Letter to ACO about M3 restrictor issues

[Fogelhund]

Originally posted at IMSA forum

Periodically, we seem to come back to the debate about the exclusion of BMW from IMSA/ALMS due to the ACO regs.

While we can't agree on the reasoning, and the importance of the influences in the decision making, we can agree that we all wish that PTG was racing in IMSA with his M3's. (At least we can thank him for racing in SWC GT).

I can't recall that much has ever been done, or said about this.

My suggestion is that we as a group, send the ACO emails requesting that they correct the situation.

If you wish to copy this to your favourite website forum, and encourage others to write the ACO, feel free to do so.


This is what I have sent.

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to you in regards to the injust restrictors with your regulations for the 3.2 litre BMW M3.

It is with great disappointment that you are running your 24 hour race with the exclusion of BMW. Additionally, many fans are very disappointed that BMW continues to be misrepresented in the American LeMans Series.

The Prototype Technology Group, of Virginia USA, would have been more then willing to campaign a 3.2 litre I6 BMW, had the present restrictor been modified to allow them to be competitive.

I want, and many other fans want to see the PTG BMW M3's back in the ALMS and indeed racing at LeMans itself.

LeMans, and the American LeMans series is about many things, including great diversity. This diversity is devalued by the absence of the this great car from the grids. Please take the necessary steps to see that this issue does not continue into 2004.

Thank You.

If you are not feeling creative, feel free to cut and paste this, and email your comments to.....

webmaster@lemans.org

[kdr]

get ready for the flood of "its a touring car" comments from people. myself included.

[Aysedasi]

Yep - here I am.

Sorry Fogelhund, the last thing I want to see is an M3 racing at Le Mans.

Short and sweet, but that's the way I feel. I won't take it any further for fear of boring everyone else here as I have been doing for months......

The only BMW I want to see at Le Mans is a prototype.

[gttouring]

or a Coupe only version of some car (old 8 sereis) in the GT class, even the old 635csi. the M3 is a muscle bound touring car however, it is reluctance which i agree though.
where has BMW gone?

[kdr]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
Yep - here I am.

knew you'd be along swiftly ayse!

[Aysedasi]

Yes, I really am that predictable.

But then again, Fogelhund's thread was a bit if a red rag to a bull......


But I'm more than happy for you guys to debate the various views.....

[BSchneiderFan]

Why is an M3 a touring car but a 911 a sportscar? Is it the mild difference in shape only?

[Aysedasi]

Absolutely not. The 911 has always been an obvious sports car. The M3 is clearly not originally based on a sportscar. Its a souped up touring car. I'd love to have one, but that's not the point.

As I have said countless times, its my opinion and I'm entitled to it. I remember that back in the early 90's, when Ecclestone and Balestre were hell-bent on destrying sportscar racing, someone, somewhere, mooted the possibility of making Le Mans a 24 Hour Touring Car race. Over my dead body was my thinking. Perhaps the thought of the M3 racing in the world's greatest sportscar races makes me think of that.

Whatever. I shall now leave you to your discussion.....

.....until I feel like having another go!

[JAG]

Where touring cars rumoured before or after the 1992 debacle. Was id discussed at a high level or just by fans etc.

Never heard of this before.

[Magical Trevor]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
Absolutely not. The 911 has always been an obvious sports car. The M3 is clearly not originally based on a sportscar. Its a souped up touring car. I'd love to have one, but that's not the point.

But that brings us to this debate: If there can't () be an M3 in the GT class, what about adding some special touring car class? Remember, they're ALL race cars.

[gttouring]

yup- how about a class called GT Touring?
ha ha ha ha lol
rofl
Oh boy I love racing

[SALEEN S7R]

Or the "cup" class like we have in British GT where cars such as Porsche Cup cars and Ferrari 360 modena challenge cars are eligable, well that would mean cars from the likes of the DTM could enter that class, as well as the BMW M3.

There has been talk for a while on this forum alone of creating a new GT class for Supercars, well why not do that and have GTS for cars such as the Vipers down as far as the Moslers and have GT for entry level cars like it is now, but including the cup class machinery too. I dunno, Im just thinking out loud.

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by RacerGuy2
But that brings us to this debate: If there can't () be an M3 in the GT class, what about adding some special touring car class? Remember, they're ALL race cars.

No, no, no, no,no - well certainly not at Le Mans.

It's not a touring car race - its a sportscar race. It doesn't need a touring car class. There are plenty enough entries each year without adding touring cars - why? Sorry, you leave me speechless......

[Adam43]

I have to agree with Aysedasi, Le Mans is a sportscar race. The 911 is a sportscar, the M3 isn't.

[Hammerwerfer]

I say that if the M3 3.6 6 cylinder is fast enough to qualify, it is fast enough to race. I am firmly in favour of homologation rules though, and always admired Porsche for building the requisite numbers over the years so that all of us got a chance to enjoy them. The BMW V8 would have been a great car if they only built enough of them and didn't **** of the various sanctioning bodies by racing what really should be regarded as a prototype.

I don't agree that the DTM type cars should be let in though, except under prototype rules.

[Mal]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
No, no, no, no,no - well certainly not at Le Mans.

It's not a touring car race - its a sportscar race. It doesn't need a touring car class. There are plenty enough entries each year without adding touring cars - why? Sorry, you leave me speechless......

My view exactly

[Cynic]

There's a very simple reason why the M3 doesn't belong at LM - it's a sportscar race. The M3 is not, and has never been marketed as a sportscar. Simply dropping a V8 engine inbetween the front wheels does not suddenly turn it into a GT racer. There's also the fact that you can walk into a Porsche dealership and order what is effectively a GT3-R with numberplates bolted onto it. Try doing that with the M3...... If BMW want to do endurance racing with the M3, they should take it to Spa or the Nurburgring where they traditionally allow that sort of machinery. Keep LeMans for proper sports cars.

[Hammerwerfer]

LeMans has a history of allowing touring cars. Or was the old Cadillac a sports car?

[Aysedasi]

You're taling a very long time ago Hammerwerfer - I assume you're referring to Le Monstre? A lot of the cars that raced in the early days of Le Mans could hardly be called out and out sports cars. Besides, this is 2003, not the 20's-30's. I praised the ACO heartily in 1993 when (after the entry debacle of 1992) they widened the scope to include GTs. It had to be done to save the 24 Hours (and sports car racing in general). But, in my heart, what I want to see at Le Mans is prototypes - yes, I loved the GT1 style cars, but it's the prototypes that bring people to Le Mans - big banger sportscars. Just look back to the Classic last September at the crowd which surrounded the Rahal/Redman 917 wheneve it got the chance. I'd willingly sacrifice 911's in the GT class for a few more LMPs.

Again, I stress the fact that its my opinion. It bothers me not a jot if you all disagree.

[Hammerwerfer]

Besides LeMonstre, which had the "special" coachwork, the was a more or less stock Caddy entered.

I actually find the old format with all sorts of classes more interesting. Maybe if they had more prototype classes say based on displacement, it would encourage larger fields.

When I think of LeMans, I think of the amazing variety of machinery that has competed there. I do enjoy the LMPs, but badge engineered LMPs leave me a bit cold.

[Adam43]

I agree so much with Aysedasi on this that it is practically pointless me saying so. I might as well just copy and paste his replies!

[Dani Filth]

no M3 at LeMans .. period ...

[Aysedasi]

Great minds, as they say.......

[gttouring]

Why not open the garages and roster to a larger race? put smaller garages for the touring class they don't need the big set up the prototypes have (i am playing devils advocate)
I would prefer consolidation of all prototypes into the lemans party and GT-GTS have their own party but as it is let's put evry one in it and see who gets run over and who gets P1

[Aysedasi]

Why do we need a touring class?

Why should the ACO create a class just for BMW?

I fail to understand the interest in this. If BMW want to play, let them build another great car like the LMR.