The Best Petit Le Mans

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Lagunaseca_4life

Personally the 2011 908 was the last good looking lmp1 to race at petit.

Shame on you! :P I love the new wings and aero packages. Funny, looking back at old pics for 2011 and earlier, the cars looked so... empty... without them.

[CyberMotor]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Anything in the early 2000s was incredible

Here's one of my favorites from 2002...

[CyberMotor]

PLM 2009 was the year after the big global economic crash. Who was still around?

Audi went radical and produced one of my favorites of Audi, the R15.



Here's the svelte R15 sitting in the rain with Reinhold Joest looking on wondering when the track will go hot.

[CyberMotor]

Lucas Luhr has won more races in the ALMS than anyone and is once again a champion in 2013.

2007 was a good year for Lucas. Per chance, he had an opportunity to make it into the 2007 PLM in an Audi and he learned about it only hours before the start. Here he is getting adjusted to his ride while sitting on the grid before the start of the race.

[canamman]

Originally Posted by TF110

I liked the 2008 race. But not the outcome as I was rooting on Peugeot . I think the 908's from that year were the best looking lmp1 cars yet.

Yep me too. I was glad to see a good fight for Audi.
Who can ever forget the final 30 minutes - McNish vs Klein.

'99 with the BMW in the gravel - close second. Really happy for the Panoz
team that year.

[Lagunaseca_4life]

Ahh yes petit 2009 and the Audi r15, one of my favorite audis. The one I consider started audi's p1 design revolution. That race was a wild one and I will never forget it,I took the day off work to watch it on tv.only to watch it get rained out into a red flag only moments after mcnish spun out of the lead under caution to lose the race.i was disappointed when they called it over with 2 or 3 hours left to go.what a shame, I can't imagine what it was like for those who were there.

[JHamilton]

2008 was an epic race and 2010 when Risi ran out of fuel on the last lap. Sentimentally, like many of you, my favorite was 2002 which was my first sports car race.



Edit... I'm so young you can still see hopes and dreams in my eyes.

[TRuss]

Looks like you were at the entry to the esses. Good spot.

[CyberMotor]

Originally Posted by TRuss

Looks like you were at the entry to the esses. Good spot.

Turn 6. Favorite spot for many years. Didn't have the big glass so got close and did a lot of quick panning at 6. First time I got there I almost ruined me pants. Three prototypes were approaching the turn side-by-side in a drag race for the corner and no one was letting up. I hit the turf behind the concrete wall and covered my head but they all made it through with no problem. I got to do it for 10 years of the PLM and have a lot of exciting memories.

Was one of three people with Bill Auberlen and Todd Rice that witnessed JJ Lehto spin the BMW LMR V12 about a foot off the ground when he flew like a frisbee for 50-75 feet before hitting the wall almost head on at 140 - 145 MPH during testing. Auberlen said to me, "Men have died in less impacts than that!" That was between 5 and 6. Like I said, a lot of exciting memories.

[Tim Adams]

I only got into this stuff after my first rip to Road Amercia in 2003. I have only been to 2011, and 2012 editions of Petit. I will be there this year for the swan song.

That being said, the 2008 race to this day is still the greatest race I have ever seen. Watching the entire last stint of McNish was something I will never forget.

[TF110]

Klein was quick but wasnt so experienced in the night. I think it would have been a tougher battle for McNish had it been someone else in the Peugeot.

[Mal]

2008 for me - zero to hero for McNish that day, a great race.

[Mechanic Z]

As of right now, 2010 has to be the one that sticks out most in my memory.

I don't have cable, so I was only able to follow the race with RLM and T&S.
The screen had gone to 'Checkered Flag' between the overall winner and the GT class, so it still showed the Ferrari ahead. Forgetting that it almost always does that, I had actually left the room for some reason. Returning upon hearing some commotion from my family, I found out that the Vette had come through and won after all.

Really enjoyed that.

Since I'll be attending this year, 2013 will probably be a favorite too, though extremely bittersweet.

[CyberMotor]

Here's a little tribute to the winners of the first Petit Le Mans, Doyle-Risi Ferrari 333 SP with drivers Wayne Taylor of South Africa, Eric van de Poele of Belgium and Emmanuel Collard of Paris, France...



The Doyle-Risi driving team of Emmanuel Collard of Paris, France, Wayne Taylor of South Africa and Eric van de Poele of Belgium standing before their Ferrari 333 SP draped in an American flag while on the grid before the start of the Petit Le Mans. These drivers went on to win the premiere event of the American Le Mans Series.
In 1998, Collard won six races in a Ferrari 333 SP in the European ISRS series racing for JB Giesse Team Ferrari. His win at the Petit Le Mans makes that a grand total of seven victories for Emmanuel in 1998.



Eric van de Poele prepares to take the #7 Ferrari 333 SP back onto the track. The team ran a steady race with few mistakes and no incidents to climb toward the front as the retirements of the Porsche 911 GT1 and Lista Ferrari opened the door.



As the competition dropped away, the #7 Doyle-Risi Ferrari 333 SP kept running a steady race and keeping ahead of the second place Porsche LMP1.



Eric van de Poele jumps from the Doyle-Risi Ferrari 333 SP after winning the premiere Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta with co-drivers Taylor and Collard.

[TRuss]

Originally Posted by CyberMotor

Turn 6. Favorite spot for many years. Didn't have the big glass so got close and did a lot of quick panning at 6. First time I got there I almost ruined me pants. Three prototypes were approaching the turn side-by-side in a drag race for the corner and no one was letting up. I hit the turf behind the concrete wall and covered my head but they all made it through with no problem. I got to do it for 10 years of the PLM and have a lot of exciting memories.

Was one of three people with Bill Auberlen and Todd Rice that witnessed JJ Lehto spin the BMW LMR V12 about a foot off the ground when he flew like a frisbee for 50-75 feet before hitting the wall almost head on at 140 - 145 MPH during testing. Auberlen said to me, "Men have died in less impacts than that!" That was between 5 and 6. Like I said, a lot of exciting memories.

We always called turn 6 home base too. I've been out west since 2011 and haven't been to PLM since 2010. I always had fun with my Dad on those days. I miss it.

[Samoan Attorney]

Nice thread Craig.

Yes, 1998 was very special for me, it is a pity that I will not be in Georgia to give this great race series a rousing send off.

A year ago I wrote this, hoping that I was unduly pessimistic, time will tell.

HERE

Originally Posted by CyberMotor

Here's a little tribute to the winners of the first Petit Le Mans, Doyle-Risi Ferrari 333 SP with drivers Wayne Taylor of South Africa, Eric van de Poele of Belgium and Emmanuel Collard of Paris, France...



The Doyle-Risi driving team of Emmanuel Collard of Paris, France, Wayne Taylor of South Africa and Eric van de Poele of Belgium standing before their Ferrari 333 SP draped in an American flag while on the grid before the start of the Petit Le Mans. These drivers went on to win the premiere event of the American Le Mans Series.
In 1998, Collard won six races in a Ferrari 333 SP in the European ISRS series racing for JB Giesse Team Ferrari. His win at the Petit Le Mans makes that a grand total of seven victories for Emmanuel in 1998.



Eric van de Poele prepares to take the #7 Ferrari 333 SP back onto the track. The team ran a steady race with few mistakes and no incidents to climb toward the front as the retirements of the Porsche 911 GT1 and Lista Ferrari opened the door.



As the competition dropped away, the #7 Doyle-Risi Ferrari 333 SP kept running a steady race and keeping ahead of the second place Porsche LMP1.



Eric van de Poele jumps from the Doyle-Risi Ferrari 333 SP after winning the premiere Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta with co-drivers Taylor and Collard.

[CyberMotor]

Originally Posted by Samoan Attorney

Nice thread Craig.
HERE

Thanks! And, as always, great photos by one of my heroes, John Brooks!

Earl aka CyberMotor

[Samoan Attorney]

Originally Posted by CyberMotor

Thanks! And, as always, great photos by one of my heroes, John Brooks!

Earl aka CyberMotor

Earl

you are too kind.............I am sad at missing this race but needs must.

jb

[CyberMotor]

Originally Posted by Samoan Attorney

Earl

you are too kind.............I am sad at missing this race but needs must.

jb

JB,

Last year you gave those young fans between 6 and 7 a real treat after I introduced you to them as, "Guys, let me introduce the legend, John Brooks, to you!" And, then in the middle of shooting, you gave them some tips.

Hope all is well.

wec

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by Mechanic Z

Since I'll be attending this year, 2013 will probably be a favorite too...

Well, I was right!

BEST PETIT LE MANS EVER!!!