2024 Motorsport (non-F1) Thread

[Gareth Collier]

BTCC - a raft of new rules to ensure you don't end up with the same driver winning the first 2 races of a meeting.

Donnington race 1, Ingram. Race 2, Ingram.

Commentary team assure everyone that it was a one off and couldn't happen again........

 

Edited May 12 by Gareth Collier

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

And look at the top three in the championship - the usual suspects!

[younGGuns7]

In fairness Donington - one N 🤣 - didn’t have the tyre ruling in, so some of the new changes didn’t come into play, has for the same drivers winning, Moffat/Pearson ? And the reason they are the top three is because they are the top three out there, unfortunately Hill is far too impetuous for his own good otherwise he would certainly be up there and challenging.

[The Lurker]

Pearson was a first time BTCC winner at Brands. 

 

But it was interesting that Jade Edwards commented that the new rules were made for the likes of Turkington; a consistent accumulator of points.

[Invicta Informant]

Last weekend's WEC race, the 6 Hours of Spa, lasted nearly 8 hours. The race got red flagged and with about 10 minutes to go, they reset the clock to the time the red flag came out. This series seems to treat its fans better than Formula One. I feel bad for Cadillac, as they also had a bad accident here last year.

 

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

I recorded it on Eurosport to watch later, but the recording stopped a few minutes after the restart. I had to record the highlights later in the week to watch the end! It was worth it though, a great race, and bodes well for the next - Le Mans - as the Porsches (5 or is it 6 at Le Mans), Ferraris (x3), Toyotas (x2) and Cadillacs (2 or 3) should be really competitive, and the revised Peugeots have been designed with Le Mans in mind. The Alpines, BMWs and Lamborghini could be interesting to watch too.

 

The GT field will be immensely competitive, and I'm hoping for a Corvette win. Plus, LM features the return of the second-division prototypes in LMP2, which were squeezed out of the WEC due to the large numbers of Hypercar and LMGT3 entries.

[Invicta Informant]

The grid for this year's Indy 500 has been finalised. Who else thinks it is a conflict of interest that Penske are one of the top teams in a series owned by Penske and they lock-out the front row at a track also owned by Penske?

 

[Invicta Informant]

Aside from the Indy 500, this weekend there is MotoGP from Barcelona, BTCC from Snetterton, British GT from Donington Park, DTM from Lausitzring, and NASCAR from Charlotte, North Carolina.

[Invicta Informant]

This weekend there is WRC from Sardinia, Italy, MotoGP from Mugello, IndyCar and IMSA from Detroit, Super GT from Suzuka, NASCAR from Gateway Motorsports Park, Illinois, and the Nürburgring 24 Hours (which I believe is being streamed on YouTube).

[Northmoor]

Never mind that, this weekend the Isle of Man TT races start.  Assuming the weather holds on the island, that's me sorted for an hour every evening for a week,

[Invicta Informant]

This weekend there is IndyCar from Road America, Wisconsin, BTCC from Thruxton, DTM from Zandvoort, and NASCAR from Sonoma, California. The Le Mans 24 Hours is next weekend.

[Invicta Informant]

Apart from Le Mans, there is NASCAR from Iowa and Australian Supercars from Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin, Northern Territory.

 

The works Porsche team, run by Penske, got Pole (though I don't think it should have stood). The weather forecast for the weekend looks wet though.

 

[Steadfast]

ERC Royal Rally of Scandinavia this weekend too, featuring two generations of Solberg.

 

Jo

Edited June 14 by Steadfast

[Oldddudders]

Le Mans this weekend will not be much fun for teams or spectators, especially the many campers. Temperatures max out at 17 today, 18 on Sunday, with overnights down to 11. 45% chance of showers this afternoon, and similar for much of tomorrow. But a SW wind, gusting to 55 kph, will also bring some issues, I bet, especially at Tertre Rouge, where the track turns right onto the public road that is the Mulsanne Straight (LIgne Droite Des Hunaudières in local speak).

 

I actually live about 30 miles NE of the city and circuit, but have not attended the race since 2019. At 75 it would be a bit tiring, and I have spectated on 22 occasions, after all......

[30368]

33 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I actually live about 30 miles NE of the city and circuit, but have not attended the race since 2019. At 75 it would be a bit tiring, and I have spectated on 22 occasions, after all......

 

Yes Ian, the weather looks very changeable for the weekend of my long time favourite race.

You are a lucky man to have watched 22, I have only attended the 1972 race, which I really enjoyed, it truly is a unique experience. Henri and Graham won in a Matra Simca but sadly we lost Jo Bonnier who crashed in his Lola. I recall watching Jo race at the 1967 BOAC 500 mile sports car race. He was driving a Lola T70 and he crashed again. I remember with horror as his Lola flew through  the air behind the pits. We were watching from an open grandstand opposite the pits.

 

As always, I am hoping for a Ferrari (499P) victory although I suspect that there might be too many quick Porsche 963s about.

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

[JZ]

After a long spell under the safety car, we are racing again. A lot of criticism of this in some of the Facebook groups. But I would rather have 50+ cars still in the race, rather than half of them going off, with the accompanied danger to the marshals.

 

Done the race 13 times, but the last was 1991. Sadly, in my opinion, the track has been overly sanitised. Greatest loss is this run down to the Esses, a classic Le Mans view.

Picture from 1980, when Jean Rondeau won in his own car.

Before the Dunlop Chicane, the fastest cars would be doing 200mph as they came under the bridge. In 1984, there was a speed trap under the bridge, with readings in mph and kph. I saw the winning car record 206mph.

Since 1999 I have watched the race from the comfort of my sofa, usually with a stock of French food from Frenchclick.

Edited June 16 by JZ

[micklner]

Fond memories of the Silk Cut Jaguar era 1986 etc. Group C racing by far the best era. Nothing matches then since. I have been 5 times since 1986.

[Oldddudders]

The 24 hrs is epic this year. The depth of quality in every class - so all 62 entries - is excellent. As Jules says, an unprecedented 4+ hrs under the safety cars was dreadful during the night, but has resulted in 10 cars on the lead lap after 19 hrs. I wouldn't want to put any money on choosing the winner!

 

Watching in virtual terms with the ACO live-timing, plus Hindy & Co on Radio Le Mans and using my phone as a hotspot as the Internet isn't working!

[30368]

5 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

The 24 hrs is epic this year.

Hi Ian,

 

Indeed it was one of, if not the greatest, motor race I have ever watched. The teams had to face such changeable conditions and make all the right choices at the right time. The winning Ferrari even had a forced pit stop to secure an open door which actually gave them a bonus refuel! As you know Ian, I am a biased Ferrari fan and though F1 is good this race was an epic with real racing all the way through. I must go next year which naturally means Ferrari will not win!

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

[Bulleidboy100]

I thought it was a tremendous race. I dipped in and out on SKY throughout the race.  I went to the race in 1971 when Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep won the race in a Martini Porsche 917. I recall that year there was a lot of filming for the Steve McQueen film. That was also the year when a Ferrari 365gtb4 Daytona came fifth overall - some achievement.

[Invicta Informant]

1 hour ago, Bulleidboy100 said:

I thought it was a tremendous race. I dipped in and out on SKY throughout the race.  I went to the race in 1971 when Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep won the race in a Martini Porsche 917. I recall that year there was a lot of filming for the Steve McQueen film. That was also the year when a Ferrari 365gtb4 Daytona came fifth overall - some achievement.

Steve McQueen was the official starter for the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours, with footage from the 1970 race being used in the film Le Mans, starring McQueen, which was released in 1971.

 

McQueen had intended to race at Le Mans in 1970, sharing a Porsche 917K with Jackie Stewart, but as the story goes, McQueen's life insurance company refused him cover to race. A Porsche 908/2, shared by Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams, was entered by McQueen's film company, Solar Productions, did race and finished, but was not classified. The car was fitted with cameras to record on-track action for use in the film.

 

Another Hollywood legend did get to race the Le Mans 24 Hours however. Paul Newman competed in the 1979 race in a Porsche 935/77A shared with Dick Barbour and Rolf Stommelen, where they finished second overall and won the IMSA GTX class. That year's race was one of the most craziest. One of the pre-race favourites, a Porsche 936-78 shared by Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman, was disqualified for receiving outside assistance. The alternator belt had snapped and, legend has it, it was supplied to Ickx hidden inside a baguette when he wanted something to eat.

 

The car that won overall, a Porsche 935-K3 shared by Klaus Ludwig and brothers Don and Bill Whittington, had its own problems. They had a 12 or 15 lap lead (Autosport and Motor Sport giving different information) on Sunday morning when a belt for the fuel injector pump failed on the Mulsanne Straight. The car was carrying a spare but the Whittington brother who was behind the wheel at the time (Autosport says Don, Motor Sport says Bill) damaged it while trying to fit it. He somehow did a 'Heath Robinson' style repair using the spare and some gaffer tape and managed to nurse it back to the pits, losing 79 minutes out on track and another 15 minutes in the pits. The Whittington brothers had an interesting history and also co-owned a race team with Randy Lanier, who, like the Whittington brothers, had an interesting source of income...

 

[micklner]

More re the "IMSA Scandal" here.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Whittington

[JZ]

45 minutes ago, micklner said:

More re the "IMSA Scandal" here.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Whittington

Not just the Whittingtons. The Pauls were also at it and probably  few others. The series got the nickname International Marijuana Smuggling Association.

[Invicta Informant]

3 hours ago, JZ said:

Not just the Whittingtons. The Pauls were also at it and probably  few others. The series got the nickname International Marijuana Smuggling Association.

John Paul Sr. was arguably one of the biggest psychopaths involved in motorsport. He was known for his wild outbursts which left people in his vicinity fearing for their safety. He is still a fugitive to this day, if he is still alive (he would be 85 at the time of writing). He disappeared in 2001 when he was wanted for questioning regarding the disappearance of his then partner.

 

His son, John Paul Jr., was quite a nice guy and a good racer, but got roped into his father's criminal activities and only did jail time because he refused to testify against his father (more than likely out of fear of him). He did return to racing, even winning a IndyCar race in 1998, before being forced to retire in 2001 when he was diagnosed with Huntington's disease. He passed away on 29th December 2020, aged 60.

 

Edited June 18 by Invicta Informant
grammar

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Well, I've just finished watching the entire 24 hours of Le Mans (apart from the ad breaks) courtesy of Eurosport, fitting in watching it around housework at the weekend and the day job from Monday. That was a truly epic race, which re-affirmed to me that it is the greatest motor race in the world. F1 can't hold a candle to it at the moment.

 

Speaking of Eurosport, is it just me that finds Mlle Lesly Boitrelle quite alluring?

 

For those of a model car persuasion, there are rumours that Ferrari are once again open to having their cars modelled in plastic, and that one of the big Japanese concerns (Fujimi or Tamiya, most likely) are measuring up the 499P as we speak.