Supporting Admin
This year's edition of the legendary endurance race will be held in less than two weeks time. To cut costs, the ACO have decided to scrap the traditional test day, so the first time the cars will hit the 13.6 km track just three days before the race. We will be at the track for the race week and will keep you up to date with regular reports.
Some useful links:
The official Le Mans website
Past Winners
Our favourite
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum...al-thread.html
Radio Le Mans
Last edited by Wouter Melissen; 06-04-2009 at 11:06 PM.
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
Rookie
I'm so excited for this race. I will be cheering for Audi as usual.
"Consider all things - the events of your past and the possibilities for tommorow.
Let nothing stop you from becoming the architect of your future." - Nicholas Hill
Super Moderator
Anyone know who will be broadcasting it in the U.S.?
"Horsepower sells motor cars, but torque wins motor races."
-Carrol Shelby
Fanatic
worldwide?Originally Posted by Sledgehammer
I guess no one will streaming it.
KFL Racing Enterprises - Kicking your ass since 2008
*cough* http://theitalianjunkyard.blogspot.com/ *cough*
Flat Out
speed will have like 18 hours of coverage.
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Etcetera.
Enthusiast
Eurosport in Europe?
"Religious belief is the “path of least resistance”, says Boyer, while disbelief requires effort."
Fanatic
I think they are doing the same thing they did for Sebring, they'll show the start 3 hours, and nothing for most of the afternoon and early evening, and continues to the end of the race. They will be showing the race on SpeedTV.com's site during the off-air hour...
University of Toronto Formula SAE Alumni 2003-2007
Formula Student Championship 2003, 2005, 2006
www.fsae.utoronto.ca
Fanatic
Speed Channel:
8:30am to noon
4:30 to 10pm
Midnite to finish.
Supporting Admin
Our friends at Racecar Engineering are working hard on their previews:
Le Mans: Courage LC70 | Sportscar | Racecar Engineering
Le Mans: Lola Aston Martin | Sportscar | Racecar Engineering
Le Mans: Lola B08/60 LMP1 | Sportscar | Racecar Engineering
Le Mans 2009: Audi R15 TDI | Sportscar | Racecar Engineering
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
Novice
Audi Vs Peugeot in LMP1
Porsche vs ferrari in GT2
Can't wait!!
Supporting Member
It is a shame that the WR just got stuck on the reserve list, they showed remarkable pace during the first two LMS races.
"I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams
Rookie
I would like to think at Lola Aston Martin can be thrown into the mix there as well for LMP1
would be nice to see a petrol car beat the oil burners out of the blue and see the Gulf cars on top once more
"No sir you may not eat my hat"
KFA-R #88 OZYROCKET
Supporting Admin
AMR press release:
Gaydon, 5 June 2009. Fifty years ago, American racing legend Carroll Shelby formed one half of the Le Mans-winning Aston Martin DBR1 team, together with Englishman Roy Salvadori. In his own words, Shelby describes the historic experience that he defines as the highlight of his racing career.
“It was an amazing time with Aston Martin, which I will always have a huge amount of affection for. In particular, I’ve got so many memories of 1959 and they’re actually all very different memories. We went through gallons of oil, for example. At the end of the race [Aston Martin’s then owner] David Brown got in the car for the victory lap. It meant so much to him; I guess he had wanted to win Le Mans all of his life. When he knew we were going to win, he’d dressed up in all of his finery with a new sports coat and everything. But after he got into the car at the end, he sat in about an inch of oil! I felt quite sorry for him, all dressed up like that and covered in oil! But I guess that under the circumstances he didn’t mind too much...
Back then, our racing budget was £150,000 for the whole season. A bit like the case back then, Aston Martin today has managed to achieve a lot with limited resources. I still have a lot of respect for the team and I’ll be thinking of everyone there at Le Mans.
It’s all so different though. These days I guess I would hardly recognise the place. Now Le Mans is more like a 24-hour sprint. Back then it was very different; everything was a series of compromises. There was no automatic rev limiter – only our feet – and the gearbox and clutch were not very strong. It was much more about endurance then. One slip and you could blow the engine.
But actually it’s impossible to compare 1959 and 2009. I always break racing down into eras, and you can’t say that one era was any easier or more difficult than the next era or the one before. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. The feeling of winning though: I’m sure that’s not changed much!
Physically it was very tough as I had dysentery during the entire race in 1959; something I ate I think! That was one of my main problems, but at Le Mans you just rise above any discomfort and forget everything else. That’s because when you have a chance to win Le Mans it’s the chance of a lifetime. Looking back on it though, it must have been really tricky as I didn’t eat anything for 24 hours apart from dysentery tablets. Then we won the race and - oh my God – they suddenly stuck a champagne bottle in my mouth and it sent me a bit loopy! I was so tired I could hardly stand or think. I reckon I just collapsed afterwards and slept for about 12 hours.
Times change but I’m sure I would have enjoyed driving the modern LMP1 car too. Racing drivers just adapt to whatever machinery they have and learn as they go along. That’s always been the case and always will be. We didn’t do that much practice before the 1959 race, for example, as we didn’t need it. We already knew the circuit and besides, you’ve got a whole 24 hours to answer any other questions you might have. Our priority was getting through the race and not making any mistakes. Believe me, there was plenty of potential to get it very badly wrong. Or for someone to get it wrong for you.
Back then, it probably rained at every race in Le Mans. Then you had the fog at night and the slow cars doing around 80mph on the right hand side of the truck – that was the rule – and we were doing 160mph to 165mph on the left. You just had to hope it all worked out. And in 1959, it certainly did.
One thing that’s still the same between then and now is the fact that Le Mans is so very different to anywhere else. The 24 Hours is legendary because it presents a whole new and different set of problems compared to other races. I’m sure that’s still true now.
My personal message to the Aston Martin drivers before they start the race next weekend would simply be - carry the flag. Roy Salvadori and I are both really proud of you. Let’s hope that this wonderful team goes on for another 50 years and the very best of luck to you all.”
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
Supporting Member
Schedule
Cal Naughton, Jr.: So when you say psychosomatic, you mean like he could start a fire with his thoughts?
Supporting Member
Full gallery of images and a few Audi comparos (turbo inlets and flow conditioners) amongst the 88 shots from today.
SPEEDtv.com - Gallery
(Err, did someone forget to vote for Pedro?)
Cal Naughton, Jr.: So when you say psychosomatic, you mean like he could start a fire with his thoughts?
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