On Saturday, Petit Le Mans will live on lemans.org. To apprecate the subtleties of the sixth round of the ILMC, it is worth knowing how "made in the USA" Le Mans style racing is done.

The regulations state that "each event of the ILMC is governed by the sporting regulations of the host series." For Petit Le Mans, the competitors must deal with the regulations of the American Le Mans Series. Here are a few important features of the rules and customs n North America:

Refuelling windows. 
A featurel well-known to American racing, the smallest incident can cause the intervention of the safety car. With sixty cars on the track, 'caution' periods could be numerous on Saturday. Each will begin with the closure of the pit lane. Then, when all competitors have been lined-up behind the safety car, the race director will authorize the prototypes to make pit stops. In the next lap, he will do the same for GT. Beware those who come in out of turn, except by special permission, they will be penalized.

Tyre changes
The 'dance' of mechanics during wheel changes follows a different choreography. Because of the pit wall, refuelling and driver changes are not quite the same way as in Europe or Asia. Four mechanics and two air wrenches are allowed to change tyres, compared with two mechanics and one gun in races outside North America. Thus tyre changes will be made in less time at Road Atlanta compared with Le Mans.

Preheating rubber
Tyre heaters, (blankets or cabinets) are prohibited. However, under the warm temperatures expected in Georgia, this feature should not unduly interfere with the drivers.

Mechanical interventions
It is surprising to Europeans who are new to American racing that garages do not adjoin the pit lane. Any mechanical intervention claiming more than four mechanics needs be done in the paddock located away from the track. In the United States more than elsewhere, the slightest mechanical problem can put a car back several laps. 

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Julien Hergault

Photo : SEBRING (FLORIDA, USA), SEBRING 12 hours, 17 MARCH 2010. The 'pitwall' changes the way pitstops are done in the ALMS.