*Race Thread*.... Penultimate Round of the ALMS....Petit Le Mans Oct. 1-4, 08

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Aslak Vind

Good to hear the news on the Pug, welldone mechs!

@ AU N EGL: Thank you for the enthusiastic update

Going into T10 at OVER 180 mph and hitting the brakes at the 1 marker (100 feet to go) ?? That is just un fricken believable.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Going into T10 at OVER 180 mph and hitting the brakes at the 1 marker (100 feet to go) ?? That is just un fricken believable.

shouldn't they close to 190mph there?
regardless....

[fieldodreams79]

anyone got the drop on any team frequencies yet? could it be close to the same from Sebring?

[Panoz Max]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Going into T10 at OVER 180 mph and hitting the brakes at the 1 marker (100 feet to go) ?? That is just un fricken believable.

That right there is the reason why its my favorite place to watch at Road Atlanta. Lots of action and drama too.

[Hugewally]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

anyone got the drop on any team frequencies yet? could it be close to the same from Sebring?

There's always a list buried in here...

http://www.americanlemans.com/commun...rums/index.php

[Zurbert82]

I believe the markers are in meters or yards.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Zurbert82

I believe the markers are in meters or yards.

nope feet, in the US we use feet. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, as in 600 down to 100 feet before the corner.

Know the corner well as I also have raced on Road Atlanta a few times.

[AU N EGL]

John Thawley has a photo gallery up at Trackbites of pre-Petit testing: http://www.trackbytes.com/recent-pho...ing-pre-petit/

[The Badger]

Link dont work .

[tux1234]

this 1 does though http://www.trackbytes.com/recent-pho...ing-pre-petit/

[smcorolla]

thought it was interesting that Audi was set up all the way down at the end of the paddock, all the years they have been there, have been at the other end usually within a couple spots of the IMSA trailer if not right beside.

also was a little surprised at the "fort-like" structure of the Peugeot set-up, gives the impression of "dont want you around, just go away"

not surprised to hear that the 66 had an off at 2-3, mid-day Saturday it was really cooking through there, very close to the ragged edge.

rick

[joeb]

Originally Posted by smcorolla

..
also was a little surprised at the "fort-like" structure of the Peugeot set-up, gives the impression of "dont want you around, just go away"..

rick

I think they even had a video surveillance camera there too!

[Mal]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Going into T10 at OVER 180 mph and hitting the brakes at the 1 marker (100 feet to go) ?? That is just un fricken believable.

One of the things that impressed me most at Silverstone was the braking point at the end of The Hanger Straight where they must have been doing a similar speed. I got the impression that the Audi and Pugs were braking later than the top p2 cars.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Mal

One of the things that impressed me most at Silverstone was the braking point at the end of The Hanger Straight where they must have been doing a similar speed. I got the impression that the Audi and Pugs were braking later than the top p2 cars.

Road Atlanta's back straight and going down hill into T10 brake zone does have some great advantages. T5 on Road America is the same way.

In a high speed down hill brake zone, the cars tend to be aerodynamically pushed too the ground more. then when the brakes are applied, the nose of the car goes down further. This creates a very strong vacuum under the car which dramatically helps braking. ie much shorted brake zone.

and then those great carbon ceramic brakes.





Sorry about the link. I just copied and pasted

[Zurbert82]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

nope feet, in the US we use feet. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, as in 600 down to 100 feet before the corner.

Know the corner well as I also have raced on Road Atlanta a few times.

Wow, then thats insane. I was awed by the braking of the LMP2 cars coming into the new uphill at Lime Rock, but that was from maybe 130mph or so. TV doesn't do it justice.

[fieldodreams79]

NOTHING does justice for standing next to the fence at Road ATL's turn 9, wathcing the LMP1 cars go past at about 20 feet away pushing the high 180s.

it's insane, but not as insane as standing on the wall at pit exit with them passing just below your feet. that's a rush!

[Hugewally]

Originally Posted by smcorolla

thought it was interesting that Audi was set up all the way down at the end of the paddock, all the years they have been there, have been at the other end usually within a couple spots of the IMSA trailer if not right beside.

also was a little surprised at the "fort-like" structure of the Peugeot set-up, gives the impression of "dont want you around, just go away"

not surprised to hear that the 66 had an off at 2-3, mid-day Saturday it was really cooking through there, very close to the ragged edge.

rick

Nothing unusual about their location, Audi & Penske set-up as close as possible to where their pit boxes are (they're both at pit out this time); most teams try to do the same anyway.

The Pug tent is the same as they had at Sebring but without the plastic outer walls.

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by smcorolla

also was a little surprised at the "fort-like" structure of the Peugeot set-up, gives the impression of "dont want you around, just go away"

Any photos??

Tom.

[Hugewally]

Its no more of the impression than when the other teams have their canopies closed. Its just a big canopy tent structure as they don't have the transporter/canopy setup like everyone else does.

[yamato]

This is interesting. I think that most tracks, Audi choose to have the last pit box before the pit out,.... but Every year that I can remember at PLM, that have picked the first box at the pit in,....

I always wondered what was different about Road Atlanta, that made them do this,... and now I wonder what has changed?

I do know that pit space was a real issue last year, and if you have the last box, you don't have to worry about someone pushing back in front of you.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Zurbert82

Wow, then thats insane. I was awed by the braking of the LMP2 cars coming into the new uphill at Lime Rock, but that was from maybe 130mph or so. TV doesn't do it justice.

Z

You are correct, TV come no were close to doing the braking justice.

I have driven / Raced Road Atlanta several times. I might hit 160-162 mph going into the T10 Brake zone. I brake at 3 or 3 1/4, as hard as I fricken can. OK I am on Iron rotors, not CCBs. Even with my harness as tight as they can be, I still gets pulled forward into the harness from the G-forces. My shoulders hurt and even get brused from that hard of braking.
If I dont take a deep breath before I hit the brake peddle, I cold almost have the wind knocked out of me. when no one is around me I brake at the 4 marker

Oh my friend said with the radar gun the Audi was hitting 185 mph into the T10 brake zone.

[Hugewally]

Was that you shooting pics in the blue shirt and tan baseball cap?

[Aslak Vind]

As Brundle said when asked, about the latest new F1 car.

Well, the accelleration was great, but the braking made the sweat from my face hit the inside of the visor

[deggis]

Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New MAZDA6 will mark a historic first when the American Le Mans Series offers 5.5 hours of live, in-race video through americanlemans.com on Saturday, October 4. Starting at 1 p.m. ET, viewers will enjoy uninterrupted streaming video of the main television race feed combined with John Hindhaugh providing lap-by-lap coverage as well as reports from the rest of the American Le Mans Radio team.

The window coincides with the end of SPEED's opening two hours of race coverage at 1 p.m. ET and the beginning of its second segment at 6:30 p.m. Americanlemans.com also will stream video of qualifying starting at 3:25 p.m. ET on Friday, October 3.

http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=4808

[deggis]

Originally Posted by smcorolla

also was a little surprised at the "fort-like" structure of the Peugeot set-up, gives the impression of "dont want you around, just go away"

Just a result of competition getting tougher. E.g. Peugeot often has those blankets covering certain things when the bodywork is off. They obviously dont want to give any freebies.