[LM24] Le Mans 2004 entry list

[rdjones]

Well Le Mans 2004 is about 9 months away and its time to start thinking about who going to enter the great race, as last year I have posted on my site a possible entry list which over time I will added to. Too see it here

[rdjones]

The following car all have automatic entry into next years Le Mans:-

Le Mans 2003
LM P/GTP TEAM BENTLEY Bentley
TEAM BENTLEY Bentley
LM P675 NOEL DEL BELLO Reynard Lehmann
RN MOTORSPORT/JOHN NIELSEN DBA Zytec
LM GTS VELOQX PRODRIVE RACING Ferrari
CORVETTE RACING Chevrolet
LM GT ALEX JOB RACING Porsche
ORBIT RACING Porsche

PETIT LE MANS
LM P900 CHAMPION RACING Audi
LM P675 INTERSPORT RACING Lola
LM GTS PRODRIVE Ferrari
LM GT ALEX JOB RACING Porsche

ALMS
LM P900 INFINEON TEAM JOEST Audi
LM P675 DYSON RACING TEAM Lola
LM GTS CORVETTE RACING Chevrolet
LM GT RISI COMPETITION Ferrari

FIA GT 2003:
GT BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA Ferrari
LISTER STORM Lister
N-GT FREISINGER Porsche
JMB RACING Ferrari

LE MANS 1000 KM :
LM P900 AUDI SPORT JAPAN TEAM GOH Audi
PESCAROLO SPORT Courage
LM P675 COURAGE COMPETITION Courage
INTERSPORT RACING Lola
LM GTS CARE RACING Ferrari
LM GT CIRTEK MOTORSPORT Ferrari
FREISINGER MOTORSPORT Porsche
PK SPORT LTD Porsche

[pirenzo]

That 1000km wasn't a worthwile race really, ie, it has no real prestige, and since it didn't count for anything there was little incentive to enter. Or so i thought.

Thos teams that turned up today have done themselves a real favor by getting automatic entry, teams like Courage, Intersport, might have not got in otherwise.

[rdjones]

In total there are 28 cars already in but you can take out the 2 Bentleys and RN Motorsport car, which means 25 places are up for graps. Now I'm not sure if you can transfer your entry to another class i.e Lister, Intersport (they now have 2 automatic entries), Noel del Bello are all in that boat......

[pirenzo]

i think the idea of auto entry is to make sure as many of the best cars, not teams are there.

You could also take out Pescarolo, though surely if they have got an automatic entry, surely they'll work out something for Le Mans?

[Wout]

Originally posted by rdjones
In total there are 28 cars already in but you can take out the 2 Bentleys and RN Motorsport car, which means 25 places are up for graps. Now I'm not sure if you can transfer your entry to another class i.e Lister, Intersport (they now have 2 automatic entries), Noel del Bello are all in that boat......

And what if you have two automatic entry's, like prodrive, alex job and freisinger: do you get the right to enter two cars?

btw. I think you can also take out team Joest (?)

[iucrmh]

Originally posted by Wout
And what if you have two automatic entry's, like prodrive, alex job and freisinger: do you get the right to enter two cars?

I am pretty sure that this is the case. i.e. Corvette have two qualifications, so that does mean two cars qualified. What is the rule regarding chassis-engine combinations? i.e. Pescarolo Sport qualified with a Courage-Peugeot, what if they aren't running a Peugeot engine next year, does that matter? I know that the entry can't be switched between classes though.

Prodrive is a funny one, one qualification each as, Veloqx-Prodrive, Prodrive and Care Racing.

At least it isn't as daft as the old days, when the Chrysler LMP's were entered as "Viper Team Oreca" as they used their qualification from the Vipers in GTS for the LMP cars the next year.

I doubt that more than 20 of those automatic places will be taken up......

[gsmith2424]

Find the next car on the FIA-GT list the Lister isn't allowed to race at LeMans.

[Fab]

yes, and it's too bad : could you imagine a grid with :
- Ferrari Maranellos
- Chevrolet Corvettes
- Saleens
- Pagani Zondas
- Chrysler Vipers
- Listers
- Lambo Murcielagos
a dream field for Le Mans !

[Aysedasi]

OK. So this is the official entry thread. Like RD, I'll be posting mine in due course, but, in November, I can't really be bothered just yet!

Just to let everyone know, however, like last year, I'll be asking Paul and Fab to be as strict as I'll be with entry posts - they should all go here - instead of starting new threads and leaving bits and pieces all over the place.......

[KA]

Originally posted by gsmith2424
Find the next car on the FIA-GT list the Lister isn't allowed to race at LeMans.

So in this situation, does the LM entry for their position in the final FIA GT championship standings automatically pass to the next team down the list? Presumably the rules on changing classes would prevent Lister using this entry for their LMP instead....

[KA]

Originally posted by gsmith2424
Find the next car on the FIA-GT list the Lister isn't allowed to race at LeMans.

Next up on the list would be the Care Racing Ferrari....?

http://www.fiagt.com/pointssummary.p...e=team&event=1

[rdjones]

The picture is a little confusing, I just can't figure it out...........

[Tim Northcutt]

Quick Thoughts:

Any team that wanted to have the BEST chance of getting an automatic bid to Le Mans next year blew it by not entering and racing yesterday...

That filed was no stronger, and in some cases, waeaker, than most of the ALMS fields that ran this past season....

It was a one-shot race that would have awarded 3 bids per class if at least 9 entries would have been fielded in each category...

Based on what has been posted above (and confirmed by the ACO's site), not even the Big race in June granted automatic bids for all three on the podium....

Dyson should have had their 2nd car there....others in the 675 and GTS class should have entered as well....

They had everything to gain and nothing to lose....and only one Audi to beat if they were an LMP 900 car...where was Kondo??...Durango????....Promec????....The Bucknum Pilbeam????....Konrad Saleens?????.....The Pagoni Zonda????....

Everyone in the racing world knew what was at stake on Sunday from the day that this race was announced....

I enjoyed following the action yesterday, and thought it was a good race...

Lots of teams showed promise for next year...I especially like the Intersport Judd V-8...if they don't blow out a tire and lose many laps limping to the pits to fix it, that would have been a real race with the Courage JPX....

But a lot of buildrs and teams had a golden opportunity presented to them, but chose not to enter....

Makes zero sense to me...

[full throttle]

Tim N: Money and time. Those are all the reasons you need as a car/team owner...

In a lot of peoples minds over here in the ALMS. The automatic podium bids for this 'new' race were an insult to all the time and effort Panoz and ALMS regulars have put into keeping 'real' prototype racing alive in North America. Where were the podium invites for Petit, an established race?? The scheduling of the two events left people having to choose between them unless you had megabucks for expedited shipping...

[Tim Northcutt]

That is an interesting perspective, full throttle....and I certainly can see why they would feel that way.....

From what you have written, it sounds like you have either heard that from good sources, or you are part of, or associated with, those who compete in the ALMS and feel that way....

For an ALMS team, it would be a struggle to turn your cars around and get them to La Sarthe...what about the European teams????

We've been reading posts all summer long from Durango team people who said they were gearing up for this, but they didn't show....

On the other hand, Intersport felt it was important enough to enter to cover their bases for the 675, and to try to get the LMP 900 in as well...

But $$$ that weren't budgeted for an event like this (since it was announced many months after race budgets were set) would also make the trip difficult as well...because $$$ don't grow on trees...or I'd be out there picking bushel baskets full of them to put together a team...

Thanks for those thoughts, because the $$$ thing did occur, but the added insight had not....and I appreciate it..

[The Badger]

(1) Why does the Audi sport UK car get an automatic entry for LeMans ?
(2) Why does Champion get an automatic entry , I didnt think that the PLM counted towards next years LeMans ?
(3)Orbit doesnt exist anymore .
(4)I dont think that RISI get one either .

Can anyone please clarify if the class winners from PLM do or dont get an automatic entry , thanks .

[Graham Goodwin]

Orbit does exist - BAM is a new team with many of the Orbit guys invoilved but Orbit are still in business

[Fab]

Originally posted by The Badger
(1) Why does the Audi sport UK car get an automatic entry for LeMans ?
(2) Why does Champion get an automatic entry , I didnt think that the PLM counted towards next years LeMans ?

Champion had the third place last year at LM, that gives an automatic entry for 2004.

And for Audi UK, it's not an automatic entry, but I cannot see ACO refusing to give an entry to one of the best cars of the field.

[The Badger]

Originally posted by Fab
Champion had the third place last year at LM, that gives an automatic entry for 2004.

And for Audi UK, it's not an automatic entry, but I cannot see ACO refusing to give an entry to one of the best cars of the field.

Thats debateable !!! What did the Audi Sport UK car do to deserve the position of "one of the best cars in the field" ???

[Aysedasi]

Leaving aside my prejudices, it is/was without question one of the best cars in the field last year. Or at least it would have been had the fuel guage not been faulty........

[KA]

Unless the ACO take the line that 'anyone with an R8 deserves an entry', then Audi UK presumably are going to have to take their chances with everyone else who hasn't already earned themselves an automatic slot

[KA]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
They had everything to gain and nothing to lose....and only one Audi to beat if they were an LMP 900 car...where was Kondo??...Durango????....Promec????....The Bucknum Pilbeam????....Konrad Saleens?????.....The Pagoni Zonda????....

Konrad were there with a single car for Konrad himself, Toni Seiler and Wolfgang Kaufmann- don't think they made the finish though

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by KA
Unless the ACO take the line that 'anyone with an R8 deserves an entry', then Audi UK presumably are going to have to take their chances with everyone else who hasn't already earned themselves an automatic slot

Yep. While I'm prepared to argue the the Audi UK car is a great car (Jeez, what am I saying.....? ), I definitely agree that there is no reason whatsoever why that car should be guaranteed an entry.

[The Badger]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
Leaving aside my prejudices, it is/was without question one of the best cars in the field last year. Or at least it would have been had the fuel guage not been faulty........

Ok , I will give you that Ayse , but that still doesnt give it an automatic by . But Im sure they will be there . Lets hope they get that "Fuel Guage" sorted out come next year !!!