6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps race broadcast

Here is a broadcast, of the 2015 Spa 6 Hours, one of the FIA World Endurance Championship events, from last year, that yours truly never got to see in it's entirety.  It was Audi's one and only win of the 2015 season.  Audi's driving team of Benoit Treluyer, Marcel Fassler, and Andre Lotterer, won their one and only race of the 2015 season, at this event.  Jota Sport won in LMP2 with Simon Dolan, Harry Tincknell, and Mitch Evans.  In LM GTE Pro, it was the #99 Aston Martin V8 Vantage of Fernando Rees, Alex MacDowall, and Richie Stanaway, and in LM GTE Am, it was their team car, #98, shared by Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, and Mathias Lauda.

Bonus Post: Happy Birthday, Butch Leitzinger

Wishing a Happy Birthday, to sports car racing champion, Butch Leitzinger.

http://thisdayinmotorsporthistory.blogspot.ca/2016/02/butch-leitzinger-born-in-homestead.html

Hanley Completes DragonSpeed ELMS lineup

Before returning to full on news updates, tomorrow, here's a brief piece from the European Le Mans Series.  Driver Ben Hanley is the third piece of the puzzle for the driving squad for the DragonSpeed team in the European Le Mans Series, joining veteran Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre, and Henrik Hedman.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/hanley-completes-lineup-in-dragonspeed-oreca-05-nissan-for-elms/

Varsha (FOX): "There's A Lot of Growing American Interest in WEC"

Sportscar365 sits down with ace race broadcaster, Bob Varsha, for an interview on his thoughts about this year's FIA World Endurance Championship.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/varsha-fox-theres-a-lot-of-growing-american-interest-in-the-wec/

WeatherTech Championship & Sebring testing news

General news from the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, and some updates about the recent test at Sebring International Raceway.

Alegra Set for 12H Sebring with Riley-BMW DP
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/alegra-set-for-12h-sebring-with-riley-bmw-dp/

Borcheller Reunited with Konrad for 12H Sebring
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/borcheller-reunited-with-konrad-for-12h-sebring/

Fittipaldi Tops Thursday Sebring Test
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/fittipaldi-tops-thursday-sebring-test/

Shank Quickest at Sebring Test
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/shank-quickest-at-sebring-test/

PHOTOS: Sebring Test Gallery
http://sportscar365.com/features/photography/photos-sebring-test-gallery/

Sebring Test Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/sebring-test-notebook-2/

Lawrence: "It Was a Good Opportunity to Do Some Laps"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/lawrence-it-was-a-good-opportunity-to-come-and-do-some-laps/

Akin Joins Stuck and Gartner In Winning Fast 1986 Sebring Classic

Bonus post.  The tale, of a very fast 1986 12 Hours of Sebring, won by the Bob Akin Racing Coca Cola Porsche 962, driven by Akin, Hans Stuck, and the late, great, Jo Gartner, who was tragically killed, later that same year, in a crash, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/akin-joins-stuck-and-gartner-winning-fast-1986-sebring-classic

IMSA: Lessons from Ganassi's Ford GT debut

Racer magazine's Marshall Pruett, writes about the tough go of it, that Ganassi Racing had in the Rolex 24, with their two new Ford GT's, due to reliability woes, after an interview, with team manager, Mike Hull. 

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/126431-imsa-mike-hull-on-ganassi-ford-gt-s-debut

Varsha, Fish to Lead FOX Sports Coverage of WEC

The 411 on the FIA World Endurance Championship U.S. broadcast partnership for 2016 with Fox Sports.  The announce team will be a number of personalities familiar to yours truly, and to other fans of the WEC.  Hope to catch all the races, this year.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/varsha-fish-to-lead-fox-sports-coverage-of-wec/

IMSA news, (including updates on the Lamborghini saga first mentioned, yesterday)

Some notable news from IMSA, including updates, on the Lamborghini saga, mentioned as breaking news, here, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog, yesterday.

Fehan: "Daytona was one of our greatest finishes of All-Time"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/fehan-daytona-was-one-of-our-greatest-finishes-of-all-time/

F Performance Confirms Staff Additions
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/f-performance-confirms-staff-additions/

A reprint of the breaking story, from yesterday.

Lamborghini GTD Teams Penalized Following Rolex 24

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/lamborghini-gtd-teams-penalized-following-rolex-24-performance/

Bertaggia (Dream Racing): "Motorsports Has Been Our Passion"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/bertaggia-dream-racing-motorsports-has-been-our-passion/

Lamborghini's statement, refuting the penalties they received in the Rolex 24.

Lamborghini: All Huracan GT3s in Compliance with Rules at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/lamborghini-responds-to-imsas-rolex-24-penalty/

BREAKING: Lamborghini & Their Customer Teams Penalised After Daytona Post-Race Investigation

Directly from IMSA, a bulletin, that has the Lamborghini teams in the GT Daytona division of the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, in hot water, after Daytona.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/02/22/lamborghini-and-their-customer-teams-penalised-after-daytona-post-race-investigation.html

...And a story about the controversy from Road & Track magazine.

Every Lamborghini In Daytona 24 Penalized for Alleged Sandbagging

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a28264/every-lamborghini-in-daytona-24-penalized-for-sandbagging/

FIA WEC news

Let's take a look at some of the latest FIA World Endurance Championship headlines.

Vickers Doesn't Rule Out Sports Car Return
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/vickers-doesnt-rule-out-sports-car-return/

Hartley: "We're Making Some Good Moves In The Right Direction"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/hartley-were-making-some-good-moves-in-the-right-direction/

Priaulx: "I Feel Like I Have A Lot To Bring In Terms of Experience"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/priaulx-i-feel-like-i-have-a-lot-to-bring-in-terms-of-experience/

Carroll, Barker Complete Gulf Racing UK Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/carroll-barker-complete-gulf-racing-uk-lineup/

Gonzalez Revealed as Promoter of Mexico City Round
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/gonzalez-revealed-as-promoter-of-mexico-city-event/

Porsche Reveals First Photos of 919 Hybrid Combustion Engine
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-reveals-first-photos-of-919-hybrid-engine/

Porsche Concludes Michelin Tire Test in Abu Dhabi
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-concludes-michelin-tire-test-in-abu-dhabi/

Turner Switches to No. 95 Aston Martin; Three-Car Lineup Confirmed
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/turner-switches-to-95-aston-martin-three-car-lineup-confirmed/

VIDEO: Inside WEC: Off-Season Report
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-inside-wec-off-season-report/

Brown (United Autosports): "We Want To Get To Le Mans"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/brown-united-autosports-we-want-to-get-to-le-mans/

Initial 2016 WEC BoP Confirmed
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fia-confirms-initial-2016-gte-bop/

SEBRING: The 12 Best 12 Hour Racecars

With the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring, less than a month away, every Monday or so, posted here, will be a feature from Sportscar365 by Sebring Raceway historian, Ken Breslauer.  The first of these, is The 12 Best 12 Hour Racecars.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/sebring-the-12-best-12-hour-racecars/

More IMSA stories

More news from the IMSA ranks, via Sportscar365.

Scuderia Corsa Takes Delivery of New Ferrari 488 GT3
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/scuderia-corsa-takes-delivery-of-ferrari-488-gt3/

Lamborghini Confirms 2016 GT3 Junior Drivers
http://sportscar365.com/gt/lamborghini-confirms-2016-gt3-junior-drivers/

De Phillippi, von Moltke Set for Stevenson at Sebring
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/de-phillippi-von-moltke-set-for-stevenson-at-sebring/

IMSA Confirms 41 Full-Season Entries
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-confirms-41-full-season-entries/

Barbosa Sidelined with Fractured Wrist in Hoverboard Accident
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/barbosa-sustains-fractured-wrist-in-hoverboard-accident/

O'Gara Motorsports Ceases Operations
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/ogara-motorsport-ceases-operations/

Dream Racing Set for IMSA Debut; Confirms Lamborghini Huracan GT3

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/dream-racing-set-for-imsa-debut-confirms-lamborghini-huracan-gt3-program/

IMSA Sets Sebring Test BoP
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-sets-sebring-test-bop/

34 Cars Entered for Sebring Test
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/33-cars-entered-for-sebring-test/

United Autosports Targeting LMP2 Program for 2018
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/united-autosports-targeting-lmp2-program-for-2018/

Starworks Transporter Stolen
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/starworks-semi-rig-stolen-thursday-night-in-florida/

IMSA headlines

Some of the latest headlines, from the official IMSA website.

Strong Field of Full-Season Entries Set For 2016 WeatherTech Championship
http://www.imsa.com/articles/full-season-field-set-for-2016-weathertech-season

IMSA News Roundup: Stories In American Sports Car Racing This Week
http://www.imsa.com/articles/imsa-news-roundup-february-18-2016

IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Headlines Four-Day Sebring February Test

http://www.imsa.com/articles/imsa-weathertech-sportscar-championship-headlines-four-day-sebring-february-test

...And, a video, explaining the four individual classes in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Classes Explained
http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/imsa-weathertech-sportscar-championship-classes-explained

Michael Keyser Recalls Winning at Sebring in 1976

Michael Keyser (one of the winning drivers from the 1976 12 Hours of Sebring), tells how he ended up winning that race, 40 years ago.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/michael-keyser-recalls-winning-sebring-1976

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge: Daytona

The race broadcast, of the opening round of the 2016 IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.  From Daytona International Speedway, it's the BMW Performance 200.  Greg Creamer and Calvin Fish, have the call. 

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/2016-bmw-performance-200-race-broadcast

Round two of the championship, is supporting the 12 Hours of Sebring, at Sebring International Raceway, in mid-March. 

2016 Bathurst 12 Hours

The entire broadcast of the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hours.  Check it out.

First BMW M6 GT3 arrives in Australia

The BMW M6 GT3 is coming, to the Australian GT Championship!

http://www.speedcafe.com/2016/02/17/first-bmw-m6-gt3-arrives-australia/

GT racing news stories

Some late breaking news from production based GT sports car championships.

Motorsport Asia Acquires Sole Ownership of GT Asia
http://sportscar365.com/gt/gtasia/motorsport-asia-acquires-sole-ownership-of-gt-asia/

Blackdog Confirms Aschenbach, Gaples for Camaro GTS Program

http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/blackdog-confirms-aschenbach-gaples-for-camaro-gts-program/

O'Connell to Sport New Red Livery On Cadillac ATS-V.R
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/oconnell-to-sport-new-red-livery-on-cadillac-ats-v-r/

Niederhauser, Babini, Zampieri Join Attempto Racing Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/niederhauser-babini-zampieri-join-attempto-racing-lineup/

Victory at the Rolex 24

Inside ESM's Rolex 24 overall victory a couple of weeks ago.  Check this out. 

25 Years at Speed: The Watkins Glen story

A 1972 documentary, narrated by Brock Yates, about the fabled Watkins Glen International Raceway in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York... a track that has hosted sports cars, for years, and also, was home of the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix, for two decades.

1955 RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod

Some road racing history, as a bonus post.  The 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy at the Dundrod circuit in Scotland.

IMSA News Roundup: Stories In American Sports Car Racing This Week

The latest news, directly via the IMSA website.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/imsa-news-roundup-february-10-2016

Walkinshaw aiming for Perth Aus GT Debut

Walkinshaw Racing, will join the Australian GT Championship, and do so, by the round in Perth, scheduled for May.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2016/02/14/303589/

sports car racing news (continued)

A look at major news, from other sports car racing divisions.

ACO Press Conference Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/aco-press-conference-notebook/

Ford Rules Out Future LMP1 Program
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ford-rules-out-future-lmp1-program/

Kaffer, Trummer Return to ByKolles
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/kaffer-trummer-return-to-bykolles/

Albuquerque: "It's Impossible Not To Say Yes To Such A Project"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/albuquerque-its-impossible-not-to-say-yes-to-such-a-project/

Q&A With ACO President Pierre Fillon
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/qa-with-aco-president-pierre-fillon/

VIDEO: Quad Amputee Sausset Turns First Laps in Morgan LMP2

http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-quad-amputee-sausset-turns-first-laps-in-morgan-lmp2/

Shank: Journey To Le Mans, Pt. 1
http://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/shank-journey-to-le-mans-pt-1/

*More to come, about Mike Shank's Le Mans ambitions, preparing for the race in June, in a few weeks.

VIDEO: Van Gisbergen's Bathurst 12H Record-Setting Qualifying Lap

http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-van-gisbergens-bathurst-12h-record-setting-qualifying-lap/

Rojas Announces ELMS, 24H Le Mans with Greaves
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/rojas-announces-elms-program-with-graves/

OAK Confirms Two-Car Ligier JS P3 Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/oak-confirms-two-car-ligier-js-p3-lineup/

Barwell Confirms First Blancpain Endurance Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/barwell-motorsport-confirms-first-blancpain-endurance-lineup/

Ratel Expecting Entry Boost to Blancpain Sprint Grid
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/ratel-expecting-entry-boost-to-blancpain-sprint-grid/

Report: Blancpain Endurance Champ Reip Out at Nissan
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/report-blancpain-endurance-champ-reip-out-at-nissan/

Mul, Van Splunteren Confirmed in Attempto Lamborghini Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/mul-van-splunteren-confirmed-in-attempto-lamborghini-lineup/

First AF Corse Drivers For Blancpain Endurance Confirmed
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/first-af-corse-drivers-for-blancpain-endurance-confirmed/

Further Fallout in Nissan GT Academy Driver Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/further-fallout-in-nissan-gt-academy-driver-lineup/

Moller Madsen Joins Phoenix Racing For Blancpain Sprint Campaign

http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/moller-madsen-joins-phoenix-racing-for-blancpain-sprint-campaign/

Pericak on Ford's Le Mans Entry: "You Can't Finish 1-2-3 With Only Two Cars!"

After the press conference for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, (read the post about it, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog, posted last Friday, February 5th, if you haven't checked that out yet), Ford Performance boss Dave Pericak, is VERY relieved, that all four of his cars, will be in the race.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/02/10/pericak-on-fords-le-mans-entry-you-cant-finish-1-2-3-with-only-two-cars.html

Audi boss says ditch V8s for GT3

Outgoing Audi Sport Customer Racing boss, Romolo Liebchen, says, that Australia's motorsport governing body, should ditch the V8 Supercars saloon car formula, and make the top level of racing, in the country, GT3 spec cars.

http://autoaction.com.au/audi-boss-ditch-v8s-gt3/?adbsc=social_20160208_58043476&adbid=980157475372822&adbpl=fb&adbpr=204021419653102

IMSA headlines

Some IMSA related stories, being highlighted on Sportscar365.

Nair (Ford): "We've Got a Fast Car That's Not Reliable Right Now"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/nair-ford-weve-got-a-fast-car-thats-not-reliable-right-now/

Onroak Set to Establish U.S. Base
http://sportscar365.com/industry/onroak-establishing-u-s-base/

Flying Lizard, Krohn to Continue Partnership at Sebring
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/flying-lizard-krohn-to-continue-partnership-at-sebring/

No Decision Made on Bentley DPi Program
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/no-decision-made-on-bentley-dpi-program/

Pericak (Ford): "The Ford GT Had to be a Global Effort"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/periciak-ford-the-ford-gt-had-to-be-a-global-effort/

Report: Tucker Arrested by FBI Over Payday Lending
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/report-tucker-arrested-by-fbi-over-payday-lending/

Pappas: "It's Certainly Better to Start the Year Off With a Strong Finish"

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/pappas-its-certainly-better-to-start-the-year-off-with-a-strong-finish/

Karam: "I Need to Be Logging as Many Laps as Possible"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/karam-i-need-to-be-logging-as-many-laps-as-possible/

Inside the Rolex 24 Engines & wild Deltawing turbo

A fascinating article on engines of some of the cars that ran at the Rolex 24 at Daytona a couple of weekends ago.

http://www.enginelabs.com/news/exclusive-inside-the-rolex-24-engines-wild-deltawing-turbo/

Race Highlights: Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour

A video, of the highlights, of the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Van Gisbergen honours McLaren anniversary

With his win for McLaren at the Bathurst 12 Hours, Shane van Gisbergen, joins his Kiwi compatriots Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, as winners, in a major endurance sports car race.  Of course, Amon and McLaren, won, for Ford, for the first time, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 50 years ago.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2016/02/08/van-gisbergen-honours-mclaren-anniversary/

FIA World Endurance Championship news stories

A few stories being followed, pertaining to the FIA World Endurance Championship.

No SMP Racing Ferrari in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/no-ferrari-return-for-smp-racing-in-2016/

RGR Sport by Morand Launched; Albuquerque, Senna Confirmed
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/rgr-sport-by-morand-launched-albuquerque-senna-confirmed/

More about the new RGR Sport by Morand FIA WEC team.

VIDEO: Introducing RGR Sport by Morand
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-introducing-rgr-sport-by-morand/

Jota Sport to Run G-Drive Program in WEC, ELMS
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/jota-sport-to-run-g-drive-program-in-fia-wec/

Toyota Confirms Kobayashi in WEC Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyota-confirms-kobayashi-in-fia-wec-lineup/

PHOTOS: Toyota TS050 Hybrid Teaser Shots
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/photos-toyota-ts050-hybrid-teaser-shots/

Bathurst 12 Hour: van Gisbergen storms to victory

Congratulations to the #59 McLaren 650S team, and it's drivers, Shane van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente, and Jonathon Webb, on winning the Bathurst 12 Hours!

http://www.motorsport.com/endurance/news/bathurst-12-hour-van-gisbergen-storms-to-victory-672138/?s=1

Bathurst 12 Hour news update

Today, marks the Bathurst 12 Hours at Mount Panorama, in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.  here is some late breaking news, before the race.  Results will be posted, when it concludes.

Bentley Quickest on Friday in Bathurst
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/bentley-quickest-on-friday-in-bathurst/

Bathurst Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/bathurst-friday-notebook-2/

Objective Racing McLaren Tops Final Practice in Bathurst
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/objective-racing-mclaren-tops-final-practice-in-bathurst/

Van Gisbergen Storms to Record-Breaking Bathurst 12H Pole
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/van-gisbergen-storms-to-record-setting-bathurst-12h-pole/

Bathurst Saturday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/bathurst-saturday-notebook-2/

Once again, look for the news of the race winner, here, tomorrow, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog.

Full 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans Entry List

You've read the analysis from the press conference.  Now, take a look, at the full, official, 60 car entry list for the 84th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, via motorsport.com.

http://www.motorsport.com/lemans/news/full-2016-le-mans-24-hours-entry-list-671807/

Analysis: Entry Lists for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, European Le Mans Series, & FIA World Endurance Championship

Covered in this press conference were the entry lists, for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and also, the European Le Mans Series.  For more information on those championships, visit:

24h-lemans.com
fiawec.com
europeanlemansseries.com

ICYMI, here are some of the notable pieces of information, to come out of the presentation.

• The A.C.O. has been around for 110 years, and they combine racing, the aspect of endurance races, and other interests, held by the Le Mans circuit like a museum, driving schools, a resort, and other activities.
• Team spirit, ethics, and fair play, are part of what the A.C.O. wants, to make their racing set a high standard, including the new energy efficient LMP1 racing classes.  Use resources, other than fossil fuels.  
• New improvements will come, to Le Mans, including two new garages, to include two more cars, in the race.  Four, actually.  60 cars will race at Le Mans, this year.
• The A.C.O. will publish a quarterly endurance racing magazine, called Spirit of Le Mans.
• Stability in the regulations, is what is wanted.  If it's not broken, don't fix it.
• Fuel management, will be a focus.  There will also be, a new, faster, extreme generation of GT production based cars, for instance, the new Ford GT.  It's the epitome of a new generation of cars.  Don't forget, the Ferrari 488 GTE.  This will be a great battle to watch.  We are eager to see, the starting grid.  Will the new regulations attract new drivers?  Are the regulations fair and predictable enough for racing, and for the fans?
• FIA President, Jean Todt, is in Paris.  Todt explains, there will be nine races, this year, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, plus, a new event, a 6 hour race, in Mexico City, Mexico.
• The ELMS season will start on March 22nd and 23rd at Le Castellet.  The races will be at Silverstone, England, Monza, Italy, Spielberg, Austria, Le Castellet, France, Spa Francorchamps, Belgium, and Estoril, Portugal.
• ELMS will have 44 cars on the grid.
• GT category competitors: AF Corse Ferrari's x2, Formula Racing Ferrari x2, Aston Martin Racing x2, another Ferrari, a BMW, and Proton Porsche x2
• LMP3 will have two American entered Ligier's for United Autosport + OAK Racing Ligier with two cars.  360 Racing, an Italian team, two French teams, and a Swiss team, will race.  Plus, there will be teams, from Poland, and England.  Murphy Prototypes, from Ireland, will also be in the class, with their own car.  There will be still another couple of Ligier's on the grid.
• In LMP2, there will be two Greaves Motorsports cars, and Memo Rojas will drive one.  Dragonspeed from the U.S. and EurAsia Motorsports, will compete.  ADEC Sport, and a couple of other teams, will run Ligier cars.  Hexis Racing, will run a Morgan, and there will be one BR01.  Race Performance will run an ORECA chassis, and G-Drive Racing, will have an entry with Simon Dolan driving.  Tracy Krohn will enter a Ligier from the U.S.  TDS Racing will also be there, with an ORECA.  There will be another ORECA for Murphy Prototypes.
• 35 Prototypes + 9 GT cars, will make up the ELMS field.
• 20 cars will run in LMP3.
• The A.C.O. has their own GT3 championship.  There will be a GT3 race, supporting the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
• Olivier Panis, Jacques Nicolet, and Fabien Barthez, are here.  Racing drivers, and sporting stars, who will compete in ELMS.  They want to have a new experience, with their team.  They have experience in motorsports.  
• Young drivers, can be trained, to work with teams, and different manufacturers.  Share the idea, of these drivers, being empowered, to become pro drivers.  Barthez, is a former football (soccer) player.  Barthez says, "I feel welcome, and accepted.  I have a passion, for motorsports."  Barthez wants to enjoy the passion of motorsport.  Yet, remain humble, and focused, on the racing program itself.  Barthez's team, will be one of the teams, racing a Ligier.  Ligier, just won the Daytona 24 Hours of course.
• The new constructors of Ligier, share the passion, of the car's original designer, the late, great, Guy Ligier.
• ORECA head, Hughes de Chaunac, is mentioned.  Thanks to Gibson, BR, Ferrari, and Porsche.  
• There will be support series for ELMS, including single seaters and GT3 Le Mans Cup.            
• Christophe Tinseau, and Frederic Sausset, have put a team together to race.  Sausset, is a driver, with disabilities, who will race as the Garage 56 team.  Sausset, had an accident, and his passion, is motorsport.  So, he will be able to drive, at Le Mans, with an adapted race car.  The project, is go, for this year.  Sausset, has participated in races, already, after his accident.  He has designed a car, that he can drive.  Proof you can do anything, no matter differences.  The Garage 56 concept was introduced in 2012, to welcome innovative technology.  This is R&D exercise, for sure.  Explore avenues that think about tomorrow's competition, and mobility, and think outside the box.  
• Welter Racing, may enter a car, powered by methane fuel. 
• Safety is a major issue, and the track is constantly examined, for safety.  There is a new SAFER barrier, from the United States, and there are larger shoulders in the corners.
• Alex Wurz, will be the 2016 Le Mans Grand Marshal.  He is honored, and loves Le Mans.  This race has remained true to itself, and has never changed.  Wurz says sports car racing is probably the purest, most authentic form of racing.  Wurz is a two-time winner, and the youngest winner.  He has run the race eight times.  Wurz, was racing at Daytona.  He is happy about how his career has come around, and he wants to enjoy the race, from the outside.
• General Director Frederic Lenaurt, hopes the A.C.O. continues to welcome different audiences, for the race.  It will be easier, for fans, to come to the race.  First-time Le Mans visitors, will experience the race, and have more space for traffic.  There will be new events.  A special event, will not close the track, on Thursday morning.  Hopes are also, to attract more female racing drivers.
• There will be a surprise in store, and the new posters are unveiled.  The race is iconic, unique, and future oriented.  There is also, a promotional campaign.  

Who will race?

• LM GTE Pro & LM GTE Am
• Prototype (LMP2 for private teams)
• Prototype (LMP1 for private teams)
• Prototype (LMP1 for factory teams) 

FIA WEC schedule

4-17 Silverstone, England
5-7 Spa, Belgium
6-18/6-19 Le Mans
7-24 Nurburgring
Mexico City (not sure of the date)
9-17 Austin, Texas
10-6 Fuji, Japan
11-6 Shanghai, China
Bahrain (not sure of the date)

60 cars will race at Le Mans.  Entry lists, will be announced here, on the blog, ASAP.

Here is a breakdown of the entry lists.

FIA WEC

LMP1: 9 cars
LMP2: 10 cars
LM GTE Pro: 7 cars
LM GTE Am: 6 cars

Le Mans 24 Hours

LMP1: 9 cars
LMP2: 22 cars
LM GTE Pro: 14 cars
LM GTE Am: 14 cars

It is a quality field.  Just incredible.  Porsche, Ferrari, and Ford, will race against each other, along with Aston Martin.  Dave Pericak of Ford, is excited and honored, to race on the world stage again.  Aston Martin's David Richards, says GT racing is amazingly competitive, and this year's racing will be harder fought, than ever before.  Ligier, Oreca, and Gibson will compete in LMP2, and Audi, Porsche, and Toyota, will fight again, for LMP1 honors.  Porsche's Andreas Seidl says the team is looking forward to racing this season.

They are on target, to do well.  The Porsche 919 will be an evolution of the existing car.  The driver lineup will remain unchanged between the six drivers for the two cars.  Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich of Audi, says that they too, are looking forward to a challenge.  Last year, they got off to a good start and faded later.  They want to be constantly competitive in the WEC and at Le Mans.  Chris Reinke, technical director, has moved to Audi Customer Racing.  A replacement will come in a couple weeks.

The driver teams are unchanged, for Audi.  Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich says hard work is what will pay off in racing.  Always be ready to learn new things, and look for new challenges.  Pascal Vasselon for Toyota, says that last year, there was no choice for the team, except to review the car.  The decisions, were made, too late.  What we have so far, might improve the performance.  There was no choice but to build a whole new car including engine, hybrid system, chassis, and body.  There is an objective, to try and win Le Mans.

Vasselon says, Toyota is looking for a win, at Le Mans.  What happened last year, had nothing to do with the drivers.  Alex Wurz, will be an ambassador for Toyota, except for when he is Grand Marshal at Le Mans.  Sports car racing, is truly a magical thing.  Rolex, is the timing partner, for the FIA WEC.  Michelin, is also, a tire partner for WEC, as is Dunlop tires.  Shell fuels and oils, are also a sponsor.  The FIA/ACO partnership, enters it's fifth season.  The FIA WEC is truly a family, as they acknowledge all the people, who work for the championship.

ACO President Pierre Fillon, is very pleased, with what the new season will offer.  The competitors are a reward, and the A.C.O. teams, are doing a great job.  Thank you, A.C.O.  Thank you, FIA.  2016 will be a great year.  Let the racing begin, and we'll see how the races come out.  Stay tuned, for coverage, of the FIA WEC races, here, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog.  Long live endurance.  Long live motorsport.  So long, for now, everyone.

IMSA: Nissan considering Prototype Program for 2017

Before we get to the FIA WEC/ELMS/Le Mans press conference, even though Nissan has shelved their Le Mans effort, could they return, on a factory basis, to IMSA?  An article in Racer magazine, explains.

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/125874-imsa-nissan-considering-prototype-program-for-2017

GT racing & Bathurst 12 Hour news

A news update, strictly focused, on international GT sports car racing, including the upcoming running of the Bathurst 12 Hours at Mount Panorama, in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, happening this weekend.

Audi Poised for Reduced Factory Effort at 24H Spa, Nurburgring
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/audi-poised-for-reduced-factory-effort-at-24h-spa-nurburgring/

Grasser Confirms Three-Car Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Effort
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/grasser-confirms-three-car-lamborghini-huracan-gt3-effort/

In a related story...

Bleekemolen, Bortolotti Confirmed in Grasser Lamborghini Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bleekemolen-bortolotti-confirmed-in-grasser-lamborghini-lineup/

Plus... more news.

Sanna (Lamborghini): "We'll Be Present in The Most Important Series"
http://sportscar365.com/gt/sanna-lamborghini-well-be-present-in-the-most-important-championships/

COTA Round of Intercontinental GT Challenge Cancelled
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/cota-round-of-intercontinental-gt-challenge-cancelled/

News & Notes Roundup: 2-3
http://sportscar365.com/gt/news-notes-roundup-2-3/

World's Leading GT3 Drivers, Teams Set for Bathurst 12H
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/worlds-leading-gt3-drivers-teams-set-for-bathurst-12h/

Bathurst Thursday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/bathurst-thursday-notebook-2/

VIDEO: Nissan Seeking Repeat Victory in Bathurst 12H
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-nissan-seeking-repeat-victory-in-bathurst-12h/

FYI: 2016 FIA WEC & 24 Hours of Le Mans Press Conference

FYI.  Entries for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship, will be announced, Friday, February 5th, at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time, 7:30 A.M. Local Time, which equates to 2:30 P.M. Central European Time.  Go HERE, to watch the press conference, when it happens.

http://www.motorsport.com/wec/tv/world-endurance-championship/the-press-conference-for-the-2016-24-hours-of-le-mans-and-wec/

Watch & Listen: Relive The Rolex 24 at Daytona

Relive the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with every part of the race, by going, HERE:

http://www.imsa.com/articles/watch-listen-relive-rolex-24-daytona-0

VIDEO: Rolex 24 Post-Race Analysis

Post-race analysis of the 54th Rolex 24 at Daytona, from Fox Sports' Greg Creamer, and Calvin Fish.

http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-rolex-24-post-race-analysis/

Rolex 24 Content Recap

Sportscar365's Rolex 24 content recap.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/rolex-24-content-recap-2/

Congratulations, Tequila Patron ESM & Corvette Racing

Stories about a couple of the winning cars from the Rolex 24, this past weekend.
.
Tequila Patron ESM Breaks Through for Rolex 24 Win
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/tequila-patron-esm-breaks-through-for-rolex-24-win/

Corvette Goes 1-2 in Photo Finish at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/corvette-goes-1-2-in-photo-finish-at-daytona/