Le Mans 2011

[Gnam]

One week to prepare for zee, 79th race of the 24 Heures du Mans:

Spotters Guide: http://www.spotterguides.com/le-mans-2011-guide
Live Timing & Scoring: TBA

Event Schedule: (all times EST)


Wednesday, June 8
10am – 2pm Free practice
4 - 6pm Qualifying (dark)

Thursday, June 9
1 - 3pm Qualifying (evening)
4 – 6pm Qualifying (dark)

Saturday, June 11: 9:00 am Start

Sunday, June 12 9:00 am Finish

Speed coverage: (all times EST)


8:30 am (tv), The Start
11:30 am (stream)

3:30 pm (tv), Evening
8:00 pm (stream)

11:00 pm (tv), Night into Day
6:00a - 9:30am (tv), The Finish
Total broadcast time = [18 heures]

[opinionated ow]

No coverage at all in Australia for the first time in years. SOOOOOOOOO annoyed!

[opinionated ow]

No coverage at all in Australia for the first time in years. SOOOOOOOOO annoyed!

well there is but it doesn't start until about 2 hours after the race start! WTF is the point?!? Seriously, MotoGP qualifying can go jump!

[emjaya]

Stop whinging, at least they are showing something.

Do you want me to go all old-timer on you and tell you about watching motor racing in the 1980's. It starts off bad with Darryl Eastlake and just gets worse...

[TrueBrit]

Don't forget live streaming audio of quallies on radiolemans.com beginning today...

[Cam]

Stop whinging, at least they are showing something.

Do you want me to go all old-timer on you and tell you about watching motor racing in the 1980's. It starts off bad with Darryl Eastlake and just gets worse...

Thank you Mart. I was about to go all medevil on the whippersnappers arse. :rolleyes:

[Gnam]

Live timing and Scoring: http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h-du-mans/live-2011/live-timing.html

One hour to go in the first Qualifying session.

[Trevor Longman]

Video Feed: http://bbc-player.com/eurosport2.html

Only 15 minutes left

[TrueBrit]

Will someone, for the love of dog, tell Scott Pruett how to pronounce the word "Mulsanne"....:shakehead:rolleyes::mad:

[RTKar]

Some over aggresive driving by McNish I think. Lucky no one was hurt as debri rained down on the photogs & marshalls.

[NismoZ]

REALLY TB, a Brit lecturing an American on how to pronounce French!? I bet the Japanese are sick of an Australian saying Maaazda all the time, too! FOCUS, man, we have 23 hours to go!:)

[SteveH]

:laugh:

[cameraman]

The tv director sucks. Are they working on the track? How about ****ing showing us what is happening in the corner:flame:

[NismoZ]

I was going to say that McNish Audi ad was the best race car commercial I've ever seen, then moments later...THAT! So many observations to make about that wreck but I have to believe the Ferrari never saw the Audi coming. Beltoise just said as much. The worst part of it (or best?) was how close the Audi came to clearing that barrier. I shudder to think...are they certain everyone on the other side was OK?

[opinionated ow]

We're now getting the speed on a 2 and a half hour delay...I'm so glad that you guys got Diffey, I don't miss him. And Pruett really does need some lessons in saying Mulsanne. How does it become muls-a-lane?

[dando]

Holy crap (or holy scheisse as the commentators put it)! Look out for the bouncing tire! :eek:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/11/allan-mcnishs-terrifying-audi-r18-tdi-le-mans-crash/

-Kevin

[dando]

McNish released from the hospital. :thumbup:

-Kevin

[Tifosi24]

Holy crap (or holy scheisse as the commentators put it)! Look out for the bouncing tire! :eek:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/11/allan-mcnishs-terrifying-audi-r18-tdi-le-mans-crash/

-Kevin

I just watched the video and that crash was really scary. I also noticed that the German commentator didn't censor himself, that was my initial response. The bouncing tire and the fact that the car was only one to two feet away from clearing the fence, everyone is seriously lucky that 8 or 10 people, minimum, weren't killed or critically injured. To me, it looks like the very end of the gravel trap caused McNish's car to get air right before the tire barrier.

[opinionated ow]

Having had a good look at that, the car only got air when it hit the tyre bundle on the edge of the access gap in the fence. if that had been a flush fenceline, I don't think the car would have got air not disintegrated as dramatically.

[Michaelhatesfans]

Wow, that was a very un-McNish move. Watch the other cars in the shot and you can see how far he was past his braking point. Glad everyone's ok...

[dando]

Mikey Waltrip driving @ Le Mans? :eek:

-Kevin

[extramundane]

Driving's about all he's doing- based on his lap times, he damned sure isn't racing.

[SteveH]

Another brutal Audi crash.

[NismoZ]

Pray for Rocky...report says he climbed over the rail to the ambulance on his own power!?:eek: Hard to believe! God, I hope it's true. Was that one of the Corvettes he clipped, no a Ferrari...at, what....about 189+? Still reports saying he got out on his own power. WHOA! He's OK!!! Going to get a drink now. See you LATER...pant, pant:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:.

[TrueBrit]

Man that crash looked brutal...but apparently driver's okay...which means the Krauts are still making some pretty tough tanks...:D

Another Ferrari vs Audi wreck...this time the Ferrari was definitely at fault...

[NismoZ]

OFFICIAL (from Audi garage) report...Rockenfeller is "heading to medical to get thouroughly checked out" and team members were seen throwing hi-5s!? That's good, right?

[TrueBrit]

OFFICIAL (from Audi garage) report...Rockenfeller is "heading to medical to get thouroughly checked out" and team members were seen throwing hi-5s!? That's good, right?

Yes, that's good...:thumbup:

[cameraman]

If it is true that Rockenfeller got out of the car and walked to the ambulance then people at the ACO need to be shot for making everyone wait for this ridiculous amount of time without even confirming that he is even alive.

[extramundane]

Mike Rockenfeller has small flesh wound to right arm but otherwise no other injuries

[TrueBrit]

Amazing..."it's only a flesh wound!"...

[TrueBrit]

REALLY TB, a Brit lecturing an American on how to pronounce French!? I bet the Japanese are sick of an Australian saying Maaazda all the time, too! FOCUS, man, we have 23 hours to go!:)

Problem easily solved, Speed TV on the telly with sound off, Radio Le Mans on the netbook for the commentary...perfect!!

[opinionated ow]

Damn Dallara builds a tough chassis. The fact that the survival cell was undamaged in both those accidents is truly amazing!

[Gnam]

Eurosport live feed:

http://www.justin.tv/freddy49_lemans#/w/1323407840/2

[Gnam]

Audi leading with 10.5 hours remaining.

Pagenaud in the #9 Pug in 2nd. (36 seconds behind the Audi)

Davidson in the #7 Pug in 3rd. (1:05 minutes behind the Audi)

[cameraman]

Flying Lizard #81 first place in the pro/am class at the moment. It's been a good night for them.

[cameraman]

The Peugeot crew are idiots. They should have let Montagny by as soon as the track went green. Morons.

[cameraman]

I know it is his team and all but I wish Seth Neiman wasn't driving...

[cameraman]

One less class-leading Corvette.......

[cameraman]

It will be a miracle if this race finishes without killing someone:eek:

[TrueBrit]

One less class-leading Corvette.......

Bloody hell that was big...

[cameraman]

Wow. This is amazing racing.

[opinionated ow]

I know Le Mans has always had its share of self gratificationists but does this GTE Amateur category just encourage talentless hacks?

[cameraman]

Flying Lizard #81 is done. It lost the driveline and is stranded in a corner somewhere.
They were second in class at the time.

I wonder how long it will take Speed to mention it:shakehead

[cameraman]

The #80 Lizard is now in the garage. Is Speed going to mention it????
:flame:

Obviously they don't care to mention it.


Le Mans Update - 08.55 - 08.55 - The No. 80 is back on track after the crew repaired a broken injector wire to cylinder # 1. Lucas Luhr is now in the car. The repair pushed us back from P4 to P8. No. 81 has been retired.

[TrueBrit]

Disgraceful driving from the 4-lap down Pug...by Davidson and Gene...team manager plays like he doesn't speak english when questioned about it..."there was no blue flag"....complete and utter ********...

[NismoZ]

Have to say it's nice seeing Corvettes leading both GT categories, and what a story for Tommy Milner! Hope they hang on. Looks like Audi has things in hand with fresh rubber for the finish. This has been a good show. Say, how'd things turn out in Texas?:rofl:

[TrueBrit]

Brilliant result, very close finish...now I'm going to get some sleep!!!

[devilmaster]

Disgraceful driving from the 4-lap down Pug...by Davidson and Gene...team manager plays like he doesn't speak english when questioned about it..."there was no blue flag"....complete and utter ********...

Wurz, Davidson and Gene... wouldn't that unofficially be called the Minardi squad? :confused:

[edit]No wurz. Thought he did... hmm.

[Gnam]

That was one violent race. Even the Eurosport announcers were ready to mix it up when some French technicians wouldn't shut off a safety alarm that was right outside their booth.

Looking at the replay of McNish's accident, I still can't believe those people weren't killed. At one point, the car is completely on the far side of the barrier with nothing between it and the people. Then it stops moving forward, spins around, and falls back onto the tires.

Good luck Deltawing pilots. :eek:

[Don Quixote]

That was one violent race. Even the Eurosport announcers were ready to mix it up when some French technicians wouldn't shut off a safety alarm that was right outside their booth.

Looking at the replay of McNish's accident, I still can't believe those people weren't killed. At one point, the car is completely on the far side of the barrier with nothing between it and the people. Then it stops moving forward, spins around, and falls back onto the tires.

Good luck Deltawing pilots. :eek: I was wondering if the Deltawing, if it got sideways like the audi across the gravel trap, would just start rolling.

[Elmo T]

More paving of run-off areas before next year?

[devilmaster]

why doesn't that first armco wall and tyre barrier not have at least a small catch fence?

[Gnam]

New bumper sticker for Audi.

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/1948/audilemans2011.jpg

[Fio1]

why doesn't that first armco was and tyre barrier not have at least a small catch fence?

Ya, no kidding? I bet you next year, there will be one.

[miatanut]

Ya, no kidding? I bet you next year, there will be one.

There IS one right behind it. The reason there isn't one there now is the reason there won't be one there next year. You can't take a decent photograph through chain link. The photographers sign an 'if you die it's not our fault' waiver so they can get the great shot without chain link in the way.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the catch fence behind it up-graded for next year though.

[opinionated ow]

There IS one right behind it. The reason there isn't one there now is the reason there won't be one there next year. You can't take a decent photograph through chain link. The photographers sign an 'if you die it's not our fault' waiver so they can get the great shot without chain link in the way.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the catch fence behind it up-graded for next year though.

that and its a fairly major marshalling point

[Trevor Longman]

Johnny Herbert took the classic rotary Mazda 787B for a lap before the start. :D
Onboard below:

vqQEAfPnhio

[manic mechanic]

There IS one right behind it. The reason there isn't one there now is the reason there won't be one there next year. You can't take a decent photograph through chain link. The photographers sign an 'if you die it's not our fault' waiver so they can get the great shot without chain link in the way.

I signed the wavier a few times at Long Beach, and when you are a "rookie" to no-man's land (as the track workers call it), you get a list of rules for corners and hot pit to let you know what to do in the event of heavy action in the area where you are shooting.

Funny thing is, once you have experienced "trackside", a grandstand seat just doesn't cut it.

manic

BTW, after seeing McNish's crash, my wife said "what are all those people doing there?" I told her about the priviledge of being "trackside photo" credentialed.. She said "well, you are never doing that again"...
I laughed... I'd do it again IN A HEARTBEAT!!! :laugh::thumbup:

[Ziggy]

I like how most of those nimrods were not even paying attention. (and they were NOT looking through a camera)

LeMan's has to many fences now. I went last year and the only place a regular guy can get a decent photo is the walk around or on the ferris wheel

Racing is dangerous.

Sorry :eek:

[TravelGal]

Funny thing is, once you have experienced "trackside", a grandstand seat just doesn't cut it.

manic

I'd do it again IN A HEARTBEAT!!! :laugh::thumbup:

Ain't that the truth.

Bittersweet memories.

[Trevor Longman]

Audi did another documentary on this years race like they did in 2008 with "Truth in 24". Unfortunately this time its only 14 minutes long but even so its really well done and worth the watch. Rocky's crash still gives me chills.

FbWXuxmdUnE