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According to Mariantic, "Inside" sources say Highcroft will run LMP2 Acura in ALMS (& LM?) in 2010 .

http://www.mariantic.co.uk/lmp/

I wonder which ALMS team ended up with the Lola Aston Martin that was supposedly sold in the USA.

http://feedmesportscars.com/node/6764

908 goes to De Ferran?

Highcroft will continue with Acura. Excellent.

http://americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=14147

Indeed excellent. But they will use ARX-01c... or two of them like Duncan hints.

What is nice also is mentioning of new HPD engine for 2011.

Pagenaud joins Highcroft:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ ... highcroft/

More news and notes...

- No Audi for Sebring... The ACO hadn't confirmed the rules in time and thus the R15 Plus will not be ready. This leaves what looks like the following:

2x Peugeot
1x Highcroft
1x Oreca
1x Autocon
1x Intersport
1x Drayson
1x Corsa (?)

...for a total of 8 LMP1's.

1-2x Dyson Mazda
1x Cytosport
1x OAK Pescarolo (likely but unconfirmed)

...for a total of 4 LMP2's

1x Intersport
1x Comprent (maybe)
1x Genoa
1x Gunnar (unconfirmed)

... for up to 4 LMPC's... So 16 for the prototypes.

GT2 and GTC are likely to remain at 10-12 and 8 apiece, respectively. Look for a grid of roughly 30 at Sebring unless we hear more about perhaps LMPC or GTC.

- Audi reports they may also run either Paul Ricard or a second Asian Le Mans Series round if it exists to confirm their eligibility for the Intercontinental Trophy.

- Bio-Butanol used by Dyson at Petit and Laguna Seca should be confirmed as a fuel by IMSA for 2010.

- BP is rumoured to be leaving Dyson/Mazda with the possibility of Castrol coming on board (I dunno how I feel about this one yet...)

- Farnbacher Loles will likely be no more thanks to some embezzlement charges against Mr. Greg Loles.

- Paul Ricard, as the opening race for LMS, will be an 8-hour event. Along the same lines, no Abu Dhabi for LMS - 1000km at Portimao and Hungaroring ( ) instead - both at least partially night races.

- Rumours had Red Bull running the fourth 908 with a Loeb/Raikkonen/Coulthard lineup at Le Mans though rumours were also unsubstantiated beyond Loeb testing the 908. The articles I read said they were interested in adding Loeb to "the factory lineup" so the Red Bull idea seems less likely. Though, with Pescarolo in financial trouble, you never know...

No Audi?

*slit*

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Ducks Angels Sounders Spurs

Wow that is a cheap reason for Audi not to compete...

*Sigh* Whoops... Stopped thinking for a second. Make it 7 LMP1's with 5 LMP2's then. Marino Franchitti is likely to join Highcroft for the enduros, leaving Dyson's second car in question as well - could end up with a trade-off.

As for Audi, there was an interview with Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich recently posted at Endurance-Info in which he said Peugeot "blocked Audi's entry" to Sebring with an interim car. I guess IMSA left it up to the teams and Peugeot wouldn't let them race with a non-compliant car if Peugeot had to have it right as well... It's a shame, but I guess everyone has to play by the rules.

Having just heard last week's Midweek Motorsport from Radio Le Mans, John Hindhaugh reported from the LMS Dinner that Oreca is likely to get the privateer Peugeot 908 entry. It was also reported that it is likely to be run under the "Red Bull banner." Wonder if Oreca will bring its own two cars again then, or if they'll be chopping one of them off to run the 908.

In either case, a Red Bull liveried 908 with Loeb and Raikkonen onboard would be just awesome.

The RBR Rumour is Loeb, Raikkonen and Coulthard.

Oreca are confirmed as the fourth Peugeot 908 squad for both Le Mans and the LMS... Perhaps Sebring too? Oreca was confirmed for Sebring but this was before the Peugeot announcement. No announcements on Red Bull backing either, though the poorly translated version of the article does say "colors of Oreca."

Significantly the article also says Oreca have signed a deal to run Peugeot engines in the Oreca 02 chassis from 2011 and beyond... It remains to be seen if those will be diesels or petrol (one should assume the former, I guess, as they'll likely still have a torque advantage, and it remains in the interests of relevance to road cars). The question is where does that leave the Oreca 01 with AIM? One wonders how many cars will show up to both the LMS and Le Mans.

In French: http://www.oreca-racing.com/oreca-peuge ... ong-terme/

De Ferran shuts down:

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/sports/auto_r ... tting-down



ps. Whoever changed the topic, this is better at least now in the off season. Separate threads just was so confusing.

You're welcome

I'll probably just let this run through 2010, it's a short thread and the off-season news will spill over beyond Sebring while still being pre-season for Le Mans. *shrugs*

Awesome for Oreca! But i'm worried about Pescarolo.

However, other great news here: Signature will engage a Aston Martin DBR1/2!

http://www.endurance-info.com/version2/news-focus-3144.html

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Motorsport Lover since 1988
First TBK member to post it with a wiimote

Porsche drops a hint...

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArtic ... rs/246128/

Apparently Rossi will drive the 24H of Le Mans with AF Corse together with Alesi. Alesi said this during a press meeting (Great Line-Up so far).

Je viens de jouir violemment.

Traduction here:
[spoiler]i came so hard [/spoiler]

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Motorsport Lover since 1988
First TBK member to post it with a wiimote