Peugeot Vs. Pescorolo Vs. Audi

We have three very good LMP1 teams heading to Le Mans. All three are at the top of their reign. Audi is still picking up cash in the ALMS without any serious competition from LMP1 cars, but Pesky and Peu are going head to head in the FIA Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES). This year there are six races. (Le Mans itself is not included on the official schedule because they like to pick their cars and they wouldn't take an entire racing league onto the track and snub their nose at everybody else.)

The First LMES Race: 1000km of Monza, April 13-15


The top car was the number 7 Peugeot with Marc Gene and Nicolas Minassian driving. They won by a lap. Their fastest lap was 1.677 faster than second places'.


Second place was the Pescorolo number 16 with Jean-Christophe Boullion and Emmanuel Collard driving. They were ahead of third by a lap.

Third went to the other Peugeot, the number 8 with Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin. They posted the fastest lap time by .75 seconds over the 7.

In at fourth was the other Pescorolo another lap back with Harold Primat and Christophe Tinseau. Those are two driver's whose names I don't remember. Their fastest lap was 1 second off the number 16.

The Courage 13 was two laps back.

What does this mean?


It means very little until Le Mans when all three teams go head-to-head-to-head.

It means that Peu has a diesel car out of the box faster than the fastest gasoline LMP1.

It means Le Mans will likely be a diesel battle this year.

It means Peugeot is ahead of the 2010 rules change and will have three-plus years behind their closed-top LMP1 while Audi will likely run their open R10 until 2010.

It means Le Mans 2007, even without Porsche LMP2s, may actually have some racing at the front.

It means we finally get to see another beautiful closed-top at Le Mans.

What about LMES LMP2?

Horag won in their Lola/Judd. Bruichladdich got dead last, only turning three laps. Add Horag to my rooting-for category.

LMES GT1:

The race finished, Alphand Corvette, Larbre Aston Martin, Alphand Corvette, Modena Aston Martin, and Racing Box Saleen took fifth! However, the Saleen was three laps back of Liz Halliday's Modena Aston Martin.

LMES GT2

GPC Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari, Virgo Ferrari, LNT Panoz, GPC Ferrari. Spyker's customer Speedy Racing Team finished three laps off the top three cars.

photos by jalopnik and roace.

I Could Really Get Used To This!

Audi lost again.
Audi lost again.
AUDI LOST AGAIN.

This time to only two LMP2 cars, a Penske Porsche and an Andretti/Green Acura.

GT2: Ferrari Porsche Porsche. Ferrari Porsche Porsche. Panoz Porsche Porsche. Ferrari Panoz. Good to see Flying Lizard doing well.

Reflection: Audi has always said, "We designed the car for Le Mans only. No compromises. If it does well on other tracks that is a happy surprise, but we only expect to win at Le Mans." Well, last year they were saying how badly they expected the car to do on street courses because of its length. They have been sucking on the street. But isn't Le Mans the longest street course in the world? Yes it is.

Next Race: Miller Motorsports Park, Toole, Utah. I will be there. I am stoked.

Next Next Race: We all know its the big one. Some day I will make it out there to the legendary Sarthe circuit. Some day.

Oh NO! What Are The ACO Thinking?

No Porsche RS Spyders? Why? The only car to have a chance at the Audi's not going? Three factory Audi's entered in Le Mans? Yikes! Overkill or nervous robots?

I think we all know who I will be rooting for:

Overall: Peugot. Why them? They ain't Audi and I LOVE closed top LMPs. Pesky too. And Arena in their Zytek.

LMP2: Bruichladdich. The Radical is gorgeous. The Pesky too. They are fielding four cars this year. Three LMP1, one LMP2. That's just cool. And Barazi Epsilon in their twin Zyteks.

GT1: Saleen of course. Team Oreca is running two Saleens. Then the Ferrari and Lamborghini.

GT2: Flying Lizard and Spyker and Risi.

This is who I think will win:

Overall: Audi. If the Peugots and Pescarolos last, I want a non-Audi on the top three.

LMP2: I hate predicting this one for Le Mans 'cause I ain't ever been right. Reliability is such an issue with the fastest teams here. I'll go Zytek and Bruichladdich. I don't know why. It's a guess.

GT1: Factory Corvette. Then Factory Aston.

GT2: Risi. Hopefully Team LNT does well too.

Full Entry List

It Happened!

Overall: It happened and I am so happy. Is it ever good to see it beat! Penske 1-2 at Long Beach. Dyson 3rd a few seconds back. Then Acura, Dyson, and another Acura before Audi. I love it. LMP2 gets the top six spots! Another LMP2 car separated the two Audis. This made my weekend.


GT1: I don't even want to talk about it. This year is so disappointing. This used to be my favorite class, and when there is more than one team on the track it still is.

GT2: Ferrari, Porsche, Ferrari, Porsche, Panoz Ferrari, Porsche, Porsche, Porsche, Panoz, Porsche. How much better could you get? The diversity is what keeps this field so exciting.

But the race was stolen by the Spyders. Audi is so disappointed:


After winning the last nine ALMS races, and the opening Seabring ALMS race in 2006, and Le Mans, the Audi R10 has finally been beat. Soundly. By six cars: four Porsches and two Acuras. All LMP2. We now know their drivers and team are not all robots. Somebody over there is possibly a human. However, this could just be the result of a glitch in programming. Don't get me wrong, the R10 deserves all the respect in the world. It is an excellent car. That is a VAST understatement. However, for fans of racing, it is never good to see a car dominate so powerfully. It gets boring. (Now the Porsche Spyders will probably begin to dominate though.)