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2011 Le Mans Sports Car Preview: Peugeot 908 HDI LMP

Photo Credit: Peugeot Via Newspress UK

With the ACO (a French-based sports car sanctioning body) introducing new regulations for the upcoming 2011 24-Hour of Le Mans, auto companies competing in the now level LMP category has been sent to the drawing boards. Complying to new aerodynamic and technical specifications, Peugeot has unveiled their 2011 fighter in the ultimate goal to reclaim the highly-desirable French sports car endurance race.

Unlike the Audi Le Mans Prototype program that redefined itself with a new designation (ie. R8, R10, R15 and now R18), Peugeot has chosen to retain the 908 numbering for identifying the 2011 race car. Preparing for battle against the Audi R18, the 2011 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP comes with two major design changes over last season's 12 Hours of Sebring-winning vehicle. Continuing into this season as a closed cockpit race car, the most notable aesthetic difference between the old 908 and the new 908 is the ACO-mandated shark fin over the engine cover. Another special consideration for the 2011 Le Mans Prototype Peugeot 908 is that all four wheels are the same size.

Because of the before-mentioned ACO rule changes, the Peugeot 5.5 liter HDi V-12 engine which ran from 2007 through and 2010 is obsolete. Working to the maximum engine displacement allowable by ACO rules for a turbodiesel 8-cylinder, the new Peugeot 908 prototype features a 3.7 liter race powerplant. Using much of the same technology including turbocharging and a diesel emission particulate filter, the Peugeot 908's new 3.7 liter HDi V-8 features a 90 degree engine angle compared to the 100 degree V-angle of the outgoing V-12.

Announcing plans to compete the entire 7 rounds of the 2011 Intercontinental Cup, Peugeot Sport has also unveiled the driver lineup for the 3-car squad's attempt to take the Le Mans 24 Hours race. The following listing will be the 2011 pilots of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP:

Car #7 – Alexander Wurz / Anthony Davidson / Marc Gené
Car #8 – Franck Montagny / Nicolas Minassian / Stéphane Sarrazin
Car #9 – Sébastien Bourdais / Pedro Lamy / Simon Pagenaud

Peugeot Sport's 2011 season starts with the first round of the Intercontinental Cup at the Mobil 12 Hours of Sebring on March 19th under the American Le Mans Series.



Photo Credit: Peugoet Via Newspress UK








Photo Credit: Peugoet Via Newspress UK





Photo Credit: Peugoet Via Newspress UK



Peugeot to lead 12-Hours of Sebring Race

Photo Credit: Aston Martin


Showing themselves to be indisputably fast through the previous two days of practice, Peugeot 908 HDI FAP racing vehicles established themselves as the rabbits for the 2010 12 Hours of Sebring. Between the two-car team of Peugeot Sport, the #07 Peugeot 908 of Marc Gene, Alex Wurz, and Anthony Davidson delivered a best lap 1 minute, 45.214 seconds around the 3.7 mile Sebring track beating the #08 car.

While the presence Peugeot 908 prototypes on the front row is hardly a surprise, the more amazing story of the class comes behind the French team (very closely, in fac). After Friday qualifying at Sebring, the competing prototype Aston Martin-powered Lola has been running on the race favourite Peugeot team. Settling in 3rd place, the Lowes-sponsored LMP #007 car clocked a relatively strong lap 0.8 seconds slower than the lead Peugeot. Even more of a confidence builder for the one-year old Lola-Aston Martin is that they were only 0.238 seconds back of the second diesel-powered Peugeot. The Lola-Aston Martin Team's Principal George-Howard Chappell commented "Third position is exactly where we hoped and expected to be.". Chappell also expresses confidence in the reliability of the #007 car.

Rounding out the top 5 for the prototype class is the Drayson Racing #8 Lola-Mazda 1.246 seconds slower and the Patron Highcroft Racing HPD ARX-01c sitting 2.470 seconds behind the leader's time.

In the GT2 class the #90 Rahal-Letterman Racing BMW M3 leads the category with a lap time of 2 minutes, 0.782 seconds. However, through post-race inspection the BMW M3 failed a stall test causing their top time to be disallowed. Thereby, the #45 Flying Lizards Porsche 997 RSR inherited the pole in the GT2 class after running 6/10th of a second slower than the disqualified BMW M3.


Photo Credit: GM Media


Also with the exclusion of the Rahal Letterman Racing BMW M3, the starting positions of other GT2 cars have been bumped up. With Porsche 997 RSRs starting 1-2, 3rd place in GT2 sees the #62 Risi Competizione vehicle leading the large contingent of Ferrari 430 GT race cars. Struggling for speed through the week against German and Italian-built challengers, the American Chevrolet Corvette C6Rs could only pull off a 4th and 5th place showing on Friday. Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan stated after qualifying "We've still got a lot of work to do and we are climbing a steep learning curve. As a testament to the highly-competitive fight shaping by for the GT2 class in Sebring (and likely the entire ALMS season for 2010) 1st through 8th in the class is separated by under 1.1 seconds.

As for the two Challenge classes running for the first time at Sebring, the #99 Green Earth Team took the Prototype Challenge series' first pole narrowly beating the #95 Level5 car. Gunnar Jeanette drove the #99 car in the lap which vaulted the team over the #95 car being hustled by IndyCar regular Ryan Hunter-Reay added as a co-driver for the Sebring event. An exciting on track battle for Friday qualifying, the class' main source of heart race occurred on Tuesday. A loss to the new Prototype Challenge class, the ALMS mainstay Intersport Racing team needed to withdraw from the 12 Hours of Sebring after their car wrecked dramatically following a right rear suspension failure. While driver Jon Field was not seriously hurt, their Oreca prototype went airborne and flipped several times.

The 7-car GT Challenge field will be led by an #81 Alex Job Racing-owned Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. To be driven by Butch Leitzinger, Juan Gonzalez and Leh Keen on Saturday, the #80 Alex Job Racing teammate secured the full front row for the GT Challenge.

With ambient temperatures in Sebring, Florida slated to peak at 80 degrees Fehrenheit, a hot Florida weekend will heat up the racing surface promising to challenge every driver with a slick race track. The 2010 12 Hours of Sebring starts at 10:30 AM on Saturday.

ACO Plans to Unify Le Mans Prototype with Intercontinental Cup

While the 24 hour of Le Mans has long been the pinnacle event for defining sports car greatness, the organizers of famous day-long French auto race have been working hard to bring unified rules and even cars to across the world. The ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest or Automobile Club of the West of France) has been influential in sanctioning much of the world's sports car racing action. In cooperation with Don Panoz, the American Le Mans Series has enjoyed the ACO's backing since 1998 establishment of the racing calendar. The ACO later formulated a successful European-based tour known simply as the Le Mans Series and are currently engaged in effectively launching an Asian tour under the same rules format.

For 2010, the ACO is undertaking the first step into a bold, new move into establishing a world honour for prototype competitors. Called the Intercontinental Cup, this series within the three Le Mans series will consist of one race from each tour.


2010 Intercontinental Cup for Le Mans Prototypes

Le Mans Series Silverstone 1000 km event- September 13th
American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans 1000 mile - October 2nd
Asian Le Mans Series Round Circuit Okayama 500 km- November (Rumored)

To be eligible for the Intercontinental Cup, the ACO attached some provisions to guarantee prototype teams will not cherry-pick the 3 races in the tour. Entrants will be required to run 5 races in every of the Le Series sports car series (the Le Mans 24 hour race can not be counted).

Shortly upon the announcement, Audi Sport Team Joest pledged their pair of R15 prototypes will campaign in quest for the inaugural Intercontinental Cup. 2009 Audi rival and 24-Hour of Le Mans successor Peugeot has yet to express a firm commitment to running their 908 HDi FAP the new prototype Cup for 2010. However, Peugeot does intend to compete once again for the 24-hour of Le Mans podium, defending last year's crown. Besides Audi and Peugeot, it is likely that those two auto makers will be the only 2010 Intercontinental Cup contenders. Though Acura Motorsports had made a dominating stand through the 2009 American Le Mans Series circuit, their commitment to the 2010 schedule was in doubt until Patron Highcroft Racing locked up plans to compete in the 2010 American Le Mans Series. With an Asian round in the Intercontinental Cup, it remains to be seen if this might reinvigorate the Honda-based brand's interest in a future with sport car prototypes. Entrants for the upcoming season must be affirmed by February of 2010.

With the inaugural Intercontinental Cup planned for only 3 races in 2010, the ACO has already mentioned a desire to expand the tour in 2011 and beyond to at least double the events.