LPM1 car owned by the fans.

[awegrzyn]

What would happen if we fans would create an ALMS team?
All we have to do is to create a fund. Chip in. Ask sponsors to add few bucks.
Buy a car. Give the car to a given team. The team would run and maintain the car.
We would vote on the particular drivers we want to race and there it is.

We could easily establish a front running LMP team.

Andrzej

[Audi R8R]

It sounds so easy, doesn't it?

However, once you've found the money to buy the car, you then have to find the equivalent again to run it for the season. And then a bit more for your engine rebuilds and leases. And a bit more just in case of a shunt (Budget in for at least one complete write off, just to be sure for the season).

Then a bit more for tyres, fuel, entry fees...

You'd need an awful lot of fans with very deep pockets.
The theory is great, the practicalities, unfortunately, are not.

[wishIcouldRace]

And all work on the car could be accomplished in virtual reality by entering words into a web forum . The car set-ups could be had by posting technical questions on to a network of web forums in a quest for the political correct action. Members could even post intensely important clarification issues concerning the accepted procedures for use of tools and have fun critisizing eachouther for speelling and punctuation . There would be a vote to resolve all issues and then create fifteen page forum debates to determine who is flaming who. If by chance something could be actually be put together, the members would end up being committed to a rehab program due to withdrawal conditions attributed actually having to work instead of playing on the internet on your employers nickel, dime, quarter, dollar, or whatever

Play Station starts looking pretty good, right?

[Edmonton]

You never know it could work if you got enough fans you might be able to raise enough money.it kind a rteminds me a bit of Jan Lammers at Lemans in 2001.
If this is an ALMS car a group like this should team up with Panoz and maybe use the elan V8.

[awegrzyn]

I have done this once with a construction project, where we were able to build a pool and have a swimming team. This is on a bigger scale, but I see it possible. If 1000 fans gets together it seems very realistic as a matter of fact. I don't think the money would be the problem at that point, but the management of the project.

Maybe ALMS should propose this in order to build up grids. They sponsored Porsche in order to create buzz around ALMS. Think how much interest would be generated if ALMS proposed to run 2 cars if the fans buy them.

I don't think I'm dreaming here. A lot of projects runs this way.

[GT-Eins]

Originally Posted by awegrzyn

. If 1000 fans gets together it seems very realistic as a matter of fact. ...

I don't think I'm dreaming here. A lot of projects runs this way.

1000 Fans to spend 1000$ each?
This would be the sum we are talking about - if we nail down an LMP1-team.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by GT-Eins

1000 Fans to spend 1000$ each?
This would be the sum we are talking about - if we nail down an LMP1-team.

That would get you a chassis, but not much more.

Double that on the cheap, if you had to buy a new chassis. More, much more if you wanted to be competitive.

So awegrzyn, what type of chassis do you propose...and given this is your grand plan, how are you going about to get this started?

[awegrzyn]

As far as management the key here would be to partner with ALMS. They want to boost the series. We want a team. They are desperate now, so we're helping them. Look at the confirmed entries for Sebring. We do not manage anything. We fund it.

As far as chassis goes this is my idea: ALMS would build a brand new car (maybe a new Panoz). We would agree to buy the first two cars. They could even build more if there are buyers. Multimatic or someone would run the cars under the "Fans" name. Very common these days in motorsports.

BTW Panoz has done this with Multimatic before, where cars were "given" to a team in exchange for joining the series and development of the cars.

[gwyllion]

Chassis would be easy: Riley closed LMP1 with Cosworth V8 turbo Finding the budget is impossible.

[Mal]

Its a wonderful dream, but to make it work you would realistically need about $1.5million per year so to keep the individual contributions to a realistic $500 USD per year you would need 3000 people to commit that much per year. Unfortunately its unlikely that you would find that many.

However if you do, put me down - But only if you bring it to europe!!

[LC2guy]

Involve the ACO, get them to add £1 ( $1.5 Dollars ) to each ticket for the Le Mans 24 hours and straight away you have £100,000 ( $150,000 ) towards your budget. Pipedream maybe, but crazier ideas have come to fruition if seen through with enough passion and enthusiasm. ( eg The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. This was built with ordinary peoples money, because the authorities didn't believe it was possible ).

[SALEEN S7R]

It might be possible IMO if it were planned properly and legally, of course. If this idea was to ever get off the ground I could probably find £1,500 or so. First off what we would need is a high interest savings account and start a fund and build on it whilst the planning was continued. The idea could happen if it was thought through properly IMO and had some sort of "commitee" - at the very least it could perhaps be looked into.

That said the idea is unlikely ever to get off the ground unfortunatly and this idea will probably fizzle out. A shame, because if done properly Im sure it could be done somehow. Perhaps not a LMP 1 effort, but what about a GT2 car? Would be lots cheaper than a LMP 1 effort and would be something to build on and of course eligable for the big 3 series, LMS/FIA GT/ALMS.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

Perhaps not a LMP 1 effort, but what about a GT2 car? Would be lots cheaper than a LMP 1 effort and would be something to build on and of course eligable for the big 3 series, LMS/FIA GT/ALMS.

So, if LMP1 was a little too costly and we've now dropped down three classes to GT2 due to budgetry constraints, there's a nice little runner for sale here.........

[brielga]

Morgan! Experienced machine but we will need to classify it (do more laps than they did in 2004 in LM)

[TheNewBob]

If LMP1 is out of the question, what about LMP2...?

Something to take up larger chunks of the funding would be to find a few sponsors - perhaps one or two of the companies the fans work for may be interested in the project...?