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American LeMans
LMS: Silverstone Preview
Dawn of new era with launch of Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
John Dagys  |  Posted September 09, 2010   Northampton, (ENG)
Aston Martin Racing and ORECA are joined by diesel juggernauts Audi and Peugeot this weekend in Silverstone. (DPPI/Le Mans Series)
When the Automobile Club de l’Ouest officially announced the launch of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup late last year, there were some skeptics. With car counts in both the U.S. and Europe on the decline and the Le Mans concept yet to fully take off in Asia, would a new international championship be viable in these still difficult economic times?

But one look at the entry list for this weekend’s inaugural round at Silverstone puts many of those concerns to rest. With entries from Audi, Peugeot, Aston Martin along with the usual contenders of season-long teams from the European-based Le Mans Series, there’s no shortage of world class talent.
Audi and Peugeot face off for the third time this season. Peugeot took top honors at Spa, while Audi conquered Le Mans. (DPPI/Le Mans Series)

In fact, 46 cars are slated to take part in Sunday’s 1000km classic. While it may mark the end of the season for many European entrants, it’s the dawn of a new era for sportscar endurance racing, which takes its place back on the international stage nearly two decades after the collapse of the World Sportscar Championship.

While roughly a dozen cars are expected to take part in the full three-round championship, which will make a stop at Road Atlanta next month before crowning its champions in Zhuhai, China in November, the majority of competitors here this weekend also have their minds set on the completion of the Le Mans Series championship.

In a season that began five months ago with an eight-hour enduro at Paul Ricard will see the fifth and final checkered flag for 2010 come out on Sunday. And with champions in three of the four categories still yet to be crowned, there’s still plenty up for grabs, especially when you consider the scenario in the premier prototype division.

As the one of only four LMP1 machines to have competed in all rounds this season, Team ORECA Matmut’s Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP sits atop the class standings. But here is where it gets interesting. Stephane Sarrazin, who drove for the Hugues de Chaunac-led squad in all but one race, leads the drivers’ championship over ORECA’s full-season driver Nicolas Lapierre.

The Peugeot factory driver’s appearance in the one of the works 908s at Spa made all of the difference, as the ORECA Peugeot crashed out in the Belgian round. With that, Sarrazin theoretically holds a 17-point gap over the next closest challengers from Signature-Plus, which have yet to win a race this season with its Dunlop-shod Lola Aston Martin.

With a maximum of 18 points possible, the drivers’ crown is virtually sealed for Sarrazin, but it’s a completely different story in the teams’ championship. ORECA only hold a narrow two-point buffer over Signature-Plus following gearbox woes for the Peugeot at the Hungaroring last month.

RELATED: Audi Peugeot Headline ILMC

However, the biggest threat could come from Audi. Despite missing the last two rounds, the German manufacturer sits only five points adrift in third. A win for the No. 7 car of Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen and a fourth-place finish for Sarrazin and Lapierre could swing the tables in the all-important title race.
Team ORECA Matmut will look to repeat their Silverstone victory of last year, but this time with its Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP. (DPPI/Le Mans Series)

Audi Sport Team Joest’s two-car assault with its revised R15 plus TDIs head in as one of the favorites for victory, along with the single-car entry from Team Peugeot Total. The two factory diesel juggernauts will face off against a contingent of gasoline-powered prototypes that have additional power, thanks to a balance of performance adjustment made prior to the third round at Portimao.


There’s certainly no shortage of entries from the gasoline-powered ranks that could rise to the challenge. Aston Martin Racing makes its first start since Le Mans with its pair of V12-powered Lolas while American Le Mans Series stalwarts Drayson Racing embark on their ILMC attack with its Road America-winning Lola B09/60 Judd.

Beechdean Mansell Motorsport, the surprise class winners in Hungary, also return to home soil with 1992 Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell back behind the wheel of the team’s Ginetta-Zytek 09S. Finally, a similarly prepared machine from Team LNT makes its season debut with the trio of Johnny Mowlem, Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry.

The championship picture is a bit clearer in LMP2, especially with no influx of new entries this weekend. RML’s Tommy Erdos and Mike Newton hold a 13-point lead over the Strakka Racing trio of Danny Watts, Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis.

After scoring an historic overall victory last time out in Hungary, the chances of repeat success in Silverstone for its HPD ARX-01c are next to nothing. But a third class win and potential title could be in the cards, especially if the RML Lola B08/80 HPD hits trouble.

OAK Racing with its pair of Pescarolo Judds will again be strong contenders for the class win, while defending class champions Quifel-ASM Team, which finished a strong second in Hungary, can’t be ruled out for a victory either in its final race before transitioning into P1 next year.
Team Felbermayr-Proton's Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz essentially have the GT2 title in the bag. (DPPI/Le Mans Series)

While the GT2 title race in the ALMS has been wide-open for nearly the entire season, it’s a slightly different story in the LMS. Scoring three wins in four races, Team Felbermayr-Proton’s Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz only need a mid-pack run to be crowned champions.

The Porsche duo hold a healthy 15-point lead over the AF Corse Ferrari trio of Toni Vilander, Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi, which appeared to be en route to victory last month but got shuffled back following a slow final pit stop. Consolidating second in the championship could be their only hope this weekend, unless Lieb and Lietz run into problems.

The launch of the ILMC sees BMW Team Schnitzer make its series return after last competing at Spa in May. The No. 78 BMW M3 of Dirk Werner and Jorg Muller could be a wildcard for the win, especially with what appeared to be massive gains made with the ACO-spec car at the Spa 24 Hours.

Other GT2 contenders to keep an eye on include AF Corse’s sister Ferrari F430 GT of ALMS regulars Jamie Melo and Gimmi Bruni, plus Team Felbermayr-Proton’s No. 88 Porsche, which will again be wheeled by Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas, fresh off an overall win at Mosport with Team CytoSport.

On-track activities kick off on Friday with two hours of practice prior to Saturday’s qualifying to determine the starting order. The season-ending LMS round/ILMC season-opener will take the start at 11:55 a.m. local (6:55 a.m. ET) on Sunday for 170 laps or six hours of racing, whichever comes first.

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