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GassyFriend

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Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 11, 2011 4:51:41 PM

2 Audi cars out, #1 with a horrific crash, no news about the driver yet, hopefully he'll be OK.

Will the new GT class race next year? Stupid mistakes it seems.
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jul 1, 2012 5:59:07 PM

Audi will drop out if there is no legitimate competition in the future. I hope Toyota stays in a continues to develop their car.
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WilW
Champion Author Atlanta

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Message Posted: Jun 29, 2012 7:53:31 PM

Could'ave been the 24hrs of Audi and Pugeot and Toyota...but NOOOO!
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 26, 2012 4:03:54 PM

They should call the race the 24 hours of Audi.
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 25, 2012 4:09:48 PM

How was this years race? The subject is "24 Hours of Le Mans 2012".
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 24, 2012 10:30:44 PM

Toyota has a ways to go.
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WilW
Champion Author Atlanta

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Message Posted: Jun 18, 2012 8:30:34 PM

Excellent coverage in HD on SPEED.
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Timberline
Champion Author West Virginia

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Message Posted: Jun 18, 2012 6:34:45 PM

No, but Toyota, in a typical Japanese manner, did apologize to Nissan.

I'll be looking forward to next year with Toyota having more than 9 months to prepare a challenge to Audi. Given where they started from, I think Toyota may have gotten Audi's attention and game is now on; Audi vs Toyota.

What do you think of the new rules package for next year?
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 18, 2012 1:52:30 PM

Toyota did not seem to like the Nissan Delta Wing.
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Timberline
Champion Author West Virginia

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Message Posted: Jun 16, 2012 11:55:54 AM

Delta Wing looking pretty good for its first time out.
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ottodrommo
Champion Author Kansas

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Message Posted: Jul 6, 2011 11:09:50 PM

It's sounds like there may possibly be a Delta Wing class at Le Mans. One mans trash...
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jul 5, 2011 12:20:41 PM

Yeah, that is a good thing about Porsche. Let's see if they can compete with Audi & Peugeot!
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Timberline
Champion Author West Virginia

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Message Posted: Jul 5, 2011 6:01:07 AM

Porsche to return to LeMans in 2014 with an LMP1.
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GassyFriend
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 18, 2011 9:37:50 PM

Petit LeMans

Great, that's fantastic news!
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Timberline
Champion Author West Virginia

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Message Posted: Jun 18, 2011 6:05:22 AM

According to the Road Atlanta web site the field has been announced and they will be. It included this statement: "Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda will also be the North American Debut for the new, highly anticipated Audi R18."
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GassyFriend
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 17, 2011 10:06:29 PM

I don't know, it would be nice to see them though! I'm sure they'll announce.
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 17, 2011 5:55:37 PM

Are Audi & Peugeot scheduled to return this Fall to Petit Le Mans?
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WilW
Champion Author Atlanta

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Message Posted: Jun 17, 2011 1:50:49 PM

I hope Peugeot and Audi both return to the Petit LeMans this fall at Road Atlanta.
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 17, 2011 12:09:25 PM

You're right, I meant the Bentley actually.
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GassyFriend
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 16, 2011 10:21:22 PM

Agree with the Aston Martin, beautiful machine, but my favorite still the Bentley.
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 16, 2011 5:01:15 PM

The Aston Martin AMR might be the most beautiful car in the paddock.
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ottodrommo
Champion Author Kansas

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Message Posted: Jun 16, 2011 2:52:03 PM

McNish definitely got away with one, and I'm sure that all underwear involved are permanently scared.

Both those cars have some nice lines. I like the Aston Martin AMR-One as well. It has what seems to be some Panoz styling cues.

The Lotus Evora in the GTE class was a looker as well.
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GassyFriend
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 15, 2011 10:20:46 PM

I really liked the Peugeot's until last year, now I fell in love with the R18, really nice lines.
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 14, 2011 12:32:42 PM

I like the new Audi's but he Peugeot prototypes have better lines. Audi is definitely in the middle of a youth movement with their driver lineups.
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GassyFriend
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2011 9:53:45 PM

Well, I guess they'll have a fence or some net at the end of that turn in order to avoid photographers and corner workers from being injured next year. It's really surprising how no one was hurt.
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WTM
Champion Author Philadelphia

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2011 7:18:34 PM

moelmsch...Yea, that crash definitely brought back some horrific memories from 1955. I was watching Audi's live feeds from the R18s when McNish's crash occurred. They didn't air the feed from the #3 car when it happened(for obvious reasons). It is truly amazing how that car DIDN'T go over the wall but it's good to know that the barrier did its job.

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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2011 6:41:14 PM

I only saw a few minutes of the race and some highlights last night. The McNish crash should have resulted in the death of some photographers and/or track workers. I don't understand how no one injured including the driver.
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WTM
Champion Author Philadelphia

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2011 2:26:48 PM

From what I saw, McNish's crash was probably his own fault. His teammate was in front of him and decelerating behind the apexing GT Ferrari. IMO, he should have taken a less aggressive approach so early in the race. Besides, if your own teammate is slowing down in front of you...it might be wise to "take a hint" and slow down with him.

Kristensen, on the other hand, never appeared to make contact with the apexing GT car that he was attempting to pass(on the INSIDE). He got himself TOO FAR on the inside and the insane amount of diesel torque burned him in the gravel. If he had stayed door-to-door(even with SOME contact) with the GT car, he may have been able to keep 1 rear wheel on the track and retain control.

Woulda...coulda...shoulda, I guess.
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moelmsch
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2011 12:09:02 PM

Did the closed cockpits in the Audi LMP cars contribute to the accidents or to the lack of injuries suffered by the drivers in the cars that crashed?
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mckenzi01
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Jun 12, 2011 10:26:18 PM

And yet... If the closed cokpits weren't in any way responsible for the crashes, it might have been those very cockpits that saved the lives of the two drivers.

We weren't there, so we'll never know, but it seemed to me the announcers were making a bigger deal of the visibility issue than anyone else.
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WTM
Champion Author Philadelphia

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Message Posted: Jun 12, 2011 8:58:24 PM

At least Audi proved that you only need >>1<< to win @ Le Mans! IMO, they deserved to win after all of thier work to remain competitive despite the major drawbacks. It will be interesting to see if they stay with the 'closed cockpit' in the future. I think those mishaps might have been avoided if the Audi drivers had better lateral visibility.
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GassyFriend
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 12, 2011 5:27:02 PM

That new Audi R18 is the most beautiful car I've seen since the latest Bentley, terrific. It should be all black, looks menacing on those pre-season pictures.
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WTM
Champion Author Philadelphia

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Message Posted: Jun 11, 2011 11:46:10 PM

I've watched about 10hrs of this race, so far(yes, I need sleep)...now I understand why the FIAA >downsized< engine displacement this year! I love auto racing, but THIS is downright scary! Even M. Waltrip seemed shaken during an interview after his 1st stint in a Ferrari. Come to think of it, I know of a few young, whiny NASCAR drivers that would be "humbled" by only a few laps @ Le Mans. :)
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GassyFriend
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 11, 2011 5:00:00 PM

Wow, driver walked away from the accident, fantastic news. Unbelievable accident!!!
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