Rumored PLM entrants

[David]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Besides it is ONLY 4000 +/- miles between Atlanta and Northern California

Please don't say that in front of a compulsive editor -


It's 2500 highway miles.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by David

Please don't say that in front of a compulsive editor -


It's 2500 highway miles.

round trip plus side detours . ie Long way.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

He's right though. In the US there are much cheaper, more popular forms of motorsport that tend to pay out better. I know some local dirt tracks that have better prize money than the ALMS.

Prize money, Qualifying money, Contingency money, some Cup teams do ok, not great and seldom make the BIG race, but just show up and run practice sessions and then quaffing laps. They may not make the big race, but still walk away with $40-60,000 a weekend.

I know one family who really wanted to get into ALMS GT2, or Grand AM DPs. But the expenses were prohibitive, so the went to ARCA instead. Now they break even their first year on travel expensive.

I looked at SWGT, but $30,000 a race was a weeee bit out of my budget, that did not include the cost of a car.

Lots of teams would love to step up to SWGT, but the costs does not make it possible let alone to GT2.

[HORNDAWG]

Entry list

L.P.

[JHamilton]

Welp, better than last year. Shimoda returns and luckily for him James Weaver has retired.

[Fogelhund]

Interesting... The second Risi Ferrari is Red.

[The359]

That's pretty much a let down. I was hoping even Team Modena would show up again, but just Zytek and Creation is just...bleh.

I notice van der Steur is not back, so I guess they damaged the car too much.

EDIT: I hope that's a mistake. Intersport is listed with Kumho Tires as a sponsor...

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Interesting... The second Risi Ferrari is Red.

Tracy Krohn may have his hands full testing his new toy from Lola and Colin Braun might be busy in ARCA.

[The359]

I assume that with the entry list published, there's pretty much no hope of cars being added?

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Tracy Krohn may have his hands full testing his new toy from Lola

What new toy from Lola ?

[minimangler]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Yep and in Europe besides F1 there's only LMS

or dtm
or fia gt
or touring cars.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by The Badger

What new toy from Lola ?

Daytona Prototype.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Daytona Prototype.

What ..... Lola are going to build a DP !!! Why not , if it works it will be a hugh money spinner .

[The359]

Originally Posted by The Badger

What ..... Lola are going to build a DP !!! Why not , if it works it will be a hugh money spinner .

It was announced a while back, Krohn and Lola are working on it together, but it'll be marketed under the name "Proto Auto"

[dj4monie]

Tafel has some changes, interesting....

Risi 2nd car has just 2 drivers, not a 3rd like the lead car. Bruni was coming to terms with American tracks though and he is fast in FIA GT. I do understand about Helary being slowed by constantly being passed by the P2 and P1 cars.

Over all the lead up has been a yawner with NASCAR taking a huge chunk of spotlight with Dario maybe signing with Ganassi and doing Cup. But yes I do understand if he wants more family time he might just run ALMS since Cup demands so much of your time with sponsor commitments, the race weekends and tire/private testing.

Outside of that another "normal" PLM upcoming with maybe one new event added for next year, maybe they shock us with BMW NA and BMW AG settling their differences and running a car in GT2. Yeah 2009 makes sense but as I said before big companies with big budgets can get cars built QUICKLY when needed to promote the brand.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by The Badger

What ..... Lola are going to build a DP !!! Why not , if it works it will be a hugh money spinner .

They are taking over the Multimatic franchise, months old news now.

I wonder if the second Panoz entry is going to end up with drivers, or another dropped entry at the last minute. It would be shameful to see the car pulled, in what is likely the last race at PLM for Panoz itself.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by The359

I assume that with the entry list published, there's pretty much no hope of cars being added?

There could be, but not likely.

Besides the Zytek and the Creation Autosportif additions, where are all the 'rumored' LMS entries ??

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

There could be, but not likely.

Besides the Zytek and the Creation Autosportif additions, where are all the 'rumored' LMS entries ??

The carrot for Le Mans Series teams is the chance to secure a place at Le Mans in 2008. The odds on any 'visitors' overcoming Audi in LMP1, Porsche and Acura in LMP2, Corvette in GT1 and the embarassment of factory drivers in LMP2, are very slim indeed. There is no attraction for the European teams, the carrot is out of reach!

[Fogelhund]

To some degree, I am surprised not to see RML or Quifnel run at PLM. It would appear as though they have some strong machinery coming to the LMS in 08', and it would have been a nice measurement for them to see where they stack up. I suppose in some ways, it would have been interesting for the Zytek to show for the same reasons. I can also understand the risks in doing so, being smartly outpaced would likely reduce any probability of selling any chassis.

[brielga]

Many of the European LMP2 teams are even short of budget for the Interlagos round so no surprise for me. As well, the strong competition from Porsche and Acura is not precisely a great motivator either...any of the top European teams like RML and Quifel will have no issues getting an LM spot anyway so.... I say too expensive and as Bentley said carrot too far away and probably not even needed.

[HORNDAWG]

Entry list updated. Drivers and also the #61 will be the Krohn entry evidently. link

L.P.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by The359

It was announced a while back, Krohn and Lola are working on it together, but it'll be marketed under the name "Proto Auto"

Why Proto Auto and not Lola? Is it because Krohn is funding the project?

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Why Proto Auto and not Lola? Is it because Krohn is funding the project?

Here's the release/story. link


L.P.

[TWK]

The rumors (almost by definition) will usually add up to more than the reality, won't they? There was a great deal of hope about this one, even at the highest of places. Earlier this week, the Bear observed:

After much hope (which Murphy of course reported) the Petit Le Mans entry has fallen back to reality with a resounding thud. Based on what he hears, the Bear will go with thirty-one total.

The rosy rumors of summer were in part based on the idea that the LMS’ Mil Milhas would be something other than the ignominious failure that it’s looking like now.

Those who read Murphy's September 4th column suspected that the official entry was in error in regard to the listed drivers for Risi's No. 62 Ferrari:

GT2 leaders Risi Competizione are contemplating their third drivers for Petit Le Mans. It’s a good bet that Johnny Mowlem will once again join Mika Salo and Jaime Melo in the team’s No. 62 Ferrari F430. The No. 61 entry is a bit more up in the air. Tracy Krohn and Nic Jönsson are set, but Colin Braun is out of the picture. Possible are Gianmarie Bruni, or Eric Helary, or…

[The359]

Good to see Pat Long in a Penske Porsche. Shame Marino is bumped out of the AGR.