I’m not one to regularly hold back so here goes.

Waste. Of. Time.

This has massively devalued the LMS in my view. How on earth is this better for spectators than including 2010 GT1?

Well it’s true that unless we are talking about the big manufacturers going at it in the big class (in recent times being p1 and audi/pug) the higher prototype class is pretty dull. The gt classes make for excellent spectator enjoyment since there is that brand recognition and the fact that people see these cars on their streets, at their homes, in their towns. However, a gt car is this big heavy fuel guzzling box of millions of parts. In light of the economy, cheap and easy prototypes is the way to go.

They are simply using the flm to be a stand in for the near nonexistent gt1 class. which is nonexistent BECAUSE of them being big heavy fuel guzzling made of a million parts machines, and that just one cut it in the world at this moment. Would you rather they have neither gt1 nor flm? your only options are flm or no flm, gt1 is out of the question for a good while. gt1 may be good for spectators, but this IS a business and sometimes a business has to go against what the customers want in order to simply stay in business.

thats rubbish, the Le Mans Series has already 4 classes, so adding a 5th one why ? for the ALMS I agree, they needed that to have a 25-30 cars grid, but in Europe there are many teams, plus including these FLM will be at the cost of the GTs for sure, the ACO will never turn down LMP1/LMP2 entries !!!

stupid idea for all the reasons stated above. Even if car count is down by 10 or 12 from this year this is completely unneccessary and could be the beginning of the end as far as innovative and restriction free car designs go in Le Mans racing.

Completely devalues the series – instead of having five classes the LMS should only have the three; these entries could easily have been filled by GT2 takers now that they’re not on the main FIA GT bill.

Indeed a dumb idea. Not to mention boring too as all these cars look and sound exactly the same. One of the main attractions of sportscar racing is the beautifull diversity in technical set ups and thus sounds and shapes!
The thing is,like with most of our western world governments,the ACO happily does what she wants,the fans are only seen as a hindrance and should be feeling privileged to be allowed to visit the races…

“The thing is,like with most of our western world governments,the ACO happily does what she wants,the fans are only seen as a hindrance and should be feeling privileged to be allowed to visit the races…”

I completley agree. Unless you attend the races as part of a corporate hospitality event, you’re treated as a nuisance. Parked on the perimter, limited access, etc. The sad thing is, most of the corporate visitors could give a damn about sports car racing…only attending for the free drinks and food. They would be equally happy in the corporate suite at a US football or baseball game. A sad state of affairs and a slap in the face to the genuine sports car fan.

It seems that you guys are forgetting again that the LMS/ACO/FIA is a business. The fans only partially matter. They are in it to please the dark suits more than the fans. Think of it from a young driver’s POV, getting to race side by side with the big leagues and having the opportunity to test for a big team, get media coverage etc. It’s really a dream come true for a racer.

The problems for the fans seems to be the cookie cutter rule set attitude that has infiltrated even sports car racing in the last decade. So? Do something about it…..I don’t see any of you guys starting your own leagues, basing them off car diversity, and maintaining them. Don’t like the way things are? Change them don’t sit and gripe we all have the power!

The closest thing a group of people going off doing their own thing is slowly sideways, which STILL follows side by side with the wrc/fia and takes a hit from the fia by keeping the engine power reduced to 300.

what’s next? Radicals,westfields?

Ligiers and Normas from the French VdeV, as LMP…4 lol

actually there is the radical sr9 that went to le mans so…..yea I guess westfield is next.

@Connor Helms,

‘I don’t see any of you guys starting your own leagues, basing them off car diversity, and maintaining them. Don’t like the way things are? Change them don’t sit and gripe we all have the power!’

THAT,my dear man,is because most of us fans don’t have half a million euro’s sleeping in our bank accounts to start a sportscar team. You too should know that it’s the money which makes the world go round,and 90% of all cash is in the hands of 10% of the people worldwide…
All big racing series are firmly in the hands of the big organizations who’re filthy rich and waaaay too powerfull.
If a group of wellfunded amateurs would start their own series,these organizations would soon make sure they’d be blocked in all kinds of ways.

Not very realistic mate…

Actually I’d beg that 1 percent of the world owns 99 percent of it’s wealth xD. Racing like all modern sports has been plagued by business/cash and the only way for that to end is by having a cashless society, or one that does not totally depend upon it, like Rome for instance. What I don’t get is that 90 percent of the world is around 5.5 billion people vs not even 1 million, so I’m pretty sure us little guys could take over if it became troublesome for the 5.5…….but unfortunately those that already find it troublesome have to wait it out all of life. perhaps I’m just rambling at this point, but who else is tired of money getting in the way of nearly everything we do?

Hughe de chaunac will be cashing in big time. This will give oreca the funds to properly develop their p1 car. Watch out pescarolo…

I’m just gobsmacked. GT1 2010 looks like it will be a big success, according to the people who know, so I don’t see why LMS didn’t put them in instead of this utter tripe.

Might as well have a goddamn superkart class.

Why not partner with the V De V Sports’ non-spec LMP3 machines?

I have to agree that I think adding the Challenge Prototypes will devalue the series. In ALMS, GT3 Cup cars were added to bolster the car count, and honestly, they just don’t measure up and it ends up tainting the overall spectacle. It’s as if the local Porsche club cut a whole in the fence and sneaked onto the track during the race, like a deranged fan running onto the field during a football match.