The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) has announced a new European race series called Formula Le Mans. The star of the series is a new Corvette LS3 V8-sourced racecar. Built by Oreca, of Viper motorsport heritage, the new racer is a carbon-kevlar open-cockpit LMP2 that looks (and sounds) to be a promising entry.

Oreca released a promo video that makes the hairs on our arms stand on end. The LS3 mill sounds absolutely devilish is this configuration.

Listen To The Roar Of That LS3

[Formula LeMans via YouTube]

News of Porsche pulling its winning RS Spyder from prototype racing follows the surprising news of Audi's departure from LMP1. Like Porsche, Audi was also incredibly successful in the series. There's no explanation for why either team pulled out of the North American series. The most obvious reason is the Carpocalypse, though it is possible the company is looking to compete in another series.

There's some good news in the wings as ALMS says that GT2 will be joined by another manufacturer in the near future, in addition to the return of Corvette and the debut of BMW. What could be joining the Porsches and Ferraris? Perhaps the Lexus LF-A? We'll just have to wait and see.

[American Le Mans Series, Photo by Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images]

LMP1 Class
The big news here was that the trio of Peugeots fell to the #2 Audi Sport North America car driven by Capello, McNish and Kirstensen. Hmm... the Audis winning Le Mans. Where have we heard that before? In case you were curious it was Audi, Pug, Pug, Audi, Pug, Audi. The drama continued all the way to the end with both the #2 Audi and the #7 Peugeot finishing on the same lap.

LMP2
Though not as exciting as some of the other classes, the LMP2 did feature the first Le Mans appearance by the Porsche RS Spyder. And how did the RS Spyder perform? The #34 in pimptastic purple won first, piloted by Van Merksteign, Verstappen and Bleekemolen. Sadly, the #41 Porsche piloted by Nielsen, Elgard and Maasen came in second. Why is that sad? Because their names are so much easier to spell.

LM GT1
The big showdown in the GT1 class was between the Gulf Oil Aston Martin and the Yellow Corvettes for class dominance. This year it was the 009 DBR9 of Brahbham, Garcia and Turner taking down the #63 C6R of O'Connell, Magnussen and Fellows for a second GT1 victory in as many years. As with the Audi-Pug race, this one also finished on the same lap. For the scorekeepers, that's Aston, Vette, Vette, Aston.

LM GT2
The GT2 was quite the happy story for us as the Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT driven by Salo, Melo and Bruni owned the Porsche 911's. Why do we care? Those are some Houston, Texas boys and right now Houston sports fans will take any victory from any Houston team. Second place went to the Ferrari F430 GT campaigned by BMS Scuederia Italia. The final for GT2 was Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Porsche, Porsche.

[Photo: Getty Images/AFP, LeMans.org]

PRESS RELEASE:

Audi aim to end LM P2 cars winning streak

• Elkhart Lake next stop for the American Le Mans Series
• Fastest track of the year
• Audi unbeaten at Road America to date

The Audi R10 TDI has been front page news in the American Le Mans Series since March 2006. With the revolutionary Diesel Sportscar, Audi is also proving just how efficient modern Diesel engines are on the race track. The programme in the world's most important Sportscar racing series is important in paving the way for AUDI AG's forthcoming Diesel offensive in America.

Next stop on the Audi R10 TDI's US tour is Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin state. The 6.563 kilometre (4.048 miles) long "Road America" circuit is the fastest on the American Le Mans Series calendar - and one which the Audi drivers are especially looking forward to.

The Diesel Sportscar, developed specifically for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is at home on fast circuits. This is why Team Audi Sport North America believes it has the opportunity to beat the preferentially treated LM P2 cars, which recently celebrated five successive overall victories. As a consequence, the LM P2 car's minimum weight has been increased by 50 kilograms by the rule makers for the 2008 season.

Defending ALMS LM P1 Champions Dindo Capello and Allan McNish head to Road America as leaders of the LM P1 drivers' championship. They hold an 18 point lead over their team-mates Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner. The race starts on Saturday (11 August) at 4.p.m. local time (11 p.m. in Germany) and lasts four hours. An extra three points are awarded due to the longer race distance. Audi is unbeaten at Road America to date.

Quotes before the race at Road America

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "In Road America we aim to continue with the big victories we recorded at the beginning of the season. However, this is no easy task as we have two handicaps handed out to us by the regulations when compared to the LM P2 cars: the higher weight and smaller fuel tank. We also lose time during the pit stops because diesel flows slower into the tank than gasoline. In spite of this, we'll do everything possible to beat the LM P2 cars - even though there are no points awarded in the American Le Mans Series for doing this."

Dindo Capello (Audi R10 TDI #1): "After having raced at several circuits that didn't quite suit our R10 TDI, we can hardly wait to drive at Road America. We should be capable of extracting the full potential of our Diesel Sportscar there. Our last overall victory was more than four months ago. It's high time that Allan (McNish) and I return to the winner's circle."

Allan McNish (Audi R10 TDI #1): "Road America is a fantastic track that has some very fast sections. It is demanding and you need to be quite courageous. Dindo (Capello) and I love the track. We were very strong there last year, but we nevertheless lost the win to our team-mates just before the finish. That means we have a score to settle at Road America. In view of the way the season's been running up until now, we are very hungry for success."

Emanuele Pirro (Audi R10 TDI #2): "In my opinion, Road America is one of the best circuits on the American Le Mans Series calendar. I really enjoy going back to race there. I have fond memories, not only of our win last year. The battle I had with Tom (Kristensen) in 2002 was even better, and I'll never forget it. At Road America I hope that Audi is finally seen in a more familiar position: right at the front."

Marco Werner (Audi R10 TDI #2): "Every one of us is looking forward to Road America. It's an extremely fast track with one very long straight. Road America is a big challenge for the driver, just how I like it. The R10 TDI is designed and built for Le Mans - and therefore rather more for Road America than for Lime Rock or Mid Ohio. I hope that we can get the R10 TDI right at the front again."

Dave Maraj (Team Director Audi Sport North America): "We lost too much time in the pits at Mid Ohio. We analysed exactly where we can be faster. As a team we do not give up. Even if Porsche has an advantage we want to beat them at Road America. It'll be difficult to repeat last year's one-two finish. But we'll definetly try."

As those German car bloggers at (what was the name of that site again?) report, we may soon get a look at Audi's diesel-powered LMP2 car, or if rumors are off base, just another naturally aspirated Audi Sport LeMans racer. The company is launching the successor to its well-won R8 in Paris on December 13. Bring your truckers' wallet and CB, this here diesel's gonna be eastbound and down before sunup (EST).

Audi R10: World premiere in Paris next week [The German Car Blog]

Related:
Audi Working on a Diesel-Powered LeMans Prototype [internal]

Porsche's busted out with some more details on their American LeMans Series effort, including the names of the men who will pilot the RS Spyder LMP2: Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr, along with Emmanuel Collard at Road Atlanta's Petit LeMans. Maassen and Luhr recently tested the car at Portugal's 13-turn Estoril track, and the official word from der Vaterland is that officials are pleased with the car's progress. Only appearing at the last two events of the ALMS season the aforementioned Petit LeMans, and the year's final race at Laguna Seca the RS Spyder will make a full assault on the circuit in '06.

Together Again: Maassen, Luhr to Drive Porsche RS Spyder in Last Two ALMS Races [Dubspeed Racing]

Related:
Inside Porsche's New LeMans Prototype [Internal]

While Jalopnik will be flying the flannel at Sears Point (as NorCal expatriates we just can't quite bring ourselves to call it Infineon Raceway) in a little over a week for the NHRA's Fram/Autolite Nationals, it's time to look back at what could be called drag racing's inverse the American LeMans Series.

Having completed half the season when the checkered flag dropped in Sonoma, JJ Lehto and Marco Werner are out front in LMP1, while in LMP2, Jeff Bucknum and Chris McMurry hold a slight lead. The Corvette guys (surprise, surprise), are strong in GT1, with Plastic Fantastic infighting being the main story there. GT2's the tight contest of the season, with Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Long currently out front but only by 11 points. With American open-wheel racing having lost much of its luster and NASCAR a corporate carbon-copy-fest, ALMS seems to us to be the series most akin to racing's golden age of the 1960s.

By the Numbers: Infineon Technologies Grand Prix of Sonoma [Dubspeed Racing]

Related:
Inside Porsche's New LeMans Prototype [Internal]