My own personal Sebring Preview

[H16]

Here is my post from Atlas under a different name, everything may not be 100% but I think its about 98.7%,

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LMP900/GTP

This is highlighted by the fact that no "factory" Audis are present. No need to worry, the Champion was always a factory blessed entrant, Joest are running a Cannon/Infineon car, and for Sebring, Le Mans, and Petite Le Mans, Audi UK will run a 2002 spec car as well. Silver livery with BRG on the sides, what a wonderful combination of the nationalities!

The Bentley will run a 4.0 liter Audi direct injection engine and a completely new LMP GTP for former Joest drivers and British aces.

The new Lister is an impressive machine. Powered by a Chevy 6.0 liter engine, the car is very innovative and, apparently, won't be obsolete in 2004 because, from what I am hearing, it can have a roof without too much modifaction.

Panoz's plans are very ambigous, but an evolution of the LMP01 (scrapping the LMP07 for good after their Elan/Ford engine wouldn't fit properly) by JML, apparently because the focus of 2003 is for private entrants, and a "works" Panoz wouldn't look right.

A sleeper amongest all this might be the R&S MKIIIC. After numerous trips to the wind tunnel, the team was very competitive last season at Miami and Petite Le Mans. The car that is ran by Jim Matthews will be the factory effort, with a Ford built by Yates and on Michelin tires, a key as the Goodyear effort was going for GTS and 675, not 900.

The other MKIIIC is an ex-Dyson car with Ford power by Lazaro, by American Spirit Racing.

The Dallara MG is of course, the same Dallara Judd that ran in Grand Am last season. MG bought the naming rights to all Judds after the CART fiasco, it is unclear if this is the new 5.0 liter Judd powering this car. It is competitive and will run at Le Mans and around 8 races, but need more money for more races and more development. Kevin Doran and Didier They will make sure the car is up front, however.

The Lola B2K/10's time has passed, but the Reynard 2K/Cosworth will be running, with ACO approval, renewable fuel. Interesting.

LMP 675

Despite a factory MG being withdrawn, the two Dyson cars are quick and more reliable than last season with a sizeable budget and special Goodyear tires, not warmed over GTS like Intersport ran most of the year. A Dyson overall is certainly not out of the question. Intersport are again dividing their resources between the MG Lola and the LMP 900 (now I guess also an MG Lola) Lola B2K/10, but Dyson will serve as far great foes than Knighthawk for the defending ALMS 675 champs. Not to mention that the ex Knighthawk is now the blue livered Thetford Dyson MG Lola...

The IRM/Reynard-Zytek is the second of three confirmed cars (others being MG Lola and Courage C65) that are built to 675 standards. The car was quick at Petite Le Mans, but Dyson and even Intersport MG Lolas will be tough competition. It is obviously built for Le Mans going by the bodywork, so it should perform well there. Zytek's attempt at a Panoz engine was insane, as it was a virtual F1 engine meant to run in a stressed, rear engine chassis. This particular Zytek should fit well in the Reynard if reliability problems can be overcome. Older cars such as Reynard's 2KQ and the Lola B2k/40 should not be ignored, but will not have a chance unless unexpected attrition effects the MGs, which were quite reliable late in the season last year and are rumored to be more so this year.

Pilbeam will be running yellow Dark Dog colors with Bucknam racing, with modifcactions throughout the car, which picked up occasional reliability victories last year despite running in Grand Am spec. The car has to have been re-crash tested the modifcations have been so extenisve, and an intriging 120 degree V6 powers the car, replacing the Nissan, and, according to sources, will eventually give them an extra and much needed 100 horsepower.

GTS

Corvette have been turning competitive lap times in pre season testing and Oliver Gavin has been put in a full time ride, replacing Andy Pilgram. However, the car to watch is, of course, the Prodrive Ferrari, which will run a limited ALMS schedule and perhaps more in private hands. Only the engine block and basic frame remain from the road car, but from the sound it is indeed "Ferrari", just as the much improved Olive Garden team's machine is.

AVR, or Carsport America, as they are now known as, will continue with the aging Viper for a time but the future of their program revolves around a Mercedes powered Zonda. Saleen are having money issues and still haven't produced enough road cars, so they aren't exactly favorites.

Looking ahead, the Mosler which currently competes in Grand Am should be ACO legal this time next year after proper homologation and the waving of the windshield area rule (to allow Morgan). This car is a rejected Corvette design made as a Mosler 900 and powered by a Corvette engine.

GT

Perhaps the biggest diversity from the former "Porsche class". Now MCR, the same team who put an all American Corvette on GT pole in 2001 at Le Mans, will be running a factory built Corvette in this class, while factory assisted Ferrari 360s have shown that they are capable of running with, and beating, the GT3RS, although at a higher price.

Other notables include the Morgan, the BMW powered English car that everyone was talking about, for the wrong reasons, last year, and the Spyker, which has found investors and will run Miami and Petite Le Mans in addition to Sebring and Le Mans. Allegra's BMW M3 with the in-line six is past its prime and is simply a field filler with Boris "I hate ALMS" Said, who alluded to the cars down on powerness last year to "ACO Rules". Could it be that its a 2000 design competing in 2003?

Vici Racing will run a Lamborghini GT-R, which should REALLY be interesting, while a Panoz GT car will run for the first time, leading many to believe rumors that Panoz is more interested in GTS/GT rather than prototypes in 2004 (perhaps so he can still have the engine in the front, as the ACO will now allow tunnel cars again).

Thats it, it should be GREAT!!!!!

[pirenzo]

I just don't get Panoz, they seem to have given up. Why did they try and fit a Ford V8 in the 07, they must have known it'd never fit!

[H16]

Exactly, the Mugen was hard enough. It was designed for the Zytek, which was basically a Formula One style engine.

[pirenzo]

Why they decided to go ahead with that monstrosity in the first place i don't know.

[pirenzo]

They ought to update the 01 to fit a 4cyl turbo engine and run it in the 675's

[JAG]

What about the Works/Chamberlain Tuscan R. I think a dark hourse for GT class victory/pole.

As for Panoz it looks like they will enter a new GTS next year, together with there ne w GT, for customers. They've accepted they cannot compete with Audi etc.

Customer LMPs will be provided by the likes of Lolas new LMGTP.

[egor]

Pilbeam will be running yellow Dark Dog colors with Bucknam racing, with modifcactions throughout the car, which picked up occasional reliability victories last year despite running in Grand Am spec. The car has to have been re-crash tested the modifcations have been so extenisve, and an intriging 120 degree V6 powers the car, replacing the Nissan, and, according to sources, will eventually give them an extra and much needed 100 horsepower.

According to Pilbeam the new MP91 has been designed to accomodate the new Nissan JPX-IES 3.4L, 120 degree V6 with circa 530bhp. If this is the engine that will be fitted they will have a good increase in bhp.

[ZXKawboy]

A factory Corvette GT car?! I hadn't heard a thing about that! I *love* that idea, and I'm sure that more fans will, as well. (After all...how many of them might already be fans of the C5R? It'll draw *more* of them..the GT racer is much closer to their own street cars)


(provided they actually own one, that is )

[C_g]

The Doran Dallara will run the 5.0L Judd motor, just as it did in Grand-Am last season. I don't expect the car to be competitive for the win though, based solely on driver strength.