hoTTub

think that it is because of lack of competition?
I use to live around the corner from a BMW owner and a few years ao, he used to ask me..."So wheres your beloved VW,Audi etc in Le Mans" or any Motorsport for that matter..

So i have been giving him a hard time lately about the Audi domination, but I must admit, I think that Audi is kinda like the Tiger Woods of racing....there just does not seem to be the strong competition.

A win is a win nonetheless but I just cant shake the feeling that we are not competing against worthy teams..

Anyone else?

John P. (TT 225)

another team devotes the resources to take the throne.

TTschwing

Yes....Porsche will be back.......

gdewiTT

Last year Audi went a couple of laps farther than the 1999 winner, BMW. In fact, last year the two BMW cars and the two Panoz cars were always serious threats.

This year there were no serious threats as all the competition have new cars. Panoz screwed the pooch big time with their new LMP07, so they weren't a threat any more. But Chrysler and Bentley, in particular, are looking like serious contenders. But they are so early in their development that Audi still has the advantage.

Next year may be different, but I'll be surprised if Audi has a works team next year.

So for last year I would disagree with you. For this year, perhaps you're right.

Jim TT

...right now. The fact is that MB Nissan and Toyota all spent mega bucks on a Le Mans win and didn't get it. There are many cases over the years when the top teams had little competion and Porsche was among them on many of their 16 class wins (not to take anything away from them). Audi timed their effort well and are reaping big PR gains from the back to back wins. They now have set new high water marks for pit work and race management that will be no small task to equal. The great teams of the past would need to sharpen their game to better Audi right now, that includes MB, Porsche, Ferrari, Toyota and all the rest. Your friend can't make the statement that Audi is not doing anything on the race tracks of the world, if he says the they have no real competition he is really implying that if BMW or Porches were to compete they would prevail. The fact is no factory save Toyota (and probably them too) could field a car fast enough and would need to start from a clean sheet of paper to develop a car that could out distance the R8s. No small task. JIM

tsltm

they are still running BMW engines in some of the cars

joe@vwvortex

compete elsewhere. They are truely dominant and I can't help but think that MB, BMW and Porsche would have a hard time beating them anyway.

IRONLUNG

Yes there wasn't the strong factory competition there were a few years back, but even Toyota and MB were strong favourites and couldn't do it. Pirro said that being such strong favourites, it still is a very strong challenge to win the way they did again,especially in the conditions this year. Total domination, I think their program timing was excellent, but they couldn't know what manufacturers would or wouldn't be there. They beat the BMW's heads-up last year... Audi has much to be proud of. I don't think there will be a factory effort next year, but hopefully customers will still race. I am rooting for a Bentley win in 2002...and of course can't wait to see Audi, Bentley, MG and Courage at Petit LeMans in a few months!

The Pope

We can revisit when they have won more than all others (if I live that long) . . .