LM24 does anyone know what drivers tend to make just for doing Le Mans?

nreed · 13 Mar 2002, 13:09 (Ref:234211)

least $ and most $ would be great to know, thanks for any kind of knowledge/replys

**Aysedasi** · 13 Mar 2002, 13:51 (Ref:234244)

Personally, I haven't a clue. If I had the money, I would certainly pay someone to let me drive! There was a thread somewhere else a couple of months back about drivers salaries in sportscars - if you look back, you may find it.

Seriously though, there are drivers who will be paying for the privilege, either in real money or in terms of the sponsorship they bring to the team. What the top Audi boys will be making, I have no idea.

rlinter · 13 Mar 2002, 21:19 (Ref:234549)

Unless you are one of the top drivers in a FULL factory effort you will be lucky to get paid at all.

paulzinho · 13 Mar 2002, 21:46 (Ref:234568)

Some people pay and they do so, good people.
Some people are supposed to pay, don't pay, team starved for cash, bad people aka w*****s. (no names mentioned here)

Es Nes · 13 Mar 2002, 22:59 (Ref:234623)

if i had the money/expernce. i deffently wouldnt mind buying my way into a seet for lemans. come on, its lemans? who wouldnt

besides wr and lotus, which other teams have the drivers buy their seats?

choked_wasp · 14 Mar 2002, 01:46 (Ref:234688)

Pretty much all of the porsche GT teams. Anything CRoock is racing is rented out. I think knighthawk was renting out rides last year at LM also. Oh, and the Callaway had semi-funded drivers.

paulzinho · 14 Mar 2002, 15:19 (Ref:235060)

Quote:

Originally posted by paulzinho
Some people pay and they do so, good people.
Some people are supposed to pay, don't pay, team starved for cash, bad people aka w*****s. (no names mentioned here)

BTW i was talking about drivers here, not the teams.

**Aysedasi** · 15 Mar 2002, 19:16 (Ref:235890)

Don't worry Paul, I certainly know what you meant.

SL · 15 Mar 2002, 20:29 (Ref:235934)

It is probably somewhere between

a/ Team Manager - "To bl**dy much"
b/ Driver - "You want me to drive for how much ? Is that per hour ?"

But a top rated Audi driver is contracted for the season so would in effect be saleried to include Le Mans and probably in the £100,000's area. The casual one off must be down to the skill of the manager / agent.
How much would you want to drive in a top car ? or even a slow 911. Supply and demand, just say your driver failed to turn up on the day and another driver was close by helmet in hand and hoping, what would you offer ?

SL

Lee Janotta · 16 Mar 2002, 17:08 (Ref:236539)

Quote:

Originally posted by SL
It is probably somewhere between

a/ Team Manager - "To bl**dy much"
b/ Driver - "You want me to drive for how much ? Is that per hour ?"

But a top rated Audi driver is contracted for the season so would in effect be saleried to include Le Mans and probably in the £100,000's area. The casual one off must be down to the skill of the manager / agent.
How much would you want to drive in a top car ? or even a slow 911. Supply and demand, just say your driver failed to turn up on the day and another driver was close by helmet in hand and hoping, what would you offer ?

SL

Maybe offer to pay for lunch? Are we talking a veteran midpack touring car driver, or some kid with zero funding who's held his International liscense for all of 72 hours, and limps an ancient RX-7 around most weekends in a series no one's heard of? The kid could be blindingly fast, but he'll drive for free. For the moderatly fast but reliable driver, you might have to cut a deal, also depending on the car's chances for a good finish. There's a lot of personality involved, I'm sure, in deciding what a driver pays or is payed. Does the team owner want to have the driver's money in hand as security, or does he want faster, less proven drivers who can chase after the prize money? Is the race team a business or a passion. There are teams out there that are _blatantly_ run as Rent-A-Racer operations, with no intent of really challenging for position, but just providing spoiled club racers with a taste of the big time.

paulzinho · 16 Mar 2002, 22:49 (Ref:236908)

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Is the race team a business or a passion. There are teams out there that are _blatantly_ run as Rent-A-Racer operations, with no intent of really challenging for position, but just providing spoiled club racers with a taste of the big time.

Have you considered this though:

Some teams are/were so short of money that the only way they could survive was to sell drives. Some may not want to hire rent a drivers but are forced to because otherwise there just wouldn't be enough cash for the team to continue.

Lee Janotta · 18 Mar 2002, 00:15 (Ref:237950)

I try to appreciate the difficulty of such a scenario, Paul. But it's completely irresponsible to put unqualified drivers out on a track full of multi million dollar machinery running at nearly 200mph. How the hell did Michael Schrom ever get liscensed in the first place?! The man looked absolutely braindead at Sebring! 2 collisions and 2 other miscues in under an hour!!!

It's just plain dangerous. Besides, the pay driver system makes it harder yet for unfunded drivers to get a break.

Griff · 18 Mar 2002, 00:45 (Ref:237962)

Hi Lee
Not all pay drivers are **** but Iwill agree you have to wonder how some of them get an international race licence.
But I think you will find most of the drivers at LM pay
for the privelige all be it through sponsorship of one sort or another.
As for under funded drivers not getting the breaks, motor racing is about money sad fact of life i'm afraid, take it from me I know i'm skint!!!!
Later
GRIFF

choked_wasp · 18 Mar 2002, 05:23 (Ref:238099)

Here in the states all you have to do to get an International FIA licence is apply to SCCA and send a check. In other words, an FIA licence can be obtained by anyone willing to pay $150 bucks or so.

Lee Janotta · 19 Mar 2002, 01:46 (Ref:238895)

Quote:

Originally posted by choked_wasp
Here in the states all you have to do to get an International FIA licence is apply to SCCA and send a check. In other words, an FIA licence can be obtained by anyone willing to pay $150 bucks or so.

Gah... Well, that would explain it. My opinion of America's premier organized crime... Er, I mean, amateur race sanctioning body, just slipped even lower. And to think I'll be joining soon... They're the only game in town, though. No independants in Northeast Ohio, except for single-marque clubs. This is what always happens when you have a monopoly, though.

choked_wasp · 19 Mar 2002, 03:07 (Ref:238927)

It's not just the states that are like that though. It's still easy to get the licence in europe, I just don't know the process.

Lee Janotta · 19 Mar 2002, 17:57 (Ref:239455)

I don't know about that. I have a friend in England who's been trying for the past two years to get through the red tape to get her international liscense. And she's fairly well-off, and has a full-time agent.

choked_wasp · 19 Mar 2002, 23:34 (Ref:239756)

Then she's going about it the wrong way. FIA isn't going to change the way they have the clubs issue out an FIA licence anywhere in the world.

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