Mariantic Le Mans SportsCar Racing News
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See Le Mans 2006 page - here

2007 News:-

  • Latest Official list has several surprising driver omissions - Darren Turner, Pierre Ehret, Robert Pergl, strange... I remember last year @ this stage this list started doing very strange things!
  • Val Hillebrand in #13 Courage - but Guillaume Moreau out - Petrov didn't qualify? DSC
  • Interesting analysis of test times @ LastTurnClub
  • Tom Chilton apparently will not be allowed to drive - a "qualified" replacement is sought...
  • Yojiro Terada in the T2M Dome - didn't we know that all along! PlanetLeMans (not on lastest list though...)
  • Pescarolo in amongst the diesels! times @ DSC Zyteks 1-2 in P2, Porsches 1-2-3 in GT2...
  • Audi rearrange drivers for Test Day - Rockenfeller in #2, Ekström in #3
  • Ortelli to miss Test Day - Autosport.com
  • Tom Kristensen will miss next week's DTM round - Autosport.com - Le Mans decision on Wednesday TV2
  • Philip Peter IS in the PSI Corvette - where will Adam Sharpe end up? #13? T2M?
  • First paddock pics @ EI (inc. Lowes Zytek)
  • Robbie Kerr takes 3rd seat in Barazi/Fernandez P2 Zytek - PlanetLeMans
  • Liz Halliday in del Bello LC75 - story - confirmed @ PlanetLeMans
  • T2M dome 3rd seat is either Yojiro Terada or Xavier Pompidou - story - EI adds Vanina Ickx & "English pay driver"
  • Pay seats are negotiated around €100000 to €150000 - story
  • ACO entry list now has drivers - here (not up to date & with some odd nationalities!)
  • Romain Ianetta in the "Christmas" LC75 - 1 seat left "will not be French..." EI
  • Time runs out for reserves - 55 invited to test day, drivers named - download
  • Matthew Marsh in GPC Ferrari 430 with Fabrizio de Simone and Carl Rosenblad - story & pics DSC
  • Liz Halliday is replaced by Jos Menten @ Modena - EI
  • Third Audi comfirmed - PlanetLeMans
  • Spyker lineup confirmed - PlanetLeMans
  • Adrián Fernandez, Haruki Kurosawa with Lowes sponsorship for 2nd Barazi Zytek! - PlanetLeMans
  • Shinji Nakano & Felipe Ortiz join JCW in new-look Creation - @ also new-look DSC (where does the number go? & the sponsors...?) & @ EI (in English)
  • Kristensen dipubtful as injury is worse than thought - The-Paddock.net
  • Warren Hughes returns to ASM Lola - DSC
  • The Seikel Porsche will in fact be driven by the Felbermayrs & Phillip Collin - EI
  • The Autorlando GT2 entry will actually be Lars Erik Nielsen's Farnbacher run LMS car - DSC
  • What's the betting that renumbering the Seikel car as #71 is due to Jim Tafel leasing the entry? Expect Wolf Henzler & Dominik Farnbacher to join him in this car...(projectlemans have the Felbermayrs & Phillip Collin in this car)
  • Check the official entry list - quite a few numbers changed (& JMB F430 is no longer a reserve)
  • Rob Bell in the Tomlinson / Dean LNT Panoz & Christian Fittipaldi in @ Team Modena - DSC
  • Pat Long joins the IMSA crew - EI
  • Adrian Newey, Joe Macari, Ben Aucott to drive AF Corse F430 - Autosport (print edition)
  • Petersen / White Lightning withdraw entry - website - GPC Ferrari F430 in as 2nd Reserve
  • Feel the exitement! see the 2007 Le Mans poster - DSC
  • Tomas Enge aiming to be back for Le Mans - Autosport
  • Third Audi still a possibility as 4 "Junior" drivers tested @ HTTT - EI
  • Audi run 30hr test @ HTTT EI
  • Autocar reporting Tom Chilton will do Le Mans qually & Croft BTCC the same day by private jet
  • Casper Elgaard & Team Essex backing for 008 Aston - fan website
  • Rollcentre withdraw their LMP2 Le Mans Entry - PSI Corvette in! - DSC
  • Rollcentre Pescarolo lineup includes Stuart Hall - but not Martin Short! EI
  • Adrian Newey to join JMB Racing Ferrari F430 squad - autosport.com (but it is only 6th reserve...)
  • David Brabham, Rickard Rydell and Darren Turner in 009 car - DSC
  • Peter Kox, Tomas Enge and Johnny Herbert in factory Aston Martin - RaceExpress
  • Audi still not confirmed 3rd entry - "finding a backer..." Autosport
  • Rollcentre Radical will run - could involve Damax people if sale confirmed - EI
  • Krohn team will run in 2nds Risi F430 -Risi
  • Farnbacher team could be in the Seikel 997 - GTEins
  • Le Mans entry list out - ACO - highlights
    • 16 LMP1s, 12 LMP2s
    • 2 Barazi Zyteks!
    • Rollcentre get Pescarolo & Radical entries
    • 2 ORECA Saleens
    • 1 P/WL Ferrari 430
    • 1 Flying Lizard 997
    • 2nd Risi F430 @ Sebring is Krohn Racing lineup - presumably here too?
  • Karim Ojjeh joins Gulf sponsored Barazi team - feedmesportscars pic @ DSC
  • Drivers for BMS Aston - DSC
  • 2 Spyker entries - but 2nd is for Speedy Garage car - DSC
  • 2 entries applied for by Saulnier Racing in LMP2 - DSC
  • Vitaphone abandon entry plans - Autosport print edition
  • Windrush racing heading for 2008 GT2 entry -website - check this driver list!
  • Tafel Racing have entered their 997 (s?) EI
  • Rollcentre have not sold their Radical & have entered it - DSC
  • Swiss Spirit have entered Lola B07/10 with AUDI power for Fassler & Deletrez EI
  • Harold Primat driving 2nd Pescarolo- website
  • Autosport (print edition) reporting BMS Scuderia Italia wiil enter a Porsche RS Spyder in 2008 Le Mans
  • Acura will aim for Le Mans 2008 LMP2 entries - DSC
  • How many times have you walked over this? - another unexploded bomb in Le Mans paddock!
  • Autosport (print edition) saying 2010 Le Mans rules will have an extra GTP class for closed cars running with (equivalent) LMP1s - sound more sensible to us...
  • Pre-selections confirmed - no Penske Porsches, no 2nd RML entry, no MC12 (of course) but everyone else is IN... ACO - list
  • Vitaphone entry could be an LMP1 Pescarolo - Sportscarpros
  • Vitaphone turned down the GT1 invite, but will seek LMP1 or GT2 (Ferrari 430) entry - Autosport
  • Czech team, Charouz Racing Systems, seeking entry with LMP1 Lola B07/10 - DSC
  • Aston Martin Racing (Prodrive) have accepted their 2 pre-selected entries - DSC
  • Petersen / White Lightning - applied for 2 entries - see The Bear
  • Indian Le Mans Project with Courage - website
  • Peugeot lineup will be Minassian, Sarrazain, Lamy, Gene, Bourdais & Villeneuve
  • Pescarolo confirm Loeb and financial struggles - story
  • Minassian & Sarrazin join Bourdais @ Peugeot (maybe Guy Smith for LM too?)
  • Marco Werner also expected in 908 lineup
  • 4 Le Mans auto-entries for 2006 FIA-GT leaders story & here
  • Entries for :-
    • Vitaphone
    • BMS
    • AF Corse
    • Scuderia Ecosse
  • More details of T2M Dome LMP2 programme - website - pic
  • Autorlando order 2 997s, will seek 2nd entry - story
  • Reports of Sebastien Loeb @ Pescarolo & Sebastien Bourdais @ Peugeot
  • Audi sign Lucas Luhr @ Mike Rockenfeller - will run R10- story
  • James Watt Automotive have 997 on order - have entered -see here
  • T2M Dome will be an LMP2!.. more
  • ALMS take on it all - here
  • Official pre-selection list from ACO here
  • Official list show Petersen/White Lightning entry was not eligible ("technical exemption") - Risi get 2!
  • Aston was also excluded from PLM for "nonconformity " but gets pre-selection from ALMS as GM have 2! - did you follow that? ACO statement
  • Barazi buys new Zytek 07S in LMP2 form for LMS/LM 2007 - story
  • See new combined calendar for 2007 - here
  • ALMS finale leads to 2nd Le Mans pre-selection for Corvette Racing & 1 for Risi (can't work out if Intersport & Dyson get the remaining LM autobids, ACO wording is ambiguous. Several readers seem to agree so we'll put them in for now!)
  • AUDI offer Scumacher Le Mans drive! - story
  • ACO rules changes for 2007 (apply to Le Mans, ALMS & LMS) - details -
    • "The LM P2 and GT2 categories are reserved mainly for private teams and must have performances inferior to those in LM P1 and LM GT1" (our emphasis)
    • LMP1- 81 litre tank for diesels (10% penalty)
    • LMP2- 5% smaller restrictor, also "...gap of 1.5% between the best LM P1 and LM P2 laps times must be respected"
    • GT1 and GT2- 5% smaller restrictor, also ethanol will get energy equalisation tank size (ALMS only in 2007)
  • Petit Le Mans adds preselections for Audi Sport North America, Penske Motorsports, Aston Martin Racing & Petersen/White Lightning
  • During PLM interview Roger Penske said they had no plans to do Le Mans in 2007
  • Add pre-selections for Creation, RML, Barazi , Labre, MenX, LNT
  • Le Mans dates for 2007 - testing 3 June, race 16 /17 June
  • There WILL be 55 entries available for 2007 - story
  • Debora plan LMP2 for 2007 - expect to do Le Mans - story
  • Pescarolo get second pre-selection with LMS crown
  • Zytek "talking to ACO" - 50% chance of hybrid electric power - story
  • Tracy Krohn first to pitch in; "we'll be back - repeatedly" story...
LMP1
1 Audi Sport North America Audi R10 Emanuele Pirro, Marco Werner, Frank Biela
2 Audi Sport North America Audi R10 Allan McNish, Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen or Mattias Ekström
3 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R10 Mike Rockenfeller, Lucas Luhr, Alexandre Prémat
5 Swiss Spirit Lola B07/10 Audi Marcel Fässler, Jean-Denis Deletraz, Iradj Alexander
7 Peugeot Sport Peugeot 908 Nicolas Minassian, Stephane Sarrazain, Sebastian Bourdais
8 Peugeot Sport Peugeot 908 Pedro Lamy, Marc Gene, Jaques Villeneuve
9 Creation Autosportif Creation CA-07 Judd Jamie Campbell-Walter, Shinji Nakano, Felipe Ortiz
10 Arena International Motorsport Zytek 07S Stefan Johansson, Hyanari Shimoda, ????
12 Courage Competition Courage LC70 AER Alexander Frei, Jonathan Cochet, Bruno Besson
13 Courage Competition Courage LC70 AER Val Hillebrand, Jean-Marc Gounon, ????
14 Racing for Holland Dome 101.5 Judd David Hart, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Jan Lammers
15 Charouz Racing Systems Lola B07/10 Judd Jan Charouz, Stefan Mücke, Alex Yoong
16 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Judd Harold Primat, Christophe Tinseau, Benoit Treluyer
17 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Judd Jean-Christophe Boullion, Emmanuel Collard, Romain Dumas
18 Rollcentre Racing  Pescarolo Judd Stuart Hall, Martin Short, Joao Barbosa
19

Chamberlain - Synergy Motorsport 

Lola B06/10 AER 

Bob Berridge, Gareth Evans, Peter Owen
LMP2
20 Pierre Bruneau  Pilbeam MP93-01PB - Judd  Marc Rostan, Chris MacAllister, Gavin Pickering
24 Noel Del Bello Courage LC75 AER Vitaly Pietrov, Romain Ianetta, Liz Halliday
25 RML Lola B05/40 AER Mike Newton, Tommy Erdos, Andy Wallace
28 Bruichladdich Radical Radical SR9 AER Tim Greaves, Stuart Mosely, Robin Liddell
29 T2M Motorsport Dome S101.5 Mader

Robin Longechal, Yutaka Yamagishi, Yojiro Terada
31 Binnie Motorsport Lola B05/40 Zytek Bill Binnie, Allen Timpany, Chris Buncombe
32 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S/2 Juan Barazi, Michael Vergers, Karim Ojjeh
33 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S/2 Adrián Fernandez, Haruki Kurosawa, Robbie Kerr
35 Saulnier Racing Courage LC75 AER Jacques Nicolet, Alain Filhol, Bruce Jouanny
40

ASM Team Racing for Portugal

 Lola B05/40 AER

Miguel Pais do Amaral, Warren Hughes, Miguel de Castro
44 Kruse Motorsport Pescarolo 01 Judd Tony Burgess, Jean De Pourtales, Norbert Siegler
GT1
006 Labre Competition Aston Martin DBR9 Christophe Bouchut, Casper Elgaard, Fabrizio Gollin
007 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin DBR9 Peter Kox, Tomas Enge, Johnny Herbert
008 Labre Competition Aston Martin DBR9 Roland Berville, Gregor Fisken, Patrick Bornhauser
009 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin DBR9 David Brabham, Rickard Rydell, Darren Turner
53 Japan Lamborghini Owners Club Murchielage R GT Marco Apicella, Koji Yamanishi, Yasutaka Hinoi, Atsushi Yogo?
54 Oreca Saleen S-7R Stéphane Ortelli, Soheil Ayari, Nicolas Lapierre
55 Oreca Saleen S-7R Laurent Groppi, Nicolas Prost, Jean-Philippe Belloc
59 Team Modena Aston Martin DBR9 Antonio Garcia, Jos Menten, Christian Fittipaldi
63 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, Ron Fellows
64 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Max Papis
67 Convers MenX Team Ferrari 550 in 2006 Alexei Vasiliev, Robert Pergl, Tomas Kostka
70 PSI-Motorsport Corvette C6-R Claude-Yves Gosselin, David Hallyday, Philip Peter
72 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C5R Jean-Luc Blanchemain, Vincent Vosse, Didier André
73 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6R Luc Alphand, Jerome Policand, Patrice Goueslard
100 Aston Martin Racing BMS Aston Martin DBR9 Fabio Babini, Jamie Davies, Matteo Malucelli
GT2
71 Siekel Motorsports Porsche 911 997 RSR Horst Felbermayr Sr, Horst Felbermayr Jr, Phillip Collin
76 IMSA Performance Porsche 911 997 RSR Raymond Narac, Richard Lietz, Patrick Long
78 AF Corse Ferrari F430 Adrian Newey, Joe Macari, Ben Aucott
80 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 997 RSR Johannes van Overbeek, Seth Neiman, Jörg Bergmeister
81 Team LNT Panoz Esparante GT LM Tom Milner Jr., Tom Kimber-Smith, Danny Watts
82 Team LNT Panoz Esparante GT LM Lawrence Tomlinson, Richard Dean, Rob Bell
83

GPC Sport Srl

 Ferrari F430 GT

Matthew Marsh, Fabrizio de Simone, Carl Rosenblad
85 Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Andrea Belicchi, Andrea Chiesa, Alex Caffi
86 Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Jarek Janis, Mike Hezemans, Jonny Kane
87 Scuderia Eccosse Ferrari F430 Chris Niarchos, Andrew Kircaldy, Tim Mullen
93 Autorlando Sport Porsche 911 997 RSR Lars Erik Nielsen, Pierre Ehret, Allan Simonsen
97 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 Mika Salo, Jaime Melo, Johnny Mowlem
99 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 Tracy Krohn , Nic Jonsson, Colin Braun

The entry list for Le Mans is limited to 55 cars spread across the 4 categories. 28 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 privilege belongs to the team and is not related to car or engine make. The pre-selections in each category are:-

  • 1st and 2nd at 2006 Le Mans in each category
  • 1st and 2nd in 2006 LMES in each category
  • 1st at 2006 Petit Le mans in each category
  • 1st in 2006 ALMS or 2nd in ALMS in each category if winner also won Petit Le Mans
  • 1st and 2nd in 2006 FIA-GT in GT1 & GT2

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.

 
 

email trevor@mariantic.co.uk
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