MovieChat Forums > Le Mans (1971) Discussion > Why not a USA version of Le Mans race?

Why not a USA version of Le Mans race?

posted 13 years ago by tricksoftrade01
11 replies | jump to latest

How cool would that be? Indy/ Daytona 500 can be boring to watch. Twists, turns, endurance driving on a open track would be a nice change.

I wonder why this type of racing never caught on in America?

[–] Muttley_McLad 13 years ago

There's the American Le Mans series. There's no 24 events, but Sebring is 12 hours and Road America and Petit are both lengthy meets.

The rest of the calenders meets are mostly between 2-4 hours, so there's still plenty of racing on some of the more demanding, twistier tracks state side.

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[–] ColinChapman 13 years ago

Huh?

There's the 24 hours of Daytona, which is somewhat close to the 24 hours of Le Mans. Now Daytona utilizes the oval, so it really can't compare to Le Sarthe, but it's still an important event.

[–] Three_Cats_Movies 13 years ago

"so it really can't compare to Le Sarthe"...didn't Le Sarthe's triple winner Hurley Haywood said in one of his interviews that Daytona is more demanding compared to Le Mans, not to mention that it is for the cars

Don't forget that in 1972, the race had to be shortened to 6 hours because the Gr 6 cars couldn't handle the demand of the track and it proved itself that in 1973 when it was won a Porsche 911 RSR driven by Haywood and Peter Gregg, beating the factory Matra and Mirage cars who all retired.

[–] alistairrw 11 years ago

daytona use the road course

[–] Muttley_McLad 11 years ago

Sorry, I should have clarified that there are no 24 hour races in the AMLS season. Daytona is more akin to Grand-Am, which doesn't have the same LMP1/LMP2 etc vehicles that you see at Le Mans.

However, correct me if I'm wrong, but good news is on the horizon for next year with both series merging?

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[–] Muttley_McLad 11 years ago

[–] SevernSarge 10 years ago

The carnival they have had going in the infield at Daytona during the 24 Hours in recent years, complete with ferris wheel, always makes me think of Le Mans.

Don't forget, 6 Hours of Watkins Glen is this weekend.

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[–] tub51461 7 years ago

Yes indeed. LMP2 is back in America full time. The merger began in 2014 and has been continuing since. 2017 will be the first year where we will have thankfully no lame-ass Daytona Prototypes and Le Mans spec prototypes categorized as LMP2 will race at the Rolex 24 at Daytona primarily with a new formerly homologated LMP2 machine known as the Daytona Prototype International or DPi, which gives American manufacturers the chance to race their own engines and create their own bodywork within a specific standard to compete against a LMP2 designed to a Gibson V8 engine.

[–] Edallastx1-143-224991 13 years ago

1) you need an 8 mile track that has character
2) you need to get all the Teams and Drivers of ALMS to agree and be a part of this theoretical project.
3) We (Most American race fans no offense) are Stadium Type fans. It's all about the Ovals due to the influences of Sports TV. It may change with the F1 Circuit of the Americas Track being built.
It's a roadcourse!!!
4) I'd leave this film alone. This film is raw and done at a different time and place. Appreciate it . No remakes please!

[–] SunCanyonRoad 9 years ago

Nothing tops Indy. Sorry, 230 mph, on a 50 foot wide FLAT track running 3 or 4 wide in OPEN wheels...In fact Mario Andretti (who's raced everywhere and everything from dirt tracks to F-1) has said that turn 1 at the start of the Indy 500 is the most difficult turn in all of racing. It makes sense, as 33 open wheel cars running 230+ on a narrow track with double decked grandstands creates a tunnel effect and makes it nearly a blind turn for cars back in the pack. SPEED + TRAFFIC, there is nothing like it anywhere and TV doesn't do it justice. I got on track access while working for ESPN in 2000-2001 and it's amazing being that low and looking down the front straight. You gain a greater respect for the degree of difficulty when you see turn 1 from this vantage point as it literally disappears in a "vanishing point"... Imagine approaching it with cars on either side of you running 230mph. Impressive.

That being said, I love this film, but with a course well over 7 miles long, and a race based on a fixed time, not distance, you get a lot of spacing, and don't get much over-taking, which is what most find exciting in racing. Le Mans is about endurance. This movie shows you that, McQueen freakin' takes a break while racing and has meal at the cafeteria!!! Other drivers are shown taking naps!!! At Indy you can lose the race if a pit stop is a few seconds too long.

I've never understood the fascination with the "follow the leader" parading seen on road courses. Give me speed, precision dicing in and out in pack racing with open wheels. That takes incredible guts and the degree of difficulty is simply higher. That's why so many road course guys haven't the nerve for it. Heck the F-1 guys hated the idea of a solid, concrete wall when they came to Indy, even though they were going slower and only spending a portion of the time on the oval... the Indy guys don't think twice about it and they spend 200 laps, 500 miles on it at FULL THROTTLE. The Indy guys get my respect more. Maybe not you, but I've seen everything from dirt tracks to F-1... I've even been to NHRA top Fuel/Funny Car events and the Indianapolis 500 truly is the greatest spectacle in racing. It has the largest purse in the world for an auto race too. Helio Castroneves took home over 3 million for his win in 2010. That's incredible.

Ironically, Steve McQueen was from Indianapolis (Beech Grove area). Buddies Paul Newman had already made an Indy 500 film (Winning) and James Garner had made an F-1 film (Grand Prix)... The only thing left for McQueen was Le Mans. (forget that NASCAR crap).

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[–] ccorraliza 7 years ago

I wonder if the Trans Am series for 1970 would have been a good background. The cars were American muscle: Boss mustang, Trans Am, Z28, T/A Challenger, AAR Cuda. I think even AMC had an entry. Javelin or AMX.