24 Hours of Le Mans

Planetlemans analyzes the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours list – GT2

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

Once again Le Mans will see a strong and healthy grid of LM GT2 cars. Fourteen GT2 cars are on the list. Like last year three Porsche 997 GT3 RSRs will fight the armada of Ferrari 430 GT2s with Spyker and Aston Martin joining the fight. LM GT2 could be the most interesting GT category at Le Mans this year.

With nine Ferrari’s on the list and the first reserve car another Ferrari it seems highly unlikely that the Italian marque will not take victory at Le Mans again in the GT2 category. Last year Risi Competizione won Le Mans with BMS Scuderia Italia and Farnbacher Racing completing an all-Ferrari podium. Looking at the list of Ferrari’s entered most of them should be able to fight for victory as most of them will have a very professional line-up. And with nine Ferrari F430 GT2s versus five other cars there can’t be a reason not to win…

Facing the nine Ferrari’s are three Porsches. Back in 2008 Porsche’s hopes of winning GT2 were soon gone when the IMSA Performance Matmut and Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsches collided, sending the French car into retirement and the American car into the pit for a long time. Team Felbermayr-Proton eventually finished fifth in class, the best Porsche in the race. In 2009 the same three teams are back for revenge. If they stay away from each other a surprise could be possible, but most likely the Ferrari domination will not be broken by any of the Porsche teams.

Spyker Squadron will only have to focus on one car this year, after Speedy Racing decided to switch to LMP1 and LMP2. Last year the Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2Rs suffered engine problems, something that should be solved with the new 3.8l engine powering the car in 2009. Though not outright candidate the line-up of Tom Coronel, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Jarek Janis promises a lot. If the Dutch team can keep the bugs away this year they could well be on their way to a decent finish.

Drayson Racing brings the Aston Martin Vantage V8 to Le Mans for the first time. The debut of the Vantage in France also means that Aston Martin has cars running in three of the four classes. It remains to be seen though what the Vantage can do in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite improving throughout the American Le Mans Series season the car was not successful in Europe yet. But there is always a first…

Looking at the reserves: The first three reserves are all GT2 cars. So there is a good chance that any of the GT2 reserves will make it to the field. Team Seattle Advanced Engineering will likely have American actor/racer Patrick Dempsey on board (attracting more female fans to Le Mans and boosting ticket sales?) while Endurance China Team is totally unknown for European and American race fans and it could stay that way for a while.

LM GT2
76 – IMSA Performance Matmut – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
77 – Team Felbermayr-Proton – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
78 – AF Corse – Ferrari F430 GT2
80 – Flying Lizard Motorsport – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
82 – Risi Competizione – Ferrari F430 GT2
83 – Risi Competizione – Ferrari F430 GT2
84 – Team Modena – Ferrari F430 GT2
85 – Snoras Spyker Squadron – Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R
87 – Drayson Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V8
89 – Hankook-Farnbacher Racing – Ferrari F430 GT2
92 – JMW Motorsport – Ferrari F430 GT2
96 – Virgo Motorsport – Ferrari F430 GT2
97 – BMS Scuderia Italia – Ferrari F430 GT2
99 – JMB Racing – Ferrari F430 GT2

RESERVE
R1 – Team Seattle Advanced Engineering – Ferrari F430 GT2
R2 – Endurance China Team – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
R3 – IMSA Performance Matmut – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
R7 – Team Felbermayr-Proton – Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
R8 – Snoras Spyker Squadron – Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R