It looks like we'll have our first unreliable diesel in the ALMS. Eco Racing is going to enter an diesel powered AER V-10. At least it looks neat. The rainbow rollover hoops have gotten me wondering a few things though!

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/21...petit-le-mans/

Acura...

It seems like they don't have a spare tub to rebuild.
________
Wellbutrin Lawsuit Settlements

Guess what happened to the Mazda (again)

@ practice 9/23:
________
Grace live

Driving walked away, freaking amazing.

Yes it was Scott Sharp behind the wheel. The Farnbacher Loles clipped it while coming out of pit lane. The Acura was probably at full throttle blasting down the straight...
________
Roll Blunts

Petit Lemans today @ 11am e.t.
Full coverage on SPEED...

Half hour into a 12 race and guess what has happened to Mazda? Problems! Transmission issue. Looks like he may have lost 2nd gear.

A few observations:
- The Peugeot was running low 1:10's - WOW!
- The Ferrari sounds incredible on track. When it enters the pits, it sounds ridiculously obnoxious.
- The Audi sounds like it's running on battery power. It sounds like it's shut down and costing to a stop but it's accelerating like mad!
- The Peugeot entering turn 10B is amazingly fast.
- All the cars enter T11 (under the bridge) far right. I can't wait to get back on track and work on that.
- The entry speed, acceleration and track out of T12 is simply amazing for all of these cars.
- Corvettes as usual, or obnoxious sounding.
- My favorite car this year is the Peugeot. They are the supercar of this event.
- Peugeot once got loose between T10A & B and he kept his foot in it. It was like the car computer knew where the steering was pointed and made all adjustments and straightened it out effortlessly.
- Gotta love those audis.
- Of all the GT's I like the sound of the BMW's acceleration up the hill to turn 11 best.
- Mazda made no impressions on me what-so-ever!

Images from Thursday. Since I only attended Thursday afternoon and the ALMS cars started after dark, I didn't get many shots of them. Thought I'd post some of the earlier sessions because I don't have a lot to show for on the ALMS cars. If anyone objects to the other images, I'll delete them.

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9191.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9206.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9211.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9286.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9305.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9310.jpg


NON ALMS CARS:

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_8863.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_8910.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9025.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9046.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9048.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9081.jpg

Dyson is running Bio-Butanol fuel. Interesting.

yeah it is,,,
so new they arent able to qualify for points,,,

One of the most interesting things that was mentioned was the with the bio-butanol they didnt need to change any of the major fuel plumbing/injection which would have to be done if they were running ethanol...

Butanol is supposed to be a straight substitution for gasoline with none of the drawbacks of ethanol. I have no idea why we don't see it pushed instead.

Holy crap those Peugeots are fast compared to the Audis which aren't exactly slow.

I want to see an Audi R8 in GT2...

Dang here comes the rain again. :o:
it's 3:12 and the racing is intense! Go AUDI!!!!!

More images:

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9153.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9147.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9128.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9123.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9149.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9155.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9163.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9180.jpg

http://www.silvereightstudio.com/Pet...9/DSC_9196.jpg

guess ill pop in fall out 3.

hahah right before commercial break they actually had a bulldozer pushing the water off the track,,,,

lol its rotr8, how you been bro?

also was chucklking over the dozer also.

They stopped the race, damn this rain!!!! I'm in my car to dry off....
This weather has caused so many lead changes. Everybody is slipping off the track! I will give it up to Rissi Ferrari , starting in last place and now there first! My corvettes are hanging in there , lol mcnish spun out on a yellow, WTF ?!!!! Lol

Were under a red flag and prospect of the race starting back up is very slim. Checked the weather map and it's going to be pouring for a while.:crying:

And now Mazda has the lead,,,

F*ck,,, now the #16 Dyson is out,,,,

Edit - hahahahhahh nevermind forgot I was watching re-air of Mosport,,,, Dohhhh
Thats what I get for leaving the TV for an hour

heres some reading on Mazdas biobutanol,,,
Source Autoblog - http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/26/d...petit-le-mans/

PRESS RELEASE:

MAZDA, BP DEBUT ADVANCED BIOFUEL AT PETIT LE MANS RACE
No. 16 car running unclassified for annual endurance classic

Dyson Racing's No. 16 Mazda-powered Lola LMP2 coupe is running a blend of ethanol and biobutanol at Road Atlanta. It will not be classified in the race.
In the ongoing rolling technology showcase that is the American Le Mans Series, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development, Dyson Racing and their primary Series sponsor and technical partner, BP, will fuel one of their Mazda MZR-R-powered Lola coupe racecars with a fuel combining both ethanol and biobutanol - an advanced biofuel that BP is developing with its partner DuPont – in the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6.

"This weekend's debut of an ethanol and biobutanol blend in our American Le Mans Series race car is the perfect example of the technical relationship between Mazda and BP," said Robert Davis, Senior Vice President, Product Development and Quality for Mazda North American Operations, and the man responsible for the company's North American motorsport programs under the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development banner. "Advanced biofuels such as biobutanol, along with the choice to use a production-derived 2.0-liter turbocharged MZR-R engine, shows the commitment that both Mazda and BP have to bringing clean, efficient, environmentally sensitive technologies to motorsports, and using motorsports to improve those products before we offer them for sale to the general public."

In order to continue development of the advanced biofuel in a racing environment, Dyson Racing will run one of its cars using the standard Series-approved fuel (car 20), and the other (car 16) on biobutanol. Through open and ongoing discussion between Mazda, American Le Mans Series technical personnel and other participating teams the gasoline, ethanol and biobutanol-blend-fueled car (car 16) will not participate for Series points during the Petit Le Mans weekend.

BP is a leading energy company with significant investments in advanced biofuels. It is looking for opportunities in biofuels that make both a contribution to energy security and a material reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional fuels. BP is committed to using economically and environmentally sustainable feedstocks and is developing new technologies to make good biofuels even better. Participation in American Le Mans Series competition offers BP a unique opportunity to produce new fuels and biofuel components, as well as demonstrate the performance of these fuels.

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through more than 850 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario, Canada, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

Biobutanol facts:
• Biobutanol shares many of the environmental advantages of ethanol and has additional benefits, including:
• Blends into gasoline at higher concentrations than ethanol without the need to modify vehicles.
• Offers excellent fuel economy that is close to that of gasoline.
• Can be used alongside ethanol to help improve the performance of ethanol/gasoline blends.
• Can be used in existing gasoline (petrol) supply and distribution channels, eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure investments.

Production:
• Can utilize a variety of conventional feedstocks (such as sugar cane, corn, wheat and sorghum), supporting global implementation.
• In future, biobutanol can be produced from cellulosic feedstocks, including fast-growing energy crops (e.g. energy grasses) or agricultural by-products (e.g. corn stalks).

Environmental Benefits:
• Initial indications are that, on the same feedstock basis, biobutanol delivers emission reductions that are at least as good as ethanol.
• Biobutanol's low vapour pressure (lower than gasoline), means that vapor pressure specifications do not need to be compromised leading to higher VOC emissions.

Wow... so Mazda takes PT2! That's two wins for the season.

hopefully they can take Leguna Seca too!