First 2009 Le Mans Invites

[MOTV8]

ACO prepares for 2009 Le Mans with first invites

By John Dagys - Motorsport.com

While next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans is still over six months away, it's not too early to start planning for the 2009 edition of the French endurance racing classic. That's what the Automobile Club de l'Ouest did Monday, as the organizers handed out 29 automatic invitations to the twice-around-the-clock marathon, scheduled for June 13-14.

Who could not forget this year's thrilling race, which saw Audi and Peugeot battle down to the wire with its diesel-powered prototypes? Audi Sport Team Joest looks to defend its Le Mans title next year, with three R10 TDIs given automatic invites. Team Peugeot Total, which scored runner-up positions at both Le Mans and in the European-based Le Mans Series championship, have two guaranteed spots.

American Le Mans Series stalwarts Intersport Racing has been also awarded an automatic entry for finishing second in the series' LM P1 teams championship. The Ohio-based squad last competed at La Sarthe in 2006.

Porsche RS Spyders locked out the LM P2 list of auto invites, but it's unlikely any will take up the challenge. Van Merksteijn Motorsport earned two entries thanks to its Le Mans Series class championship and victory at Le Mans, but the Dutch team has since announced plans to shift focus to rallying next year.

Penske Racing, which took home the ALMS P2 teams championship and class victory at Petit Le Mans, has an uncertain future and will likely also forgo its two invites. Team Essex has been granted an entry for its runner-up finish in the Le Mans Series championship, but the Danish squad recently closed its doors.

This leaves Horag Racing as the only real possible team to take up its P2 invite, although the Swiss squad is currently looking for partners to fund its program after Fredy Lienhard's retirement.

The LM GT1 ranks features eight invites, with 2008 class winners Aston Martin Racing heading the list. At least one factory DBR9 will likely challenge Corvette Racing's two Corvette C6.Rs for the final time, as the Detroit-area based team moves its program to GT2 after its GT1 swansong at Le Mans.

Luc Alphand Aventures will likely strengthen the Corvette presence at Le Mans next year, with the French team been awarded an invite for its Le Mans Series title. Runner-up to Alphand in the LMS, Team Modena, will unlikely use its entry in GT1 as the moves to GT2 for 2009. Bell Motorsports, another Aston Martin squad, secured a Le Mans invite thanks to its partial ALMS campaign, and posed as the only opposition to the Corvettes in GT1.

Newly crowned FIA GT Champions Vitaphone Racing has been given an invite, as has runner-ups Phoenix Carsport Racing. However, the Vitaphone squad will unlikely be able to use its entry, as it earned the invite with its Maserati MC12, a car not ACO homologated.

Ferrari appears to be the car of choice in GT2, as six of the eight auto invites are Prancing Horses. Two F430 GTs come from Le Mans and Petit Le Mans class winners, Risi Competizione. BMS Scuderia Italia has also secured a brace of entries, thanks to its runner-up result at Le Mans and in the FIA GT Championship.

Virgo Motorsport, which scored back-to-back Le Mans Series class titles, will likely pick up its invite, as will AF Corse, which secured the championship in FIA GT.

Two Porsches complete the list, with ALMS class champions Flying Lizard Motorsports and Le Mans Series runner-ups Team Felbermayr-Proton both likely to make a return visit to La Sarthe.

Teams have until January 12 to confirm their entry and are not permitted to use their invitation in a different class. The ACO generally releases its first list of confirmed entrants by the end of February. This list usually includes a selection of new teams in addition to those that took advantage of automatic invites.

Cliff notes: Team Modena leaving for a GT2 Ferrari means one less Aston Martin in GT1 to have it's ass handed to it by Corvettes.

[Desertdawg]

If Corvette Racing wins the Le Mans in GT1, do you think they might continue to at least compete on a limited basis in GT1 as long as the governing body keeps the class open???

[MOTV8]

If Corvette Racing wins the Le Mans in GT1, do you think they might continue to at least compete on a limited basis in GT1 as long as the governing body keeps the class open???

Nope, this year is all she wrote. 2010 will be interesting....

VIVE THE EVOLUTION

By Jonathan Ingram - Motorsport.com

The Le Mans rules have been announced for next year and beyond. They remain as complicated as ever. (Please note the French version is the only official one.) But the rules actually look more like an evolution rather than a radical new direction, even though they clearly leave a trail of green footprints.

So much for those who don't trust the French. After last year's fabulous 24-hour duel between Audi and Peugeot, the organizers at the Automobile Club de l'Ouest have decided not to rush into the green revolution. For once, they're confident that they already control some high ground, given the fact Audi and Peugeot are powered by mute, low-emission diesels.

The more conservative approach makes a lot of sense -- and probably there are some dollars involved as well. Budgets can remain stable. There are no immediate changes required in the prototype ranks that comprise the French race's bread and butter. A repeat of last year's Audi-Peugeot donnybrook is in the cards once again for next June, despite the decimation in the lower ranks that will undoubtedly occur because of the economy.

In the U.S., Honda Performance Development can continue apace with its plans to introduce a new Acura LMP1 to the American Le Mans Series next season with an eye toward competing on French soil at the 24-hour in the 2010 or 2011 seasons.

All the hubbub resulting from the concept broached last year of allowing only closed top prototypes that have the appearance of manufacturer's street cars has been shelved. The manufacturers made it clear to the ACO's organizers that they wanted a choice between open and closed tops. And, the manufacturers made clear the relevance of the Le Mans race to their production cars clearly has more to do with engines and fuel mileage than bodywork.

In this regard, the next big step in the green revolution will be a reduction of engine displacements for all categories, including the diesels, in 2011.

Having learned a lesson or two about too much arrogant dithering with the rules in the not too distant past (such as the concept of LMP2 as a privateer class that became a manufacturer category for Porsche and Acura), the organizers at the ACO appear to have been able to maintain some poise in the face of pressure from participating manufacturers and from the marketplace, which includes arch-rival F1.

In fact, it appears this poise includes the security enjoyed today by the ACO of not having any rival participating in the prototype category outside of the Grand American's Rolex Series, which now ventures only to Canada with the dropping of Mexico City from the schedule.

Exotic departures into anything outside the bio-fuel universe have been set aside by the ACO. A toe has been put in the water to allow hybrids to compete next year as unclassified guests -- but only on a fuel mileage basis. The ACO will restrict the electric power to one seamless system that assists propulsion and reduces fuel consumption by recovering energy from braking.

In other words, the ACO is not tempting fate by allowing a manufacturer to figure out how to use an electric version of "push to pass" to essentially by-pass the air restrictors that currently sustain equality among different engine types.

The easy fix, meanwhile, is in. Cars must carry less fuel in 2009 to help rejuvenate the emphasis on fuel mileage.

The other easy fix concerns safety. To reduce cornering speeds, the wings at the front and rear of all the prototypes will be reduced. To cut down on straightaway speeds, the trim tabs on the rear wing will be a mandatory 20 millimeters.

There are complications, still. The mayor of Le Mans represents the French communist party. Perhaps with a bow in his direction, the ACO continues to make room for the little guy. But not necessarily in the name of equality. The LMP2 category for privateers will continue. But the cars will carry 900 kilos of weight, the same as the LMP1 prototypes. So the privateers will be able to race for their own trophy, but not be able to beat the big boys. And the big boys such as Porsche will not be able to use lighter cars to beat the other big boys.

There is another fillip or two of complication. Production engines of up to 7.0 liters will be allowed into the LMP1 prototype category next season. If memory serves me correctly, this will be the first time an engine of such hefty displacement will be eligible in the prototypes since A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney won for Ford in 1967. (Reduced to a 5.0 liter maximum the following year, the American "big blocks" thus scared the French for 40 years.)

In the GT classes, the manufacturers have embraced GT2 as the place to fight for market share against each other at a reasonable cost (which includes selling cars to privateers). The ACO has simply rebalanced the weight and air restrictor charts. The expensive GT1 will survive one more year at least in the form of Corvette vs. Aston Martin before the Corvette factory team slots into GT2.

How will the American Le Mans Series modify the ACO rules for its races? Don't look for the weight of LMP2 cars to move all the way up to 900 kilos. And, maybe, the push to pass on hybrids will come to pass.

Could see a Corvette motor in a LMP1 though.....

[Desertdawg]

Oh yeah, I'm sure some is already fitting a GM BB into a LMP1 chassis right now, that should give those wimpy sounding diesels something to chase...

I think the "push to pass" debacle should be tossed in the garbage though!

[MOTV8]

Oh yeah, I'm sure some is already fitting a GM BB into a LMP1 chassis right now, that should give those wimpy sounding diesels something to chase...

Er...the 7 liter LS motors are still technically small blocks, but I agree, cram one in a Lola or something and go hunting. There was already a team that dropped an Aston motor in some LMP1 car last year, but I think it broke pretty regularly....I know, big shocker there eh Limeys?

BTW, among the diesels Audi has fired the latest shot by dropping their newest oil-burner called the R15 at Sebring:

Braselton, GA. November 28, 2008: Audi's new R15 TDI, successor to the R10 TDI, will make its race debut at Sebring in March. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring has long seen debuts of the most successful sports cars in endurance racing. The 57th edition - presented by Fresh from Florida on March 21, 2009 - will be no different as Audi will race its new R15 TDI prototype for the first time. Audi AG made the announcement of a new diesel-powered prototype Friday.

The Sebring 12 Hours, America's most demanding sports car race, also saw the first race for the Audi R8R in 1999 (which led to the highly successful R8 the next season) and the Audi R10 TDI in 2006. The latter was the first diesel-powered sports car to win at Sebring, and it won the first of its three straight 24 Hours of Le Mans victories only months later. Audi has won Le Mans nine times overall.

"It was clear to us that we must develop a new car if we wanted to continue to be successful in Le Mans," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "The Audi R15 TDI is the result. The step from R10 to R15 is significantly larger than it was from the R8 to the R10."

The Audi R15 TDI differs significantly from its predecessor, the R10 TDI, at first glance and features many technically innovative details with which Audi aims to maintain its supremacy in Le Mans. The new prototype is equipped with a smaller, lighter and even more efficient TDI engine. During the chassis and aerodynamic development Audi Sport engineers followed similar routes to those exhibited on the current Audi A4 DTM.

Only the basic concept was carried over from the predecessor model: The R15 TDI is also powered by a TDI engine and is an open-topped roadster. Audi does not wish to release any further details at this time.

The first private tests with the new Le Mans sports car are scheduled for later this year. The R15 TDI will only be presented to the public immediately before its race debut at Sebring. Audi also expects to enter three of the cars at Le Mans in June.

Audi better bring some major heat, those frenchies at Peugot were amazingly faster last year, but they're French, so victory over the Germans was...how do I put this....surrendered?

[MOTV8]

Uhhh....about the Audi. Scratch that. After Sebring they are pulling out of ALMS. As in quitting.

Also, frenchie Corvette racer Luc Alphand has announced he'll be taking his C6.R's to FIA GT.

Sports car racing briefs - ALMS/LMS/LM24/FIA GT