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XHawkeye
January 30th, 2018, 02:34 PM
Nothing constructive just a placeholder.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUmjdZ3VoAA5UNF.jpg

Reynard
January 30th, 2018, 04:54 PM
Nice! When the camera followed the Mazda's wheel to the armco... right in front of those to fellas, I started cracking up, turned to my friend and said, "yep, living the high life alright! Must of had Miller on their corn flakes." :lol:

Now why this photoshopper decided to throw Cristie in there... not sure? :erm:

Freude am Fahren
January 30th, 2018, 06:17 PM
There's a handful of version of that image out there.

It was (unsurprisingly) announced Alonso will do Le Mans with Toyota. Surprisingly though, he will also do other WEC events that don't conflict with F1. Kinda surprised it's in Davidson's seat though.

Blerpa
January 31st, 2018, 05:43 AM
There's a handful of version of that image out there.

It was (unsurprisingly) announced Alonso will do Le Mans with Toyota. Surprisingly though, he will also do other WEC events that don't conflict with F1. Kinda surprised it's in Davidson's seat though.

Why? Davidson was done for it.
And Alonso will bring more publicity.

XHawkeye
January 31st, 2018, 03:10 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUyjJ-yWkAAAd_S.jpg

Godson
January 31st, 2018, 06:50 PM
Perfect

Alan P
February 1st, 2018, 02:41 PM
Why? Davidson was done for it.
And Alonso will bring more publicity.

It seems Fuji have asked for a date change so Alonso can race there too. I wonder what will happen if he had a big accident in WEC and can't race in F1? how will McLaren feel about that I wonder?

FaultyMario
February 1st, 2018, 03:27 PM
I guess Lando will have to throw out his elbows for those P10s!

The359
February 10th, 2018, 02:48 AM
Le Mans Entry List, with WEC entries also marked
https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2018/24-heures-du-mans/entry-list-24-heures-du-mans-2018.pdf

6 LMP1 teams for 10 cars, each team with a completely different chassis and engine combination. Rebellion with their own Oreca-built chassis and uprated Gibson LMP2 motors, ByKolles with their previous car with Nismo motor, Manor/TRSM with Ginetta-Mecachromes, SMP with their own Dallara-built BR1s with upgraded AER motors, and DragonSpeed with a BR1-Gibson combo.

LMP2 has a lot more variety instead of being an Oreca train, but still no Rileys and only a handful of Dallaras.

Big news is in LMGTE Pro with the US Porsche GT squad combining with the WEC squad for a 4-car team. Ford is doing the same as well with four GTs, and AF Corse has also added a third car for Le Mans. Two new BMW M8s, two new Aston Martins, and the two usual Corvettes.

LMGTE Am also has the majority of Porsche teams now running the mid-engine 911 RSR, which should shake things up.

Rare White Ape
February 10th, 2018, 11:19 PM
Please tell me that Toyota will finally win it this year.

Alan P
February 13th, 2018, 05:52 PM
Please tell me that Toyota will finally win it this year.

It's entirely possible, after ACO rule changes around energy use, they might not. https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/toyota-fears-major-straightline-speed-deficit-to-privateer-lmp1s-1002634/

Freude am Fahren
February 13th, 2018, 07:17 PM
Interesting. So I'm a bit confused by the article. I assume the energy use is per lap, but the wording there sort of make it sound like it's per stint. Assuming it's per lap, that could get dicey. Too bad Pescarolo or Oreca proper aren't still running in some form. I'd put my money on one of them if they were.

If it is per stint, maybe it'd be worth it to lose a lap per stint here or there to gain lap time. But I think it's per lap.

The359
February 13th, 2018, 10:16 PM
The problem for all the privateers is that they are all in brand new designs of cars, so reliability isn't going to be on their side. Spa will be their own test in racing form before Le Mans.

FaultyMario
February 16th, 2018, 06:29 AM
Can anyone explain this nonsense (https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/134384/wec-could-penalise-privateers-that-beat-toyota)?


"The reason for a non-hybrid going faster can only be that we have not been given the correct data [by the relevant constructor]."

"We are saying that we have given you a certain level of performance and if you are above this level, you have misled us."


He said the system was "quite clever" and "would not disrupt the racing".


The359
February 16th, 2018, 11:57 PM
Just another BOP. They want the hybrids and non-hybrids to be equal. No different than the Cadillacs dominating in IMSA, then IMSA trying to peg them back.

Claiming that they'll penalize teams that beat Toyota isn't really the truth, they'd just penalize teams that are well beyond Toyota.

Crazed_Insanity
March 23rd, 2018, 10:02 AM
http://hanabi.autoweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/gen-932-524/public/house.jpg?itok=hR9w0pqj
http://autoweek.com/article/imsa/75-year-old-leading-imsa-prototype-challenge-championship-standings

75 year old race winner... :eek:

FaultyMario
March 28th, 2018, 05:25 PM
JPM will drive alongside De Sadeleer in the #32 United Autosports Ligier.

dodint
April 4th, 2018, 07:34 AM
Just a reminder that the NCM is doing their uninterrupted broadcast 24LM viewing party again this year. Keith, Tyler, myself (and my Dad) are attending again.

http://www.corvettemuseum.org/event/lemans-24-hour-viewing-party/?instance_id=771



2018 NCM LE MANS RACE WEEKEND!
JUNE 16-17, 2018
Attention GT and Prototype Race Fans of ALL Marques!!

On June 16 – 17, 2018 the world’s greatest car manufacturers will battle at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Through special arrangement with the ACO, three locations outside of France will be given commercial free, direct feed of the race… Berlin, Tokyo and Bowling Green, Kentucky at the National Corvette Museum.

We are planning to show the race on our 28-foot giant screen in the Chevrolet Theater, with live timing and scoring, refreshments during the entire 24 hours, private Skypes from the Corvette Racing team and door prizes. We think this will be the next best thing to being there yourself!

SPACE WILL BE VERY LIMITED –
Advance registration closes at 5:00pm on June 1, 2018 or until sold out
No registrations or refunds are available after that date.
Registration for this event is $150 per person and will include:

24 hour opening of the NCM’s Theater for viewing purposes
Access to view the race in the NCM Conference Center
Early opening of NCM on Saturday, June 16th
Continental breakfast Saturday / Full breakfast Sunday
Lunch provided on Saturday June 16th
Pasta dinner Saturday evening
Midnight Ice Cream bar
Cash bar will be open Saturday from 5:15pm – 7:00pm
Snacks & refreshments provided all 24 hours
Drawings for Memorabilia (Must be registered participant & present to win)
Security will cover the front grass circle entrance door (parking lot A entrance) from 5:00pm – 8:00am so you are free to come and go at your leisure. RV parking is allowed in the truck parking lot for this event only. Bring in your sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, etc. for an all night stay in the NCM. All activities are open to Event Registrants ONLY.


There are about 35 spots left.

Tyler is bringing the Z07, I'll be in the DMC.

As an example of what you might find, here is an insane person posing in front of some weird Corvette Viper hybrid:

http://gtxforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=3006&d=1522856449

Godson
April 5th, 2018, 03:02 AM
Lol. Said crazy person might sleep under the ice cream table too....

dodint
April 5th, 2018, 05:25 AM
No joke, that's still one of my favorite Corvettes.

Godson
April 5th, 2018, 09:57 AM
The gs90 was a damned cool design, for sure.

Hope they have a GTP this year.

That'd be tits.

XHawkeye
April 9th, 2018, 10:11 AM
Looks like someone playing Gran Turismo in real life.

Lap time was 1.41.770


https://youtu.be/AyWkj3yvfWs

The359
April 9th, 2018, 10:34 AM
Apparently they were aiming for a 1:36 lap time, so a bit off the mark of what they wanted.

Rare White Ape
April 9th, 2018, 09:43 PM
Holy Christ, have they built a time attack car out of the 919 or something?

Tom Servo
April 10th, 2018, 07:22 AM
Keeps the wing open through Eau Rouge - nice.

Godson
April 10th, 2018, 01:16 PM
All that df....

Godson
April 14th, 2018, 02:52 PM
So, today's race at Long Beach was good.

Kchrpm
April 15th, 2018, 02:48 PM
I agree, was quite enjoyable to watch.

The359
May 9th, 2018, 08:14 PM
So the 6 Hours of Spa was on Saturday, but today it appears we finally have an answer for what happened to the Russian BR1 LMP1 car during the race


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5bPgU1n4yI

Considering the BR1 of DragonSpeed also suffered an electronic glitch that caused Pietro Fittipaldi to crash and break his legs, this does not bode well for this car. A full investigation by the FIA is underway.

Rare White Ape
May 14th, 2018, 11:22 PM
Look at what did demo laps at the 'Ring prior to the Nurb 24H:

https://www.autosport.com/gallery/index.php/id/3829

http://d24ftq11lp1zg6.cloudfront.net/hrs.php/dir/Porsche919HybridEvoNordschleife/image/e5e971f3f4822c56b9caff995ff51c57-4

Rare White Ape
May 20th, 2018, 11:24 PM
Here’s onboard from the Porsche at Spa, alongside Hamilton’s qualifying lap.


https://youtu.be/H-EPOLvt8wA

It’s fascinating to watch. The 919 gets a good lead early on but the Merc actually catches up during the mid-lap sequence and gets close enough to be equal by Stavelot, but then the Porsche takes off again and is way ahead before the bus stop. I put it down to being very slippery at high speed while still having just enough downforce to put in a good show in the tight stuff. I’d love to see what would happen if you put a Formula 1 PU in the back of the Porsche; would it be faster or slower?

In its current guise Porsche would eat a Formula 1 car at a long track like Le Mans.

The359
May 21st, 2018, 12:01 AM
I may be wrong, but I believe the Porsche produces more power. Porsche claims the Evo version of the 919's Turbo V4 produces 720hp, and the electrical systems produce 440hp. WEC cars also have two energy harvesting systems while F1 I believe still only has one.

The 919 also loses out on the fact that it is 150kg heavier than the F1 car.

Freude am Fahren
May 21st, 2018, 08:39 AM
Also, they way they use those hybrid systems is quite different, I think.

I think the Mercedes basically has full power the whole lap, while the Porsche has to deploy the extra battery power (which is a larger percentage of overall vs. F1) more strategically and it can't use 'full' power as much. Notice it starts to slow before Les Comb's braking zone, that's not lifting, just hybrid switching off. It loses big before Fagnes too.

Kchrpm
May 21st, 2018, 10:00 AM
Also there 919 ran on a cold day, according to the driver he was only barely able to get the tires up to usable range.

Alan P
May 21st, 2018, 04:54 PM
Be interesting to see what a years development will do for the F1 car as well.

G'day Mate
May 24th, 2018, 07:51 PM
Cool video nonetheless!

Freude am Fahren
June 2nd, 2018, 09:15 AM
:eek:

http://johndagys.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Porsche-Le-Mans-17.jpg

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-reveals-retro-gte-pro-liveries/

The359
June 2nd, 2018, 10:07 AM
Surprised they didn't do retro liveries for all four 911s.

Rare White Ape
June 2nd, 2018, 02:00 PM
That Rothmans one looks outstanding.

XHawkeye
June 2nd, 2018, 02:54 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Deq54gDXUAA8DJS.jpg

XHawkeye
June 2nd, 2018, 02:54 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DesKCnGXkAE3OZP.jpg

Congratulations @fia ! You finished the job.. One of the most iconic corners in history have now been destroyed. #PorscheCorners (https://twitter.com/VanthoorLaurens/status/1002906397003182080)

The359
June 2nd, 2018, 05:25 PM
Had to happen. And frankly, the "runoff" isn't very big, this will still penalize you heavy if you screw those corners up because you'll be in the sand.

FaultyMario
June 2nd, 2018, 07:07 PM
Was the geometry of the corner affected or just its edges? it's not clear from that pic.

Well, it looks like the curves were flattened, but I'm skeptical of that and say that the camera angle is deceiving.

The359
June 2nd, 2018, 07:23 PM
This is how it used to look.

https://d2d0b2rxqzh1q5.cloudfront.net/sv/2.183/dir/55a/image/55a94f074910d5c63cceae82097a2e49.jpg

The corners themselves were not changed, just the fencing and run-off. The paved section in this photo was only added a few years ago, it all used to just be fence and grass. This is the 2nd of the double lefts as you enter the Porsche curves, looking into the following long right.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/le-mans-2014-Porsche-Curves.jpg

Freude am Fahren
June 2nd, 2018, 09:14 PM
I'd prefer sand to the asphalt runoff. Or is that sand colored asphalt.

Rare White Ape
June 3rd, 2018, 01:14 AM
The corners are unchanged, it’s the wall that has been moved back and extra runoff added.

People are having a huge winge at the FIA about nothing.

And besides, it’s the ACO that did it!

Blerpa
June 3rd, 2018, 02:17 AM
What RWA said. Butthurts for nothing.

Alan P
June 3rd, 2018, 12:54 PM
The corners are so fast that run off was going to be added eventually. Would they rather the corners changed?

Rare White Ape
June 3rd, 2018, 06:59 PM
To be fair, there’s even less runoff on the outside of those double-lefts. They added a SAFER barrier there so there’s no grass. I guess the idea is to keep stray cars on the tarmac rather than letting them get a little bit wide and crashing, while the new barrier still does its job if a car gets really wide and crashes anyway. It’s an absolutely thrilling set of corners no matter which way you look at them.

dodint
June 3rd, 2018, 07:08 PM
Lets just do this in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Probably unsafe to use cars at all, really.

The359
June 3rd, 2018, 07:39 PM
To be fair, there’s even less runoff on the outside of those double-lefts. They added a SAFER barrier there so there’s no grass. I guess the idea is to keep stray cars on the tarmac rather than letting them get a little bit wide and crashing, while the new barrier still does its job if a car gets really wide and crashes anyway. It’s an absolutely thrilling set of corners no matter which way you look at them.

The double left is also over a tunnel, meaning they can't add run-off to that section. SAFER Barriers were the only way to increase safety as the armco cannot be extended.

Rare White Ape
June 5th, 2018, 01:25 AM
Test day footage.

Dem Porsches :popcorn:


https://youtu.be/hKsuNKBztEE


https://youtu.be/-9vbnzwTL64

XHawkeye
June 15th, 2018, 03:05 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB4zq6Jafkc

Golden Oldie

Godson
June 15th, 2018, 08:12 PM
https://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/porsche-ford-penalised-in-final-gte-pro-bop-1046261/

Let's see what this does for BoP

Rare White Ape
June 15th, 2018, 08:34 PM
Good news for Aston Martin, as they've been struggling so far with the new cars and have been lobbying for a BoP break.

The359
June 15th, 2018, 09:32 PM
From what I've read it isn't enough to make up their deficit, just enough to get them closer. Basically everyone in the class got a few kg of weight taken off or added, which really shouldn't have a major effect on their pace.

I think the Aston is just a bit too blunt in the front end and has too much downforce.

Blerpa
June 16th, 2018, 05:10 AM
You would think "Easy at T1" would be paramount at an endurance race, even more at the 24 Hours of Le Mans... sick drama right away!

FaultyMario
June 16th, 2018, 07:47 AM
The corners are unchanged, it’s the wall that has been moved back and extra runoff added.

People are having a huge winge at the FIA about nothing.

And besides, it’s the ACO that did it!

Any noticieable differences so far? My eye's untrained.

Freude am Fahren
June 16th, 2018, 02:35 PM
Didn't anyone else chuckle a bit realizing Montoya binned it at Indianapolis?

Shame about the Astons. They're the best looking cars out there, IMO.

Freude am Fahren
June 16th, 2018, 03:35 PM
Alonso back in the Toyota, at just under half-way. Can the two's bad luck cancel each other out for a solid, safe set of night stints?

Kchrpm
June 16th, 2018, 03:38 PM
Didn't anyone else chuckle a bit realizing Montoya binned it at Indianapolis?
*raises hand*

Freude am Fahren
June 16th, 2018, 06:53 PM
Great timing link if anyone's interested:

https://timing.71wytham.org.uk/s/lm24

Ford's 6th channel of their stream is also a good source.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H67VNX4IEr0&ab_channel=FordPerformance

Rare White Ape
June 16th, 2018, 08:50 PM
Any noticieable differences so far? My eye's untrained.

Yep. An LMP2 ran off there about two hours ago, and instead of smashing into a million tiny pieces and leaving them on the road, thus leading to an extended slow zone period, it harmlessly crossed the gravel trap and left a much easier mess to clean up and racing continued into the dawn and the world carried on like nothing had mattered.

Rare White Ape
June 16th, 2018, 10:51 PM
If Toyota doesn’t win this one I’m going to flop my dick out.

Blerpa
June 17th, 2018, 03:01 AM
Stellar performances by Alonso and Nakajima that made up 2 minutes of penalty with awesome night driving.
Com'on!
Too bad Bruni got unlucky under SC, damn.

MR2 Fan
June 17th, 2018, 06:32 AM
Toyota finally won! whew, about time!

FaultyMario
June 17th, 2018, 09:24 AM
Can somebody explain the length of stints, drivers stay for as long as they can but cars have to pit every 37 laps for fuel regardless of their other stops?

Blerpa
June 17th, 2018, 11:24 AM
You can criticize Alonso all you want, you can say he was in the best car and with the best team and that Toyota had no real opponents (although I'd say the main opponents in Le Mans 24 Hours are time, fate and yourself)... but can we take our hats off to Alonso and the way he competed? The way him and Nakajima drove during the night?
GT BoP seems a bit fucked, must say, but whatever. At least not Ford neither Corvette won.

Freude am Fahren
June 17th, 2018, 11:38 AM
Can somebody explain the length of stints, drivers stay for as long as they can but cars have to pit every 37 laps for fuel regardless of their other stops?

Drivers can do a maximum of I think 4 hours straight. Typically depending on class they pit every 8-11 laps for fuel, and stay in the car for 2-3 sometimes 4 stints. I think this year, tires were typically double stinted, but may have been put back on later for a 3rd/4th stint?

They also added a maximum stint length this year, which made trying to be clever with strategy non-existent. Nobody liked it.

This is all from memory, and may be slightly off.

Rare White Ape
June 17th, 2018, 12:29 PM
Conveniently, the commentary I was watching addressed this:

A driver must complete a minimum of 6 hours and a maximum of 14 hours throughout the race. To manage fatigue, they shall do no more than 4 hours out of every 6.

LMP1 hybrids are limited to maximum fuel lengths of 11 laps to allow the slower non-hybrids to be competitive by making less pit stops.

FaultyMario
June 17th, 2018, 04:29 PM
Yes, I think I was confusing tire life in lap length to fuel-mandated stops.

dodint
June 17th, 2018, 07:04 PM
You can criticize Alonso all you want, you can say he was in the best car and with the best team and that Toyota had no real opponents (although I'd say the main opponents in Le Mans 24 Hours are time, fate and yourself)... but can we take our hats off to Alonso and the way he competed? The way him and Nakajima drove during the night?
GT BoP seems a bit fucked, must say, but whatever. At least not Ford neither Corvette won.

Bad take.

It was a pair of F1 cars against a field of F2 cars and you're clapping wildly because they didn't put the cars into the wall on their own. Bad. You should feel shame for having that opinion. ;)

No competition isn't just weak for not having to compete, it also means they didn't have to push at all. Completely hollow win. They bought it and it's theirs, but lets not kid ourselves here.

Crazed_Insanity
June 18th, 2018, 07:07 AM
I feel sorry for Alonso and Toyota for enduring years of nothing so I'm glad they won!:p

XHawkeye
June 18th, 2018, 01:37 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Df5FohLVAAA_C5g.jpg


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Df5KUHpXcAA3888.jpg

dodint
June 18th, 2018, 03:53 PM
Tyler shared some of those BMW ones earlier in chat, the one with the 3 Fords ahead of it is tops.

FaultyMario
June 18th, 2018, 04:38 PM
JEV dsq.

G-drive and TDS racing disqualified for fuel rig infringement.

Rare White Ape
June 18th, 2018, 06:19 PM
I was waiting for and expecting a podium one of Alonso just like that, and now seeing it made real, it is better than I could ever have imagined.

The359
June 18th, 2018, 06:37 PM
JEV dsq.

G-drive and TDS racing disqualified for fuel rig infringement.

Apparently they added a machined part inside the rig to help the fuel flow faster. TDS, who actually runs both teams, admits to the modification, but their defense was that nothing in the rules prohibited adding parts.

That defense did not work.

Blerpa
June 19th, 2018, 12:57 AM
The359, pretty dumb people commenting that FIAWEC post over Facebook.
People commenting about staggered finishes as rigged result? ROFL.

Rare White Ape
June 19th, 2018, 04:03 AM
Eh. That’s social media for you.

(Might I direct your attention to Le Mans 1966?)

Godson
June 21st, 2018, 12:00 PM
Nice "road car" Toyota.



https://www.drivingline.com/articles/from-le-mans-to-the-road-toyotas-1-000hp-hypercar-is-coming/


Fuck this. The class could be cool as hell, but it obviously won't be.

dodint
June 21st, 2018, 12:21 PM
That is exactly what I thought the new class would bring. Surprised to see you so upset. Failure to manage expectations I reckon. ;)

Rare White Ape
June 21st, 2018, 01:01 PM
Meh. Rules will be bent and budgets will go up, and again the manufacturers will leave. In 5 years we will be back to having a pure prototype class, hopefully with screaming V10s and open cockpit roadsters :shocker:

The359
June 21st, 2018, 03:44 PM
The new class isn't based on road cars, it doesn't require homologation. It's simply like DPIs, road car characteristics on a full prototype.

FaultyMario
June 21st, 2018, 07:30 PM
I enjoyed the LM gtpro race.

XHawkeye
July 3rd, 2018, 02:21 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DhCHv0IVAAEXF0J.jpg

dodint
July 4th, 2018, 04:58 PM
BoP is aggravating as fuck.

For CTMP the Corvette gets a power boost and the M8 is being tuned down. The BMWs came in last at the Glen.
The LMP2 had the audacity to win a race last weekend so the DPIs have been given more power.

Dumb.

Alan P
July 5th, 2018, 01:24 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DhCHv0IVAAEXF0J.jpg Surely that can't be right? I mean, I know the BMW M6 is a pretty big road car, but the Acura LMP car can't be that small? It looks like you'd need a small child to drive it!

balki
July 5th, 2018, 05:04 PM
It's photoshopped
this is more realistic (second picture) (http://gtxforums.net/showthread.php?1828-2018-Le-Mans-IMSA&p=123980&viewfull=1#post123980)

Godson
July 6th, 2018, 03:20 AM
BoP is aggravating as fuck.

For CTMP the Corvette gets a power boost and the M8 is being tuned down. The BMWs came in last at the Glen.
The LMP2 had the audacity to win a race last weekend so the DPIs have been given more power.

Dumb.

They are literally choosing who gets to win where. Terrible.

dodint
July 6th, 2018, 05:45 AM
Yeah. I piss and moan a lot, but this makes me not want to even watch when it's so obviously transparent. If this persists I may end up really only watching spec series from now on, Super Trofeo, etc.

XHawkeye
July 7th, 2018, 07:06 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r13Cb6do4T4

The359
July 7th, 2018, 10:08 AM
Meanwhile the P2s still got pole position at Mosport, despite more power for the DPIs

dodint
July 7th, 2018, 11:37 AM
The BMWs...did not.