With top-level endurance racing in rude health and historic sportscar racing also on the up and up around the world, the introduction of Peter Auto’s new Legends Of Le Mans series appears to be an initiative that ticks every box.
It’s a busy time for Peter Auto (a leading historic motorsport organisation) at the moment. There’s a huge appetite for historic racing across Europe, and it is looking to strike while the iron is white hot.
The Le Mans Classic will become an annual event from next year and cater to one of two core eras on rotation. And it has also forged a partnership with the Stephane Ratel Organisation (SRO) to launch a new GT3 Revival Series that will pit GT3 cars from 2006 to 2013 against each other.
But perhaps the biggest ticket item is its new Legends Of Le Mans series, which was teased last month on the eve of the Le Mans 24 Hours and will debut next year as a key element of the FIA WEC’s touring support package.
The new platform, which is open to LMP1 cars from 2006 to 2012, LMP2s from 2006 to 2016 and GTEs from 2011 to 2015, will feature on the schedule for three FIA WEC races at Imola, Spa and Bahrain, plus the Le Mans Classic.
For both competitors and fans, this is a huge win. It adds real punch to the timetable for anyone trackside at said WEC events, plus the Classic, and gives owners of post-2000 LMP or GTE machinery the ideal place to race.
Making this new series a success will require considerable effort. However, this is a project that has been years in the making, and a great deal of thought has gone into the finer details.
“Bob Berridge was a key part of the early work that went into this,” Marc Ouayoun, the general director of Peter Auto tells DSC. “He was in contact with the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) a few years ago and got some discussions underway. But it didn’t quite get over the line as the ACO was focused on building the current era of the WEC.
“In the meantime, though, the ACO, along with the ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), bought the majority of the shares of Peter Auto, so they started to discuss the future of this when I took on my current role.
“When I started my assignment at the helm of the organisation, I realised there was a lot more potential for more modern series alongside our successful Classic Endurance Racing and Heritage Touring Cup series, with new generations of fans and customers who are passionate about these cars.
“We decided to pick the project up and start work with LMEM (Le Mans Endurance Management) to create the Legends Of Le Mans. The aim is to connect classic racing with the FIA WEC, with a very attractive and exclusive format for cars that are slightly newer in terms of eligibility than the cars in our Endurance Racing Legends series (which will continue to operate as normal going forward).”
The format for each weekend will give competitors plenty of track time, with two 30-minute practice sessions, two 30-minute qualifying sessions and a pair of 40-minute races. The way in which the entry list is managed has been well thought out, too. A new “members club” is set to be launched, which will essentially serve as a franchise system similar to the set-up that IndyCar and NASCAR utilise.
The full grid will be capped at 34 cars, ideally with 14 cars in LMP1 and 10 apiece in LMP2 and GTE. Each competitor will need to pass through a stringent entry process that will be overseen by a dedicated selection committee that will ultimately decide who makes the cut.
The overarching aim is to ensure that the field remains stable at each round, with an identical set of cars and drivers, guaranteeing that the stars of the show will be seen by fans at each stop on the calendar.
“We will send everyone a questionnaire asking for information on the customer’s cars, motivations and commitments,” Ouayoun continues. “We will plan to set the grid and then set out a waiting list. There will be a long list of cars and customers looking to get into the club, which will require a membership fee.
“The ideal is that if you commit under the conditions of our contract, you will stay in the club. We want owners to commit for the full season.”
Early signs are promising. The interest level is believed to be so high since the first teaser during the ACO’s Le Mans Press Conference that Peter Auto could fill the grid more than twice already.
Ouayoun, building on Bob Berridge’s original concept, has a long-term vision. He wants to make this a premier competitive series for gentlemen drivers (professional racers will not be eligible). Each race counts for points, champions will be crowned at Bahrain, and a light form of Balance of Performance will be in use to allow cars from different generations to compete on an even footing.
“We want to have the cars as close as possible to original spec, but we will use a simplified BoP managed by the ACO,” he explains. “We just want a fair competition. It’s not a professional championship, but we want the competitors to be happy.”
We will hear more details in the coming months. For now, though, there’s plenty to get excited about as we look ahead to the debut of the new series in Italy next April.
One more thing. On the subject of sound levels and silencers, Peter Auto and the ACO are fully aware that a key part of Legends of Le Mans’ appeal is in the chance for everyone to enjoy the variety of engine notes that will be on offer.
“This era we are working with is incredible,” Ouayoun concludes. “We will have the potential to have the incredible 997 RSR, 991 RSR, 458 Italia, Corvette C6 and Aston Martin Vantage GTE out on track, plus amazing prototypes like the Audi R10, 15 and R18, plus the Lola Aston Martin, Pescarolos, Peugeot 908s and 90Xs.
“You should hear a beautiful sound. We will have some diesels, but for the GTE cars especially, we will have spectacular sounds that we all loved a few years ago. We don’t want to be boring.”
