[LM24] Predictions for Le Mans?

[Jared]

10 days to go. I think we're mostly in agreement that if the Audis don't break, they are going to run away with the race. However, there are a few other classes to look at. And I'm sure there are going to be some off-the-wall predictions here. So what do you say?

IMO:
LMP- Audis all the way. All three cars have stellar driver line-ups, so it should be between them. However, I'd love to see Mario and the Panoz do well, and the Rafanelli cars could give the Audis a run for their money.

LMP675- I'm not too knowledgeable about this class. Perhaps someone could offer an informed opinion?

GTS- Corvette vs. Viper. (where have we heard that before?) I'm hoping the Corvette boys will win, but I would put money on the ORECA cars to once again be atop the podium.

GT- All Porsches. I'd say Dick Barbour Racing stands a good shot, having won at Sebring. I'd love to see Wolleck finally get a Le Mans win.

What do you think?

[Gerard]

OK, here goes:

LMP CLASS:
1. McNish/Aiello/Ortelli ---------------- Audi
2. Biela/Kristensen/Pirro --------------- Audi
3. Schiattarella/de Radigues/Naspetti --- Rafanelli Lola-Judd
4. Lammers/Coronel/Kox ------------------ Konrad Lola-Ford B2K
5. Dalmas/Minassian/Belloc -------------- Oreca Reynard Mopar 2KQ
6. Brabham/Magnussen/Andretti ----------- Panoz LMP-1 Roadster

LMP 675 CLASS:
1. Kelleners/Terrien/Deletraz ----------- Reynard Volkswagen 2KQ
2. Daoudi/Pompidou/Bouvet --------------- WR Peugeot
3. Gene/Boullion/Policand --------------- Reynard Volkswagen 2KQ

GTS CLASS:
1. Beretta/Wendlinger/Dupuy ------------- Oreca Chrysler Viper
2. Amorin/Donohue/Beltoise -------------- Oreca Chrysler Viper
3. Duez/Huisman/Archer ------------------ Oreca Chrysler Viper

GT CLASS:
1. Bouchut/Goueslard/Chereau ------------ Larbre Porsche 911
2. Murry/Mowlem/Maassen ----------------- Skea Porsche 911
3. Laribiere/Depoix/Chauvin ------------- Laribiere Porsche 911

[Liz]

Well, I'll be cheering for Mario & Co. but I would say that lineup, barring any mishaps, is pretty sound. ORECA will run away with that class as usual. They are just too good.

[Heeltoe6]

Go David Donohue, upstage the A and B teams of Oreca!

As for prototypes, my allegiance is tron. Sentimentally, I want Mario to get the win, but I love Audi. Why couldn't he be driving for Audi as had been runored

Anyways, the only sure bet is that Caddy is going to be embarassed, and the Vettes won't keep up with the Vipers. Actually, that battle has sadly soured since Daytona, it was nonexistent at Sebring, despite the faster qualification times by Fellows in the lead Vette. Maybe it will get heated agian, but doubtful.

[elephino]

Audi will probably win, followed by the Panoz of Brabham/Andretti/Magnussen.

I won't be surprised if the Vipers get 1-2-3 in class and at least one of them in the top 10 overall.

[Dan Friel]

Go Panoz!!!!!

It really does have to be Mario's year...

But Audi's look pretty strong - so I reckon it's going to be between them..

[KC]

I would love to see Andretti on the podium for Panoz, or the Rafanelli team take the honors. Nothing against the Audi effort, but it would be nice to see a private effort take on the factory, even thought he private efforts have the same budgets most likely.

The Viper versus Vette will not be a real fight. Team ORECA will dominate the Vettes on reliability and also on speed. I expect at least one of the Vettes to suffer tranny problems before night fall.

Poor old Bob Wollek. If anyone deserves to win one he does, but he should get the win in a front line class instead of GT3.

[marcus]

well the audi's are looking pretty good arent they ?
but seeing as 2 of my fav drivers (mario and Brabham) are in a panoz together i will be cheering for them.

oreca vipers should walk their class in with the wendlinger/bereeta car taking victory.

i agree with you about Bob wolleck KC...such a shame to see him putting around in a gt3 porsche ..he should be in an outright winning car.

all looks well for a great race and we seem to be all pretty much agreed about the audi's..but you never know 24hrs is such a long time and anything can and will happen

[Liz]

Yeah, where are the Toyotas of Yesteryear? Weren't they your basic Sure Thing last year? And nobody expected the Flying Mercedes either. I just hope it's a good race and everyone comes through it safely.

GO MARIO!

[Fql]

Mario is my sentimental favorite, but I think he will wish he had taken the Audi offer, which came, unfortunately before the dominating Sebring performance by Audi. I worked turn 3 at Sebring and the Audis were so smooth over that bumpy course that they could keep their power on the ground. The should be able to do as well in France where I will be working post 70.

[Geva racing]

here's my view:

LMP900
1 #11 Panoz Brabham-Magnussen-Andretti
2 #17 SMG Courage Gache-Formato
3 #07 Audi Abt-Alboreto-Capello
4 #03 Dams Cadillac Collard-Bernard-Montagny
5 #05 Dragon Panoz Kageyama-Kageyama-Suzuki
6 #15 Bscher BMW Lees-Gounon-Bscher

LMP675
1 #35 WR Pompidou-Balandras-Bouvet
2 #33 ROC Gene-Boullion-Policand
3 #32 Multimatic Maxwell-Graham-Wilkins

GTS
1 #51 ORECA Dupuy-Wendlinger-Beretta
2 #57 Carsport Hezemans-Hart-Hugenholtz
3 #63 Corvette Fellows-Bell-Kneifel


The audi wil be Pushing hard to catch the panoz but they will be pushed on the mulsanne straight by the courage. they bwill not hold out.

[Liz]

At the end the only question was which Audi would win. The Panoz ran well until it started developing problems.

And thank a merciful God that the DAMS Cadillac pilote was not hurt - if you could have seen the way that car burned until it was nothing left but a gutted shell, you would have marvelled that anyone could survive it. The pilote was scared witless, but he was just about unhurt. Cadillac put in a heroic performance and I think their pit garage deserves a round of applause for getting two of the four cars home.

The weekend belongs to Courage No. 16 though - and sucks to Nissan - bet they wished they'd been more polite now. Finishing 4th behind that Audi squad was just the same as a win.

Stupid Prize for the weekend: the two Porsche pilotes who smashed into each other on the final lap trying to finish first, and ending up with one of them DNF. Idiots.

[fatbloke]

Wasn't that the same no 81 Porsche who did a complete lap of the circuit without a windscreen, his bonnet blocking his view, and no seat belts, due to the fact that he was sitting half in and half out of the door which he held open himself ? As the commentators said, 'I think total moron is about the politest description I can use for that' Indeed.

[TimD]

As learned straight from the Martin Schanche school of racecraft!

[elephino]

At least the Porsche without the windscreen gave Australia yet another mention

I have to try to get mentioned for the 4th time in a row next year, and also beat getting on air twice. Hmm, have to start thinking of comments now.