09: The 2009 Le Mans is now officially over.

Some may think that the 2009 Le Mans is over, but we all know that as per tradition, it is not truly over until the Serpent has his final say on the matter. Let me begin.

Audi cutbacks = Le Mans blunder?

We all know that Audi's chances for victory were lost as soon as I published my previous article. However, some would argue that cutbacks to their 2009 program may have also factored in. I can't disagree. Audi has relied on two things to elements for their dominance in the past: A lack of true competition, and (when there is competition) damn hard work at perfecting the little things. This year saw true competition, and the little things went down the drain. The Pugs pulled off a truly Audi-esque performance. The over-heating and lost times spent in the pits last year? Fixed by easily removable/replacable screens in front of their radiators. Audi... well they looked like Pug from last year, radiators and all.

Would running a few more races in the ALMS/LMS have helped Audi's effort? Maybe not in regards to their Le Mans setup... but it would have helped to keep the entire team sharp in a real world racing environment, and the time would surley help to identify weak links in the car. The big question now is how badly does Audi want to win next year? If they really want it bad, expect them to return to the ALMS and maybe even LMS asap. The second question is: Will the boys in charge of the cash let them do it? I have let them know they should. Hopefully they will have the wisdom to heed the Serpent's call.

Oh yeah. Reputable sources say that Pug is working on a doc retelling the story of their victory. The first line will be: "It does not always rain at Le Mans."

Kolles: Impressive?

Much has been said of how much the R10's impressed and surprised at Le Mans. All I have to say is that they were no where near being in the running for a podium. I think people, including the Serpent, were surprised only because the team had set such poor expectations prior to Le Mans. Still.. 2 drivers over 24 hours deserves respect. I give you permission.

Why a Ferrari Sweep in GT2 is the worst thing that could happen for the future of GT2 at Le Mans

The Fiats outnumbered the porkies by about 2:1... and all that was left was a Spyker and an Aston Martin. Maybe I am spoiled by the current ALMS GT2 field, but the lack of diversity was pretty unimspiring, especially once the morning hit and the only Porsche in sight was Endurance Team Asia (... who was only running because they were in the garage most of the night due to mechanical troubles appearing between hours 3 and 4). Only the Lizard 911 did not leave from mechanical failure... unless you consider hitting a wall of tires a mechanical failure (they should have taken 3rd).

As a self proclaimed 911 fan... I will admit that the porkies were outdone. The Serpent was so hoping a nice big piece of pork would have been sitting in the centre of the podium... as a big middle finger to the high brass at Ferrari. This year the Serpent advocated this more than ever: Not because it was Ferrari's 60th, but because they spent so much effort taunting sports car fans over the F1 fiasco. Shame on them.

So why is the Fiat podium sweep a poison for GT2 at Le Mans? Because next year you can expect even more Fiats (and a new one at that). Can you say boring? Lets just hope GM scrapes by well enough to send a couple of GT2 Vettes.

Dempsey. Team Asia. The Lambo.

Word on the street is that there is some upset and concern over the fact that teams like Advanced Engineering (With Patrick Dempsey... you may have heard of him), Team Endurance Asia, and "that Lambo" (They were easy to miss on the actual race track but you may have seen them lapping a few times very slowly before they retired...) got invites while other loyal teams that are actively part of Le Mans related series did not.

How did the JLOC Lambo get in? Easy... to fill out the "exclusive" GT1 class. The fact that they got in tells you what you can expect from GT1 for next year. Lets just say that it will be VERY exclusive. TEA and Dempsey? I will point out that these teams were put high on the reserves list... i.e. this was a move to say "you will be able to come, but we put you on the reserve list to minimize offense to loyal teams that are actively part of Le Mans related series that we shafted." That being said, I can assure you that including these teams has NOTHING to do with politics. It was in no way an attempt to lure a Hollywood star and his trail of free publicity into the fold. There was NO ATTEMPT to cross promote the Asian Le Mans and rekindle interest from the East.

I compare getting your entry accepted to Le Mans as being equivalent to getting into that trendy and exclusive night club. The "good old boys" get in, friends of the owner get in, anyone willing to hand the bouncer a fat wad of cash gets in, hot girls in short skirts get in, famous people get in, but you may not, even if you are near the front of the line and show up early every year.

I am (naturally) so great...

The serpent would like to finish this article with the most important subject of all: How great I am. Now I am not just talking about great in a general everyday sense (that is a topic for an upcoming article). I am talking about my god-given talent of divining the future. Not only were my Le Mans predictions correct, but they were frighteningly correct. "This strongly points to Audi and their aerodynamic design of the R15, and it's TDI engine. The reversal of this card also hints that the cleverness of Audi will be their downfall. Technical innovation will betray team Audi. This could only mean a victory for Peugeot." Sound familiar? Is should, because the new Audi aero gave them nothing but troubles with understeer for the first half of the race. The TDI engine... overheating. The winner... Peugeot. I told my loyal fans to consider it fact, and it was. Take note my students, this is a lesson to be remembered.

I would also like to take credit for my predictions of the factory Vettes and Porsche Spyders taking GT1 and P2... but anyone who could not predict that deserves a punch in the mouth. I had a feeling Risi would repeat in GT2, but the 2nd Risi on the Podium was a surprise to even the great Glider.

p.s. The keen amung you may remember me asking: "Who's speculation can we trust enough for betting our hard earned dollars (i.e. the kids "education" fund)?" Lets just say that when you mix the Serpent, his Audi backing friend, a few drinks, and a betting scheme that pays based on how many laps one team wins over the other... you suddenly find youself able to send many "children" to "university." All I will say for now is that I don't believe in education, and I will reinvest in the sport from which I grew... stay tuned dear fans...

You are Welcome!