Peugeot Dominating - Mazda still in the running.

[3GFX]

I don't know how many of you follow Le Mans but I find it to be one of the best racing series out there. Its not expensive to see a race, there's a lot of cars on the grid of different types and speed meaning you get a lot of close competition and passing. I'm already planning to camp over for Mosport this year following the ALMS.

http://www.automotoportal.com/media/images/vijesti/080310001.jpg

On to the title. Audi and its prototype cars have been dominating the top class in Le Mans for many years now. More recently with its diesel powered cars. This year Peugeot is back looking to rekindle some history (also with a diesel!). The new Peugot team sits 1 - 2 - 3 on the starting grid ready to claim the race. Already having set a new lap record of le mans by about 5 seconds which is huge on the long course which is about 3:20 minutes to complete.

Mazda is running as well.

Peugeot best lap time was 3:18 where as Lola Mazda is 3:47. But don't be discouraged because the Mazda has hope to win its class. The Peugeot and Audi's are in LMP1 where as the Mazda is in the slower LMP2 class. The best LMP2 time was 3:32 set by a Porsche.

The Mazda team has a huge set back thanks to a decent crash in qualifying.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-lola-mazda-suffers-nasty-roll-in-qualifying/

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GkjOv2HJeZM&feature=related


The Mazda team running: http://www.kruse-schiller-motorsport.com/

http://www.kruse-schiller-motorsport.com/images/20080601_420x217.jpg

The best part about the car is the fact that the engine is a derivitive of the one found in our very own Mazda 3's. That's right, its not a rotary :chuckle

Mazda is still the only Japanease team to have ever won the 24hrs of Le Mans.

More info on the car and engine can be found here.
http://www.kruse-schiller-motorsport.com/car-engine_eng.html


http://www.kruse-schiller-motorsport.com/images/mazda-engine_200x227.jpg

FOR MORE INFO:

Le Mans site: http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/pages/accueil_gb.html

Autoblog Article on Peugeot: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/13/grid-set-for-24-hours-of-le-mans-peugeot-starting-1-2-3/

[garboui]

wow shes making some nice power too

"Engine: Mazda MZR-R engine prepared by Advanced Engine Research Ltd (AER), 2000cc, in-line 4 cyl., 4 valves per cylinder, Garrett turbocharger, Torque: ~400lb-ft, power: ~500bhp, Traction Control"

[Terrible3]

Is the 908 running in the ALMS this year? I use to be into the ALMS series a lot back when there was the Panoz roadsters, Cadillac LMP and Audi R8 (first generation) duking it out. The same year also saw the factory backed Vets fight it out with the Much faster Saleen S7's and the out of date Vipers of yester years. Heck even GT3 ( at the time it was called that) had the 911 being beat by V8 M3 BMWs. It was an exciting time for the series. ALMS vent downhill soon after. Both Panoz and Cadillac left LMP1, BMW M3's with V8 were banned since they were not yet a production car, Saleen factory backing was turned down and all the classes were renamed.

Anyways I am off on a tangent, back to topic. This year I am staring to follow the series once again with the still fairly new R10 TDi, and the 908 duking it out. As much as I loved the old R8 and the new R10, I really want to see the 908 take the win this year. Also it would be nice to see the prodrive DB9s take the win over the Corvettes. The LMP675 (the smaller LMP) seems to be thriving with the factory backed RS spiders, factory backed acuras and others.

I will for sure be returning to Mosport this year to see the race armed with my DSLR. I cant wait to hear that R10 v12 twin turbo TDi run, although it will pale in comparison to the roar of the old Panoz LMP roadsters that they use to have back in 2003.

Mini Mazda meet at ALMS Mosport this year?

[Terrible3]

Sorry I ment to post this link to an awesome page that documents just about every car running in both the FIA GT series and the AMLS series.

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/

[RallyPlaya]

Nice the R8 is in the Race too im Gonna do a little research on this race... Terrible 3 you seem to know quite a lot about the Le Mans

[3GFX]

I cant wait to hear that R10 v12 twin turbo TDi run...

....Mini Mazda meet at ALMS Mosport this year?

Don't get to excited. The Audi's are quieter than your average car. Its quiter than anything on the track. That the only thing that sucks about the car. No real passionate sound.

..and yes, TM3 Mosport ALMS, I'll be there.


Nice the R8 is in the Race too...

Not the R8 from the street. The R8 was actually the original name of Audi's Le Mans car running on regular race fuel. The R10 is the new version running on diesel. The R8's don't run in the series although its possible for the future.

I'm excited to see BMW bring back the M3 next year. Although I always cheer for Mazda. Its to bad they don't have a factory team. They'd do well.

[Fuman]

if only they didn't ban Rotary engines.
back on topic.
15 second difference per lap is pretty deadly in Le Mans (porsche and Mazda).
is this the first year Mazda is back in LeMans?

[Terrible3]

Don't get to excited. The Audi's are quieter than your average car. Its quiter than anything on the track. That the only thing that sucks about the car. No real passionate sound.

..and yes, TM3 Mosport ALMS, I'll be there.

Yea i did not expect it to be loud at all. The old R8(R for you non ALMS fans) was very quiet to begin with. I don't expect a 12 very low revving diesel with twin turbos to be loud at all. I figure it will sound like a deep humming sound based on the sound the sound the 908 makes in forza 2. I guess the loudest cars will be the GT3 cars that are normally aspirated such as the vetts and DB9Rs. I wish panoz would come back, I really miss their N/A V8 that sounded like the sex. Its kinda a bummer that the rules slightly favor the smaller displacement twin turbo engines in the LMP900 class, it rules out the larger displacement N/A engines for the most part. I guess the good news is that there is an Aston Martin powered Lola LMP900 car running at La Mans.

Perhaps the sport will thrive in 2010 when all the cars are forced be closed top like they primarily were in the 80's to the late 90's. ( congers up images of a Toyota GT1, Mazada 787B and Silk Cut Jags.....)

[Terrible3]

if only they didn't ban Rotary engines.
back on topic.
15 second difference per lap is pretty deadly in Le Mans (porsche and Mazda).
is this the first year Mazda is back in LeMans?

They did not fully ban rotary engines from Le Mans ( correct me if I am wrong). After the 787B dominated Le Mans the governing body did ban several features found on the 787B that me it so dominate along with the addition to many restrictions on rotary engines. The 787B was a 4 rotor engine with continuously variable intake to maximize power at any RPM. After its Le mans win they banned the continuously variable intake system found on the 787B engine along with adding some pretty small restricter plates. Lacking the intake system long with the restricter plates and a smaller displacement made the rotary engine obsolete in Le Mans racing. The engines were no where near as fuel efficient as the turbo engines being used. Following the 787B there were one or two smaller LMP cars known as the LMP675 class that did run smaller 3 rotor rotary engines.

[Fuman]

They did not fully ban rotary engines from Le Mans ( correct me if I am wrong). After the 787B dominated Le Mans the governing body did ban several features found on the 787B that me it so dominate along with the addition to many restrictions on rotary engines. The 787B was a 4 rotor engine with continuously variable intake to maximize power at any RPM. After its Le mans win they banned the continuously variable intake system found on the 787B engine along with adding some pretty small restricter plates. Lacking the intake system long with the restricter plates and a smaller displacement made the rotary engine obsolete in Le Mans racing. The engines were no where near as fuel efficient as the turbo engines being used. Following the 787B there were one or two smaller LMP cars known as the LMP675 class that did run smaller 3 rotor rotary engines.
thanks for the info, i did not know that =)

[Terrible3]

The Mazda LMP2 is currently running 9th in class and 40th overall. They are 21 laps down from the leading 908.

[3GFX]

Well it was an interesting race. Audi ended up winning first, so much for the Peugeot claiming top spot. The Mazda team retired their best lap about 10 second off the best lap time in class and about 25 second off the lap record.


In even sadder news the Mazda team in the ALMS is 2nd from the bottom in class. :(

[Terrible3]

The race was pretty close for a while. The 908 was faster than the R10, but in the end it was experience that won the race. The winning R10 had an all star driving team of Kristensen, McNish and Capello. The 908 crew seemed to be running around most of the race not knowing how to set the car up or what tires to run. The rain also did not help the closed cockpit of the 908. McNish killed it in the rain in one of his last stints, truly awesome to see. The 908s had the pace but not the experience, next year its their race.

It was also nice to see the prodive DBS take down the factory backed Vetts yet again! I wish the prodive DBS team would come to the American le mans series.