Lights on Le Mans cars

[100SRV]

Hi,
I've been puzzled for a while by lights fitted to Le Mans cars, can any of you PH'ers explain why they are fitted? A couple of examples:

Red Cobra (Willment?) 39 PH appears to have an orange turn light on the roof - is this to signal the pits?

Similarly the Peugeot 905 in Motorsport has an orange and a magenta light below the windscreen - is this for the same reason?

Some 60's Le Mans racers appear to have numberplate lights adjacent the race number - is this to light the number up for the timing crew?

cheers!

100SRV

[Jungles]

The blinking turn lights are used to signal approaching drivers which side to pass on. My memory is hazy, but I think turning on the left blinker mean the approaching driver should pass on the left, and the right blinker likewise on the right.

The headlights and leader lights (lights on the side of the car body, just in front of the rear wheels) are used for class identification and the current position in class, respectively. It's so that drivers in lower classes can get their arse out of the way if a car in a faster class is approaching their rear. The leader lights are for really for spectators.

I don't know about the lights on the older cars.

Headlights:

LMP 1 and 2 = white.
GT 1 and 2 = yellow.

Leader lights:

1 light on = 1st in class
2 lights on = 2nd in class
3 lights on = 3rd in class

LMP1 = red
LMP2 = blue
GT1 = green
GT2 = yellow

Examples:

This is an LMP2 Acura currently running 3rd in its class. Note the three blue leader lights.


GT1 Corvette running 1st in its class. Note the single green leader light.

Edited by Jungles on Thursday 4th June 08:02

[stifler]

Not sure about the LM rules, but when I was preparing a car for the Nurburgring 24hr race, the regs stated that the race number had to be lit at all times.

Hope that helps.

[deviant]

I think some of the coloured lights just help the teams identify their own cars quickly.

[slivka]

stifler said:

Not sure about the LM rules, but when I was preparing a car for the Nurburgring 24hr race, the regs stated that the race number had to be lit at all times.

Hope that helps.

This is the ACO regulations for the side numbers:
7.5.3 - Side numbers: preferably affixed on a flat and vertical surface,
must remain perfectly legible in all circumstances, especially at night
thanks to an effective lighting system.
They must be :
− situated between the front and the rear wheels;
− Coloured:
• • "LM" P1 : Red
• • "LM" P2 : Blue
• • "LM" GT1 : Green
• • "LM" GT2 : Yellow
For pale colours, the number may be demarcated by a black border so
that it stands out on the white background.
If it is not possible to read the numbers (in day time or at night), the car
will be black-flagged by the Race Control.

[//j17]

Jungles said:

It's so that drivers in lower classes can get their arse out of the way if a car in a faster class is approaching their rear.

Umm, No. This isn't F1, it's sports car racing and it is always the responsibility of a faster car to cleanly and safely overtake a slower one. It is NOT the responsibility of a slow car in a different class to make way for a faster car.

Different colour headlights are used to give the car in front a clue as to the relative speed of the car behind and judge how quickly they will catch you.

Jungles said:

I don't know about the lights on the older cars.

Race numbers have had to be illuminated for years - so the officials could add the lap counting check-mark as a car went past. This is still the back-up if everything were to go tits-up with the electronic timing systems.

'Darlek' lights were one of the ways teams identified one car from another. You can just about see the light on ADU4B in the first pic - looks like it was orange/red - http://www.canleyclassics.com/triumphmuseum.asp?ar...

[lord summerisle]

//j17 said:

Jungles said:

It's so that drivers in lower classes can get their arse out of the way if a car in a faster class is approaching their rear.

Umm, No. This isn't F1, it's sports car racing and it is always the responsibility of a faster car to cleanly and safely overtake a slower one. It is NOT the responsibility of a slow car in a different class to make way for a faster car.

Different colour headlights are used to give the car in front a clue as to the relative speed of the car behind and judge how quickly they will catch you.

Jungles said:

I don't know about the lights on the older cars.

Race numbers have had to be illuminated for years - so the officials could add the lap counting check-mark as a car went past. This is still the back-up if everything were to go tits-up with the electronic timing systems.

'Darlek' lights were one of the ways teams identified one car from another. You can just about see the light on ADU4B in the first pic - looks like it was orange/red - http://www.canleyclassics.com/triumphmuseum.asp?ar...

And also to give marshals out on the bank the ability to let race control about any cars with problems on their patch.
you wouldnt believe how difficult it can be for us at times (this coming from someone who has marshaled the 2CV and Britcar 24hr) to relay accurate messages about cars in difficulty with no numbers visible.

"err hello control this is post xx i have a car in the gravel... and a car over took another under the yellow flag/lights... what number? er couldnt see"

[Jungles]

//j17 said:

Jungles said:

It's so that drivers in lower classes can get their arse out of the way if a car in a faster class is approaching their rear.

Umm, No. This isn't F1, it's sports car racing and it is always the responsibility of a faster car to cleanly and safely overtake a slower one. It is NOT the responsibility of a slow car in a different class to make way for a faster car.

Different colour headlights are used to give the car in front a clue as to the relative speed of the car behind and judge how quickly they will catch you.

Ease up. I was being flippant.

[Graham]

Any odd lights on the car will be put there by the teams to Identify them as others have said... after a few hours on the pit wall in the dark, everything looks and sounds the bloody same, and believe me it gets hard to spot your car. when your on the pit wall in a race like the britcar 24 at silverstone, the work load is very high.. and you have a cycle of less than 2 mins before the car is back round.. and quite a lot to do in that time, including looking to spot the thing coming round again. anything unique you can put on the car to spot it coming makes a huge difference..

G

[Scuffers]

lord summerisle said:

"err hello control this is post xx i have a car in the gravel... and a car over took another under the yellow flag/lights... what number? er couldnt see"

it's not much better from the drivers perspective...

"err... there's a car infront dumping fuel on the track - no idea who it is, no numbers on the back!"