Peugeot Sport Endurance Program 2007-2012

Two days ago it was announced that Peugeot Sport had halted the Endurance racing program. I for one was greatly disappointed. After watching them hushly run this came as a shock to me as well as others who follow endurance racing. It was reported in Auto123 that the test team was in Sebring awaiting testing for the up coming World Endurance Championship. A photo posted on Sebring Raceway’s twitter account showed the Peugeot “Garage” constructed and awaiting a test. The accompanying text summed up it up best, ” “Peugeot’s last stand” Abandoned Sebring paddock garage for testing this weekend. We will miss the Lion!” 

I too will miss the Lion. It’s amazing to me that between the 908 HDi FAP and the 908 that they won 24 times in 36 races in between 2007 -2011. But they only won the 24 hours of Lemans once. The Peugeot Sport team won four team championships, four constructors championships, and 3 drivers championships in that same time span. One can’t argue that they dominated the world of LeMans endurance racing.  The thing that I hope they are remembered for more than anything is the fierce rivalry that they had with Audi. Although most races the diesels would leave the petrol cars in their dust. I still admire stories like last years Lemans race were Simon Pagenaud in the 908 ran down Andre Lotterer’s R18 in the final minutes of the race. The 908 fell short and finished 13 seconds behind the R18. After 24 hours only 13 seconds!

 

sigh this is the last time I got to see them race.

The battles between Audi and Peugeot will go down into motorsport and sporting history with the greatest of rivalries. Camaro vs. Mustang, Larry Byrd vs. Magic Johnson, Texas vs. OU, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, and Ferrari vs EVERYBODY. I would like to see a racing  rivalry start up at Lemans between Honda and Toyota, but time will tell how that will play out. The Pug vs Audi had everything, running a pace so quick that the rivals car broke down, blocking, partying with the rival team after they won Lemans, getting Audi banned from racing at Sebring because they had a clear aerodynamic advantage. I’m a huge Audi fan, and I deeply hated Peugeot because of it. But as Jason Statham put it in “Truth in 24″ (epic documentry if you havent seen it yet it’s a must), Peugeot was a talented up start in the 2008 24 hours of Lemans. but as there record suggests they were very very talented. I hope Peugeot decides to come back and challenge those, who now have to try, and reach the bar that they and Audi have set.

As John Dagys said on his twitter account, this maybe the first of many teams to close up shop in the WEC. I hope it isn’t true, but anything can happen.  Just like with Indycar good things are coming for endurance racing. A rise in car count in the ALMS, ELMS, and the WEC point to that. I do wonder though, if Peugeot may come back. 2014 is going to be a big year. Porsche returns to the top-tier class, its been reported that Toyota should have a newer design. Honda Performance Development has some very quick cars in the ARX chassis. Plus the other chassis teams like Oreca, Oak-Prescarlo, Lola, and Zytek, should provide excitement in all the series’. Just wish that a screaming Aston Martin would make a return.

Ohhh how I wish I could go back in the day and see these factory monsters again.

A big questions that are boggling my mind is, will Audi keep going? When will they return to the ALMS? Will the Audi teams become the Porsche team? Will Porsche call up an old friend in Mooresville, NC to run a team again? I mean who wouldn’t want to see some Penske Racing prepared Porsches? Would’ve been nice to see some Audi’s prepared by Penske Racing, but I could settle for Porsche.

Rebellion Racing announced this morning that they would return to the WEC with two Lola-Toyotas. Drivers Neel Jani, Nicolas Prost, and Andrea Belicchi return. A new addition to Rebellion is former Aston Martin driver, Harold Primat. With the announcements that brings the total to 4 teams entering the LMP1 class in the WEC.

I hope to have a break down of the whole WEC entries soon on here and on Racing Mania 101.

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