Promethean Porsche, Part 2
“The report of my death was an exaggeration.” So said Mark Twain in 1897 and in 2008 might Porsche say something similar about its Le Mans Prototype program.
We know enough about the 2011 prototype rules to draw some conclusions. The strategic outline is there, all the information needed for a management board to make a yea, nay kind of decision. We know now – as manufacturers have for some time – two things in at least broad outline: (1) over a two year transition, P2 engines will become P1 engines, and (2) chassis rules will be only minimally changed. Bear warning – what follows is rank speculation. If you’ve got an RS Spyder….?
Murphy read Andrew Cotton’s piece over on sportscarpros yesterday morning with interest. Count on Cotton to “hit the nail on the head.” (Excepting his prediction a few years ago that GT1 would become the premier sport car endurance racing class, of course.) This time there’s no doubt he’s on to something rather than on something.
In “The Jaws of Victory,” after dissecting Peugeot’s spectacular fold at Silverstone, Cotton passes on this point of view from inside Porsche:
“You have to prove that racing is doing something relevant to road cars,” says Porsche’s motorsport strategy and planning chief Jurgen Klauke. “Therefore we are very much in favour of this new thinking (by the ACO)… Everyone has the same pressure, all the manufacturers have to do something relevant but the advantage in motorsport is that you can do something relevant, quickly. Le Mans is the perfect proving ground for new technologies and if you look at its history, it was always about new technology and proving reliability.”
Of course Murphy has no idea what the Porsche board will decide – or perhaps already has – but that sure doesn’t sound like an organization about ready to bail on Le Mans racing, does it?
Bye, Bye, Barazi
Elsewhere, the Bear got confirmation this morning that Barazi Epsilon will not be on the Petit Le Mans entry. No reason was given for the surprise – Juan Barazi said at Silverstone an entry was certain. One Bear source – somewhat uncertainly – cited “damage,”
The general expectation in Georgia is that we’ve seen the good news. Excepting a few driver announcements, any changes to the entry after this will be of the unhappy kind.
Tags: Andrew Cotton, Barazi Epsilon, Jurgen Klauke, Porsche, sportscarpros
As to Porsche, they compete in 2 classes of Le Mans racing, and who is to say which class is being referred to in Herr Klauke’s quote?
L.P.
Shame the P2 Zytek’s not coming. Their 3.4 liter engine has got to be to be the best sounding V-8 on the planet; on overrun, brings back memories. Michael Vergers is also one of the fastest pilots around.
Todd
“As to Porsche, they compete in 2 classes of Le Mans racing, and who is to say which class is being referred to in Herr Klauke’s quote?”
Me. Neither.