LM24 Le Mans 2003 (For Team and Driver Details) - Page 16

**Aysedasi** · 15 Mar 2003, 09:36 (Ref:536766)

Quote:

Originally posted by Fab
- Idée Verte WR : it's ended for 2003, the car won't be ready

That's definite then Fab, is it?

KA · 15 Mar 2003, 11:33 (Ref:536834)

Quote:

Originally posted by Fab
Well, that's not long to wait now to have the definitive LM entry list ! But I assume ACO have a serious idea of what it will be, already. Except fot those we're all waiting, I have now some doubts about :
- the Morgan (for sale at Sebring !) : very very sad news, I love this car

The orignal car run last year by RaceSports Salisbury has been for sale for a while (was advertised in Autosport for a couple of weeks last month), presumably because they're now involved in the TVR project, but Morgan themselves seem to be running an in-house factory effort instead- they announced drivers (Martin Short/Matt Griffin/Charles Morgan)a couple of weeks ago

rdjones · 15 Mar 2003, 11:44 (Ref:536846)

KA, from what I understand that is is the case, hopefully we will see the Morgan back at Le Mans this year.

Fab · 15 Mar 2003, 20:36 (Ref:537372)

Quote:

Originally posted by rdjones
KA, from what I understand that is is the case, hopefully we will see the Morgan back at Le Mans this year.

Phew ! Let's hope ACO keep them in the entry list...

kdr · 16 Mar 2003, 11:54 (Ref:537988)

a few of my amateurish observations...

none of the proposed new cars for 2003 lasted very long. lister, zonda...nasamax the longest with 14(!)laps. i wonder how the aco will view all this.

675 has supposedly a big lm entry...but they were pretty much nowhere in race conditions yesterday.

is there any way of tweaking a bit more power out of that panoz?

will the slippier bentley fare better on the straights of le mans?

and whos spencer pumpelly?!

Fab · 16 Mar 2003, 12:40 (Ref:538010)

We'll have the new Courage C65 in addition of the Sebring LMP 675, and the new WR too... I hope, if not as fast as the LMP 900, they could handle it on 24 hours in their own category...

rdjones · 16 Mar 2003, 16:36 (Ref:538168)

The only new car to make an impression at Sebring was the TVR, which I think has done enough to get in. As for the others I reckon they will all get in as the ACO will want as wide range of cars from different manfactours.

Fab · 16 Mar 2003, 17:51 (Ref:538209)

I think so... the interrest of ACO is in opening the race to new teams, cars, etc...

The next challenge for ACO is to attract Japan with a great factory... hey Ayse ?

rdjones · 16 Mar 2003, 19:08 (Ref:538251)

Quote:

Originally posted by Fab
The next challenge for ACO is to attract Japan with a great factory... hey Ayse ?

and didn't the ACO have a trip to Japan not to long back to drum support for the race.

kdr · 16 Mar 2003, 21:36 (Ref:538378)

i think the moderators know something we don't!

rdjones · 16 Mar 2003, 21:59 (Ref:538392)

Quote:

Originally posted by kdr
i think the moderators know something we don't!

and whats that I wonder

carbsmith · 16 Mar 2003, 22:25 (Ref:538405)

675 was brutal at Sebring last year too. Out of all the combined starts for MGs at Sebring, I only know of 2 entries that didn't have suspension problems. Intersport last year (who had othr problems), and the Dyson MG that sat in the pits for 4 1/2 hours.

Fab · 17 Mar 2003, 06:13 (Ref:538596)

Quote:

Originally posted by rdjones
and whats that I wonder

Looooooots of things (just kidding !)

I just read papers and internet sites around...

Fab · 17 Mar 2003, 09:47 (Ref:538700)

And not only the papers... here are some news from SpiritOf :
http://www.spiritof.com.fr/spirit%20...303.htm#Larbre
They'll let you know that a Bourdais (Sebastien father)could be at the start of LM this year at the wheel of a Larbre Porsche, and that Jena-Michel Bayle could drive the Luc Alphand Porsche... Bayle was motorcyle champion and won lats year Bol d'Or...

Nordic · 17 Mar 2003, 12:32 (Ref:538826)

Dailysportscar are saying spyker have lodged two entries, a trifle hopefull I think.
The Lister, Nasmax and Zonda all have something to prove to the ACO now.
What would you prefer, a varity of different cars, some lasting less than the hour or would you go with known examples? thats if you have the choice.

**Aysedasi** · 17 Mar 2003, 13:07 (Ref:538861)

Quote:

Originally posted by rdjones
and whats that I wonder

Well, I certainly don't have any inside information......

About Bourdais Fab - that would be Patrick then, yes? He's raced at Le Mans a few times before, hasn't he - for Larbre or Chereau?

**Aysedasi** · 17 Mar 2003, 13:08 (Ref:538864)

Quote:

Originally posted by Nordic

What would you prefer, a varity of different cars, some lasting less than the hour or would you go with known examples? thats if you have the choice.

Variety's the spice of life for me. Otherwise we could end up with a field of Audi's and 911's - Jeez, what a dreadful thought......

Fab · 17 Mar 2003, 13:20 (Ref:538881)

Quote:

Originally posted by Aysedasi
About Bourdais Fab - that would be Patrick then, yes? He's raced at Le Mans a few times before, hasn't he - for Larbre or Chereau?

That's him ; he drove on :
1993 : Sauber SHS C 6 N°28, with Bassaler and Capette
1994 : Alpa LM N°8, with Minassian and Couvreur
1995 : Callaway Corvette N°76, with Thyrring and Coppelli
1996 : Porsche 911 GT2 N°8, with Goueslard and Ahrle
1997 : Porsche 911 GT2 N°75, with Lasa Reisende and Kitchak
1999 : Porsche 911 GT2 N°67, with Jarier and De Thoisy

All those informations are kindly given by this french site :
http://www.abc24.fr.fm/
I don't know the webmaster, but this site is very easy to use for a research, and it's in english too !

Precision : Jean-Luc Chereau, as CEO of Chereau SA, is the main sponsor of Larbre Competition, and one the gentlemen drivers for Le Mans race...

**Aysedasi** · 17 Mar 2003, 19:14 (Ref:539301)

Didn't I hear somewhere that M. "Fridge" Chereau is in some financial trouble? Or did I dream that up?

By the way, for what its worth, I don't intend to remove any car/entrant from my "hypothetical" list until such time as the ACO announce who is "invited" to participate. Any idea when that will be Fab?

rdjones · 17 Mar 2003, 19:29 (Ref:539323)

Quote:

Originally posted by Aysedasi
Didn't I hear somewhere that M. "Fridge" Chereau is in some financial trouble? Or did I dream that up?

By the way, for what its worth, I don't intend to remove any car/entrant from my "hypothetical" list until such time as the ACO announce who is "invited" to participate. Any idea when that will be Fab?

I belive you are right there Ayse, I have also heard that. Lets just hope the ACO put out of our misary and tell use who they are going to invited to the race this week.

Fab · 18 Mar 2003, 05:57 (Ref:539810)

Quote:

Originally posted by Aysedasi
Didn't I hear somewhere that M. "Fridge" Chereau is in some financial trouble? Or did I dream that up?

Chereau SA suffered of a bankrupcy lately... doesn't mean that the firm is closed, but that there's a problem of cash-flow... it doesn't seem to affect their entries in FIA-GT championship and all things around...

Quote:

Originally posted by Aysedasi
The ACO announce who is "invited" to participate. Any idea when that will be Fab?

They anounce 'some weeks after Sebring', but mean 'some days' IMO... it was shortly after Sebring last year. BTW, there's not a so wide choice this year, with 72 candidates for 50 places plus 6 substitutes. There's more or less 20 LMP/GTP 900 (just the count they need), 10 GTS or so ; the choices are in LM 675 : there's some serious cars, but after Sebring disarray, there will be questions ; and the overcrowded GT class : hope they chose not to much Porsches...

Let's remember here that :
- ACO has to have a good grid at the start (fast and prestigious cars),
- but enough cars running 24 hours later, which is not so simple

It's much more easy to chose cars for a picture than for a 24 hours race...

rdjones · 18 Mar 2003, 08:10 (Ref:539862)

Just looked back to last year and the ACO announced the entry on the 21st of March............

**Aysedasi** · 18 Mar 2003, 08:23 (Ref:539868)

Aha - could be imminent then.....

kdr · 18 Mar 2003, 13:01 (Ref:540070)

ayse and fab....another prediction competition this year could be "amount of finishers"!

**Aysedasi** · 18 Mar 2003, 13:03 (Ref:540072)

Well, I've started my two. If anyone else wants to think up some more - go for it. Having said that, I don't necessarily want to see 163 different predictions threads......

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