Le Mans Series
The 2009 Le Mans Series calendar has been revealed!
One month after the final race of the 2008 Le Mans Series season the calendar for 2009 has been revealed by the organisation. There are some interesting changes on the new calendar and there could be more to come as it is still subject to the FIA World Council approval.
The (provisional) 2009 Le Mans Series calendar:
- March 8-9 – Official Test – Paul Ricard
- April 3-4-5 – 1000KM of Catalunya – Barcelona, Spain
- May 8-9-10 – 1000KM of Spa-Francorchamps – Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
- July 31 – August 1-2 – 1000KM of Algarve – Portimão, Portugal
- August 28-29-30 – 1000KM of the Nürburgring – Nürburgring, Germany
- September 11-12-13 – 1000KM of Silverstone – Silverstone, Great Britain
The most important change compared to 2008 is that the 1000KM of Monza will be replaced with a round in Portugal. The Le Mans Series will visit Portugal for the first time and will be racing on the brand new Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The race on the 4.692 kilometers long race circuit will also bring back racing into the night, for the first time since the Silverstone round at the end of the 2005 season. The race will start at the end of the afternoon, when the temperatures have already dropped a bit, and will finish in the dark.
With its race date in the first weekend of August the race will also take place when thousands of tourists are in the Algarve region enjoying their summer holidays. The Le Mans Series organisers hope to attract many tourists and Portuguese people to the race and make it a successful weekend.
The start of the season will also see some changes. Like in recent years the season will start with two days of testing at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit in France. However the test will be open to spectators for the first time ever!
In 2008 three out of five races took place before the Le Mans 24 Hours. For 2009 only two races are planned ahead of Le Mans and the remaining three rounds will be taking place after Le Mans.
Even though the current provisional calendar has five 1000 KM rounds this could also change before the start of the season. The organisers are still looking at adding a sixth round to the series and are also looking at the option of changing one 1000KM race into two 500KM races in the same weekend. If there is going to be a sixth race this will be confirmed at the latest during the Le Mans Series Prize Giving Ceremony on November 15.
Discussion
9 comments for “The 2009 Le Mans Series calendar has been revealed!”
Post a comment
Also visit
Categories
Recent Comments
- lms on 2012 ELMS Entry List: Protos in force
- Kurt on 2012 ELMS Entry List: Protos in force
- SchellZ on 2012 ELMS Entry List: Protos in force
- Paul on 2012 ELMS Entry List: Protos in force
- JAG on 2012 ELMS Entry List: Protos in force
- SchellZ on Le Mans 24 Hours – The 2012 Entries
- Michael Almaguer on GT1 World: Pirelli and Ferrari join the series
- HD on GT1 World: Pirelli and Ferrari join the series
I highly recommend you all to come to algarve… you will be all very impressed with the track.
I hope that they don’t adopt the 2x 500km races… we are not WTCC, for god sake!
About the schedule… as usual… very disappointing. To few races for this amazing type or racing. Why not a mix 4/4 between 1000 and 500km races? LMS as much to learn with ALMS if they want to grow up ans regain the status of Group C’s WSC.
In one hand, i’m very sorry and really dissapointed with Monza’s absense, but in the other hand, i’m… very happy, ’cause i live 100 km away from the new Portimão racing track!
Fantastic and great news for the portuguese fans!
The new track look’s very interesting and demanding, with ups and downs an some tricky corners, and surely it will be a nice race.
Hey, bro’, this race is ours!
please put Monza on, please put Monza on, please put Monza on….
That was my planned ‘away’ round for next year.
And then leave it. Six rounds is as many as is needed, any more will ramp up costs for gentlemen drivers and privateers and discourage entrants.
The problem with Monza this year was that it lacked spectators. This, and the fact that the circuit dropped the series in 2006 due to noise limitations, probably makes it easier for the series to drop Monza.
As for Portimao…all I wonder is why a race on Sunday night.
Five events..It seems that LMS still remain in “small” scale in 09 as well. The sixth is obviously waited to be available. Fans hope that we can have as many as oppotunity of to see great endulance racing under the 09 diesel-petrol equality!
Also very disappointed Monza is not included. I had a great time there this year. Further I also agree that 5 races is not enough for the nicest racing class in the world!!!!
Monza needs to be on the calendar. a night race could be great (laguna seca). Will Pirelli, Kumho, and Yokohama compete in the 2009 Le Mans Series? Will there be enough time for teams to compete in the 2009 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (Saturday, March 21) ?
I wish the Lemans Bugatti Circuit was on the calendar, and Iagree with Rick that Monza need’s to be back and a night race at Laguna Seca,(I LIKE).I hope all the Lemans Series teams to compete in the 2009 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring or the 2009 Petit Lemans at Road Atlanta.
Latest from Paris is that the Nürburgring race is now scheduled one week earlier.
This to prevent a clash with the Belgian Grand Prix (and FIA GT/ALMS).