Endurance... the sports car racing blog: June 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

CAMS to hold GT ruling review

CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca has called for an emergency board meeting to review the GT rule change following angst from competitors, who are considering taking legal action against the decision.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/07/01/cams-hold-gt-ruling-review/

GT competitors consider legal action over CAMS ruling

A group of GT competitors are considering legal action against CAMS following the introduction of a new ruling which prevents GT3 and GT4 cars from competing outside of Australian GT events.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/07/01/gt-competitors-consider-legal-action-cams-ruling/

Porsche 935/84 at the Daytona 24 Hours 1985 - The Last Hurrah

By the early 1980s, with the introduction of the new ground effects Prototype race cars in Group C and IMSA Grand Touring Prototype competition, the once dominant GTX/Group 5 Porsche 935 was beginning to run out of steam. The production based monster, though it had power and straight line speed going for it, could not match the new prototypes in the aerodynamics department. Porsche Road & Race has the story of it's swansong.

https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/porsche-93584-at-the-daytona-24-hours-1985-the-last-hurrah/

IMSA stories headed to Watkins Glen

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Challenge Bathurst to appeal CAMS GT3 ban

Challenge Bathurst organisers intend to appeal a decision from the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport which effectively bans GT3 cars from competing at its event.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/06/29/challenge-bathurst-appeal-cams-gt-ban/

more FIA WEC news after Le Mans

previewing IMSA racing this weekend at Watkins Glen

Previewing the action to come this weekend at the third round of the North American Endurance Cup for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, the Sahlen's 6 Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen International Raceway in Watkins Glen, New York.

Racing Through Time: IMSA Heads to Watkins Glen
http://imsatv.imsa.com/video/062017/racing-through-time-imsa-heads-watkins-glen

Scott Pruett is being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame, before taking part in the 6 Hours of the Glen, this weekend.

Pruett's Big Week Includes Hall of Fame Induction, Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen

http://www.imsa.com/news/062017/pruetts-big-week-includes-hall-fame-induction-sahlens-six-hours-glen

Westbrook Going for Fourth Straight IMSA Win at Watkins Glen
http://www.imsa.com/news/062017/westbrook-going-fourth-straight-imsa-win-watkins-glen

Ozz Negri: His Road to IMSA
http://imsatv.imsa.com/video/062017/ozz-negri-his-road-imsa

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Pirelli World Challenge at Road America

VIDEO: SRO Motorsports Group, 25 Years of GT Racing

During the fourth weekend of June 1992, exactly 25 years ago, Stephane Ratel organized his first-ever race, on the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans.

http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-sro-motorsports-group-25-years-of-gt-racing/

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

pre-race PWC news from Road America

News before the Pirelli World Challenge races that happened at Road America last weekend. Stay tuned for full coverage of what happened, coming very, very soon.

PWC Title Fights Heat Up as Season Reaches Halfway Mark

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/pwc-championship-heats-up-as-season-reaches-halfway-mark/

COTA To Host Rescheduled SprintX Round
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/cota-to-host-rescheduled-sprintx-round/

PWC Returns to Sprint Racing at Road America
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/pwc-returns-to-sprint-racing-at-road-america/

James: Panoz Avezzano "Now Has A Chance" of GTS Victory
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/james-panoz-avezzano-now-has-a-chance-for-gts-victory/

Monday, June 26, 2017

Dumas Wins Pikes Peak Hill Climb; Cunningham Second Overall In Acura

Some sports car racing veterans found great success in the annual Pikes Peak International Hillclimb run this past weekend. Congratulations to both Romain Dumas, the winner, and runner-up contender, Peter Cunningham.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dumas-wins-pikes-peak-hill-climb-2/

wrapping up the Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers

Some post-race stories to wrap up a great race for round three of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Paul Ricard in the south of France.

VIDEO: Paul Ricard Race Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-paul-ricard-race-highlights-3/

Bentley Holds On For Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers Victory
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/bentley-holds-on-for-paul-ricard-1000km-victory/

Once again, we look forward to the big kahuna, the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps in a month or so. Yours truly, is very excited about covering that one.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Blancpain Endurance Series Round 3: Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers

The third round of the 2017 Blancpain GT Endurance Cup, is in the south of France, at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track in Le Castellet, France. Formula 1 returns to this speedway, with the return of the French Grand Prix for 2018. But, this track has also seen many sports car races, and one particularly, is the Blancpain Endurance Cup Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers. 1,000 Kilometers/625 miles, or six hours in duration, is the distance of this event.   This is the first, of two longer endurance eevents of the season.

Your pole sitter for today's 1,000 kilometer contest is the #4 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG GT3 shared by Luca Stolz of Germany, Dutchman Yelmer Buurman, and Brit Adam Christodoulou. The heat will play a factor in this annual precursor to the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, with 58 cars on the grid. Will Stevens just won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in class, and he's ready to go this weekend. Stevens is sharing the #5 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 with his regular co-drivers Dries Vanthoor and Marcel Fassler, of Belgium and Switzerland respectively.

Oliver Jarvis was also a winner at Le Mans, and he's ready to return to GT racing. He's happy to be back racing the Bentley Continental GT3 alongside his regular team mates in the #7 car, Steven Kane, and Guy Smith. Former DTM champion Bruno Spengler will race for Rowe Racing in the BMW M6 GT3 #98. Spengler knows it is a learning experience. He relishes the opportunity. His co-drivers are Markus Palttala of Finland, and British BMW DTM ace Tom Blomqvist. Palttala has become a true veteran of BMW in the GT3 ranks.

Attempto Racing and Clement Mateu are ready to race with Lamborghini. Clement Mateu of France, is sharing the #67 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 with Italy's Giorgio Maggi, and Dutchman Max van Splunteren, another veteran of Blancpain Endurance and GT3 competition. Many Mercedes AMG GT3s are in the field. Jules Gounon, son of Formula 1 and sports car veteran Jean Marc Gounon, is one of the drivers for AKKA ASP. Jules Gounon is sharing the Pro Am #87 entry with fellow Frenchman Jean Luc Beaubelique, and Nico Bastian of Germany.

The Oman Racing Team Aston Martin is also set to race as Jonny Adam won class at Le Mans last weekend as well. Adam and team boss Ahmad al-Harthy welcome Turkish driver Salih Yoluc to the squad for this weekend's six hour adventure. This race will run into the night time hours before it ends. Six Hours of racing is ahead of us. Extra points are on offer even though it is a warmup for Spa. 33 points for a win, 24 for second, 19 for third, and so on.

We're set to go. SRO President Stephane Ratel, has had a lot to celebrate lately. He got married, and he has been in the racing business for 25 years. That will be celebrated in November. The grid is amazing. On pole, again is the Black Falcon Mercedes and Yelmer Buurman will start even though he's hurt after falling off his bicycle and hurting his shoulder. Adam Christodoulou is also in the car. Buurman's shoulder has been bothering him, but he still got the pole. The AMG Mercedes isn't the quickest car here this weekend.

Lots of drivers to watch on this grid. We're ready to race. Six hours, coming up, now! Lights out, and it's go time! Yelmer Buurman is inside along with Viktor Shaytar into turn one. A couple cars run off the road and get back on. Viktor Shaytar, Guy Smith, and Stephane Ortelli all battle. Bentley, Jaguar, and Ferrari. Katsumasa Chiyo flies past Dries Vanthoor. The Nissan's run 177 miles an hour on the Mistral straight. Oooh! He's off the road at Signes corner! Chiyo san has just run off the road! Yikes! He had the aero draft at 290 kilometers an hour. No damage to the car.

Michael Meadows and others run wide. Meadows is in the #90 AKKA ASP Mercedes AMG GT3, and the Briton is sharing with Italians Raffaele Marciello and Edoardo Mortara.    Stephane Ortelli, Maximilian Buhk, and others, follow early on as the field is sorting itself out right now. We fast forward and Maximilian Buhk is trying Vincent Abril. It's a battle between Mercedes and Bentley early on in the six hour race.

Into L'Ecole (turn four, the racing school turn), Nico Muller and Felix Serralles battle. Seralles in the Mercedces has the power over Muller. We're six minutes into the race. In case you are wondering, Felix Seralles, the Puerto Rican shares the car with Spain's Daniel Juncadella, and for this event at Paul Ricard, they are joined by Renger van der Zande of Holland, a name we hear a lot on the United States sports car scene, especially in IMSA competition. Katsumasa Chiyo will be kicking himself trying to go past the BMW. Turbo V6 vs. turbo V8. Chiyo, I believe is trying to get around either Maxime Martin or Bruno Spengler, in one of the two Rowe Racing M6 GT3's.

Both of those cars have strong lineups. The #98 is shared by Spengler, Markus Palttala, and Tom Blomqvist, while #99 has on the driver's strength, Philipp Eng, Maxime Martin, and Alexander Sims.
Through Signes corner. Chiyo passes and is now 25th. Contact and Pasin Lathouras spins off at Signes corner. Jake Dennis makes contact with him, trying to make a pass. This kerfuffle is a nil nil draw. Pasin Lathouras is way down in 34th spot, and the Thai driver shares his Ferrari 488 GT3 with experienced Italians, in the form of Alessandro Pier Guidi and Michele Rugolo.

Pasin Lathouras is way down in 34th spot. Jake Dennis, if you are wondering, he's British, and sharing one of the Team WRT Audi R8s, (car #17), in this race with fellow Brit Stuart Leonard, and a hot shoe for Audi, Robin Frijns from Holland who has also starred in Formula E. This team, is littered with star power in terms of it's driver squads for this race and any Blancpain Endurance race. Their #1 entry is being piloted by GT ace Antonio Garcia of Spain, who recently raced with Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Garcia is paired up with Nico Muller and Rene Rast. The #2 WRT car has a slightly different lineup here at Paul Ricard from the past couple races, and features Christopher Mies of Germany, Pieter Schothorst from Holland, and Belgium's Frederic Vervisch.

Vervisch has been running quite frequently in Blancpain GT competition in endurance and in sprint.
Eight laps in as Yelmer Buurman is followed by Viktor Shaytar. Shaytar is driving the opening stint in the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GT3. Shaytar of Russia, is sharing with former Audi DTM racer Miguel Molina who is now a factory Ferrari GT driver and Davide Rigon, the Italian, a familiar name to Ferrari fans in Blancpain and perhaps also in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Rigon has made some starts in the IMSA endurance races as well to my knowledge.

Fredrric Vervisch and Marco Seefried scrap. Vervisch is off the road and here comes Maxime Martin who can't squeeze past. So, some definite contact between the Audi and the BMW. The #51 Ferrari for AF Corse is crunched, and so is a Porsche and its unclear who is in that other car. Well, if it's a Porsche 911 and it's the Blancpain Endurance Series, that means it cane be one and only one. The #911 Herberth Motorsports entry shared by the German trio of our pals Jurgen Haring, and the Renauer brothers, Altfrid and Robert.

It's a fraught race for the Herberth squad and all the names aforementioned. Yikes! We have a full course yellow. Marco Seefried almost rams into Felix Seralles! Porsche #76 tries to enter the corner over the Ferrari, and pays dearly. Another Porsche, you ask. OK. Let's find out who this chap is. My apologies, and a correction. #76 happens to be an Audi. This is the second ISR entered Audi R8 for this race, in the hands of Jamie Green, Kelvin van der Linde of South Africa, and Frank Stippler. You will recall, Kelvin van der Linde was part of the winning Land Motorsports Audi squad in the Nurburgring 24 Hours last month. Maximilian Buhk is stuck in traffic nas a half hour into this race is the Reiter Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of Tomas Enge.

In the lane is Maximilian Buhk for a pit stop. Now, did someone go over the curb? Someone ran off the road, over a curb on the test track. Tomas Enge is the one who crashed and he's out of it. Game over. Enge is a guest driver in the #24 Reiter Young Stars Lamborghini Gallardo GT3. This is a Pro class entry, but it is an older Lamborghini Gallardo as opposed to the new Huracan model. The Czech sports car veteran is sharing the driving chores with Finland's Marko Helikastangas, and Australia's Caitlin Wood, who are the young rookie drivers on this team, getting their feet wet in GT racing.

Now, second, third, fourth, and others pit except for Black Falcon. Can't really pick out who else is in the top five as the pit stops happen. Viktor Shaytar and Yelmer Buurman stay out. The Bentley is way wide making a pass as Guy Smith challenges the Lamborghini. Guy Smith passes Ezequiel Perez Companc at Virage du Pont, turn ten. Smith stays left, and nudges Companc. That's a little love tap. Hour one done and dusted as we have had at least two or three retirements including Rob Bell and Come Ledogar, last year's Paul Ricard winners, will not defend their title. It is game over for the #58 entry from Strakka Racing that Ledogar and Bell share with Ben Barnicoat, who like Bell is British, while Ledogar is French. It's a shame he's out of his home race.

One hour in, and pit stop time for the #4 car, Can Marco Cioci pass Maximilian Buhk? Yes. Albert Costa in the Jaguar now leads. Buhk wants to run strategy. Costa has real pace. They made room for each other into Signes corner. That is good, clean racing between the Mercedes driver, and the Jaguar pilot. Buhk is sharing with regular team mates for HTP Motorsport, Franck Perera of France, and Sweden's Jimmy Erikson. Jaguar's lineup is also the same from previous rounds. Albert Costa, who took the race lead, shares Jaguar #14 with the car owner Lorenz Frey from Switzerland, and the veteran, and Le Mans winner, Monagasque Stephane Ortelli.

In the sister Jag, it's two rapid Pro Am drivers in Jonathan Hirschi of Switzerland and Germany's Marco Seefried, better known as a Porsche specialist, along with former Formula 1 star Christian Klien from Austria. Klien drove for Jaguar, and then, for the same team when they were rebranded as Red Bull. But now, he's found a home in GT3 racing thanks to Emil and Lorenz Frey and the Jaguar squad. We're an hour and 15 minutes into this long race. Now, we're an hour and 23 in and Andrea Pizzoli is leading Pro Am. Nico Bastian is second in Pro Am, and Guy Smith is slow. Oliver Jarvis should take over the #7 Bentley. The pit stop has to be a minute and a half. It's on it's jacks and will be wheled in on the dollies. The Bentley race is fading again. Giorgio Maggi is losing water from his Lamboghini.

Oil on the tires for one of the Audi's. That's a loose wheel for the #5 car. Marcel Fassler at the cotnrols and he has to limp the car to the lane. It's finger trouble as the wheel nut was not tightened. You have to get it on with the air impact rattle gun, and then put clips in place to hold the nut. Odds are, those clips weren't secured. Down in the lane there's drama and the Nissan is fighting with Audi #1. Alex Buncombe is battling Fabian Schiller, and Buncombe is going to roar past. That's a piece of cake pass and he does not have to move to the center of the road. Buncombe in the Nissan GT-R and Schiller in the Mercedes AMG GT3.

Schiller is again sharing a second HTP car #85, and the German is teamed with Sweden's Edward Sandstrom, and Austrian Dominik Baumann. Mercedes #88 makes it's third pit stop. You've picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel down the Mistral straight. That's Alex Fontana and the #89 Mercedes grinding along the tarmac and showering sparks. Fontana, the Swiss driver should get that car to the pit lane before even more damage is done. Fontana is sharing with countryman Daniele Perfetti, and French GT veteran Ludovic Badey.

Tom Blomquist has a rear tire gone on the #98 Rowe Racing BMW as well! Ugh! We're now into the third hour. You can't see the carbon fiber on the road and you just don't know if you'll cut down a tire. One Rowe Racing BMW has taken a hit and the Italian debutant driver is now going for it. Christian Klien passes Lorenz Frey. There's confusion ovr the condition of the Rowe BMW #98.
This race has seen loads of drama. Lorenz Frey has Miguel Molina whistling by him. Molina is going for the pass, and makes it on the outside. The leader will get a drive through penalty for crossing the white line at pit in. Tick all your boxes. James Calado is now in a battle with Christopher Mies, Raffaele Marciello, Alexander Sims, and others.

Matt Parry is also in a tough spot. That was in the Virage Du Pont. Parry is in the #22 sister Nissan GT-R to the car #23 driven by the trio of Katsumasa Chiyo, Alex Buncombe, and Lucas Ordonez. So, he shares with Struan Moore and Matt Simmons. Christopher Mies passes Lorenz Frey who is sinking down the order. Alexander Sims got wrong footed and tried Matt Parry in the Nissan. Parry goes all the way around the perimeter of the wall, and loses spots. Lorenz Frey has also lost another place. The #75 Audi passes. Alex Buncombe and Miguel Molina battle as Antonio Garcia is also pushing. Alex Buincombe, Fabian Schiller, and Antonio Garcia are the protagonists in this scrum. Can the Nissan make the pass? Alex Buncombe is trying to go for it. Now, halfway through the race, is Alexander Sims slow? He's being caught hand over fist. Maxime Martin is in the car at sunset.

Now, the Pro Am battle is getting hot. Martin Kodric passes the Aston Martin of Johnny Adam. It's bragging rights between Lamborghini and Aston Martin. Kodric, the Croatian, shares with Finland's Patrick Kujala, and Adrian Amstutz of Switzerland, in the first of two Barwell Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3's. Katsumasa Chiyo passes Daniel Juncadella. This is on the Mistral straight before Signes. Oooh. The Aston Martin from Oman Racing is off the road! Yikes! We have two and a half hours to go, and the Aston, was touched by Audi #76.

That's the second ISR entry, the Green/van der Linde/Stippler car. Now, we mvoe ahead to darkness with an hour and a half to go and Franck Perera is stopped dead stick. Problems are beginning to set in for some of the heavy hitters, ladies and gentlemen. With an hour to go, Alessandro Pier Guidi is staggering to the lane with a tire down. The leader is in as darkness is now fully shrouding the track here at Paul Ricard.   Maxime Soulet in Bentley #8 leads. So, Bentley is looking good for another Paul Ricard triumph. Alessandro Pier Guidi is having trouble and will be refueled and serviced in the garage. Jonny Adam tries to pass Matt Griffin. Check that. It's Renger van der Zande. van der Zande passes and Alex Buncombe has to be patient and not do anything silly. Rene Rast walks through the open door and slams it in Alex Buncombe's face.

We spoke of Griffin, and here at Paul Ricard, he's not driving a Ferrari. He's in the third Black Falcon Mercedes Benz AMG GT3 sharing car #16. The Irishman shares that ride with Briton Oliver Morley, and Morley's other regular co-driver, Spaniard Miguel Toril. Where is the leading Black Falcon Mercedes? It's in the lane for the final stop. Luca Stolz out. Going to the checkers it is another of the drivers, and they came in too late. They are third ahead of Renger van der Zande with a half hour to go. It's Luca Stolz and Stolz is back in the lane, and he's stopped dead stick with no power. Poor old Luca Stolz. It's amazing that the leaders of this race have suffered so many technical issues. Maxime Soulet leads Davide Rigon. The top three is nearly settled. Patrick Kujala is leading Pro Am. He's trying to hold off Jonny Adam as David Perelle is penalized in Pro Am for exceeding the minimum drive time. Stephane Campenhoudt is the class leader. This is Am.

Well, the race is going to end with firworks, and Bentley is going to win at Paul Ricard in the Six Hours! Andy Soucek, Vincent Abril, and Andy Soucek run 170 laps and win Paul Ricard! On this 3.642 circuit, the Bentley boys have covered just short of 1,000 kilometers. 619 miles, 990 kilometers.

We see a repeat winner in Barwell in Pro Am, with their Lamborghini, and that squad also won round two at Silverstone back in May. Two wins on the trot for Adrian Amstutz, Patrick Kujala, and Martin Kodric. There are new winners in the Am category as well.   Three different winners in the Am category in as many races. Congratulations, to Walkenhorst Motorsport and their drivers Stef van Campenhout of Belgium, and his German co-drivers David Schiwietz, and team owner/driver Henry Walkenhorst.

So, your winners in the third round of the Blancpain Endurance Series:

Overall/Pro: #8 Abril/Soucek/Soulet     Bentley Continental GT3

             Pro Am: #77 Amstutz/Kujala/Kodric     Lamborghini Huracan GT3

             Am: #36 van Campenhout/Schiwietz/Walkenhorst     BMW M6 GT3

The next race is the crown jewel of the series. The Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers, serves as the dress rehearsal for the main stage production of the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, coming up in a month's time. That race will be a barn burner, and yours truly is looking forward to covering it. We'll see ytou in a month, from Spa. It's going to be a doozy! We'll see you then. So long for now.

IMSA Newcomer Habul Off To Quick Start as WeatherTech Championship Owner/Driver

Australian IMSA rookie Kenny Habul is quickly adapting to the world of sports car racing.

http://www.imsa.com/news/052017/imsa-newcomer-habul-quick-start-weathertech-championship-ownerdriver

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Blancpain Endurance Series news from Paul Ricard

Folks, the race is going on right now, but here is the pre-race news from the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track in Le Castellet, France, in the south of France. News will come today, and stay tuned, for tomorrow, there will be a full race report on the Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers. Plus, in this update, you'll also hear about drivers finding places for next month's Blancpain Endurance crown jewel, the 24 Hours of Spa.

Albuquerque Joins ISR for 24H Spa
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/albuquerque-joins-isr-for-24h-spa/

WRT, Sainteloc, ISR to Run Factory-Backed Audis at 24H Spa
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/wrt-sainteloc-isr-to-run-factory-backed-audis-at-24h-spa/

Audi is running their Spa lineup in the Paul Ricard 1,000 kilometers as well. Again, stay tuned for a race report on that one.

Audi to Field 24H Spa Lineup at Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/59-cars-in-increased-entry-for-paul-ricard-1000km/

Rigon Puts SMP on Top in Free Practice at Paul Ricard
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/rigon-puts-smp-on-top-in-free-practice-at-paul-ricard/

Perera Fastest in Pre-Qualifying with Late Flier
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/perera-fastest-in-pre-qualifying-with-late-flier/

Paul Ricard Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/paul-ricard-friday-notebook-6/

Buurman Puts Black Falcon Mercedes on Paul Ricard Pole
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/buurman-puts-black-flacon-mercedes-on-paul-ricard-pole/

Paul Ricard Pre-Race Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/paul-ricard-saturday-notebook-4/

Stay tuned, for tomorrow, as promised, there will be a full race report on the Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers.

Andretti Autosport chasing new IMSA deal

Michael Andretti is working toward bringing his team back to endurance racing. The IndyCar driver-turned-team owner has been pursuing opportunities in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with a particular interest in the factory-rich Prototype and GT Le Mans classes.

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/141742-andretti-autosport-chasing-new-imsa-deal

Friday, June 23, 2017

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Throwback Thursday: Wayne Taylor Racing Wins At Watkins Glen in 2011

Wayne Taylor Racing’s victory in 2011 gives Max Angelelli his first Six Hours of The Glen victory with 21-year-old Ricky Taylor. SPEED's Leigh Diffey, Calvin Fish, and Dorsey Schroeder, called it.

Le Mans 2017 Data Analysis

The data analysis from Le Mans 2017 via nasportscar.com.

http://nasportscar.com/le-mans-2017-data-analysis/

Ex-Supercars engineer revels in shock Le Mans success

Former Supercars race engineer Nathan McColl is revelling in a shock outright podium on his Le Mans 24 Hours debut with the Jackie Chan DC Racing x JOTA Sport squad.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/06/22/ex-supercar-engineer-revels-shock-le-mans-success/

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Happy Birthday, Rob Dyson

Wishing a Happy Birthday to legendary sports car racing team owner and driver Rob Dyson, who's team won twice at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1997 and '99. This profile of Dyson is slightly outdated, and is from a decade ago in 2007, when Dyson's son Chris, drove for his father.

https://thisdayinmotorsporthistory.blogspot.com/2017/06/dyson-racing-team-owner-rob-dyson-born.html?spref=fb

Ginetta's LMP1 program for 2018

Some news coming out about Ginetta's LMP1 effort set for next year in the FIA World Endurance Championship via dailysportscar.com. Bonus post for your Wednesday.

Ginetta Concludes First Week of LMP1 Wind Tunnel Testing

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/21/ginetta-concludes-first-week-of-lmp1-wind-tunnel-testing.html

...and

Lawrence Tomlinson On LMP1 Progress for Ginetta
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/21/lawrence-tomlinson-on-lmp1-progress-for-ginetta.html

IMSA news headlines in brief

We are done with this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, and now, IMSA racing will resume here, in a couple weeks. So, check out what the latest IMSA news is, HERE. (Note, there are just a couple of headlines at this point). More to come, as we transition from Le Mans, back into the general sports car racing season not just for IMSA but also for the FIA WEC.

Pla Joins PR1/Mathiasen for Watkins Glen
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/pla-joins-pr1mathiasen-for-watkins-glen/

Christensen Set for Return to Alegra at Watkins Glen
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/christensen-set-for-return-to-alegra-for-watkins-glen/

39 Entries for Watkins Glen, Third Round of TPNAEC
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/iwsc-heads-to-watkins-glen-for-restart-of-naec-season/

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

wrapping up the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Wrapping up the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Here are some final stories and summaries of the race including the latest Double Stint podcast.

Video Emerges of Bizarre Pit Lane Incident That Led To Toyota Failure

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-emerges-of-bizarre-pit-lane-incident-for-no-7-toyota-that-leads-to-retirement/

Porsche Takes Over Championship Lead After Le Mans Win
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-takes-over-championship-lead-after-le-mans-win/

Taylor "Tremendously Proud" of Corvette Teamwork, Podium Finish

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/taylor-tremendously-proud-of-corvette-teamwork-podium-finish/

Le Mans Content Recap
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/le-mans-content-recap-4/

The latest Double Stint Podcast, recapping the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Double Stint: 24H Le Mans Recap; Darren Turner Interview (6-20-17)

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/double-stint-24h-le-mans-recap-darren-turner-interview-6-20-17/

Todt: Overall Le Mans Podium for LMP2 Cars "Great For Racing"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/todt-overall-le-mans-podium-for-lmp2-cars-great-for-racing/

Monday, June 19, 2017

post-race news after the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Sunday, June 18, 2017

The 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche scores their 19th overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid taking victory in the hands of Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley, and Earl Bamber, who held on to beat the #38 Jackie Chan Racing Oreca of Ho Pin Tung, Thomas Laurent, and Oliver Jarvis, who still won LMP2. LM GTE Pro was a nail biter as Corvette lost on the last lap to Aston Martin after a cut tire for Jordan Taylor. So, Johnny Adam, Darren Turner, and Daniel Serra. In LM GTE Am, Ferrari takes the honors with JMW Motorsport and the driving team of Robert Smith, Will Stevens, and Dries Vanthoor. What a race!

Watched the entire race and followed it, as the main concern was heat, for the whole event. For a look back at Le Mans, let's venture into the hourly updates of the race to see exactly what happened, and how the stories transpired so they'd be written into the history book of the greatest endurance sports car race in the world. We now take you, to highlighted coverage, of the entire race. Let's get started. Fire the engines, and cinch down those belts.

Here is video of the start of the race. Two Toyota's on the front row. Two Porsche's on the second row. The French flag waves, and the 85th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is underway!

The Toyota's lead 1-2, Mike Conway leads into the Dunlop corner.

After the opening hour of the race, Sebastien Buemi is your race leader.

Buemi Leads Toyota 1-2 After Opening Hour at Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/buemi-leads-toyota-1-2-after-opening-hour-of-24h-le-mans/

As we enter the second hour, attrition, and problems for the front runners will begin to take their toll, and the first of those cars to retire from the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours is the #26 polesitting LMP2 entry for G-Drive Racing in the hands of Roman Rusinov, who crashes the car.

LMP2 Polesitter G-Drive Out in Hour 2
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lmp2-polesitters-out-in-hour-2-at-le-mans/

Here are the rest of the hour two highlights with narration from Fox Sports' Bob Varsha, and Tommy Kendall, after G Drive is shunted by the #88 Proton Porsche 911 RSR in LM GTE Am in the hands of Khaled Al Qubaisi. Your hour two class leaders.

Overall/LMP1: #7 Kobayashi/Conway/Sarrazin    Toyota TS050 Hybrid
             LMP2: #31 Prost/Senna/Canal                   Oreca 07 Gibson
             LM GTE Pro: #95 Sorensen/Thiim/Turner Aston Martin V8 Vantage
             LM GTE Am: #62 MacNeil/Bell/Sweedler Ferrari 488 GTE

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-le-mans-hour-2-highlights-2/

We move now to the fourth hour which sees the #7 Toyota in the hands of Kamui Kobayashi continue to lead, while both Porsche and Aston Martin in LM GTE Pro, hit problems in hour four.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/kobayashi-leads-as-porsche-aston-martin-hit-trouble-in-hour-4/

In the fifth hour, a serious incident as Pierre Kaffer clobbers the wall in his #82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE. Kaffer was slammed into by the #28 TDS Racing Oreca 07 Gibson LMP2 racer, with Matthieu Vaxiviere at the wheel of it. The full course yellow and track cleanup from the Risi incident with Kaffer and Vaxiviere, continued into the race's sixth hour.

Porsche Closes in on Toyota at Hour 6 as Risi Cleanup Continues
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-close-in-on-toyota-at-hour-6-as-cleanup-continues/

As hour eight rolls around, problems begin to surface for Toyota, who were the heavy favorites going into this 85th renewal of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. One of the TS050 hybrids, leads the race, with Mike Conway at the controls.

Toyota Hit With Motor Issue In Hour 8, Conway Leads
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyota-hit-with-motor-issue-in-hour-8-conway-leads/

By hour ten, Toyota's race was beginning to fall apart as the the race leading car, of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Stephane Sarrazin, retired from the event with clutch trouble.

Clutch Problems Force Race-Leading Toyota Out In Hour 10
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/clutch-problems-force-race-leading-toyota-out-in-hour-10/

The next hour of the race was no kinder to Toyota, as in as many hours, two of their cars exited competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This time it was the third bullet in the gun, the #9 entry in the hands of Jose Maria Lopez, Nicolas Lapierre, and Yuji Kunimoto.

More Heartbreak for Toyota as No. 9 Car Retires in Hour 11
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/more-heartbreak-for-toyota-as-no-9-car-retires-in-hour-11/

Here are the full highlights of the race's eleventh hour of competition. Fox Sports' Brian Till, Jamie Howe, and Brad Kettler highlight major issues for some of our LM GTE Pro contenders from Aston Martin and Corvette. Olivier Pla had a snap spin and a broken suspension into Indianapolis, and also was reprimanded by Edoardo Freitas, Race Director, for dragging gravel onto the road.

VIDEO: Le Mans Hour 11 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-le-mans-hour-10-highlights/

The #9 Toyota had a tire issue which led to hydraulic failure, leading to the car's demise.

Halfway through the 24 Hours of Le Mans for 2017. 3:00 A.M., the witching hour, and Porsche is the new force to be reckoned with at La Sarthe, vying for a 19th overall win in the 24 hours.

Porsche In Control at Halfway Mark of 24H Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-in-control-at-half-distance-of-24h-le-mans/

It should be noted that the #1 Porsche in the hands of Nick Tandy of England, Germany's Andre Lotterer (a former Audi driver), and Switzerland's Neel Jani, was the car to lead at halfway.

The plot thickens as the second half of the race looms. We see problems for the LMP2 leading #31 Oreca for Vaillante Rebellion. This Swiss team enlisted Brazilian Bruno Senna (nephew of the late, great Formula 1 legend, Ayrton Senna), Nicolas Prost (son of four-time F1 World Champion and Senna rival, Alain Prost), and Frenchman Julien Canal, to drive the car.

LMP2-Leading Oreca to the Garage in Hour 13
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lmp2-leader-to-the-garage-in-hour-13/

In the 14th hour, the safety car reappeared, and also during this time, Porsche 919 #1 retook the overall lead.

No. 1 Porsche Leads Under Safety Car After 14 Hours
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/no-1-porsche-leads-under-safety-car-after-14-hours/

Now we move ahead to the highlights of the race's 16th hour.

VIDEO: Le Mans Hours 16 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-le-mans-hour-16-highlights/

Porsche built up a 12 lap lead, and this is what they had, headed into the last quarter of the race.

Porsche 12 Laps Clear with Six Hours to Go at Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-12-laps-clear-with-six-hours-to-go-at-le-mans/

Fast forward to four hours left, and in hour 20, the fight for LM GTE Pro accolades, is really coming to the fore as Aston Martin is applying the blowtorch to Corvette in a battle between Jonny Adam and Antonio Garcia.

GTE-Pro Fight Heating Up With Four Hours Remaining
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/gte-pro-fight-hotting-up-with-4-hours-remaining/

Three hours left, and heartbreak for the leading No. 1 Porsche that had had it's own way since hour 14! Heartbreak for Neel Jani, Nick Tandy, and Andre Lotterer, who would end up with a DNF.

Race-Leading No. 1 Porsche Stops on Track in 21st Hour
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-no-1-slows-in-20th-hour-13-lap-lead-at-risk/

With Porsche's misfortune for car #1, an unusual suspect was left in the race lead. For the first time ever, an LMP2 class car would lead Le Mans, the Jackie Chann DC Racing Oreca Gibson in the hands of Frenchman Thomas Laurent.

Laurent, Jackie Chan Racing Take Overall Lead at Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/laurent-jackie-chan-dc-racing-take-overall-lead-at-le-mans/

Here is video proof. Radio Le Mans' Toby Moody and Allan McNish have the call.

VIDEO: LMP2 Car Leads 24H Le Mans Overall
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-lmp2-car-leads-24h-le-mans-overall/

DC Racing continues out front, but Porsche isn't giving up on their 19th overall Le Mans win.

DC Still Out Front Overall, Porsche Closing in With Two Hours To Go
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dc-leads-overall-porsche-closing-in-with-two-hours-to-go/

Headed for the final hour, though, DC Racing would need to pit, and Porsche would spoil their party, and retake the lead at Le Mans.

Porsche Re-Takes Lead Heading into Final Hour
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-re-takes-24h-le-mans-lead-heading-into-final-hour/

VIDEO: Le Mans Final Hour Recap
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-le-mans-final-hour-highlights/

Porsche scores their 19th overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid taking victory in the hands of Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley, and Earl Bamber, who held on to beat the #38 Jackie Chan Racing Oreca of Ho Pin Tung, Thomas Laurent, and Oliver Jarvis, who still won LMP2. LM GTE Pro was a nail biter as Corvette lost on the last lap to Aston Martin after a cut tire for Jordan Taylor. So, Johnny Adam, Darren Turner, and Daniel Serra. In LM GTE Am, Ferrari takes the honors with JMW Motorsport and the driving team of Robert Smith, Will Stevens, and Dries Vanthoor. What a race!

So, your overall and class winners from Le Mans 2017 are:

Overall/LMP1: #2 Bernhard/Hartley/Bamber Porsche 919 Hybrid

   LMP2: #38 Tung/Laurent/Jarvis Oreca 07 Gibson

   LM GTE Pro: #97 Adam/Turner/Serra    Aston Martin V8 Vantage

   LM GTE Am: #84 Smith/Stevens/Vanthoor Ferrari 488 GTE

JMW Dominates GTE-Am, Ferrari Podium Sweep
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/jmw-dominates-gte-am-ferrari-podium-sweep/

Aston Martin Defeats Corvette in Final Lap GTE Pro Showdown
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/aston-martin-defeats-corvette-in-final-lap-gte-pro-showdown/

DC Racing Takes Historic LMP2 Win, Overall Podium
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dc-racing-takes-lmp2-win-overall-podium/

Porsche Wins Wild 24H Le Mans in LMP1 Meltdown
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-wins-wild-24h-le-mans-in-lmp1-meltdown/

Bamber, Hartley Doubted "Fairytale" Win Was Possible
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/bamber-hartley-doubted-fairytale-win-was-possible/

For Porsche, the thrill of victory. For Toyota, again, the agony of defeat. They must be thinking "how long... how long... until we can win one of these things?!"

Vasselon: "Frustrated" With Toyota's Missed Opportunity
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/vasselon-frustrated-with-toyotas-missed-opportunity/

Here is video of the race highlights.

VIDEO: Le Mans Race Highlights

We'll see you again, next year, for the 86th renewal of the world's greatest sports car race. Au revoir, for now, everyone.

Saturday, June 17, 2017

some last minute stories before Le Mans

Highlighting some last minute stories before the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway. Look for a race report comprised of hourly updates on the race itself, coming sometime tomorrow, and enjoy the race whether you are at Le Mans to watch, or will watch online, or on TV via Fox Sports or the FIA WEC app.

24H Le Mans Resource Guide
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/24h-le-mans-resource-guide-3/

Toyota is quickest in the morning warmup.

Nakajima Leads Toyota 1-2 in Warmup
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/nakajima-leads-toyota-1-2-in-le-mans-warm-up/

Davidson: Winning Le Mans "Written in The Stars"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/davidson-winning-le-mans-written-in-the-stars/

Vasselon: Toyota Will Manage New Heat-Related Driver Stint Length Rule
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/vasselon-toyota-will-manage-new-heat-related-driver-stint-rule/

Enjoy the race. Stay tuned, for tomorrow evening, there will be a full report with what happened in each hour, and again, follow the race (or as much as possible) via Fox Sports or the FIA WEC app.
See you tomorrow night, for a wrap up of all the action.

Le Mans pre-race news

Pre-race stories before the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway. Yours truly will watch as much of the race as possible, even though there may be some weather in the area. For those in the Twin Cities (St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN), if you are watching the race on Fox Sports, your signal could be interrupted by some weather that is supposed to move in a couple times during the race on Saturday. So, bear with it. For everyone else around the world, do enjoy the race, too.

Here are the pre-race stories being followed, and there will be a post-race wrap up on Sunday, with highlighted coverage from each hour of the race, or the hours that produce the most action. So, stay tuned for that.

As you saw in a video, that has been circulating on the net, Kamui Kobayashi demolished the Le Mans lap record for pole position.

Kobayashi Smashes Le Mans Lap Record in Qualifying 2
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/kobayashi-smashes-le-mans-lap-record-in-qualifying-2/

Aston Martin Denies Ferrari Pole in GTE Pro
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/aston-martin-deny-ferrari-gte-pole-at-le-mans/

You've seen the video, now read the whole story.

Kobayashi Takes Record-Breaking Pole at Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/kobayashi-takes-record-breaking-pole-at-le-mans/

PHOTOS: Le Mans Thursday Gallery
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/photos-le-mans-thursday-gallery-7/

VIDEO: Le Mans Qualifying Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-le-mans-qualifying-highlights-3/

Collard "Surprised" by Performance of New LMP2s
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/collard-surprised-by-performance-of-new-lmp2s/

Barrichello: Le Mans Debut a "One-Off" For Now
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/barrichello-le-mans-debut-a-one-off-for-now/

Chase Carey Named Honorary Starter for 24H Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/chase-carey-named-honorary-starter-for-85th-24h-le-mans/

As has already been outlined, here are the new 2020 regulations for LMP1.

2020 LMP1 Regs Focus on Stability, Cost Cutting, Electric Usage
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/2020-wec-regs-focus-on-stability-cost-cutting-electric-usage/

Turner: Ambient Temperatures Key To Aston Pole
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/turner-ambient-temperatures-key-to-aston-pole/

Rosenqvist "Thankful" for Varied Program Ahead of Le Mans Debut

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/rosenqvist-thankful-for-varied-program-ahead-of-le-mans-debut/

Beaumesnil "Quite Confident" on P1 Budgets Despite New Hybrid Plug-Ins

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/beaumesnil-quite-confident-on-lmp1-budgets-despite-new-hybrid-plug-ins/

Buemi Wants Nurburgring Clash Talks After Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/buemi-wants-nurburgring-clash-talks-after-le-mans/

VIDEO: Le Mans Report: Friday
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-le-mans-report-friday-2/

Porsche Gets Weight Break in Pre-Race BoP Change
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-gt-gets-pre-race-weight-break/

Dean: Ligier LMP2 Podium "Possible" Despite Oreca Dominance
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dean-ligier-lmp2-podium-possible-despite-oreca-dominance/

Le Mans Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/le-mans-friday-notebook-6/

We're ready to go racing at Le Mans. Enjoy the race. See you on Sunday night, for a full wrap up with reports from all hours of the race, and post-race reaction.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Seidl On The 2020 LMP1 Regulations

Porsche boss Andreas Seidl is sure the new 2020 LMP1 regulations will be good for the future of the FIA WEC.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/16/seidl-on-the-2020-lmp1-regulations.html

2020 LMP1 Hybrid regulations

The announcement has officially been made, and from the official website of the FIA World Endurance Championship, here are those new regulations, with five objectives.

Adapting the technologies to road going vehicles
Cost capping
Technological diversity
Level playing field in terms of performance
Retain the appeal for spectators, sponsors, and media thanks to top level performances undergoing constant improvement.

http://www.fiawec.com/en/news/2020-lmp1-hybrid-regulations-announced/5198

Thursday, June 15, 2017

VIDEO: Kobayashi's Le Mans 24H record lap

Watch Kamui Kobayashi and his Toyota TS050 take the previous lap record around Circuit de la Sarthe, and absolutely crush it.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/06/16/video-kobayashis-le-mans-24h-record-lap/

Thursday Le Mans stories

IMSA, PWC, IndyCar and North American Rooting Interests At Le Mans

If you have a favorite American driver in no matter what series you follow, odds are they are racing at Le Mans on Saturday and Sunday.

http://nasportscar.com/imsa-pwc-indycar-and-north-american-rooting-interests-at-le-mans/

Panoz Takes Wraps Off GT-EV Racer

Garage 56 targeted with Green4U Panoz Racing GT-EV.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/15/panoz-takes-wraps-off-ev-racer.html

Gulf Oil, Considering Even Bigger Headlines for 2018?

50th anniversary of first win falls next year.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/15/gulf-oil-considering-even-bigger-headlines-for-2018.html

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Still more Le Mans news on Wednesday

All the buildup is over. The cars are on track at Le Mans. Here's what has been happening.

Jani Quickest In Practice as Porsche Hits Back
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/jani-quickest-in-practice-as-porsche-hits-back/

Le Mans Wednesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/le-mans-wednesday-notebook-4/

Le Mans news (and lots of it)

Le Mans Wednesday Paddock Notes

Dallara aero, Ligier LMP3 aero, and Corvette's Test Day engine trouble.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/14/le-mans-wednesday-paddock-notes.html

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Ex-Audi engineer predicts LMP1-LMP2 battle

Former Audi Sport race engineer Justin Taylor didn't spend much time on the unemployment line after the German manufacturer pulled the plug on its LMP1 program. The Colorado native was quickly hired by the Ed Carpenter Racing IndyCar team, and while he's enjoying the challenge, a big part of Taylor wishes he was in Le Mans right now.

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/141416-ex-audi-engineer-predicts-lmp1-lmp2-battle

Priaulx pours doubt on Ford-focus BoP chatter

Balance of performance discussions – often aimed at Ford – aren't always justfied, current WEC GTE Pro points leader Andy Priaulx explained to RACER.

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/141395-priaulx-pours-doubt-on-ford-focused-bop-chatter

Corvette's quest for Le Mans redemption

Corvette wants redemption after a very difficult struggle against their rivals from Ford Motor Company at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, last year.

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/141390-corvette-s-quest-for-redemption

Monday, June 12, 2017

2017 24 Hours of Le Mans: Five Things To Watch

Five things to look out for in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend, according to Racer magazine.

http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/141387-2017-24-hours-of-le-mans-five-things-to-watch?showall=1&limitstart=

Le Mans Monday Scrutineering Notebook

News and notes from the second day at the Place de Republique (and the end of the first!)

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/12/le-mans-monday-scrutineering-notebook.html

Previews of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, what to expect in each class during the race

Here are the previews of each class competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and what they will have to offer fans during the race.

Le Mans Preview, Part 1: GTE Am
Variety, strength and unpredictability
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/07/le-mans-preview-part-1-gte-am.html

Le Mans Preview, Part 2: GTE Pro
Lots of question marks in GTE's factory dominated class.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/08/le-mans-preview-part-2-gte-pro.html

Le Mans Preview, Part 3: LMP2
An enormous list, but just how many have a shot at glory?
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/09/le-mans-preview-part-3-lmp2.html

Le Mans Preview, Part 4: LMP1
Five (or six) go mad in France.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/06/06/le-mans-preview-part-4-lmp1.html

Sunday, June 11, 2017

This Day In Motorsport History: "Worst Crash In Racing" Kills Pierre Levegh & 83 Spectators - June 11th, 1955

June 11th, 1955, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France, was the site of the worst crash in automobile racing history. Driver Pierre Levegh, and 83 fans, were killed in this gut wrenching incident.

https://thisdayinmotorsporthistory.blogspot.com/2017/06/worst-crash-in-racing-kills-pierre.html?spref=fb

Saturday, June 10, 2017

More FIA WEC news before Le Mans next weekend

More news as we head into the 24 Hours of Le Mans next weekend. Remember, instead of a full race report, there will be a summary of the race, published on Sunday with hourly updates.

Report: New Kuwait Circuit Vying for WEC Race
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/report-new-kuwait-circuit-vying-for-wec-date/

VIDEO: Jani Recalls Final Laps of Le Mans 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-jani-recalls-final-laps-of-le-mans-2016/

Richards to Receive Spirit of Le Mans Award
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/richard-to-receive-spirit-of-le-mans-award/

Andy Blackmore's Dunlop Le Mans Spotter Guide Released
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/andy-blackmores-dunlop-le-mans-spotter-guide-released-2/

Ford could bring their GT race car to customer teams starting next year.

Pericak: Customer Ford GT's "a possibility" for 2018
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/pericak-customer-ford-gts-a-possibility-for-2018/

Inside Michelin's Logistics for Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/inside-michelins-logistics-for-24h-le-mans/

Griffin: Clearwater Has Come Over as a "Properly Asian" Team
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/griffin-clearwater-has-come-over-as-a-properly-asian-team/

Friday, June 9, 2017

Happy Birthday David Hobbs & John Fitzpatrick

These two chaps share the same birthday, and did drive together in sports car racing on occasion. Hobbs is also the 1983 SCCA Trans Am champion. After their racing careers ended, Hobbs pursued being an analyst for automobile racing on television, while Fitzpatrick became a motorsports consultant. These are roles both men still have, today.

Happy Birthday, David Hobbs
https://thisdayinmotorsporthistory.blogspot.com/2016/06/david-hobbs-born-in-royal-leamington.html

Happy Birthday, John Fitzpatrick

https://thisdayinmotorsporthistory.blogspot.com/2017/06/john-fitzpatrick-born-in-birmingham.html?spref=fb

Ford's Le Mans win in 1967

A couple feature articles revisiting 1967, and Ford's first Le Mans 24 Hours win, 50 years ago.

Q&A With Gurney, Foyt on All-American Le Mans Win in 1967
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/qa-with-gurney-foyt-on-all-american-le-mans-win-in-1967/

..and

VIDEO: Ford at Le Mans: Then and Now
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-ford-at-le-mans-then-and-now/

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Le Mans and a race report

Yours truly, has other commitments the same weekend as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. So, a full race report is totally out of the question. There will perhaps be a way to do a highlighted synopsis of how the race itself turns out. So, stay tuned for that in some way, shape or form. But, there will not be a full race report in it's entirety for this years event.