Le Mans 2013

Sassy Colin

Death or the gladioli!
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The entry list is out already:

24 HOURS OF LE MANS ENTRY LIST

LMP1 (8 entries)

1 – Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R18 e-tron quattro – Andre Lotterer (FIA WEC)
2 – Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R18 e-tron quattro – Tom Kristensen (FIA WEC)
3 – Audi Sport Team Joest – Audi R18 e-tron quattro – Marc Gene
7 – Toyota Racing – Toyota TS030 Hybrid – Alexander Wurz (FIA WEC)
8 – Toyota Racing – Toyota TS030 Hybrid – Anthony Davidson (FIA WEC)
12 – Rebellion Racing – Lola B12/60 Toyota – Nicolas Prost (FIA WEC)
13 – Rebellion Racing – Lola B12/60 Toyota – Neel Jani
21 – Strakka Racing – HPD ARX-03c – Nick Leventis (FIA WEC)

LMP2 (22 entries)

24 – OAK Racing – Morgan-Nissan – Jacques Nicolet (FIA WEC)
25 – Delta-ADR – Oreca 03 Nissan – John Martin (FIA WEC)
26 – G-Drive Racing – Oreca 03 Nissan – Roman Rusinov (FIA WEC)
27 – Sebastien Loeb Racing – Oreca 03 Nissan – Franck Montagny
28 – Gulf Racing Middle East – Lola B12/80 Nissan – Fabien Giroix (FIA WEC)
29 – Gulf Racing Middle East – Lola B12/80 Nissan – Frederic Fatien (FIA WEC)
30 – HVM Status GP – Lola B12/80 Judd – Jonathan Kennard (FIA WEC)
31 – Lotus – Lotus T128 – Kevin Weeda (FIA WEC)
32 – Lotus – Lotus T128 – Thomas Holzer (FIA WEC)
33 – Level 5 Motorsports – HPD ARX-03b – Scott Tucker
35 – OAK Racing – Morgan-Nissan – Olivier Pla (FIA WEC)
36 – Signatech – Oreca 03 Nissan – Franck Mailleux
38 – Jota Sport – Zytek Z11SN Nissan – Simon Dolan
40 – Boutsen Ginon Racing – Oreca 03 Nissan – Koen Wauters
41 – Greaves Motorsport – Zytek Z11SN Nissan – Christian Zugel (FIA WEC)
42 – Greaves Motorsport – Zytek Z11SN Nissan – Tom Kimber-Smith
44 – Starworks Motorsport – HPD ARX-03b – Alex Popow (FIA WEC)
45 – OAK Racing – Morgan-Nissan – David Heinemeier Hansson
46 – Thiriet by TDS Racing – Oreca 03 Nissan – Pierre Thiriet
47 – KCMG – Morgan-Nissan – Alexandre Imperatori
48 – Murphy Prototoypes – Oreca 03 Nissan – Brendon Hartley
49 – Pecom Racing – Oreca 03 Nissan – Luis Perez-Companc (FIA WEC)

GTE-Pro (11 entries)

51 – AF Corse – Ferrari F458 Italia – Gianmaria Bruni (FIA WEC)
63 – Corvette Racing – Corvette C6.R – Antonio Garcia
64 – Corvette Racing – Corvette C6.R – Oliver Gavin
66 – JMW Motorsport – Ferrari F458 Italia – Tim Sugden
71 – AF Corse – Ferrari F458 Italia – Olivier Beretta (FIA WEC)
91 – Porsche AG Team Manthey – Porsche 911 RSR – Marc Lieb (FIA WEC)
92 – Porsche AG Team Manthey – Porsche 911 RSR – Joerg Bergmeister (FIA WEC)
93 – SRT Motorsports – SRT Viper GTS-R – Marc Goossens
94 – SRT Motorsports – SRT Viper GTS-R – Dominik Farnbacher
97 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage – Darren Turner (FIA WEC)
99 – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage – Stefan Mucke (FIA WEC)

GTE-Am (14 entries)

50 – Larbre Competition – Corvette C6.R – Patrick Bornhauser (FIA WEC)
54 – AF Corse – Ferrari F458 Italia – Yannick Mallegol
55 – AF Corse – Ferrari F458 Italia – Piergiuseppe Perazzini
57 – Krohn Racing – Ferrari F458 Italia – Tracy Krohn (FIA WEC)
61 – AF Corse – Ferrari F458 Italia – Jack Gerber (FIA WEC)
67 – IMSA Performance Matmut – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – Pascal Gibon
70 – Larbre Competition – Corvette C6.R – Pedro Lamy
76 – IMSA Performance Matmut – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – Raymond Narac (FIA WEC)
77 – Dempsey Racing-Proton – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – Patrick Dempsey
80 – Extreme Speed Motorsports – Ferrari F458 Italia – Scott Sharp
81 – 8Star Motorsports – Ferrari F458 Italia – Enzo Potolicchio (FIA WEC)
88 – Proton Competition – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – Christian Reid (FIA WEC)
95 – Aston Martin Racing – Allan Simonsen (FIA WEC)
96 – Aston Martin Racing – Rolad Goethe (FIA WEC)

Unclassified (1 entry)

0 – GreenGT Technologies – GreenGT H2 – Christian Pescatori


LMP1 is looking a bit thin this year, hopefully Toyota will give Audi a run for their money.

Porsche are back with a factory entry, in GTE-Pro, for the first time since 1998 (I believe) in preparation for the full onslaught at overall victory next year in LMP1.

I shall be in the usual place at the Village on the Curves & it's my turn to drive down this year, lets hope we don't end up eating our BBQ in the pissing down rain again, like last year.

Anyone else going?
 
two driver's names strike me: Anthony Davidson was a Formula One driver for a couple of years and Partick Dempsey is an American TV heart throb known as Dr. McDreamy. Not sure how this translates into driving skill.
 
Davidson is actually a very good driver that kind of got stuck as a test driver because he was good at it.

I hope Kristensen wins again though.
 
Amazed to see one of the heavy weight papers running with Le Mans this year. Considering it's the biggest race in the World with plenty of British involvement, it's amazing how little coverage it gets over here.

From a personal viewpoint, I'm pretty much packed for the off tomorrow. Just got to give the motor a final wash & buff up.

A useful article for beginners:

Le Mans 2013: what to expect

Our Le Mans expert tells you everything you need to know about the 81st Le Mans 24 Hours race.

Toyota-TS030-AFPGe_2588242b.jpg

The Toyota TS030 hybrid is likely to battle the Audi R18 E-tron for outright victory in the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours
The Le Mans 24 Hours race takes place this Saturday and Sunday.
It's 90 years since the first race was held, but the 2013 event - the 81st running - promises to be as thrilling as ever. We will have a live TV stream and regular reports from our man at Le Mans so you won't miss out on the action.
Race categories and contenders
LMP1: On the face of it, the fight for outright victory is thin on numbers, but never mind the width, feel the quality. Three "petrol-only" cars (two Rebellion Lola coupés, one Strakka HPD spyder) won't touch the front-running hybrids from Audi and Toyota but add a notional fifth class.
So as last year, it's Audi v Toyota, diesel/flywheel hybrid versus petrol/super-capacitor hybrid, both with another year's development. At the test day last Sunday, the fastest Audi beat last year's pole time, three seconds faster than the next Audi, five seconds faster than the first Toyota.
Audi admitted the lap was in qualifying trim, and on the limit; Toyota said they hadn't tried for a headline time, but concentrated on long-run set-up. And long-run is the operative question, not least because Toyota has a new fuel capacity break. As ever, you can't believe everything you see.
Audi-R18-Le-Mans-1_2588247c.jpg

LMP2: The biggest entry in the race, and potentially the hardest-fought class, spiced by the return of Alpine (well on the pace on Test Day) and the handsome, all-new Lotus.
At the test, 13 seconds covered the eight LMP2 cars (plus an Audi testing 2014-spec tyres). Ten seconds covered the top 20 LMP2 cars. And nowadays, they don't break down.
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The Alpine LMP2 race car (AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

GTE Pro and Am: In its centenary year, with a five car "works" entry that equals the biggest it has ever had at Le Mans, Aston Martin took the top two test spots in both categories in the production-based GTE (for Endurance) class.
Corvette was uncharacteristically restrained, Ferrari might have poked its nose into the Pro picture if Giancarlo Fisichella hadn't binned the car in a big way, and Viper was feeling its way back in. So in both classes, the closest chasers were all Porsches – 50 years after the astonishing 911's launch.
Porsche-GT-Le-Mans_2588341c.jpg
Porsche 911

Famous names
Only three marques from 1923 are extant. So RIP the likes of Chenard et Walcker (the first winners), Bignan, Brasier, Rolland-Pillain, Vinot-Deguignand, and SARA. But Bentley and Bugatti survive – within the VW Audi Group, which was a distant dream then. And the Montier-Ford was essentially a Model T, which makes you realise how long ago 1923 was.
The 1923 race's single Bentley (the first-ever entry) finished second, won in 1924, brought British followers, and made other "foreigners" take notice. Bentley also won in 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, returned in 2001, won again in 2003, and may be back yet. Bugatti, whose founder famously dismissed Bentley as the fastest lorries in the world, won only in 1937 and 1939, but hasn't been back with anything serious since then, and maybe never will.
Aston Martin arrived in 1928, scored seven class wins up to 1937, many more in the 1950s, with outright victory in 1959. The factory's latest racing efforts have been GT and prototype front-runners (and GT winners) since 2005. And Aston Martin led the GTE field on test day.
Aston-Martin-Le-Ma_2586837c.jpg
Aston Martin Vantage GTE

Morgan (first seen in 1938) was an unlikely class winner in 1962 with what didn't look much different from the 1938 entry. Now, four Morgan-Nissans carry the winged badge, but clearly weren't built in the Malvern woodshed – and Oak Racing's number 24 was test day's LMP2 front-runner. It faces two impressive Lotus coupés, actually entered by Lotus, to revised 2014 regulations.
French returnee Alpine's car (they swear it really is an Alpine) is Nissan-powered (like more than half the P2 field), but will bring much Tricoleur-waving in memory of 1978's Renault-Alpine outright win. Alpine cars were second and third quickest on test day.
Right on top of the popularity pile, the Vipers are back – thundering crowd favourites taking on Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari and Porsche in the GTE class.
You can't help thinking there's another win lurking somewhere among all those old names.
Star quality
Patrick-Dempsey_2588256c.jpg
Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey, star of American TV series Grey's Anatomy, might not be an icon on the level of Paul Newman or Steve McQueen but he's at Le Mans for a second time. He is a camera magnet, good bloke and by no means a make-weight racing driver.
Newman really did race at Le Mans, in 1979 (and was unlucky only to finish second); McQueen didn't, but pretended to, in the eponymous 1971 film. Dempsey drives (and funds) the number 77 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, which was third quickest amongst the GT Am cars on Test Day.
Race coverage
Telegraph Motoring will be on the spot, online, for the whole of race week. So look out for the build-up, the atmosphere, practice, qualifying, and the race – with regular updates including video highlights.
We will be taking three particularly close looks at different aspects of the race for three teams, one from LMP1, one from LMP2, and one from GTE, from the viewpoints of driver, pit garage and what's happening to the car. And when the dust (or spray) dies down, we'll be there to sort out what it all meant.
Tickets and further information from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) at www.lemans.org
General enclosures: 71 euros (£60) with free admission for anyone born after June 23, 1997 and accompanied by a paying adult.
Grandstand supplements at 55, 70, 75, 90 and 100 euros (£46.50-£84.50)
Timetable
Scrutineering: Sunday, June 16, 14.30-19.00 – Place de la République (town centre)
Scrutineering: Monday, June 17, 10.00-18.00 – Place de la République
Free practice: Wednesday, June 19, 16.00-20.00
Qualifying: Wednesday, June 19, 22.00-24.00; Thursday June 20, 19.00-21.00, 22.00-24.00
Pit walks: Friday, June 21, 10.00-18.00
Drivers' parade: Friday, June 21, 17.00-19.00 – town centre
24 Hours warm-up: Saturday, June 22, 09.00-09.45
Le Mans Legends race: Saturday, June 22, 10.05-10.50
Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli race: Saturday, June 22, 11.15-12.00
Beginning of Start procedure: Saturday, June 22, 14.22
Start of 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans: Saturday, June 22, 15.00
Finish of 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans: Sunday, June 23, 15.00

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/le-mans/10115312/Le-Mans-2013-what-to-expect.html
 
Allan Simonsen has died from the injuries sustained in his crash.

Unbelievable. RIP.
 
He was severely unlucky to hit the wall where he was on the track, not much protection there either. All he did was put a couple of wheels on the paint & then away he went.

Sad news. RIP.
 
The death of Allen Simonsen really overshadowed the victory celebration. The Audi team dedicated their win to him & there was no champagne celebration.

It's a dangerous sport although thankfully deaths are very rare in four wheeled motor sport.

RIP
 
I just finished watching a four part TV show Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans and it's pretty good. Really captures the whole excitement of the race although obviously the tragedy overshadows everything. It's made me consider going to see an American Le Mans Series race over here. Laguna Seca and Sonma Raceway are all doable for me....nothing like La Sarthe though!