A couple of questions

[rblanshard]

First time post, long time reader.

After watching an amazing 24 Hueres du Mans, I have a few observations and questions. If they've been asked before, please be gentle in flaming this n00b.

Where are the Vipers? With the new Viper SRT Competition Coupe on the road here in the States, when will it jump from the Speed GT series to Le Mans?

Why are there no privateers racing the Ford GT? Screw the privateers, why isn't Ford doing it? It's a beautiful car and there'd be nothing like seeing the Gulf heritage livery racing down to Mulsanne.

Besides the new F430, what will the next Ferrari GT be? The new 599 GTB or will the 550/575 make a rare appearance?

When will the 996 be replaced with the 997? Grand Am already has a few, but when will ACO and ALMS teams take out the 997?

Speaking of Porsche, why didn't Penske have his Spyder RS cars out there battling it out for LMP2?

That's is for now. I loved seeing the R10 running out in front from start to finish. It's my personal goal to be out there next year with my dad. Really working hard to make that a possibility.

Thanks.

[jhansen]

If you utilize the forum search function you will find the answers you are looking for.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by jhansen

If you utilize the forum search function you will find the answers you are looking for.

no need to be an ass, if it wasnt for guys answering my sometimes basic questions id still be more then a little lost.

Vipers-no idea why, but after not looking esp good/dominant compared to the CTS-V i think they would need a good bit of R&D time before GT1

Ford GT-dont think it qualifies for anything, not a "top-class/prototype" like the original and no where near enough production to be a GT1, plus Ford is being VERY cheap about racing, only WRC gets full factory money, even the Mustangs from Grand-Am are built by another group(cant remember who right now) for Ford but are well sorted

Ferrari GT-with Prodrive going to F1 not sure they will have the time to invest in a new GT build-up with a class leading WRC program and a new F1 team to build. Know they will be better the Midland/Jordan or Sauber were ever. But a 599 GT1 would be a great looking car, plus I'm hoping the LMP1 2010 coupe rules brings Ferrari back with an FXX derived prototype.

997 racers-some teams already have switched over, they just dont make a big deal about it like the Rolex guys did, believe the wrecked P/WL car was a 997, was built new this year for Sebring? or do they have to wait for the street car to premiere to roll out a new chassis?

Penske Porsches-is an easy one, did not qualify for an invite to this years race I dont believe, would have had to finish Sebring in 1st I believe.

[Erki]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Penske Porsches-is an easy one, did not qualify for an invite to this years race I dont believe, would have had to finish Sebring in 1st I believe.

When were those invites done?

[broadrun96]

Correct me if I'm wrong but i think Sebring is the final qualifier for that same years Le Mans, the reason the Peugeot will prob premiere at Sebring 07 to qualify for 07 Le Mans.

[wkk]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Correct me if I'm wrong but i think Sebring is the final qualifier for that same years Le Mans, the reason the Peugeot will prob premiere at Sebring 07 to qualify for 07 Le Mans.

Sorry, but Sebring itself is not a qualifier at all. From what I know a team can qualify for Le Mans only in the previous year, the following rules apply for the max of 24 pre-selected entries:

• 1st and 2nd at the 24 hours of Le Mans in each class (8 cars)
• 1st and 2nd in the European Le Mans Series in each class (8 cars)
• 1st at the “Petit Le Mans” in each class (4 cars)
• 1st in the American Le Mans Series in each class (4 cars)

The remaining 26 slots – or more, if a pre-selected entry is not taken - are given away at the organizers discretion.

Cheers

Werner

[Audi R8R]

I'll answer your questions as the people that have already tried appear to be fooled into thinking they're cleverer than they actually are.

Originally Posted by rblanshard

Where are the Vipers? With the new Viper SRT Competition Coupe on the road here in the States, when will it jump from the Speed GT series to Le Mans?

The Viper has not been developed into a top line GT racing car by Dodge/Chrysler. Whether that's a money issue, or just that they're not willing to put it into top line racing, I don't know. However, there is the GT3 version which is racing in the FIA GT3 championship and it appears to be very quick in there. So it's taking on international competition already, just not in a class that races at Le Mans.

Originally Posted by rblanshard

Why are there no privateers racing the Ford GT? Screw the privateers, why isn't Ford doing it? It's a beautiful car and there'd be nothing like seeing the Gulf heritage livery racing down to Mulsanne.

The Ford GT was rumoured to be entering GT racing. However, as yet its not been developed. Strange thinking from Ford, but they are already catered for in GT1 with the Aston Martin DBR9. (Ford owns Aston Martin) so from a GT point of view, they have a toe in that water already. I don't think the people that sign the cheques at Ford have the same feelings for Gulf Livery thrashing down the Mulsanne that sportscar fans do.

Originally Posted by rblanshard

Besides the new F430, what will the next Ferrari GT be? The new 599 GTB or will the 550/575 make a rare appearance?

The 430 IS the latest Ferrari GT car. The Ferrari 550 and 575 are now a bit long in the tooth. The 550 was built and developed under private funding by Prodrive anyway. The 575, which Ferrari did, was never as quick. The 430 has some input from Ferrari itself and has already proved to be a very good car (and reliable now after the Scuderia Ecosse run at Le Mans) and is also a good customer car, like the GT3(R,RS,RSR) has been for Porsche.

Originally Posted by rblanshard

When will the 996 be replaced with the 997? Grand Am already has a few, but when will ACO and ALMS teams take out the 997?

Its coming. But it wasn't in the Porsche agenda to run that chassis in competition this year. The 997 Cup car (the version that runs in Grand Am) was to be rolled out first. The GT2 version is still under development but is close. One of the reasons the other GT2 cars had a beter chance at Le Mans is because the 996 is starting to show its age. And I'm fairly sure that the White Lightening Car that ran was a 996, not a 997. I wasn't aware that there were ANY 997s in GT competition at present. I stand ot be corrected though. I don't have chassis numbers and entries to hand.

Originally Posted by rblanshard

Speaking of Porsche, why didn't Penske have his Spyder RS cars out there battling it out for LMP2?

Penske and Porsche stated at the start of the season that Le Mans was never going to be part of its plan for the Spyder this year. So they never entered. There was no question of an entry. It's a Porsche America project and they want the car to be more reliable over longer distances first. There wasn't any issue with class wins at Sebring or anything like that. Porsche said no this year. End of story.

Originally Posted by rblanshard

Thanks.

You're welcome!

[Ranald]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. Been reading posts for a while but just perked up the courage to post myself.
Regarding the 997 GT2 during the Le Mans 24 hour coverage on Motors TV, which BTW was excellent, Martin Haven said that a pair of cars would be run in the Spa 24hrs. I have forgotten the team I'm afraid but it'll likely be a current Porsche factory team I suspect. After that the cars will go over to America where they will be testes for the remainder of the year, I believe, by Peterson White Lightning.
I have seen that Martin posts here so hopefully he might be able to shed some light.

[garcon]

Great to see Le Mans prompting a few new posters - welcome guys!!!

As to the answers, I'm a GT/Endurance fan but not a knowledgeable one, so I'll leave it to the experts...

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by Ranald

Regarding the 997 GT2 during the Le Mans 24 hour coverage on Motors TV, which BTW was excellent, Martin Haven said that a pair of cars would be run in the Spa 24hrs. I have forgotten the team I'm afraid but it'll likely be a current Porsche factory team I suspect. After that the cars will go over to America where they will be testes for the remainder of the year, I believe, by Peterson White Lightning.

It’s rumoured that recent 24h Nurburgring winner Manthey Racing will race two brand new 997 GT2 at Spa. Though there are at moment more questions than answers about this.

[broadrun96]

K, sorry for the Sebring misquote. the information I used was missing some and they had listed an entrant as qualifyin with good placement at Sebring being the reason for an invite, just didnt elaborate that it was an "at-large" invite with their Sebring results helping their cause. And the GT, would it be able to run in GT1? was under the impression, apparently misguided though, that it would have to meet production numbers to qualify, and the GT supposedly had less made then planned and killed off 3 years early. And would bein out of production limit it racin years?

[rblanshard]

Thanks guys! Excellent answers and information. I am a huge Le Mans/ALMS/LMES fan as well as most racing series (F1 and rallying just to name a few) and hope to be around for a while and I'll contribute when and where I can. Good to be here. Thanks again.

[paul-collins]

Originally Posted by Audi R8R

The Viper has not been developed into a top line GT racing car by Dodge/Chrysler. Whether that's a money issue, or just that they're not willing to put it into top line racing, I don't know. However, there is the GT3 version which is racing in the FIA GT3 championship and it appears to be very quick in there. So it's taking on international competition already, just not in a class that races at Le Mans.

Homologation issues are also there - the Viper CC was never meant to be homologated, it was purely a race development. I think the new Viper coupe could be homologated, but someone would have to want to do it (presumably with DCX support). Oreca has their Saleen project now... I would expect that the new Viper will appear in GT1, but the question is when...

Originally Posted by Audi R8R

The Ford GT was rumoured to be entering GT racing. However, as yet its not been developed. Strange thinking from Ford, but they are already catered for in GT1 with the Aston Martin DBR9. (Ford owns Aston Martin) so from a GT point of view, they have a toe in that water already. I don't think the people that sign the cheques at Ford have the same feelings for Gulf Livery thrashing down the Mulsanne that sportscar fans do.

Sometimes I wonder if Ford could find a clue with a map. The GT was never meant to be raced, and their aerodynamics were mired in the mid-'60s. It's doubtful it would have ever been competitive. To top it off, the engine wouldn't have been legal in either GT class, so they would have had to strip the supercharger off. It was rumoured that Kinetic Racing was going to develop a privateer car, but they've had multiple projects that are still evolving.

Otherwise, I find I have nothing to add to R8R's excellent post.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by rblanshard

Why are there no privateers racing the Ford GT? Screw the privateers, why isn't Ford doing it? It's a beautiful car and there'd be nothing like seeing the Gulf heritage livery racing down to Mulsanne.

A privateer team is running a Ford GT in Super GT (I still want to call it the JGTC) with patchy results. They were well off the pace at Okayama and failed to qualify, did a bit better at Fuji, qualifying off the back of the grid and finishing 22nd, with laptimes that while not being uber-competitive didn't disgrace itself in GT300 terms.

Some details and a picture are at...

http://supergt.net/supergt/2006/06te...06t055.shtm?dt