some Porsches are more equal than others

[Osella]

2001 was my first le mans and even with that weather, i now know where i want to be in June for the rest of my days. Before going, i swatted up on TotalMotorsport to make sure i could at least recognise the 10 different 911s in the race, and i told everyone who would listen that the Babini car would win. Spectating through the night, opposite the ferris wheel, the cars dropped past us and off to the left.. forgive my geography but regulars doubtless know where i mean, and those ten 911s were very different indeed. The leading Seikel car's pace was more like that of a prototype, also the lead Freisinger car and the Taisan model seemed in another world to the other seven, all of which seemed to change gear in the same place. The three i mentioned though, they were on a different plane, did not sound the same at all. To cut a long story short, just how much do these cars have in common? are they all off-th-shelf cars with just the latest factory bits or do Seikel, Freisinger etc build bespoke parts for their cars? No way did that Seikel no.83 have only 380 horsepower like their site claims last year's car had. And why couldn't the Callaway, so much quicker in practice, beat the lot of them ?

[Aysedasi]

Welcome to the Le Mans Addicts Club, Osella! Your post is interesting because you're the first "Addict" I've come across who seems to take a keen interest in the legions of 911's. I don't mean that disrespectfully, I'm a great believer in "each to his own". I must confess that the 911's all look the same to me, colour-schemes aside. Rosa, Babini and Drudi did a fantastic job though to bring their Seikel car home 6th, only 38 laps behind the winning Audi.

[Liz]

I'm an ALMS Alex Job Racing McKenna Porsche girl myself, big fan of Sascha, Lucas, Randy and Christian too, whatever they may be driving.

You're right, Le Mans is the only place to be in June. This will be my 3rd year and I'll never get enough of it -- got Pitwalk passes last year so I could be right where the cars were!

The differences you mention are especially noticeable at the ALMS level, where the cars go from the state of the art McKenna works Porsches to the one that shall remain nameless that seems to be their dad's car painted up so the boys can go racing in it. Not to mention Gunner Racing, which is exactly that! But I like the Porsches because they are an equal opportunity car -- everybody can get out there and run them, and have a good yardstick to measure themselves against.

[Osella]

I can't believe I'm the only person to try and distinguish between the Porsches! Its not my favourite car, but we all know the reason that TVR, Marcos Ferrari etc don't make a 'mass-produced'GT3 car is that it would be a long time before the Stuttgart marque made their efforts over 24hours look anything other than pathetic. A GT2 once won a BPR 4-hour race against GT1 opposition, I recall. Who couldn't be a fan of Fabio Babini? Watching 2000 le mans on TV, this guy, in the dying moments of the race, kicks his shattered windscreen out in the pits, then suffers the bonnet (boot) flying open and he has to lean out of the door to see where he is going, all whilst racing for position!

[choked_wasp]

Originally posted by Osella
And why couldn't the Callaway, so much quicker in practice, beat the lot of them ?

not enough money went into the development of the car, so it just could last 24 hours, or 12 for that matter

[Banks]

Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about following the 911's. You are just fitting in to the whole ethos of Le Mans. I have been to most of the races since 1970 and the 911 has been the life blood of the event, (along ,of course with all of the smaller, mainly privateer cars ).
This is what it is all about - the uncertainty of the result , big factory teams against privateer, the difference in preparation of the individual competitors , and most of all the luck (or misfortune ) of everybody concerned - and on occasion seeing the privateer winning against all odds. (beats F1 every time!)

[Liz]

I was in the ACO Grandstand for the adventure of the Porsche you mentioned and have some good pictures, I think, of the bonnet flying up. Nobody could believe that he actually drove that car around the entire distance, standing on the running board, and incidentally scaring the daylights out of the guys he passed, and then came back in to get it taped down and off he went again. That was one determined guy!

Of course the other determined guy in 2000, who didn't come off so well, was Tom Koronel, who tried his best to get that wheel back on the car, by himself (unlike some Covette driver who shall remain Ron Fellows) and was disqualified anyway because he had to go too far from the car to retrieve the tire! The one thing I really enjoy most about Le Mans is the determination of all involved.

But I have to admit I can't tell the cars apart by engine noise, though I'd be happy to be instructed if you're going to Le Mans this year!