24hrs of Lemans entry list for 2004 .....diesel...?

[Evan]

After browsing the entry list for 24hrs of Lemans today, one team in particular stuck out quite a bit. Not the team itself actually, but the engine manufacturer.

Caterpillar.

....the company famous for heavy duty construction machinery is making race engines?!!!

It turns out that the car is in fact a V10 Twin Turbo diesel engine powering the Tuarus Motorsports Lola.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=95844&f=37&h=0">http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... 4&f=37&h=0</a><!-- m -->

I just hope they paint it yellow and black!


Of other note in the Lemans field this year: No Bentleys of course, the return of a Panoz factory team (go Panoz!!) although looks like they are still using the 2002 spec car
and a Mugen powered Dome chassis car for the Honda fans.
LMP2 is a snoozer like usual, and the best battle looks to be in GTS. The 2 factory Vettes, a whole slew of Ferraris and a Pagani Zonda.
GT is spiced up a lot more than the spec-GT3RS class of just a couple years ago. A few Ferrari 360s, the gorgeous Morgan Aero 8, and the TVR Tuscan

[G.Irish]

Of other note in the Lemans field this year: No Bentleys of course, the return of a Panoz factory team (go Panoz!!) although looks like they are still using the 2002 spec car
and a Mugen powered Dome chassis car for the Honda fans.
LMP2 is a snoozer like usual, and the best battle looks to be in GTS. The 2 factory Vettes, a whole slew of Ferraris and a Pagani Zonda.
GT is spiced up a lot more than the spec-GT3RS class of just a couple years ago. A few Ferrari 360s, the gorgeous Morgan Aero 8, and the TVR Tuscan

I'll go out on a limb here and bet that the 911-GT3RS will take GT. I'll be rooting for The Racer's Group Team. The Zonda is probably not going to be on pace and at least one of the Vettes will finish 2nd or 1st, probably the car with Ron Fellows, Jimmy O'Connell, and Max Papis driving. For Ferrari former WRC Champ Colin McRae is driving a Prodrive 550 along with Rickard Rydell, who last I remember raced British Touring Car.

For LMP the Audis will run away again so it'll be a battle for leftovers. I'd like to see the Nasamax team do well since their car actually uses alternative fuel (ethanol maybe?). I'd of course like to see the Mugen Dome team do well but I doubt they've done enough development this year to be fast.

Who's up for a 24 hour party?

EDIT: A team I wish would've returned this year is AUTOEXE because they were running a Mazda 4 rotor LMP2 car. Oh well, maybe they'll show up for Petit Le Mans again this year.

[Kaan]

Rydel did some super 8 stuff in australia at one time... if i remember my speed tv right.

[G.Irish]

Here's a link to a little writeup about the AUTOEXE car ( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.mymazdarotary.com/mazda_rotary_events/le-mans_2002/autoexe-wr_le-mans_2002/autoexe-wr_le-mans_photos-p1.htm">http://www.mymazdarotary.com/mazda_rota ... tos-p1.htm</a><!-- m --> ). Quite a looker I think:



Oh and here are some video links:

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[Ryan T]

I am a little out of the loop, why no Bentley?

[Evan]

They came, they conquered, they left.


This is actually pretty common in endurance racing. They want to be able to say they won it, and dont feel the need to keep racing once they won.
Audi is the exception