Only 9 ALMS teams at LM?

[Patrick B]

Unless my counts wrong i only seeing 9 ALMS competitors on the LeMans '04 list. I just finished watching the 2003 LM 24(for the 6th or 7th time) and half way through Scott Atherton was bragging that the ALMS car count at LM was growing year to year. I think it started out at 15 or so car in 1999 and last year it was up to 22 ALMS cars...

So what the heck happened for it to drop 240% in one year???

[Tim Northcutt]

In the "LM Entry" thread, right after the list was posted, I did the same look-through, Patrick B.

I've always understood that "teams that compete in the ALMS receive special consideration" when it comes to invites to Le Mans....

The consideration doesn't seem quite as "special" this year, does it???

I think I counted something like 14 actual cars, but it might be a few more than that....

Of the 19 LMP1's, 3 were from ALMS and 2 of those three were "Automatic Bids"...the third went to Panoz Motorsports for the "Batmobile"....

It goes on from there...1 in LMP2....4 in GTS (if you count the Prodrives...and they'll be in LMES this year)....

Interesting, isn't it????

[Liz]

Erm, the French didn't choose as many cars this year as before?

[Liz]

Erm, the French didn't choose as many cars this year as before? (There is only one car from The Racers Group for one thing, and I think they had two cars last year -- and ACEMCO isn't chosen this year.) The IMSA site says there are 13 teams from the ALMS.

But since this is an "invitation only" event, the ultimate answer has to be that not as many were invited this year. And you can't blame the ALMS for that.

[Tim Northcutt]

I'm not blaming the ALMS....

As far as I'm concerned, Mr. Panoz saved sportscar racing in North America....and I think that both he and Mr. Atherton are on teh right path to grow the sport here....

I just think it is a shame that this year's field seems so "Euro-Centric" when there are competitors from this side of the pond who should be on the list....

But from looking at the field, I think it will be a great race....

I just think it's a shame that more ALMS competitors won't be over there mixing it up....

[Patrick B]

Thats my feeling also Tim. It would seem to me that LM would have been a pretty said affair the last couple years without the ALMS. Also the ALMS is still the largest series around that runs by the ACO rules. I really feel bad for teams like Acemco and Bucknum who probably had thier heart set on running the full ALMS schedule and LM...

[jhansen]

I think you guys are making a few assumptions. Perhaps some ALMS teams have received an invite and turned it down. Didn't Dyson qualify via their LMP675 class win last year? They are not on the list I saw. And let's face it, going overseas is not cheap and some teams maybe just can't afford it. The teams that are there are about what I expected more or less (certainly for the prototype and GTS categories). GT is maybe a bit under-represented and perhaps LMP2. I think the low ALMS turnout speaks volumes on the down state of the ALMS at present.

[KA]

Originally posted by Patrick B
Thats my feeling also Tim. It would seem to me that LM would have been a pretty said affair the last couple years without the ALMS. Also the ALMS is still the largest series around that runs by the ACO rules. I really feel bad for teams like Acemco and Bucknum who probably had thier heart set on running the full ALMS schedule and LM...

Did ACEMCO actually put in an entry? Terry Borcheller, in an interview on DSC at a couple of weeks before Sebring said that they weren't going to LM this year.

I can't help wondering whether the number of ALMS teams at LM this year is to some extent a result of the entry numbers in ALMS- if you compare the LMP1 entries for Sebring and LM, apart from Dyson- who had no plans to go to LM, only three cars from LMP1 at Sebring- the Autocon R&S, Intersport R&S and the Lotus, are missing from the Le Mans entry- and the only one of those I'd expect to have stood any chance of being there was AutoCon's R&S.

GTS is a similar picture- if ACEMCO didn't enter, then the only current ALMS GTS competitor not at Le Mans is the Viper. I suspect you may well have a point about the LMP2 (or should that be Courage C65..?) class, and maybe GT (I'm guessing Racers Group and PK probably entered more than the single car each that was accepted) but I can't help wondering if the reduced number of ALMS cars on this year's Le Mans entry reflects to some extent a smaller number of ALMS cars entering in the first place

[Fab]

BTW, the initial question is pertinent : what are the ACO's intentions ? :confused:

Nobody seems able to explain their choices...

I don't wanna re-open the "LM entry" thread debate here, but we could use this thread to talk about consequences of this field on ALMS future...

Liz, have you any possibility to ask, by your journalist position, Don Panoz or ALMS staff ?

More : have you any possibility to ask some ALMS teams if they tried to enter a car, and if they did, if they have any idea of their "non-success" with ACO ?

[Liz]

Well I could ask the teams, although all the teams we work with are going. If you have a specific team in mind, I'd be glad to contact them (or try to) and see what they say.

I know AJR isn't going because they can't afford it, or that is their story. However, Petersen/White Lightning are going and they haven't said anything about what it will cost (except that they don't care if they have to sleep in the garage and work out of cardboard boxes, they are going .)

[19dodge]

i know Autocon entered, but did not get accepted. Rand also entered 2 Lola's and did not get accepted. Bucknum (i think) entered also. Maybe ASR too? i really cant think of any other LMP 1/2 team after that.. we know dyson didnt enter, Lotus= no. then onto GTS: Carsport America=no. Acemco= no. onto GT: Flying Lizard: dont know?, J-3: dont know?, and thats about it...

i think there are just fewer ALMS teams this year and maybe thats why they wernt accepted. But i expeced to see one Rand Lola at least, as well as the Autocon Riley after their great run at Sebring.. All i have to say is Stupid ACO!! BRING BACK PRE-QUALIFYING!

[Fab]

Originally posted by Liz
Well I could ask the teams, although all the teams we work with are going. If you have a specific team in mind, I'd be glad to contact them (or try to) and see what they say.[/I].)

Thanks for that Liz ; I thought :
- Bucknum Racing
- Fred Goddard
- Intersport for their R&S
- Dyson
- Graham Nash
- Konrad
- Rand Racing
... knowing that you are not in touch with all off them...

[bernard b]

seems pretty obvious to me that ACO wanted to promote LMES this year, thus invited more european teams. And the fact is ALMS has less competitors nowadays than it used to

[Liz]

I do know people at some of those teams and will see if I can find out anything. It might actually make a good article!

Flying Lizard Motorsport, BTW, did not plan to go this year, their first year on the grid -- but I have no doubt they will be there next year. They are a very professional group of men and have a battle plan all worked out.

[KA]

Originally posted by Fab
Thanks for that Liz ; I thought :
- Bucknum Racing
- Fred Goddard
- Intersport for their R&S
- Dyson
- Graham Nash
- Konrad
- Rand Racing
... knowing that you are not in touch with all off them...

I'd be surprised if Intersport had posted an entry for the R&S- I thought they were only running that as an occasional third car for paying drivers- bringing a third car to LM on that basis would seem to be a bit of an unneccessary distracton from the more serious matter of the two Lola-Judds.

I thought Dyson had a guaranteed entry which they turned down.

On the other hand, I'd expect that Bucknum and Rand would have put in entries, and I'm sure I've read in recent weeks that Goddard, Nash and Konrad (although not ALMS regulars...) had plans for LM