Could I be a Le Mans winner? I no longer think so....

As Bruce would say.................Andreas Lay Off the Sauce

 

Here's to hoping!

 

I really think it's possible. It would be best if you first start out with your own team (assuming you have the money) and spend some years there. Once you get very familiar with the track, buy your own prototype or Audi R8/10 and race with a hired VERY good co-driver(s). Let them pull the slack with your money.

 

To win endurance racing you don't always have to be a great driver; a good driver, though, at least. There are moments, however, in endurance racing when the great drivers are separated from the good ones.

 

Andreas, Walter Mitty has won a lot of Le Mans this way

I disagree ... to win in endurance racing you need to be in the LMP class car like the Audi R8/R10. Now these are not normal cars that you can show up and drive. There are no gentleman drivers in this class - only the best of the best professionals like Tom Kristensen, J Herbert, McNish ....

The R8 has no traction control in the ALMS series - not sure if it did in the Le Mans series. So it means that you need to know how to handle a very fast racing car.

Secondly, to win in Le Mans, you need to drive at a consistently fast pace in accordance to your strategy to minimize the time in the pits and maximize the time on the circuit. Time spent off course or locking brakes and killing tires will make you pit more often or put you out of the race

Also you need to know how to overtake correctly and you will be doing a lot of it because there are 3 slower classes to pass.

Then there could be rain, night driving and all circumstances to which proper racers in other racing series may never have encountered in their life.

In conclusion, Andreas, GT4 is your best bet.

 

Having been there a bunch of times, with differing winning teams (As the car designer/track engineer.), such as Audi and BMW I can say that there is absolutely no way in hell even a reasonably talented guy could win, even with an R8/R10. Guys like Tom. K., McNish, Jan Maugnussen, David Brabham, etc. are so much quicker than even the good "gentleman drivers" it isn't funny.

The real difference is in consistency- the true pro's are always running flat out 100% of the time. A really good amateur could get a lap time close to thiers now and then but never for an entire stint, let alone 24 hours. If your are off only .5 seconds a lap, every lap, then at the end of the race you would be a lap down on the winner.

Do you think you can keep better than .5 seconds a lap over 24 hours to the pros? No disrespect to anyone-but it isn't going to happen.

For the very best teams and drivers there is absolutely no slack at any time during the race. We go 100% flat out for 24 hours. The pace at LeMans is exactly the same as the pace for a 2 3/4 race at Road Atlanta or Spa. Endurance racing no longer has any "relaxing" or hold back and pace yourself periods anymore.

 

Absolutely no chance in hell.

Unless you can say you've won or done well in championships like British F Ford, F Renault, F BMW, F3, F3000, FIA GT... then you could say you might be competitive.

 

You say you're an average driver (most likely that's some serious self-effacement and modesty going on there - look at the public roads and see the crappy drivers out there - that's "average" LOL). But there's no reason you can't get better. Just get practice with the team, and I'm sure you won't hold them back, you'll be a contributing member. You may not be the fastest, but you won't be deadweight either.

 

Owning and driving several Le Mans cars I can state with absolute certainty that even 40 years ago I would have been a lot slower than the two gentlemen standing next to me...
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Cant make out who they are ... can you crop the picture close enough to show their faces in more detail

 

Going out on a limb here, it's before my time, I'd guess Bob Bondurant or Phil Hill...

Anyway, I kinda thought I'd make a decent driver, but I doubt it after seeing all the in-car camera stuff we have seen for the last 20 years. I don't have the cajongas to keep my car steady at 180 as another car is spinning or is parked sideways in front of me, first I'd wet myself, then I'd hit the guardrail.
I mean, driving against the pros, no way, driving against my equals, possibly.

 

How soon they forget...

Parnelli Jones and Loyd Ruby.

 

Lloyd Ruby...

"How soon they forget..."

So true! <grin>

Actually, the answer is yes and no. I have several friends and acquaintances who have done well at Le Mans, one of which (Bill Binnie), even won the LMP2 class in 2004. Bill hired Rick Sutherland and Clint Field (Intersport), their car and team. That was the proper way to do it. He was also lucky... I think it is always easier to secure a minor class win than to go for overall, from a privateer's perspective.

Another was Jim Matthews. That is a great story, while never "winning" Le Mans, Jim gets my "most improved" gentleman driver vote. At a FCA event at Rockingham, North Carolina in the mid- '90's, Jim hounded me all weekend to get into his Daytona and ride with him, to critique his performance and provide him with some feedback (hopefully constructive <grin>). I avoided him because I thought it would be a "hell ride" that I would be sorry for...

I finally agreed and, lo and behold, it was one of the most pleasant, smooth and quick rides I took that weekend. When he asked me later whether he had the skill set to "go pro," I told him that he most assuredly did.

Was he as quick as his team mates Stefan Johansson and Guy Smith? No. But he was close...

As far as licensing goes, you need an FIA International license. To get one, you petition ACCUS in the US and provide a competition resume. They accept Grand-Am, IMSA and SCCA Nationa/Pro licenses with experience. The more, the better!

-Peter

 

If memory serves me correctly, all drivers in a team have to qualify within a preset time with the car. IMHO you have to be pretty good to meet this condition.

 

I think the minimum number of laps required by each racer is too high for Joe Blow to be able to simply drive for a few laps and sit and watch for the rest of the 24. While the team with the best drivers might be faster than the opposition without JB, your average JB will slow them down a lot and the opposition in LMP class will hardly be Sunday drivers. They will also be some of the very best drivers and won't be that far behind the winners that JB could simply waltz in, mess up a few laps and leave it to the rest of the team to sort out.

Short answer:

NO!

 

There are 3 drivers per car. I couldn't find a minimum requirement a driver must do, but here are the maximum requirements:

A driver is not permitted to drive:
a/ More than 4 hours in a 6 hour period, the time spent in the pit being deducted
b/ More than 14 hours altogether.
Penalty: Possible exclusion of the relevant driver.

For distance between 1st and 2nd:

2005: 1st place Audi R8 #605 (Champion Racing) was 2 laps ahead of 2nd place Pescarolo C60 Hybrid #4
2004: 1st place Audi R8 #602 was on the same lap as 2nd place Audi R8 #604.
2003: 1st place Bentley Speed 8 #004/5 was 2 laps ahead of 2nd place Bentley Speed 8 #004/3
2002: 1st place Audi R8 #601 was 1 lap ahead of 2nd place Audi R8 #602
2001: 1st place Audi R8 #501 was 1 lap ahead of 2nd place Audi R8 #503
2000: 1st place Audi R8 #404 was 1 lap ahead of 2nd place Audi R8 #405
1999: 1st place BMW V12 LMR #003/99 was 1 lap ahead of 2nd place Toyota GT-One #LM804
1998: 1st place Porsche 911 GT1-98 #003 was 1 lap ahead of 2nd place Porsche 911 GT1-98 #002

Notice the Bentleys in 2003 won overall. The Audis still won in their class, but not overall like the other years. A little deceptive that they claim 6 time LeMans Winner imo even though technically it is correct.

Edit: 1 lap is about 3 and half minutes.

Maybe only 2 drivers could go the entire race while you do nothing and stand in the pits. In fact, the rules used to state only 2 drivers were allowed per car. I'm still trying to find a minimum, but I can't see how they can force someone to drive if say...they're really sick.

 

We all know what the Bentley really is...

 

I would say the 2001 Bentleys are more like R8Cs. The 2003s are more separate imo.

Just went over the supplemental regulations on their website ( http://www.lemans.org/sport/sport/reglements/ressources/auto_2006/Regl_Particulier_2006_fr_gb.pdf )

Page 9:

All nominated drivers must use a lap-time control device, take part in quali, achieve a minimum quali time, and complete 3 laps at night.

9.7 states:

Drivers shall achieve a lap time at least equal:
a/ to 125% of the average of the 3 best laps set by 3 cars of different makes
b/ to 115% of the best time achieved by the fastest car in each of the 4 categories

 

"9.7 states:

Drivers shall achieve a lap time at least equal:
a/ to 125% of the average of the 3 best laps set by 3 cars of different makes
b/ to 115% of the best time achieved by the fastest car in each of the 4 categories"

Well, that answers your question. An "average" track-day guy will not make those numbers at all.

-Peter

 

C'mon guys, have a little more confidence in yourself! If Ide can get a Super License, we all can win LeMans!

 

That's the spirit!