LMDh/LMH main news topic (Convergence complete!)

WEC, Blancpain, Le Mans Series, Rolex and special events like the Le Mans 24h
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#76

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Bottom post of the previous page:

erwin greven wrote: 3 years ago
jimclark wrote: 3 years ago
MonteCristo wrote: 3 years agoIMO, the thing is that Formula E is a glorified spec series.
I agree except I'd replace your glorified with disliked......
For the ones who do not like EV's.

Formula E is just a test bed for Electrical Engines. To stress the durability and reliability. And why is it popular for a lot of brands? Because the car industry knows that if you not start with the development of electrical engines now, you will be hopeless behind in 20-25 years when customers are buying EV's mostly.
20-25 years? Ha. 10 years.

Legacy manufacturers are already a long way behind. I've worked in and around EVs for 6 years.
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#77

Post by jimclark »

erwin greven wrote: 3 years ago
jimclark wrote: 3 years ago
MonteCristo wrote: 3 years agoIMO, the thing is that Formula E is a glorified spec series.
I agree except I'd replace your glorified with disliked......
For the ones who do not like EV's.

Formula E is just a test bed for Electrical Engines. To stress the durability and reliability. And why is it popular for a lot of brands? Because the car industry knows that if you not start with the development of electrical engines now, you will be hopeless behind in 20-25 years when customers are buying EV's mostly.
Absolutely. It's fantastic as a development and test bed. It has it's place for some.

Nonetheless, FE is not very entertaining regarding the sport of auto racing. 1/12 scale NiCad R/C cars were more exciting.
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#78

Post by Cheeveer »

Can't we skip the rest of 2020 and let it be 2023 already? A fight at Le Mans a decade in the making, after a few dull years it is finally looking up in the endurance world!
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#79

Post by MonteCristo »

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Toyota launches GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar

Toyota Gazoo Racing has unveiled its new-for-2021 Hypercar – the GR010 HYBRID, which is set to contest an all-new top class in the 2021 FIA World Endurance championship, including the Le Mans 24 Hours.
https://racer.com/2021/01/14/toyota-lau ... -hypercar/

Looks pretty ... fugly.
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#80

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GM: LMDh, GT3 Discussions “On the Table”

New Chevrolet sports car racing program manager on GM’s future in IMSA…

by John Dagys January 19, 2021

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LMDh and GT3 are among the platforms General Motors is evaluating for potential future involvement according to Laura Wontrop Klauser.

The automotive giant, which is currently involved in IMSA’s DPi class through the Cadillac brand and the GT Le Mans ranks with Corvette Racing, is amid a changing of the guard with new motorsports leadership.

Klauser, who was named Tuesday as Chevrolet’s sports car racing program manager in a new overarching role, is set to oversee all of GM’s involvement in IMSA and other related series, a role she sees taking a “shared” approach between the brands.

“When I came on board with the Cadillac DPi program, I got to know the Corvette team very well,” she told Sportscar365.

“We tried to find ways to work together to make sure that we were protecting all of General Motors’ participation in sports car racing and that we could communicate clearly and focus and work with each other.

“Now we can share resources, which is great.

“It takes it away from separate programs that [are] interfaced when convenient to programs that are going to have to learn how to support each other.

“From that standpoint it will make all of our programs stronger and hopefully give us a really nice presence in IMSA as a whole.”

In what she labeled as a “step by step process” GM’s future sports car racing involvement will hinge on efficiencies across multiple programs.

“This will give us a chance to really be smart about how we do the programs, how we look to the future and what we want to do with sports car racing,” Klauser said.

“It will be good to have a direction that makes sense.”

Klauser confirmed ongoing talks for possible LMDh and GT3 projects, amid the changing class structure within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and sports car racing globally.

“We have explored all of the options and they’re still on the table,” she said.

“What we need to understand is where we want to position the key brands that we have in racing, Corvette being one of them.

“Racing is in Corvette’s DNA. For sure we need to have Corvette on the grid somewhere, but understanding what capacity that’s going to be, that’s been part of figuring things out.

“We’re still finalizing the details on what we want to see from a vision standpoint. We’re hoping to be able to start having some announcements in that arena soon.

“I can guarantee you that there’s been a lot of work.

“I took Christmas Day off — but that was it — to work on vision stuff and figuring out where we’re going to go in the next three to four years.

“The fact that [LMDh] has been a joint effort between the ACO and IMSA makes it very appealing. We’ve always wanted to go back to Le Mans in the top class as we have some unfinished business there.

“But it’s one of the things that in order to get programs like that through GM, you have to first figure out what you want to do, then get leadership on board and then leadership has to figure out ways to fund all this stuff.

“There’s a lot going on at GM and how we need to decide how we slot in and what programs make sense financially.”

A GT3-spec Corvette, which Pratt & Miller has undergone feasibility studies dating back to mid-last year, would likely result a customer support program.

“The [FIA] makes it very clear that’s what they’d like you to do,” Klauser said. “If you read the regs, you have to build so many chassis (20) in the first two years.”

The regulation was added following the conclusion of the Cadillac ATS-V.R program in Pirelli World Challenge, a GT3-spec car that GM did not make available to customers.

“I think that message is being received on our end loud and clear,” she added on the customer sales requirement.


Corvette Still “Learning” Despite Depleted GTLM Field

Klauser said the factory Corvette program is still a viable asset to GM despite a reduced grid this year that will see only three full-season entries, two of them being Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs.

It comes following the news that BMW will contest a Michelin Endurance Cup-only program with its Team RLL-entered BMW M8 GTEs.

“We definitely would love to have as many competitors with us as possible; that’s a given,” Klauser said. “But the good news is that even when we have lower car counts we’re still learning.

“The program makes sense for us. The fans will get a little Corvette vs. Corvette as the year progress but we are optimistic IMSA is going to figure out how we’re going to be handling this [in the future].

“The OEs are involved in that decision-making too. IMSA has been very open and transparent with us, which we really appreciate.

“I think together we’re going to figure out what makes sense for the following years in terms of the GT classes.

“This is the turning point for sure with all of the neat opportunities that are going to be coming up.

“I’m really excited about where we’re going to play in this and how it’s all going to fall.

“I can’t wait until we have firm decisions that we can start talking and get announcements out there because I think everyone’s going to be excited to see how important motorsports is to GM for all of our brands that race.”
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gm-l ... the-table/
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#81

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SCG 007 Fires Up for First Time

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#82

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Ferrari Announces Factory LMH Program

Italian manufacturer announces launch of factory Le Mans Hypercar program…

Ferrari has committed to a factory Le Mans Hypercar program, paving the way for the Italian marque to seek its first 24 Hours of Le Mans outright victory in over half a century.

Ferrari announced on Wednesday that it will develop an LMH car to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class from 2023.

Technical details of the vehicle and driver lineups have yet to be revealed, although Ferrari says that it has “kicked off” the design and simulation phases.

The green-light for an LMH program gives Ferrari the opportunity to pursue its first Le Mans overall win since 1965 with the 250 LM, and will coincide with the 50-year anniversary of its last official factory participation in the top level of sports car racing.

The most recent Ferrari-badged prototype was the Dallara-designed 333 SP which last contested Le Mans in 1999.

In the 21st century, Ferrari’s efforts in the French enduro have concentrated on the GT classes, both through customer teams and its own factory squad run by AF Corse.

The Ferrari works outfit clinched GTE-Pro honors at Le Mans in 2012, 2014 and most recently in 2019 with the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo (pictured).

Ferrari has not said how the introduction of a factory LMH program will affect its existing GT racing operations.

“In over 70 years of racing we have brought our cars with covered wheels to triumph on tracks all over the world, experimenting with cutting-edge technological solutions: innovations that come from the circuits and make every road car produced in Maranello,” said Ferrari President John Elkann.

“With the new Le Mans Hypercar program, Ferrari relaunches its sporting commitment and confirms its will to be a protagonist in the world motorsport championships of excellence.”

Ferrari’s decision to build a car to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s LMH rules comes after more than a year of deliberations about how it might embark on a prototype project.

It is understood to have been attracted to elements of both LMH and LMDh, such as the bespoke nature of the LMH rules in terms of car design, and the cost-cutting premise of the ACO-IMSA LMDh platform which has four designated base chassis providers.

Throughout its prototype racing exploration, Ferrari has placed importance on the need for a competition vehicle that can provide an identifiable link to its road cars, as well as a desire to manufacture as much of its own racing machine as possible.

Ferrari joins Toyota, Peugeot, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and ByKolles in developing a car for LMH. Audi, Porsche and Acura have confirmed LMDh programs so far.
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fer ... h-program/


While I'm normally reserved when Ferrari announces a switch to another series, this could well be an important milestone.
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#83

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Fantastic news. I hope sports cars crawl out of the pit of utter misery it's been in for most the past decades, with a few good years in between.
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#84

Post by MonteCristo »

Fantastic news indeed.

If Aston Martin restart their program, or one more manufacturer comes in during the meantime, this could be a golden period.

And I'm hoping to go to Le Mans in 2024 or 2025... By which time we'll either be in the middle of it, or people are already packing it in and calling it a day. Hopefully the former!
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#85

Post by jimclark »

It will be fantastico to see the Prancing Horse back at Le Mans after 50 years. (I wish they were around in the GTP era but what the hey.....?) :)
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#86

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Great news indeed. Hopefully this will be the start of a new era for Sportscar racing

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#87

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I'm totally psyched for this!

I wonder if McLaren will be tempted despite their money worries.
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Post by Cheeveer »

Ferrari returning to top-flight sports car racing is a dream come true! Thought it was April 1st when I first read the news.

Question now is, how much effort will they put into this? Will they see this as actual top-flight racing and hire the best drivers they can find, or use this as a platform to try out F3 prospects? I hope the former. It is worthy their full attention.
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#89

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Porsche and Penske unite to run new LMDh prototype in WEC, IMSA


The LMDH category seems to keep growing its manufacturer and team involvement. Great to see Porsche and Penske back in bed together. Porsche Penske Motorsport has a nice ring to it.

Roger wants an LM24 win to add to the trophy cabinet. :smiley: He has not run a car there since 1971.
Penske will mastermind Porsche's factory return to top-line sportscar racing with a new LMDh prototype in both the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship from 2023.

The American multi-discipline operation will renew its partnership with the German manufacturer to run a pair of LMP2-based LMDh contenders in both series under the Porsche Penske Motorsport banner.

Penske and Porsche previously enjoyed success together in North American sportscar racing: they won the Can-Am title in 1972 and '73 with the 917, and then claimed a hat-trick of American Le Mans class titles with the RS Spyder LMP2 in 2006-08, as well as winning 11 races outright.

The most recent Porsche/Penske programme came in 2009 in the Grand-Am series with a Riley Daytona Prototype powered by one of the German manufacturer's flat-six engines.

The renewal of Penske's relationship with Porsche follows the end of its deal with Honda brand Acura at the conclusion of last year's IMSA series.

No timeframe has been put on the deal except, according to Porsche's statement, that it will run for "a number of years".

Fritz Enzinger, head of Porsche Motorsport, said: "Porsche and Penske share a proven track record of success.

"Team Penske has made a name for itself with an almost unparalleled success story in motorsport.

"In the long list of victories to date, however, the name Le Mans has been missing.

"I hope that we will finally be able to chalk up this success as of 2023 with Porsche Penske Motorsport — this would then mark Porsche's 20th overall victory at La Sarthe."

Team founder Roger Penske, who has made no secret of his desire to take his squad back to the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time since 1971, described the announcement of the return to the Porsche fold as a "a proud day for the entire Penske organisation".

"We have represented Porsche on the track or in our businesses for more than six decades," he said.

"The heritage and success we have enjoyed together is unparalleled throughout our history.

“I can’t wait to get started as we build a global racing programme with Porsche that will compete for wins and championships well into the future.”
https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/pors ... a/6502526/

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#90

Post by jimclark »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 2 years ago Porsche and Penske unite to run new LMDh prototype in WEC, IMSA
Porsche Penske Motorsport has a nice ring to it.
A) Tsk, tsk, tsk...…."Leader" should have been re-unite……. :wink:

B) Team Penske Porsche "rings" better..... :thumbsup:
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#91

Post by erwin greven »

Brian Redman: "Mr. Fangio, how do you come so fast?" "More throttle, less brakes...."
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