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Le Mans / ALMS
ILMC: Petit Le Mans Confirmed For 2011
Six-hour enduro at Imola completes first full season calendar for Intercontinental Le Mans Cup...
The Petit Le Mans is back on the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup schedule for next year. (Photo: LAT)
Many questions were left to be answered when the Automobile Club d l’Ouest released a second draft of its provisional 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup schedule earlier this month in Zhuhai, China. With a reshuffled calendar, including the absence of the Petit Le Mans, along with the addition of a yet-to-be announced European round in July, there were concerns over how the budding global championship would look next year.
The ACO put many of those concerns to rest Monday, releasing an updated schedule which most importantly reconfirms the Petit Le Mans as the penultimate round of 2011. The 1,000-mile/10-hour Road Atlanta classic joins a newly announced six-hour race at Imola, Italy to complete the seven-round Cup.
For American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton, confirmation of the Petit Le Mans on the ILMC schedule came as welcome, but expected news.
“Any time you launch a global championship as the ACO is doing, there is a tremendous amount of detail and precision making and ramifications and logistics, and all the issues that come into play,” Atherton said. “It’s nice to obviously have it formally, publicly confirmed. But I can tell you that we weren’t ever in a position of thinking it was in question.”
“There were a myriad of other details because we have so many pre-existing agreements in place which are unique to our events. When you look at Petit Le Mans and Sebring, both are already heavily populated with sponsorship involvement... It also extends to television rights and pre-existing agreements that just make it difficult when trying to add something like the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.”
With the Petit Le Mans gaining the ‘overseas’ event slot in October, it adds further doubt over the Fuji 1000km, which was originally announced in June. The revival of the classic Japanese race also disappeared from the schedule earlier this month, effectively replaced by the Imola event in July. The race theoretically could still happen, but as an Asian Le Mans Series event only.
The result of the reshuffle means that four of the seven ILMC rounds next year will be contested in Europe, with Asia effectively losing one of its two original slots.
“We’re convinced that this calendar is going to enhance the values of endurance through a technological, responsible and sporting approach towards racing that will give endurance the place it deserves,” said Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, ILMC general manager. “For its first full season, this program meets the expectations of spectators, manufacturers, teams and partners with seven events on some of the most legendary motor racing circuits in strategic economic markets.”
A date for the Chinese round has also been confirmed for Nov. 12, although the venue has not yet been decided. Le Mans-style racing made its first trip to China earlier this month with the 2010 season-ending Zhuhai 1000km.
“Thanks to this balanced international seven-race calendar our events will take place in six countries on three continents, so the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup will really take off in 2011,” said ACO President Jean-Claude Plassart. “Endurance, the bedrock of our activities since 1923, will come out of this championship, whose regulations are based on those that have made the success of the Le Mans 24 Hours, with its prestige reinforced.
“The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is especially proud to contribute directly to the international development of this branch of motor racing in which the sporting, competitive and attractive aspects for the general public are highlighted, as well as the most innovative technologies.”
2011 ILMC Schedule
March 19 - Twelve Hours of Sebring (ALMS)
May 8 - Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours (LMS)
June 11-12 - Le Mans 24 Hours (Double Points)
July 3 - Imola 6 Hours (LMS)
Sept. 11 - Silverstone 6 Hours (LMS)
Oct. 1 - Petit Le Mans (ALMS)
Nov. 12 - China 6 Hour (Circuit TBA)
The ACO put many of those concerns to rest Monday, releasing an updated schedule which most importantly reconfirms the Petit Le Mans as the penultimate round of 2011. The 1,000-mile/10-hour Road Atlanta classic joins a newly announced six-hour race at Imola, Italy to complete the seven-round Cup.
For American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton, confirmation of the Petit Le Mans on the ILMC schedule came as welcome, but expected news.
“Any time you launch a global championship as the ACO is doing, there is a tremendous amount of detail and precision making and ramifications and logistics, and all the issues that come into play,” Atherton said. “It’s nice to obviously have it formally, publicly confirmed. But I can tell you that we weren’t ever in a position of thinking it was in question.”
“There were a myriad of other details because we have so many pre-existing agreements in place which are unique to our events. When you look at Petit Le Mans and Sebring, both are already heavily populated with sponsorship involvement... It also extends to television rights and pre-existing agreements that just make it difficult when trying to add something like the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.”
With the Petit Le Mans gaining the ‘overseas’ event slot in October, it adds further doubt over the Fuji 1000km, which was originally announced in June. The revival of the classic Japanese race also disappeared from the schedule earlier this month, effectively replaced by the Imola event in July. The race theoretically could still happen, but as an Asian Le Mans Series event only.
The result of the reshuffle means that four of the seven ILMC rounds next year will be contested in Europe, with Asia effectively losing one of its two original slots.
“We’re convinced that this calendar is going to enhance the values of endurance through a technological, responsible and sporting approach towards racing that will give endurance the place it deserves,” said Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, ILMC general manager. “For its first full season, this program meets the expectations of spectators, manufacturers, teams and partners with seven events on some of the most legendary motor racing circuits in strategic economic markets.”
A date for the Chinese round has also been confirmed for Nov. 12, although the venue has not yet been decided. Le Mans-style racing made its first trip to China earlier this month with the 2010 season-ending Zhuhai 1000km.
“Thanks to this balanced international seven-race calendar our events will take place in six countries on three continents, so the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup will really take off in 2011,” said ACO President Jean-Claude Plassart. “Endurance, the bedrock of our activities since 1923, will come out of this championship, whose regulations are based on those that have made the success of the Le Mans 24 Hours, with its prestige reinforced.
“The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is especially proud to contribute directly to the international development of this branch of motor racing in which the sporting, competitive and attractive aspects for the general public are highlighted, as well as the most innovative technologies.”
2011 ILMC Schedule
March 19 - Twelve Hours of Sebring (ALMS)
May 8 - Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours (LMS)
June 11-12 - Le Mans 24 Hours (Double Points)
July 3 - Imola 6 Hours (LMS)
Sept. 11 - Silverstone 6 Hours (LMS)
Oct. 1 - Petit Le Mans (ALMS)
Nov. 12 - China 6 Hour (Circuit TBA)
ALMS Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
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