LE MANS 24 HOURS: MEGAGUIDE by Wolf Feather/Jamie Stafford FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: October 3, 2002 FINAL VERSION Completed: October 15, 2002 ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Game Modes The Circuits Tips for Championships Championships And Set-Ups Time Trial Tips Time Trial Goal Times Time Trial Circuit-Specific Tips Tires General Tips Surviving an Endurance Race Le Mans 2000: Time Compression Le Mans 2000: Suggested Car Set-ups Le Mans 2000: General Tips Le Mans 2000: Circuit Overview Petit Le Mans: Time Compression Petit Le Mans: Suggested Car Set-ups Petit Le Mans: General Tips Petit Le Mans: Circuit Overview Strategy for Unlocking All Elements in Le Mans 24 Hours Team Information Audi Sport Team Joest Audi Sport UK BMW Motorsport Bonnet Didier Carsport Holland Chamberlain Engineering Corvette Racing Courage Competition Freisinger Motorsport GTC Competition Jaguar JMB Competition Joest Racing Johansson Matthews Racing Konrad Motorsport Kremer Racing La Filiere ELF Lancia Larbre Competition Mopar Team Oreca Multimatic Motorsports Newcastle Lister Storm Nissan Motorsports Panoz Motorsports Paul Belmondo Racing Pescarolo Sport Peugeot Talbot Sport Pilot Racing Riley & Scott Europe ROC Roock Racing Sauber SMG Team Augusta Racing Team Cadillac Team Dams Team Den Bla Team Goh Team Marcos Team Oreca Team Rafanelli Thomas Bscher Promotion TV Asahi Team Dragon Welter Gerard Details: Le Mans Details: Bugatti Details: Brno Details: Donington National Details: Donington Grand Prix Details: Catalunya National Details: Catalunya Grand Prix Details: Suzuka East Details: Suzuka West Details: Suzuka Grand Prix Details: Road Atlanta Details: Road Atlanta National Details: Reverse Courses Completely Subjective Section Unlocking Circuits (Spoilers!!!!!) Unlocking Cars (Spoilers!!!!!) Information on the Web (Le Mans 2000 and Petit Le Mans) Wish List Contact ==================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz This guide is more than 130 pages long in the Macintosh version of Microsoft Word 98 using single-spaced Courier 12 font. ==================================== PERMISSIONS This guide may ONLY be posted on FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, InsidePS2Games.com, RedCoupe, gamesover.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, ComputerUnderground.com, Gameguru, GameReactors.com, cheatingplanet.com, vgstrategies.com, CheatHeaven, IGN, hellzgate, Games Domain, RobsGaming.com, ps2fantasy.com, and neoseeker.com. Permission is granted to download and print one copy of this game guide for personal use. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== INTRODUCTION This Le Mans 24 Hours: Megaguide comprises much of the information available in my several smaller guides, plus new information and a few corrections. This is THE guide readers should read/download/print to gain all the information possible for Le Mans 24 Hours. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== GAME MODES Le Mans 24 Hours features five game modes: 1.) Quick Race allows you to immediately get started racing. Only four courses are initially available, however, more courses (including the three reverse-direction courses, all unlocked simultaneously) will be unlocked as you win races; see Unlocking Circuits (Spoilers!!!!!) below for details. However, when first playing Le Mans 24 Hours (or ANY racing game with a Time Trial, Free Run, or similar mode), it would be best to start with Time Trail instead to learn the many courses. 2.) Championship presents you with increasingly-difficult championship series; only the Rookie GT Championship is initially available, but winning each series unlocks the next series. However, the circuits listed in the game manual for each championship series are not necessarily the same circuits actually used in the game. 3.) Le Mans mode allows you to race for varying amounts of time in either Petit Le Mans (up to 10 hours at Road Atlanta) or Le Mans 2000 (up to 24 hours). Winning at each race length (measured in time) unlocks more cars; see Unlocking Cars (Spoilers!!!!!) below for details. 4.) Multiplayer allows for one-on-one competition. 5.) Time Trial is a great place to begin, allowing you to learn the courses on your own pace, with no other vehicles on the circuits with you to distract you. Once you learn the courses, this is where you can really work to improve your lap times. Beat the Goal Time for each course (normally two to four seconds slower than the Record Time for each course) to unlock a bonus car. Only four courses are initially available in Time Trial, but more will be opened as you win races in Quick Race mode; see Unlocking Circuits (Spoilers!!!!!) below for details. ==================================== THE CIRCUITS Here are the circuits available in Le Mans 24 Hours, along with brief descriptions (see the detailed driving instructions near the end of the guide for information on safely and quickly navigating each circuit): Le Mans The longest circuit of the game, Le Mans is quite challenging, especially when approaching the Pits and Front Straightaway. Keep an eye on the tire and fuel indicators; if you run out of fuel or sufficient traction on the back side of the circuit, you may as well just quit the race. Bugatti This is the permanent section of the Le Mans circuit. High speeds are not really effective here with all the technical corners. Brno If not for the many hills, this would be a really great circuit. As it is, great speeds can be achieved here, especially with a low-downforce set-up, but cornering can be somewhat difficult. This circuit would be EXCEPTIONALLY FUN with a motorcycle!!!!! Donington National Good speeds can be achieved at Donington, but there are several tight corners which will really challenge low-downforce cars. Donington Grand Prix Identical to Donington National, with the addition of a nasty chicane and two tight hairpins. Catalunya National A quick course, but the first turn (a hairpin) is sharp. Catalunya Grand Prix An excellent circuit with high speeds possible. This circuit will be quite familiar to those who have played F1-based games such as F1 Championship Season 2000. Suzuka East The Suzuka East circuit includes the famous figure-eight crossover. Good use of the draft can be very beneficial here. Suzuka West The S-curves can be quite dangerous, but they do provide excellent passing opportunities if you can brake deeper than the cars in front of you and/or have superior acceleration for corner exits. Suzuka Grand Prix This circuit will also be quite familiar to those who have played F1-based and motorcycle-based games. This is the most famous circuit in Japan, and perhaps in all of Asia. Road Atlanta National This course provides steep elevation changes, tempering significant straightaways with blind corners. Road Atlanta This course provides steep elevation changes, tempering significant straightaways with blind corners. This course has been offered in other racing games, so some players may already be rather familiar with the Road Atlanta circuit. There are also three official reverse courses: Reverse Brno, Reverse Donington National, and Reverse Donington Grand Prix. Of course, you can drive in reverse on any course at any time, but this is certainly NOT recommended, especially during a race!!!!! ==================================== TIPS FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS In a Championship series, if you can win all the initial races, you may be able to win the series overall even if you decide not to participate in one of the final races of the series; similarly, you may be able to skip a race at a circuit you do not particularly like (or, depending on your point of view, which does not particularly like you) and still be able to win the overall series if you can win at most or all of the remaining circuits. Unfortunately, Le Mans 24 Hours does not provide a Forfeit (or similar) option, so you are required to actually go out to the track; from here, press Start, select Quit, and confirm to cancel out of a race. For races with a standing start, DO NOT hold down the accelerator while you wait for the lights to change to green; this will not produce any benefits in Le Mans 24 Hours, and will actually put you far behind everyone else due to excessive wheelspin. Instead, keep off the accelerator, and try to time its application with the exact millisecond the lights turn green. This will reduce wheelspin due to excessive engine revs, thus applying all available power to the tires. On some circuits, if you use this strategy from a starting position at the very back of the grid, you can pass up to half of your competitors before reaching the first corner!!! To the extent possible, keep to the approved racing surfaces (pavement, concrete, rumble strips). Grass will slow you down greatly, and sand traps (a.k.a. Œkitty litterı) will essentially bring you to an immediate halt. To pass, use the draft; this is especially effective in prototype cars. Or, if you feel a bit rowdy, ram or sideswipe the car in front of you (especially on or just before corner entry) to knock it out of your way and send it careening off-course. If you ram a car hard enough from behind, it is possible to send the other vehicle flipping end-over-end or into a continuous-roll accident; a Œgoodı place to do this is coming into the final chicane at Road Atlanta, sending cars into the barriers blocking any shortcutting of the chicane. If you do not choose to qualify, you will automatically start in last place; therefore, you have nothing to lose and A LOT to gain by qualifying. If you can qualify on Pole, that can mean up to twenty-three FEWER passes you will need to make as a race progresses. This may not be very significant in shorter races, but in the longer (Le Mans and Petit Le Mans) races, this could become a significant factor, especially in relation to Pit strategy. If you are in first place and begin lapping other cars, those cars one or more laps behind you will have blue indicators on the track map. Fortunately, should you run out of fuel, your race does not automatically come to an end like in some other racing games. Instead, you will simply start slowing, and will not be able to accelerate much unless you can convince gravity to help you ­ IF you are fortunate enough to be heading downhill. Therefore, always keep an eye on your fuel gauge and be constantly mindful of the on-screen information displays at the top-center of the screen. ==================================== CHAMPIONSHIPS AND SET-UPS Here are the eight Championships included in Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as suggested car set-ups for each race of each championship: Rookie GT (5 laps, GT class only, 11 competitors) Suzuka East (dusk) Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Notes: Setting the Gear Ratio to Acceleration will help with the many S-curves. Donington National Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Notes: Take caution when cornering, especially for the chicane. Road Atlanta National (dusk) Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Pro GT (5 laps, GT only, 11 competitors) Suzuka West (dusk) Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Catalunya National (dusk) Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Road Atlanta Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Notes: This set-up is great for the long stretches of the circuit. Extreme care must be taken with the S-curves and the chicane. GT Endurance (10 laps, GT only, 11 competitors) Donington Grand Prix Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Notes: Care is required in cornering, especially at the chicane. Bugatti Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Open Prototype (10 laps, Open Prototype only, 13 competitors) Brno Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Notes: This is a very high-speed circuit, which makes cornering trickier than usual. Beware other cars in Turn 1, as some tend to go off-course here. Catalunya Grand Prix Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Balance Engine: Sprint Notes: Car set-up is tricky here; Pit Straight is so long that it requires a low-downforce/high-speed set-up, yet the rest of the circuit is rather technical, needing a high-downforce/low-speed set-up. Suzuka Grand Prix Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Notes: Care is required in the initial S-curves and the chicane. Note that shortcutting the chicane is not possible due to the barriers. Closed Prototype (10 laps, Closed Prototype only, 10 competitors) Bugatti Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Donington Grand Prix Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Notes: Extreme care is required in the chicane and the hairpins behind the main grandstands. Road Atlanta Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Notes: This set-up is great for the long stretches of the circuit. Extreme care must be taken with the S-curves and the chicane. Prototype Endurance (15 laps, Open or Closed Prototype, 10 competitors) Catalunya Grand Prix Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Balance Engine: Sprint Notes: Car set-up is tricky here; Pit Straight is so long that it requires a low-downforce/high-speed set-up, yet the rest of the circuit is rather technical, needing a high-downforce/low-speed set-up. Road Atlanta Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Notes: This set-up is great for the long stretches of the circuit. Extreme care must be taken with the S-curves and the chicane. Suzuka Grand Prix Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Notes: Care is required in the initial S-curves and the chicane. Note that shortcutting the chicane is not possible due to the barriers. Super Endurance (10 laps, any car class, 14 competitors) Suzuka Grand Prix Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Brno Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Catalunya Grand Prix Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Balance Engine: Sprint Bugatti Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Notes: Donington Grand Prix Downforce: Low Fuel: Full Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Acceleration Engine: Sprint Winter Challenge (15 laps, any car class, 14 competitors) Road Atlanta Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Wet Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Notes: This race takes place entirely in very wet conditions. The use of Top Speed for the Gear Ratio setting will help to reduce wheelspin as the car powers out of corners and also on the standing start. The initial S-curves can be very tricky due to the very wet conditions. Brno Downforce: Medium Fuel: Full Tires: Wet Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Notes: This race takes place entirely in very wet conditions. The use of Top Speed for the Gear Ratio setting will help to reduce wheelspin as the car powers out of corners and also on the standing start. Suzuka Grand Prix Downforce: High Fuel: Full Tires: Wet Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint Notes: This race takes place entirely in very wet conditions. The use of Top Speed for the Gear Ratio setting will help to reduce wheelspin as the car powers out of corners and also on the standing start. The initial S-curves can be very tricky due to the very wet conditions, but cornering should be made easier by using a High setting for Downforce; however, this will seriously reduce top-end speed on the long ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== TIME TRIAL TIPS In Time Trial mode, you will always begin from a standing start. This means that it will not be possible to best the Goal Time on the initial lap. However, take this opportunity to practice a standing start with no other vehicles on the starting grid to distract you. Also, on this initial lap, brake VERY early and take corners VERY slowly to save the tires (see the next tip below); come up to full racing speed only in the final corner(s) of the circuit. While there are no tire wear indicators on the screen when in Time Trial mode, tire wear does indeed occur; this is especially noticeable if using soft tires (you should be using soft tires anyhow, as they provide the best traction, which you will definitely need to better the Goal Times). Once you have completed about six to eight laps, the tires will no longer be of benefit to you, and will likely be a detriment to you; since any trip to Pit Lane is drive-through only with no servicing permitted, you will be forced to quit Time Trial mode and return to gain fresh tires (and more fuel). The Goal Time for most circuits is set so low that ANY off- course excursion will almost automatically put you out of contention for besting the Goal Time in that lap. In this case, get back on the pavement as quickly as possible, and drive slowly (like on the first lap) to save the tires, coming up to full racing speed only at the final corner(s) of the circuit in anticipation of your next 'hot lap.' For all attempts at besting the Goal Time for a course, make sure to use as little fuel as the CPU will allow (approximately 30% to start a Time Trial run); this will reduce the weight of the fuel, thereby reducing the weight of the car and improving handling, accelerating, and braking. If you think fuel weight is not an issue, consider this: One gallon of water equals approximately eight poundsŠ and one gallon of fuel will NOT get you very far, especially not at Le Mans!!!!! You will likely need to experiment with the car settings to see which gives you the best chance at besting the Goal Time for each circuit. I find that setting the Gear Box to Acceleration, the Engine to Sprint, and Downforce to Low is a good starting set-up from which to work; be sure to adjust for personal preference and driving style. Dry conditions and Soft Tires are the best combination to provide excellent grip of the pavement, resulting in faster lap times. Also, set the Number of Laps to Continuous, as this will allow you to keep going as long as your fuel holds out - this is really just a means to keep from reloading a venue if the Goal Time cannot be bested within a set number of laps. ==================================== TIME TRIAL GOAL TIMES In Time Trial mode, besting the posted Goal Times earns you a new car, except at the three reverse courses. Here are the posted Goal Times (including listed Goal Times for the reverse courses), listed alphabetically for player convenience: Brno 1:45.000 Bugatti 1:34.000 Catalunya Grand Prix 1:34.000 Catalunya National 1:01.000 Donington Grand Prix 1:21.000 Donington National 1:00.000 Le Mans 3:34.000 Reverse Brno 1:48.000 Reverse Donington Grand Prix 1:23.000 Reverse Donington National 1:02.000 Road Atlanta 1:09.000 Road Atlanta National 0:46.000 Suzuka East 0:40.000* Suzuka Grand Prix 1:07.000 Suzuka West 1:01.000 * The Goal Time for Suzuka East is the same as the default Record Time. ==================================== TIME TRIAL CIRCUIT-SPECIFIC TIPS This section presents specific tips for besting the posted Goal Time for each venue. The circuits are listed here alphabetically. Note that unless specified, I was able to beat the posted Goal Time for each circuit using Nissan Motorsports' Nissan R390 (Closed Prototype class, car #32; an identical car with the same team is identified as car #30, and both are won from the Open Prototype Championship) using absolute minimum starting fuel, lowest possible downforce, sprint engine, automatic transmission, top-speed gearbox, and soft tires. Brno - Hold 120MPH in Turn 1. This will definitely require a car with excellent handling. - Many turns are essentially over-glorified chicanes. Brake well entering the first corner, then power out of the first corner and completely through the second turn. Bugatti - Stay off the rumble strips at Dunlop Chicane, as the car will almost certainly bounce, likely sending one or more wheels into the sand and definitely causing the car to slow. - Keep off the grass and sand at hairpins. - Treat the final two corners as a single wide right-hand hairpin, but beware the sand and rumble strips. Catalunya Grand Prix - Keep tight to the apexes, especially through Turns 1 and 2. - Judicious use of rumble strips in final two corners key to gaining excellent top-end speed on Pit Straight. Catalunya National - Intimate familiarity with the circuit is required due to the dusk setting, creating long shadows to obscure much of the circuit. - Distance markers for Turn 1 are in 50-meter increments, NOT the 100-meter increments used at most venues. This can be a potential cause for overshooting the corner for those who do not remember this point. - Judicious use of rumble strips in final two corners key to gaining excellent top-end speed on Pit Straight. Donnington Grand Prix * Medium downforce used to best the Goal Time for Donnington Grand Prix. - Stay off the rumble strips, as they are generally too short in length to adequately keep cars out of the grass and sand. - Treat Turn 8 (the sweeping J-turn) as a wide hairpin. This will inherently create a single braking zone, allowing more time for use of the accelerator, and thus achieving faster speed along the ensuing straightaway toward the giant Dunlop Tire. - Remember that the Grand Prix course has a left-right chicane following the giant Dunlop Tire. - Keep a TIGHT apex on hairpins; swinging wide will both sacrifice time and increase change of sliding out into the grass and sand. However, extreme care must be taken to NOT shortcut the hairpins, especially the final hairpin. - Excellent handling is required to power out of the final hairpin and still keep the car on the pavement. Donnington National * Medium downforce used to obliterate the Goal Time AND the Lap Record for Donnington National. - Stay off the rumble strips, as they are generally too short in length to adequately keep cars out of the grass and sand. - Treat Turn 8 (the sweeping J-turn) as a wide hairpin. This will inherently create a single braking zone, allowing more time for use of the accelerator, and thus achieving faster speed along the ensuing straightaway toward the giant Dunlop Tire. - Remember that the Grand Prix course has a TIGHT right-left chicane following the giant Dunlop Tire. - Excellent handling is required to power out of the final chicane and still keep the car on the pavement. Le Mans - This is by far the most difficult Time Trial in the game. Plenty of patience is required here. - Stay off the rumble strips at Dunlop Chicane, as the car will almost certainly bounce, likely sending one or more wheels into the sand and definitely causing the car to slow. - Keep off the grass and sand at chicanes. - Try to keep above 90MPH at Motorola Chicane, and above 70MPH at Michelin Chicane. - Treat Mulsanne Hump and Mulsanne Curve as one hairpin. It helps to slightly shortcut Mulsanne Curve in this maneuver. - Try to keep off the rumble strips at Indianapolis and Arnage, as the car is likely to bounce, thus costing time. - Once you leave the public roads, it may help to VERY QUICKLY tap the brakes in each of the corners, just long enough so that the taillights barely illuminate. This should slow the car just enough to make handling easier to help keep the car on the narrow pavement. - Judicious shortcutting of the curves in White House is key to good lap times. Try to find the right angle to cut across each of the two chicanes while keeping at least three of the wheels on the rumble strips and pavement in the process. Power out of the final chicane and HOPE that you can beat the posted Goal Time. Reverse Brno - See Brno Reverse Donnington Grand Prix - See Donnington Grand Prix Reverse Donnington National - See Donnington National Road Atlanta - Brake slightly before Turn 1, then stagger the throttle throughout the corner to keep from losing too much speed. This should help to keep the car from sliding off the pavement when cornering. - Turn 8: Keep about 105MPH with a tight line at the apex. - Turns 9 and 10 (the top of the circuit): Brake early and hard, but DO NOT shortcut or drift off-course into the sand and the grass. Due to the barrier on the right side of the pavement, these are semi-blind corners, so flawless knowledge of the circuit here is required. - Chicane: Brake HARD early, shortcutting the first corner of the chicane and powering the accelerator to Turn 1. Road Atlanta National - Brake slightly before Turn 1, then stagger the throttle throughout the corner to keep from losing too much speed. This should help to keep the car from sliding off the pavement when cornering. - Turn 8: Approach from the left, braking only slightly while hitting the apex. Hold a tight line to the right side of the pavement until the straightaway. - Chicane: Brake HARD early, shortcutting the first corner of the chicane and powering the accelerator to Turn 1. Suzuka East * Medium downforce and Gearbox set to Acceleration used to best the Goal Time for Suzuka East. - Keep tight to the apexes in the S-curves. - Approach the final hairpin from hard left; drift to hard right for exit. Suzuka Grand Prix * Medium downforce used to best the Goal Time for Suzuka Grand Prix. - Keep tight to the apexes, especially through S-curves and Chicane. The medium downforce set-up will certainly help with the S-curves and Chicane, although overall top-end speed will be sacrificed on the straightaways. Suzuka West * Medium downforce used to best the Goal Time for Suzuka West. - Strong familiarity with the circuit is required, as the dusk setting and the bright lights make some corners somewhat difficult to see. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== TIRES A very important issue in tire selection actually involves horsepower. The chosen tires need to have some measure of durability, or else you will be stopping in Pit Lane to change tires extremely often. In other words, do not allow the carıs horsepower to overdrive the tiresı ability to function properly. In the event that the chosen tires wear out too much, cornering at any respectable speed will be virtually impossible, instead causing a nearly-uncontrollable slide into a barrier or into another vehicle. Strong acceleration will likely cause the vehicle to spin. A good driver will not let this happen very often; an expert driver will NEVER let this happen. Always keep an eye on your tire indicators, and plan ahead. If possible, choose tires which will last as least as long as your fuel load. When the tire indicators are green, the tires provide you with the best possible grip for that set of tires. The amount of time the tire indicators remain in the green color range depends on your driving style, the amount of time off- course (in the grass or sand) or banging the barriers (or other cars), and the selection of tire compound. As the tire indicators switch to yellow, you need to start taking better care of your tires. You will likely experience slides when cornering. One of the best ways to reduce the durability of the tires is to corner at high speeds. The manual for Gran Turismo 3 gives an excellent, detailed, highly-technical description of what occurs with the tires when cornering. In short, cornering at high speeds causes a high percentage of the tire to be used for speed, and a low percentage to be used for the actual cornering. To combat this and thus extend the durability of the tires, try to brake in a STRAIGHT line before reaching a turn, thus reducing overall speed, resulting in a lower percentage of the tires to be used for speed and a greater percentage instead used for cornering. Note that if the percentage of the tires used for speed is too high compared to the percentage used for cornering, the car will slide and/or spin. ==================================== GENERAL TIPS For those not accustomed to racing games, Time Trial mode is by far the best place to start. This will allow you to try out cars in all three race categories, and also to learn the many courses without the distraction of other cars on the circuit with you; note that only four courses are initially available in Time Trial mode until other tracks are opened in Quick Race mode. Only really adept racing gamers (especially those who mostly play simulations) will be able to jump into a race on an unknown/unseen course and still perform fairly well. For races with a standing start, DO NOT hold down the accelerator while you wait for the lights to change to green; this will not produce any benefits in Le Mans 24 Hours, and will actually put you far behind everyone else. Instead, keep off the accelerator, and try to time its application with the exact millisecond the lights turn green. This will reduce wheelspin due to excessive engine revs, thus applying all available power to the tires. On some circuits, if you use this strategy from a starting position at the very back of the grid, you can pass up to half of your competitors before reaching the first corner!!! To the extent possible, keep to the approved racing surfaces (pavement, concrete, rumble strips). Grass will slow you down greatly, and sand traps (a.k.a. Œkitty litterı) will essentially bring you to an immediate halt. To pass, use the draft; this is especially effective in prototype cars. Or, if you feel a bit rowdy, ram or sideswipe the car in front of you (especially on or just before corner entry) to knock it out of your way and send it careening off-course. If you ram a car hard enough from behind, it is possible to send the other vehicle flipping end-over-end or into a continuous-roll accident; a Œgoodı place to do this is coming into the final chicane at Road Atlanta (full circuit). If you do not choose to qualify, you will automatically start in last place; therefore, you have nothing to lose and A LOT to gain by qualifying. If you can qualify on Pole, that can mean up to twenty-three FEWER passes you will need to make as a race progresses. This may not be very significant in shorter races, but in the longer (Le Mans and Petit Le Mans) races, this could become a significant factor, especially in relation to Pit strategy. If you are in first place and begin lapping other cars, those cars one or more laps behind you will have blue indicators on the track map. Fortunately, should you run out of fuel, your race does not automatically come to an end like in some other racing games. Instead, you will simply start slowing, and will not be able to accelerate unless you can convince gravity to help you ­ IF you are fortunate enough to be heading downhill. Therefore, always keep an eye on your fuel gauge and be constantly mindful of the on-screen information displays at the top-center of the screen. In a Championship series, if you can win all the initial races, you may be able to win the series overall even if you decide not to participate in one of the final races of the series; similarly, you may be able to skip a race at a circuit you do not particularly like (or, depending on your point of view, which does not particularly like you) and still be able to win the overall series if you can win at most or all of the remaining circuits. Unfortunately, Le Mans 24 Hours does not provide a Forfeit (or similar) option, so you are required to actually go out to the track; here, press Start, select Quit, and confirm. If your goal is to unlock every possible car in the game, keep checking back to Progress (first select Options at the Main Menu). Use the left and right directional buttons to page through the various modes. Locked cars are silhouetted, while unlocked cars are shown in full color. Note that not all game modes provide the chance to unlock cars. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== SURVIVING AN ENDURANCE RACE While most of the races in Le Mans 24 Hours are relatively short by racing standards, some races are extremely long (especially the full Le Mans or Petit Le Mans races, at twenty-four and ten hours, respectively). Even the Œshortı 100-minute Petit Le Mans race is relatively survivable. However, the longer races require even more focus and concentration. Fatigue really begins to set in, especially for those not habituated to playing full-length races in non- endurance racing games such as F1 2001. While Le Mans 24 Hours allows for progress in longer races to be saved when in Pit Lane, you really lose the Œflowı of a given race if you save your progress and shut off the console after one stint in the car, making such a start-and-stop Œmethodı of racing quite a fragmented, arguably Œpostmodernı method of racing. For those who prefer to race for multiple stints at a time, here are some tips to help you keep your concentration and focus: 1.) Make sure you are well-rested and have plenty of time for driving multiple consecutive stints. To give you a benchmark, I average about forty-five minutes per stint at Le Mans (240 minutes) using full fuel and hard tires in a Closed Prototype vehicle. For the Petit Le Mans, I generally race a Closed Prototype car with fifty-percent fuel and soft tires, for thirty to forty minutes per stint. 2.) Make sure you are as comfortable as possible. Real-world race drivers often have specifically-molded seat cushions to help in this endeavor. While such specialized equipment is far too expensive to be used when playing console racing games, the concept is the same: Make sure you are in a comfortable chair, with appropriate cushions if necessary. If you like to have a footrest, make sure it is in place before beginning a race. 3.) While Le Mans 24 Hours does include music, it can quite easily become too repetitive to help you keep your concentration. If you have a stereo or radio separate from the sound system of your console and television, put on other music, perhaps a favorite CD (Lords of Acid, anyone???????). 4.) Adjust for real-world lighting before beginning a race. This is especially important for those ­ like myself ­ who have the console and television placed directly in front of a window due to the configuration of a small apartment or dorm room. Adjust the blinds or curtains to your liking so that any light coming in will not bother your eyes, especially when racing through the nighttime portion of races. Also, turn off or move lights whose shine reflects off the television screen. 5.) Have a drink handy. To be more realistic in relation to actual race drivers, only make use of the drink while in Pit Lane, thus simulating a driver receiving a small water bottle while the team handles car servicing. Or, simply have the drink next to you on a table so that you can quickly reach it for a quick sip down a straightaway; this would more or less simulate the in-helmet drink system used by some real-world race-drivers. (Of course, you could always Œcheatı and simply pause the game whenever you need a quick drink.) Note that drinks with high caffeine content (such as Jolt, sold in select markets in the States) may not be a good choice; if you run out of the drink well before the end of a stint, or long before you finish your planned multiple stints, you could experience a rather severe caffeine crash, which will adversely affect your driving performance and your concentration. 6.) Real-world drivers generally do not get a chance to eat during the race, except perhaps while the car is in Pit Lane for fuels and tires. A small plate or bowl of small snack foods might be useful. Small candies, crackers, cheeses, etc., may be good choices. If you are on a diet, first consult with your doctor or nutritionist for some good snack food possibilities. 7.) If you often download images, sounds, movies, etc., from the Internet and have a computer close to the console, set the computer to download a massive number of files before starting the game. Occasionally (preferably when alone on a long straightaway), glance over at the computer to check on the progress of the download. This will subconsciously keep your mind occupied on more than simply racing, thus forcing yourself to remain focused via extra effort. (And if you want to download a flood of Sailor Moon images from Usenet, this will save time, as you are obviously not using the computer personally while you race!!!) 8.) Avoid racing at times of the day (or night) when your body naturally tends to shut down. This applies to life in general, including choosing times between three-hour grad classes!!!!! 9.) Try to internalize the basics of racing before beginning an endurance race. If you can instinctively handle a J-turn, for example, the mechanics of safely navigating the corner will require less concentration. Perhaps the best possible means to learn the basics of racing with Œhands-onı experience is to complete ALL the license tests of any game in the Gran Turismo series; I particularly suggest the license tests in Gran Turismo 2. 10.) Simulate an actual Le Mans or Petit Le Mans race, without pausing or saving the game to continue later. Gather together several friends, and take turns doing the driving, changing drivers only at the Pit Stops as in an actual endurance race. Of course, this will give you an advantage over real-world endurance race drivers: They do not generally get to have good (or boring) conversations with friends while driving. 11.) If your car is lightning-fast compared to the other vehicles in the race, then after the first or second stint, always use 50% fuel. This should also allow you to use soft tires (if in dry conditions), as soft tires will generally begin to really wear out after about half of a fuel tank has been depleted (even faster if you have had many off-course excursions). This method will obviously have you sitting in Pit Lane more often, but that will give you more short breaks to catch your breath and let your adrenaline simmer for a moment. 12.) If playing with randomized weather, always be prepared to stop in Pit Lane to change tires. I have been able to run a number of laps successfully at Le Mans with soft tires when I should have been using intermediate tires, but my lap times were slower than if I had been using intermediate tires. Also, note that it takes approximately thirty minutes for the pavement to dry off after a long, hard, soaking rain, so this may well play into your choice of tires in a long endurance race. 13.) EVERY time you come to Pit Lane, SAVE YOUR PROGRESS!!!!! You never know when some fool will drive into a nearby telephone pole and cut off your electricity. ==================================== LE MANS 2000: TIME COMPRESSION Players can compete in Le Mans 2000 at four different time increments: 10 minutes, 24 minutes, 240 minutes, and the full 24-hour race. At each time increment, the race begins at 4PM on Saturday and ends at 4PM on Sunday, including the appropriate transition from daylight to darkness to daylight. Except for the full 24-hour race, this means that time must be compressed. For those interested, the time compression works in this manner (if my math is correct): Interval: 10 minutes 24 minutes 240 minutes 24 hours 1 second = 14 min 24 sec 1 minute 6 seconds 1 second 1 minute = 2 hr 24 min 1 hour 6 minutes 1 minute 1 hour = N/A N/A 6 hours 1 hour ==================================== LE MANS 2000: SUGGESTED CAR SET-UPS Le Mans 24 Hours provides only two car classes for Le Mans 2000: Open Prototype and GT. A suggested car set-up is provided for each car class. These suggestions are for dry- conditions racing; wet-conditions racing requires Wet or Intermediate Tires, and a raise in downforce if needed to suit your personal driving style. First, however, an explanation of the set-up options is needed. Explanations Fuel: Lower fuel loads will provide a faster overall top speed initially due to the lesser overall weight of the car. Conversely, a higher fuel load will slow the car initially while allowing the car to stay on the circuit for a longer period of time. Unfortunately, it is impossible to adjust initial fuel load for the races :-( In a four-hour race at Le Mans, a typical lap will consume approximately 8% of the fuel; a 24-hour race will have approximately 4% fuel consumption per lap. Downforce: Low downforce provides a faster top-end speed while making cornering more difficult. High downforce gives easier cornering while lowering overall top-end speed. Tires: Soft Tires provide the most grip of the pavement, but wear out faster than other tires, resulting in more trips to Pit Lane to change tires. Hard Tires provide the least grip of the dry-conditions tires while lasting the longest, resulting in fewer trips to Pit Lane. Should the track become damp or wet, 'slick' (Soft and Hard) tires quickly become useless. Wet Tires are for very wet conditions, when your car emits a 'rooster tail' of spray at high speeds. If it has been raining or has just started to rain and there is no 'rooster tail' behind your car, Intermediate Tires are a good choice; however, do not waste the time changing to and from Intermediate Tires unless your opinion of the clouds is that Intermediate Tires will be needed for more than one or two laps. Gear Ratio: An Acceleration setting will provide maximum acceleration for the car; at Le Mans, this would really only be useful in the final fifth of the circuit. Top Speed provides slower acceleration, but the car's top-end speed will be much higher. Balance is the 'middle ground' setting. Engine: A Sprint Engine will help boost your car through the field in shorter races, and can be useful in the 10-minute, 24-minute, and 4-hour Le Mans race. However, for the full 24-hour race, only an Endurance Engine will provide the long-lasting power required to finish the race. Balance is a 'middle ground' position, and is also a good choice for the 4-hour race at Le Mans. Open Prototype Class Fuel: 50% Downforce: Low Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint for the 4-hour race; Endurance for the full 24-hour race Notes: Prototype cars are inherently faster than GT cars. The suggested settings will help to quickly pass the Open Prototype cars as well, especially when taking on only a 50% fuel load. The low downforce setting will provide excellent top-end speed on the lengthy Hunaudieres Straight (Parts I, II, and III) and the long 'straightaway' between Mulsanne Curve and Indianapolis Curve, but the chicanes and the Indianapolis-Arnage complex will be rather tricky, especially in wet conditions. The 50% initial fuel load fits well with Soft Tires, as Soft Tires will start giving out about the time you will need to return to Pit Lane to refuel anyhow. GT Class Fuel: 80% Downforce: Low Tires: Hard Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint for the 4-hour race; Endurance for the full 24-hour race Notes: In general, see the notes for the Open Prototype Class, above. However, I find that GT cars have better handling with more fuel, thus making the car a bit heavier. Hard Tires will then allow the car to stay on the circuit longer, as the car will begin with a heavier fuel load; however, Hard Tires provide the least amount of grip, so more care must be given early in a run, especially when cornering. Note #1: It is not impossible for a GT Class car to win a full Le Mans 2000 race outright, beating even all the Open Prototype Class cars. This will depend upon the settings selected for a GT Class car, pit strategy, and the game parameters (in terms of driving aids and AI Skill). Note #2: Both Open Prototype and GT Class cars tend to fishtail; this is especially significant in GT Class vehicles. As such, heavier fuel loads tend to reduce the fishtail effect. Unless extreme care is afforded the tires, the rear tires will wear out faster, which can itself aid the fishtailing effect. Be especially wary of fishtailing when running over rumble strips while turning (and when cornering at fast speeds, especially in wet conditions). ==================================== LE MANS 2000: GENERAL TIPS After driving all night long (especially in the full 24-hour race), the transition to daylight driving (especially under clear skies) can result in poor visibility of cars far ahead of you until your eyes adjust. Be wary of your closing rate on slower, 'unseen' cars far ahead, as you can suddenly find your front bumper banging the rear end of another vehicle. Lights are used for nighttime driving and other poor visibility conditions (primarily constant rain). While the lights are great in poor visibility conditions, do not allow yourself to become too reliant upon them. Once clear visibility returns, the lights are turned off (approximately 6:30AM in the full 24-hour race if rain is not present). ALWAYS keep an eye on your fuel usage. If you run out of fuel somewhat early in a lap, you may not make it back to Pit Lane without placing yourself just right to be bumped from behind or making use of a downhill slope to help gain speed. Tire selection is extremely important at Le Mans because of the immense length of the circuit; if your tires wear out in the early portion of the circuit, you may well find yourself sliding around in corners later in the lap. Many of the turns at Le Mans can be taken at full throttle; however, the slower, tighter corners - especially the Indianapolis-Arnage complex and the final double-chicane at White House - can be absolutely brutal on tires, especially if cornering at a too- high speed for the condition of the tires. For more specific tips on tire usage, please read the full Le Mans 24 Hours Game Guide, and/or also look at my Gran Turismo 3: Tires Guide. To pass, use the draft; this is especially effective in prototype cars. The Le Mans circuit has numerous long straightaways and sections with gentle, full-throttle curves, providing plenty of opportunity to make use of a competitor's draft. On the wide public roads, CPU-controlled cars almost always straddle the center line, so this is a great place to be to make use of another car's draft as you approach. If you do not choose to qualify, you will automatically start in last place; therefore, you have nothing to lose and A LOT to gain by qualifying. If you can qualify on Pole, that can mean twenty-three FEWER passes you will need to make as a race progresses. In the longer (4-hour and 24-hour) Le Mans races, this could become a significant factor, especially in relation to Pit strategy. If you are in first place and begin lapping other cars, those cars one or more laps behind you will have blue indicators on the track map. If at all possible, do not go to Pit Lane with a pack of competitors. If there is another car directly in front of you, the CPU will slow you to a near halt while that car slots into its Pit Stall. Similarly, once your Pit Stop has been completed, if there are any cars passing your position, the CPU will hold you there until they ALL pass, even if it appears that there is plenty of room for you to slot into the line of cars. ==================================== LE MANS 2000: CIRCUIT OVERVIEW The Le Mans circuit has seen numerous changes throughout its vast and storied history (detailed at some of the Web sites in the Information on the Web section). The 2000 configuration (used in Le Mans 24 Hours) is 8.454 miles in length; as such, the circuit has numerous long straightaways and sections with gentle, full-throttle curves. A small part of the circuit shares pavement with the permanent Bugatti circuit (also part of the game), while much of the Le Mans circuit makes use of local public roads. The potential irony of racing at this circuit is that approximately fifty seconds into a lap, racers will pass an Elf gas station on the right; if a car is low on fuel, this is simply a nasty reminder that there is still at least three minutes remaining in the lap before finding Pit Lane :-( In clear daylight, this circuit is a beauty. Much of the circuit is surrounded very closely by tall trees, which - depending on the position of the sun and the portion of the circuit you may be in at a particular moment - can produce some rather long shadows across the circuit, potentially obscuring a view of the cars (especially darker-colored vehicles) or the pavement ahead. Fortunately, most of the tight corners have wide recovery areas lined with grass and/or sand. During a star-filled night, the Le Mans circuit can be a massive beast compared to the beauty of the sky above. While four of the corners and the immediate entrance to Pit Lane are marked by bright red lights which can be seen at a long distance (which is not true to reality), the tightest corners of the circuit are NOT lit in the same manner; the taillights of any cars ahead will certainly help to mark the corners, but intimate familiarity is required to successfully navigate these tight, unmarked corners. However, the bright red lights can also obscure your view of cars ahead, as competitors' taillights often 'disappear' into the bright red corner indicators on approach. In a rainstorm, whether during the day or at night, the circuit can quickly turn into a sheet of ice. The trick in wet conditions is to expertly regulate the use of both the brakes and the accelerator, especially in the Indianapolis- Arnage complex and the double-chicane at White House. Just as important is pit strategy to change to/from Wet or Intermediate Tires; therefore, if playing with Weather set to Random, always keep an eye on the sky, especially at the eastern and western ends of the circuit, to better anticipate how the weather may change. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== PETIT LE MANS: TIME COMPRESSION Players can compete in the Petit Le Mans at four different time increments: 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 100 minutes, and the full ten-hour race. At each time increment, the race begins at 12:30PM and ends at 10:30PM, including the appropriate transition from daylight to darkness. Except for the full ten-hour race, this means that time must be compressed. For those interested, the time compression works in this manner (if my math is correct): Time Interval: 10 minutes 30 minutes 100 minutes 10 hours 1 second = 1 minute 20 seconds 6 seconds 1 second 1 minute = 1 hour 20 minutes 6 minutes 1 minute 1 hour = N/A N/A 6 hours 1 hour ==================================== PETIT LE MANS: SUGGESTED CAR SET-UPS Le Mans 24 Hours provides three car classes for Petit Le Mans: Open Prototype, Closed prototype, and GT. A suggested car set-up is provided for GT class cars, and both Open and Closed Prototype class cars combined (as I find very little difference between Closed prototype and Open Prototype cars in terms of handling). These suggestions are for dry- conditions racing; wet-conditions racing requires Wet Tires, and a raise in downforce if needed to suit your personal driving style. First, however, an explanation of the set-up options is needed. Explanations Fuel: Lower fuel loads will provide a faster overall top speed initially due to the lesser overall weight of the car. Conversely, a higher fuel load will slow the car initially while allowing the car to stay on the circuit for a longer period of time. Unfortunately, it is impossible to adjust initial fuel load for the races :-( In a four-hour race at Petit Le Mans, each lap will consume approximately four percent of the fuel load; each lap in a full ten-hour race requires two percent of fuel. Downforce: Low downforce provides a faster top-end speed while making cornering more difficult. High downforce gives easier cornering while lowering overall top-end speed. Tires: Soft Tires provide the most grip of the pavement, but wear out faster than other tires, resulting in more trips to Pit Lane to change tires. Hard Tires provide the least grip of the dry-conditions tires while lasting the longest, resulting in fewer trips to Pit Lane. Should the track become damp or wet, 'slick' (Soft and Hard) tires quickly become useless. Wet Tires are for very wet conditions, when your car emits a 'rooster tail' of spray at high speeds. If it has been raining or has just started to rain and there is no 'rooster tail' behind your car, Intermediate Tires are a good choice; however, do not waste the time changing to and from Intermediate Tires unless your opinion of the clouds is that Intermediate Tires will be needed for more than one or two laps. Gear Ratio: An Acceleration setting will provide maximum acceleration for the car. Top Speed provides slower acceleration, but the car's top-end speed will be much higher. Balance is the 'middle ground' setting. Engine: A Sprint Engine will help boost your car through the field in shorter races, and can be useful in the 10-minute, 30-minute, and 100-minute Petit Le Mans race. However, for the full 10-hour race, only an Endurance Engine will provide the long-lasting power required to finish the race. Balance is a 'middle ground' position, and is also a good choice for the 100-minute race at Petit Le Mans. Open Prototype Class AND Closed Prototype Class Fuel: 50% Downforce: Low Tires: Soft Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint for the 100-minute race; Endurance for the full 10-hour race Notes: Prototype cars are inherently faster than GT cars. The suggested settings will help to quickly pass the Prototype cars as well, especially when taking on only a 50% fuel load. The low downforce setting will provide excellent top-end speed through the S curves, and down the 'back side' of the circuit toward the chicane. The 50% initial fuel load fits well with Soft Tires, as Soft Tires will start giving out about the time you will need to return to Pit Lane to refuel anyhow. GT Class Fuel: 80% Downforce: Low Tires: Hard Gear Ratio: Top Speed Engine: Sprint for the 100-minute race; Endurance for the full 10-hour race Notes: In general, see the notes for the Prototype Class, above. However, I find that GT cars have better handling with more fuel, thus making the car a bit heavier and the back end less likely to slide around on cornering at high speeds. Hard Tires will then allow the car to stay on the circuit longer, as the car will begin with a heavier fuel load; however, Hard Tires provide the least amount of grip, so more care must be given, especially when cornering. Note #1: It is not impossible for a GT Class car to win a full Petit Le Mans race outright, beating even all the Open Prototype Class AND Closed Prototype Class cars. This will depend upon the settings selected for a GT Class car, pit strategy, and the game parameters (in terms of driving aids and AI Skill). Note #2: Cars in all classes do tend to fishtail; this is especially significant in GT Class vehicles. As such, heavier fuel loads tend to reduce the fishtail effect. Unless extreme care is afforded the tires, the rear tires will wear out faster, which can itself aid the fishtailing effect. Be especially wary of fishtailing when running over rumble strips while turning (and when cornering at fast speeds, especially in wet conditions). ==================================== PETIT LE MANS: GENERAL TIPS ALWAYS keep an eye on your fuel usage. If you run out of fuel somewhat early in a lap, you may not make it back to Pit Lane without placing yourself just right to be bumped from behind or making use of a downhill slope to help gain speed. Pit Lane is at the lowest elevation on the circuit, which keeps climbing uphill all the way to the Pit Lane (not used for Petit Le Mans) on the opposite end of the circuit. Petit Le Mans features both full-throttle straightaways and S-Curves tempered with tight technical corners and slopes. As such, tire wear is a critical issue, especially in wet conditions - poor tire grip means sliding off the pavement in tight corners or driving too fast through the S-Curves for the tires to adequately grip the pavement. For more specific tips on tire usage, please read the full Le Mans 24 Hours Game Guide, and/or also look at my Gran Turismo 3: Tires Guide. To pass, use the draft; this is especially effective in Open Prototype and Closed Prototype cars. The best place to draft other cars is along the 'back stretch' of the circuit, from the alternate Pit Lane (not used in Petit Le Mans) to the chicane. If you do not choose to qualify, you will automatically start in last place; therefore, you have nothing to lose and A LOT to gain by qualifying. If you can qualify on Pole, that can mean twenty-three FEWER passes you will need to make as a race progresses. In the longer (100-minute and 10-hour) Petit Le Mans races, this could become a significant factor, especially in relation to Pit strategy. If you are in first place and begin lapping other cars, those cars one or more laps behind you will have blue indicators on the track map. If at all possible, do not go to Pit Lane with a pack of competitors. If there is another car directly in front of you, the CPU will slow you to a near halt while that car slots into its Pit Stall. Similarly, once your Pit Stop has been completed, if there are any cars passing your position, the CPU will hold you there until they ALL pass, even if it appears that there is plenty of room for you to slot into the line of cars. The CPU-controlled cars can and DO make mistakes. In their battles against each other for position, they often trade paint, and sometimes even run each other off the track. The most common area for this latter is the top of the circuit, between Turns 9 and 10; this is especially important to remember at night, when visibility can be tricky. ==================================== PETIT LE MANS: CIRCUIT OVERVIEW The full Road Atlanta circuit combines long fast segments with technical corners and slopes. Part of the mystique of the circuit is its construction; similar to A1-Ring in Austria, Pit Straight is the lowest elevation of the circuit, with the beginning and end of the circuit both on steep slopes. The first twenty seconds of a hot lap are spent in a forested area; the rest of the lap features rather open space to the inside of the circuit, providing plenty of natural light on a cloudless day or a moonlit night. However, the forested section can also produce some nasty shadows, making the nearly-blind corners even more difficult to spot if there is no traffic just ahead. In a rainstorm, whether during the day or at night, the circuit can quickly turn into a sheet of ice. The trick in wet conditions is to expertly regulate the use of both the brakes and the accelerator, especially on the steep slopes. Just as important is pit strategy to change to/from Wet or Intermediate Tires; therefore, if playing with Weather set to Random, always keep an eye on the sky, especially at the upper and lower ends of the circuit, to better anticipate how the weather may change. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== STRATEGY FOR UNLOCKING ALL ELEMENTS IN LE MANS 24 HOURS First, circuits and cars are unlocked by simply winning races; the CPU does not care whether this is done on Easy, Intermediate, or Hard difficulty. Therefore, those wishing to unlock the many elements as quickly as possible will likely wish to use Easy difficulty; after all, it would be a real shame to spend twenty-four hours in the full Le Mans 2000 race and end up losing by less than a lap on Hard difficulty :-( As with all other games, the first thing a player should do is to go to the Options menu and make sure controls and game settings are to the player's liking. Note here that of the race-related settings, only Quick Race settings cannot be changed before entering a race in Quick Race Mode, so it is important to make sure these settings are to the player's liking (note that the default race length is three laps). While in Options, take note of Progress. This section gives a quick visual reference as to which races/events have been completed, and - except for Quick Race Mode, which only unlocks circuits - also shows which cars have been unlocked. Once ready to begin racing, the player needs to first sweep through Quick Race Mode - again, the settings for Quick Race Mode can ONLY be adjusted in the Options menu. Only four circuits (Le Mans, Suzuka East, Donington National, and Road Atlanta National) are initially available; winning at each of these circuits will unlock another circuit, winning at the unlocked circuits will unlock more circuits, etc. Finally, once the player has won at least one race at all twelve circuits in Quick Race Mode, the three reverse circuits will open; this is essentially optional, as there are no bonus cars to be unlocked at the reverse circuits in Time Trial Mode. Note that players will be racing against nineteen competitors in Quick Race Mode. While Quick Race Mode only unlocks circuits, it is important in he overall scheme of the game, as Time Trial Mode only allows players to race at the four initially-available circuits plus those unlocked in Quick Race Mode. However, the few initially-available cars simply CANNOT be used to best the posted goal times in Time Trial Mode (thus unlocking new cars), so once Quick Race Mode has been completed, players need to progress to Championship Mode. Championship Mode consists of several points-based series (Rookie GT, Pro GT, GT Enduro, Open Prototype, Closed Prototype, Prototype Enduro, Super Enduro, and Winter Challenge). Winning each championship depends upon having the most points at the end of each championship. Unfortunately, should a player wish to skip a race in a championship, the only way to do this is to actually enter the race, then cancel out (and confirm) just as the race begins. The championships themselves begin with fairly few races with just a few laps each, but then add more and more races of longer and longer length, with the final championship (Winter Challenge) adding the nuisance of constant rain; however, those who can drive well and still maintain a fast speed in wet conditions will note just how much the CPU-controlled cars slow down in wet conditions. Note that the medium- and long-length championship races will each require at least one trip to Pit Lane to refuel and (likely) to change tires, although double-stinting the tires (i.e., changing the tires after every other Pit Stop) may be possible for really good drivers. Winning each championship unlocks another car. These unlocked cars are all better than the initially-available cars in some respect, but GT cars are still slower than Open Prototype and Closed Prototype vehicles. Once a player has unlocked several prototype cars, they should be viable enough to unlock more cars in Time Trial Mode (which, again, depends upon the initially-available circuits and those circuits previously unlocked in Quick Race Mode). The trick is finding the right car with the right set-up and the right racing line for an entire hot lap around the chosen circuit. While Time Trial Mode does not show the tire indicators (which theoretically means that tire wear is not an issue), this mode DOES include tire wear - which is quite noticeable for those using Soft Tires and running for more than about six laps. As more and more cars are unlocked in Time Trial Mode, the player will gain greater familiarity with the various circuits. If there are any championships to be completed, the time spent in Time Trial Mode will be greatly beneficial; also, the player will have access to more and better cars to use in completing Championship Mode. The final set of races to complete is in Le Mans Mode. Here, the player can participate in Le Mans 2000 or Petit Le Mans. There are four time intervals for races at each circuit (remember the Petit Le Mans is held at the full Road Atlanta circuit). With the many cars unlocked previously in the game, players should be able to either blow away the competition (especially if using Easy difficulty) or at least be very competitive for race wins. Winning each event at each time interval unlocks one more car; winning Le Mans 2000 at the full 24-hour time interval unlocks TWO cars. Note that those cars unlocked by winning at the four time intervals in Le Mans 2000 can ONLY be used in Le Mans Mode. If the player still has Challenges to win or cars to unlock in Time Trial Mode, the cars won at the 10-hour and 24-hour time intervals in Le Mans Mode should help nicely :-) Total minimum game completion time estimate: SIXTY HOURS. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== TEAM INFORMATION This section will present each team alphabetically, the car(s) for each team, and some team information. In some cases, teams use multiple cars of the same model; these are differentiated by racing number in the game (but are not listed here. Audi Sport Team Joest Cars - Audi R8 Web Site - http://www.audi.com/com/en/experience/ motorsport/background/team_joest/team_joest.jsp Joest Racing was founded in 1978. Since , Reinhold Joest's team has won a large number of important titles and races - among them seven Le Mans 24 Hour triumphs in 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002. Since Audi races the R8, Joest Racing is preparing the cars. Based at Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, Audi Sport is responsible for the ongoing development of the Infineon Audi R8, Joest Racing in Germany's region "Odenwald" for the racing. Both partners contribute knowledge and their experience in all areas. "We can only be strong together", knows Team Director Reinhold Joest, who has already guided his team to seven Le Mans victories. Prior to that Joest had climbed the Le Mans podium also as a driver. When Audi looked for a suitable team to run the Le Mans 24 Hour race, Joest Racing was first choice. Right from the start, Joest was involved in the project of the Infineon Audi R8. The joint successes at Le Mans and at the races of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) are the product of perfect team work. Audi Sport UK Cars - Audi A8C Web Site - http://www.audi.com/com/en/experience/ motorsport/background/audi_sport/audi_sport.jsp Audi Sport can look back on a long-standing tradition in motorsport, with experience in almost every type of racing. No matter where the team from Ingolstadt has competed, it has been amongst the winners. Around 100 people are employed by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. Here, under the leadership of Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, the Infineon Audi R8 was also developed. Following Audi Sport tradition, everything is developed in-house: from chassis to the 610 hp V8 twin-turbo power units. Success at Audi Sport is not by chance, rather it is the result of immense experience ­ in cooperation with reliable partners. BMW Motorsport Cars - BMW V12 LMR Web Site - http://www.bmw-motorsport.com/session: ca6p8ku1w1/ms/en/index.html In 1954, BMW continued its motorsport activities with as much enthusiasm and success as ever. Alex Von Falkenhausen, BMW engine chief of the time and friend of German motorsport legend Hans Joachim Stuck still competes in races. Firstly with the BMW 507 V8 sportscar and more recently with the BMW 700. Soon afterwards, a whole armada of BMW 700s would be competing with great success in different motorsport categories. Even at the age of 60, Hans Stuck continued his career in the 700 and won the 1960 German hillclimb championship. Then the mid-range BMW was launched, first as the BMW 1500 and later as the 1800 and 2000. Von Falkenhausen had wanted to enter touring car racing for a long time, and this car was perfectly suited to his plans. At this point there was no separate motorsport department at BMW, so the racing engines were developed in the same department as the production engines. This allowed von Falkenhausen to personally push the development programme forward. The project proved to be another BMW motorsport success story. Hubert Hahne won he 1964 German Circuit Championship in a BMW 1800ti, while two years later Josef Schnitzer took his BMW 2000ti to the German Touring Car crown. "Our activities of those days were far away from the meticulously organised motorsport programme of today", explains former BMW racing engine director Paul Rosche. "In those days we carried out lots of experiments, working mainly using the principle of 'trial and error'. There was a motorsport budget at BMW, but we worked like real privateers." In between, engine designer Ludwig Apfelbeck is determined to construct a four-valve engine for BMW. Supported by Rosche he gained authorisation to design a 500cc single cylinder engine. "This engine already produced 57bhp," Rosche remembers. "This meant 114bhp per litre, while our 1800 didn't produce more than 90bhp per litre." Von Falkenhausen was convinced by the concept and instructed his engine specialists to build a two-litre version for hillclimbs and a 1.6-litre version for Formula 2. With the BMW Brabham BT 7, he set up several world records with the aid of a four-valve Apfelbeck engine. The BMW Monti sportscar was used for hillclimbs. In the following decades BMW was massively successful with normally aspirated two and four valve engines in touring car racing and Formula 2. At the same time, BMW was entering a new era - the turbo era. In 1968 Dieter Quester won the European Touring Car Championship in a BMW 2002, but the competition was getting stronger and stronger. In a bid to keep BMW at\ the top, Alex von Falkenhausen instructed his team of engine experts to build a turbocharged engine for the 1969 season. "We had never worked on turbo engines before," Paul Rosche recalls. "This was a brand new experience for us. So we took a turbocharger and installed it on one of our production engines." Three months, many experiments and many exploded engines later, the first turbocharged BMW touring car made its debut at Snetterton in England. This first race ended with an early retirement, but the turbo principle proved its worth during the course of the season and Quester duly delivered another European Touring Car title, this time in a BMW 2002 turbo. It would be 1978 before the BMW turbo concept could achieve more success. The German Racing Championship regulations were opened up to allow turbo engines, albeit restricted to 1.42 litres. Harald Ertl's BMW 320 Turbo still produced a massive 550bhp however, and took the championship in its very first year. It was this engine that made BMW first think about Formula 1. The normally-aspirated three litre Cosworth engines that dominated F1 at the time produced just 500bhp. In 1980 this idea became a serious project. A contract was signed with Brabham, the team supplied BMW with a test car and the development was intensified. "We were travelling week-by-week from one track to the next", Rosche says. "We had plenty of power right from the start. But the driveability and the reaction of the engine had to be improved." Again BMW would pioneer the use of new technology during the F1 test programme, using telemetry to improve motorsport performance for the first time. At this point electronic memory had not been created, so the reams of data were printed out on paper. Only when a clever electronic engineer developed the first electronic data store were mountains of paper made a thing of the past. Another innovation duly followed. Electronic engine management was designed to cure the engine of its bad habits and warn of impending problems. "A turbo engine being run on poor fuel, or with too much turbo pressure will soon start to struggle, and then it won't survive much longer," explains Rosche. The first analogue control unit was an instant improvement over the existing technology, but the real breakthrough came when electronics company Bosch supplied BMW with a digital unit in 1981. The turbocharged BMW F1 engine was finally ready to race at the start of 1982. There were still plenty of problems hampering the project however, and its future was put into question when reigning champion Nelson Piquet's Brabham BMW failed to qualify for the US Grand Prix in Detroit. At the next grand prix in Montreal, Brabham designer Gordon Murray wanted to abandon the turbo project. A compromise was found: Piquet would continue with the BMW turbo but his team-mate Riccardo Patrese would use the normally-aspirated Cosworth. But the BMW was plagued by a misfire throughout Friday and Saturday. Bernie Ecclestone, then the boss of Brabham, demanded that Piquet's car was also fitted with the Cosworth. BMW race director Dieter St appert reacted in uncompromising style, threatening to cancel the whole project if Ecclestone carried out his threat. Ecclestone gave in, but during the Sunday warm-up Piquet's engine continued to misfire. "So we checked the engine, changed the complete electronics, and won the race," recalls Rosche. "But we never really found out what had gone wrong before and why it worked during the race." At the end of the turbo era, there was a group at BMW that wanted to keep on racing in Formula 1. The group was headed by Paul Rosche and a member of the board, Dr Wolfgang Reitzle. The F1 department was reduced, but a group of 20 men called the 'E-90-Team' got the permission to design a V12 engine conforming to the new 3.5-litre regulations. Although it gave permission for the group to carry out the work, the board still did not show great interest, and the engine was used as a test-bed for new developments. The next major racing engine project was the BMW M3, which was to race in series such as the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). This project proved to be a huge success. The car won championships around the world and collected more than 50 titles. At the end of 1992 BMW developed the BMW 320i for the new class two Super Touring regulations. The car won 29 championship titles around the world. The 12-cylinder engine for the McLaren F1 sportscar was also developed under the supervision of Paul Rosche. This engine proved extraordinarily successful. It had such reliability that most of the McLaren F1 GTRs entered in the FIA GT Championship only needed a single engine change during a complete season. "At the beginning, we had planned to use our production V12 with a four valve head," said Rosche. "But during the course of the development it became a complete new engine, only the distance of the cylinders stayed the same. This engine wasn't supposed to be a race engine, that's why it had to stand tough reliability tests in the development phase. The power of the engine was heavily reduced by an air restrictor. Without the air restrictor, the engine would have produced some 800bhp for sure. But then it wouldn't have been able to survive so long." At the same time the Motorsport GmbH became the M GmbH, which did not do much with the motorsport activities of BMW. M GmbH was occupied with developing the sports production models of BMW. Then in 1995, a new motorsport company was founded - Motorsport Limited. Paul Rosche, then the managing director of the M GmbH, got the task of running the new company. Two years later, a new BMW Formula 1 project was launched. "This meant that I had to solve three different tasks at the same time," said Rosche. "The formation of Motorsport Ltd, the design of a new F1 engine and the employment of the new personnel that we needed." Rosche did almost all the interviews himself and nearly all the staff he employed were signed from other BMW departments. Only 20 of the new Motorsport Ltd employees were from outside the marque, and these newcomers all brought with them fresh F1 experience and knowledge. Rather than entering a full works team and designing both the car and engine in-house, BMW opted to become an engine partner with the WilliamsF1 team. The new engine first hit the track in 1999 and made its race debut at the start of 2000. The goal for the first year was simply to finish races and gather information. Despite these cautious objectives, the new BMW WilliamsF1 Team finished on the podium in its first race - one of the most successful debuts made by a manufacturer in grand prix history. By the end of the season, the team had clinched third place in the constructors' championship. Bonnet Didier Cars - Debora LMP2000-BMW Web Site - Unable to find information online Carsport Holland Cars - Chrysler Viper GTS-R Web Site - http://www.hezemans.nl/GT2001/NL/index.htm Unfortunately, this site is entirely in Dutch... a language I cannot read :-( Chamberlain Engineering Cars - Chrysler Viper GTS-R Web Site - http://www.chamberlain.cc/history.htm Hugh Chamberlain, a former policeman in the UK, spent six years working for the Radial motor component manufacturing company before forming Chamberlain Engineering in 1972. The company concentrated on repairing and servicing commercial engines and raced a Jaguar XK120 for fun. Later Hugh bought a Cooper-Jaguar, then a Mallock U2 Mk6, which he raced until 1982. As a result of the Clubman's racing, Chamberlain Engineering, as the team was known until 1999, initially began preparing racecars for young men in the UK like Will Hoy, Creighton Brown and Nick Adams each of whom went on to successful careers in motorsport. But Hugh found it increasingly difficult to both compete and run a race team and so concentrated his efforts on running the team. Since 1985 the team has competed in a number of endurance formulas, winning 2 World Championships, the C2 class Le Mans 24 hour race and nine National Championships. Since 1999, Jack Cunningham has been Chief Executive, and with the Team under new ownership and with a new management team in place Hugh Chamberlain subsequently left the company. The Team's management and technical expertise has been strengthened considerably with new appointments being made at all levels. The Team has prospered as a result, participating successfully in major international endurance events around the world. The Team were runners-up in the 1999 FIA GT Championship, the first non-manufacturer Team at Daytona in 2000 and, in 2001, were selected to test and race the MG EX257 cars at Le Mans and other events on behalf of the manufacturer for two seasons. With the organisation now having been involved in motor racing for over 25 years, it is acknowledged as one of the world's most experienced sports car and GT racing teams. Corvette Racing Cars - Chevrolet Corvette C5-R Web Site - http://www.corvetteracing.net/race_history/ race_history_set.htm Corvette Racing's latest addition to its stable, the Corvette C5-R, continues a decade long tradition of exciting Corvette road racers. Under the guiding hand of engineering genius Zora Arkus-Duntov, Chevrolet first thrust its sports car into competition in 1956. In 1960 a trio of Corvettes was brought to Le Mans by team owner Brigs Cunningham. With a remarkable demonstration of endurance and speed, the #3 car, driven by John Fitch and Bob Grossman, finished eighth overall, well ahead of many of the finest sports and all-out racing cars of the era. The third-generation Corvette, introduced in 1968, continued the winning ways of its predecessors. In fact, Corvettes were totally dominant in the late 60's and 70's, winning sixteen SCCA national A-and B-Production titles and finishing as high as third overall at both Daytona and Sebring. In the Late 70's and early 80's Corvettes went Trans-Am racing and though the competition was formidable, Corvettes continued to finish in front. In addition to racing in production classes as it had done for decades, a more exotic Corvette-based car took to the track in the late 80's. The incredible IMSA GTP Corvettes reached speeds well in excess of 200 mph by virtue of their 1200 horsepower, turbocharged Chevrolet engines and thrilled fans from coast to coast. In the early 90's Corvettes were again provided an opportunity to race against and defeat some of the world's most sophisticated and most expensive cars in the Bridgestone Potenza Super Car Series. Corvette once again set new marks for speed and durability. For 2001 Chevrolet introduced the new ZO6, a production vehicle with 385-hp and 385-ft.lbs. of torque that's ready for the racetrack. Based on the former hardtop model already the lightest, stiffest and quickest corvette- it is a car aimed directly at the diehard performance enthusiasts at the upper end of the high-performance market. Courage Competition Cars - Courage C 52 Web Site - http://www.sportscarchampionship.com/cgi-bin entrantsdetails.cgi?category=teams&ID Courage+Competition Between 1982 et 2001, Courage has left his mark on the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours, with notably : - The record number of entries by a French car maker (47) - Two winner stands: 3rd in 1987, 2nd in 1995. His cars have crossed the finish line twenty-two times, thirteen times ranked in the top ten. An overview of the teamıs racing highlights: 1982 The first Courage-Ford Cosworth entered in Le Mans. 1985 First year with a Porsche engine. 1987 First winnerıs stand in Le Mans (3rd place of C 20 Porsche). 1989 Le Mans : win in the C2 category, after 20 years of British supremacy. Entry in the Protoype Sport Championship 1990 Entry in the Protoype Sport Championship 1991 Entry in the Protoype Sport Championship 1992 Entry in the Daytona 24 Hours. Le Mans : 6th place. 1994 Le Mans : pole position and 7th place. 1995 Courage officially represents Porsche in Le Mans, and registers his best result to date : 2nd (1er in prototype). 1996 Entry in the Daytona 24 Hours. Le Mans : 7th Start of customer program. 1997 Entry in the ISRS championship. 2 pole positions and 1 win.Le Mans : 4th (2nd prototype). 1998 Nissan partnership (engines) 1999 Le Mans : 3 Courage chassis on the starting line and 3 at the finish : 6th 8th (only Nissan mechanics to finish), and 9th . 2000 Le Mans : 4th place of a Courage Peugeot (Pescarolo Sport) 2001 3 Courage chassis entered in Le Mans (2 Pescarolo Sport, 1 SMG). Pescarolo-Sport wins at Estoril and Magny-Cours, 2nd place in Nürburgring ( FIA championship). 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship and Le Mans 24 Hours. Freisinger Motorsport Cars - Porsche 911 GT2 Web Site - http://www.superracingweekends.com/ fiagtmg2002/Teams/FreisingerMotorsport.htm 1993 2nd in the Nürburgring 24 Hours 1994 BPR GT Series; 2nd at Paul Ricard 1995 Le Mans with Porsche 993 biturbo, 19th 1996 BPR GT Series 1997 FIA GT Championship 1998 GTR series, 2 wins. GT2 class winner at Petit Le Mans. 1999 2nd at 12 Hours of Sebring; winner of the Suzuka 1000km; 3rd and 1st Porsche in FIA GT Championships, including 3rd at Monza 2000 4th in FIA GT Championship Teams Classification: winner at the Lausitzring, 2nd at Monza. 2nd in ELMS at Silverstone and 1000km Suzuka 2001 3rd overall at Rolex 24 Daytona. 2nd, 24 Hours of Le Mans, LM GT; 3rd, FIA GT Championship, N-GT Classification - second at Spa, Austria, Nürburgring and Zolder GTC Competition Cars - LMGTP Web Site - http://www.gtc-mirage.com/NewFiles/intro.html Upon the request of the Ferrari Factory, Grand Touring Cars, Inc. (GTC, Inc.) was first incorporated in Chicago, Illinois in 1972, by Harley E. Cluxton III, who became the youngest exclusive Authorized Ferrari Dealer in the United States. It relocated to Phoenix, Arizona in 1973, and the dealership has been in Scottsdale, Arizona ever since. GTC, Inc. was awarded the Lamborghini importership for the Western United States from 1973 through 1977. In late 1975 John Wyer, the guru of LeMans (with World Championships for Aston Martin, Porsche, Ford, and Mirage) approached Mr. Cluxton as to whether he would be interested in purchasing his Mirage Team from the Gulf Oil Corporation in Pittsburgh. Mr. Cluxton had competed against John while he was racing for Ferrari and had struck up a close friendship with both John and his drivers. Mr. Cluxton purchased the Mirage Team from Gulf in early 1976. By June of 1976, he had become a team owner, hired John as a consultant, retired from driving, hired drivers, found the sponsorship and achieved team finishes of 2nd and 5th behind the factory 936 Porsche! Mr. Cluxton directed the extremely successful GTC-Mirage two-car team from 1976-1982 in the F.I.A. World Sportscar Championship. In 1982, Mario and Michael Andretti, sixth on the grid out of 58 cars, the only American owned, American manufactured and American driven Group C car was excluded 20 minutes before the start of the race for a 2 centimeter infraction. The Mirage team has not been back to Le Mans since. But that is not to say GTC has been dormant in the world racing arena. Quite the opposite. GTC developed and manufactured 2.65 c.i. turbo charged Indy motors for Renault. We continue to represent, unabated from 1978, Formula 1 drivers, CART drivers and selected Sportscar drivers in sponsorship, legal and management matters. We have and continue to provide these services to major Formula 1 teams, CART teams, manufactures and Fortune 500 corporations. Jaguar Cars - Jaguar XJR9 LM Web Site - http://www.jaguar-racing.com/ Jaguar Racing extends a long and distinguished motorsport tradition with its entry into the 2002 Formula One World Championship. The company has been involved in motorsport since it was founded in 1922. Seven times it has won the world's toughest endurance race at Le Mans, been World Sports Car Champions three times and in 1956 won both Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally in the same year. The roll call of drivers who have raced Jaguars during the past 50 years reads like a Who's Who of motorsport. In the Fifties, Mike Hawthorn, Paul Frere, Duncan Hamilton and Stirling Moss were regulars with the Jaguar team. Jackie Stewart (and brother Jimmy), Sir Jack Brabham, Briggs Cuningham and Graham Hill all drove Jaguars during successful racing careers. In more recent times, Martin Brundle, Tom Walkinshaw, Derek Warwick, Patrick Tambay, John Watson, Eddie Cheever and Jan Lammers all drove for Jaguar. The lessons learned on the race tracks will benefit the Company's customers around the world as Jaguar prepares to expand its model range. This will extend the appeal of the marque to new sectors of the premium car market. JMB Competition Cars - LMP Web Site - http://www.superracingweekends.com/ FIAGTmg/Teams/JMBCompetition.htm 1997 FIAGT Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Porsche 911 GT1 1998 winner of the Sports Racing World Cup with Emmanuel Collard and Vincenzo Sospiri, in a Ferrari 333 SP, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1999 winner of the Sports Racing World Cup with Emmanuel Collard and Vincenzo Sospiri, in a Ferrari 333 SP, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2000 Winner of the Sports Racing World Cup with David Terrien and Christian Pescatori, in a Ferrari 333 SP; selected rounds of the FIA GT Championship with two Ferrari Modena 360s; 2nd in the N-GT category of the 6 Hours of Vallelunga with a Ferrari Modena 360 2001 FIA N-GT Champions, 5 wins; Champion of the FFSA category in the FFSA French GT Championship; winner of the N-GT category of the Vallelunga 6 Hours with a Ferrari Modena 360 Joest Racing Cars - LMP Web Site - http://www.joest-racing.de/ Reinhold Joest's eyes are gleaming when he reports from the 24 hours of Le Mans. "For me, Le Mans is the biggest challenge existing in motorsports." He knows what he is talking about: Scarcely anybody knows the perfidies of the French classic long-distance race as well as him. Joest has experienced the race as driver and as a team owner. The numerous victories are the results of meticulous preparations. "Everyone asks for the mystery of Joest Racing", says Reinhold Joest. "But there is no mystery. Everything that counts are perfect preparations, ideal manpower planning and the right strategy. The basic requirement is a steady car. The team has to work perfectly, the drivers must not make mistakes." In the years 1996 and 1997 everything worked right in the Joest Racing team: With an open Porsche sports car prototype, the Joest team managed to take the checkered flag twice in a row. Thus being the second 1-2 victory after the years 1984 and 1985 - at this time with the Porsche 956. The team's strength is based on a long-lasting experience. The bulk of the crew, which attended the group C-Porsche cars in the 80ies, is still on board. "The core crew is the same", proudly says Reinhold Joest, who is looking back on over 20 years as a race driver. "For this reason the important know-how and many rules of thumb get stuck in the team. Johansson Matthews Racing Cars - Reynard 2KQ-Judd Web Site - Unable to find information online Konrad Motorsport Cars - GT2 Lola B2K10-Ford Porsche 911 GT2 Web Site - http://www.konradmotorsport.com/ Konrad Motorsport was founded by Franz Konrad in 1976 and is now based in Verl, Germany, where Konrad and his engineers, mechanics, and administrative staffs oversee the production of high-class racecars, including Porsche, Lamborghini, Lola, and Saleen which are prepared for numerous racing series. Kremer Racing Cars - LMP Web Site - http://www.kremer-racing.net/ 2000 - Participant at the European Le Mans Series and the Sportsracing Worldcup with the Lola B98/K2000 , Winner of the last World-Cup-Race in Kyalami with Gary Formato and Ralf Kelleners 1999 - Participant at the International Sports Racing Series (ISRS), 30 years Le Mans with the Lola B98/10 with Roush-Ford-Power 1998 - 2nd Sportsprototype in Le Mans (12.th overall) Participant at the ISRS with the K8 Sypder 1997 - Overall-Winner of the 1000km Monza with the Kremer Spyder K8. Participant at the FIA-GT-Championship with Porsche GT1 and GT2 1996 - Participant at the 24h Le Mans & the BPR-Series, Winner of the 4h of Le Mans, international GT-Race of Shah Alam & the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring 1995 - Winner of the 24h of Daytona with the Kreme Porsche Spyder K8 (Jürgen Lässig, Christophe Bouchut, Giovanni Lavaggi & Marco Werner), Porsche- Works supported participation at the 24h Le Mans (K8) : 6th overall. Participant at the BPR Championship with Porsche 911 GT2 1994 - Kremer Racing is Honda-Worksteam, Vice-Champion in the ADAC-GT-Cup, 25 years of Kremer Racing in Le Mans: 3 Honda NSX GT in the team & at the finish line! Additional 6.th overall with Kremer Porsche Spyder K8 1993 - Interserie-Champion with Giovanni Lavaggi, Interserie Vice Champion with Thomas Saldana, both on Kremer Porsche K7 1992 - Interserie-Champion with Manuel Reuter on Kremer Porsche Spider K7, Vice-Champion in the Porsche Cup 1991 - Best Porsche-team in the Group C Sportscar Championship 1990 - Winner of Porsche-Cup & Interserie Champion with Bernd Schneider, 6.th in the Group C Championship\ 1989 - 2.nd in Porsche-Cup and in Interserie, 3.rd in Japanese Endurance-championship, 8.th in the Group C Championship 1988 - 3.rd in Porsche-Cup and Interserie, 3.rd in Japanese Endurance-championship, 8.th in the Group C Championship, Mario and Michael Andretti are Kremer-Racing Team-pilots 1987 - Winner of Porsche Cup with Volker Weidler, 6.th in the Group C Championship, 5th. in Super-Cup, 4.th in Interserie, 7th in All Japan Sportscar Championship 1986 - Participation at the Group C Sportscar World Championship, Supercup & Interserie 1985 - Winner of 1000km in Monza (Group C) and 200 Meiles of Norisring 1984 - Winner of the 200 Meiles of Norisring with Manfred Winkelhock 1983 - With Alan Jones, Mario Andretti and Keke Rosberg 3 former F1-Champions as Kremer-Team-drivers. Mario and Mike Andretti, & Phillipe Alliot gain a 3rd overall at Le Mans 1982 - Vice-Champion in the german Racecar-Championship 1981 - Winner of Porsche-Cup with Bob Wollek, Vice Champion and best Porsche in the german Racecar Championship 1980 - A customer- Kremer Porsche 935 K3 winns IMSA championship and Porsche Cup 1979 - Overall-Winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans with Kremer Porsche K3 and Klaus Ludwig, Bill & Don Whittington, Winner of the german Racecar Championship and Porsche-Cup with Klaus Ludwig 1978 - Winner of Porsche-Cup with Bob Wollek, Krremer helps Porsche to win World Championship for makes, Group 5 -class winner in Le Mans with Porsche 935 and the drivers Jim Busby, Rick Knoop and Chris Cord. 1977 - Winner of Porsche-Cups with Bob Wollek, Vice Champion of german Racesportchampionship, Group 4 class-win in Le Mans with Porsche 934 and Bob Wollek, Phillipe Gurdjian and "Steve" 1976 - Winner of Porsche Cup with Bob Wollek, best Porsche-team of german Racesportchampionship 1975 - Best Porsche-team of german Racesportchampionship 1974 - Winner of Porsche-Cup and GT-Europe-championship with John Fitzpatrick 1973 - Winner of Porsche-Cup and GT-Europe-championship with Clemens Schickendanz 1972 - Winner of Porsche-Cup and GT-Europe-championship with John Fitzpatrick 1971 - Winner of Porsche-Cup with Erwin Kremer, winner in 5. International 1000km-Races 1970 - GT-Winner in the 3000ccm-class with Erwin Kremer and Nicolas Koob on Porsche 911S at the 24h of Le Mans 1969 - Helped to win the GT-Worldcup for Porsche 1968 - Winner of Europe-Touringcar-championship with Erwin Kremer on Porsche La Filiere ELF Cars - Courage C 36 Web Site - Unable to find information online Lancia Car: Lancia LC2 Web Site - http://www.lancia.com/ History section not currently online Larbre Competition Cars - GT2 Web Site - http://www.larbre-competition.com/ Founded in 1998 by Jack Leconte, Leconte was able to create and develop the Larbre Competition team even while overseeing his own transport and logistic company. In 2000, Leconte decided to devote himself full-time to auto racing to secure the position of the team as a major player in motorsport. Mopar Team Oreca Cars - Reynard 2KQ-Mopar Web Site - http://www.orecaracing.com/ No history available on this French-language site Multimatic Motorsports Cars - Lola B2K40-Nissan Web Site - http://www.multimatic.com/ Multimatic Motorsports has enjoyed significant success since its inception in 1992. Two Canadian national championships, strong debuts in all new endeavours and a continuous string of podium finishes has established Multimatic Motorsports as a leading North American racing organization. Scott Maxwell is the teamıs lead driver and brings a wealth of motor racing experience, in a wide range of classes and formulae, to the organization. Scott was part of the group that conceived Multimatic Motorsports and he continues to play a prominent role in the planning and organization of the team. He is also a key member of Multimaticıs ride and handling development organization that offers services to the global automotive industry. Newcastle Lister Storm Cars - Lister Storm GTL Web Site - http://www.listerstorm.com/ The first Lister sports racer was designed in 1954 by Brian Lister,and the cars competed against Jaguar D-types and Aston Martins throughout the 1950ıs. The ı54 season initially featured a Lister MG, which scored five wins and eight second places in the hands of Archie Scott-Brown. This was followed in June of that year by the Lister Bristol, which won its class in the supporting race to the British Grand Prix ahead of the works Jaguars and Aston Martins. A further 13 victories were recorded that year. Scott-Brown went on to dominate the British sports-racing car season in 1957, winning 11 out of 14 races in total and the prestigious British Empire Trophy Race, aboard a Lister Jaguar. Just to underline its place in the history books, Archieıs Lister Jaguar also notched up many lap records on his successful rampage. As a result of this success Brian Lister attracted customer orders for an improved 1958 version of the car, which conformed to international regulations; this car was to be known as the ŒKnobblyı Lister-Jaguar (a Centenary Edition of this car was built to celebrate 100 years of the Lister company in a joint venture between Brian and current Lister helmsman, Laurence Pearce, in 1990).More success followed with Stirling Moss winning the support race for the British Grand Prix and Lister Chevrolets dominating the American sportscar scene. This year also marked the debut of Lister Jaguar at Le Mans, where two cars competed in the French classic and one placed 15th. Lister Jaguar returned to Le Mans a year later, again with a two car squad. Glory was not to come their way, however, as both cars retired with engine problems. The lead car showed that the British racing combination had unfinished business at Le Mans, however, as it was running in fourth place at the time of its retirement. From 1959 until the early 1980ıs, Lister Cars retired from competitive racing. However, the name was revived following the involvement of engineer Laurence Pearce and a new car was designed to take part in a series of races for Jaguar sports cars known as the Lister Challenge. During this decade Laurence, in association with Brian Lister, was responsible for the rebirth of the company as a producer of performance road cars. This then led to the design in 1991 of an all-new supercar, as opposed to the Jaguar conversions that had previously been produced under the Lister name; the Storm. With the Storm road car being launched in 1993, Laurence and Lister then had the perfect machine to rekindle the works Lister Cars racing team of the 1950ıs. The emergence of GT racing as the worldıs top sportscar arena over the past few years had provided ideal timing for a Lister Storm GT1 contender to return to the international competition stage. Now Lister has the experience of three Le Mans 24 Hours, three Daytona 24 Hours, selected races in the 1996 BPR International GT Series where the car always ran in a podium position, the 1997 and 1998 BRDC Privilege Insurance GT Championships (finishing second in the GT1 Championship in 1998), the American SportsCar racing series and the FIA Global GT Championship. In 1999 the Storm won both classes of the Privilege Insurance GT Championships with Julian Bailey and Jamie Campbell-Walter in the GT1 car and David Warnock in the GT2 car. Julian Bailey and Jamie Campbell-Walter also won the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy and the Oulton Park Gold Cup. Julian and Jamie won seven out of the eleven British rounds, David Warnock won all six races entered in the Lister Storm GT2. The Storm GT2 also competed in four rounds of the FIA Championship achieving 2 pole positions and one 2nd position on the grid, finishing 2nd at Donington, 3rd at Zolder and 4th at Hockenheim. Thorkilld Thyrring won the Danish Grand Prix in a Lister Storm and Peter Hardman and Nicolaus Springer came 2nd in the final two races of the Spanish GT Championship. Nissan Motorsports Cars - Nissan R390, Nissan R391 Web Site - http://www.nismo.co.jp/ Unfortunately, this site is entirely in Japanese... a language I cannot read :-( Panoz Motorsports Cars - Panoz Esperante GTR Panoz LMP Spyder Panoz LMP-1 Panoz LMP07 Web Site - http://www.panozmotorsports.com/ 1997 Formed by entrepreneurial businessman, Donald E Panoz, and based in Braselton, Georgia alongside the Road Atlanta track. Four Panoz GTR-1 cars were designed and developed for the company by Reynard Motorsportıs special projects division, RSVP. One was run in the Professional Sports Car Series by Panoz, and three were represented in the FIA GT Championship by two teams ­ the French DAMS and British DPR teams. The front-engined cars with the rumbling 6.0 liter Ford V8 engines attracted a great deal of attention. Victory at Road Atlanta in the teamıs second ever race, 2nd place overall in the Manufacturersı points standings in the US PRSCC. First time at the Le Mans 24 Hour race ­ retired due to mechanical failure after 17 hours while running in the top ten. 1998 Two GTR-1s entered in the two leading US sports car series and one in the FIA GT Championship, run by DAMS. Multiple class victories and winners of the Team and Drivers Championship titles in the Professional Sports Car series. At the pre-qualifying sessions for the Le Mans 24 Hours, an electric-hybrid version of the GTR-1 ­ the Panoz Q9 - was entered. Unfortunately the car was not among those to line up on the grid for the race itself. First running of the 10-hour Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta. Q9 was entered with the two factory GTR 1s and finished 2nd in the GT1 class ­ the first electric hybrid vehicle to race in an international event. 1999 The Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S, new open-cockpit cars, run in the American Le Mans Series ­ a new racing series founded by Don Panoz using ACO (Le Mans) regulations. Victories at Mosport Park, Portland and the Petit Le Mans races. Winners of the Teams and Manufacturersı Championship titles, David Brabham and Eric Bernard 2nd in Driversı points standings. 2000 Using an evolution version of the LMP-1 Roadster S, the team continue in the American Le Mans Series powered by Elan Power 6L8 engines, built and prepared by Panozıs own engine company, Elan Power Products. Panoz chassis have also been sold as customer cars for entry at the Le Mans 24 Hour race and the Sportsracing World Cup Series. Victory at the Nurburgring in Germany, 3rd place in the Teams and Manufacturers Championships. 2001 Introduction at the beginning of the year of the all new Panoz LMP 07 prototype powered by the Panoz V8 4 liter engine. After six months of technical troubles and unreliability, the decision was taken after the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June to re-introduce the 2000 LMP-1 Roadster. Since that time, the team took two victories, plus a 2nd and 3rd placing. Paul Belmondo Racing Cars - Chrysler Viper GTS-R Web Site - http://www.paul-belmondo-racing.com/ Web site currently under reconstruction Pescarolo Sport Cars - Courage C 52-Peugeot Web Site - http://www.pescarolo.com/ Web site does not contain historical information on the team Peugeot Talbot Sport Cars - Peugeot 905 Web Site - http://www.peugeot-avenue.com/ A generalist manufacturer, Peugeot has always been involved in motor racing and has for the last fifteen years or so demonstrated the importance of high level sport for its image. Crowned World Rally Champion twice, in 1985 and 1986, with the 205 Turbo 16, the Lion trademark dominated long distance rallying from 1987 to 1990. Turning to the motor racing circuits, Peugeot won the Le Mans 24 hours in 1992 and 1993, and was crowned World Champion in the 1992 Sports Car championships with the 905. Entering F1 in 1993 as an engine manufacturer, Peugeot partnered McLaren, Jordan then Prost Grand Prix. Supplying an engine considered to be one of the best in F1, Peugeot did not however obtain the results it had hoped for and withdrew from F1 in 2000, directing its efforts to running the totally new 206 WRC in the World Rally Championship, with which it scooped the dual crown of World Champion Constructor and Driver in 2000, its first full year of competition. Pilot Racing Cars - LMP Web Site - http://www.pilotrc.ee/ Unfortunately, this site is entirely in a Scandinavian language I cannot read :-( Riley & Scott Europe Cars - Riley & Scott MKIII S2 Web Site - http://www.rileyscott.com/ Riley & Scott was founded in May 1990 with a contract for a single Trans-Am chassis. Today, more than seventy-five complete racing cars have been delivered to loyal customers. It began with George Robinson, a Texas-based businessman/driver who bought the first Mk I Trans-am chassis, and also bought the first Hunter (the Mk II), and a Mk III and a Mk III C, to earn a place in the customer Hall of Fame. General Motors began its long involvement with R&S by purchasing Mk I chassis nos. 2, 3 and 5. In its first season, the Mk I began its domination with the first of three successive championships. Scott Sharp won in 1991 and 1993; Jack Baldwin won in 1992. Between 1991 and 1997, 40 of the Mk I chassis were built and sold, and the company was established as a brand in major professional road racing. R&S began racing as a company in 1996. Before that, the company supported its customers in Trans-Am and World Sports Car, but did not race its own products. That changed when GM tapped R&S to introduce its Aurora 4.0 L engine to World Sports Car competition. In 1995, the R&S MK III began a hugely successful run that continues today. The first customer was Dyson Racing, which used Ford power. In February 1996, R&S and Doyle Racing debuted for GM at the "Rolex 24 at Daytona" in spectacular fashion. Drivers Wayne Taylor, Jim Pace and Scott Sharp brought home Mk III chassis no. 004 first in the closest race ever at Daytona. After 24 hours, Wayne brought the car home less than one minute in front of a Ferrari 333 SP driven by Max Papis. At the 1996 Twelve Hours of Sebring a month later, the team steamrollered to its second straight endurance classic win. Wayne Taylor, Jim Pace, and endurance maestro Eric van de Poele combined for the win. Competing against the Ferraris and a number of customer Mk IIIs, the factory effort won again at Texas World Speedway on May 5th. After a third-place at Watkins Glen, the team flew to France for the 24 hours of Lemans with high hopes. These were brought to earth by a gearbox failure in the 14th hour. The team returned to the US and won again that year at Sears Point. Wayne Taylor finished 1996 as the IMSA World Champion sports car driver. Between the Dyson team and the factory effort, R&S Mk IIIs won 7 of the 10 races for the championship. In 1997, the factory effort returned as a two-car team. Peruvian ace Eduardo Dibos had purchased chassis no. 006, and R&S ran that car and the Doyle Racing entry. The season was a disappointment however, as the Aurora motors that had been so reliable the year before suddenly began to experience mechanical failures. At Daytona, the defending champion had a three-lap lead at 3 a.m. when the motor self destructed (the Dibos car finished third in the race, which was won by Dyson Racingıs Mk III). In the eleven-round championship, the teamıs best finish was a second at Pikes Peak International Raceway in September. As the success of the Mk I attracted attention, other opportunities arose. Long-time sports car team owner Rob Dyson asked R&S to improve his Spice/Ferrari WSC car in 1994. The experience gave him the confidence to order two of the Mk III WSC prototypes Bob Riley was ready to design. Ready because WSC was the perfect opportunity for the company. Created as a reaction to the collapse of the IMSA GTP class when manufacturers (Nissan, Toyota, Jaguar) determined GTP no longer met their marketing goals, WSC was designed to make prototype sports car competition affordable for "privateer" entrants like Dyson Racing. The car debuted in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in February 1995. After DNFs at Daytona and Sebring, it began a string of successes against the Ferrari 333 SP and other rivals that continues even today. From round 3 of the IMSA championship at Road Atlanta to the season finale at New Orleans, a Dyson Mk III won 5 of the 8 races and finished on the podium in every race. Following the factory teamıs win at Daytona in 1996, the Dyson team won the race in 1997, and followed that with a second at Sebring. The Dyson team won four of the eight rounds of the IMSA series and the team and driverıs championship (Butch Leitzinger) that year. In 1998, six Mk IIIs took the green at Daytona, but the Ferrari 333SP scored its first and only 24 hour win in that event. Jim Matthews, Intersport, Transatlantic Racing, Support Net Racing, and BMW Team Rafanelli all competed in various events in Mk IIIs that year. The BMW Team Rafanelli entry won its first event, at Laguna Seca in October. Despite the increased competition, the Dyson Team remained dominant, winning the Team and Driverıs Championships (Butch Leitzinger, again) in the USRRC Can-Am series. A WSC series known as the ISRS (International Sports Racing Series) began in 1998, and grew into the FIA Sports Car Championship by 2001. Bill Riley had established Riley & Scott Europe in 1998 to service the growing number of customers in that series. As many as four R&S Mk IIIs started ISRS events that year, fielded by Solution F, Target 24, and BMW Team Rafanelli. After the Rafanelli car secured the Mk IIIıs first European pole in the 5th of eight rounds, the Solution F car, piloted by Gary Formato and Jerome Pollicand, won the final race of the year at Kylami in South Africa. In August 1997, the company introduced its first IRL chassis, the Mk V. Two of the cars raced in the final IRL event of 1997 at Las Vegas, driven by owner/driver Stan Wattles and Mike Shank for Neinhouse Racing. The winner of that event was Eliseo Salazar, who even then was in negotiations with R&S to race the Mk V in a factory effort in 1998. That team was sponsored by Reebok. R&S brought the shoe giant to the IRL in the Leagueıs first non-automotive primary sponsorship. The season reached its zenith on the morning of Pole Day, May 15, 1998. After a promising week of practice for the Memorial Day classic, Salazar was 5th quickest in the morning warm-up, with a realistic chance for the pole later that day. The afternoon brought disaster. Eliseo crashed hard in turn one on the first lap of what should have been a four lap qualifying run. Not seriously injured, Salazar returned to the track for practice in the backup car just hours later. But the damage was done, and the teamıs backup qualified weakly on Bump Day. At 5:43 PM that day, Billy Roe bumped Salazar from the field and the season was effectively over. At Dover in July, Salazar was severely injured in a practice crash. He recovered well and is still a force in the IRL today. After Reebok, the team found support from Brant Motorsports. The Brants were West Virginia-based aviation and real estate entrepreneurs with a background as NASCAR sponsors. They bought the team cars and motors after the 1998 season in preparation for the 1999 campaign. 1999 was more successful, in that driver Raul Boesel qualified for and finished 12th in the Indy 500 that year. When GM ended the Aurora program in 1997, two others were in the works. The Corvette C-5R began testing in 1998 and first raced at Daytona in 1999. Those cars were built by and have been raced very successfully by Pratt & Miller Engineering. However, R&S played a role in the development of the car and throughout its first season on the track. Bill Riley managed a hand-picked crew from R&S to race one of the two cars at Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Lemans that year. R&S was already building the first Cadillac Northstar LMP prototype in 1999. That car first tested in September 1999 and debuted at Daytona in February of 2000. After exhibiting typical teething issues at Daytona, the cars struggled for results against the dominant Audis at Sebring and Lemans. In its fifth appearance in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mk III reached a high water mark. Eight cars, with a total of thirty drivers, took the green. Two new teams, TRV Motorsport and Hybrid R&D, entered the race. At the checker, Dyson Racingıs chassis 002 took the win, driven by Andy Wallace, Elliot Forbes-Robinson, and team owner Rob Dyson. American sports car racing remained splintered that year. The American Lemans Series and the USRRC both staged championships again. For the first and only time, one driver, Dysonıs Elliot Forbes-Robinson, won both. The Dyson team also won the USRRC championship. Sebring in 1999 also set a record for Mk III participation. Eleven chassis started the race, which marked the debut of Robinson Racing as well as new entries from Nygmatech, Autoexe, and the Whittington Brothers. After 12 hours, Dysonıs chassis 002 was second to the winning BMW by the closest margin in the long history of that race. Team Rafanelli also won that year, at Road Atlanta with drivers Eric van de Poele and Mimo Schiattarella. This time, the car was powered by a Judd engine. In Europe, four chassis competed regularly in the ISRS. Nicola Larini in the Target 24 Judd-powered posted the best finish, a second, after winning the pole at Pergusa. Three R&S also started at Lemans that year, but all retired early with motor problems. When GM ended the Aurora program in 1997, two others were in the works. The Corvette C-5R began testing in 1998 and first raced at Daytona in 1999. Those cars were built by and have been raced very successfully by Pratt & Miller Engineering. However, R&S played a role in the development of the car and throughout its first season on the track. Bill Riley managed a hand-picked crew from R&S to race one of the two cars at Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Lemans that year. R&S was already building the first Cadillac Northstar LMP prototype in 1999. That car first tested in September 1999 and debuted at Daytona in February of 2000. After exhibiting typical teething issues at Daytona, the cars struggled for results against the dominant Audis at Sebring and Lemans. R&S and GM parted ways at the end of the year. Riley & Scott produced the Mk VIII IRL racing car in 1999 and 2000. The first customer, Hemelgarn Racing, had finished 3d in the IRL championship in 1999 (the team, with driver Buddy Lazier, won the Indianapolis 500 in 1996). Other Mk VII customers included Walker Racing (for driver Sarah Fisher) and Team Cheever (1998 Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever). At the opening race of the 2000 championship at Orlando, Buddy and Eddie were running 1-2 with 5 laps remaining. An historic debut was spoiled by backmarkers, as Robby Buhl expertly used traffic to pass both R&S cars. T