Outrage? Or Not? Your Comments on the ACO's Entry List

[Tim Northcutt]

I've only watched Le Mans on TV, so I can't really compare, either, Aysedasi...

It is a personal goal of mine to make that trip someday....I want to BE THERE, and enjoy every moment of it...

[Tim Northcutt]

The last MG Works car that went out last year blew up like a grenade was behind the driver with a huge trail of oil smoke that followed him for a long distance as he slowed up, but otherwise, I do agree that MG's biggest problems have been components -- electrical or mechanical outside of the engine -- that have been their downfall...

[gi_gav]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
We'll never agree on this one Tim! But I respect your right to hold that opinion

I'm also honest enough to admit that having never experienced the Brickyard, I'm not really fully equipped to make the comparison.....

I have to say i agree, and I'm glad you posted first Ayse, cos your wording is a bit more diplomatic than mine would have been!

Might have included the words 'underpowered' and 'undramatic' somewhere...

[gi_gav]

Sorry, I really don't mean to offend, but I have come to love the variety of sportscars so much that the IRL doesn't hold the same appeal.

That said, one of these days I do intend to go the the Indy 500, as an event like that is as much about the crowd as the racing.

[Tim Northcutt]

700-750 horsepower is underpowered???

and speeds of 220-230 mph with lots of passing and close action certainly isn't undramatic...

Personally, I enjoy just about anything that runs on four wheels and puts on a great show...I appreciate both road racing and oval racing for their distinctively different qualities that they bring to the table as specific skilled events...

But this isn't an "Oval Racing/IRL" thread or site, so I'll get off it...

THanks for your opinions, and if you do ever decide to try Indy one time in your life, let me know you're coming....I'd love to see you here and would love to show you around the place...

[Tim Northcutt]

to gi.gav:

no offense taken...

that is what I like about this site...knowledgeable people who will say what is on their mind without it getting nasty, and your comments certainly were not nasty, mean, or demeaning...

[gi_gav]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
700-750 horsepower is underpowered???

I always had the impression that they were underpowered relative to their downforce.

However, given that I seem to have breached the upper limit of my IRL knowledge and because this isn't relevant to the thread, I'll just be quiet now...

[Tim Northcutt]

They are underppwered compared to the horses that CART champ cars pull, but they still go fast...

[Tim Northcutt]

One note:

I WILL ge to watch Dallaras race...just a different chassis than the superb endurance chassis that they build...their IRL cars are superb race cars...and they go "head-to-head" with Panoz (since he now has partnered or bough the controlling shares of G-Force) at every event...

[gi_gav]

To bring things back to the thread topic - what does everyone think about there only being one MG, and what about the new Courage?

Originally posted by Fab
LMP 675 class is dead, ACO killed it in not letting the MGs coming.

I hope it's not so bad as this, but I doubt that the 675's will provide a thrilling class battle

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by Liz
Alex Job Racing got an invitation (because their star drivers won the ALMS GT championship in 2002) but they won't be there; they can't afford it. Likely their drivers will be with Racers Group and Freisinger again like last year, which should be exciting! That will likely get the other TRG car into the mix.

Actually, Job and Petersen are supposed to join up to take that Job entry spot, Liz. Also Freisinger didn't get an invite (not even on the reserve).

ARE there two Spykers?

Sadly, just the one.

[Tim Northcutt]

I would hope for more than one MG, but if Dyson withdrew his, where would another come from???? The MG X-Power site did not even remotely hint that they would have anything for Le Mans this year...who else is driving them???

In an ealier thread, the Courage apparently had some decent tests within the last month to 6 weeks...I hope they are strong...

and The DBA/Zytek was fast at both Petit and Le Mans, not to mention the updated WR Peugeot...

with the exception of the Pilbeam ( and even that chassis and engine package was upgraded) I think that the 675s will give us some good action...at least while they are running...

[gi_gav]

Are there any identifiable reasons why 675's seem to be less reliable?

1. Firstly, am i right in thinking that they are less reliable than 900's?

2. Lower budgets of smaller teams?

3. Packaging and heat dispersal problems in a smaller prototype?

[Fab]

Originally posted by gi_gav
Are there any identifiable reasons why 675's seem to be less reliable?

1. Firstly, am i right in thinking that they are less reliable than 900's?

They are definitely less reliable (see the rate of finishing in the last years...)

Originally posted by gi_gav
2. Lower budgets of smaller teams?

For privates : very small budgets (the category was done for that, initialy)

Originally posted by gi_gav
3. Packaging and heat dispersal problems in a smaller prototype?

On a so long race, the fact that the engine is small gives lots of problems IMO. BTW, MGs had mainly "sides" problems (electrical, etc...). It's mainly a question of time : two years more, and MG could win overall... (with a factory commitment)

[Tim Northcutt]

Smaller engines running that hard over many hours, on the surface, would really jump out at me....you have any kind of glitch on one cylinder, a valve, whatever, and you've lost 25% of your power in the MG...A v-8 can limp, at least for a while, on 7 cylinders and still not be in as dire straits as a four-banger...

However, Le Mans is really the only 24-hour race that these cars run under these specs...Daytona and Grand Am are a different ballgame...

as mentioned before, the final MG running last year at LM ultimately blew the engine, but it was fairly late in the race (20th hour or so??? -- can't remember specifically, so help me out MG fans!)...
their problem in other shorter races seems to be components....

I think that at some point, the 675s either have to find a balance between speed and reliability or the engines are going to have to become bullet-proof to go as hard as they run them for 24 hours...


Last year (2002), an MG ran the full 12 hours at Sebring and was in the Top Ten (7th or 8th?), and suspension problems were what cost them time and places in the standings...

[Fab]

One thing beeing very 'outrageous' is to think that both Oreca Dallaras are ready to run somewhere south of France, and there'll be nobody to drive them in June

What Halliday and Alliot will do with the Durango ? I cannot see the meaning of running the race without hope, when you could do it with the 'best of the rest' 2002 car... shame...

[Tim Northcutt]

I think it is a shame that no Dallara chassis are in the list...

Doran Lista doesn't have the budget to consider the entry, and that car doesn't have the upgrades that ORECA had...

[rdjones]

I have just been looking at DSC and they report the Morgan have not been given any reason why there entry was not accepted. Also on DSC there is a picture of the RML MG - I was wrong the car did exhist.

[KA]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
I would hope for more than one MG, but if Dyson withdrew his, where would another come from???? The MG X-Power site did not even remotely hint that they would have anything for Le Mans this year...who else is driving them???

Apparently Chamberlain and RML would have had a car each- RML briefly had a car entered for Sebring but withdrew due to lack of budget. According to Autosport this week, they pretty much had at least 2 drivers confirmed for Le Mans- Jason Plato & Bob Berridge apparently, with a possibility of Ian McKellar as the third (thought he'd signed for Lister anyway?).

Funnily enough, the Media launch for this years British GT series was yesterday, and Dailysportscar report that the RML MG was displayed there-

http://www.dailysportscar.net/news/news0253.htm

[KA]

Originally posted by kdr
did morgan enter...or did the team put all their eggs in the tvr basket?

am i right that its the same team that would have entered both cars? help!

No- Race Sports, who ran the car last year have moved on to the TVR (they've been running a Tuscan R in British GTs for a couple of years anyway) and their Morgan is for sale.

The intended LM entry was a new factory team- the good news is that according to Dailysportscar, they intend to carry on this year and race in the Spa 24 hours, plus some other international races this year, to prove their case for an entry next year- hope they make it

[FIRE]

According to Morgan's team mananager Morgan will race at Spa for the 24 Hours and maybe to some Fia GT races. If they find enough backing they will do some events in Japan, USA and Australia. (Source: DSC)
I hope Morgan gets some good results so they take revenge on ACO by a sportive way.

Morgan showed a car at Sebring was this the car they wanted to enter Le Mans? Why wanted they to sell this car?

[rdjones]

I have just been looking at DSC again, it looks from the picture of RML-MG the car was all ready to go, with everything in place. I can just not figure out why the car didn't get in.

[paul-collins]

from dailysportscar:

"Jack Leconte (Larbre team owner) <...> commented in the Fench press yesterday that the ACO had put too much emphasis on American teams, and that French and European teams <...> had been neglected."

...and...

"Philippe Poincloux, Luc Alphand's right hand man, is much more angry. The team’s 550 Maranello Ferrari has been admitted by the ACO, but the GT Porsche <...> has not been admitted.

"' ...All our partners, and especially Hornby, an American toy manufacturer, were focused on that Porsche. To-day, everything has fallen through and I don't know whether we can maintain the Ferrari entry or not...'"

Poor babies...

http://www.dailysportscar.net/news/news0262.htm

[rdjones]

Originally posted by paul-collins
[B]from dailysportscar:

"Jack Leconte (Larbre team owner) <...> commented in the Fench press yesterday that the ACO had put too much emphasis on American teams, and that French and European teams <...> had been neglected.

He may have a point there

[Tim Northcutt]

In GTS & GT...I would tend to agree....

That's why I say "Make them Qualify!!!!"

Jack and Philippe wouldn't have anything to ***** about if they can back up the merits of their entries with fast cars on the track....