[LM24] Le Mans 2003 (For Team and Driver Details)

[jet]

Peter Kox will not drive for Spyker this year. He is going to compete with the Prodrive Ferrari along with Thomas Enge and Anthony Davidson!

Spyker is going to try to get two entries. One car will be driven by Hans Hugenholz, Norman Simon and Derek Hill. For the other one I think they will wait until ACO has decided if they get the entry.

[Fab]

According to David Lengangneux :
http://lmspm.ifrance.com/lmspm/24auto03/index.htm
the Luc Alphand project with the new LMP 675 Courage seems to be withdraw, certainly for money problems...

Luc Alphand could have an entry with a Porsche again.

[kdr]

looks like if you enter an lmp 900 this year you're going to get an entry...?

[Fab]

Originally posted by kdr
looks like if you enter an lmp 900 this year you're going to get an entry...?

It's full up right now : I counted enough cars to fulfill the grid... not sure the 3 Domes could enter together... hope for two (and efficient ones, not the asmathic second, as last two years...).

[MaxSport]

"Go back to ANY given FIA Sportscar Race with the prototypes last season and count up the total cars that actually raced..."

Who ever said anything about the FIA SCC?

[Tim Northcutt]

In Reply to MaxSport:

If you will look back at Page 9, I replied to a statement by "FAB" that lamented lack of support/sponsorship from French companies for ORECA, Pescarolo, etc.

Last year, those teams raced in the FIA events....thus my reference to it in my reply to you....

Since Le Mans attracts entries from both ALMS and FIA series, but only the ALMS has struck an agreement with the ACO to be tied to it, I stated that FIA and its teams could benefit from the same type of agreement with the ACO as well, and that endurance racing would benefit as a whole from consistency in technical rules as well as the ties to the ACO and Le Mans as a marketing hook for potential sponsors...

Teams (if they chose to do so) also could run in events in the other series if they chose to do so...

For example, with any sort of coordination at all, an FIA event that would normally take place in May (This year, it is in Germany May 10 and last year it was in Brno May 18) could be raced by ALMS teams that will already be in Europe in early May for Le Mans testing without changing their cars to fit the rules...and the ALMS wouldn't have to strike out on its own to cut a deal with a European presenter to run a race...which they tried to do this year but couldn't cut a deal.

Last year, ALMS teams went from testing in France to California (Sears Point in Mid-May) and back to France ( not cheap when you'rfe shipping cars, parts, and people)...sponsors don't like to have their money spent unwisely by their clients...

By the same token, a deal with the ACO and/or ALMS by the FIA would open up sponsorship possibilities for the FIA teams, because they would have the North American market in addition to Europe as a selling point to pitch their prospects....

I closed my comments on page 9 that this wouldn't happen in reality, because there are too many egos involved (and too amny small-minded peopel who are making the decisions in the FIA) to do something that otherwise would make sense...

Not having quality teams like ORECA, Pescarolo, etc., in endurance racing hurts the sport and in turn, hurts the potential for a highly competitive field at Le Mans

Unless, of course, none of this above makes sense to you...

[Fab]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
By the same token, a deal with the ACO and/or ALMS by the FIA would open up sponsorship possibilities for the FIA teams, because they would have the North American market in addition to Europe as a selling point to pitch their prospects....

Well spoted.

The sponsors beeing with Pescarolo are strictly 'french market oriented' (oh my poor english, sorry !) --> they are mainly concerned by french customers, that's why they don't seem interressed by racing abroad...

I don't know were you live, Tim, but you know, France is a very small country, very conservative in a way (not talking about politic here, I'm not qualified). And more concerned by things happening inside the country than outside, I'm afraid... for us.

Sponsorship is not in our way of meaning, because we 'doubt' of everything... too cynical people are we, maybe...

But I'm getting off the thread...

[kdr]

i was just thinking last night that although the car entry list isn't as strong as say 1999...theres a great range of interesting drivers going to be out there. from what i can gather...

lehto, pirro, biela, mccarthy, salo, johansson, lammers, katayama, beretta, magnussen, kristensen, capello, herbert, brabham, fellows, gavin, blundell, wallace, leitzinger, o'connell, davidson, enge...

only mcnish missing then..

[Tim Northcutt]

To Fab:

I understood Pescarolo's predicament from the initial e-mail...I am sure that their sponsors have looked closely at where they choose to target their marketing and sales efforts and have made the choices that are best for their needs...

The reason why I suggested and supported the lengthy solution on this thread is that Pescarolo is a worthy team that could receive support from multi-national corporations outside of France that do have an interest in global marketing if they were getting involved with a team that is affiliated with a racing series that does not think small and selfishly (as the FIA seems to be doing)....

The solution I had described would create a climate for Pescarolo, and others, to seek such sponsorships and would make endurance racing as a whole a growing and healthy form of racing....

However, the reality of the situation tells us that this won't happen anyway...too many egos in the way to make a sensible decision that would be best for everyone....

If Pescarolo's sponsors are more France-focused, that is their choice....I just wish that Pescarolo would be given the opportunity to look outside of France, or even Europe, for sponsorship...

But as a European-based team, it would be cost-prohibitive for them to race a full season in North America....their only option (other than a select few races like Sebring or Petit Le Mans) is racing in Europe and the FIA series does not have its act together...

[pink69]

Anthony Daivdson will drive one of the Veloqx-Prodrive Ferrari 550M at Le Mans this June. He will be joined by other Veloqx stars Jamie Davies, Darren Turner and Kelvin Burt and Prodrive regulars Peter Kox and Tomas Enge. A force to be reckoned with. If both cars go the distance and Prodrives performance last year, Corvette will be struggling to match the 550's.

[Lee Janotta]

Cool.

[Aysedasi]

I'm incorporating this into the LM Teams and Drivers thread.

I know the temptation to do the Thursday Autosport newsround, but can we please put team/driver LM news in that thread?

Thanks

[Nordic]

Just checked out www.maisonblanche.co.uk for news, it would seem that Alliot may be heading towards a Courage 675.
also pictures of the courage with a new wing.

[Aysedasi]

Well that should guarantee some bent bodywork in practice then......

[Tim Northcutt]

Their change in the rear wing area with endplates is the way they should have done it last year...

The configuration they used at Le Mans did not accomplish the same goals as the Audi configuration, beauce they did not go out to the ends of the wings....

[Fab]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
Their change in the rear wing area with endplates is the way they should have done it last year...

The configuration they used at Le Mans did not accomplish the same goals as the Audi configuration, beauce they did not go out to the ends of the wings....

I really count on the C60 Evo, and would liketo see this car in the top ten cars on one lap... just for fun !

[Fab]

Lots of dispointement for french pilots, not having good car this year... including Yannick Dalmas, who didn't find any wheel for 2003... he thinks seriously to retire definitely... no Derek Bell record for him...

BTW, who's gonna beat this one ? It should be Tom Kristensen, young and still driving the fastest cars...

[E46]

Sad if finally Dalmas retires .

[Fab]

From yesterday evening Ouest France newspaper :
http://www.lemans.maville.com/actu/D...57710&idCLA=53
Luc Alphand bought the brand new Courage LMP 675 prototype !!!

The car will enter LM, two races of the ALMS in the second part of the season, and probably some races of the FIA-SCC. The engine is a Rover AER... anybody knows which one ? The MG's engine?

Haliday and Alliot coud make it too : it's very good news for Yves Courage, and for the future of its projects...

We could have a nice 675 race in 2003 !

[Fab]

Same news as above, but in english from Maison Blanche :
http://www.maisonblanche.co.uk/n030215.html
Luc Alphand will enter a Porsche too...

[Fab]

First pic of the new WR, thanks to SpiritOf and Wr site :
http://www.welterracing.fr/accueil/accueil.htm
Spirit Of says that the sponsorship on the bonnet recalls good memories (and give good news !)

[kdr]

is anthony davidson really allowed to race FOR ferrari...or should that be IN A ferrari. bbc(who probably wouldn't know better)have that as their headline.

do ferrari contribute officially in any way with the 360 and 550?

[BSchneiderFan]

As far as I know, Ferrari have no input into the Prodrive 550 project, which Davidson will be driving. I believe they have had some involvement (through Michelotto?) in the 360 Modena, and are participating in the projected development of a 575M, perhaps to be campaigned by JMB Racing. But it's all fairly low-key.

[Nordic]

WR have released pictures of the new V6 car, this will form part of a two car attack, the other being a 4cly turbo as normal.
One of the drivers is listed as Terada, this would seem to mean the end of any mazda powered cars.

[Tim Northcutt]

I saw an image of the new WR on Mulsanne Mike's site....

They did a nice job of retaining the distinctive look of the chassis, yet made enough update changes to the lines that should help the car aerodynamically....

Taking two different approaches to engines could be somewhat expensive, but in the long run it is quite smart, since they can compare the two on the track and decide which power option is the most effective for this chassis....

Too bad that Mazda looks like it is history...the diveresity of chassis and power is what makes this form of racing so interesting to me...

One Final Note: Toyota apparently is developing a racing version of a 6.0 Liter engine that will be running in the NASCAR Truck Series next year (a "Tundra" truck) and they will use that data and experience to run a Winston Cup Stock Car team in 2005.....

Don't be surprised if down the road some LMP 900s that would be looking at a Judd, Elan or Chevy engine might also take a hard look at this Toyota engine as an option as well....