34 invited to Le Mans 2005

[Roy C]

A first version of the entry list for the 73rd edition of the "24 Heures du Mans" has been produced. See Planetlemans for the list.

[Hansgerd]

34 definate entries ? There're just 33 entries on the PlanetLM list. The Welter LMP2 is missing.

Good to see one of the Rollcentre cars and the Jota Zytec, though.

No Aston Martin ? After all, the cars are run by Prodrive.

>> Edited by Hansgerd on Wednesday 16th February 11:45

[Roy C]

ACO list now available at:
www.lemans.org/univers_sport/ressources/pdf/liste_lemans_2005.pdf

[lancia037]

Full list of invites...only one TVR...but two lovely DBR9's fresh from Sebring glory

www.lemans.org/univers_sport/24hauto/live/pages/liste_jtest_gb.html

[ettore]

Shame the other TVR`s didn`t even get through to the reserve list, but Le Mans wouldn`t be Le Mans without some dodgy ACO decisions!

[HarryW]

ettore said:

Shame the other TVR`s didn`t even get through to the reserve list, but Le Mans wouldn`t be Le Mans without some dodgy ACO decisions!

Really confused about that bit, or is it a case of they just haven't appeared on the reserve list yet .
A bit surprised the penisula car has been selected ahead of the LNT cars as I thought they were closest to a factory backed team, wiht the better and more modern version of the T400 .
I'll be quite pissed off if they don't make the cut, I may even vote with my feet next year and give it a miss.
Can't based on Sebring performance, the Job GT3 packed up before the Tivs in that .
The french don't you love em ... eh .

Harry

[ettore]

Lister didn`t make it either, nor did the factory Zytek.

Oddly both of the dramatically successful (!) WR`s, seven (predominantly unproven)Courage LMP2`s, 2 Courage LMP1`s and a good chunk of the French GT1 and GT2 entrants are on the list. How odd...

[Guy Humpage]

I'm surprised (and disappointed) that Spyker got a 2nd, Reserve, space ahead of the LNT TVRs.

Perhaps if the LNT cars had made the flag @ Sebring then it would have been a different story. (Although Spyker were hardly glorious in Florida).

[HarryW]

Just looked a tht overall entry list again and it stinks .

Harry

PS I should know better as I do come across french companies in business, same same

[sparkey]

Why does it stink ?

It's a French race and there appears to be a little favouritism towards French cars (but not an awful lot) - surprise, surprise !

I'm sure if Le Mans was British and there WASN'T a bit of favouritism towards TVR, Morgan, Aston, Lotus (or whoever else may enter if it was British) you'd be up in arms that we weren't "supporting our own"!

If I was French I'd certainly expect a bit of special treatment at Le Mans.

S..

[HarryW]

Not so sure you can say its French game and if they want to take their ball home they can . If this race was held in the UK and a high percentage of the paying fans were French I think I might humour them .
I think its also fair to say that the race would have died years ago if it wasn't for the annual British motorsport fan pilgramage.

Harry

[sparkey]

I think the problem as the French see it is that the race is more popular with the Brits than it is with the French. They would probably prefer there to be a more equal split of nationalities, and would not like to be seen to be favouring the british over other nationalities.

I'm not having a go, I just think it's natural that they favour thier own.

We generally think of Le Man as a British race held in France, and I think that's quite close to the truth, but I'm sure the French don't like to think of it like that.

S..