American Le Mans Fan

Some Days, I Just Cry

2008-01-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

And this is why today.

Paris-Dakar 2008? Que? Zut.

2008-01-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

This post is selfish. It is in no way meant to insult or demean the victims and families hurt by the actions which occurred on December the 24th. My condolences go out to the friends and families of those killed and I hope we can all work towards a future where this doesn't happen anymore.

But come on ASO! What the fuck? canceling the world's greatest rally for a few terrorist threats and the tragic events of Christmas Eve? So what went down?

Dec 27 - Rally organizers travel to Nouakchott to assess security concerns for the upcoming rally.

Dec 31 - The cabinet ministers of Mauritania are able to convince the Dakar organizers that this event was isolated and they will beef up security. The race is declared ON.

Jan 1 - The organizers recommend French citizens stay out of Mauritania for the time being.

Jan 4 - The race is canceled due to terrorist threats. ATY weeps. As do hundreds of people in villages along the route that rely on this race and the tourism it brings for their winter food.

"Based on the current international political tension and the murder of four French tourists last 24th of December linked to a branch of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, but also and mainly the direct threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organisations, no other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken by A.S.O.

A.S.O.’s first responsibility is to guarantee the safety of all: that of the populations in the countries visited, of the amateur and professional competitors, of the technical assistance personnel, of the journalists, partners and rally collaborators. A.S.O. therefore reaffirms that the choice of security is not, has never been and will never be a subject of compromise at the heart of the Dakar rally.

A.S.O. condemns the terrorist menace that annihilates a year of hard work, engagement and passion for all the participants and the different actors of the world’s biggest off-road rally."

Yes, safety is important. But how is canceling the race condemning "the terrorist menace"? It condones it. So when did this announcement come? THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE STARTED. You think, after meeting with government officials for a week they could have canceled a couple days before, but no, January 4th.

I like the word choice "annihilates" though, that's a nice touch. The greatest rally in the world is annihilated on its 30th anniversary.

Link to Motoblag's article. Hilarious.

2nd Annual Cypress Trees Awards: Best & Worst Racing Moments Of 2007

2008-01-07T12:37:00.001-08:00

Worst Racing Moment of 2007:
Colin McRae.

Sniff. The death of all those in that helicopter still makes me sad.

+++

Best Racing Moment of 2007:
Rollcentre.

This still gets me excited and that's why it wins. After a clusterfuck of a Le Mans - with the top three teams only taking a single podium place, two LMP2 cars finishing, wheels falling off, rain shorting out systems, et cetera, et cetera - Rollcentre Racing, a privateer team with only 7 members, took fourth. Badass. I still haven't worn a hat since then because my hat is still off to that team. That is a legendary achievement.

2nd Best Racing Car Of 2007

2008-01-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Peugeot 908 RC

Oh sweet sweet closed top LM cars, how I do love thee. And Peugeot has made a damn pretty and a damn fast one. So why does the 908 deserve to be the winner this year?

1. Looks:

2. Purpose: This is an Audi-Killer and I can get behind any Audi-Killer out there.

3. Performance and Results: The car is brutally fast, and showed it, again and again. They won all six LMS races and got two podium places in three of those races. That is good. And they pulled a podium at Le Mans.

But why did it not take the top spot? Because the team didn't give the car its due. They didn't come out and say, "We want to win Le Mans this year," they said, "We are developing a car this year that we hope will win next year." Bull-Shit. That's not racing. Racing is saying, "I'm going to go faster than you and be sportsmanlike on the track," and that's it.

YouTube Links:
Maiden race and maiden victory
The first laps at Paul Ricard
2nd race and 2nd win
Onboard at Le Mans (part Audi)

Best Racing Car Of 2007

2008-01-04T19:15:00.001-08:00

Ford Focus RS WRC 06

Ford has finally won the manufacturer's championship - and rightfully so. They stepped away from the pride and elitism the company has shown since the 1966 GT40 and enlisted the help of Yamaha. They stuck with their superb 4 Wheel Drive system. They showed incredible honesty by admitting that they couldn't tune their engine properly, but could get the power on the road best. This is what racing needs. It needs multi-billion dollar teams to admit mistakes and shortcomings. Who cares what the sponsors think - everybody makes mistakes.

The car does not look the best of the WRC cars, but the teams decision to swallow their pride and hire out major portions of development is a step towards making WRC as exciting as Le Mans. The WRC has faced more challenges than F1, but they still produce a great show. Why? Because of teams like Ford pulling stunts like this, and actually pulling it off. And not only pulling it off, but trouncing their opponents: 212 points to Citroën's 183, a single non-podium race (Portugal - and Subaru deserved that podium), four drivers f(Marcus Grönholm, Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latvala, and Henning Solberg) in the top eight with Marcus and Mikko in the top three and Matthew Wilson at 11th, and only two retirements the entire season for the Ford team and five for Stobart. That is unheard of. And if those two retirements didn't happen to Grönholm in races 14 and 15 he would have had that championship. Okay, that may just be the huge Grönholm fan in me talking but still, that car is splendid. And I never thought this award would go to an American car.

YouTube Links:
Hirvonen onboard in Japan
Grönholm in his last race
Grönholm onboard in the snow in Norway

Runner Up: Peugeot 908 RC
Check ALMS Fan for a write-up of why and for the award Best Racing Moment of 2007.

Le Mans Rant

2007-11-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

My continuing complaint with the world's greatest race is a lack of variety. Last year there were two GT1 cars not American and not British despite numerous marques doing quite well outside of Le Mans itself (Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari, and all of Japan Super GT). Also, the Porsche RS Spyder's absence was definitely felt last year with the LMP2 category being clusterfucked by retirements. GT2 was good last year, a nice variety. But overall, there was not enough variety in marques. Now I realize some of that can be blamed on manufacturers not wanting to run expensive racing teams, but most of the blame falls on the ACO.

So 2008 they'll do better, right? Well, the list is released and let's take a look.

LMP1: There are 2 Audis, 2 Peugeots, and 2 Judds. Good mix of engines so far but only 3 chassis types.

LMP2: 2 Zyteks, 2 AERs, and 2 Porsches. Four different chassis. Better. Hope they bring an Acura on.

GT1: 3 Corvettes (2 sixes and 1 five), 2 Maseratis, 1 Saleen, and 1 Aston Martin. Better, but they need to keep it up and bring a Ferrari and a Lambo onto the ticket.

GT2: 4 Porsche 997 GT3Rs and 4 Ferrari 430s. Wow. That sucks. Where's Spyker? Panoz? BMW? Chrysler? Cadillac?

So the ACO is at it again. When are they ever going to learn that what I want is not just great racing between great cars, I want great racing and a lot of cars. Sure, GT2 will probably be quite exciting if these eight are all that are invited, but come on, how boring is that? To expand the sport of racing and get Le Mans back to the prominence it as held in the past there needs to be a ton of cars and marques on tap. I want Morgan. I want Lotus. I want Acura. I want Nissan. I want Alfa Romeo. I want Gillet. I want Jaguar. I want Cadillac. I want Bentley. I want Subaru. I want Mazda. I want Pagani. I want more cars on track but most of all I want more marques on track.

My Pick's & The Finish

2007-06-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

Rain and puddles for the finish. For the final 50ish minutes the safety cars were out, but they ducked into the pits just prior to the white flag. No safety car at the end, but this race effectively ended under safety due to the weather. Tons and tons of retirements everywhere.

LMP1:

I picked Factory Audi, Joest Audi, Peugeot, Pescarolo, Peugeot, Factory Audi, Pescarolo.

We ended up with Factory Audi, Peugeot, Pescarolo, and Rollcentre. Six cars did not finish, including two Audis, the Audi powered Swiss Spirit, and one Peugeot. The Pescarolos were the most reliable by far. All three LMP1 chassis finished. The LMP2 Kruse was the only Pesky chassis to go down.

LMP2:

I wanted Barazi Epsilon, Team Bruichladdich, and Kruse motorsports to do well.

Darwin reigned here. Two cars finished. The Binnie Motorsports #31 took the win, and the Barazi Epsilon #33 got out of the pits just seven and a half minutes before the end and took second. Nine cars dropped out.

GT1:

I picked Corvette, Aston, Aston, Vette, Aston, Saleen, Lamborghini.

Aston Martin finally took it though. Corvette, much faster in the wet, was closing quickly when the safety car came out and they finished second. The other factory Vette dropped out, but this race belonged to Aston Martin. Six cars entered, six cars finished. Saleen (below) finished fifth, which is a great finish, and their second car finished eighth. The Ferrari 550 finishing seventh. Great finishes for the Ferrari and Saleens. Only two cars dropped out, the JLOC Lamborghini and the 64 Corvette, making this the most reliable class by far.

GT2:

I figured on an ALMS finish: Risi, Lizard, Risi, IMSA.

We got the IMSA Porsche at the front of GT2 and ahead of all of the LMP2 cars! Risi took second. Autorlando Sport Porsche took third. AF Corse Ferrari took fourth. Then the LNT Panoz took fifth. And that's it. The cheapest and most reliable class had eight cars drop out.

My Favorite Moments:

1: Aston Martin.
2: The #2 Audi's wheel falling off at Indianapolis.
3: Oreca Saleens both finishing in fifth and eighth.
4: The Ferrari 550 finishing.
5: The surprising longevity of the Peugeots (below).
6: The rain.
7: A GT2 car finishing ahead of all the LMP2s.

My Least Favorite Moments:

1: Both Spykers dying.
2: The JLOC Lamborghini dropping out.
3: LMP2 becoming a clusterf**k and the time with an hour and a half left when there were no LMP2s on track due to repairs being performed on both the final cars.
4: The #7 Peugeot dropping out with an hour and a half.
5: The Flying Lizard dying.
6: The rain.
7: A GT2 car finishing ahead of all the LMP2s.

My 2007 Le Mans Best Performance Award:

goes to Rollcentre hands down. Rollcentre used an old Pescarolo chassis, and took fourth! This privateer team only has 6 full-time people: the owner drives the truck and the race car. They went up against three factory Audis, two Peugeots, and two Pescarolos and still finished fourth. Granted, that finish was a mix of skill and a huge dose of luck and reliability.

Photographs by: termietermite.

King John

2007-06-08T12:35:00.001-07:00

At the six-lap Senior TT, King John took the win, his 13th. But he took it with the first ever 130mph lap.

When asked about his lap McGuinness gushed:

It was absolutely amazing, wasn't it? All week they have been talking about it, probably for months I have been talking about it, I knew it was definitely going to be on. The track was a bit dusty, there was a bit of oil at Sarah's and a bit of oil or fuel at Guthrie's and that took a few seconds, but I really went for it on the second lap. I really tried hard on the second lap. There was a bit of squally mist on the Mountain, which was a bit of a shock, but the track was in good shape on lap two and I thought if there is ever going to be a time to do a 130mph lap lap two was the time to do it, half a fuel load, the tyres, everything working brilliantly, grip on the track. I really pushed hard on lap two. I heard the Grandstand rear up and thought I might have done it, there was such a cheer, and at Quarterbridge and Braddan Bridge, all around the course on lap three. I think everyone appreciated I had done 130mph. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did! I remember sitting on the bank at Rhencullen when Steve Hislop did the first 120, now I have done the first 130. It is somethng special, I really enjoyed it.

I had a really good go over the Mountain, where I feel quite strong. I came in (to the pits) with a 10 second lead and went out with a 17 second lead I think, so I don't know what the boys do in the pits, they must have a magic wand or something, but they seem to be able to get me out a bit sooner than the other boys. It it testament to the team. The whole package for the last two years has been amazing. It is exactly the same bike I rode last year, so that bike has won the last four TTs in Superbike trim. I just hope they will let me keep it for my collection! It wasn't easy to win, on a big bike it is never easy. I was puffing and panting the first couple of laps, I'm not getting any younger! The next four laps I thoroughly enjoyed, I really, really enjoyed it. I kept the revs down a little bit, I didn't chase the bike too hard, I just concentrated all the way. I would really like to thank all the spectators, marshals, all the administrators, everyone involved in this Centenary TT, I think it has been sensational. Lets keep it going for another 100 years.

I cannot believe I have done it, I might just hang my leathers up now, let's see.

Photograph by towerbends.

+++

Unfortunately this comes with news of the death of Rookie Marc Ramsbotham and apparently two spectators at mile post 26 during the race. My sympathy goes out to the riders, fans, family, and friends involved. There are still two people in the hospital. This is the second incident this year for Ramsbotham. On Monday he fell at Water Works and was X-rayed at the hospital. It's uncertain whether that crash had anything to do with his fatal accident earlier today.

Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R

2007-06-08T11:21:00.001-07:00

Another beautiful car that did a short stint in ALMS. They have a closed- and an open-top version. They come complete from the factory but have never done too well in competition. They premiered at the 12 hours of Seabring in 2002 and crashed out. Since then reliability has been an issue.

This year they bought Midland F1 and sold a GT2-R to Speedy Racing Team. The Spyker Squadron cars and the Speedy Spyker are all in the FIA Le Mans Series. The cars this year are all closed top and they feature a wider intake still distinctively placed above the cockpit.

Race 1:

At the 1000KM of Monza, the Speedy Spyker took seventh in GT2, three laps back. Spyker Squadron only ran one car and it did not finish despite completing all but twenty-nine laps.

Race 2:

At the Valencia 1000KM Speedy took eighth, ten laps back. Squadron was in sixth with fifteen minutes left and lost all engine power, finishing ninth but stranded on the grass.

So they are definitely faster this year, right?

Le Mans Test: 3 June 2007

Both of the Spyker Squadron cars were a disappointing eight seconds off pace. We'll see how they do in qualifying. The two extra drivers necessary for the 24 hour race are the two drivers for Speedy (below). So all of Spyker's GT2 forces will be together and pushing this year and I hope one finishes well.

Why this post on Spyker? Because Spyker road cars are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. For a company that's only been around since 1999, and only available for North American markets since 2005, racing two F1 cars, two GT2 cars, and helping a third GT2 car may be a bit too ambitious. By owning an F1 team their name is now household, but how long can they keep this up? It's not like they're winning. I wish them all the best though. Nulla tenaci invia est via - For the tenacious no road is impassable.

Photographs by Dan Trotter.net and termietermite.

44 Years Later:

2007-06-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Lambo Comes

I was there in 2005 when a Lamborghini Murciélago ran in ALMS. That car screamed. There's no other way to put it. It was pretty, it was too slow, but it was definitely distinctive. Now, 2007, three years after their 2004 factory racing debut, they are on top of the FIA GT heading into the non-championship Le Mans.

Race 1:

At Zhuhai, China, the #7 All-Inkl.com Murciélago took the win by 2.4 seconds over two close Corvettes.

Race 2:

At Silverstone the #7 took ninth. I wondered if their opening win was a lucky break.

Race 3:

On the street course through Bucarest, the #7 split a pair of Maserati MC12s to take second.

So the ACO has decided to run another Murciélago this year. They tried one last year but it didn't finish - if I remember right it broke out around hour eight or ten but I'm not sure. So which Lambo are they running?

The JLOC. The Japanese Lamborghini Owner's Club. It took Suzuka in 2006 Super GT. They raced successfully in the single marque Lambo series in the late 90s. I'm excited to see how well they do this year. Hopefully they'll last. I hope the All-Inkl.com #7 will get an invite next year.

Why an entire post on Lambo? Because this year the GT1 class is dull: five Corvettes, six Aston Martins, two Saleens, a single Ferrari, and a single Lamborghini. A little heavy on the British and American cars - all but two. With Maserati doing so well in FIA GT, taking the championship last year and close behind Lambo this year, it would be nice to see more Italian Marques on the track. Sure, we have five Ferraris in GT2, but come on, they rule that class right now. Plus, I like black cars. I like fast black cars. I want more Lamborghini in racing.

McGuinness Takes Bennetts Superbike TT

2007-06-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

... and nobody is surprised. King John is one of the best TT riders ever and his winning the first race of the 100th year of the motorcycle Isle of Mann Tourist Trophy was expected.

Articles here and here.

Now that the races have finally started after a visibility delay that shut down Saturday's races, the TT has four more days to run.

Photograph by breganze981.

Do You See What I See?

2007-05-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

Le Mans always has the best drivers in the best cars. This year is no different.

Factory Audi R10s:

#1: Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro, Marco Werner

#2: Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish

Peugeot Total 908s:

#7: Pedro Lamy, Stéphane Sarrazin, Sebastian Bourdais

#8: Marc Gené, Nicolas Minassian, Jacques Villeneuve

And never forget Pescarolo and Joest. This is going to be one damn good race.

It Has Begun

2007-05-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

The oldest motorsports race in the world has begun its 100th running. For one week the Isle of Mann TT will probably dominate this site. The only week of the year you will see motorcycles here. Good luck and safety to all the riders.

LMES Race 2: 1000KM Of Valencia

2007-05-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Overall & LMP1: At the top is the #8 Peugeot, running laps two seconds faster than anybody else except Arena. Charouz, Swiss Spirit and Rollcentre took 2nd-4th. Pescarolo only got 5th & 6th. Surprising. The other Peu and the Arena both had problems and finished at the bottom.

LMP2: Quifel won in their AER Lola. Saulnier took second with their AER Courage. Buichladdich took third with their AER Radical. Nol Del Bello took fourth with their AER Courage. Kruse took fifth with their Judd Pescarolo. RML came in sixth with their AER MG Lola. Barazi Epsilon took seventh with their Zytek powered Zytek. Wow. AER rules in the LMES LMP2. Three Judds, a Zytek, and a Dome Mader broke down. Only two non-AER cars finished over 200 laps.

GT1: I am so excited! The Team Oreca Saleen finished tenth overall and first in GT1! Their new paint job, above, is awesome. It was on the same lap as second and third in LMP2. Twelfth overall and second in GT1 was the Racing Box Saleen, below! It was two laps back. Third was AMR Larbre in their Aston Martin DBR9 a lap back from Racing Box, then Luc Alphand's COrvette C6.R was five laps back. Awesome finishes for Saleen!

GT2: Felbermayr-Proton put Porsche back on top, but close behind were the Virgo and Scudderia Ferraris one lap back. Farnbacher finished on the same lap as the Ferraris but took fourth. Spyker didn't do so well, but they did better than Panoz.

Peugeot Vs. Pescorolo Vs. Audi

2007-04-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-04-18T13:10:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

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.)

Let's Get It On

2007-03-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Just about 3.5 days until the new season starts.

Seabring is always very exciting because nobody really has the best idea of who will do well. Obviously the favorites are Audi in LMP1, Porsche in LMP2, Corvette in GT1, and Ferrari in GT2. But the new teams make things exciting on and off track.

Off Season and Seabring Update:

LMP1:

Audi. Fastest of course.

I love the Intersport team, but teaming up with Creation to take down Audi is a gamble at best. Good luck! (Cynical: I guess they didn't get beat up enough in LMP2 last year.)

Autocon is again using Dyson's old EX257 AER Lola's.

LMP2:

Dyson is running Porsche in LMP2. They are also the fastest LMP2, but fastest is a relative term as six LMP2 cars are below last years pole-time and within about a second after the first day on track.

Acura is here. Lowe's Fernandez & Andretti Green. Both very fast. Highcroft is getting faster.

B-K Mazda is not currently in the top six.

Horag is running a Lola-Judd.

GT1:

Corvette, again.

But where is Aston Martin? Only one car, and that a Team Modena with Liz Halliday at the wheel.

GT2:

Packed. 18 Cars. This year we finally get a good mix. No longer is it just a Porsche race.

Ferrari: Risi of course, with two cars. But we also have White Lightning jumping ship to the Ferrari side, again with two cars. JMB racing is fielding the final Ferrari here. Ferrari is the fastest.

Panoz: Team PTG dropped their BMW M3s and bought two Panozs. Robertson Racing is fielding the other one.

Spyker: Only one of this gorgeous car will show.

Porsche: Farnbacher, Bratislava, Konrad, and Trans Sport each have one car. Tafel and Flying Lizard are both fielding two. But the fastest Porsche is the Rahal/Letterman.

Best Racing Car Of 2007

2007-02-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

After much debate, it has been decided.

The Porsche RS Spyder

Even though I may not have been the most supportive fan to begin with, I changed. I watched them start with problems like every team and car does, but they overcame those problems to pursue the top spots in every race and remain uncontested in their own field. That speaks to the strength of the Penske racing team as a whole. That is a damn fine team. Though I hate the paint job, the car is beautiful. Though I was rooting for another, the car and team both demanded respect.

They took down the R8 (below). Had a good go at the R10. Played their cards smart -- didn't push it until the end. They took everything in stride, and proved the car's worth. The ALMS season was superb last year, and this car helped.

Good luck this year to all the drivers of this car, as well as Dyson Racing and Penske Motorsports in the brand new Porsche RS Spyder Evo (2007). I hope to see Dyson at Le Mans in this beauty:

The Best Street Car Of 2007

2006-12-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

Tesla Roadster

Until now, electric cars have been for conspiracy theorists, people who really don't like to drive, and the past. Tesla is changing all that. Working with the same Lithium-Ion battery technology found in your cameras and laptops, not the exploding Dell or Sony batteries, the roadster has got speed. With an open company policy, a quick, personable response is assured by a higher up in the company to any question asked on their blog, over email, et cetera. This public form - and forum of information - has lead to incredible fanaticism and enthusiasm for this car. With styling and handling derived from Lotus engineers now on staff at Tesla, and the car made in England, a lot of people have called this the "electric Lotus." From a technical standpoint that couldn't be more wrong: the car is not only longer, wider, and quicker, but with the small battery block weighing 900 pounds and placed in the trunk, the cars suspension and body dynamics are significantly different even if the styling is similar. The 2008 models are starting at $92,000, but if you want one you'll have to pay an extra $30,000 for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2008, or $50,000 to be next in line. The 2007 1/2 model sold out in four months.

Their Super Secret Business Strategy: Make an electric super car that makes the company tons of money, then make an electric sedan that sells thousands of units and outperforms its gasoline counterparts.

I can get behind this company. Their aren't many Silicon Valley based car companies, but this one is innovative, environmentally responsible, and makes a damn good looking car that'll do 0-60 mph in four seconds. My only complaint would be a top speed of only 140 mph. With super cars dipping into the 200 range for about twenty years now, and even one besting 270, 140 is a bit slow. But with the top down, and the electric whine of that engine, I don't think I'd care too much.

ALMS Round 10 - Laguna Seca - Results

2006-10-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Overall: What a wonderful race. The first one in a while I have been able to listen to and follow the live timing of (despite an intense BSU vs. UI game in the background). The safety officials were spot on, doing a great job with the yellows when needed, and holding off when not needed. Only four or five cars retired - the #21 being the fifth, driving behind the wall with under 15 minutes left but not officially retired. I don't even want to guess how many lead changes we had. Creation, Zytek, Penske, Audi, and Dyson were all leading at one point or another, but at the end Audi pulled it out. After some serious troubles, they were very fast through the middle of the race, getting both cars in the top five on a different pit strategy from everybody else, which gave them the 1-2. Stunning accomplishment for the still unbeaten car. Good work by the ADT Champion Racing team, Audi Sport North America, and Team Joest to bring the undefeated underdog car home in first place. Perfect. A great accomplishment for a great team.

LMP1: Audi, Audi, Creation, Dyson, Zytek. A great race, every single car here lead at one point, except maybe Pirro's #2 Audi. Great racing, and I loved seeing more than one car challenging the Audi's. Autocon was the only other LMP1 on the track, but they had problems and were in and out of the pits most of the race. Highcroft didn't show.

LMP2: Porsche, Porsche, Intersport, B-K Mazda, Radical, Radical, Horag Lola. The Van Der Steur Radical and the Horag Lola both retired with a mechanical problem and an accident respectively. Intersport played it safe and capitalized on problems with the Radicals to take the third podium spot. B-K, the only team on Kuhmo tyres, had a great finish in fourth after slow pace throughout the race. The Bruichaddich team had a water pump blow on them, which put them second to last overall. Very unfortunate for the two Radicals, great cars, just unlucky today. Porsche, after saying all year that they are not gunning for a win and are only in ALMS for the LMP2 Championship, changed their mind right before the race when one of their drivers said, "I am a racer, I will try to win LMP2, but if I have a shot at winning overall, I will try." Their new car comes out in March, and they will be at Le Mans next year.

GT1: Wow! Wonderful racing as always in this close field. For almost the entire race, all four cars were on the same lap and within sight of each other. Stunning. In the last hour, Tomas Enge (007) and Johnny O'Connell (#3) each had a problem and dropped a lap from the leading 009 and the second place #4. The two top cars came across the line 5 seconds apart, while the two cars down a lap came across .5 seconds apart. Corvette got enough points to secure the manufacturers, team, drivers, and tyre championship.

GT2: Awesome race as always. Alex Job led, and finished third, but the race for the lead was really between Mike Salo (above) and Jorg Bergemeister (below) all day. The #62 Ferrari of Salo had about a second per lap over Bergemeister's #31 Peterson/White Lightning Porsche, but starting from pit lane set them back immediately. In the last ten minutes, Salo got the lead back after a great comeback, and finished almost 13 seconds up on the Porsche. Alex Job finished a lap back - a great podium for their beautiful car, but some bad luck put them off the top spot. Then came Flying Lizard, Panoz, Flying Lizard, BMW, and the other Ferrari. The second Panoz and BMW both retired. So, at the end of the season, the team championships go to Peterson/White Lightning, and the driver championship goes to Bergemeister. Johannes van Overbeek and Wolf Henzler's #45 Flying Lizard, which was a major contender, broke a radiator, giving bergemeister the championship.

ALMS Round 10 - Laguna Seca - Qualifying

2006-10-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Overall: Not Audi. Zytek (above) leads by .1 seconds over Creation, and .3 over the #6 Porsche LMP2 RS Spyder. Then the two Audi's.

LMP1: Not Audi. (I just like saying it.) Audi tried to make excuses by saying this track is the opposite of Le Mans and the R10 was designed for Le Mans, no other censors. Zytek is at 1:13.7. Audi is .4 seconds off, and gunning for a perfect LMP1 record for the season. Creation (above) was held up by Dumas in the #7 Porsche on their two hot laps. Dyson is unsure if they will be on pace for the race or not. They were inexplicably slow at 1:15.105.

LMP2: Porsche, Porsche, Radical, Radical. The Bruichladdich's (above) 1:15.311 is a half second faster than earlier - which is a great improvement in the 10 minutes between the final practice and the qualifying session. The Van Der Steur Radical also improved greatly, ending with a 1:16.267. This will be fun to see the gorgeous Radical SR9 take a podium spot. Horag and B-K are way off pace.

GT1: Half a second and seven points seperate all four cars. 009 is up by a quarter, #3 leads #4 by a tenth, and the 007 trails by a tenth and a half.

GT2: Poor Lizards. Their only car that did qualify finished two seconds off the lead. Risi took a stunning time across the line, finishing at 1:23.611 - fully half a second faster than the nearest car. The #23 Porsche of Alex Job (above) took second - a wonderful accomplishment for a team that has really struggled this year, and is battling with BMW over second-to-last place in the GT2 team championships. Peterson/White Lightning took third, while the other Ferrari is fourth. Panoz has the next two spots, followed by BMW, Flying Lizard, BMW, and Flying Lizard.

Predictions:

LMP1/Overall: Creation, Zytek, Audi.

LMP2: Porsche, Bruichladdich, Porsche.

GT1: Aston, Vette, Vette.

GT2: Risi, Peterson, Risi.

ALMS Round 10 - Laguna Seca - Practice #2

2006-10-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

I think Audi will be beat this weekend. Their car is long, torquey, and heavy on this tight, twisty track.

LMP1: ZYTEK!!! WOHOOOOO!!!!! For a racing fan not quite the biggest Audi supporter, Zytek posting a time .4 second faster than the fastest Audi is huge. Also, the Creation sits only .4 seconds behind the Audi. I'm getting very excited for this race. Dyson is limping.

LMP2: Okay, maybe not. The #7 set a 1:14.169, .004 slower than the LMP1 Audi, and the #76 Bruichladdich Radical stayed at 1:15.766. Dang. Intersport/Lola spun into a tyre wall and may be unable to race, but with an all night repair, they could be there.

GT1: 009, #3, #4.

GT2: Risi Ferrari, Risi Ferrari, Peterson/White Lightning. Alex Job is really battling with the BMWs this race, but that lead last practice must have been encouraging for the team. Panoz had the lead early on.

ALMS Round 10 - Laguna Seca - Practice #1

2006-10-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

This has always been my favorite American track. I am excited for this race. The first practice just wrapped up, and this is what I think.

LMP1: Poor Dyson. Their car had a "slight fire" and ended up behind the wall - broken oil line: fixed. Audi is fastest, followed by the Creation "Blue Rocket", then the Zytek.

LMP2: The Porsche Can Be Beat! I swear it. Maybe not this weekend, but they will be beat. Team Bruichladdich starts their ALMS season this weekend, in the last race. They bring a second Radical SR9 to the track, the other one dropping out of its first race at Petit Le Mans. However, Bruichladdich is pacing only .721 seconds off Penske's time, and a mere one second off the overall leading Audi. This is the most promise we have seen about the pace of the Radicals yet. However, in the other Radical, Van Der Steur is fully two seconds off Penske. Porsche debuted their car here last year and won, so they may be racing for more than just a win.

GT1: Aston leads, but only by .1 seconds - 009 over #4. #3 is third, then the 007.

GT2: The #7 LMP2 Porsche ran into the back of the #23 GT2 Porsche of Alex Job Racing, causing a red flag five minutes into the practice. The #23 rebounded and took the top spot. Ferrari's #62 had it early on, but ended third behind the Porsche of Alex Job, and the Peterson/White Lightning Porsche. The top three are within .5 seconds though.

Petit Le Mans & Laguna Seca

2006-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Petit Le Mans LMP1:

Creation: Awesome showing for them at Petit Le Mans: taking pole, then battling through multiple problems that left the drivers battered, before finally finishing fourth - they deserved a podium, but that is racing.

Zytek: They are quick, and reliable. A little more speed here and there and they will have their win.

Petit Le Mans LMP2:

Van der Steur/Radical: Reliability obviously an issue in their first race with the new Radical. The car looks beautiful, handles amazingly, but doesn't yet have the speed of the Porsche's. This is new territory for Radical though, with their carbon fibre chassis. Rumors have come about a Radical LMP1 in 2007, which would be appropriately ambitious for the company, but unlikely.

Porsche: They have greatly improved their reliability since the begining of the season.

***

Laguna Seca:

LMP1: Dyson has decided to run only one car after their crash at Petit Le Mans. Creation and Zytek will get another go at the Audis.

LMP2: Hopefully Radical can get their misfire under control. Porsche has the title. Intersport has second.

GT1: Seven points - tyre, manufacturer, and team championships are all a seven point spread with Aston down going into the final race.

GT2: Johannes Van Overbeek still leads Jorg Bergmeister by four points. Ten points back is Patrick Long. Wolf Henzler is thirteen points off Long. The driver battle will be good, but the team battle will be great: Risi leads Flying Lizard by six points, but the Lizards only have four points over Petersen/White Lightning. Panoz will stay in fourth, but the battle for fifth is close as well: BMW Team PTG only leads Alex Job Racing by five points. This is the class to watch. Good luck to all.

ALMS Round 9 - Petit Le Mans - Results

2006-10-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Overall: Audi. They ran a two driver strategy for the ten hour race, and won. (LMP1 was the Overall in this race)

LMP1: Minus the top spot, the rest of the podium was a great surprise - Zytek then Highcroft. That's right, I said Highcroft. Running Dyson's old Lola's, Highcroft's reliability got them on the podium in third. Zytek is stelar.

LMP2: Porsche, Porsche, Lola, Intersport Lola. Intersport had steering issues. Van der Steur had their engine blow. Porsche performed like Porsche.

GT1: 007! 009! #4! All within four laps at the end. Great racing here again. Sets up a seven point difference for Laguna.

GT2: White Lightning took it by two laps over Risi after spinning and a seperate puncture. Wonderful comeback. The other Risi had an accident. Flying Lizard had suspension go. So third place went to Panoz! Again they are strong in the long race. Good finish and exciting racing.

This Is It

2006-09-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

The final two races are here. The last race was so depressing for a Dyson fan that I didn't want to recap it. Dyson lost. Audi won. There. This weekend is the Petit Le Mans. American teams come out of the woodwork to compete as the winners in each class get an automatic invite to Le Mans 2007. It will be a packed course for ten hours.

I recently found a claim on the ALMS website that the Petit Le Mans is the third crown in Endurance racing. At first I thought it was ludicrous, the Daytona 24 Hours is, but then I realized that my tense was wrong, the Daytona 24 was. After taking a look at the purse for the Petit Le Mans I agree with the anonymous writer. I hope the Daytona can get back up there sometime - I've watched it a few times and it is exciting.

As far as Petit Le Mans predictions go:

LMP1: I hope Dyson wins. Since Salt Lake they have been stunning - faster then the Audis - but some bad luck has held them from beating the R10. I also want Zytek to do well.

LMP2: That new Radical is a beautiful car! It doesn't have the pace of the Porsche, but it will be interesting to see it in its first race. I hope it gets up there. Intersport is fighting uphill and a win here would be awesome. This will be Porsche's first endurance race for the RS Spyder which was quite unreliable earlier in the season, and even as recently as Portland. I am not sure the car will last the ten hours. A breakdown would be catastrophic just days after the 2007 model's release for customer purchase.

GT1: Aston is looking strong, but I will again cast my lot with the Vette, #4.

GT2: I say Risi, Lizard, Risi, Lightning for the top four because I want it that way, well, I want #45 to win, but Risi has two fast cars now, and at Portland (above) they hunted down everybody and won. A lap after the above picture was taken, the Risi was ahead.

ALMS Round 7 - Road America Predictions

2006-08-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Overall: Audi will not win. It is crazy, I know, but it's about time for an Audi incident. I call Dyson; the #20 is looking fast.

LMP1: Dyson, Audi, Audi, Dyson, Highcroft, Autocon.

LMP2: Penske, Intersport, Penske. Penske had two incidents at Portland, allowing an Intersport win. After three weeks off the car has gone through some minor changes. I think one car will have problems.

GT1: #4, 007, #3, 009.

GT2: Flying Lizard, Risi, Peterson.

Analysis: Last year this race was a good indicator of the rest of the season. Well, Dyson is fastest in practice, so hopefully they can be the first to beat the Audi R10. I think it is time their bad-luck ended.

Bentley Speed 8: Audi Killer

2006-08-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

The story of this Bentley comes out of the story of the Audi R8. VW owns both Audi and Bentley. The R8 started as two cars in 1999, the LMGTP R8C and the LMP R8R. Neither could compete well, but the R8R did better than the closed top R8C. Audi dropped the R8C and focused exclusively on their open top R8R. Then they won every Le Mans from 2000 to 2006 except one: 2003.

Bentley has a rich history at Le Mans, taking fourth at the first Grand Prix in 1923, winning in 1924, then winning 1927-1930 including first through fourth in 1929 and first and second in 1930. After 1951 they quit. They returned in 2001 with the EXP Speed 8, their first LMGTP. Audi had developed the R8C at RTN. Bentley also developed their Speed 8 at RTN as well. They took third in 2001, behind two R8s. Then they took fourth in 2002, behind three R8s.

When the first Bentley, the EXP Speed 8, couldn't win at Le Mans, Peter Elleary restarted the whole project. The new car was the Bentley Speed 8. It took advantage of the LMGTP regulations and proved that a GTP could compete with the open-top LMPs. Elleary said "actually the ACO did a very good job of equivalency on the whole. I think we showed, over the period ’01-’03 that you can make the GTP work, but only if you can optimize those areas where the regulations give you a head start."

The new Speed 8 took little but its suspension from the Audi R8C. It placed one-two at Le Mans in 2003 - the only non-Audi to win since BMW in 1999. This Bentley Audi Killer was born out of the same design studio as the Audis and after taking the win, Bentley hasn't gone back to Le Mans. Some have theorized that VW wanted their Audi power to be uncontested and forbid Bentley from competing again. We will never know for sure though.

Everyone thought that was the end of the Bentley story until the ACO press conference at Le Mans 2006. They announced a major rules overhaul in 2010, the main point being that all LMP1s must be closed top from then on. Lola and KWM Creation immediately revealed that they have been working on coupe versions of their existing cars already. Audi has been silent on the issue. Bentley, Elleary, and RTN, being the last to win at Le Mans using a closed-top car, may decide who wins at the start of the next decade. Perhaps the end of the Bentley story has not yet been written. And now that Bentley is financially more stable than they were in the early 2000s, perhaps we will see another focused project coming from them.

FIA Formula 1 - Round 13

2006-08-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

BUTTON!!!

Finally, after 112 races, Jensen Button (above & below) takes his first Formula 1 victory in race 113! This was the most exciting race of the season as the undecided weather kept teams guessing on wet, dry, or intermediate tyres. Schumacher was in fifteenth early on his wets, then as the track dried his intermediates rubbed down to slicks and he was able to get up into second. Then commenced the De la Rosa v. Schumacher battle of the year as for the next four laps they crossed the Start/Finish line side-by-side. Finally De la Rosa got him on lap 66, a lap later Heidfeld also got around Shumacher's Ferrari, but cut him off, causing the two to crash out of the race.

The other great story from this race was Robert Kubica. The 3rd driver (below) in his debut race scored two points for BMW Sauber - almost impossible for a debut nowadays in F1.

FIA GT 24 Hours of Spa Results

2006-07-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

GT1: Exciting racing here! For the last five hours, less than 10 seconds lay between the Vitaphone Maserati and the Phoenix Aston Martin. However, in the final pit stop the Maserati MC12 got out just ahead of the Aston Martin DBR9 after both pitted on the same lap. The Maserati took the win again. The GLBK Corvette C6R that had trouble with oil was kept in the race and took third after hour 21, when the Saleen hit some suspension problems, requiring a front left wishbone change that took longer than ten minutes, forcing them to finish 8th overall, 6th in class. Fourth went to the BMS Aston Martin, while sixth was taken by the #34 Corvette.

GT2: Ferrari 1, 2, and 3. Ferrari swept the podium in style after the Spyker (below) needed a pit stop in hour 19 for brake and engine work. It was only the second 24 hour race for Spyker Squadron and their first FIA GT race, so they are happy with their 4th place finish. AF Corse took one and two (above), while Scuderia Ecosse took third. Fifth went to a Porsche 996 GT3 RSR, while the other Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari came in sixth.

G2: Lucas Luhr, Sacha Maasen, and M. Tiemann took the win. Luhr and Maasen are currently racing the Porsche RS Spyder in the American Le Mans Series. They won in the #197 Porsche 997 GT2. Time Bernhard, also racing the Porsche RS Spyder in ALMS, Pedro Lamy, who races for Aston Martin in ALMS, and M. Lieb took second in another Porsche 997 GT2. Third went to the #179 Ferrari 360 Modena.

G3: The #116 Dodge Viper took the win, followed by a Porsche and another Viper. Nice to see Vipers take first and third here.

FIA GT - 24 Hours of Spa Update

2006-07-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

Update at 19:26

GT1: The Zakspeed Saleen (above) just took third place from the Corvette. Unfortunately the Vette has been having some engine troubles, requiring 8L of oil every stop. It is currently unknown whether they will continue or not as they are losing ground fast. The Zakspeed is pushing now, with only 5:30 left, lapping consistently below 2:22 - in the 2:18-2:19 range, while the two lead cars are lapping a second or two slowed than the Saleen. The two leading cars, still the Phoenix Aston Martin and the Vitaphone Maserati (below) are together on the track, with the Maserati trying to get onto the lead lap. As I type this is has just done it and has a five or fifteen second gap - about two minute down, but on the same lap.

GT2: A Spyker (below) broke into the top three, splitting pairs of Ferrari 430s. So the top five is Ferrari, Ferrari, Spyker, Ferrari, and Ferrari. This team just dropped out of the ALMS season to contest the FIA GT's last few races, and a third place finish would be wonderful for them.

FIA GT 24 Hours of Spa

2006-07-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

At Hour 6

GT1: The normal cars are up front: Aston Martin, Maserati, Corvette, and Saleen. The Phoenix Racing Aston is currently battling with the GLPK Carsport Corvette to put it a lap down, but the Vette may be gaining on it, while the Maserati is lapping about 30seconds to a minute back, on the lead lap. The Zakspeed Saleen (pictured above), my favorite team in FIA GT, is three laps back and lapping about .4 seconds off pace, getting chased by three Astons.

GT2: Three Ferrari 430s and a Porsche 997 are battling at the lead of this field. The top two AF Corse Ferraris are seperated by .361 seconds - exciting racing here! Unfortunately, Team LNT Panoz is not on the list for this race.

G2: The Manthey Racing Porsche #197 is still leading.

G3: The First Motorsport Porsche is still leading.

Live timing available here.

ALMS Round 6 - Results

2006-07-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Overall: So close for so many different teams. On a track that has only one place to relax, the front stretch, and in temperatures that rivaled and surpassed Utah, the drivers and the teams proved the difference here. Audi won. Audi took second. Dyson took a hard-fought third and fourth.

LMP1: Dyson took the front row in style. After a couple of strong outings ruined by bad luck, it is about time the team gets a win over the Audis. Unfortunately, on the restart from the yellow Audi snuck past on the inside, hit the #16, and won the race. This field was exciting this race, sweeping the top four ahead of Intersport, Highcroft, and Corvette. Autocon finished 8th overall after a tough race.

LMP2: I predicted a Porsche related incident and got two. First, the #7 spun the Highcroft in the festival curves, then was hit by the Highcroft as it spun, taking a big chunk out of the Porsche's side. This brought out a full course yellow. Both cars had flats and were leaking fluids. The Highcroft came away largely unscathed and continued to a strong 8th finish while the #7 took to the pits every half an hour to tape parts back on. That put Intersport in second. Then the second Porsche had a comprehensive engine failure with 15 minutes left while 5 laps ahead of the Lola. So Intersport proudly took the win.

GT1: The #4 Corvette took the win, followed by the 007 Aston. The #3 Vette took third and the 009 took fourth. This was good racing all through, as always.

GT2: Peterson/White Lightning took off at the start, building a twelve second lead. The Risi took a hit at the start, falling to last place overall. However, lapping two seconds a lap quicker than any other GT2 car, the Risi Ferrari took the win in the final five laps. It was wonderful. They are the first team this year to win twice. BMW took third, while Flying Lizard's two cars rounded out the top five. Panoz still can't seem to understand this track, but took a sixth. Alex Job did very well, but another hit of their continuing bad luck put them seventh.

Analysis: The teams won this race. With four races in five weeks for teams competing at Le Mans, and three of four for those not in the ACO, the cars are getting haggard and the teams are getting worn out. A month until the next race. Hopefully Dyson and Alex Job will be able to work out their bad luck.

ALMS Round 6 - Predictions

2006-07-20T00:51:00.000-07:00

Overall:
I say Dyson. I know. It's crazy. Okay, Audi. God I wish they could be beat.

LMP1: Audi then Dyson then Audi then Highcroft. This is as close as Kirkland, Washington resident Bryan Willman will get to a home race: he will be racing for more than points this weekend.

LMP2: Porsche, Intersport, Porsche. Weird call? Probably, but I know this track and the Porsche drivers will be fast, but they have been getting over-aggressive lately and I think they are due for a incident.

GT1: The incredible 9 race winning streak of the #4 included Sebring and Le Mans, but began here as I cheered them on last year. I'm for the four! I don't think this class will be a 1-2 win though, I think the Astons and the Vettes will be staggered. Too bad Saleen has nobody racing ALMS this round.

GT2: Porsche has always showed extremely well here, and last year Panoz sucked, so I am calling Alex Job Racing or the #45 Flying Lizard. I think a Risi will be on podium, but unless Panoz has improved drastically, they'll be sweeping the bottom. I think BMW could do well too, but I don't expect a podium from them.

Analysis: These are my final calls. I may change my mind based on qualification, but I will be at the race and unable to update this site until after I return. Cheers!

ALMS Round 5 - Results

2006-07-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Overall: This was almost the most memorable race of the last ten years. Despite Porsche's consitent claims of only being in ALMS for the LMP2 championship, the last fifteen laps saw a furious charge by the Porsches to get within .318 seconds crossing the finish line. .318 seconds in a 2hr 45min sprint race is absolutely nothing when it comes to the Le Mans 24hour next year.

LMP1: So, Audi won again. The good news is Dyson appeared to have defeated their bad luck and took second in class, third overall, ahead of the second Audi. The Audi R10 has a 100% win record still.

LMP2: Porsche shook up an all LMP1 top five and got themselves a second overall, first in LMP2. Intersport took second in class but finished 9th, behind the Aston Martins. The other Porsche finished 16th overall.

GT1: Aston Martin took their second straight victory with their first ALMS 1-2 finish. The Corvettes came in third and fourth.

GT2: This is the story of the race. Risi took pole, then started dead last because they changed tyres between qualifying and the race start. So, from dead last, on a brand new track, it took them 42 minutes to get into the lead. 2:03 later Risi took their first win of the season. Well deserved as they have consistently lost due to bad luck. Second was Peterson/White Lightning. A late caution helped Flying Lizard finish third to retain their class lead. Fourth went to Panoz. BMW took fifth. Alex Job racing, after leading then staying in second behind Risi, went off at the restart from yellow, continuing their bad luck.

ALMS Round 5 - My Predictions

2006-07-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Overall: Audi. In its first two races it took pole and the victory. In its third race it is an all Audi front row. The big boys are back.

LMP1: Audi, Audi, Dyson. Expect Autocon to score some more points too. Dyson is starting third and qualified less than a second down from the Audis.

LMP2: Porsche, Porsche, Intersport. The Porsches are starting fourth and fifth, but with the faster accelerating second Dyson right behind and beside them, and Intersport sitting on the tailpipe of the second Porsche, the start could be a big shakeup in this class.

GT1: I am going to call Aston 007 if their tyre troubles don't continue. I think the Corvette #4 could take second followed by the 009. But if Aston losses grip again, I call the #3 for victory.

GT2: The start is crucial. Risi took pole, but accelerates slower than the Porsches. Petersen/White Lightning put their Porsche next to the Ferrari, while Flying Lizard starts right behind it and Panoz starts next to the Lizard. Surrounded by cars quicker to get up than it, the Risi will be on the defensive from the begining. I say they will get their first victory here, followed by Flying Lizard and Panoz.

This Weekend

2006-07-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

July 14th-16th will feature two good races this year: ALMS Round 5 and FIA GT 24 Hours of Spa. I will be following ALMS closely as thit is the more important race.

The American Le Mans Series Round 5, held at Miller Motorsports Park (MMP) (under construction above) in Tooele, Utah, will be the second race on US soil for the Audi R10. Following up on last week's amazing Audi R8 victory, the R10 hopes to continue its winning streak in only its third race ever. It will be up against some stiff competition though: MMP is a new track for Champion Racing and most of the ALMS field while the Lola's will be trying desperately to overcome their string of bad luck, but most important is the race between the Porsche RS Spyders and the Audi R10.

Porsche has repeatedly stated that they are only in ALMS for the LMP2 championship, they will not push for an overall win. However, after finishing 1-2 Overall in Round 3, Porsche proudly proclaimed their intention to sell their cars to customers next year and allow competition in Le Mans. The Porsche's early troubles in the 12 Hours of Sebring took them out of contention for both overall and LMP2 victories, but now that they seem to have overcome most reliability issues this next race will be the first real Porsche RS Spyder vs. Audi R10 battle - perhaps a preview of the next few Le Mans'. These two cars are clearly top of their respective fields and it will be interesting to see how they compare in competition.

But in GT1 the battle will be hotter than the Overall chase. With both Aston and Corvette coming to MMP for the first time, and the points-battle being so close between the two teams, this new circuit may prove a break for Aston and net them a second victory. Aston will be up against stiff competition with the Corvette team though. Corvette is one of the best and most versatile teams across the ranks and their car works so well in so many track conditions that Aston will have to really step it up a notch. I think they may be able to do it, they have already earner Corvette's respect. If Aston wins it will provide a boost of confidence for other manufacturers contemplating getting into the ALMS GT1 fray and more diversity means more excitement and more fans.

In GT2 the battle is heating up. Flying Lizard, Risi, Multimatic Panoz, Peterson/White Lightning, Alex Job, BMW Team PTG, and Spyker are all looking for a win in the packed and exciting GT2 field. BMW has improved in the last two races after a dissapointing start to the season while Alex Job Racing and Spyker are both battling bad luck. The other four teams are consistently fast and should put on another great show.

Lime Rock Park - ALMS Round 4

2006-07-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

This does not happen. Ever. With a bumper sticker reading My Other Car is a Diesel, five and a half years of anti-Audi rules against it, the chassis already used for over two years, and a car introduced in 2000 and retired today in its final race, the Audi R8 pulled it off one more time. Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Overall: Audi. Strong over the bumpy course, an error free race led the R8 to its final victory. Allan McNish is king of the R8. Nobody drives that well. Simply amazing.

LMP1: Dyson's horrible luck continued with one car starting from pit-lane and the other's clutch exploding on the grid, but some very fast times from the Lolas hint at what could have been. Autocon led a lap then had some serious problems. Audi won (again).

LMP2: Penske had a shot at the win, even led for most the race, but an error under yellow at minute 44 necessitated a second driver change, and they settled with an LMP2 class 1-2. Intersport came third after some problems. Mazda wrecked.

GT1: After the 2 hour 45 minute sprint race, it did not come down to the final turn, rather, the final straight away. The charging #3 Corvette was up alongside the Aston as the Aston crossed just ahead. The #4’s streak was snapped in a muddy off with a Dyson that brought out a full-course caution. Aston finished 1 and 3.

GT2: The second story of the race is here. After totaling their car when Jorg Bergmeister put it in a tyre-wall hard at Le Mans, Petersen/White Lightning got a new car Monday. A series of all-nighters to get it into ALMS trim paid off when Jorg Bergmeister took it home first today. Flying Lizard had one side of the rear-wing 4mm too high after qualifying pole and started from the back to finish second. Risi put their brand new Ferrari into the wall at turn 8, opening the way for BMW to put an M3 third and fourth, a great finish for that team.

The bullring proved exciting. I was late for work because of the globecast. Congratulations to all the teams involved – racing this soon after Le Mans on a different continent is tough at best.

The Audi R8: Goodby to a Legend

2006-07-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Simply put, the R8 is the most successful race car ever. Starting life in two forms, the R8R and the R8C, the team showed horribly in 1999 before focusing their design work on the open topped R8R and coming up with the 2000 R8.

The car has a turbo-charged V8 3600 cc engine placed just behind the driver. The power goes out through the rear 14.5" x 18" Michelin Radial tyres. Its weight is around 900kg which gives an extremely good weight to power ratio of 1.5:1.

Since 2000 it has never dropped out of a race for mechanical reasons (record), it has won five Le Mans' (record), and was only beaten at Le Mans by the Bentley Speed 8 which was based off of the R8C. To say this car is a living legend is an understatement. Pescarolo, Dyson, Cadillac, Dome, Lola, Courage, and Dallara haven't been able to take down the mighty R8 at Le Mans, and all are very good cars.

Audi's last R8 was built in 2004. But the R8 still won Le Mans in 2005 despite being in its second year as a chassis. The R10 replaces the R8 this year. The R10 took Sebring in March, but only one finished - the other dropped out with mechanical problems. Audi decided to save their two R10s for Le Mans and run an R8 in the ALMS series against the brand new Dyson Lolas. At Houston, two years after it was supposed to have been uncompetitive, the R8 outlasted everybody and took the win with better reliability over less than favorable track conditions. The next race of 2006, Mid-Ohio, was a third for Audi behind the historic Porsche LMP2's 1-2 finish, but the R8 still won its class.

There is now one race left for the R8 in professional competition. A 2hr 45minute victory lap at Lime Rock Park. Today’s Round 4 of the American Le Mans Series will say goodbye to the historic Audi R8. The final livery will be based off of Team Joest’s, but include the names of all the drivers who have driven it and a list of the R8’s wins. The final race starts at 3:00 PM Eastern Time today, July 1st.

Lime Rock Predictions After 1st Practice

2006-06-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

This track is called a bullring. Laps are under a minute for each class. There are eight corners, primarily right handers, which forces an assymetrical setup on the cars.

Overall: This is the first time in a while it has been impossible to tell. The top five cars turned in laps all between 47.043 and 47.740. Therefore, whoever wins pole will have the best chance. I say the Audi R8.

LMP1: Audi or Dyson. The Audi is currently fastest, the Dysons are fourth and fifth overall.

LMP2: Porsche. Sorry Intersport, but the new Lola can't compete when the Porsches last the race. Sitting second and third overall, the Porsches could take the overall win as well.

GT1: Corvette. Number 4. Followed by Aston, then the other Vette, then the other Aston, then Saleen.

GT2: Peterson/White Lightning put the above car in the tyre wall at hour 11 in Le Mans. They bought a new one off a racer named Dennis West in California. Now their new car is fastest in practice. I hope Flying Lizard pulls it off, and Risi could do very well, but my prediction is BMW. This track is theirs with their precise cornering and it is about time they got a win.

The Lumpy Fifth Audi Prototype?

2006-06-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

The story of Audi prototypes is astounding. Winning their second time out to Le Mans with the R8, they went on to win every year since that 2000 victory except 2003. Now, in 2006, they put a car 200 days old on the podium first and third. The R10 and R8 are both stunningly good cars. The R10 basically being opposite of what everybody else is doing right now - like the GT40 was in the late 60's.

In 1999 Audi raced two cars, a closed top R8C (above), and an open R8R (below).

In 2000 they introduced the R8 (below in its final livery). 2004 was the last R8 model, but an '04 won in 2005.

In 2006 they introduced the R10 (below). So far, two races, two wins - Sebring and Le Mans.

After such horrible 1999 results, Audi decided to stay closer to their inspiration - Lumpy (below). Tom's Toyota designed and tested an LMP1 for $500K. Tom Kristenson had a go and the car was fast - very fast - even with the 1988 Group C engine. Then Toyota told them not to race it and focused on Champ Car. However, stuck on the wall in the Audi development garages is Lumpy. In the R8, the styling similarities to Lumpy are obvious.

Le Mans

2006-06-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Le Mans had record crowds, first lap with Diesel in the lead, record speeds, and record intervals between pits (16 laps for Audi). Diesel is the new black - I swear it. And with America finally going to a high grade diesel last January, it is much more efficient, economical, and ecologicaly safe than gasoline. Not to mention quieter with more torque and faster engine response.

LMP1: No surprises here except Tom Kristenson did not win as he has every year since 2000. Pescarolo could not compete. Audi was kept from a 1-2 finish by a needed rear left quarter of the car replacement. Amazing that this car got tires for the first time 200 days ago, nobody having tried diesel before, and now it is 1st and 3rd at Le Mans. Bravo.

LMP2: Intersport had troubles and pulled a stunning effort to get to forth. RML took it all, while Binnie and Miracle showed American strength in 2nd and 3rd.

GT1: Hands down the most exciting racing this year. At minute 17 a privateer Aston slipped on the oil of the 007 works Aston and brought out a safety car. The oil leak turned into a six-lap, engine pulling problem for Aston. Meanwhile the 64 Corvette got into the lead. The 009 was close and they battled for a couple hours. At the end, the 009 was up a bit before running into trouble, letting the 64 take the win. 007 took 2nd. Privateer Luc Alphand in a Corvette took third. Aston privateers Russian Age took a hard fought fourth followed by the 009. And a great sixth place finish for the Saleen ahead of the 63 Corvette.

GT2: Pole sitter IMSA Performance Matmut started dead last and lead within the first five laps before retiring. Multimatic led then retired. Spyker led then retired. White Lightning led then retired. Out of 14 cars, six finished. Team LNT put a Panoz on the top spot. It has been a long time since an American developed car has won anything but GT1 so this is very exciting. Seikel put a Porsche 2nd. Scuderia Ecosse took third. Flying Lizard had serious troubles, but fought their way back to fourth late in the race. I was definately surprised by how many Porsches dropped out broken or wrecked.

First Official Le Mans Test Day - Grand Touring

2006-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

These are the family drivers we see on the road every day, and a few supercars we're lucky to see once.

GT1: The Aston v. Corvette battle continues. The Aston Martin DB9R 007 took first with a 3:51.408, 1.2 seconds faster then the second place 009. The two Corvette C6.R's took third and fourth, the 64 ahead of the 63. Fifth is the #72 Corvette C5.R of Luc Alphand Adventures.
Analysis: Always my favorite category for some reason, GT1 provided some exciting testing. With Lamborghini stalling in the gravel early, and a couple of the Ferrari 550s spun out, this race is starting to look like another ALMS battle in GT1. The #62 Russian Age Aston Martin had a gearbox failure on track, but it could show well during the race.

GT2: A couple of big wrecks shook up the field a bit. Top was the No. 87 Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 430 GT with a 4:04.252. Second went to IMSA Performance Matmut in a Porsche 911 GTS RSR with a late lap putting them ahead of Flying Lizard and a half second behind Ferrari. The #80 Flying Lizard took third after being second all day. Fourth went to the #77 Multimatic/Team Panoz Panoz Esperante after an engine failure in the first session, their time stood long enough to get the engine replaced and the car back out on track, still with the fourth fastest time. Spyker Squadron took 5th.
Analysis: As usual, this is the closest field of the race. With the most cars, 14, GT2 is usually a very exciting class. Only five cars are not Porsche 911 GTS RSRs though. I think the ACO could have done a better job and grabbed a couple of JGTC cars (Now Super GT) and at least two more manufacturers from FIA GT - Maserati, Nissan, Lister, Lamborghini, Mosler, and Gillet could have taken the opportunity. I'm cheering for Flying Lizard, as always. But Ferrari will be some tough competition.

First Official Le Mans Test Day - Prototypes

2006-06-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is the race these cars were designed for. The Le Mans Prototypes have ruled the prototype racing world since 1998.

LMP1: Audi started the day powerful in the diesel R10. However, late in the session the number 16 Pescarolo Judd with pilot Emmanuel Collard took the lead with a 3:32.205. The number 7 Audi with Rinaldo Capello at the wheel responded with a 3:32.090 just minutes later. Then the 17 Pescarolo Judd took down Audi with a 3:31.687, then imporved to a 3:30.195. The number 8 Audi took fourth. Courage Competition running a #13 Courage body and Mugen powerplant took fifth.
Analysis: As the ACO website states, for pole position a lap under 3:30 will likely be needed. That is insanely fast for a track 13.650 km (8.476 miles) long. The Audi v. Pescarolo battle will be fun to watch though. The #17 is running a two-driver entry, so lasting the race may be a bit of a trouble for them unless they pick up a third.

LMP2: RML took the top spot in their Lola AER, Rollcentre took 2nd with a Radical Judd, and Intersport took third with their Lola AER. Fifth was Chamberlain-Synergy in their Lola AER, but an early spin cost them and their car is apparently destroyed. Fourth went to a Courage with a Ford engine put in by Paul Belmondo Racing.
Analysis: The C-S spin was unfortunate as they looked like they could have put forth some good competition.

Why I Am Here

2006-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

Because I am the only one who thinks Poetry and Racing go well together.