Club Arnage

Just about to post some news on www.pilbeamracing.com (http://www.pilbeamracing.com) but there will be a second Pilbeam in the LMES next year (and hopefully Le Mans?).

Announcement on team, drivers and engine in the next few days - but it is a new team to prototype racing, which can only be good!

 ;D

Will it again have the 3.4L Judd engine ?

Not allowed to divulge yet (for that you can read that Mike hasn't told me yet!!) ;D

There's a rumour that Embassy might be the second Pilbeam team. Can you confirm this, Rickmeister ?

Judging by this piece
http://www.embassyracing.com/News/NewsStories/Embassy+plans+return+for+2007.htm
they are certainly expecting to surprise a few by their choice of car so it could be right.

Couldn't possibly comment...  ;)

Let me ring Mike and see if we can finally divulge  ;)

My head tells me that Embassy is probably right since that second pillbeam has been known about for a while and Jonathan France stated back in April that he was inking an order for an exciting new car (remember they previously only ran a Porsche 996 GT3 RSR and before that a corvette in Brit GT and some rounds of the FIA GT/LMS). However my heart kinda says that if  France was gonna go down the prototype route he would want to be going for the class win (embassy always struck me as one of the most ambitious teams around and I know he was royally pissed when Ratel turned round and said he couldn't come an play in Brit Gt with the Ascari he was buying) and in LMP2 that means may'be one of the rumoured Porsche Spyders for the LMS. No offence to Pillbeam but the car in Bruneaus hand just hasn't showed any real pace compared to the ASM, RML Lolas and the Radicals.

The Pilbeam was on the podium three times this year if I recall correctly. So, it can't be that bad (strong performance from Simon PullanPower - well done that young chap). The Spyder burns a very big hole into the pocket (in LMP2 terms). It's just gross what Porsche wants for the car. I doubt that Embassy have that money to play with. I go with the rumour... Rick, any news ? Btw, the RML Lola competed in LMP1 this season. It was the Chamberlain one that was in LMP2.


Modified because of dodgy spelling  ::)

hgb, aren't I right in thinking that the RML Lola is an LMP 2 car (run as the MG).  Huge Chamberpot ran an LMP1 & and LMP2 car until the Portuguese mob bought out the LMP 2 just after LM.  Maybe my knickers are twisted or I'm just suffering from a Saga moment (it has been known!) I may have misunderstood your post.  Don't remember Mr Mallock in LMP1.

hgb,

Get your facts straight RML was in LMP 2 it with their MG badged Lola, see here if you don't believe me:  >:(. Termie you are correct almost,

http://www.rmlmallock.co.uk/NewsStory.aspx?ID=111

Uncle Hugh ran two cars at Le Mans, the Berridge LMP 1 Lola B06/10 and the second which he was only running in name only was the LMP 2 ASM run portuguese Lola B05/40. ASM bought the car before the first LMS race of the year but Uncle Hugh had the guaranteed Le Mans entry from the previous year and so the car was run under his name. A bit like how Farnbacher ran the Seikel entry this year.

Which they attempted to write off under my nose, as I remember.  Thanks for clearing that up.

Plus if I'm not mistaken the Bruneau car finished 2nd at Istanbul, had a DNF at Spa, 7th or NC at Nurburgring, 2nd at Donington and a very lucky 3rd in Jarama, hardly a season to right home about. Whereas ASM and RML were giving some of the supposed bigger boys in LMP1 a hard time.

Yep, you're both right. That must have been the alcohol yesterday... first Christmas party of a couple to come ;D Still, a good test, too. You guys pay attention and know your stuff  ;)

The RML Lola is indeed a LMP2 car and I remember it quite rightly that they quite tragically lost the champinship at Jarama due to the engine cutting out. Tommy Erdos was over at Rollcentre after the official DNF with tears in his eyes... Well, not tears but you could see that it was not an easy time for him.

I welcome every small LMP manufacturer. And to be honest, the MP93 (or whatever it is called... just to avoid the next trap) wasn't the strongest performer in the past. However, it was on the podium several times this year. In endurance racing you not just have to be fast but reliable, too. Pilbeam seem to have a focus on the second one. Rightly so, as they showed.

Jay, you don't bite, do you ? 
Any news yet, Rick ?

That is the generous explanation.  The other one is that we are just saddos!

No I don't bite, I'm just writing my bloody PhD thesis at the minute, my funding stopped at the end of September so I'm currently living on air and am cooped up at home every day staring at a bloody computer. I'm finding I'm a little less tolerant than usual.

I did wonder what drugs you were on since you were hanging out with the Kruse mob and RML are one of the biggest competitors with that particular team.

With regards to the Pillbeam, I just don't feel that the car mathes Mr Frances ambitions, when he was on that documentary the team look a very well funded and ambitious team. Money didn't look like too much of an issue. Hence my thoughts he might have a look at a Spyder, alas I expect it will be a Pillbeam since their is a new LMP team announced this week and some people already know but their is an embargo until the 6th. A new team and Embassy rumours all  surfacing on the same week, its gotta be linked.

Sorry boys and girls, was meant to go cycling with Mike tonight but got severely held at work and had to miss out, will call him tomorrow  ;)

I see that it is Embassy who're running the Pilbeam.  Warren Hughes and Neil Cunningham to drive.

Finally we can speak!

Nipped round the factory last Thursday evening to see how the car was progressing. Looks fabulous and will definitely be very well sorted. With Neil Cunningham and Warren Hughes driving then we really should see the potential of this fabulous car (more than a little biased here - can you tell?).

Sadly no LM this year it seems, but should fully ready for an assault in 2008   :)

I see that Embassy have now taken Mr Short's Radical off his hands and will run that in the LMS series for the time being, instead of the Pilbeam.  Not a huge suprise after the disaster at Ricard. Any inside info' Mr Rick?

And I just got the confirmation from MS that the Radical is finally sold. Not good news for Pilbeam, I'm afraid.

There was much discussion of this subject at Ricard last weekend, with quite a few people expressing surprise at Embassy's decision to follow the Pilbeam route when the tried-and-tested Radical was there for the taking.  A shame for everybody at Pilbeam, as you say, that things have turned out this way but the car was clearly a total disaster in spite of brave words from Embassy.  The Bruneau one looked no better than usual either.  Could this be the beginning of the end?  I cannot help but think so.

With no more Radical left at Rollcentre: What will they do with their Le Mans entry in LMP2? Looks like someone from the reserve list might make it...

I make that the PSI 'Vette then Werner.

Yes, they're first on the reserve list. I could live with that, I love the sound of those Corvettes, let's hope they're not affected by the new noise reduction rule ;D ;D ;D

5 'Vettes at LM - tee hee!  No sleep at all this year then (that makes a change).

Confirmation...

http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/live/actu/2007-04-03_GD_1285_gb.html