[LM24] 2020 LM Entry List News

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Mike E

https://ligiereuropeanseries.com/

There are much worse options than that. And they aren't Orecas.

[S griffin]

I hope they do well. They have strong opposition

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

How long before we get really funky and start adding Renault Spiders like the 1990s?

Don't even start me on that! As it happens, I'm updating my story from 1992 on my website right now. Brought back some memories.....

[S griffin]

Feels a bit weird seeing Le Mans cars without roofs. Been so used to seeing all cars having roofs the last decade

Shame no Corvette on the grid, it won’t be quite the same without them. Let’s hope the battle in GT will still be good

[Tique]

The 1992 edition was deffinitely one of worse for an entry list point of view thanks to the FISA, Bernie and all the other that have trialed to kill endurance racing

[isynge]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Don't even start me on that! As it happens, I'm updating my story from 1992 on my website right now. Brought back some memories.....

Looking forward to the updated story, while 1992 was a nadir the weird and wonderful grid makeup compensated a little - much better than swarms of identical cars.

[GT6]

Well i was there but to be honest the only cars i have a good memory of from that race was the Atmo 905 Peugeot, it winning makes it easier. But as said there was a great variety of cars there.

[Le Vieux]

Originally Posted by GT6

But as said there was a great variety of cars there.

Yes, but not enough of them! Only twenty-nine starters and fourteen finishers, plus, iirc, plenty of the "r" word

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by isynge

Looking forward to the updated story, while 1992 was a nadir the weird and wonderful grid makeup compensated a little - much better than swarms of identical cars.

It's just finished Ian. It was a woeful grid, but the three Pugs and three Toyotas plus the gorgeous Mazda made up for that - and the dismal weather.....

https://www.aysedasi.co.uk/gallery/1992p/

Moving on to the 1993 update shortly - now I've got the new scanner largely sorted out.

[GT6]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

It's just finished Ian. It was a woeful grid, but the three Pugs and three Toyotas plus the gorgeous Mazda made up for that - and the dismal weather.....

https://www.aysedasi.co.uk/gallery/1992p/

Moving on to the 1993 update shortly - now I've got the new scanner largely sorted out.

I thought the mazda in 1992 was a bit flat in not having that lovely rotary engine

[Aysedasi]

But it was a beautiful looking car......

[GT6]

Yes i would agree with that, but certainly at that time i was missing the sound of that rotary engine that over the previous year i had always loved

[Aysedasi]

Yeah, but we had the Toyota TS010's, which in my view, sounded even better......

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Feels a bit weird seeing Le Mans cars without roofs. Been so used to seeing all cars having roofs the last decade

But there were still open tops at Le Mans just 4 years ago

[S griffin]

Were there? I don’t remember any, who had it?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Were there? I don’t remember any, who had it?

Murphy Prototypes, Strakka Racing, SRT41 by OAK Racing, Race Performance, Pegasus Racing, G-Drive Racing

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Were there? I don’t remember any, who had it?

LMP2 was open top or coupe until the launch of the spec-regulations in 2017, so the final race for open was 2016 (already mentioned)

LMP1 was open top or coupe until the launch of 2014 regulations, so the final race for open was 2013 (Strakka)

Of course, there were still other open tops in use as late as 2017 elsewhere, the dinosauric Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet in America and over at ASLMS they had the old open top P2s as well CN class still in the spring of 2017

[S griffin]

Oh yes I remember now, they were a bit behind LMP2. I prefer the closed cars of LMP1, although the open cars were good while they lasted

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Oh yes I remember now, they were a bit behind LMP2. I prefer the closed cars of LMP1, although the open cars were good while they lasted

They weren't really behind anything (except maybe Oreca 05), after all it was as late as 2014 as Zytek Z11SN was still easily able to dominate the class

That car and HPD 03 would still have had years left. Courage-Oreca 03R and Oak-Pescarolo-Morgan 01 were clearly falling by the downside in contrast to their newer coupe counterparts but still operational as well as cheaper to run, which is why they were continued to be used

[canaglia]

considering most of downforce of a lmp2 is generated by front splitter, rear wing, airflow tunnels inside and under the car, the only disadvantage of a open lmp was a slight worse drag.... that's in theory at least because was not so unusual to see 03R, zytek or morgan lmp2 with better top speed of the ligier js p2 lmp2 maybe rarely close to 05 top speed.
It's not about if coupè > open, it's about how good is a car.... recall 2010 season where the strakka hpd lmp2 was so insanely competitive that could set qualifying times just some tenths off lola astons and lola rebellion and even beat them in race.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by canaglia

considering most of downforce of a lmp2 is generated by front splitter, rear wing, airflow tunnels inside and under the car, the only disadvantage of a open lmp was a slight worse drag.... that's in theory at least because was not so unusual to see 03R, zytek or morgan lmp2 with better top speed of the ligier js p2 lmp2 maybe rarely close to 05 top speed.
It's not about if coupè > open, it's about how good is a car.... recall 2010 season where the strakka hpd lmp2 was so insanely competitive that could set qualifying times just some tenths off lola astons and lola rebellion and even beat them in race.

That's correct, the top of 2010 LMP2 was easily at the level of bottom LMP1 or even higher. At Le Mans too, not just Hungaroring. But obviously we have to remember that 2010 was still under old regulations, which meant higher power, no pro-am, no cost-cap, no tech freeze

Anyway, even if the open tops would have had worsening drag issues coming into 2017 and even as far as today, the more open regulations meant you could have still risen to the top with A) new EVO package B) different engine C) different tires, perhaps even something unique like Yokohama

[S griffin]

The LMP2 had it easy in 2010. They had meetings where most of the LMP1s didn’t turn up, but they weren’t far behind at Le Mans. Mind you we were in the open LMES in those days, less rules and all that and Le Mans was different

Maybe the open top cars could make a comeback in LMP2, but it hasn’t suffered without it. The way the rules are it has made it competitive, but we could see some more variety in there or at least make it so that they aren’t completely left behind by the LMP1s.

[canaglia]

as far can I remember acura/hpd arx-01C lmp2 was something like 825kg >500hp while petrol lmp1 like lolas aston and rebellion/judd were 900kg - 650hp.
Yeah at that time lmp2 wasn't a mandatory pro-am class like is now, but most of LMS lmp2 entries were basically pro-am line up, it was in ALMS that hpd highcroft and porsche rs spyder MMR were basically backed official teams.

Anyway, past seasons aside, it's just arx-01c that was basically an overkilling beast compared to the other lmp2 cars. Funny side of the story is that arx-01c was at the same time conceptually the freshest and the oldest lmp2 around since was made using courage lc75 carbon tub.

[thetool]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

But it was a beautiful looking car......

Essentially the same car that was the Jaguar XJR-14 a few years prior. A further modified version of that car would then go on to win Le Mans twice.

[Aysedasi]

Indeed so, but it never looked better than in the Charge/Renown livery.... (and it looked better with a roof!).