[LM24] OFFICIAL 2012 LE MANS ENTRY LIST

[Simmi]

I'd rather see an elite LMP1 rather than a GT even if it does tip things too far in favour of Audi. As long as they can race I'm down. But there's a bit of an IF there.

[Bentley03]

Very pleased with the entry list overall.

Highlights (for me, Le Mans is all about the top class, so that is predictably where my focus lies):
1) Pescarolo run Dome (I could very easily have put this down for all 5 of my highlights )
2) Dyson finally crossing the Pond. Have been hoping for this for many a year now.
No specific 3), 4) and 5), but P1 is set up for some titanic battles between marques/manufacturers. Toyota vs Dome battle for laptime supremacy. The Rebellion vs Dyson 'inter Lola' duel. Finding out exactly where the Honda P1's will be in terms of speed/reliability.....I have a sneaky suspicion a Honda P1 will be the highest placed petrol car come 15:00 on the Sunday afternoon.

Lowlights:
1) The absence of Peugeot (and a number of their driver squad).
2) The lack of GTE Pro entries.
3) IMSA Matmut GTE Pro car only on reserve list.
4) The other GTE Pro Aston only on the reserve list.
5) The exclusion of the 2nd Lola Lotus from the main entry list and placed last on the reserve list.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

Very pleased with the entry list overall.

Highlights (for me, Le Mans is all about the top class, so that is predictably where my focus lies):
1) Pescarolo run Dome (I could very easily have put this down for all 5 of my highlights )
2) Dyson finally crossing the Pond. Have been hoping for this for many a year now.
No specific 3), 4) and 5), but P1 is set up for some titanic battles between marques/manufacturers. Toyota vs Dome battle for laptime supremacy. The Rebellion vs Dyson 'inter Lola' duel. Finding out exactly where the Honda P1's will be in terms of speed/reliability.....I have a sneaky suspicion a Honda P1 will be the highest placed petrol car come 15:00 on the Sunday afternoon.

Lowlights:
1) The absence of Peugeot (and a number of their driver squad).
2) The lack of GTE Pro entries.
3) IMSA Matmut GTE Pro car only on reserve list.
4) The other GTE Pro Aston only on the reserve list.
5) The exclusion of the 2nd Lola Lotus from the main entry list and placed last on the reserve list.

One glaring omission which would probably slot in at 2) on my 'Lowlights' list is the absence of Muscle Milk Pickett. Great shame they were unable to make the trip.

[911targa]

EI has work out a list with confirmations and rumors together
http://endurance-info.com/version2/a...ance-9459.html

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by 911targa

EI has work out a list with confirmations and rumors together
http://endurance-info.com/version2/a...ance-9459.html

Seems to be a lot of assumptions rather than rumours but interesting all the same.

I see they have Tom Kimber-Smith in at Signatech. He tweeted a couple of days ago he still doesn't have a LM/WEC drive! Seems a strange one especially for LM.

[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Press file in English... and an interesting fact, upper limit for entries at the Test Day is 76 cars.

Also, apparently there will now be a 550 sq m gravel trap on the outside of Arnage. So if a car overshoots, it'll have a gravelly moment, not a barrier-y moment.

This probably isn't the right thread, so apologies, but a quick read of the document shows an interesting bit about making the slower (non-LMP1) cars have better night-vision out of the rear of the vehicle - I presume a reaction to Rocky's off-track excursion after getting up close and personal to a GT car.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

Very pleased with the entry list overall.

Highlights (for me, Le Mans is all about the top class, so that is predictably where my focus lies):
1) Pescarolo run Dome (I could very easily have put this down for all 5 of my highlights )
2) Dyson finally crossing the Pond. Have been hoping for this for many a year now.
No specific 3), 4) and 5), but P1 is set up for some titanic battles between marques/manufacturers. Toyota vs Dome battle for laptime supremacy. The Rebellion vs Dyson 'inter Lola' duel. Finding out exactly where the Honda P1's will be in terms of speed/reliability.....I have a sneaky suspicion a Honda P1 will be the highest placed petrol car come 15:00 on the Sunday afternoon.

Lowlights:
1) The absence of Peugeot (and a number of their driver squad).
2) The lack of GTE Pro entries.
3) IMSA Matmut GTE Pro car only on reserve list.
4) The other GTE Pro Aston only on the reserve list.
5) The exclusion of the 2nd Lola Lotus from the main entry list and placed last on the reserve list.

That's pretty close to my list too James, although I will rarely complain about more LMPs than GTs.....

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Also, apparently there will now be a 550 sq m gravel trap on the outside of Arnage. So if a car overshoots, it'll have a gravelly moment, not a barrier-y moment.

I'm trying to work out where the heck that would be. There's the escape road of course - to the right of that (as the drivers see it)? Where they tend to nose into the tyres? Have the ACO bought some land there I wonder?

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

Very pleased with the entry list overall.

Highlights (for me, Le Mans is all about the top class, so that is predictably where my focus lies):
1) Pescarolo run Dome (I could very easily have put this down for all 5 of my highlights )
2) Dyson finally crossing the Pond. Have been hoping for this for many a year now.
No specific 3), 4) and 5), but P1 is set up for some titanic battles between marques/manufacturers. Toyota vs Dome battle for laptime supremacy. The Rebellion vs Dyson 'inter Lola' duel. Finding out exactly where the Honda P1's will be in terms of speed/reliability.....I have a sneaky suspicion a Honda P1 will be the highest placed petrol car come 15:00 on the Sunday afternoon.

Lowlights:
1) The absence of Peugeot (and a number of their driver squad).
2) The lack of GTE Pro entries.
3) IMSA Matmut GTE Pro car only on reserve list.
4) The other GTE Pro Aston only on the reserve list.
5) The exclusion of the 2nd Lola Lotus from the main entry list and placed last on the reserve list.

I agree with most of this plus:

Highlights:

The continued support and faith in LM of Audi despite the loss of the Pugs
Definitely Dyson and the hope that there is some increased Mazda support involved which may lead to a bigger P1 future?
Potential for the HPD cars - I think these are definite dark horses and could surprise many - also (maybe more so) in the WEC.

Lowlights
I had been hoping that Nissan or Honda would make a surprise increase in presence
Loss off Aston Martin Prototypes despite last years debacle

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I'm trying to work out where the heck that would be. There's the escape road of course - the the right of that (as the drivers see it)? Where they tend to nose into the tyres? Have the ACO bought some land there I wonder?

Think so, don't know where else they'd want to put it if it's on the exit of Arnage. That's the logical place.

Originally Posted by m1fcf

This probably isn't the right thread, so apologies, but a quick read of the document shows an interesting bit about making the slower (non-LMP1) cars have better night-vision out of the rear of the vehicle - I presume a reaction to Rocky's off-track excursion after getting up close and personal to a GT car.

They should give Mike Newton a ring and get some of his software for the onboard cameras.

[Aysedasi]

Absolutely - I remember him talking about them on RLM last year (or the year before). But how good do they need to be to see through an Audi 'white-out'.......?

[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I'm trying to work out where the heck that would be. There's the escape road of course - to the right of that (as the drivers see it)? Where they tend to nose into the tyres? Have the ACO bought some land there I wonder?

My guess would be the property on the corner of that junction, but 550m sq. is only a 50m by 11m (if my maths is correct) box, so would assume that we have quite a short gravel trap along the length of the kerbing on drivers left after the corner.

[AndrewF31]

Highlights:


+ Balance of classes.
GTE-PRO doesn't need many cars to make a fine race (just look at 2011 LM racing around the world), but 1 more Porsche (IMSA) would have been nice instead of one of the P2s or GTE-AM
Petrol in P1 will be awesome. A great mixture of teams and drivers in P2 and GTE-AM should make for an eventful and interesting fight (at least 5 favourites in each, if not many more)

+ Pescarolo taking the crazy route as always, with a Dome and another resurrection of the AMR-One chassis.

+ Dawn of the Hybrids - hope Toyota is up for it

+ Finally see some investment (Dyson) from the ALMS in P1 since Panoz/Cadillac/Champion.

+ Possibility of having a few good Portuguese out there (Filipe Albuquerque in the 'DTM' Audi anybody? Barbosa in the Level 5 after his good run at Daytona 24 and with his poor wife . Fan-favourite from ASM, Olivier Plá. Rui Águas in GTE-AM but handicapped by some of his more gentlemanly teammates, etc.)


- Audi overload up front but the price to pay for realizing they are really committed despite Peugeot's withdrawal

- Too many Ferraris in GTE-PRO.

- IMSA deserved a spot in a PRO Porsche

- Even the 2nd Aston. Amazing how they turn down a Factory effort, but the Vantage is an unknown quantity, just like the AMR-One turned out to be, so, in reality, Prodrive and AMR don't really deserve ACO and FIA taking another risk with so many interested teams.

[Le Vieux]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I'm trying to work out where the heck that would be. There's the escape road of course - to the right of that (as the drivers see it)? Where they tend to nose into the tyres? Have the ACO bought some land there I wonder?

They must have purchased some land and I feel a little sorry for the owner of the house on the outside of the corner. I'm still wondering what the thinking is behind this: I've been spectating at Arnage for 27 years and have never seen anything worse than a minor bump into the tyrewall here. Speeds are very low - a maximum of around 50-60mph even if no attempt is made to slow down.

The only good thing is that it won't spoil the viewing, unlike the ridiculously large gravel trap that was installed a few years back on the approach to Indianapolis.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Le Vieux

The only good thing is that it won't spoil the viewing, unlike the ridiculously large gravel trap that was installed a few years back on the approach to Indianapolis.

Let's keep our fingers crossed on that one then!

[Aysedasi]

That's it - a new spectator access to Arnage!