Night Moves
Friday, June 11, 2010 at 10:26AM
Radio Le Mans did a nice interview with 1992 World Formula One Champion, Nigel Mansell, who is sharing a car with his two sons, a first for Le Mans. It is also Nigel's first time here, and as a man who was known by the tifosi as "El Lion," not someone faint of heart. Yet even Nigel is daunted by the track, and particularly night racing. He has never raced at night before, and is having to qualify himself to do it. The story reminded me of my first visit in 1998 when I unexpectedly met Wayne Gardner.
Wayne, as most of you I hope know, was 1987 World 500cc Motorcycle Champion, and more importantly for this story a winner of the notoriously tough Suzuka 8 Hour, a race that is dark for the last hour, and who rode the last three hours on his own as his co-rider was sick. "Mr 110%" as he was thereafter known, tough as nails and determined. So, here he was in pit lane at Le Mans down to drive an open prototype of not front rank status. Wayne at that time was trying to make a career on four wheels with his own touring car team, and he was driving for Toyota in Japan. Now Toyota had a wonderful looking and very quick prototype that year, almost won but broke in the last hour, and Wayne wanted a drive. Toyota turned him down for lack of Le Mans experience, so Wayne bought a drive to get it.
After the first night session, when Wayne typically was doing well for what the car was, I met him in the garage looking very sorry for himself. He said he had never been so scared in his life. "200 mph down Mulsanne in the dark, the wind is trying to suck the helmet off my head, and I'm paying for this!" Says all there is to say about what makes the Le Mans 24 hour the greatest race in the world.
The ACO, the Club that organizes the 24 hour, yesterday announced the rules for cars from 2011. I have asked Tony Dowe, past winning Team Manager, for his thoughts on them when he has had some time to study them and their implications. In broad terms the top class, LMP1, will be reduced in engine size and hybrids of any type allowed. Current cars will be "grandfathered in" subject to engine restrictions. The ACO has undertaken to equalize the performance of all engine types which should quieten the petrol brigade. The smaller LMP2 class is being subject to a lower cost cap of 400,000 euros, worth less every day, which it is suggested will only be possible if you use what is a current "Challenge Car" which just happens to be built and sold by the ACO.
The GT1/2 classes will disappear and become GT Endurance, which is basically GT2 spec cars, which is a good move. The catch here is there will be a pro class and an amateur class, with only the pros being able to race new cars, and the amateurs, or gentlemen racers, will have to use cars one year old or more. Tony does not like this at all, but I will wait on his full comments and let you have them another day.
David Richards of Aston Martin is not thrilled with the new regs, although he does welcome a belated equalization of the diesels and petrol engines in the top class. David says sports cars do not run diesel engines, but just look at the Audi R8, is that not a sports car? It seems likely that Aston will build a new car for next year, and Audi are rumored to be building the R18, although Tony thinks the days of the diesel are numbered. As much as I love the technology, the sound of a v12 Aston is so much sweeter.
Talk about night moves, sorry Bob Seger, but who put this schedule together for this weekend? Le Mans 24 hour, Canadian F1 GP, World Cup Soccer to name three. How is a guy supposed to get any sleep let alone make any night moves? Then when the World Cup is over the Tour de France starts. That's the next two months shot to pieces, and most of us have to work too!
The Jaguar did make some night moves of its own but the last I heard was that it stopped in pit lane and we never heard any more. There are some curious stories surrounding this team that smacks of "we want a Jaguar at Le Mans whatever it takes." As you know I have been questioning why it is here at all, but it seems there are some questions about its trans-axle gearbox being quite legal, and then there is the qualification or lack of it by Paul Gentilozzi. Now Paul has raced here before but in 1994, so in theory he needed to do ten laps on Wednesday to qualify. F1 drivers like Mansell, Alesi, and Fisichella have had to either qualify or re-qualify because they were here too long ago. On Wednesday the commentators had a list of drivers who were qualified, and Paul's name was not on it, so they presumed that meant he had to do the ten laps, which due to car problems he did not. Thursday we find out the stewards had a different list, a list of drivers that had to qualify, and Paul's name was not on that either, so they let him race. Go figure!
Wayne, as most of you I hope know, was 1987 World 500cc Motorcycle Champion, and more importantly for this story a winner of the notoriously tough Suzuka 8 Hour, a race that is dark for the last hour, and who rode the last three hours on his own as his co-rider was sick. "Mr 110%" as he was thereafter known, tough as nails and determined. So, here he was in pit lane at Le Mans down to drive an open prototype of not front rank status. Wayne at that time was trying to make a career on four wheels with his own touring car team, and he was driving for Toyota in Japan. Now Toyota had a wonderful looking and very quick prototype that year, almost won but broke in the last hour, and Wayne wanted a drive. Toyota turned him down for lack of Le Mans experience, so Wayne bought a drive to get it.
After the first night session, when Wayne typically was doing well for what the car was, I met him in the garage looking very sorry for himself. He said he had never been so scared in his life. "200 mph down Mulsanne in the dark, the wind is trying to suck the helmet off my head, and I'm paying for this!" Says all there is to say about what makes the Le Mans 24 hour the greatest race in the world.
The ACO, the Club that organizes the 24 hour, yesterday announced the rules for cars from 2011. I have asked Tony Dowe, past winning Team Manager, for his thoughts on them when he has had some time to study them and their implications. In broad terms the top class, LMP1, will be reduced in engine size and hybrids of any type allowed. Current cars will be "grandfathered in" subject to engine restrictions. The ACO has undertaken to equalize the performance of all engine types which should quieten the petrol brigade. The smaller LMP2 class is being subject to a lower cost cap of 400,000 euros, worth less every day, which it is suggested will only be possible if you use what is a current "Challenge Car" which just happens to be built and sold by the ACO.
The GT1/2 classes will disappear and become GT Endurance, which is basically GT2 spec cars, which is a good move. The catch here is there will be a pro class and an amateur class, with only the pros being able to race new cars, and the amateurs, or gentlemen racers, will have to use cars one year old or more. Tony does not like this at all, but I will wait on his full comments and let you have them another day.
David Richards of Aston Martin is not thrilled with the new regs, although he does welcome a belated equalization of the diesels and petrol engines in the top class. David says sports cars do not run diesel engines, but just look at the Audi R8, is that not a sports car? It seems likely that Aston will build a new car for next year, and Audi are rumored to be building the R18, although Tony thinks the days of the diesel are numbered. As much as I love the technology, the sound of a v12 Aston is so much sweeter.
Talk about night moves, sorry Bob Seger, but who put this schedule together for this weekend? Le Mans 24 hour, Canadian F1 GP, World Cup Soccer to name three. How is a guy supposed to get any sleep let alone make any night moves? Then when the World Cup is over the Tour de France starts. That's the next two months shot to pieces, and most of us have to work too!
The Jaguar did make some night moves of its own but the last I heard was that it stopped in pit lane and we never heard any more. There are some curious stories surrounding this team that smacks of "we want a Jaguar at Le Mans whatever it takes." As you know I have been questioning why it is here at all, but it seems there are some questions about its trans-axle gearbox being quite legal, and then there is the qualification or lack of it by Paul Gentilozzi. Now Paul has raced here before but in 1994, so in theory he needed to do ten laps on Wednesday to qualify. F1 drivers like Mansell, Alesi, and Fisichella have had to either qualify or re-qualify because they were here too long ago. On Wednesday the commentators had a list of drivers who were qualified, and Paul's name was not on it, so they presumed that meant he had to do the ten laps, which due to car problems he did not. Thursday we find out the stewards had a different list, a list of drivers that had to qualify, and Paul's name was not on that either, so they let him race. Go figure!
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