I was rooting for the Snoras Spyker Squadron in GT2! To bad they didn't get a chance to really push the car but it was the best looking on grid or weirdest!!

No. 85 Spyker C8 Laviolette


They beat out the single Porsche 911 GT3 RSR after the three other 997s slowly disappeared of grid.

**Edit: http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/06/16/spy...-mans-24-hours/

 

Official Timing:
http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans...hronos_gb.html
Good to see a Peugeot as the new Leader (& 2nd)!

 

Thats Sweet! what question did you ask?

 

I asked a question about why Mazda is not using rotary power in their LMP cars. If you were watching the SpeedTV around 11:45 Saturday night, then you heard it

 

And if we didn't, what was the answer?

 

He mentioned a couple reasons, one being that the rotaries were "too thirsty" and the other reason being that the majority of their cars are running 4 cylinders and their racing program would be better suited to reflect that (even though their LMP2 cars are turbo 4-cylinders). He did note that the last Japanese manufacturer to win at LeMans was Mazda in 1991 under rotary power.

I was not completely satisfied with the answer, so I found a few others online:
Racecar Engineering article - http://www.racecar-engineering.com/allarti...t-rotarian.html
I also stumbled upon the Mazda Furai concept car which is based off an old LMP chassis and is rotary powered - http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPag...r=upcomingFurai

 

That Racecar Engineering article raises some interesting points.

Since they're are moving to a 900kg min weight and homlogated roadcar motors in LMP2, it seems that a rotary could be competitive if Mazda would lobby the ACO for it. On the other hand they're potentiality sitting on one of the best new LMP1 motors with their AER designed Turbo 2.0L.

 

I have a question:

During the race they mentioned that the factory Corvette team is dropping out of GT1 next year. Considering that they were the only factory backed GT1 team (and 1/3 of the GT1 field), is there going to be a GT1 for next years race? Or are they just going to consolidate and make one GT class?r.

 

FIA GT1 is moving to a different set of regs where the current class of cars are no longer eligible. Think GT2 with bigger motors and looser aero regs.

ACO, the organizers of Le Mans have reserved the right to limit the GT class next year to only GT2 cars.

 

Yep, i heard it.