petrol-head » Le Mans http://www.petrol-head.com Just another The Social Media Group Network site Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:37:35 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 TC Motorsports to power DeltaWing on Huile de Frites http://www.petrol-head.com/2012/04/01/tc-motorsports-to-power-deltawing-on-huile-de-frites-at-le-mans/ http://www.petrol-head.com/2012/04/01/tc-motorsports-to-power-deltawing-on-huile-de-frites-at-le-mans/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2012 22:23:46 +0000 social media http://blogs.thesocialmedia.com/petrol-head/2012/04/01/tc-motorsports-to-power-deltawing-on-huile-de-frites-at-le-mans/ Headers Ford T492TC Motorsports announces today that it will provide technical support for a private entry in the 24 Heures du Mans at the historic Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France June 16-17, 2012.   Endurance racing is in TC Motorsports' blood, having successfully run long distance races across North America in GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge, NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and countless other races ranging from 4-12 hours at the regional level.  TC Motorsports celebrates 10 years in the high performance sports car business this year, and going to Le Mans is one of the best anniversary gifts possible. A decade of hard work has finally paid off!   Going to Le Mans rides on the heels of a successful Formula 1 test program by TC Motorsports in 2011. Carlo Sparacio, Team Principal of TC Motorsports, explains their involvement at Le Mans:  "We have been selected as an engine supplier for a privateer team from the United States who will campaign a DeltaWing Le Mans sportscar.  The engine will be our successful F1 V8 engine derived from mating two 1.6L Mazda Miata engines together, along with some updates to meet ACO rules to run diesel fuel. We've made some small changes to run biodiesel at Le Mans.  The biodiesel will be "huile de frites" sourced locally in France.  The engine will make about 300 BHP. We have 4.5 hours on the engine in a test cell in Mooresville, NC and it has been extremely reliable so far.  I think we have a winner." The team is currently in negotiations to bring on the American Heart Association as the primary sponsor of the car.  Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (makers of CRESTOR) and Paula Deen Enterprises, LLC have already been secured as technical advisors for the fuel delivery and filtration system. The team is looking forward to the challenge of running the new engine at Le Mans in June.  Team Principal Taryn Sparacio said, "We're looking forward to a great race.  Needless to say, we'll have a lot of great food to eat during the race like French fries, fish and chips, doughnuts, lumpia, fried chicken, etc.  And, if the engine doesn't make it to the checkered flag, we'll have lots of cooking oil to take home."

]]> http://www.petrol-head.com/2012/04/01/tc-motorsports-to-power-deltawing-on-huile-de-frites-at-le-mans/feed/ 0 GreenGT H2 to mess with the big boys at Le Mans http://www.petrol-head.com/2012/03/03/greengt-h2-prototype-to-mess-with-the-big-boys-at-le-mans/ http://www.petrol-head.com/2012/03/03/greengt-h2-prototype-to-mess-with-the-big-boys-at-le-mans/#comments Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:18:18 +0000 social media http://blogs.thesocialmedia.com/petrol-head/2012/03/03/greengt-h2-prototype-to-mess-with-the-big-boys-at-le-mans/ IMG_2473The GreenGT H2 is the first prototype electric/hydrogen competition car. The GreenGT H2 project was selected in June 2011 by the French Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), as an innovative project. GreenGT was invited to participate on the June 3rd Test Day of the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours event. As the autonomy of lithium/ion batteries was found to be inapropriate for endurance racing, hydrogen very quickly became the prefered option. In 2011, a 100 kW fuel cell that can be mounted in both competition and road cars was developed under GreenGT’s guidance. This fuel cell system has been tested and is now operational. Since then, GreenGT has begun the construction of a new high power fuel cell system that provides a linear power of 340kW, or 460Hp. In parallel, a new lightweight twin-engine powertrain, providing up to 400kW or 540Hp, has been developed for this prototype. Control electronics and telemetry of the last generation will ensure the very best performance of the prototype on the track. To comply with FIA regulations and safety standards, a specific chassis has been designed. This was built for GreenGT by Gerard Welter & Vincent Soulignac, well known to Le Mans fans, in compliance with the new technical constraints required for GreenGT and its innovative concepts.

]]> http://www.petrol-head.com/2012/03/03/greengt-h2-prototype-to-mess-with-the-big-boys-at-le-mans/feed/ 0 Granny Andrea on Le Mans 24 Hours GTE AM podium http://www.petrol-head.com/2011/06/16/granny-andrea-le-mans-24-hours-gte-am-podium/ http://www.petrol-head.com/2011/06/16/granny-andrea-le-mans-24-hours-gte-am-podium/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:11:31 +0000 social media http://blogs.thesocialmedia.com/petrol-head/2011/06/16/granny-andrea-le-mans-24-hours-gte-am-podium/ Doran Andrea Robertson LM24 2011 She was all smiles as she got out of her sizzling Doran Ford GT. And she had good reason to smile, because she became the first women to be on a Le Mans 24 Hours podium since 1931! Andrea Robertson, mother of one and grandmother of three, and her husband David, associated to driving instructor David Murry finished their first (and probably last) Le Mans 24 Hours with flying colors as 26th overall and 3rd in GTE AM class!

While David Murry managed so-so-OK lap times in the 4min15 range, car and team owners, as well as, gentleman and lady drivers Andrea and David Robertson, were more in the not-so-quick 4min30 plus lap times.

Doran Ford GT box LM24 2011

Even as many pro drivers from Audi and Oreca complained loudly about the irrationnal lines they drove (that is why such amateurs will probably not allowed to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours in the coming years), the numer 68 Ford GT did its laps and the flamboyant trio had a dream come true finish. Our favourite was clearly Andrea, who does not dye her hair, does not have silicon body enhancements, is a true speaker and just had the time of her life!

Doran Ford GT LM24 2011

Way to go, Madame! Now here is one granny who sure has a great story to tell her grand kids and grand grand kids by the fireplace during the coming winters!

Pictures by Christophe Schwartz

]]> http://www.petrol-head.com/2011/06/16/granny-andrea-le-mans-24-hours-gte-am-podium/feed/ 0 Pescarolo racecars and spares now built by OAK Racing http://www.petrol-head.com/2009/12/10/pescarolo-racecars-and-spares-now-built-by-oak-racing-of-france/ http://www.petrol-head.com/2009/12/10/pescarolo-racecars-and-spares-now-built-by-oak-racing-of-france/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:28:42 +0000 social media http://blogs.thesocialmedia.com/petrol-head/2009/12/10/pescarolo-racecars-and-spares-now-built-by-oak-racing-of-france/ Pneus chauffes Green Box sur LMP2 OAKOAK Racing takes over as Pescarolo Sport LMP1/LMP2 as manufacturer! OAK Racing has reached an agreement with Pescarolo Sport (formerly Sora Group) to take over the manufacturing side of its business.  Consequently, the development and construction of the chassis, bodywork and spare parts of the Pescarolo LMP1 and LMP2 prototypes is assumed by OAK Racing, as well as all commercial activities. The technical development of the prototypes will come in collaboration with the engineering office of Pescarolo Sport.

Work has already started and a programme of wind tunnel testing is planned for January to ensure that the prototypes are configured for the 2010 regulations and to continue the aerodynamic development undertaken in 2009.

Jacques Nicolet, President of OAK Racing: “This agreement allows us to proceed with the development of all the existing chassis and, in particular, to continue the search for more performance. We have strong ties with the brand and the spirit behind the creation of these cars and we absolutely want to continue that. This is a new challenge for OAK Racing. We take on this task with the same dedication and efficiency that we have showed so far, and with the technical support of the men of the Pescarolo Sport design department. Pescarolos are very good cars which demonstrate their qualities every season and I am sure they have a big future ahead of them.”

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