2009 ALMS Speculation

[dj4monie]

According to Murphy's latest blog post - http://murphythebear.com/blog/index....d-is/#more-274

He expects 20-25 cars for the sprint races. Given the bottom has not dropped yet (experts say mid 2009 when second wave of interest rates peak) he doesn't have much hope for more entires and neither do I.

But I'll go ahead and put up WHO I think will show up

P1/LMP1 -

(2) Audi Sport North American (Champion Racing)
(1) Acura/HPD Sirius/XM/Panasonic
(1) Acura/HDP Patron Forbes Highcroft

Your race winners will come from one of these four cars

Of those that might get a 2nd or 3rd place finish but not constantly threaten for wins -

(1) Corsa/Zytek

This jives with Murphy's feeling of 5-6 cars in P1.

P2/LMP2 -

(1) Acura/HPD Lowe's Fernandez
(2) Mazda Sport/Lola - BP
(2) Mazda Sport/Lola - Therford/Norcold
*(1) 2nd Acura/HPD

So LMP2 will shrink from 4-5 potential race winners and overall winners to 5-6 cars total, disappointing...

GT1 is dead after Mid Ohio, Murphy seems to think that's the race (#5 of 11 in the season) where the new GT2 (2010 spec) Corvette will make its debt.

GT2 -

Tafel is was being coy with Radio Le Mans during open testing for the final race (which they won).

I know Ferrari is planning some pretty interesting changes to the 430 GT2 including the rumor of using wider/larger GT1 rear tires, much like the 911/997 GT3 RSR and Direct Injection for the new 4.0L engine which will improve power/torque and economy.

As one of the two openly available competitive GT2 cars on the market and Tony Dowe's glowing review of his relationship with Michelotto at the start of the season, I doubt they'll be making the jump to another car....

I am a fan of the 430 and I still believe its the car to beat even with Porsche's improvements to the RSR. 2008 FIA GT Championship, 2008 LMS GT2 Championship, 2nd in the ALMS, most victories in the ALMS, LMS and FIA GT and defending Le Mans GT2 Champion (1-2 finish at Le Mans), confirms that...

I don't think much will change as Ferrari also has the quickest drivers under its umbrella - G. Bruni, J. Melo & R. Bell

Tafel might loose Dirk Muller to the RLR BMW M3 effort since Muller's ties to BMW run pretty deep.

Radio Le Mans/Mid Week Motorsports has speculated and pretty much says that 3 time WTCC Champion for BMW, Andy Priaulx will join RLR. Other rumored drivers for that team -

Jorg Muller
Augusto Farfus
Joey Hand
Bill Auberlen

We might loose both Ford GT's and Lord Drayson will run the LMS next season. Looks like Primetime's funding for a P2 has fell through so it looks like another season of development for the Viper Competition Coupe. PTG will continue updated Panoz.

Porsche is all over the place actually....

I expect most of the key players to return as far as drivers are concerned. The same amount of factory supported cars will remain the same.

Flying Lizard will drop its 3rd car (its pretty much been confirmed that the 3rd car was for just one season) and run two cars, not sure how that works out with 5 competitive drivers and only 2 cars.

FBL will take on a second car and have access to factory drivers.

I think the Porsche Driver lineup for North America will look slightly different, I'll take a stab at it -

Jorg Bergmeister - Flying Lizards
Wolf Hezler - Unknown
Patrick Pilet - Unknown
Richard Westbrook - Farnbacher-Loles (i'm pretty sure about this one)
Jorg Hardt - Farnbacher-Loles

Mark Lieb is finished with his studies I believe, so he might be ready to a full time NA assignment.

Of course we won't know anything until Porsche announces its intentions sometime in Dec or Jan, usually around the Essen Motor Show. But I think you can use PEN on Westbrook and FBL...

Please discuss....

[Claus Hansen]

I think your more or less spot on...
I would love to see Corvette due the same as Aston Martin, and run a GT1 engine in a LMP1 car... A yellow Lola, that could be something...
The Acura, i cant wait to see it, the LMP2 car is stunning to look at !
GT2 does not intrest me, but its nice to roadcars racing !

[wedge]

Nice to see Paul Drayson back racing next year. I thought he was going back into politics full time.

Priaulx should be in the M3s next year. He's got nothing left to prove in WTCC as a multiple champ.

LMGT2 is going to be awesome. Is RLR running LM next year. Can't remember if they said they were concentrating on ALMS.

[Funks]

I'll be astonished if there isn't an RS Spyder in P2 somewhere....

[Scuderia ferrari]

Nice to see Paul Drayson back racing next year. I thought he was going back into politics full time.

Priaulx should be in the M3s next year. He's got nothing left to prove in WTCC as a multiple champ.

LMGT2 is going to be awesome. Is RLR running LM next year. Can't remember if they said they were concentrating on ALMS.

I doubt he'd go running to ALMS. If anywhere it would be BTCC or LMS if he moved, but i highly doubt it

The car entries in the prototype field are appallingly low. They should take a leaf out of the LMS's book.

[wedge]

I doubt he'd go running to ALMS. If anywhere it would be BTCC or LMS if he moved, but i highly doubt it

Why?

I'd thought Priaulx would rather stay with BMW jump into a BMW factory team in BTCC but can't see it happening yet.

Endurance racing is the next level up after Touring Cars. ALMS is far more lucrative, GT1 is dying and the 'Vettes are moving down to GT2 and the competition has been extremely close every year.

Unless Priaulx he has aspirations for prototypes then I can see him breaking ties with BMW.

[Sleeper]

Nice to see Paul Drayson back racing next year. I thought he was going back into politics full time.

Priaulx should be in the M3s next year. He's got nothing left to prove in WTCC as a multiple champ.

LMGT2 is going to be awesome. Is RLR running LM next year. Can't remember if they said they were concentrating on ALMS.

No chance of RLR at Le Mans next year, the car is built to the ALMS GT2S rules, which arent legal for Le Mans. There are some discussions about how to accomidate cars like the M3 into GT2 for 2010, though.

I hope Dyson, Andretti-Green and Fernandez can take the fight to the P1's again next year but at the moment Porsche's prototype programe looks ratehr shakey on both sides of the Atlantic with no one confirmed to race them.

[courageous]

Drayson can't do LMS or Le Mans unless they change the rules - ACO doesn't allow blind drivers (Yes, Paul is blind in one eye!)

[wmcot]

I'll be surprised if Penske isn't back with Porsche. He seems to thrive on domination!

[Tom206wrc]

BK Motorsport is stopping the ALMS as team boss David Bach has decided to retire

Who will run the Lola Mazda Coupé now