Thank you Mod for the entry list/spotters guide, I should have begun by that, you made up for my omission.
Thank for the pics 'Maniac, the more I look at the R15, the more it grows on me... It's a terrific design. Not beautifull and elegant as the Aston, but so futuristic! It's definitly a new generation of racing prototype.
Kristensen did a 1.43.595 yesterday evening! That's only 3 tenth down the unofficial pole time from last year from the 908
(unofficial because last year qualy session was cancelled because of an accident of the Lola-Mazda P2). It means Audi ingineers have already canceled all the losses of reduced power and downforce through a very efficient aero package, an optimal weight balance and improved mechanical grip.
I reckon they will be unbeatable this year, if they are reliable enough, and if the R15 is as tough as the R10 was in case of contacts, which remains to prove.
Hopefully Acura will be a match for Peugeot, so that will be a big battle even if Audi fly to the win.
Yes, there are no RS Spyder this time, as Penske went to GrandAm and Dyson signed with Lola and Mazda. The Lola B06/80 with mazda engine is a pure beauty though, with an adaptation of the BP paintscheme inspired from last year's BK Racing team.
As a consolation there will be three RS at Le Mans, and team Essex is even making the full LMS season.
Corvettes all alone also
(does it make that much difference from last year?...), it's true that the ALMS is living one of it's worst year in terms of entries
(as predictable with that damned crisis), but I think all in all it's not that bad, the Biggest events
(Sebring, Petit, Laguna) will still be memorable, thanks to the manufacturers battle in P1.
Also, the GT2 grid is very good! The LMS only has one Spyker to fight an army of F430s and a few 997 GT3, whilst the ALMS have a lot more diversity! look, there's a Viper, a Panoz, a Ford GT, a Corvette, an Aston V8 vantage, and the M3s as well! That's a great grid IMO.
As expected 2009 times are already reaching 2008 ones, despite all the losses in power and downforce.
