Mariantic Le Mans SportsCar Racing News
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News:-

  • Good looking entry list - see Thursday - 50 entries plus reserves
  • Alex Yoong will join Racing for Holland if they get an entry (as if they wouldn't!)
  • ORECA withdraws Saleen entries (where does that leave ACEMCO?)
  • Tiago Monteiro to drive Swiss LC70? see racingworld.it (there is no F1GP on Le Mans weekend this year...)
  • Swiss Spirit LC70 aims for Le mans first pictures (yes, Marcel Fassler!) and another
  • Other news from the LMS entry list see LMS site:-
  • Noel del Bello only in GT2 no LMP
  • Ed Morris in at G-Force
  • Offical Acccepted Entries List @ ACO
  • Headlines:-
  • LMP1 for Lister, No Audi or Creation yet
  • LMP2 for Chamberlaine-Synergy (for ASM who bought the car!)
  • GT1 2 entries for Russian Age (F550 & DBR9) AND Menx/Convers F550 - see questions below
  • GT2 2 Spykers, Flying Lizards, works Panoz
  • Total entries were : - 16 LM P1s, 18 LM P2s, 19 LM GT1s, 26 LM GT2s
  • Note cars that have not yet raced are not granted entries yet - just like the Astons last year...(Audi, Radical, Creation, JotaP2, Courage LC70)
  • Convers Team have a Le Mans pre-selection but are now running an F550 with Menx - is that the Le Mans entry then??
  • InfosCourse saying Konrad seeking 2 Saleen entries
  • Courage to run 2 LC70 Mugens
  • GroupBio Lola B2k Bio-Diesel has been converted to LMP1 Hybrid. Has entered Le Mans
  • Pescarolo will run 2 C60's (1 new) with Judd GV5 S2 - see Infos-Course
  • B-racing will enter Reiter Lambo - see their new website
  • T2M-Motorsport will do LMS and hope for Le Mans entry
  • Creation will try to run Nicolas Minassian and Jamie Campbell Walter as well as Gabbiani/Ortiz
  • Talk (RFM etc) of second Zytek hybrid for Herbert, Smith & Shimoda?
  • Lister confirm LMP1 application and driver line-up
  • Horag website now doesn't mention Lista & Le Mans not in schedule (did not enter)
  • Creation looking for LMP1 entry for Gabbiani & Ortiz, maybe for 2 CA06H's?
  • ACEMCO Saleen entry is firm, Terry Borcheller & Johnny Mowlem participating (this could still be an ORECA car though)
  • Farnbacher ex Sebah Porsche headed to LMS after Sebring - looking for LM entry- will aslo do PLM (talk of 2 cars)
  • Chamberlain LMP1 Lola B6/10 said to be for Berridge, Evans & Owen. No mention of the ladies...(Autosport)
  • Autosport saying one of the works Aston entries could appear in Ecurie Ecosse colours
  • Zytek accepted entry is for John Nielsen, Casper Elgaard, Philip Andersen with Team Essex, i.e. the same deal as didn't happen last year. Second entry applied for apparently...
  • JLOC Lambo to try again in 06 with Reiter - see InfosCourse
  • Three Aston Martin DBR9s already accepted? (AMR, BMS, Convers)
  • First 16 official entries - see ACO site
  • NO ENTRY BY CHAMPION in 2006, see ACO entries received below
  • ACEMCO HAVE taken up their GT1 pre-selection (we think this will be a joint effort with ORECA)
  • Miracle HAVE taken up their LMP2 pre-selected entry
  • Preselected entries not taken up by Dyson in LMP1, Chamberlain & RML(1) in LMP2, PWL(1) and AJR in GT2 (our guess.. Chamberlain to do LMP1 and RML to do GT1)
  • Austrian Aston Martin team to run LMS and Le Mans?
  • Binnie "our 2006 season's ambition is the 24 Heures du Mans" - with Zytek power
  • ORECA to try for 2 Saleen entries (1 in ACEMCO's name? - they HAVE an entry)
  • B Racing / RS Line Lambo Murciélago will do "some LMS" and maybe Le Mans
  • Autosport reporting Maserati's Claudio Berro saying they WILL build Le Mans eligible car for 2007, forums saying Gransport GT1
  • Intersport confirm LMP2 for ALMS and Le Mans 2006, Clint and Liz Halliday driving (see the-paddock)
  • ACO VERY involved in R10 launch - see their website. Don't expect much difficulty getting 2 entries! (BTW, pdf's well worth downloading)
  • Our guess? 2 Joest R10's for Sebring, one in Champion colours.
  • Kenny Brack to join Stefan Johansson in 06 Le Mans bid story (Swedish)
  • Luc Alphand to enter Corvette in GT1 in 2006
  • GLPK Corvette C6-R Le Mans bid for 2006
  • LNT for Panoz Esperantes. 2006 plan Sebring, LMES & Le Mans
  • 17 year old Ed Morris aiming for Le Mans 06
  • Amanda Stretton & Balba Camino Siverstone LMP1 entry precursor to all-female LM campaign ( "most likely to be LMP1" )
  • Horag seek LMP2 entry with Lola, will do PLM 05 and Sebring 06
  • Chinese Team have new website (www.lemans.hk - wonder if the ACO will let them keep that web address!)

The lists below show the pre-selections, the teams who have stated that they will seek entry and teams which have not made any statement but would seem to be likely entrants based on past performance and current circumstances. Teams & PR's let us know if you think you should be here!
The list is more speculative than usual. We know the old LMP900 cars (Audi R8, Dallara, RfH Dome, etc) and LMP675 (DBA, Zytek) cannot compete in 2006, also the "hybrids" built for 2005 (Pescarolo, Courage C60, works Dome) have only one more year of eligibility. The new Porsche LMP2 is supposedly limited to ALMS and to Penske for 2006.

LMP1 Confirmed Entries
Pescarolo Sport C60 Hybrid Judd GV5 S2 Sèbastien Loeb
Pescarolo Sport C60 Hybrid Judd GV5 S2  
Lister Racing Team Storm LMP Hybrid Andrea Belicchi, Stefano Zonca  & Jens Moller
Zytek Engineering / Team Essex Invest Zytek 06S Hybrid John Nielsen, Casper Elgaard, Philip Andersen
LMP1 Possible Entries
Joest Racing Audi R10 2 entries Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro, Marco Werner, Rinaldo Capello, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen
Chamberlain - Synergy Racing /Bob Berridge Lola B06/10 All female entry was planned  
Courage Competition LC70 Mugen 2 entries sought  
Creation Autosportif CA06H Could be 2 cars (still a mystery here) Beppe Gabbiani, Filipe Ortiz, Nicolas Minassian, Jamie Campbell Walter
groupBio Lola B2K/10 Hybrid Have entered Harri Toivonen, Adam Sharpe
Lavaggi Lavaggi LS1 Cosworth V8 "may participate"  
Swiss Spirit Courage LC70 - Judd Have entered Harold Primat, Marcel Fässler
Racing for Holland / Dome Dome S101-Hb Mugen Could be Judd powered, ex works Jim Gainer 05 car  
? ? Swedish story Kenny Brack & Stefan Johansson
Zytek Engineering Zytek 06S Hybrid Second entry applied for (see Zytek feature) entry thought likely Johnny Herbert, Guy Smith, (Hayanari Shimoda?)
LMP2 Accepted Entries
Ray Mallock Ltd Lola B05/40    
Intersport Racing Lola B05/40 Clint Field, Liz Halliday
Binnie Motorsport Lola B05/40 Zytek    
Pierre Bruneau Pilbeam LMP2 Judd    
Epsilon / Team Barazi Courage C65    
G-Force LMP2 Courage Ed Morris, Jean-François Leroch, Frank Hahn
Paul Belmondo Racing LMP2 Courage    
Paul Belmondo Racing LMP2 Courage    
Miracle motorsports Courage C65    
Welter Racing WR LMP2 Hybrid
 
Chamberlain Synergy Motorsport Lola B05/40 Entry for ASM Team Racing for Portugal
LMP2 Possible Entries
Kruse Motorsport Courage C65    
Rollcentre Racing Radical SR9 Judd Seeking 2 entries  
Team Jota Zytek 06S? Note LMP2 Zytek!  
       
GT1 Accepted Entries
Corvette Racing Corvette C6R    
Corvette Racing Corvette C6R    
Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin DBR9    
Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin DBR9    
BMS Scuderia Italia Aston Martin DBR9    
Japan Lamborghini Owners Club Murchielage R GT Marco Apicella?, Koji Yamanishi?
Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C5R Luc Alphand, Jérôme Policand, Patrice Goueslard
Labre Competition Ferrari 550    
Russian Age Racing Ferrari 550    
Russian Age Racing Aston Martin DBR9    
Convers Team / MenX Ferrari 550    
ACEMCO Saleen SR7 Terry Borcheller, Jonny Mowlem
GT1 Possible Entries
Jac Nellemann / Prodrive Aston Martin DBR9 All Danish attempt Allan Simonsen, Ronnie Bremer, Martin Jensen
Racealliance Aston Martin DBR9 Probably Red Bull supported - but may just be FIAGT? Karl Wendlinger, Philipp Peter
GPC Giesse Squadra Corse Aston Martin DBR9 No news - website gone...  
PSI MotorSport Corvette C5R Schedule annouced "soon"  
GLPK Corvette C6-R Le Mans bid for 2006  
B-Racing Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT One of 2 Reiter entries? Norbert Walchhofer, René Münnich
Oreca Saleen SR7 (2 cars - is 1 ACEMCO?) Withdrawn entries
Konrad Motorsport Saleen SR7 2 entries sought  
Ray Mallock Ltd Saleen SR7 Thought to be converting one of their LMP2 pre-selections  
GT2 Accepted Entries
Petersen / White Lightning   Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
Team Taisan Porsche 911 GT3 RSR      
IMSA Performance Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Raymond Narac
Gordon Team Porsche 911 GT3 RSR      
Multimatic Motorsports Panoz Esperante      
Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR      
Sebah Automotive Ltd      
Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Peter Kox, Donny Crevels
Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Jeroen Bleekemolen, Mike Hezemans
Team LNT Panoz Esperante 2 entries sought  
Scuderia Ecosse   2 entries sought  
GT2 Possible Entries
Farnbacher Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR ex Sebah car doing SB, PLM & LMS    
Noble Group- GruppeM Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR see www.lemans.hk  
Seikel Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Regular participant  
T2M Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 RSR took up reserve GT2 slot in 05 Seek 06 entry
Vonka Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Have applied  
Regulars with no recent news
JMB Racing   GT1 or GT2    
         
Racesport   GT2 TVR regular    
Noel Del Bello Racing   As above, but then they rarely do say much    
Team Goh   Intend to enter LMP2 in 06 and Audi P1 in 07 - no recent news    
To sum up...

The entry list for Le Mans is limited to 50 cars spread across the 4 categories. 24 entries are "pre-selected", that is to say if they enter, their entry will be accepted. This only applies if the entry is to the same category as it was pre-selected for. This priveledge belongs to the team and is not related car or engine make. The pre-selections in each category are:-

  • 1st and 2nd at 2005 Le Mans in each category
  • 1st and 2nd in 2005 LMES in each category
  • 1st at 2005 Petit Le mans in each category
  • 1st in 2005 ALMS or 2nd in ALMS in each category if winner also won Petit Le Mans

The criteria for selection are deliberately vague, the following is a quote from the ACO regulations outlining the "rules":-

a. The following criteria are at the Selection Committee’s discretion.
b. The list is not exhaustive and with no priority classification.

  • A maximum of two (2) cars per competitor
  • Fame of the competitor (manufacturer, factory-backed team, well-known private team, private team)
  • Previous "24 Hours of Le Mans" races
  • Competitors' record
  • Regular entries in "American Le Mans Series" and "Le Mans Endurance Series" events
  • Recommended entry in a race prior to the Selection Committee meeting
  • Quality of the cars
  • Technical interest
  • Relationship with the A.C.O. and its environment regarding legal and financial issues
  • Maintaining the participation of "privateers"
  • Etc.

Thanks to PlanetLeMans for their support and encouragement.



 

email trevor@mariantic.co.uk
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