BMW M3 GTR

BMW’s M3 GTR is finally coming to a European race circuit! It makes its European debut at the Nürburgring on the 3rd of October, with a second outing planned on the 17th of October.
The car is enetered into the final 2 rounds of the German VLN Endurance Championship by the works favoured Schnitzer team and will be driven by current WTCC drivers Andy Priaulx (17th Oct.), Augusto Farfus (3rd Oct.), Dirk Müller (17th Oct.) and Jörg Müller (3rd Oct.).The two events are seen as important development excercises for the M3 GTR as BMW try and improve their car for the coming 2010 season. Results in America have proven to be good but the GTR is yet to be a consistant class winner and the races at the world’s toughest race track are hoped to bring an extra competive edge.

ALMS Miller Motorsports Park.

GT2 in the Utah Grand Prix, second round of the ALMS {link} was very much a Porsche benefit as the Jörg Bergmeister / Patrick Long Flying Lizard Motorsports {link} Porsche 911 GT3 RSR took a dominant 74 second victory from the Farnbacher Loles Racing {link} 911 GT3 RSR of Marc Lieb and Wolf Henzler. Porsches also finished 5th (Johannes Stuck / Nicky Pastorelli – VICI Racing {link}) and 6th (Johannes van Overbeek / Seth Nieman – Flying Lizard Motorsports) in GT2.
BMW’s E92 M3s, run by Rahal Letterman Racing {link}, finished 8th and 9th in GT2 showing increased performance and better reliability.

Winners of the Challenge class in their Snow Motorsport run Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car were husband and wife team Martin and Melanie Snow.

Sebring 12 hours

Audi {link} were celebrating the debut win of the R15 on Sunday as it won the Sebring 12 hours. The new car was relatively untested making the win hugely impressive. Even more remarkable was that this year's Sebring race covered the greatest distance at the highest average speed ever, thus the Audi R15 truly had a baptism of fire.

The other German car debuting at the Sebring 12 hours was far less successful. BMW's E92 M3s showed great pace in spurts but both Rahal Letterman Racing {link} cars retired before 6 hours of racing has passed.

They were not the only GT2 cars to suffer at Sebring as the expected Porsche challenge never really got started with not one of the Stuttgart marque making it into the top 3 in GT2.

Sebring 12 Hours

Audi and BMW start their racing seasons this weekend at Sebring International Raceway in the Sebring 12 hours {link}. The ALMS opening round sees the cream of American sportscar racing battle it out round the oldest road course race track in America.

Despite not entering the ALMS this year (citing the economic downturn) Audi are hoping to continue the winning tradition started by the ultra-successful R8 and R10 TDI. Times from testing have shown the R15 to be the fastest car in its class and overall by well over half a second. With the R15 TDI only expected to appear at Sebring and Le Mans the pressure is on Audi to win both of the classic endurance sparts car events.

BMW have entered a brace of E92 M3s run by the Rahal Letterman team into GT2. Whilst they were trailing the Flying Lizard Porsche 997 GT3 RSR after the first test day there pace was impressive. Both Flying Lizard and Rahal Letterman are expected to complete the whole ALMS championship so the BMW v Porsche battle is expected to be played out throughout the year.

Audi R15.

Audi is readying the all new R15 TDI LMP1 race car in preparation for its assault on the Mobil 1 12 hours of Sebring (21st March 2009) and then the Le Mans 24 hours.

First pictures of the new car clearly show how R15 is a new car, carrying very little over from the R10. The new V10 TDI engine produces 600PS and around 1050Nm of torque whilst remaining efficient, compact and light weight.

BMW M3 GT2

As Audi withdraw from the ALMS and Porsche take a sabbatical BMW increase their involvement! Having formed a partnership with Rahal Letterman Racing {link} in America BMW are preparing for their first full season of ALMS competition with the latest M3.
The project was launched at the Chicago Motorshow in February this year and has now completed over 1000 miles of testing at various circuits in America. The new M3s will face stiff opposition from European manufacturers Ferrari and Porsche plus various American manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Panoz.
The 2009 ALMS GT2 championship looks likely to be the most interesting and hotly contested for a while with BMW and Rahal Letterman Racing aiming to be in the mix right from the start.

The first round of the ALMS {link} is the Mobil Twelve Hours of Sebring {link} on March 21 2009.

Porsche RS Spyder

After a tremendous season in 2008 there will be fewer Porsche RS Spyders competing in 2009. The works Penske {link} Spyders that won the Drivers, Manufacturers and Team LMP2 championships in the ALMS in 2008 will not be racing in 2009. Penske will instead be racing in the Grand-Am Rolex Series {link} using Porsche engines - continuing a relationship between the American team and German manufacturer that started in 1972!
Porsche has yet to decide whether to step up to the LMP1 class, to continue developing the ultra successful Spyder or whether it is best to support customer teams in LMP2 and GT classes - especially now that Audi have drastically reduced their involvement in both the ALMS and LMS series.
A Porsche/Penske challenge on LMP2 at Le Mans has not been totally discounted, neither have any firm commitments been made. The organisers of Le Mans have offered Penske two starting places but that is all that is certain at present.

Audi R15

Audi will defend its Le Mans{link} title with a new endurance LMP1 diesel competition car. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich commented "The step from R10 to R15 is significantly larger than it was from the R8 to the R10." Despite having a lighter, more compact TDI engine the R15 will, unfortunately, have a more limited campaign than either the R8 (petrol powered) or R10 (TDI).
Due to the global economic crisis/uncertainty Audi have withdrawn from both the ALMS {link} and LMS {link} series leaving the R15 to contest Sebring and Le Mans in 2009. Where that leaves the Champion team who ran the ALMS Audi effort is, at present, somewhat unclear.

Audi 1 & 2 in season finale.

Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr lead home their Audi team mates Emanuele Pirro and Christijan Albers as the Bavarian manufacturer took victory and second overall in the American Le Mans Series race at Laguna Seca.

Excellent strategy and the sheer power of the R10 TDI away from restarts helped the Audis move into the lead after qualifying down on the 5th row of the grid. Once in the read they did not relinquish it.
Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr dominated the ALMS {link} championship, finishing on a total of 219 points (each) with fellow Audi driver Emanuele Pirro finishing second with a mere 156 points.

BMW M3 GT.

Coinciding with the launch of the latest BMW M3 the Bavarian marque will return to the American Le Mans Series {link}. The M3 GT will be developed in Germany by BMW Motorsport but is likely to be run by an American team when it makes its debut either later this year or for a full season in 2009. The BMW M3 GT is expected to be built to compete in the GT2 class ensuring it goes head-to-head with Ferrari and Porsche.

Porsche still undecided.

Despite announcing British driver Richard Westbrook as one of their factory drivers for 2008 Porsche’s {link} plans for the coming motorsport season still remain a little uncertain. The Stuttgart manufacturer are waiting for their supported teams to finalise their 2008 plans before announcing their complete driver line up.

Porsche RS Spyder.

Patrick Long has been promoted to full-time driver in Penske Racing’s {link} American Le Mans Series Porsche RS Spyder team. Across the Atlantic Jan Lammers will be driving Horag’s {link} Porsche RS Spyder in the Le Mans Series.

Audi R10TDI.

Another German manufacturer to taste glory in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was Audi. Racing their R10 TDI {link} the Bavarian company dominated the LMP1 class all season long. Their title success means that the ALMS LMP1 championship has now been won by Audi Motorsport an astonishing 8 times.
The Audi R10TDI also won the exceptionally demanding 24 hour race at Le Mans.

Porsche RS Spyder.

Porsche’s customer specification racecar has had a tremendously successful season racing in the 2007 American Le Mans Series {link}. Not only did the Penske team {link} win the LMP2 class in the championship the team’s drivers also won the LMP2 drivers championship. The Porsche RS Spyder clearly proved to be the best LMP2 car in 2007, clearly out performing all class competition. in doing so it won its class 11 times. The RS Spyder stunningly also managed to win 8 events outright beating the far more powerful LMP1 cars!
The RS Spyder {link} has been developed by Porsche as a customer car for use in the ALMS and LMS {link} race championships. With no works teams entered Porsche has aimed to foster customer team relations and in 2008 there should be a plethora of teams racing the RS Spyder. The ALMS has been the main focus of development and the vast majority of cars are expected to enter that series but there are some teams (including Horag Racing {link}) planning to contest the LMS series too. Currently there are no concrete plans for any teams to contest the 24 hours race at Le Mans {link}.
Porsche have deliberately shied away from mentioning the classic race at La Sarthe whilst developing the RS Spyder but with their exceptional record of success at the world’s most famous endurance race it will surely only be a matter of time before an RS Spyder takes the flag in France.