Le Mans - Amazing

[AJB]

Neilda - yes it would be great to actually drive it! you have my envy.

I would suggest the difference is the smootheness and 'oilyness'. The true 'track only' surface was coarse and very black. But the surface was not oily even when rubbed with your hand. It looked like very newly laid asphalt.

The road area was smoother and you could see the oil-drippings from everyday traffic. (although since it was 'everyday traffic', I did not walk into the street and rub the surface.)

GTJack,Cobrar, Apollo - thanks for the comments...We do not plan to contest the races outcome at this time.!
AJB (Andy)

 

[PL510*Jeff]

Le Mans Track "Tour"

Congrats Andy. Great write up. What a wondeful trip you had.:thumbsup

I did the same walking tour. We cheated a bit and drove the Mulssane. And walked the remainder of the track. Our group had a guided tour and track talk by a racing friend, who raced Porsche's there fo 14 years. Boy did we learn many new tales of things that happened there over the years.

Like you I was surprised at the great track surface, and that of the public road portion of the course. Seemed to me that the surface was made of of much finer grade of ashphalt than we're used to seeing on our roads and race tracks.

See you in September at VIR.

 

[GEE-TEE]

Still unable to buy the goodies from MATECH site as the cart is not working!!! I wish we could get Diecast or models of the car as they do in INDY. Im sure we would all be in for at least one.

 

[fjpikul]

Hey, where the hell is Cantwell?

 

[Nardo GT]

Still unable to buy the goodies from MATECH site as the cart is not working!!! I wish we could get Diecast or models of the car as they do in INDY. Im sure we would all be in for at least one.

I had no problem using Paypal.

 

[JRGoens]

Diecast would be a great idea!! - Are their any diecast models currently available for the Matech cars??

 

[ChipBeck]

Back in Arizona

Gentlemen,

I am so tired that I can't think straight. I have a ton of information to post but I'm not up to it right now. When I close my eyes I can still see and hear #60, in the cold midnight air, screaming down the grandstand straight and through the S-turn in front of the Dunlop bridge at impossible speed over 8 miles ahead of all other GT cars. The Ford GT was once again, the fastest production based car at Le Mans. Bravo Martin and the Matech Team!!

Chip

 

[AtomicGT]

Really a great thread, great comments, and images.

 

[DoctorV8]

Awesome thread.....wish I could've been there. Maybe next year?

 

[Matech GT1]

What a week! I am working on a full write up for you guys of our experience at Le Mans, just need a few days rest first. Its been the most intense thing we've ever done...the build up to the race is so long, but time always runs away from you. A million things to do....but ....

Planning for Le Mans 2011 with Matech starts immediately. This year was a big rush, with lots of things happening at the last minute, including the second car entry.

We want you all there ! You've read what your guys made of the event, and next year it is going to be bigger and better for you all. More planning allows for more fun things. We'll be working closely with Dave and Chip for having the Ford GT Forum with us in a much bigger capacity in 2011.

As for some folks not able to use the e-shop...we're working on it, and also making sure that all cards are accepted, not just through PayPal.

Thank you all...for the moment
Matech GT1

 

[Neilda]

Welcome back! You had all of us on the edge of our collective chairs during the race - the class lead you built was superb, fantastic performance....

I heard there was going to be a rule change in 2011 with no LM GT1 category. Would this effect you?

 

[Matech GT1]

Watch this space

 

[HHGT]

What a week! I am working on a full write up for you guys of our experience at Le Mans, just need a few days rest first. Its been the most intense thing we've ever done...the build up to the race is so long, but time always runs away from you. A million things to do....but ....

Planning for Le Mans 2011 with Matech starts immediately. This year was a big rush, with lots of things happening at the last minute, including the second car entry.

We want you all there ! You've read what your guys made of the event, and next year it is going to be bigger and better for you all. More planning allows for more fun things. We'll be working closely with Dave and Chip for having the Ford GT Forum with us in a much bigger capacity in 2011.

As for some folks not able to use the e-shop...we're working on it, and also making sure that all cards are accepted, not just through PayPal.

Thank you all...for the moment
Matech GT1

Thank you again for everything.

If you have some nice Hi-Res photos and can provide a link to download, it would be appreciated.

 

[Kingman]

The UltimateCarPage.com has a nice write-up and pictures from this years LeMans. It's refreshing to see that at least one publication acknowledged the FGT's involvement - http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/event/259/2010-24-Hours-of-Le-Mans.html

 

[RALPHIE]

Visit to Matech Facility – Part I

On Thursday morning, I visited the Matech working facility in Mayen, Germany. It's about 15 -20 kilometers from the Nürburgring (on which I did two fast laps on Wednesday evening) –

Picture 1 – Entrance to the facility in Mayen

Picture 2 – the logistics area, where the various containers of parts, tools, tires, etc. are loaded and unloaded for each of the races. Currently being unloaded from the race at Le Mans, and being prepared for the next GT1 race at Paul Ricard in France on July 4th weekend.. The 9 wooden containers on the left contain 9 Brand New Ford GT Chassis – for replacement if and when a chassis gets destroyed past restoration. A couple of customer GT3 cars are also stored in here, along with a couple other cars that they repair/prepare for customers.

Picture 3 – the positive mold that the negative is made from to create the GT1 Bodies in carbon fibre.

Picture 4 – Ford GT Engines (mostly not complete) removed from their original cars – can be purchased from Matech, as they really have no need for them – transaxles were already sold to a buyer.

Picture 5 – Carbon Fiber front clip – ready to be installed on a GT1 car (the GT1’s & GT3’s are slightly different).

 

[RALPHIE]

Visit to Matech Facility – Part 2

Continuing on, in the assembly room –

Picture 1 – Preparation of one of the GT1 front body assemblies

Picture 2 – Natacha’s (et al) - GT1 from Le Mans, No. 61. They are still working on the fire situation. Appears to be due to engine oil, as the pan was covered in oil, but they have yet to find the leak from the engine.

Picture 3 – Thomas’s GT1 being prepared for GT1 race at Paul Ricard (shared with Romain Grosjean)

Picture 4 – Thomas’s GT1 – engine compartment, sans engine

Picture 5 – Thomas in front of the Matech trophy case

 

[FordGT4fun]

Thanks Ralphie for sharing, so you are still in Europe? The matech story continue? Will you go to Le Castellet on july 4? I will try to go to the Nürbürgring august 29
It was a pleasure meeting you at le Mans and thanks for the pics from the grand stand. Just a little mistake i´m not from Basle Switzerland but from Alsace in France very close to Basle
(15km)
regards
Pierre

 

[GTJack]

Ralphie
Thanks for the MaTech shop pics and update. Sure do enjoy the insights and info you "on the front lines" share with us that are home-bound.

 

[RALPHIE]

Hi Pierre -

Yes - still in Europe. I visited Verdun and Bastogne prior to going to Spa-Francorchamps on Tuesday, then to the Nürburgring on Wednesday. Thursday, after visiting Matech, I drove past Vienna to Brock, Austria and today I drove to a small village south of Budapest where my father's parents emigrated from around 1900. I'm currently staying in Hungary and will begin the journey back to Switzerland, stopping in Salzburg to reminisce some memories of my youth when I studied there.

Sorry about the location error. It was nice to meet you at the race.

:cheers Ralphie

PS - I have to be in Seattle, Washington on July 4 to crew for my friend Ed's vintage Porsche.

 

[Shelby#18]

Great Posts Ralphie! Enjoy your stay in Europe.