24 hours of Lemans

[mike the snake]

Anyone watch the race? I always watch the 24 hours race, got in almost every hour that was televised.

Weather played a huge part, very sad about the driver who died early in the race.

[Sylon]

Been watching it since the start yesterday, minus some sleep last night. I'm surprised no one made a thread on here. I figured no one was interested because BMW wasn't involved.

Audi pulled it off again. TK gets his 9th overall win.


Very sad about Allan Simonsen, of all the places for his car to hit the wall, there just happened to be a huge tree trunk on the other side. I'm sure that played a huge part in his passing. It must have been his time, very sad.

I couldn't believe the run by the #1 Audi in the second half of the race. They were 14 laps down at one point with several LMP2 cars in front of them. Yet they battled back for a strong 5th place finish.

I think they should of had a 4th place finish, but for some strange reason they allowed the driver of the #7 Toyota to continue racing, even though he had exited his car after hitting the wall and went well beyond the 10m limit away from his car. Do you think they should have stopped the #7 Toyota and ended their day?

[Sarge135]

What the heck was up with that man? Freakin rules are rules. They should have never allowed the Toyota dude to go on. Regardless, Go Team Joest! Its sad I wont see them at Sebring anymore...

[bimmerjph]

Yeah, I watched a little more than eighteen and a half hours of it. It was an epic race that will sadly be remembered for a horrific tragedy.

Originally Posted by Sylon

Been watching it since the start yesterday, minus some sleep last night. I'm surprised no one made a thread on here. I figured no one was interested because BMW wasn't involved.

You mean you didn't see the half ass amateur team that BMW slapped their badges all over? Then again, I guess you wouldn't as they were literally the worst team at the race. A car that was only allowed into the race because another car dropped out. BMW needs an actual factory effort at Le Mans.

[BrokenVert]

I was trying to figure out why theyre werent there. BMW has raced the M3s there recently. I find it hard to believe that they didnt get an invite.


Otherwise, it was a pretty close race for most of it. Really impressed this year.

[Elsabor67]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

You mean you didn't see the half ass amateur team that BMW slapped their badges all over? Then again, I guess you wouldn't as they were literally the worst team at the race. A car that was only allowed into the race because another car dropped out. BMW needs an actual factory effort at Le Mans.

And that car was using a built engine form an E39 M5

[mike the snake]

It's amazing how close everyone finishes these days. It's a 24 hour sprint race.

The Astin Martin must have hit something juuust right for Alan Simonsen to have been killed because these cars today are so well built. The roll cages are far safer than those of yesteryear.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

I was trying to figure out why theyre werent there. BMW has raced the M3s there recently. I find it hard to believe that they didnt get an invite.


Otherwise, it was a pretty close race for most of it. Really impressed this year.

They got an invite the last few years. BMW got butthurt because ACO wouldn't let them run a non-stock suspension setup.

Now they run a car that doesn't exist in showrooms. I don't see ACO letting them run the Z4 GTE anytime soon.

[Sylon]

Originally Posted by mike the snake

It's amazing how close everyone finishes these days. It's a 24 hour sprint race.

The Astin Martin must have hit something juuust right for Alan Simonsen to have been killed because these cars today are so well built. The roll cages are far safer than those of yesteryear.

He did hit something just right, a tree. Directly behind the barrier that he hit was a very large tree. He hit the tree so hard that it tore all the bark off of it on one side. It was the perfect circumstances for a terrible tragedy.

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by Elsabor67

And that car was using a built engine form an E39 M5

I think you are thinking of the Daytona Prototype engines prepared by Dinan. The engine in the LMP2 cars are S65 based.
http://www.engdev.com/products/hk-2011-lmp2-v8/

[Elsabor67]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

I think you are thinking of the Daytona Prototype engines prepared by Dinan. The engine in the LMP2 cars are S65 based.
http://www.engdev.com/products/hk-2011-lmp2-v8/

No. Sadly I can't find the damn link now but remember seeing an article about it and it stated that the French team that was running LeMans for BMW France was running an LMP 2 car and the engine was based from the E39 M5.

I'll post it up once I find it.

[tres]

the cars are well built but the human internal organs can only withstand so much. RIP Alan

Originally Posted by mike the snake

It's amazing how close everyone finishes these days. It's a 24 hour sprint race.

The Astin Martin must have hit something juuust right for Alan Simonsen to have been killed because these cars today are so well built. The roll cages are far safer than those of yesteryear.

[ptack]

That was odd. There's a video from the car behind him and he's just going along and suddenly loses control and veers into the barrier on the left. Most accidents at Le Mans are due to mismatched cars in traffic or driving at night. Not the case here.

[mamadub]

My brother was lucky enough to be invited by Ferrari to be their guest at the race. He also had an "all Access" pass which let him wander anywhere he wanted. He got into the Ferrari garage and pits. I hate my brother.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by ptack

There's a video from the car behind him and he's just going along and suddenly loses control and veers into the barrier on the left.

Yikes... That's shades of Ayrton Senna at San Marino.

[1MOREMOD]

i watched a lot of it also. didnt wake up early enough to catch the finish the next morning.

[Sylon]

Originally Posted by ptack

That was odd. There's a video from the car behind him and he's just going along and suddenly loses control and veers into the barrier on the left. Most accidents at Le Mans are due to mismatched cars in traffic or driving at night. Not the case here.

Watching that in-car video from the car behind him, it appeared that Allan got loose when he was on the rumble strip on the left side of the track. The car's ass-end kicked out to the left and he corrected. Right at the moment he corrected, the rumble strip ended and he had 4 tires back on the track with the fronts pointed left. That slung him towards the wall.

At least, that's what I saw from it.