Group C at Le Mans 09?
Discussion
This year it's the new Formula Le Mans cars. Think they are also supporting the LMES. Built by Oreca if I remember, saw a mock up at the Autosport this year, 54obhp, rather P2ish.
A bit of a shame as I do like seeing the old cars round Le Mans, be they group C, classic GT's or even the old 1930 Bentleys.
A bit of a shame as I do like seeing the old cars round Le Mans, be they group C, classic GT's or even the old 1930 Bentleys.
I'm sure I read somewhere that there will be a race for sportscars built between 1949 - 1965. If so then that should be good; stuff like C and D Type Jags, Cobras, Ferrari 250s and 330s etc. The Formula Le Mans race could be good too. A nice little warm-up for the main event I reckon.
Those PHers hankering to see Group C cars should have gone to Le Classic 2008. For me, seeing those cars on track again several times was the highlight of the whole weekend, although listening again to the wonderful sound of the Mazda 757 on its way up pit straight was the icing on the cake. Nothing, just nothing, can compare to that rotary engine noise!
R.
R.
The Leaper said:
Those PHers hankering to see Group C cars should have gone to Le Classic 2008. For me, seeing those cars on track again several times was the highlight of the whole weekend, although listening again to the wonderful sound of the Mazda 757 on its way up pit straight was the icing on the cake. Nothing, just nothing, can compare to that rotary engine noise!
R.
For me, The Classic was made by the Howmet TX gas turbine engined beast. We watched this beauty at Tetre Rouge about 11pm on Friday and then got up 4am Sunday to see it at the Kart circuit.R.
Oh, yes and of the course the Vettes made Ls Sarthe thunder like never before.
lowdrag said:
No Group C cars - unless they are the Le Mans story in July. See other thread here. Only 1950/60s classics. It was to be the new Le Mans Series single seaters but production has been put back and so that might be next year.
Ahhhhh.....this must be a very recent development. There was nothing to suggest this at the Autosport show.Much happier to see the classics than a smaller prototype.
lowdrag said:
No Group C cars - unless they are the Le Mans story in July. See other thread here. Only 1950/60s classics. It was to be the new Le Mans Series single seaters but production has been put back and so that might be next year.
Is this still the case?The March edition of Mag24 still has the Formula Le Mans as the curtain raiser and the formula-lemans.com website has the 24hr down on the calendar.
Please tell me I have a reason to get up on Saturday morning to watch the classics instead of a procession of twitchy prototypes.
Frankly I am about as much in the dark as you lot. According to the ACO programme the Formula Le Mans are racing on the Saturday morning but according to someone who is building them they aren't. Nigel Webb told me a few weeks back he is coming with his D type (1955 Le Mans winner), his C type and his E type for the Saturday race. Now they aren't going to be on the track together so I tend to place more confidence in the classics than the moderns at the moment. If I get any further info I'll put it up.
Edit: just after posting I get the ACO press letter and it specifies Formula Le Mans on the Saturday. I'll have to ring Nigel and see what is what because I can't see them doing two morning races.
Edit: just after posting I get the ACO press letter and it specifies Formula Le Mans on the Saturday. I'll have to ring Nigel and see what is what because I can't see them doing two morning races.
Edited by lowdrag on Tuesday 10th March 08:20
lowdrag said:
Edit: just after posting I get the ACO press letter and it specifies Formula Le Mans on the Saturday. I'll have to ring Nigel and see what is what because I can't see them doing two morning races.
You are more likely than i to know, but i am sure they did two Saturday morning races in 2002 (if not '03 as well) when they had those baby Pugs and the Classics.It would certainly be odd for them not to have a classic race at all on the Saturday morning as iirc there has been one every year since 2002 at the latest.
Woke at stupid o'clock this morning so watched the 2005 race again.
First thing - Gawd that was one hot year to be in attendance at the track.
Remember seeing something like 40 degrees over the weekend and only slighty cooler at night.
Second thing was watching Johnny Herberts efforts in the D-type on Saturday morning. Great piece of driving with Willie Green gamely hanging on to Johnny's coat tails for most of the race. If there is more of the same this year then i will be a happy boy.
First thing - Gawd that was one hot year to be in attendance at the track.
Remember seeing something like 40 degrees over the weekend and only slighty cooler at night.
Second thing was watching Johnny Herberts efforts in the D-type on Saturday morning. Great piece of driving with Willie Green gamely hanging on to Johnny's coat tails for most of the race. If there is more of the same this year then i will be a happy boy.
I've written to the ACO press office to clarify. As regards 2005 I have a vivid memory of one of the drivers being pulled out of his car and placed on a chair with his feet in ice buckets and an ice pack on his head, attended by two very anxious doctors. The track temperature that year reached nearly 50C. Tht's why air conditioning in closed cars was optional in 2006 (or if not installed a weight penalty) and compulsory now. I'd prtefer that type of weather to what we've had the last two years though; most unusually we have, apart from a heat wave in April last year, shocking weather for the Sarthe since July 06. Here's hoping!
Edited by lowdrag on Tuesday 10th March 12:25
lowdrag said:
Confirmed by the press office; two races on the Saturday so a mixture of ancient and modern. So, we are all singing from the same hymn book!
Ahhhh, sweet! So I'll be trackside for the classics and then watching the LM race on my Kanagroo from the cider bar. I wonder if this will reduce the opportunity for some parade laps. Apparently there were issues with the Corvettes last year so I was rather glad I didn't bother applying.The parade laps bring in a lot of loot but I wonder just how long they are going to last since I am sure that one day there is going to be one hell of an accident caused by people with too many horses and not enough brain cells or ability. I was following an E type at Coy's Silverstone back in the 90's and he tried to overtake on the grass of all things, lost it and stuffed it heavily with his pregnant daughter alongside him. Then the car caught fire. Result; no more parade laps.
lowdrag said:
The parade laps bring in a lot of loot but I wonder just how long they are going to last since I am sure that one day there is going to be one hell of an accident caused by people with too many horses and not enough brain cells or ability.
Yep. I've done the parade in 2006 and 2007 which was an awesome experience and there must have been about 100 Vettes that went out. We paid about 35e each which was for charity apparently and supported by Luc Alphand who I guess stumped up a bit for to get us the slot.Last year there was a bit of a bun fight and I fortunately didn't bother trying to do a lap. It also ties you up for a few hours when you could be watching the support races.
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