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The 19th running of the Petit Le Mans will take place as the season finale for IMSA's WeatherTech Sportscar Championship on the weekend of the 1 Oct.

It sees the IMSA WSC cars run in a ten-hour marathon for both the season championship and the North American Endurance Championship titles.

Last year saw Hurricane Joaquin come through and shut the racing down after 8 hours, with Porsche North America's #911 taking overall honors, seeing a non-Prototype winning an American sports car race overall for the first time since the 2003 Rolex 24.


This year sees 41 cars taking to the track, with it marking the final time the Daytona Prototype will see competition. I for one will miss them very much.

Also running this weekend will be IMSA's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Mazda Prototype Lites, Porsche GT3 Cup, and MX-5 Cup.

Petit Le Mans Event Schedule

Petit Le Mans Event History

Petit Le Mans IMSA WSC Entry List

Brasleton, GA Weather

Track Map:

Track Graphics c/o [url=www.racingcircuits.info]RacingCircuits.info

Post will be updated with Spotters Guide info if it becomes available before I go on vacation Wednesday.

To kick this off, I will say that last years event was definitely one of the most interesting races I've ever seen in any formula. It was fun watching the GTLM cars on the superior wet weather Michelin and Falken tires taking it to the Continental-shod Prototypes. This years weather will be great, so we won't be seeing that again. I want to see a DP win this as it's their final showing after a thirteen year run. I don't care what you're opinion on the cars are themselves, but having a "stable" rule package that's been used for thirteen years is something to be proud of. Shit, the durable-ness of those cars can't be matched, with the two chassis Ganassi ran at the Rolex this year originally having been built and raced for the 2004, and 2005 seasons!

I'll also be missing this race again this year, as I go on vacation this weekend every year. Last year we got affected by the same weather system as Petit, and it was miserable.

I have never understood fully on why the Daytona Prototypes are hated so much. Yeah, some of the cars didn't look that great at first but they got better over the years. And there has been some good races with them too (Detroit 2014, several of the late night battles at Daytona etc.). While I agree that it's time has passed, I'll miss those cars as well.

Also hope that the DeltaWing can find a series where it can be raced at too. Shame it's getting phased out as well

I just hope the 2017 P2/DPi cars can put on some good races though, not a huge fan of the ACO going to a spec engines only though

Most people hate them because they're tube-frame and """""unsafe.""""" Usually called a "mid-engine Trans-Am car with no road relevancy" compared to an ACO P1 car. They also dislike the lack of tech in the cars, which kept them lower priced. I wasn't a fan of the late Grand-Am thing where they equaled power and torque curves but that's not my decision.

Little did they know that the current crop of P2 cars has been the same formula as the DP, albeit with carbon chassis, and the 2017 P2 rules are even more so.

They were ugly as hell through the first two generations, but that was mainly due to the greenhouse being so big, which was done out of safety. It originally was supposed to have a much smaller one, but the big accident at Homestead on 2002 that killed a driver made them put a much larger one on.

I don't follow the ins & outs of the series closely enough, so forgive me if this is a dumb question but: with the DPs going away, should we expect to see those teams bringing new prototypes next year or will they shift down to the GT field and expand there?

Action Express, Wayne Taylor Racing, and Spirit of Daytona/Visitflorida.com are going to be running the new cars. AXR and WTR are definite in's for the Cadillac DPi programme, while no one except SoD knows if they're going Cadillac, Mazda, or Gibson spec.

Michael Shank Racing got the factory Acura deal for GTD, and with John Pew retiring the MSR P car won't be racing next year, unless they find someone with big pockets to fund it.

PC is going away after next year, and many of the teams are running new classes in 2017 because of it. CORE is moving to GTD with a Porsche, while PR1/Mathaisen and JDC-Miller are moving up to the Prototype class with Gibson powered ACO P2's. JDC-Miller will be running their PC car in addition to the P car next year. Starworks purchased a new ACO P2, but who knows if they'll be running. Same with Ben Keating...expect him to continue in GTD though, but with Mercedes.

ESM is returning next year for a full season effort with two Ligier-Nissan DPi's.

Last Porsche GT3 race of the season about to get underway if any one's interested.

Whoa, that could have been worse.

Spun car was hit by another.

CTSCC coming up.

CTSCC just went green

Green!!

Caution, #12 hard in the tyres

Caution for debris

At some point RLM have to get over themselves and realise Safety Cars are as much a part of the sport in sportscar racing as they are elsewhere and get over themselves.

_________________
RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

Debris is something for a Code 60/FCY.

No such animal this side of the pond. Thank christ.

_________________
RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

You honestly think that wasting laps under a caution to pick up debris is better for racing?

Based on the first 2 laps after the restart. A world of yes. So much yes

This is FUN

_________________
RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

Thankfully most people don't have ADD like you...

Yeah sure, most people would rather watch all the cars spread out on their own around the track than close together in a scrum where the lead has changed hands 5 times since the restart.....3 of those in one lap

Sureeeeee

_________________
RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley