Le Mans organizers target diesels with new rules
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi R10 at Le Mans
Diesel power has emerged as the dominating fuel in Le Mans series endurance racing, with Audi and Peugeot competing neck-and-neck for top honors. But that's about to change, if the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) has anything to say about it. ACO, the body that organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the LMS championships in Europe and North America, has announced new rules aimed at reducing the performance of the diesel racers to level the playing field with the gasoline-fueled competitors.
The new regulations would include air restrictors reduced in diameter by 10% and a decrease in allowable turbo boost on the oil-burners. The move is also aimed at impeding laps times in the name of safety, with a 3 minute 30 second La Sarthe lap time as the target, where the Peugeot 908s lapped the circuit in the low 3:08s this year.
Additional rule-book amendments include the banning of tire warmers, a reduction in the permissible size of rear wings and the allowance of only one wheel gun for each pit crew, all in an effort to reduce costs and raise lap times.
Gallery: Audi at 2008 Le Mans
[Source: Autosport]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Allan 8:34AM (9/17/2008)
Silly... I always though you'd want to go faster in racing.
Even NASCAR has more than one wheel gun. WTH kind of rule is that?
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geo.stewart 9:09AM (9/17/2008)
funny, they are my words but I didnt see my mouth moving. Have you been rummaging in my brain?
+1
Cypher09 11:05AM (9/17/2008)
The one wheel gun rule will negate any advantage the open top cars have by making the pit stop longer and giving the coupes more time to change drivers before the rest of the service is done.
BLS 8:40AM (9/17/2008)
The should just hold the diesels to the same engine restriction as the gassers. The diesels are 5.5L and the restriction on Gas engines is 4.0L. Then adjust the air restriction to level the playing field.
I am on the fence about if the fuel tanks or fuel deliver systems should be different since Diesel is more energy dense but also more viscous. I would lean toward same everything and adjust air restiction.
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BigMcLargeHuge 9:18AM (9/17/2008)
That probably wouldn't be too bad of an idea.
For all it matters, they could lower the diesels to 3.0L, and let them run as much boost until it gets back up to 500hp.
Might be even more fuel efficient - hence leading to new innovation.
In these days, racing needs to focus on innovation for road cars, not just 200mph billboards. Restriction stiffles innovation.
Limit power, top speed, etc. But give more leeway to the teams on HOW they accomplish that power/speed/etc.
SLVR6 9:46AM (9/17/2008)
Actually diesel is LESS energy dense than normal gasoline. It is because of that it can be compressed more without pre-ignition.
Raz 10:21AM (9/17/2008)
Firstly i just wanted to say... these rules are a LOAD of sh*t. And regarding the energy levels, diesel's chemical energy level is higher than gasoline's and (standardized figures, but diesel engines are around 40% efficient while gasoline are around 25% of course the figures are different for every car). I don't see the point of those rules... i mean.. all the teams wanted to introduce the best technology to have the biggest margin of advantage, but then they r saying.. "you guys are too fast for the others, so... too bad, you are slowing down". So, whats the point of racing if some teams and systems are disadvantaged just to make it "look fair". I mean, its reasonable for them to restrict their tanks back in 2006, then they have SO many restrictions with diesel why don't they just ban it while they are at it... Regarding the pit rules... is having one gun and no warming mats really gonna make motorsport a green short? Get real...Soon Le mans will become a running track event for the drivers...
G-Meister 10:45AM (9/17/2008)
SLVR6- just... wrong. diesel has more energy density by volume. It's also more dense (by weight) to where they have almost the same energy content by weight. A diesel engine depends on compression ignition, so pre-ignition cannot happen, unless fuel is injected at the wrong time.
why not the LS2LS7? 11:14AM (9/17/2008)
Raz:
Diesels are not massively more efficient than gas engines in race applications. For that matter on the street either. They get about 40% better mpg on the highway than a gas engine, but the fuel also has 15-18% more energy per gallon. So the real efficiency bump is more like 20%.
And that's because Diesel can (and does) operate in a lean burn mode, avoiding pumping losses while running at low power output levels (cruising). HCCI gas engines will be able to do this and will close the gap on efficiency (but not mpg since Diesel has more energy per gallon).
On the track, you don't cruise, you operate at wide-open throttle almost all the time. And neither gas nor Diesels suffer pumping losses at wide-open throttle anyway, so it's a wash.
WhyNotTheOM617? 8:27PM (9/17/2008)
Oh yes, because 20% isn't a massive difference in efficiency?!
I almost thought the FIA was the governing body making this call. The caught me off guard entirely.
Let's be honest, doesn't this scream, "You are too innovative and the other teams feel bad about losing so much. We're changing the rules (ala FIA) to make it "more exciting" [to make us more money] because less people want to see one team dominate, unless the car is red, and the flaver of the next 2 seasons is Brazilian or Finnish."
I swear, Silver is the worst color to own a race car in. It will only lead to trouble.
WhyNotTheOM617? 8:30PM (9/17/2008)
*flavor
RealMonster 8:57AM (9/17/2008)
But diesel and petrol engines perform differently at the same displacement. It's not levelling the playing field to mandate a specific displacement, that's just making one of the numbers be equal.
Also, in regards to safety: is this really an issue? I don't seem to recall it being particularly bad for the Peugot or the Audi this year. Even on the wet track, the cars were staying on the ground. I don't remember hearing that they were causing an undue number of collisions, either.
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jayhawker 10:21AM (9/17/2008)
The #2 Audi R10 crashed in the 2007 24 hours of Le mans when the wheel came off at 190 mph. Dindo got out and started looking over the car immediately after hitting the wall to see if he could get back to the pits or if he could fix anything. I dont think safety is the reason at all. just another example of the French crying because they cant win their own race!
R 1:55PM (9/17/2008)
Uh...isn't Peugeot French?
evaristo.jo 9:06AM (9/17/2008)
They should just make them all pass emissions.
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Rafael Illan 9:03AM (9/17/2008)
someone was crying to his mommy because he/she lost.this is sad,intead of a competition on who make the best technology and driver. now audi have to be limited in order to be "fair".the other teams should step up if the want to win.
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garland823 9:09AM (9/17/2008)
Generally, if you're looking for the best driver, you compete on even grounds technologically. Apparently that's what the rule makers are trying to do.
BigMcLargeHuge 11:11AM (9/17/2008)
If you are looking for ONLY the best driver, they should make 1 identical class of cars that can be raced like Nascar.
If you are looking for best driver + car + team + manufacturer, stop regulating them and let them have a little leeway in being ingenious and winning races.
Otherwise there's no point in having different types of engines.
Bert 9:04AM (9/17/2008)
That one wheel gun thing is wonky. I can just see the guns being thrown around, not the safest thing in the world. Add to that, how much does a gun cost? less than a rim or tire I would guess.
I would certainly like to see the diesel / petrol playing field leveled, allowing the Pescas and Courages to play with the big boys.
That 3.08 from the Peugeot was something to see though!
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Carlos 9:05AM (9/17/2008)
People always have to justify their jobs and race organizers fall squarely into that category.
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