challenge for the championship.

DK

[TWK]

A fixation with "driver" and "car?" I suggest that "team" is the third, just as important, component.

[Kai]

I think that Montagny and Rossiter is a very solid driver line up and a lot of good can come from them given some more time to run. If they get cut at the end of the season I don't know if that will be time enough. While Mario has been good on occasion, I don't think subbing him in every so often was a very good move. A solid fixed driver lineup should have been priority from the second they dropped Herta and Fittipaldi.

[Aslak Vind]

Mario is over the hill..

However much I respect him, he was not very sharp even back when he partnered Jan Magnussen and David Brabham in Panoz at the 2000 Le Mans. He could not see much at night, and the reflexes was not the best.

Which is not strange, happens for the best of us when we get older. But leave us with the memories

[HORNDAWG]

I do believe he meant Marco, not his grandfather Mario.


L.P.

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

I do believe he meant Marco, not his grandfather Mario.


L.P.

Mario would still be an upgrade to some un-named P1 teams!

DK

[Aslak Vind]

Somebody mentioned Andretti, Andretti and Andretti.

That was the thing I responded to..

[ger80]

Somebody? That was me !

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by Aslak Vind

Somebody mentioned Andretti, Andretti and Andretti.

That was the thing I responded to..

Michael and Mario qualified 9th for the 1982 24 hours of Le Mans and then didn't start. Michael, Mario and John ran the 1988 24 and finished 6th. Got up to second but then fell back. They made a good team. How about Michael, John and Marco for ALMS in 2009 or even this year's PLM? One could do worse.

DK

[Kai]

My bad, Marco.

[mazda1]

New Lola Mazda B08/80 in the b-k shop. Testing starts soon.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by mazda1

New Lola Mazda B08/80 in the b-k shop. Testing starts soon.

Any spy pics of it in carbon at the shop.


L.P.

[mazda1]

Not yet. Soon!!

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by mazda1

New Lola Mazda B08/80 in the b-k shop. Testing starts soon.

When I was at Road America, I did hear that B-K rented the track for early Sept testing. Sept 2 & 3 IIRC

B-K's shop is only an hour or so south of Road America.

[tux]

This weeks autosport has an article on an lmp1 hybrid zytek. Says that today in detroit the wraps are set to come off the project and that the car could compete at petit le mans.