24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans 24 Hours: 82 entries for 55 places!
The Le Mans 24-Hours event is in rude good health and doesn’t mind admitting it! The ACO has received 82 entry requests for the 2009 race. Despite the quality of all these candidatures only 55 cars will line up on the starting grid.
For the ACO this figure is cause for joy, and it is also a reward for the club, which has fought hard against all odds to impose its technical choices, so that the greatest endurance race in the world remains faithful to the Le Mans spirit. 82 entry forms have been sent to the ACO!
This is a remarkable number that has swept away the fears that hang over motor racing due to the current economic crisis. Once again, the Le Mans passion is stronger than ever, and the host of competitors wanting to have their names associated with the myth is living proof of this.
82 entries, it’s almost the same as in 2008 (88 requests) and better than 2007 (76)!
The most remarkable fact is that these 82 requests are all of an exceptionally high level in terms of quality and variety. They could all start the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours were it not for the fact that the regulations limit the number to 55.
And it has to be stressed that the top prototype categories, LM P1 and LM P2, represent more than 50% of the entries with a total of 44 cars!
In addition to the 15 entrants that confirmed their automatic invitations at the start of January, the remainder will be selected from among 67 cars. Without letting the cat out of the bag it must be said that the 2009 field is a very international one with competitors representing 17 different nationalities in addition to 20 cars entered by French teams.
As for the clash of the Titans, it will take place between Audi and Peugeot in LM P1 with the Oreca-Courage and Pescarolo petrol-engined LM P1s waiting to pounce on any mistakes by the diesel-powered cars. They will be backed up by the new prototype Aston Martins, whose entry has come out of the blue as the famous British company is determined to shine at Le Mans, and celebrate its one and only outright victory in 1959.
The ACO Selection Committee, as it does each year, will get down to work so that the beauty of the sport, the level playing field in the race, faithfulness and determination among other qualities are rewarded by an invitation to practice for the Le Mans 24 Hours on 10th and 11th June.
From a regulations point of view 55 cars will be selected (plus 8 reserves until 21st May).
This list, worthy of the halcyon days of Le Mans, will be announced at a press conference in Paris at the end of February.
Not long to go now!
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44 prototypes? Blimey!
I can’t wait to see that list!
We are going to see some top notch racing this year!
Go AMR!!!
YEAH…
Good to see that the current financial crisis has not hit this great sport….
Looking forward to seeing the 63 cars selected…
Impressive number of entries. 44 for prototypes is excellent, but it representing more than 50% of the field is not that surprising, considering the decline of GT1.
great!! even with the econic crunch motorsport lives on and the greatest race remains great come on aston!!!
i think that soon they will merge gt2 cars and gt1 cars into one group because gt1 is diting out
Looks like Labre and Saleen might be the only GT-1 cars. Maybe you might see one of the updated AMR cars run by somebody else since the FIA Champion once again has an MC12 that’s not legal for ACO events.
I can see them allowing more GT2 cars to cover the “spread”
nooooo! – no corvette vs Aston GT1s? – Thats why we’ve made the trip last few years
The Corvettes from Pratt and Miller will still be there, they have already accepted the invitation and will run GT1.
After the @24 Hours the GT2 Vette program starts for the remainder of the ALMS schedule.
I’m sure there will be some privateer Astons there.
GT1 cars cost as much as P1 cars to run. If they were really unleashed they would outrun P1 cars in a straight line. They generally have the biggest engines), and for that reason they also became the most reliable cars at LeMans.
So that’s why former GT1 teams can easily make the switch to P1.
Despite defeat in the past 2 LeMans Corvette is still the greatest GT1 car today. The name of the game is endurance: they run a half season in the ALMS and can still get their cars ready and in top shape for LeMans. The Astons couldnt’t handle the stress of a full season on top of LeMans.
Since they had the Gulf Sponsorship does anyone have doubts that Gulf would mind writing a check for them to compete in the whole ALMS season? I mean the ALMS, the best TV coverage, and the most fans. Just lucrative.
AMR figured their cars would be in better shape at LeMans if they didn’t bang them for the whole season.
GT1 cars would never outrun a P1 car in a straight line as unrestricted a GT1 engine would produce around 700bhp and a Judd LMP1 engine would prodce over 800bhp unrestricted acoording to ‘mulsannescorner.com’. Also LMP1 cars are over 200kg lighter so a GT1 would have no chance.
there are rumours that Toyota will be supplying hybrid engines to Dome either this year or next year at Le Mans.
yes there will be 1 last chorvette vs aston battle
alos Luc Alphand Aventures in 2 chorvettes will race at lemans along side the saleen and the 2 team chorvettes and 2 team astons also 1 Phoenix Carsport chorvette and i heard team Vitaphone was coming with 2 Lamborghinis
is there a list of the 82 entries
I meant a GT1 car’s engine has more tuning potential than a P1 engine.
If you took a Judd 5.5 liter and tuned it as well as you could and then took a DBR9 6 liter or a Chevy 7 liter, you will be able to do more with the Aston and Corvette engines. They simply have bigger displacement.
So you don’t think Pratt and Miller or Prodrive can get 1000bhp or more from their respective engines if they wanted??? Only the regulations stop them.