2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup

[Bram Hengeveld]

The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup will celebrate its first anniversary at the Autosport 6 Hours of Silverstone on 11th September, and the British circuit will also celebrate the 35th running of its famous endurance race with a mouth-watering field of LM P1, LM P2, GTE Pro, GTE Am and Formula LM cars!!

After a couple of months’ break the players in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup will be back in action on 11thSeptember. The race on the Silverstone circuit will be the fifth of the seven events on the 2011 calendar. Thus, it is an extremely important round in the battle for the titles as the end of the season approaches.

In LM P1, in order the stack all the odds in its favour in its battle with the French manufacturer, which has a 43-point lead, Audi has to find the pace its R18s were lacking in Italy at the Imola round where Peugeot scored a telling double. The two teams will enter a brace of cars each in England: Bernhard-Fässler and Kristensen-McNish in the German machines and Davidson-Bourdais (winners at Imola on 3rd July) and Montagny-Sarrazin in the French 908s.

Silverstone will also see the official return of Aston Martin but not with the AMR-ONES seen at Le Mans. The British make had entered one of its previous season’s DBR1-2s driven by Fernandez-Primat-Klien. The Rebellion Racing Lola and the two OAK Racing OAK-Pescarolos will be out to beat it in the battle between the petrol-engined cars racing in the ILMC. There are two absentees: the Oreca-Matmut Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, which will be back for the Petit Le Mans, and the Hope Racing hybrid prototype. The latter will not take part in any further rounds of the ILMC this year.

On the other hand, there is a full house in the LM P2 category. The three teams entered in the ILMC championship will be present as well as another nine cars racing in the Le Mans Series. Ojjeh-Lombard-Kimber-Smith victorious at Le Mans and Imola are hoping to beat the Signatech-Nissan 03-Oreca of Ayari-Mailleux-Ordonez, which currently leads the ILMC classification in the baby prototype category.

There is a thrilling battle in perspective in LM GTE. In the manufacturers’ championship only 11 points separate Ferrari, the leader and BMW in second place followed by Corvette in third . The Italian make has a slight numerical superiority in GTE Am with three cars. Luxury Racing has called in young French hope, Nicolas Marroc, to complete the Jakubowski-Beltoise line-up in one of its F458 Italias. British driver Andy Priaulx is back in the BMW squad and will drive the no. 56 M3 GTE with Uwe Alzen.

Become part of the action as we will broadcast the entire six hour race live here at RaceDepartment. You can find the live stream below and don't forget to download the entry list here and find the live timing here.

The six hour race starts on Sunday September 11, 2011 at 11:35 and will be broadcasted for the full six hours.

TV Stream
<iframe frameborder="0" width="640" height="360" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xkyxr6"></iframe>

Cockpit Stream Peugeot 908 #7
<iframe frameborder="0" width="640" height="360" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xjsw3z"></iframe>

Cockpit Stream Peugeot 908 #8
<iframe frameborder="0" width="640" height="360" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xjsw55"></iframe>

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Here we go!

 

[James Johnson]

Yayay Only thing missing is FERRIS WHEEL!

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

At least they have nice weather

 

[James Johnson]

How about ICE CREAM! then? :tongue:

 

[James Johnson]

Ohhh dear Franck! tut tut!

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

He is at it again

 

[James Johnson]

Audi Fan here

 

[Matt Strand]

anybody get a video of the Pug crash? missed the start of the race

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Nope not yet, but i am sure it will be on youtube soon

 

[jose32]

I'm an Audi Fan but I have to say that Allan Mcnish screwed up again just like in the 24 Le Mans

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I'm an Audi Fan but I have to say that Allan Mcnish screwed up again just like in the 24 Le Mans

Jep, he wants too much

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

The M3 looks like a bulky car in the GTE field compared to the Ferrari

 

[David Jundt]

McNish is either an idiot or loves Ferraris too much. The irony is that the German commentators in Eurosport said he likes traffic and has good intuition. Yeah he sure does... /trollololololol Nice fight at the front though.

 

[James Johnson]

McNish is actually pretty good with traffic usually, but this year hes not doing too well.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

You really can't classify McNish as an idiot. The guy has such an impressive track record in endurance racing. It's just not his year it seems.

 

[Xosé Estrada]

The Audi-Peugeot, Ferrari-BMW duels top the bill in the Petit Le Mans, which will be run this coming Saturday. Several other teams, though, will be out to prevent the four makes from clinching the titles in the sixth round of the 2011 ILMC. The weather forecast is looking good for this year’s Petit Le Mans. The violent storms that often hit the Atlanta region at this time of the year are not expected to upset the 14[SUP]th[/SUP] running of the American event. In these conditions, there’s a strong possibility that the record for the race, which dates from 1999, when the Panoz LM P1 roadster, entered by the circuit owner Don Panoz and driven by D.Brabham-Bernard-Wallace, covered the 1000 miles (1609 km) in 8h 56m 31s, will be beaten.



Saturday’s race will tell whether or not the two favourites, Peugeot and Audi, will be able to achieve this feat. For the French squad what’s at stake is very simple (and also very complicated!): namely, to clinch the LM P1 manufacturers’ title in the second-last round of the 2011 ILMC. If Peugeot finishes Saturday’s race with 13 points minimum (a second place), the French squad will add a second ILMC title to the one they bagged last year. And the Sochaux firm will be out to do so in style by scoring a hat trick of victories in the Petit Le Mans. Bourdais-Pagenaud-Pagenaud at the wheel of the no. 7 908 emerged quickest in the 2 days’ practice on Sunday and Monday with a lap in 1m 08.291s.

Two Audi R18s making their first appearance on the North-American continent, will take on two Peugeots in the hands of the above-mentioned trio and Montagny-Sarrazin-Wurz. The German cars will be driven by Bernhard-Fässler-Dumas and Capello (5 Petit Le Mans victories, the record for the event) Kristensen-McNish. The German manufacturer holds the record for the number of victories in the Petit Le Mans (9), but has not won in Atlanta since 2008. To keep its ILMC title chances intact with one race still to go (the Zhuhai 6 Hours), Audi has but a single aim – victory!

But Peugeot and Audi should not forget the other entries in the LM P1 category, ready to pounce on the tiniest slip-up by the hot favourites. There are potentially many pitfalls, especially with the heavy traffic, in the Petit Le Mans. Oreca, winner of the Sebring 12 Hours, the first round in the 2011 ILMC, is back with its 908 HDi FAP. Aston Martin Racing has made its comeback with its Lola-Aston Martin last seen in 2010, and has again proved the car’s potential by winning the Laguna Seca round of the ALMS 10 days ago. OAK Racing scored a promising third place in the Silverstone 6 Hours on 11[SUP]th[/SUP] September, and Rebellion Racing, which wrapped up the Le Mans Series teams’ title last weekend in Portugal, has entered a single Lola-Toyota.

There will be a ding-dong battle in the GT categories in this race as Ferrari, like Peugeot, can leave Atlanta with the 2011 manufacturers’ title in LM GTE Pro. There are, however, many permutations, and it would be surprising if BMW, which can still throw a spanner in the Italian make’s works, does not manage to put off the final showdown until the Chinese event. All the more so as the German M3s have a successful record in races in the USA with a double at Sebring in March, and the make has just won the American Le Mans Series title. Ferrari knows it’s up against tough rivals and has entered three F458 Italias, two for Luxury Racing, and the third by AF Corse for the very quick duo Fisichella-Bruni already victorious twice this season, which will be up against 2 BMWs.

In LM P2 and LM GTE Am, the Signatech-Nissan and Larbre Competition teams can also clinch the teams’ titles in their respective categories. But Signatech must keep a weather eye out for the new Honda Performance Development (HPD) entered by the American team Level 5 Motorsports for the first time, which can still put off the French squad’s triumph. It is the same thing for Jack Leconte’s outfit as Krohn Racing based at Road Atlanta is batting on home turf. The blue and green Ferrari F430 GT in the hands of Krohn-Jönsson-Rugolo will give the Bornhauser-Gardel-Canal Corvette a run for its money even though the French team enjoys the official backing of General Motors, which is much stronger in the USA.

Today’s (Wednesday) opening practice sessions will provide a few pointers to the form of the different title contenders.

ROAD ATLANTA (USA)

The Road Atlanta circuit is in Braselton (Georgia, United States) and has been open since September 1970 when a round of the defunct CanAm Series took place there. It measures 4,088 kms and hosts a number of events for bikes and cars. Don Panoz bought it in 1996 and made it his home base for his motor sport activities, as well as giving it a major revamp. The first Petit Le Mans took place there in 1998 and became part of the American Le Mans Series when this championship was created in 1999. The Petit Le Mans is a race of 1000 Miles (1609 kms) or 10 hours maximum. The Road Atlanta circuit is a particularly challenging one with an average lap speed equivalent to that of Spa-Francorchamps (the 2010 pole average speed was 219,023 km/h), and the engine is under full load for 75% of the time, equivalent to Le Mans!

>> List of entries for the Petit Le Mans <<
>> ILMC List of entries for the Petit Le Mans <<
>> ILMC classifications before the Petit Le Mans <<

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Petit Le Mans, 14[SUP]th[/SUP] event

1[SUP]st[/SUP] October 2011

Sixth of the seven rounds counting for the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
Circuit : Road Atlanta (Braselton, Georgie, Etats-Unis), 4.088 km long.

Free practice : Wednesday 28[SUP]th[/SUP] September from 14 h 45 to 16 h 45, Thursday 29[SUP]th[/SUP] September from 10 h 00 to 14 h 00, then from 14 h55 to 15 h 55, Friday 30[SUP]th[/SUP] September from 10 h 15 to 11 h 15.

Qualifying : Friday 30[SUP]th[/SUP] September from 14 h 40 to 15 h 45 (LM GTE Am : 14 h 40 to 14 h 55 ; LM GTE Pro : 14 h 55 to 15 h 10, LM Prototypes from 15 h 30 to 15 h 45).

Warm-Up : Saturday 1[SUP]st[/SUP] October from 9 h 15 to 9 h 40.

Race : Start of the Petit Le Mans, Saturday 1[SUP]st[/SUP] October at 11 h 30 – Finish after 1 000 miles or ten hours’ racing maximum.

Entries : 58 cars including 25 in the ILMC.

ILMC field : 25 cars : 9 LM P1s, 3 LM P2s, 7 GTE Pros, 6 GTE Ams.

2010 podium :
1. Sarrazin-Montagny-Lamy (F-F-P), Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP, 1 000 miles (394 laps) in 9 h 10m 43.451s (av. speed : 176,93 km/h).
2. Gené-Wurz-Davidson (S-A-GB), Peugeot 980 HDi-FAP, 1m 01.681s behind.
3. Capello-Kristensen-McNish (I-DK-GB), Audi R15+, 2 laps behind.

Pole position 2010: Davidson (GBR), Peugeot 980 HDi-FAP, 1m 07.187s (av. speed : 219,023 km/h).
ILMC Classifications
(after the Silverstone 6 Hours)

Manufacturers
LM P1 : 1. Peugeot, 153 pts ; 2. Audi, 108.
LM GTE : 1. Ferrari, 128 pts ; 2. BMW, 107 ; 3. Porsche, 84 ; 4. Corvette, 75 ; 5. Aston Martin, 12 ; 6. Lotus : 10.

Teams
LM P1 : 1. Peugeot Sport Total, 81 pts ; 2. Audi Sport Team Joest, 74 ; 3. Team Oreca Matmut, 34 ; etc.
LM P2 : 1. Signatech Nissan, 68 pts ; 2. Level 5 Motorsports, 42 ; 3. OAK Racing, 41.
LM GTE Pro : 1. AF Corse, 83 pts; 2. BMW Motorsport, 74 ; 3. Luxury Racing, 20 ; etc.
LM GTE Am : 1. Larbre Compétition, 65 pts ; 2. Proton Competition, 37 ; 3. Krohn Racing, 35 ; etc.

 

[Don Davis]

i'll be there tomorrow!

 

[Brandon Warren]

Excellent write up.. i will be there tomorrow as well!

 

[Xosé Estrada]

Anthony Davidson repeated his 2010 feat and put Peugeot on pole for the Petit Le Mans. The Englishman’s time was less than two-tenths quicker than Timo Bernhard’s second-placed Audi. In LM GTE Pro, the Bruni-Fisichella Ferrari F458 Italia emerged on top beating the two BMWs.



The LM P1 qualifying got off to a flying start on this sunny Friday afternoon. On only his second lap, Stéphane Sarrazin banged in a time of 1m 08.477s beaten almost immediately by Anthony Davidson in 1m 07.428s, 3/10s off the 2010 pole!
Audi wasn’t having any and Timo Bernhard got round in 1m 07.556s to slot his Audi R18 between the two French 908s. The fastest times were set early on in the session so the prototypes took it easy in the latter part. Peugeot and Audi will share the first two rows on the grid for the Petit Le Mans race, which starts tomorrow at 11h30 local time (17h30 in France).

Peugeot’s pole has added another point to its tally in the 2011 ILMC LM P1 Manufacturers’ classification. All the French team needs is another twelve to keep the title it won last year.
Nicolas Lapierre put the older Oreca-entered Peugeot 908 HDi FAP in fifth place behind the four works entries with a lap in 1m 08.013s. He will share the third row with the quickest of the petrol-engined cars, Andre Bellichi’s Lola-Toyota.

In LM P2, Jean-Karl Vernay dominated the early part of session in his Signatech-Nissan until his time was beaten by Christophe Bouchut. Finally Luis Diaz in his no.55 Honda Performance Development (which is racing in the ALMS and not the ILMC) topped the tile sheets with a lap in 1m 12.355s, 3/10s quicker than Vernay.

The LM GTE Pro category lived up to its promise with nail-biting suspense until the dying seconds of the qualifying session. Dirk Werner in the no. 55 BMW looked to have pole sewn up until Gianmaria Bruni put his Ferrari on pole with one of those laps of which only he has the secret in 1m 18.699S, 87/100s quicker than the German! The Italian driver is blindingly quick over a lap whether in the USA or in Europe. The second BMW, no. 56 driven by Dirk Werner, took third spot on the grid.

It was no surprise to see Rui Aguas in the AF Corse Ferrari F430 GT set the fastest time in LM GTE Am in 1m 20.619s. This car has always been at the forefront of its category in the different sessions in alternation with the Krohn Racing Ferrari F430 of Niclas Jönsson and Tracy Krohn, which was second in the category less than 3/10s behind. Richard Lietz in the no. 63 Porsche entered by Proton Competion completed the top three.

The warm-up for the Petit Le Mans will take place tomorrow at 09h15 (14h15 in France) and the start will be given at 11h30 (17h30 in France). A reminder that the Petit Le Mans is a 1000-mile race or ten hours.

For the first time surfers can follow the complete race live on the official ILMC site: lemans.org .

> Qualifiying results for the Peit Le Mans <<