2016 24 Hours of Le Mans

I've never seen such an unexpected ending to a race. 2011 Indy 500 is up there...but I think this takes the cake.

This takes devastation to a whole new level.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I've never seen such an unexpected ending to a race. 2011 Indy 500 is up there...but I think this takes the cake.

This takes devastation to a whole new level.
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Perfect storybook ending with Nakajima, the Japanese name synonomus with Toyota and a great relationship with Satoru and Kazuki. They are really seen as legendary drivers of Japan... The perfect storybook ending for Japan, just poofed.
 
Wow you called it FLRacing fan, the NA cars didn't have a chance.

Amazing what happened to Toyota at the end.
 
I didn't record the finish and I woke up, found the stream, and immediately passed back out.


Amazing finish though, racing could be so cruel....
 
Wait Porsche won? On Twitter Gannassi is celebrating and saying he won
 
I fired up my DVR to watch the final 1.5 hours... and found golf, not Le Mans. Devastating for Toyota. I was sorry to see it go down that way. Le Mans, she is a cruel mistress, always has been but this one seems especially cruel. The protesting BS by Risi seems beyond the pale, IMO. They fought well for 24 hours, a really fine performance. But I wish the protests had not happened. It does appear that no penalties will alter the outcome... good!
 
Kiante said:
I don't think Sauber will ever fully recover from that...

That was a LOT of funding gone down the drain for them afterwards. Really felt sorry for them after they pulled out prematurely.
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BMW did the same thing in World Superbikes, coming into the series, swinging their dicks around with a huge, essentially unlimited budget, performing mediocre for a couple years, then withdrawing suddenly. And they made a lot of noise about entering MotoGP, but then decided they could soak up some MotoGP promotional vibe by just becoming a sponsor of the series (supplying safety cars, etc, plus writing a check).

Racing is not part of the DNA of BMW. I believe the same is true of Mercedes.
 
LewTheShoe said:
I fired up my DVR to watch the final 1.5 hours... and found golf, not Le Mans. Devastating for Toyota. I was sorry to see it go down that way. Le Mans, she is a cruel mistress, always has been but this one seems especially cruel. The protesting BS by Risi seems beyond the pale, IMO. They fought well for 24 hours, a really fine performance. But I wish the protests had not happened. It does appear that no penalties will alter the outcome... good!
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I think Ford's protest is the most pathetic of all...leader light panels. Shameful. Were it not for that penalty, Risi would've won.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I think Ford's protest is the most pathetic of all...leader light panels. Shameful. Were it not for that penalty, Risi would've won.
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It is both. Not responding to a black flag is as valid or invalid as any other. A speeding penalty to be imposed after the race ends? Just as bad. Like changing the outcome of the Super Bowl after the game is over because video shows a guy was offsides in the third quarter.
 
LewTheShoe said:
It is both. Not responding to a black flag is as valid or invalid as any other. A speeding penalty to be imposed after the race ends? Just as bad. Like changing the outcome of the Super Bowl after the game is over because video shows a guy was offsides in the third quarter.
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One is far more valid than the other. Speeding in slow zones makes up tons of time. My guess is Ford realized what they did and subsequently looked for whatever they could find on Risi, however trivial. Leader light panels...unbelievable. Suddenly something that hasn't been penalized all race and has nothing to do with competition is a black flag. Good grief.
 
Way to come back 50 years later and kick Ferrari's ass AGAIN Ford!!
 
FLRacingFan said:
I'm all for them if they decide to stick around past 2017. But I haven't seen anything that indicates more than a two-year commitment and a desire to win anything other than Le Mans. It'll leave a bad taste in the mouths of many people if they just show up for a couple of years, win a race or two, and then bail. Like the Viper program on a significantly grander scale. Especially when the other makes Corvette, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Porsche are mainstays in GT racing.

I don't think Ganassi has much to do with the UK program, Multimatic runs that team. They just race under the Ganassi banner.
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I was wrong as Ford just committed to IMSA and the WEC through 2019. Glad to see it although I'm still not a fan of some of their other tactics thus far.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ford-gt-program-extended-through-2019/
 
http://www.imsa.com/news/092016/for...ed-60-minutes-sports-tuesday-sept-6-showtimer

Ford said it would design and build a car to win the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. But could they do it in just 18 months, in time to mark the storied company’s first victory there 50 years ago? Camera crews from 60 MINUTES SPORTS were along for a wild ride, recording a road to victory so bumpy at times, that winning seemed more and more improbable as the big day approached. Sharyn Alfonsi speaks to an often frustrated, disappointed and finally elated Ford Performance chief Dave Pericak as he pursued the dream that turned out to be the motorsports story of the year. “Ford Full Throttle,” the story of Ford’s unlikely victory at one of the world’s most grueling car races, will be featured on an all new edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
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