30 years of Toyota at Le Mans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBv87T_JFB8

 

LM24: Ford GT40 Stories - Mario Andretti

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Marshall Pruett (words & images)
RACER looks back at the legendary Ford GT40 program that dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans with four consecutive wins from 1966-1969 in a series of new interviews with the iconic drivers who represented the Blue Oval.

Mario Andretti took part in Ford's first two trips to Le Mans, partnering with Belgium's Lucien Bianchi. Andretti's star was on the rise in America after making an impressive debut at the Indy 500 in 1965, and he followed up that third-place finish with pole position for the 1966 race (left) just 19 days before making his first start at Le Mans in a GT40. Andretti and Bianchi were unable to reach the finish line in both outings, but did witness the sister cars of Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren win in 1966 and A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney capture victory in 1967.


On his first big factory opportunity with Ford: "It was fantastic program because it was really a total commitment from the top. Mr. Ford, he had the ambitious goal to win at all costs. Because of that, there was extensive, extensive development. And what worked for me was the fact that I really wanted to do as much road racing as possible, because I wasn't [yet] driving in Formula 1 and there was no other chance to do a lot of it here [in the U.S.] since I was in Indy cars."


On learning from teammates and developing the Ford GT40s: "Being alongside a lot of Formula 1 drivers, Bruce McLaren in particular, he and I really, really got on well. And we used to talk about technique. Hairpin techniques. He was one of the masters on hairpins. I used to go watch him whenever I would be finished. The high-speed [corners], I had it pretty good but [in the hairpins], I learned a lot from Bruce.
"Again, it's just the amount of miles that were put under my belt with that program; it was just golden for me. To drive at Le Mans with Ford... I didn't have much luck, obviously. We went to Sebring when we first brought out the Mark IV, the first race with the Mark IV (below), I was part of that development, which had to happen very, very quick after we got killed in Daytona by Ferrari."


On Ford's massive dedication to winning Le Mans: "Overall, that was a wonderful program to be a part of because, as I said, it was just a major commitment. Just to give you an example: in 1967, I think, there was a flaw and all the windshields at the line of vision. And it was really a huge problem. They put all their windshields in first class – they bought first-class seats to get their windshields to Paris – and then to us so they can install them. It was a crack; they kept cracking right at the line of vision [on] all the cars. So there was a basic flaw. Only Ford could do that -– they would've bought a freaking airliner just to get them over there."


On the amazing speed of the GT40 at Le Mans: "In 1966 or 1967, I set a record at Mulsanne and that is when I just gritted my teeth and did the kink flat and I went shoulder to shoulder. I think we were somewhere around 240 miles an hour at one o'clock in the morning. That is when the engine performed best. It was 237mph ... some crazy speed."

 

2016
Ford GT Documentary the return chapter 1: The decision
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd-HyazYbCU

 

Ford GT Documentary the return chapter 2: The cutting edge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQYuBZ-2ug

 

Ford GT Documentary the return chapter 3: Let's race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4r5nJ-Qi-0

The Return: Chapter 4 (The Driver's Perspective) | Ford GT Documentary | FORD PERFORMANCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMFaxZFoMSA

Published on Jun 17, 2016 chapter 5

After a year of development, the Ford GT takes on its toughest challenge yet – the Le Mans 24 Hours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt90qhRlyIA

 

LM24: Technical specs for every car in 2016

Tuesday, 14 June 2016


Marshall Pruett (words and images)
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is loaded with amazingly diverse machinery. Keeping track of the unique characteristics within the three primary classes (LMP1, LMP2, and GTE) is hard enough, and if you take a deeper look inside each of those classes, the differences from one car to the next can be rather significant.
To help you get ready for the 84th running of the world's biggest race, here is RACER's look at the basics with each model on the grid, starting with the wild, Formula 1-level LMP1 Hybrids.
LMP1 (Hybrid): A maximum of two hybrid energy recovery systems (ERS) for a combined total of 8 megajoules, restricted to 300kw (approximately 400hp) boost for Le Mans. Maximum length: 4650mm/183 in. Maximum width 1900mm/74.8in. Minimum height: 1050mm/41.3in. Minimum weight 875kg/1929lb.
Audi R18 e-tron quattro

• Engine: 4.0-liter single turbo diesel V6, deployed to the rear wheels
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 514 hp, over 627 ft-lb
• ERS System: 6 megajoules with lithium-ion battery storage, single motor generator unit (MGU) driven by the front axles, deployed to the front wheels
• Transmission: 6-speed
• Standard fuel capacity: 49.9 liters

Porsche 919 Hybrid (right)

• Engine: 2.0-liter single turbo V4
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 500 hp, unspecified
• ERS System: 8 megajoules with lithium-ion battery storage, motor generator unit (MGU) driven by the front axles plus exhaust-driven ERS, both deployed to the front wheels
• Transmission: 7-speed
• Standard fuel capacity: 62.5 liters

Toyota TS050 Hybrid

• Engine: 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 500 hp, unspecified
• ERS System: 8 megajoules with lithium-ion battery storage, dual motor generator units (MGU) driven by the front and rear axles, deployed to the front and rear wheels
• Transmission: 7-speed
• Standard fuel capacity: 62.5 liters

LMP1 (Non-Hybrid): Maximum length: 4650mm/183 in. Maximum width 1900mm/74.8in. Minimum height: 1050mm/41.3in. Minimum weight 850kg/1874lb.
CLM P1/01 (right)

• Engine: 2.4-liter AER twin-turbo V6
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 600 hp, unspecified
• Transmission: 6-speed

Rebellion R-One

• Engine: 2.4-liter AER twin-turbo V6
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 600 hp, unspecified
• Transmission: 6-speed

LMP2: No ERS, 500 hp power target, 75 liters of fuel, 6-speed transmissions. Maximum length: 4610mm/181.5 in. Maximum width 2000mm/78.7in. Minimum height: 1030mm/40.5in. Minimum weight 900kg/1984lb.
Alpine A460 (rebranded ORECA 05)

• Engine: 4.5-liter Nissan V8

BR01

• Engine: 4.5-liter Nissan V8

Gibson 015S

• Engine: 4.5-liter Nissan V8

Ligier JS P2

• Engines: 2.8-liter Honda Performance Development twin-turbo V6, 3.6-liter Judd V8, 4.5-liter Nissan V8

Morgan

• Engine: 4.5-liter Nissan V8

Oreca 03R

• Engine: 3.6-liter Judd V8

ORECA 05

• Engine: 4.5-liter Nissan V8

GTE: No ERS. Dimensions vary per model. Minimum weight: 1240kg/2733lb.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage (right)

• Engine: 4.3-liter V8
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 480 hp, 368 ft-lb
• Transmission: 6-speed

Corvette C7.R

• Engine: 5.5-liter V8
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 490 hp, unspecified
• Transmission: 6-speed

Ferrari 488

• Engine: 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: Unspecified
• Transmission: 6-speed

Ford GT

• Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: Unspecified
• Transmission: 7-speed

Porsche 911 RSR

• Engine: 4.0-liter flat-6
• Claimed Engine Power and Torque: 470 hp, unspecified
• Transmission: 6-speed

 

PRUETT: 24 Hours - Nine things to watch
Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Marshall Pruett (Images by Pruett, LAT)
Here are the key storylines to watch for in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans:
THE OVAL IS BLEU
Ford. Ford. And more Ford. The Blue Oval's return to Le Mans is the biggest story of the event, and we expect the four-car team's presence to place a greater emphasis on the GTE-Pro class throughout the 24 hours of TV coverage.
That's a shame for the excellent LMP2 class, which usually puts on the best show, but with an icon like Ford back at the international sports car table, it's more than understandable.
If there's an adjustment to make on Ford's return, it could be in how the brand's history at Le Mans, and its iconic wins against Ferrari in the 1960s, carries no weight today. Ford vs. Ferrari? Not today. The only rivalry that matters in 2016 is of the Michigan kind.
Although Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche will be involved in the fight, the significance of Ford's return — and any success it may have — will be judged against Corvette Racing, its home state rival. Sports car fans from other countries might have an eye on the theoretical rekindling of the 1960s rivalry that made Le Mans so special, but in the USA, Le Mans 2016 is all about the Bowtie vs. the Blue Oval.
UNSAVORY SIX
Coming out of the 2015 race where 11 LMP1 Hybrids served as the featured content, a drastic reduction to just two apiece from Audi, Porsche and Toyota is an unsavory change.
There are valid reasons for the decrease; the three factory Nissans are gone, and with the diesel emissions scandal that hit the Volkswagen Audi (and Porsche) Group last summer — and the pending fines, which are expected to be massive — Audi and Porsche tightened their belts and left their third entries behind.
Subtract three Nissans and one each from the German teams, and those 11 featured Hybrid prototypes turned into six for 2016.
OVERALL GROWTH
Even with the shrunken LMP1 Hybrid ranks, a pit lane expansion after the 2015 race that added garage spaces closer toward Turn 1 has allowed the ACO to increase the grid from 56 to 60 cars.
By the numbers:
2015's 14 LMP1s (Hybrid and standard) have become nine in 2016.
2015's 19 LMP2s have become 23 in 2016.
2015's nine GTE-Pros have become 14 in 2016.
2015's 14 GTE-Ams have become 13 in 2016.
And the return of the Garage 56 entry in 2016 has added the final car to the field, an LMP2 car with special controls fitted for quadriplegic driver Frédéric Sausset.
KICKED IN THE JOULES
We had a feeling what we were seeing for pole speeds in 2015 would be the last of their kind, and we were right. The ACO stepped in to slow its fearsome LMP1 Hybrids by taking away somewhere between eight to 10 percent of the fuel the six cars from Audi, Porsche and Toyota are allowed to consume per lap.
That's the big difference with today's top prototype class. The ACO regulates the size of the fuel tank for each P1 car, and then adds an additional layer of control by dictating how much fuel can be burned during each 8.5-mile lap of the circuit. They use fuel flow sensors to capture that information in real time, and if a car is caught using more than permitted, the driver can make it up on the next lap by "giving back" the overage, which means that lap will be slower than normal.
As rule makers continue to take fuel away from the internal combustion engines found in LMP1 Hybrids, manufacturers spend untold millions to claw back lap time and speed through other means. The engine-based performance loss has been partially mitigated through improved energy recovery systems — think of it as electric horsepower — and greater aerodynamic efficiency.
Those efforts were on display during the test day on June 5th as Audi's R18 topped the event with a 3:21.375 lap, and with a clear track and better conditions, drivers suggested more speed could be found. But with the new fuel reduction in mind, all three manufacturers would be hard-pressed to match last year's pole time of 3m16.887s, and provided they have a dry track and a clear lap, the 2016 pole is expected to be a few seconds slower than the lap record set in 2015.

 

We won't know how much the LMP1 Hybrid fuel change will impact qualifying and race speeds until track activity gets under way, but it was interesting to see how the fuel reduction altered top speeds during the test. LMP1 Hybrid drivers use the end of the straights to lift and save fuel, and with that need increasing for 2016, the cars posting the best lap times were not the fastest on the Mulsanne.
The 2015 test day was rarely dry, which makes a direct comparison hard, but if we look at the top speed set during qualifying, Audi's R18 led all LMP1s with at 341.3 kph/212 mph. In the morning and afternoon sessions on Sunday, the two non-hybrid twin-turbo 2.4-liter V6 AER-powered Rebellion R-Ones went 1-2. The No. 12 Rebellion posted a best of 336 kph/208.7 mph, the sister No. 13 posted a 334.9 kph/208.0 mph, and the best of the big hybrids went to an Audi R18 with a 332.9 kph/206.8 mph.
Minus hybrid systems, the ACO makes sure those AER engines have plenty of power, and some of the P1 cars could have been carrying more downforce while searching for the best race setups, but it's still interesting to see the most advanced prototypes on the planet falling behind the second-tier LMP1s due to restrictive fuel regulations.
NEW CARS APLENTY
Audi has changed everything but its engine with the new 2016 R18. Toyota's TS050 is new from front to back. Ferrari's twin-turbo V8 488 and Ford's twin-turbo V6 GT are new to Le Mans. At a time where most sports cars undergo small year-to-year design evolutions, 18 percent of the grid will roll off on Sunday in models that weren't seen in 2015.
CURTAIN CALL
The LMP2 class is headed for its final race at Le Mans under the current technical regulations. The mix of open- and closed-top cars, multitude of engine types, and diversity in chassis constructors will give way to the ACO's new vision for 2017. Four chassis manufacturers (Dallara, Onroak, ORECA, and Riley/Multimatic), and a single V8 engine supplier (Gibson) will replace the impressive variety currently found in LMP2.
And provided a few American teams from IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship make the trip next year, some of IMSA's 2017 P2s, its "Daytona Prototype international" cars could add some spice.
Including the Garage 56 entry, 40 percent of the 2016 field is comprised of LMP2s. Will it be the same next year? We can only hope the ACO's new formula has the kind of response from team owners that the current formula inspired.
THE AMERICANS
Two dozen American drivers and 10 entries from the USA have brought a healthy dose of the Stars and Stripes to Le Mans.
France-loving teams like Corvette Racing, Krohn Racing, Risi Competizione, Scuderia Corsa and Tequila Patron ESM have become part of the Le Mans experience, and with first timers Michael Shank Racing and Ford Chip Ganassi Racing added to the roster, one out of every six cars in this year's race will bear the Stars and Stripes.
A SAFER WAY
A spate of nasty crashes at some of the fastest sections around Le Mans led the ACO to introduce SAFER Barrier technology for the first time. It's worth remembering the giant circuit is mostly comprised of public highways; only the interior Le Mans Bugatti circuit is active throughout the year.
Lining miles of public road with SAFER Barriers isn't feasible, which makes their newfound use at the Porsche Curves, where clashes between prototypes and GTs have become commonplace, one of the better uses of money and resources by the ACO.

 

LM24: Ford GT40 Stories - Dan Gurney

Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Marshall Pruett / Images by Pruett, LAT
RACER looks back at the legendary Ford GT40 program that dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans with four consecutive wins from 1966-1969 in a series of new interviews with the iconic drivers who represented the Blue Oval.
Dan Gurney made his first start at Le Mans in 1958, and by the time he joined the Ford GT40 program, "All American Dan Gurney" had grown accustomed to packing up and leaving the circuit long before the race was over. Prior to Ford, seven out of Gurney's eight trips to Le Mans ended prematurely, and he and co-driver Jerry Grant weren't immune from reliability issues on their GT40 debut in 1966. By 1967, and with a new approach in mind, Gurney and fellow great A.J. Foyt took their Ford to victory – the second consecutive win for the brand at Le Mans - and thanks to Dan's cheeky sense of humor, the tradition of spraying champagne from the podium was born that day. Dan Gurney did not drink alcohol......
On taking lessons from Le Mans driver/entrant Briggs Cunningham to Ford: "Well, I will tell you, after eight or nine times, I realized that I could drive pretty fast, and it was faster than Briggs Cunningham could drive, but Cunningham used to finish ahead of me every single time. And I thought to myself, dang bust it, that is trying to tell me something. At that time, it was much more of an endurance race than a race. Briggs could do a very good job of not beating up on the car. I had adopted the Briggs Cunningham method of running at Le Mans. In the end, you have to decide whether you a driver that wants to beat your teammate by going fast, or collaborate and try and win the race. I was in a transitional stage at that time."

On applying those lessons en route to victory in 1967: "Really, the thing that I got from Cunningham was the fact that I spoke to my good friend AJ Foyt for '67 in that story, and he was receptive enough that we both ended up driving the car carefully like that. We ended up upping the average speed for the whole race, we had a trouble-free race, and Briggs would have been happy."

On setting a careful tone of saving the car with Foyt from the moment practice began: "I never ran the car within four seconds of what it would have done if you wanted to go for it. I spent a lot of time with AJ, who was at the peak of his international fame at the time, really; I don't think he really believed me at first, of me talking about how Cunningham ran.

"Bravery doesn't enter into it but skill and lap time does. If you do go for it and all of the sudden it is hard for the teammate to match it or equal it, or whatever it would be, all of the sudden he's going to start breaking the rules that we were trying to live by to try and go faster. And that is just normal with many drivers or teammates."
On the internecine rivalry between the two camps running GT40s for Ford: "Well, when you drive for Ford Motor Company and there are competing factions – some of the cars are entered by Carroll Shelby, or Shelby American, the others are from Holman Moody – and there are lots of different combination of IndyCar drivers and other drivers, some of which don't have a whole lot of road race experience, not to mention endurance racing, that was a politically volatile situation to be in."

On Ford's expectation for the Foyt/Gurney GT40, and their differing (and ultimately successful) agenda: "I think AJ and I were expected to be the rabbits in this fight. I got the car dialed in a little bit before AJ came and I wanted to get it where it had the right balance too, aerodynamically. Once I did, why, he was happy with it. But when we went to qualify, I think we qualified seventh or eighth. He came in, said "What's going on? What is wrong with the car?" That kind of stuff. I said, "The car's great. Don't worry about it." [Ford] just didn't want to hear that. To them it was a 24-hour race. And to us it was finally emulating [Briggs] Cunningham, and this was my 10th attempt, so I wasn't going to let that [call to be the rabbit] cloud the vision.
"You wouldn't expect something to go haywire if you were not abusing the car. You try to say, well, wait a minute, [after] 10 years, you ought to [learn and] apply something.


Marshall Pruett / Image by LAT Dan Gurney, the 85-year-old American icon and winner of the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the great French endurance race that started in 1958, the lessons he learned and indelible memories that came from 10 visits, and what it was like racing and winning for Ford with A.J. Foyt in the legendary GT40 Mk IV.

 

[h=2]LM24: Ford GT40 Stories - David Hobbs[/h] Thursday, 16 June 2016



Marshall Pruett / Images by LAT

RACER looks back at the legendary Ford GT40 program that dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans with four consecutive wins from 1966-1969 in a series of new interviews with the iconic drivers who represented the Blue Oval.
After making six Le Mans starts from 1962-1967, David Hobbs was drafted in to partner with Paul Hawkins in 1968 and the late motorcycle champion and Formula 1 ace Mike Hailwood in 1969. Coming off the 1967 event where he partnered with F1 champion John Surtees in a Lola T70, Hobbs was searching for new opportunities and found a home with Ford during its final two attempts with the GT40 at Le Mans.
Hobbs and Hawkins had little to celebrate after the car broke early in the 1968 race, but teammates Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi were able to secure the win. With Hailwood at his side the following year, the duo helped Ford to farewell the 24 Hour with a fine third as teammates Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver won in a sister GT40.


On how the Ford opportunity came together: "At the end of 1967, things looked a little bleak. I got a call from David York who worked for John Wyer (left) at the Gulf team, and asked me if I would drive the GT40 in 1968 and 1969. Obviously, I said, 'absolutely.' I mean, that was my first real proper factory drive. And I had already been driving now for 10 years because I started in 1959. His rationale for asking me was, if you are good enough to drive for John Surtees, you are probably good enough to drive for us."


On his Ford GT40 debut and the odd Sept. 28-29 race date: "1968, of course, the race was held in a funny time of the year, in September because of the election or a strike or something in June. And, of course, the other car, the regular drivers, both were injured, Brian [Redman] and Ickx. They had Lucien Bianchi and Pedro [Rodriguez] driving. We were leading the thing at eight o'clock at night when the engine broke.
"He and I both complained about vibration from the car on Thursday night's practice. And on Friday, they were doing the strip-down in this garage right outside the hotel. And they found the exhaust pipe was just touching the frame. They said, do you think that is the vibration?
"So we took [the GT40] out on the road, the local village road. And we blasted down there at 150 miles an hour with me sitting on the floor on the passenger side and Paul driving. [I said] "What do you think? [Paul said] "I don't know, it's hard to tell out here." Anyway, the f***ing thing broke the next day when we were leading. Of course, the other two did win it."


On the 1969 race: "In 1969, [it] was the last year of the Le Mans start. So Jackie Ickx expressed his displeasure by just walking across the road, whereas I, on the other hand, made a very good start and was in the leading bunch. Right behind me, after going to the White House [corner], [Porsche 917 driver] John Woolfe crashed at White House and was killed. Took Chris Amon out in the Ferrari, and did all sorts of other damage. Of course, Jackie Ickx was behind [us]. So the end of two hours, I had a lap lead on Ickx and Oliver in the other car. And we maintained that lead right through to five o'clock in the morning, when I had a brake failure going down to the Mulsanne hairpin.
"I went down the escape road and came back to the pits slowly. David York said, 'Well, it needs new pads.' I said, 'It is more than pads because it was so sudden'. He said, 'Leave the technical stuff to us and you just worry about the driving'. They changed the pads which was quite a [task] in those days.