Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by AndrewF31

It seems to be posting about Albert Motorsport receiving their new Porsche 997 RSRs and planning to run in a 'Winter Championship' starting in Zandvoort in January. Racing in Holland in January? Wet, cold and maybe slightly icy racing?
The reference to the N24 is a mention of the fact that the team tends to participate in that competition, so perhaps they will be competing there with the Porsche.

Its nothing to do with RSR's its a custom build GT2 RS by Albert Motorsport to be run in a Winter Endurance Championship and will make its debut on January 8th at the 4 hour Zandvoort round.

And Albert are already regulars at the N24.

[AGD]

This isn't a rumor, but I'll "pitch" it out there. Sports car racing fan and team owner CJ Wilson just signed a 5 year contract to pitch for the LA Angels of Anaheim that is worth ~$77.5 million. Will some of that money make it's way to Grand-Am or the ALMS sooner or later?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by AGD

This isn't a rumor, but I'll "pitch" it out there. Sports car racing fan and team owner CJ Wilson just signed a 5 year contract to pitch for the LA Angels of Anaheim that is worth ~$77.5 million. Will some of that money make it's way to Grand-Am or the ALMS sooner or later?

Impossible to say.
He can do it, or he won't. There are no way to "read" him of what he will do.
But you can email and ask him? (seriously)

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by AGD

This isn't a rumor, but I'll "pitch" it out there. Sports car racing fan and team owner CJ Wilson just signed a 5 year contract to pitch for the LA Angels of Anaheim that is worth ~$77.5 million. Will some of that money make it's way to Grand-Am or the ALMS sooner or later?

Big money. They clearly didn't see him play at the World Series!

[AGD]

Originally Posted by CTD

Impossible to say.
He can do it, or he won't. There are no way to "read" him of what he will do.
But you can email and ask him? (seriously)

Well, I'm hoping Dagys or Hindy will do some research into the question! But, yeah, he already has a racing team so maybe now he can expand it if he wants to. The key is if he wants to. The thing about athletes, especially star athletes like CJ, is that they have access to potential sponsors since they are asked to endorse a lot of products and such.

Originally Posted by Simmi

Big money. They clearly didn't see him play at the World Series!

I know, right? He has been horrible the last two playoffs. Granted, as a Dallas hater, I did not have any problem with that! At least I can pull for him a little bit now. Baseball players make mad money every year (no salary cap like the other American sports), but this year has been particularly crazy it seems.

[DeathOrGlory]

Pagenaud is going to Indycar full time with Sam Schmidt. Wonder what will happen to his Peugeot WEC duties now, he's been a real star for them. Select rounds again, perhaps? But with the FIA allowing 3 cars again, I am expecting Pagenaud to get a full time seat in one of 908s, if Peugeot will enter 3 cars.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by DeathOrGlory

Pagenaud is going to Indycar full time with Sam Schmidt. Wonder what will happen to his Peugeot WEC duties now, he's been a real star for them. Select rounds again, perhaps? But with the FIA allowing 3 cars again, I am expecting Pagenaud to get a full time seat in one of 908s, if Peugeot will enter 3 cars.

3 cars only for Le Mans though. I'd say "selected rounds" including Le Mans, and if IndyCar rounds don't clash, he'll probably be the first reserve driver (like Silverstone this year after Ant's collarbone... issue).

[Simmi]

Some interesting tweets coming out of our Mulsanne Mike today:

Rumours: Dallara has new LMP1 project. Now, is that a true customer in-house desined car or they've inked a deal with someone like Porsche?

Rumours2: Audi completely redesigning R18.yes, heard this already, but motivation to correct car's vision issue has led to complete redesign

https://twitter.com/#!/mulsannescorner

[gustavobamba]

Dallara, of course it is preparing the Chassis for Porsche, no doubt.

The R18 will look almost the same, i don´t think it will have major changes.

Unless the hybrid solution obligate that major changes... who knows!!!


By The Way, If Audi and Porsche will be running in 2014 will they share a common chassis???

[CTD]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

Dallara, of course it is preparing the Chassis for Porsche, no doubt.

The R18 will look almost the same, i don´t think it will have major changes.

Unless the hybrid solution obligate that major changes... who knows!!!


By The Way, If Audi and Porsche will be running in 2014 will they share a common chassis???

If Audi feels that the visibilty issue needs to be addresed thru aero change, then we will see an almost brand new car! (like the R15+)

Audi/Porsche sharing a chassis sounds unlikely, as it would be close to running as "one" team, something there wouldn't be proper marketing in.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

3 cars only for Le Mans though. I'd say "selected rounds" including Le Mans, and if IndyCar rounds don't clash, he'll probably be the first reserve driver (like Silverstone this year after Ant's collarbone... issue).

I may be wrong, but as I understand it you can enter three cars at Le Mans, with the top two finishers counting for points, in other rounds you can still enter three cars, but only two will be registered for championship points.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

By The Way, If Audi and Porsche will be running in 2014 will they share a common chassis???

Highly unlikely.

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

Highly unlikely.

I agree with you but this could be an anty-crisis measure we all know that the word economy is not very healthy. But IMO they will do separated way´s.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

Dallara, of course it is preparing the Chassis for Porsche, no doubt.

Why are you so sure of this? Porsche designed the RS Spyder in house and it was highly successful. I see no reason why they would change their strategy.

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

The R18 will look almost the same, i don´t think it will have major changes.

It sounds like the shape of the cockpit and windscreen will be changed extensively. So the look of the car will probably change substantially.

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Why are you so sure of this? Porsche designed the RS Spyder in house and it was highly successful. I see no reason why they would change their strategy.
It sounds like the shape of the cockpit and windscreen will be changed extensively. So the look of the car will probably change substantially.

Well you are telling me something new. i thought that the RS spyder was built with the help of dallara. If Porsche design in House, I take that back.

Even if they change the cockpit and windscreen i don´t think it will appear very diferent, but that is just my opinion :-)

In 2014 the car´s will look more different i supposed.

[AGD]

I'm not sure if there is enough demand for a purely customer LMP1 car at the moment. Then again, Lola is pretty much the only one offering a P1 customer coupe unless the Wirth and Oreca coupes get off the hard drive and into production as customer cars. I guess there is the Dome also, but I don't know. Of course, the demand situation all changes if there will be a P2 version, but who knows. If it is an in-house design, let's hope it does not get hit with the ugly stick.

Perhaps Dallara is also keeping a P1 car on their hard drives just in case anyone comes calling (customer or factory)? Maybe someone like OAK is planning for the future? The Pescarolo coupe may only have a couple years of life left (not counting ALMS grandfathering) as a P1 car.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by JAG

I may be wrong, but as I understand it you can enter three cars at Le Mans, with the top two finishers counting for points, in other rounds you can still enter three cars but only two will be registered for championship points.

This could be interesting in the end of the season, as the teams could use the 3rd Car to distance the competitors.

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by CTD

This could be interesting in the end of the season, as the teams could use the 3rd Car to distance the competitors.

I remember reading somewhere that cars not entered for the championship will be "invisible" for points, so with a 3rd car finishing second the third placed car would get second place points.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

I remember reading somewhere that cars not entered for the championship will be "invisible" for points, so with a 3rd car finishing second the third placed car would get second place points.

Yes, but it will be one car more to overtake to get to the competition in the championship

[lms]

are the 2014 lmp regs known? I thought there were just rumors so far... So we could see a potentionally "freakish" porsche lmp1 with the bigger greenhouse, shorter car etc....
And how can Dallara design a chassis for porsche if they already designed one for audi, porsches "competitor" in lmp1 from 2014 (if it is indeed porsche and if audi will stay in lmp1 in 2014)? The same chassis manufacturer designing cars for competing lmp1s?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by lms

are the 2014 lmp regs known?

No, they're still checking on whether to mandate AAs or AAAs.........

[CTD]

Originally Posted by lms

are the 2014 lmp regs known? I thought there were just rumors so far... So we could see a potentionally "freakish" porsche lmp1 with the bigger greenhouse, shorter car etc....
And how can Dallara design a chassis for porsche if they already designed one for audi, porsches "competitor" in lmp1 from 2014 (if it is indeed porsche and if audi will stay in lmp1 in 2014)? The same chassis manufacturer designing cars for competing lmp1s?

Dallara didn't design the R18, so no secrets to be shared there.
Besides, it is Porsche who has anything to worry, it's Audi who can fear Dallara sharing the few secrets they know.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

No, they're still checking on whether to mandate AAs or AAAs.........

Isn't it CR2032 they decided on!?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by CTD

Isn't it CR2032 they decided on!?

I guess it would save on space!

[JAG]

Originally Posted by lms

are the 2014 lmp regs known? I thought there were just rumors so far... So we could see a potentionally "freakish" porsche lmp1 with the bigger greenhouse, shorter car etc....
And how can Dallara design a chassis for porsche if they already designed one for audi, porsches "competitor" in lmp1 from 2014 (if it is indeed porsche and if audi will stay in lmp1 in 2014)? The same chassis manufacturer designing cars for competing lmp1s?

In many areas, such as tyres or gearboxes, manufactuers pay big money to have bespoke items developed for them, with confidentiallity agreements and such in place.