Autoblog

The latest in a string of reports on Le Mans Series rule changes could stand to really shake things up in the prototype classes in a few years. ACO, the French racing organizers which coordinate the European Le Mans Series and its headline event, are reportedly planning on banning V10s and V12s from the top-tier LMP1 class by 2011.

In their place, LMP1 would adopt the rules currently in place for LMP2, which means 3.4-liter V8s and 2.0-liter turbos. LMP2, meanwhile, would switch exclusively to production-based engines. Both Audi and Peugeot, who have dominated the series with their 12-cylinder turbodiesels, are reportedly in favor of the change in formula despite the need to send their engine development programs back to the drawing board.

[Source: AutoWeek]

GT1-class racing is one of the most hotly contested in Europe, with cars like the Aston Martin DBR9 and Maserati MC12 competing among others for top honors in the Le Mans Series and FIA GT Championship. Here in the American Le Mans Series, however, officials are considering the possibility that they'll have to shut down the class altogether.

This season, the Corvettes have had the category all to themselves, which has made the class uninteresting, with predictable outcomes. Bell Motorsports announced their intention to run Aston Martins to compete with the Corvettes for GT1 victory, but that may be another case of too little too late. Itching for a good fight, GM is reportedly dropping down to the paradoxically more competitive GT2 series. Not anxious to run another season of an empty GT1 roster, ALMS could very well cut the class out altogether.

[Source: AutoWeek]

If Audi was a greater beneficiary of the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" adage, they would have trounced Mercedes and BMW in sales long ago. The house of the four rings took the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then they claimed the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), and now Audi extends its arms once again to grab the European Le Mans Series championship (LMS) trophy.

In fact, by finishing first and fourth at Silverstone with two Audi R10s, Audi takes the driver's title (Alex Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller), the manufacturer's title, and the team title. It's only real competition was Peugeot, which walks away empty handed even though it won four of the five LMS races, had two cars on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and had pole position for every race. Next year's battle for Franco-German supremacy should be even better. Make the jump for Audi's press release.

At the finale of the European Le Mans Series at Silverstone, Peugeot is rolling out the 908 HY, a hybrid version of the 908 HDi FAP that made the LMP1 battle at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans a very interesting affair. The 908 HY might well be what we see at Circuit de la Sarthe next June is the ACO regs for 2009 allow it.

Under that silver livery set off by blue lightning bolts, the 908 HY incorporates a KERS; a 60kW electric motor/generator; ten lithium ion battery packs split into two locations; and a power converter that manages the energy transfer between said battery packs and the electric motor. In addition to light-duty, EV-only operation, the 908 HY can run its diesel V12 solo or it can combine the two --- the electric motor's power can be summoned to provide added boost, either on demand or automatically. According to Peugeot, the electric motor supplies 80 more horsepower for 20 seconds or so. Oh, and lest we forget, the hybrid system also saves fuel without diminishing the 908's already impressive performance capabilities.

The Peugeots at Le Mans this summer were fast, but when the checkered flag waved, it was Audi atop the podium once again. You know French automaker desperately wants to win Le Mans and knock its German rival off the top step, and this evolution of the 908 HDi FAP might well be the car to do it -- if the rules let it in, and if it can hold up for the duration of the race. Here's hoping the 908 HY makes the cut in the eyes of the ACO, because watching Peugot go for the brass ring should provide plenty of excitement for motorsport aficionados. Thanks for the heads-up, Richard.


[Source: Peugeot via Supercars.net]

Motorsport is a game of inches and tenths. A few inches here and a few tenths of a second there can mean the difference between spectacle and tragedy. Case in point: Team ORECA driver Stephane Ortelli's horrifying crash during today's Le Mans Series race at Monza. Ortelli, driving the ORECA Courage LC70-Judd, lost control of the car, which spun off the pavement and onto the grass. The prototype then became airborne, barely missing Allan McNish in the Audi R10 TDI. And then things got really ugly. The Courage touched back down and went into a series of cartwheels, shedding bodywork all over the place before crashing into the wall and landing right-side up. Ortelli suffered a broken ankle, but Team ORECA reports he is otherwise in good health. As you'll see in the video, things could have been a whole lot worse. You know. A few inches here, a few tenths there...

We wish him a speedy recovery.

[Sources: Maximum Motorsport, Crash.net]

If you're like me, you wish that there were more European racing on television. Remember the good old days when you could watch FIA GT and WRC on Speed TV? Well, starting on November 30 with a highlight show of the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Speed TV will be airing edited footage of the 2007 Le Mans Series races in hour-long time slots. This will be our first opportunity to see the hot diesel-powered Peugeot 908 HDi in action, though it will only be going to head to head with Audi's oil burner, the R10, in the highlight show of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As for the Le Mans races, the 1000km of Spa will air on December 3rd, followed by Monza on the 7th, Silverstone on the 10th, Valencia and the Nurburgring on the 14th, and finally Interlagos on the 17th. Do a keyword search for "Le Mans" on SpeedTV's program schedule for full listings and times.

[Source: SpeedTV.com]

Porsche is finally set to race the RS Spyder in Europe. Making its debut next season in Europe's Le Mans Series, this LMP2 dominator will be further restricted to help it stay behind the P1 cars. While P1 was intended to be for factory teams with professional drivers, and P2 was envisioned as a class for customer cars and amateur pilots, the Porsche P2 team has been more like a P1 effort in ALMS races.

In order to keep things closer to the ideal, the Dutch Equipe Verschuur team will only use one professional driver in 2008. Well, at Le Mans they will use two pros, but for the rest of the season they have entered a "gentleman's agreement" to run only one. Additionally, the LMP2 cars, including the Verschuur Porsche, will also have their minimum weight raised by 50kg to 825kg. Similar restrictions in ALMS racing haven't had the desired effect, but this should help them stay off the top step. Or, you know, not.

[Source: Autoweek]