[LMS] Official Monza Race thread !!!

[Tom206wrc]

Hi,


It's time to open the thread for this week-end's big race opening the 2007 LMS season !! :D

And I start with the first pictures of the cars at Monza today for the scruteneering and control !!! :up:

http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=3455&mode=&order=0&thold=0


Tomorrow from 12.00(GMT+2) are the free tests session for the LMS entrants and the 207 Spider Cup !! Can't wait !! :bounce:

[Tom206wrc]

Excellent website to follow the live-results from today(free pratices) to sunday(races) !!! :up:

http://www.ris-timing.be


Thanks the Belgians you are the best !!! :D

[harvick#1]

wow Charouz Racing outlaped the Puegeots :eek:

[Erki]

Yeah, that Lola looks to be seriously fast. :eek:
I hope the new closed top Lola will be even faster. ;)

[Erki]

Yeah, that Lola looks to be seriously fast. :eek:
I hope the new closed top Lola will be even faster. ;)

[1LM1]

Great debut from the Lola Charouz for sure.
Free practice 2 at 5.00 CET

[Tom206wrc]

yeah...well done Lola Charouz ;)


Unlike Erki :p : I was also interested in the free seesion of the 207 Spider Cup... ;)

Three Frenchmen had the three best times, Grégory Guilvert, Dino Lunardi and Maxime Dubrulle...

Best non-French, the Belgian Maxime Soullet, 4th overall, just in front of Spaniard Alvaro Gonzales :up:

British Simon Moulton was 8th fastest...

Note three ladies are on Monza's round of the 207 Spider Cup, Italian Stefania Grassetto(12th fastest), French Marlène Broggi(13th fastest) and German Katie Froste(17th fastest)... ;)

[Erki]

I'm actually interested in the 207 Spider Cup. I think the concept is really good. It's just that the car is well, ugly. :(

[Tom206wrc]

Second LMS free session over !! :D

Tomorrow are the 3rd free session and the qualifying session... ;)

[harvick#1]

Yeah, that Lola looks to be seriously fast. :eek:
I hope the new closed top Lola will be even faster. ;)

it seems odd that RML did buy a new Lola

[1LM1]

Pedro lamy did a great job today in practice 2. :up:
He seems to have a good feeling with the car already.
Let's see if Sarrazin or Minassian will grab the first pole for Peugeot now! I do hope so.

[harvick#1]

I think its Peugeots race to lose

they clearly are ahead of the pack of the cars, just like with Audi in the ALMS.

Charouz Racing seems to be the only one that could somewhat run with Pug.

the Pescarolos are fast but they are still 2nd best

[Tom206wrc]

Pictures of yesterday free practices !!! :D

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?S=LMS&E=Monza/Friday_practice_1&Y=2007


The fire around Alphand team stand(running the Corvette) was really scary :eek: :s
http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?S=LMS&E=Monza/Friday_practice_2&Y=2007

I hope the three injured mechanics(one of them would be more severly burnt than the two others) will recover... :(

[1LM1]

To Harvick#1: yes fortunately, they are quicker than the others like I expected. It's a very good start. Of course, the race should be difficult for Peugeot tomorrow because according to them, the race is just another testing session.
They think they are just not ready for such a race on such a circuit (big challenge for the engine reliability) yet. So the most reliable car between the Pescarolo and the Lola Charouz could win on sunday.

But now, hopefully Peugeot have the pace to put some pressure on Audi at Le Mans this year and to challenge Audi for the win from 2008.

[Tom206wrc]

Third session running: Mücke(Charouz/Lola-Judd) again in front of both 908(Sarrazin ahead of Minassian) and Bouillon(Pescarolo) :eek:

Live-times are locked since several minutes :rolleyes:

New pictures of yesterday free sessions :bounce:
http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=3464&mode=&order=0&thold=0

[Erki]

I'm surprised of the fifth overall and LMP1 by Bob Berridge. Didn't see that one coming. :s hock: (Although he was fast already at HTTT)

[Tom206wrc]

End of last free session !!!

The Peugeot drivers didn't manage(or didn't try??) to do a better time than Mücke despite they improved their pace(Sarrazin was 6/100th slower than the Lola-Judd, and Minassian was 3/10th slower)... ;)

This afternoon(at 2.00pm) is the qualifying session...

[1LM1]

I'm surprised of the fifth overall and LMP1 by Bob Berridge. Didn't see that one coming. :s hock: (Although he was fast already at HTTT)


Yes. In fact, Berridge is quite old but quite fast.

[Erki]

Quali: http://www.lemans-series.com/results/monza/lmsent.htm
Pugs 1.5 seconds faster than anyone else. :(
They're even lapping faster than the World Series by Renault cars. :eek:

[Tom206wrc]

I can't tell my happiness with Pug's qualifying results !!! :bounce: :bounce:

Amazing job by Minassian and Sarrazin gathered in the same second !! :up:

[harvick#1]

good to see the Oreca Saleen on the GT1 pole :D

but holy cow did Peugeot run some fast laps

[Funks]

Did anybody expect anything less though? Now they are saying that they aren't over confident about the reliablity... hmmm, yeah, ok!

[Erki]

I fully expected Pug to lock in the front row. :)

What I did NOT expect was the speed form the Charouz Lola. :eek: Yeah, they were already fast at Paul Ricard but I thought it was a fluke. But it wasn't... :eek:

[harvick#1]

no

a V12 is a V12, will beat a V8-V10 any day of the week

I think the series' should look into this about forcing the R10/908 to run a V10

[Erki]

Why wouldn't other engine buidlers build a V12 if it's better then? Is it more expensive?

[harvick#1]

most likely.

I don't think Judd will sell many because then Pescarolo and Dome will have to redo their cars to fit the engine, and they don't have that money most likely

[tannat]

no

a V12 is a V12, will beat a V8-V10 any day of the week

I think the series' should look into this about forcing the R10/908 to run a V10


When F1 was running V8s, V10s, and V12s (V10s were mandated in the late 90s, I think) it was the V10s that always perofrmed better.

It should be said this was in the early ferrari Schumaker era (before ferrari go their act together), and the V8 efforts were not so intense (only Ford/cosworth I believe).

It was a 3.5 liter formula at that time, and the ACO/FIA aren't regaulated as such, so perhaps a V12 could outperform a V10 or V8 at any displacement

Good beer argument :up:

[cybersdorf]

a V12 is a V12, will beat a V8-V10 any day of the week
As can be seen in the GT class where the V8 Corvette has won Le Mans - how many times now? - against the V12 armada... - it's not that easy I'm afraid.

[Erki]

Arrgh...

Does anyone else find that those LMS screen graphics is a POS?

I really have to go and grab my crayons... :p :

Race is going to start very soon. :burnout:

[harvick#1]

race is on now,

after 73 laps

Pug #7 is winning, ahead of #16 Pescarolo, #18 Rollcentre Pescarolo, #17 Pescarolo, #19 Chamberlain-Synergy Lola

P2 has RML in lead and 6th overall
#12 Alphand Advantures C6R is leading GT1 and 12th overall
#97 GPC Sport Ferrari 430 GT is leading GT2 and 16th overall

Pug #8 is 10th overall

[harvick#1]

just as I say post this Rollcentre #18 is out of the race :s

[harvick#1]

Race Update after 135 laps

1. #7 Team Peugeot Total P1
2. #16 Pescarolo Sport P1
3. #17 Pescarolo Sport P1
4. #8 Team Peugeot Total P1
5. #18 Rollcentre Racing P1
6. #13 Courage Competition P1
7. #27 Horag Racing P2
8. #25 RML P2
9. #72 Alphand Adventures GT1
10. #50 Aston Martin Larbre GT1
15. #97 GPC Sport GT2

[1LM1]

Yes ! I am so happy.
Peugeot did a great job to achieve this result. Good reliabilty for a first race. :up:
Exciting.

[Tom206wrc]

Victory for Gené/Minassian ahead of Bouillon/Collard and Lamy/Sarrazin !!! :bounce: :bounce:

Both 908 on podium, but what amazed me the most was that appart gearbox on the 908 number 8, and doors of both 908s(!!!) no real major reliability warnings !!! :eek: :up:

[harvick#1]

as long as they were realiable they were gonna win, there really wasn't any competition for them until Lemans with the R10

[Tom206wrc]

Lots more pictures of Monza LMS on Motorspot.COM !!! :bounce:


http://www.motorsport.com/photos/select.asp?S=LMS&E=Monza/Saturday_practice&Y=2007

New added galleries: saturday practice, saturday qualifying, sunday warm-up and sunday race ;)

[Thumper]

it seems odd that RML did buy a new Lola

Slightly confused here . . . RML are still running the MG EX264, and have not bought a "new Lola". It's basically the same car they've run for the past two seasons, although development has continued under the skin.

No new body kit, as yet, either. Still waiting for definitive proof that the 2007 aero kit is significantly better. On Monza showing, the advantages, if any, are not huge, since Tommy still set fastest race lap and established a new LMP2 record for the track of 1:42.268.

Looking longer term, there are not believed to be any plans for RML to move up to the Lola Coupé, which should become available in October.

[Tom206wrc]

Another superb report of Monza with lots of high-res. pics !!! :bounce:


http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame.php?file=event_item&rid=137

[Tom206wrc]

You also have other pics on http://www.crash.net :)

[Tom206wrc]

At last !!!! :p :


I was desperatly wondering where I could find pics of the 207 Spider Cup in Monza, but finally here they are !!! :D

http://www.feline207.net/site/modules/myalbum/viewcat.php?cid=135

[Erki]

Best picture of the set: http://www.feline207.net/site/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=4545 :p :

[Scuderia ferrari]

At last !!!! :p :


I was desperatly wondering where I could find pics of the 207 Spider Cup in Monza, but finally here they are !!! :D

http://www.feline207.net/site/modules/myalbum/viewcat.php?cid=135

Thanks, i too was wondering about that race, thanks for the link and congrats to pug on their first win at monza!

[benjabulle]

Argh too late, my photos from Monza :
http://www.gurneyflap.com/monzalmes07.html