[LM24 Race] Le Mans Entry List 2019 (and entry list speculation)

[gert]

So,

The Porsche factory gets 4 entries because they have 2 cars in WEC and 2 cars in IMSA.
Ford gets 4 entries because they have 2 cars in WEC and 2 cars in IMSA.
Corvette gets 2 because they have 0 cars in WEC and 2 in IMSA.
Risi gets 1 because they have 0 in WEC and 1 car in a single round in IMSA.

Panis Barthez gets 1 entry because they have 0 in WEC and 1 in ELMS.
United Autosports gets 11 entries because they have 4 in LMES, 3 in LM cup and 4 in Asian LMS.

Oh, wait ...

[LC2guy]

IMHO, the Most un-inspiring entry list in a long time. Tiny Top Class with Winners all but known, only 25 Prototypes in total, with 35 GTs !!! 4 Fords, who are about to bugger off, 10 Porsches & 11 Ferraris ..... and Privateers who have invested in ACO Protos sitting at home. Still, i'll torture myself by watching.....

[gert]

Right now, the guys at Highclass are wondering why they bothered buying that new Oreca, and checking if they have an "unsatisfied, return to sender" option.

[Deleted]

Yeah gert... lol indeed... it's just sickening

Also, High Class might want to sell their Dallaras too instead of sending them to ASLMS

Anyway...

Chassis mfg numbers (11)
12+03x Oreca
12+00x Ferrari
10+02x Porsche
05+04x Onroak
05+00x Dallara
05+00x Ford
04+01x Aston Martin
02+00x Toyota
02+00x Chevrolet
02+00x BMW
01+00x Kodewa-Kolles

Engine mfg numbers (9)
21+07x Zytek
12+00x Ferrari
10+02x Porsche
05+00x Ford
04+01x Aston Martin
02+00x AER
02+00x Toyota
02+00x Chevrolet
02+00x BMW


-----------------------------
Comparison:

2018 Chassis mfg numbers (13)
10+01x Oreca
10+00x Porsche
09+02x Onroak
08+03x Ferrari
06+02x Dallara
04+00x Aston Martin
04+00x Ford
02+00x Toyota
02+00x Ginetta
02+00x Chevrolet
02+00x BMW
01+00x Kodewa-Kolles
00+01x Riley

2018 Engine mfg numbers (11)
23+06x Zytek
10+00x Porsche
08+03x Ferrari
04+00x Aston Martin
04+00x Ford
02+00x Toyota
02+00x AER
02+00x Mecachrome
02+00x Chevrolet
02+00x BMW
01+00x Nissan

[Simmi]

I tried to get outraged by it but I couldn't really. Don't get me wrong there are a few head-scratchers on there. But I can see why the ACO have gone down the short-term route of appeasing the factory entries. When your premiere class is in the toilet you don't turn away that other GTE manufacturer interest/marketing/spend etc. Sad reality because we all know that grid is almost halves in 2020. One last hurrah.

But we also know there will still be a host of privateer P2 teams next year ready to battle it out for invites. A couple of teams might leave the sport but it's not going to make a lasting impact I don't think. Big picture-wise.

In terms of a few specific things, High Class Racing are probably the ones I feel most sorry for. Genuinely not sure what more they could have done? That sends a far more worrying message. After 3 seasons of ELMS, if they'd had a French flag on the car they'd likely have had 3 invites to LM in the same space. But I guess it's not like the Danes ever offered anything to sportscar racing...

United Autosports probably aren't the team I'd want to anger given their standing, support and future prospects. But I can also see the logic of trying to get as many teams into the race as possible before allowing second cars.

Not giving those two extra non-auto-entry GT-Am slots (Spirit of Race/Kessel 2nd cars) and adding the top two from the reserves would make it fairly decent.

[GT6]

Not overly impressed by the field but i am sure the racing will be good in the support field, can't see the top class giving us much excitement.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by GT6

Not overly impressed by the field but i am sure the racing will be good in the support field, can't see the top class giving us much excitement.

Depends what you call the top class. For 2019 it is GTE.

[Simmi]

Another team in the shocked/stunned camp - https://racer.com/2019/03/01/le-mans...inricher-team/

[GT6]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

Depends what you call the top class. For 2019 it is GTE.

That is what i am saying, the GTE class will i think be the race i will be watching more closely.

[Simmi]

Anyone want to play the 'Where will Tracy and Nic land' game for 2019?

The #60 Kessel stands out. I'll actually go out on a limb this year and go with a first time Krohn/JMW union.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Anyone want to play the 'Where will Tracy and Nic land' game for 2019?

The #60 Kessel stands out. I'll actually go out on a limb this year and go with a first time Krohn/JMW union.

I hope they don't take the JMW entry. Waste of a good team and good entry that.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

Depends what you call the top class. For 2019 it is GTE.

GTE Pro perhaps. GTE Am clutters up the track with Ferraris and Porsches while United Autosports and others get screwed. Five too many GTE Ams in this field and five too few LMP2s.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

GTE Pro perhaps. GTE Am clutters up the track with Ferraris and Porsches while United Autosports and others get screwed. Five too many GTE Ams in this field and five too few LMP2s.

Well GT Pro specifically yeah that is what I meant. At least that awesome Porsche 911 RSR engine sound won't be lacking again. Keating Ford gives GTE AM much needed manufacturer diversity. Love Porsche and Fords, not as much a fan of Ferrari and Aston Martin.

[whitemr2]

https://www.facebook.com/21967978278...8283055617782/
What a shame MSR is on the reserve list, what are the chances they will be competing?

[gert]

Originally Posted by whitemr2

https://www.facebook.com/21967978278...8283055617782/
What a shame MSR is on the reserve list, what are the chances they will be competing?

Non-existing, I would say.

They are 9th on the reserve list, and 7th LMP reserve.
It would take 7 LMP cars to withdraw before they get in.
(These 7 can include other LMP cars on the reserve list)

[Deleted]

I don't think that's correct, nor Marshall Pruett's intel. We used to have separate reserve lists for LMP and GT but nowadays there is only one linear reserve line. Meaning that say sIx GTE-AM teams fold, there would be six LMP2s taking their place. MSR would get in if any 9 cars ahead of them would withdraw, not just if seven LMPs disappear

Anyhow, this line is telling

"In light of today’s news, MSR confirmed it has released Algarve Pro Racing from any planned commitments for Le Mans."

[gert]

It's quite possible the reserve list is linear now, I haven't looked it up.
Anyhow, that would make MSR's chances even worse.


... and they know

Originally Posted by Chiana

"In light of today’s news, MSR confirmed it has released Algarve Pro Racing from any planned commitments for Le Mans."

It's not unusual for those who stand no chance to withdraw from the reserve list.

[batmobile]

Originally Posted by GT6

That is what i am saying, the GTE class will i think be the race i will be watching more closely.

I agree Simon. I find the LMP1 grid boring. So we'll have a big eye on the GT battles. Lmp2 battles could be interesting too.

[batmobile]

Originally Posted by whitemr2

https://www.facebook.com/21967978278...8283055617782/
What a shame MSR is on the reserve list, what are the chances they will be competing?

Hi René I agree especially when in France we often ear about male-female equality ........ACO have missed the opportunity to send a message in this way!

[Anyopenroad]

The focus of reporting has been on United Autosports missing out on a second spot. But neither those reports nor ACO’s rationale have explained the 25/35 split between Proto and GT.

I thought a 30/30 split was mandated, set in stone. I assume I was wrong. But even if so the question for me is not how ACO chose one LMP2 team over another, but rather why they gave so many slots to GTE Am at the expense of LMP2, irrespective of which teams were then picked.

[Akrapovic]

Looking at the United Autosports thing a little more - the more you look at it, the worse it gets.

The one entry they have is for AsLMS. The ELMS Entry appears 3rd on the reserve list. UA finished 4th in ELMS. DragonSpeed, Panis Barthez, TDS Racing, Graff, Algarve and Vilorba Corse all finished behind them and gained entries. They're also behind Duqueine and High Class on the reserves, who they also beat.

You could argue "they have an entry, why do they need more?" but that argument falls down quickly when we have 4 Ford and 4 Porsches. I suspect that the DPi project may get a little more funding now.

Looking at GTE-Am, it makes even less sense. #55 Spirit of Race is a little bit of an odd one to put in, but 2 Kessel Racing cars? Meanwhile, Ebimotors step up from GT3 to GTE-Am and actually lose a slot? Proton have managed to secure 4 entries as well - ok 2 of those are WEC, and one is for the ELMS GTE-Am victory, but how is the 4th justified?

It's pretty easy to make an argument for removing the following cars:

Pro
#69 Ford
#94 Porsche

Am
#55 Spirit of Race
#60 Kessel Racing
#78 Proton

You could extend that to include another factory car from Ford and Porsche, but it's getting a bit much at that point. But I'd argue that certainly another United Autosports entry, Duqueine and High Class deserve entries over these cars. And I'd include Ebimotors, since they stepped up in the way the ACO wanted them to.

MSR...I want them to be in, but I can see why they aren't. But that low on the reserve list is a bit crazy. But again, if we weren't flooding the GTE-Pro ranks with factory cars then we'd get fun entries like this.

Edit: And I don't care that the Ginetta didn't make it on. Sorry, this is just another LMP3 mess. Had plenty of chances, but didn't make it again.

[Deleted]

Proton got the 4th one for winning Le Mans last year. Anyway their entries should've been stripped _at least_ by 50% due to the blatant cheating fiasco last year

MSR might've not "earned" the entry by themselves but Algarve Pro (whom's entry it actually is) should have had second car, like with others

For the Ginetta, I still think *any* LMP1 car should take priority over whatever else, even if it's a mess like them or it's one-off entry. It's also not Ginetta's fault that they can't run it as 'factory entry' without (unreliable) customer, due to the lame rule restrictions. Restrictions which indeed were not there originally when Ginetta was building the cars

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...or-201819.html
For clarity, that means that the regulations will support very similar lap times for hybrid, non-hybrid privateer and indeed non-hybrid factory entries. ----- DSC also understands that other chassis suppliers in the LMP1 class – Ginetta and Dallara – should be able to enter the LMP1 Manufacturer’s World Championship (the current entry fee for which is €360,000).

[Mike E]

Duqueine Engineering are looking at innovative ways of getting into the race...

https://twitter.com/Team_Duqueine/st...857131010?s=19

[Akrapovic]

The Proton entry for winning Le Mans is taken by one of the WEC Entries though isn't it? Two of the cars are the WEC entries, and the other two are the ELMS entries? Certainly, that's how it was listed when I looked before.

MSR is the Algarve entry, but it's hard to justify a second Algarve car when others haven't gotten entries they deserve. I'd have included it (by removing the cars I stated earlier), but I can at least understand that decision even though I don't like it.

I have serious doubts Ginetta could run the car effectively even if they were allowed to run it as a factory. Car wasn't ready for Le Mans. Blamed the engine. Said the new one was ready but they couldn't race because of paperwork. Months pass, car still isn't ready. I have zero faith in Ginetta producing a decent prototype now.

Whilst I 100% agree that the regulations are stupid, there are ways around it. If Ginetta wanted to run it as a factory then you'd just get AF Corse or WRT or one of the many other customer-focused teams to "run" the car, with heavy Ginetta involvement. You couldn't run the team like that full time, but if you're wanting to prove the car works and need to run it, then there are ways.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Proton have managed to secure 4 entries as well - ok 2 of those are WEC, and one is for the ELMS GTE-Am victory, but how is the 4th justified?

Originally Posted by Chiana

Proton got the 4th one for winning Le Mans last year. Anyway their entries should've been stripped _at least_ by 50% due to the blatant cheating fiasco last year

[/I]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

The Proton entry for winning Le Mans is taken by one of the WEC Entries though isn't it? Two of the cars are the WEC entries, and the other two are the ELMS entries? Certainly, that's how it was listed when I looked before.

For me, that's one area of how they manage the entry list that the ACO really need to look at- Should a class win at Le Mans earn an additional auto-entry for a car that already has a full-season WEC entry- we've had the situation more than once in the past where teams have earned more auto-entries than they actually have cars, and end up declining them or selling them on for other teams to run under their name as a flag of convenience