Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[ALMS champs Highcroft to run updated LMP2 Acura in 2010]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/alms-champs-highcroft-to-run-updated-lmp2-acura-in-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/alms-champs-highcroft-to-run-updated-lmp2-acura-in-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/26/alms-champs-highcroft-to-run-updated-lmp2-acura-in-2010/#commentsFiled under: ,

Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a - click above for high-res image gallery

2010 is bringing some changes to the class lineup in the American Le Mans Series, and defending LMP1 champions Highcroft Racing are adjusting. The new structure will combine the former P1 and P2 classes at all races except for Sebring and Petit Le Mans. As a result, Highcroft will campaign a new evolution of Acura's original ARX-01 P2 car dubbed 01c. Highcroft has been part of the Acura ALMS program since its inception in 2006 and is slated to continue in 2010 as the lead development squad.

According to Highcroft spokesman Paul Ryan, the team plans to run only the 01c in 2010, and at this point, only one car is confirmed. If the team can line up sufficient sponsorship, a second 01c may be added to the program.

ALMS spokesman Bob Dickinson has informed Autoblog that the final technical rules for 2010 are still being ironed out by sanctioning body IMSA, but in all likelihood, existing P1 and P2 cars will run together in a common class with weight and restrictor adjustments for equivalency.

At this time, we also don't know the fate of the other two Acura teams, de Ferran Motorsports and Fernandez Racing - or the ARX-02a. The last we heard, Fernandez is still looking for 2010 funding and may end up dropping out while de Ferran previously announced an expansion into IndyCar for 2010. Given Gil de Ferran's longstanding relationship with Honda, we would expect to see an ARX-01c in de Ferran colors next season. For its part, Honda Performance Development couldn't tell us anything about Acura's 2010 plans beyond what Highcroft has already announced. According to HPD spokesman T.E. McHale, plans are still being finalized and an announcement is planned for early December,


Gallery: Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a at Mid-Ohio 2009


[Source: American Le Mans Series]
Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

ALMS champs Highcroft to run updated LMP2 Acura in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acuraacura arx-01cacura arx-02aAcuraArx-01cAcuraArx-02aalmsamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSerieshighcroft acurahighcroft acura arx-02ahighcroft racingHighcroftAcuraHighcroftAcuraArx-02aHighcroftRacingpatron highcroft racingPatronHighcroftRacingThu, 26 Nov 2009 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Audi posts more than two dozen clips from Petit Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/video-audi-posts-more-than-two-dozen-clips-from-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/video-audi-posts-more-than-two-dozen-clips-from-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/video-audi-posts-more-than-two-dozen-clips-from-petit-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Audi does Petit Le Mans - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Over the past weekend, while the Joest Racing crew was working away preparing the two Audi R15 TDIs for the extra-Petit Le Mans, reserve driver Mike Rockenfeller and a camera crew were out and about shooting a series of videos. Audi has now posted more than two dozen videos on its YouTube page that include driver and crew interviews, tours of the garage, pits and a tour of Road Atlanta. There's plenty of up-close action as everyone gets ready for what proved to be a rain shortened race.

During the track tour, Rockenfeller (a.k.a. Rocky) describes some of the physical attributes required to get through certain corners at maximum speed. For those unfamiliar with Road Atlanta - or what goes on behind the scenes with a team like Audi - it's worth checking out the vid posted after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading VIDEO: Audi posts more than two dozen clips from Petit Le Mans

VIDEO: Audi posts more than two dozen clips from Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Petit Le Mans - Click above for high-res image gallery

The American Le Mans Series held its flagship race, the Petit Le Mans over the weekend at Road Atlanta, and it was more petit than normal. The race is scheduled to run for 10 hours or 1,000 miles - whichever comes first. However, the rains that have plagued the Atlanta region for the past two weeks just couldn't hold off any longer Saturday afternoon. After relatively clear running Thursday and Friday for practice and qualifying, the clouds returned Saturday for race time. After sporadic showers and drizzle throughout the first several hours, the clouds really opened up in the fifth hour.

The safety car came out for a full course yellow for a while, but the ground around the track was already waterlogged, making proper drainage impossible. With cars aquaplaning everywhere even on full rain tires, continued running became impossible and the race was red-flagged at 4 hours and 52 minutes in hopes the rain would subside. Unfortunately, it never did and the race was called at 9:30pm. Click on the jump to find out what happened while the cars were still running.


Gallery: 2009 Petit Le Mans


[Images: Chris Graythen/Darrell Ingham/Getty]

Continue reading Spoiler Alert: Rain, Rain Go Away! Downpour makes Petit Le Mans even more so

Spoiler Alert: Rain, Rain Go Away! Downpour makes Petit Le Mans even more so originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>almsamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesAudidiesel racingDieselRacingpetit le mansPetit LemansPetitLeMansPeugeotplmMon, 28 Sep 2009 15:28:00 EST<![CDATA[ALMS announces 2010 schedule; Laguna Seca moves to May, becomes 6-hour enduro]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/alms-announces-2010-schedule-laguna-seca-moves-to-may-becomes/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/alms-announces-2010-schedule-laguna-seca-moves-to-may-becomes/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/alms-announces-2010-schedule-laguna-seca-moves-to-may-becomes/#commentsFiled under:

2008 ALMS at Laguna Seca - click above for a high res image gallery

On Friday, prior to this weekend's Petit Le Mans, the American Le Mans Series announced its planned 2010 schedule. Tentatively, nine of this year's 10 venues are carried over, with only the St. Petersburg, FL street race going away. There are a couple of date changes for the existing venues, however. The Utah race, which had been run in May in recent years, will move to a July slot after the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The big change for 2010 however, concerns the annual race at Laguna Seca. This California event has long been the season-ender following Petit Le Mans. In 2010, though, it moves to the May 22 slot and the race length grows to six hours (it's currently a four-hour event). Unfortunately for fans in Michigan, the Detroit race won't return in 2010 because of its local sponsors' poor financial situation; organizers still hope to revive the race in 2011. The schedule is after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 ALMS at Laguna Seca


All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Continue reading ALMS announces 2010 schedule; Laguna Seca moves to May, becomes 6-hour enduro

ALMS announces 2010 schedule; Laguna Seca moves to May, becomes 6-hour enduro originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scott Sharp driving the Highcroft Acura ARX-02a at Mid-Ohio 2009 - click above for high-res image gallery

A mere 42 hours after Scott Sharp walked away from a horrific 3.5-revolution crash during practice for the Petit Le Mans, a freshly-built Acura ARX-02a was rolled out for the morning warmup on Saturday. The Highcroft crew put in marathon sessions Thursday and Friday to ensure that their pre-race work did not go in vain. Unlike Formula One teams, ALMS teams don't typically bring a spare car along with them, even to a big race like Petit Le Mans.

Sharp's crash happened at 3:43 PM EDT on Thursday, and by 6 pm a spare carbon fiber tub was picked up from the Honda Performance Development shop in California. As the tub was being shipped across the continent, the crew at Road Atlanta set about stripping down what was left of the crashed car. In the end, only 10 percent of the old parts were re-used on the new car.

The new tub arrived at the track at 9:30 AM Friday morning and the team went to work; a whole new race car had to be built up from thousands of parts. 15.5 hours after they started, the engine was fired at 1 AM. By 5:45 AM, setup was complete and at 9:45 AM Saturday morning the car hit the track. SPOILER ALERT: Petit Le Mans was ended early due to heavy rains, with the Highcroft Acura finishing sixth overall, 4 laps down from the winning Peugueot.

Update: Time lapse video of the build is embedded after the jump.

Gallery: Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a at Mid-Ohio 2009


[Source: American Le Mans Series]
Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading REPORT: Patron Highcroft team builds new Acura prototype in just over 20 hours [w/VIDEO]

REPORT: Patron Highcroft team builds new Acura prototype in just over 20 hours [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyson Racing B09/96 running at Mid-Ohio - click above for high-res image gallery

When we spoke with American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton at the Detroit Auto Show last January, he revealed that discussions were being held between the series and parties interested in racing with a new fuel. At the time, he declined to reveal the nature of the fuel but expected to announce something during the 2009 season. We're now down to the second to last race of 2009 and a fourth series fuel has finally arrived.

Dyson Racing's LMP2 #16 Lola-Mazda is running unclassified at this weekend's Petit Le Mans because its fuel tank will be filled with a blend of biobutanol and ethanol. This is the first use of butanol in an ALMS car. Dyson has been working with its primary sponsor BP and engine supplier Mazda to develop the new fuel which is currently produced from sugar cane but can also be produced from cellulosic sources. Butanol has several advantages over ethanol including higher energy density allowing mileage and power closer to that of gasoline. What's more, because it doesn't have the same tendency to absorb water (which causes corrosion), it can be blended with gasoline in higher concentrations without modifying the engines. Hopefully, we'll see cars running for points fueled by butanol all season long in 2010. Check out our high-res gallery below and the official press release after the jump.


Gallery: Dyson Racing Mazda-Lola at Mid-Ohio


[Source: American Le Mans Series]
All photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Dyson Racing debuts ethanol-biobutanol blend at Petit Le Mans

Dyson Racing debuts ethanol-biobutanol blend at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view the video after the jump

With the American Le Mans Series returning to Road Atlanta this weekend for its flagship event, the Petit Le Mans, Audi has returned to take on the French. Peugeot, of course, won this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans after a multi-year battle with the diesel-powered Audis. So far, in the first three open practice sessions on Thursday, Peugeot's diesels continued to have a speed advantage over the Audi entries, with Frank Montagny setting the fastest time of the week so far during the night practice session at 1:07.912, three-quarters ahead of the second Peugeot, and the Audis also running third and fourth.

Earlier on Thursday, one of Audi's reserve drivers for the ten hour race, Mike Rockenfeller, conducted a backstage tour of the Audi paddock where the crew were preparing the cars for the first practice. This is back in an area that spectators don't get to see much of. As the cars were being taken out to the track, Rockenfeller went into the big tent behind the pit where the engineers were pouring over telemetry data on their screens trying to figure out how to make the R15 faster. Check out the videos after the jump.


Gallery: Audi R15 TDI


[Source: Audi]

Continue reading VIDEO: Mike Rockenfeller guides a tour of the Audi pit at Petit Le Mans

VIDEO: Mike Rockenfeller guides a tour of the Audi pit at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>almsamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesaudiaudi r15audi r15 tdiAudiR15AudiR15Tdifalsemike rockenfellerMikeRockenfellerpetit le mansPetitLeManspeugeotpeugeot 908 hdipeugeot908hdiplmvideoFri, 25 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Jaguar XKR GT2 will debut this week at Petit Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/jaguar-xkr-gt2-will-debut-this-week-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/jaguar-xkr-gt2-will-debut-this-week-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/jaguar-xkr-gt2-will-debut-this-week-at-petit-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jaguar XKR GT2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

After announcing earlier this year that it would enter the American Le Mans Series with a new GT2 class XKR, Jaguar has remained silent on when the car would actually appear. That silence is now over as the car is roaring to life at Road Atlanta today in practice for Saturday's Petit Le Mans.

The new racer has been prepared by long-time Jaguar racing collaborator Paul Gentilozzi and his RSR team. RSR is the successor to Rocketsports racing with which Gentilozzi campaigned XKRs in the Trans Am series. Like the new GT2 C6.R Corvette, the XKR started its life as a production aluminum body-in-white that was then transformed into a racer. Most of the aerodynamic development of the body was handled by the engineers at Jaguar before being fabricated in carbon fiber by RSR and a local Michigan-based supplier. RSR is mainly using this weekend's debut race as an extended track test session to prove-out the new car before participating in the entire 2010 season. We'll let you know how it does.


Gallery: RSR Jaguar XKR GT2 racer


[Source: Jaguar]

Continue reading Jaguar XKR GT2 will debut this week at Petit Le Mans

Jaguar XKR GT2 will debut this week at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R15 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Audi vs. Peugeot endurance racing battle will continue next month at Road Atlanta as the German team finally confirmed it will bring the R15 TDI back to America. Peugeot announced several weeks ago that it would run its Le Mans-winning 908 HDI at both the Petit Le Mans and Laguna Seca. So far Audi has only committed to the 10-hour race in Georgia. Audi Sport Team Joest will be running the two R15s for the German automaker.

The diesel-powered racers opened up the season battling at the 12 hours of Sebring with the R15 grabbing a debut victory. From there, the Franco-Prussian war moved on to the 24 Hours of Le Mans where Peugeot finally came through with a win after three years of trying.

Audi motorsports boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich blamed a lack of testing for the team's failure in France this year and plans to have the team test at Road Atlanta the week prior to the race next month. Hopefully, Audi will stick around for the California race, as well. Full press release after the jump, and thanks to all for the tips!


Gallery: 12 Hours of Sebring - 2009


[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Game On! Audi headed to Petit Le Mans to challenge Peugeot

Game On! Audi headed to Petit Le Mans to challenge Peugeot originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gil de Ferran driving his Acura AXR-02a - click above for a high-res image gallery

Shortly after grabbing the overall pole position for Saturday's American Le Mans Series Race at Mid-Ohio, Gil de Ferran announced that he would again hang up his helmet at the end of the 2009 season. Instead of driving, de Ferran intends to expand his race team, adding a second sports car in ALMS as well as a two-car effort in the IRL IndyCar series.

This is not the first de Ferran has walked away from competitive driving. He retired from the Penske IndyCar team in 2003 to take up a slot as Sporting Director of the Honda F1 team. Early in 2008 he announced his return to the cockpit with the formation of de Ferran Motorsports and took advantage of his long-time association with Honda to get a third Acura LMP2 car in 2008. This year his team, along with Highcroft Racing, lead Acura's move to LMP1. Gil and team-mate Simon Pagenaud have won the last three ALMS races and are currently second in the championship.


Gallery: Mid-Ohio 2009: De Ferran Acura ARX-02a


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Gil de Ferran to step out of the cockpit and expand team to IndyCar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette C6.R GT2 - click above for a high-res image gallery

After more than two years of design and development work, the new GT2 class Corvette C6.R made its racing debut on Saturday at Mid-Ohio. For an all-new race ca,r it proved remarkably free of teething pains. In fact, it seems the biggest hurdle was for the drivers, Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, Olivier Berretta and Oliver Gavin, who had to deal with running in the GT pack rather than racing in the top of the pack amongst themselves.

After two hours and 45 minutes of action, O'Connell and Magnussen ended up finishing second in the GT1 class to Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister in one of the Flying Lizard Porsches. Their teammates suffered a bout of bad timing when the safety car was out during a full course yellow and causing the duo to lose a lap. Nonetheless, they still finished fourth behind the BMW M3 of Tom Milner and Dirk Mueller. Next weekend it's off to Road America in Elkhart Lake WI.


Gallery: Mid-Ohio 2009: Corvette GT2 racing


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Mid-Ohio 2009: GT2 Corvettes run 2nd and 4th in debut

Mid-Ohio 2009: GT2 Corvettes run 2nd and 4th in debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette C6.R GT2 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The all-new Corvette C6.R GT2 is on track at Mid-Ohio this morning for the first official practice session ahead of tomorrow's American Le Mans Series Race. So far, the 'Vettes look good and sound great, although they aren't running at the front of the pack. As of this writing, Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen are running third and fourth, respectively, in GT2 in the number 4 and 3 Corvettes. Bill Auberlin is leading the pack in the #90 BMW M3.

While the new GT2 contenders don't look quite as aggressive as their GT1 predecessors, the updated yellow and black livery looks great on the ZR1-inspired bodywork and their thunderous exhaust note won't be mistaken for any of the Porsches or Ferraris mixing it up on the circuit. Considering the limited track time the team has had, both 'Vettes seems to be running strong. We'll have a better idea of how strong this afternoon when they head out for qualifying.

UPDATE: In GT qualifying this afternoon, Joerg Bergmeister took the pole in one of the Flying Lizard Porsches with Jan Magnussen grabbing third in the #3 Vette and Oliver Gavin following in sixth in the #4 Vette.

Gallery: Mid-Ohio ALMS 2009: Corvette C6.R GT2


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Mid-Ohio 2009 ALMS: Corvette C6.R GT2 hits the track! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette C6.R GT2 - click above for high-res image gallery

After a decade of competing with the GT1 big dogs in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this weekend marks the start of a new era for Corvette Racing. The race at Mid-Ohio this Saturday (we'll be on hand live) will mark the debut of the all-new GT2 Corvette C6.R. For the last two years, the Corvettes have run without any factory competition in the ALMS GT1 class, and with GT2 being where all the action is, Chevrolet has decided the time was ripe for a change.

The original GT1 C5R debuted in 1999, and in 2005, the team transitioned to the then-new C6.R body style. Over the years, competitors like the Dodge Viper, Aston Martin DBR9 and Ferrari 575 have come and gone, but the Vettes have soldiered on to fight the good fight. After farewell races at Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans earlier this year, the GT1 cars have been retired. Mark Kent, GM Racing manager, Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager, Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer, Johnny O'Connell, driver No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R all took part in a conference call today to discuss the move to GT2, and we were on the line Read all about it after the jump and check out the high-res gallery below.


Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2


[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Officially Official: GM reveals details on new Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2

Officially Official: GM reveals details on new Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peugeot has confirmed that for the second year running it will be sending its 908 HDi prototypes to Atlanta in September for the Petit Le Mans. Peugeot will be looking to follow up its victory at Le Mans last June with its first win at the ALMS flagship race. In France, Peugeot had a resounding victory over Audi's new R15 TDIs but so far the biggest competition in Atlanta will come from the LMP1 Acuras. Peugeot will be bringing two of the 908s to Georgia for the race that joins Sebring in becoming increasingly known as a warmup for the 24 hour race in France.

There have been repeated rumors that the R15s would return to the U.S. for the final two races at Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca for several months. We checked with Audi Motorsports spokeswoman Eva-Maria Veith, who said, "There is no decision made about any more races with the Audi R15 TDI this year. I hope that we will know more in the near future." Hopefully an official commitment from Peugeot will prompt Audi to try and avenge their loss in France.

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

The Peugeots are coming to Petit Le Mans! Now, about those Audis... originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican le mans series green challengeamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesGreenChallengeaudiaudi r15audi r15 tdiAudiR15AudiR15Tdidiesel racingDieselRacingpetit le mansPetitLeManspeugeotpeugeot 908 hdipeugeot908hdiFri, 31 Jul 2009 08:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Corvette C6R GT2 cars officially entered for Mid-Ohio ALMS race]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/14/corvette-c6r-gt2-cars-officially-entered-for-mid-ohio-alms-race/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/14/corvette-c6r-gt2-cars-officially-entered-for-mid-ohio-alms-race/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/14/corvette-c6r-gt2-cars-officially-entered-for-mid-ohio-alms-race/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Corvette C6.R GT1 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Following the 2008 American Le Mans Series, Chevrolet announced that its Corvette Racing team would abandon the largely uncontested ranks of GT1 and take on the challenge of GT2. As General Motors careened toward bankruptcy court this spring, the team competed in its final GT1 races at Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans - but the big question was whether the GT2 program would be still-born.

Well, Corvette fans can now breath a sigh of relief - the news has just come from the American Le Mans Series that GM has filed official entry forms to compete in the GT2 class at Mid-Ohio in August. The existing driver pairings of Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen and Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin will pilot the new Vettes, which will feature bodywork inspired by the ZR1 - including double side vents. We're certainly looking forward to seeing Chevrolets take on Ferrari, Porsche and Aston next month as they take to the roadcourse the weekend of Aug. 6-8.


Gallery: Corvette Racing GT1 Mega Gallery


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Corvette C6R GT2 cars officially entered for Mid-Ohio ALMS race originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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click above for a high res gallery of the new Rocketsports Jaguar XKR GT2

It's been a while since we heard any news from Rocketsports racing. The long-time Trans Am competitors last turned up running in Champ Car. During the last several Trans Am seasons, Rocketsports ran Jaguar XKRs, and this weekend at the Long Beach ALMS round, Rocketsports boss Paul Gentilozzi announced that his team would return to the grid summer with a brand-new XKR in the ALMS GT2 class. Testing begins in June, and the new Rocketsports XKR is scheduled to begin competing in July. Power will be delivered via a race-prepped version of the new direct-injected 5.0-liter V8 that debuts in the XK and XF this summer.

Like other GT2 racers, the XKR is based on the production car's chassis, in this case the aluminum structure that forms the basis of the XK. The alloy chassis is then beefed up with the customary steel roll cage and other reinforcements. It's looking increasingly like GT2 is the place to be, with Jaguar joining BMW and the new Corvettes along with the Ferrari F430s and Porsche 911s that have been there for several years.

Gallery: Rocketsports Jaguar XKR GT2



[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Rocketsports Racing brings Jaguar to ALMS GT2 ranks originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the new R15 TDI making its competition debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring this weekend, Audi has set up outlets where fans of the diesel racer can get behind-the-scenes updates. A Facebook fan page has been created where you can see fresh photos and videos from the track along with posts on what's happening. For those who prefer their R15 news in a more bite-sized format, there's also a Twitter feed that you can follow at http://twitter.com/audiR15tdi. Audi promises to post tons of information as the R15 takes on the Peugeots and Acuras for overall glory in Florida.

Audi launches Facebook fan page for the R15 TDI originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don Panoz, founder of the American Le Mans Series, wants to return his brand back to the top ranks of the series and possibly bring a new greener fuel as well. Panoz spoke at press conference in the run up to Saturday's 12 Hours of Sebring and announced that the race car manufacturer he owns is working on a LMP1 class coupe. Like the Panoz GTR-1 that ran successfully both in ALMS and in Europe in the late '90s first in GT1 and later with modifications as P1 car, this one would be front-engined, which would make it unique in the class. Unlike the GTR-1, which used a Ford-based V8 engine, the new car will use Chevrolet power, likely derived from the Corvette C6R engine.

To really spice things up, though, Panoz also discussed the possibility of a new fuel to power the car: butanol derived from algae. Like ethanol, butanol is an alcohol, but with four carbon atoms rather than two. This gives it properties closer to gasoline and requires almost no modifications to the engine to use. Producing it from algae is also potentially much more cost effective and environmentally friendly than ethanol production.

When we spoke to ALMS CEO Scott Atherton at the Detroit Auto Show in January, he indicated that there was interest in bringing a fourth fuel into the mix along with diesel, E10, and cellulosic E85. ALMS spokesman Bob Dickinson has confirmed that he was talking about butanol. However, it was another manufacturer that first raised the possibility, so it was something of a surprise to hear Panoz bring it up. We still don't know if butanol will be approved for ALMS, but in the meantime, the new car could possibly race as soon as the season finale at Laguna Seca in October. Thanks to DC for the tip!

[Source: AutoWeek]

Panoz could return to ALMS prototype class with algae butanol power originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R15 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Audi R15 TDI should be hitting the track competitively for the first time next week at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The new diesel-powered racer will be running against the Peugeot 908 HDi and Acura's new ARX-02a next Saturday. The oil-burning Audi and Peugeot will be competing under modified LMP1 rules that have cut their wing widths by 40 mm (for all P1 cars) and reduced the size of their air restrictors and amount of turbo boost pressure for the diesels. The new R15, which replaces the very successful R10, has been optimized with a reduction in weight, radically new aerodynamics and an all-new powertrain to work with the new rules while still trying to outrun the Peugeots.

The R10's old 5.5L V12 has been replaced in the R15 by a smaller V10 of unknown displacement for greater efficiency and improved packaging. The car's electrical system now uses a lithium-ion battery, again for reduced mass compared to a lead battery. As far as we know, Audi is not planning to use a hybrid KERS system on the R15. Contrary to some information released by an unnamed Audi official at the Geneva Motor Show last week, the R15 will only run at Sebring next week and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in July. The last two ALMS races at Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca are not part of Audi's game plan at this time.


Gallery: Audi R15 TDI - studio images


[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi drops a whole collection of new images of the R15 TDI

Audi drops a whole collection of new images of the R15 TDI originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acura's new ARX-02a race car made its first public appearance this morning at the American Le Mans series winter test at Sebring in Florida. Acura announced its move up to the LMP1 class in the American Le Mans Series at last year's Detroit Grand Prix, but hasn't yet provided any details on the car. More information, including hopefully some news on the powerplant, will be announced later today. Unfortunately, Acura will be entering the LMP1 class just as Audi and its indomitable R10 are leaving. Though Audi has announced it will replace the aging R10 with a new car called the R15, it has pulled out of the both the ALMS and the European Le Mans Seres for 2009 and will only race the new car at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Gallery: 2009 Sebring Winter Test: Acura ARX-02a


[Source: American Le Mans Series]

BREAKING: First appearance of Acura LMP1 car at ALMS winter test originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acura arx-02aacura lmp1AcuraArx-02aAcuraLmp1almsamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican le mans series green challengeamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesGreenChallengeMon, 26 Jan 2009 15:59:00 EST