Automatic Entries

[FastJoel31]

Rewind to October-
Dick Barbour Reynard wins P675 at Petit Le Mans. PTG takes GT class. These 2 teams recieved automatic entries to Le Mans right? Obviously, they have not used them.

[hgb]

If there's one cell in my brain still alive I believe to remember that he was thinking about to take a year off. This cell might be dead, though.

[choked_wasp]

MBD are using Dick's entry. But Dick left that team because the panozes were getting prep. half-assed and "that's not how DBR does his operation".

On another note, PTG had an automatic entry and he submitted an entry with the Callaway. Why wasn't his team accepted.

[Aysedasi]

Are you sure MBD are using DBR's entry? (I haven't checked this out for myself). Normally, auto entries are not allowed to be taken up in certain circumstances, unfortunately, off the top of my head, I can't remember what they are!

[Aysedasi]

Sorry, but can I come back and query this further?

As I understand it, the MBD entry is certainly not an automatic one. The auto entries in LMP900 are 2 Audi's and one of Pesca's Courages. In any event, I don't think an auto entry in LMP675 could have been converted to an auto entry in LMP900?

There is no auto entry in LMP675, which reflects the fact that DBR have not taken up the option of an entry.

I don't know anything about PTG, I'm afraid.

There is another overall issue about the auto entries, which may have some bearing on this. Isn't there an ACO rule which limits the use of the auto entries to a car of the same make, or something like that? So if you jump ships (cars), so to speak, you run the risk of losing the auto entry? I know it has happened, and relatively recently too, but I can't remember what the situation was.

[FG1]

I thought I read somewhere that AutoEntries applied to the team, not the car, and that the class CAN be changed. I thought last year a team moved from GT to prototype with an autoentry gained from the GT. But I am happy to be corrected. I will try to check this out.

FG

[SL]

I think you will find the auto entry is to the car, or a evoloution of that car. That would mean Audi's auto entry is with an LMP900, they could not enter, say a TT in the GT catagory.

This happened last year I think with a Viper car that the team wanted to change to a Porsche, or vise versa

Simon

[Es Nes]

i thought it was to the team because didnt oreca use the viper invites for two of their lmp9s?

from lemans.org
14 VIPER TEAM ORECA (FRA) LMP900 Ara S.
Amorim N.
Kondo M.
15 VIPER TEAM ORECA (FRA) LMP900 Dalmas Y.
Montagny F.
Sarrazin ST.
16 TEAM PLAYSTATION (FRA) LMP900 Beretta O.
Wendlinger K.
Lamy P.

[FastJoel31]

You could probably scratch PTG because they ran the BMW's and felt that with the rules the Porsches would have (as Roger Penske would put it) an unfair advantage. That's why PTG is not racing ALMS this year either, old news.

[BobN]

My understanding is that the auto invites are for the entrant and can be used as long as it is the same manufacturer, i.e Oreca Vipers were Chrysler and so were the LMP900s. The DBR Reynard/Judd auto invite cannot be used for a Panoz/Mugen. If Corvette had stepped up to LMP900, they could have used it for a Chevy but not a Caddy. I believe Joest or Audi North America could have in fact used their auto invite for a Audi TT in GT (if they were legal). The same for Schnitzer, they could have used a auto bid from the LMR (if they had one) for the M3GTR.

Bob

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by BobN
My understanding is that the auto invites are for the entrant and can be used as long as it is the same manufacturer, i.e Oreca Vipers were Chrysler and so were the LMP900s. The DBR Reynard/Judd auto invite cannot be used for a Panoz/Mugen. If Corvette had stepped up to LMP900, they could have used it for a Chevy but not a Caddy. I believe Joest or Audi North America could have in fact used their auto invite for a Audi TT in GT (if they were legal). The same for Schnitzer, they could have used a auto bid from the LMR (if they had one) for the M3GTR.

Bob

Aha! Now that sounds right on the money to me! Thanks Bob.