- 1,680
- Great White North
- I_powerslide
2016 WeatherTech SportsCar ChampionshipSports Cars
- Thread starter Northstar
- 4,512 comments
- 173,778 views
- 24,608
- Anoka, MN
Ah, the uber panzer is ready to roll I see.Biggest GT car in America now with Dyson's Bentley effort having been shut down.
They will still be around in '16, only fielded by Team Absolute with Andrew Palmer and Adderly Fong driving them.
No worries, I am sure the Ford will become much more annoying to you Chevy fans
I hope they do! I still hope Corvette ends up winning, but I still want the race to be good.
- 16,417
- United Kingdom
- 10,276
- Sacramento CA
- cnd01
That was the start of the problem in 2011. The regs changed because GA wanted the series to get closer to GT4 specs(bad idea). I complained about that back then, and I was mocked on here for it. GA ran the Subaru team off that way. Car was too stressed and constantly breaking, so Subaru backed out of their program because that team was going through spares like crazy. Nissan finally gave it up too although that probably had more to do with the dumpster fire that was their LMP1 program.
The bigger problem with IMSA management is that now teams have to show up on Tuesday for 4 races (Daytona, Road Atlanta, COTA, and 1 more VIR I think) because they're putting the Conti practices earlier in the week. Before the merger, only Daytona was that way. GA would have the whole series through tech, practiced, and qualified in 1 day. When Conti was still 60 or so cars, it took a day and a half just to get the field through tech. That problem solved itself with no one being there anymore. The GT4 Cayman makes up half of GS and the Cayman in ST is now half that class too. The BMW GT4 car isn't even made by BMW, so I don't see how that can get mass produced and sent over here for multiple teams. The Mustang is waaaaaay too expensive for the class it's racing in. It's probably about as much as the old GAGT Mustang build was.
The Camaro Stevenson ran still isn't for sale because GM/P&M only built 4 for the teams that ran Camaros. CKS who ran the new Camaro in 2014 sold their cars to Mantella who ran them last year. Mantella looks like the only team potentially coming back with them. That Camaro turned out to be a class killer. Biggest problem right there. Teams not thinking they have a fair shot.
Pretty much the same thing happened with IMSA allowing the Cayman in ST except now the class has become more/less all Caymans(that is, those who are up front). The car with a bigger motor was legal in GS under GA, but it was a major turd. BGB tried and failed to run the Cayman about 2011 or 2012. The Boxster was what was the Porsche in ST before IMSA took over.
Another shortcoming: IMSA also failed to see that a much cheaper series exists with very similar regs as Conti GS...PWC GTS. PWC's GTS field is a lot of old Conti teams who are as Dave said
Entry fees got higher as did fuel and tire budgets.
More complicated rule books i.e. front ride height being measured in inches while the rear is in mm. I think that was for GTD, but that's like failing intro to engineering bad by IMSA.
I could split hairs all day long if you want.
Changing to a less doom and gloom subject, here's who I want to win
P: VisitFlorida/SDR
PC: Starworks
GTLM: Ford
GTD: Lambo or Viper
- 3,575
- Phoenix, AZ
- GTP_Snaeper
They consider them easier for new fans to follow. They perceived the old ALMS system as likely being difficult for fans who didn't know the difference between a GT and GTC car, or P2 / PC car. Grand-Am never had to worry about that kind of thing since it only really had two starkly different classes, with GX's one-off season easy to describe as "They're the slow ones".
- 10,967
- Central Coast, NSW
- EelX 5
I would imagine new fans actually relying on the Position Monitor and matching Numbers, that's what I did when I first watch Le Mans Racing. It is definitely more reliable than over-showing 1 colour, I know people who watch the racing for the first and completely missed the over use of 1 colour (even I didn't noticed it when I watched the first 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring of the Series).
I really don't think new fans would need an overuse of an colour to help identify classes.
I understand why they are doing this but how they are solving the "issue" is a bit to ridiculous and redundant IMO.
I really don't think new fans would need an overuse of an colour to help identify classes.
I understand why they are doing this but how they are solving the "issue" is a bit to ridiculous and redundant IMO.
- 22,549
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
No worries, I am sure the Ford will become much more annoying to you Chevy fans
Ah yes I forgot they were going to be there...I'm more interested in their WEC efforts to be fair.
Yeah that's sad.
Ford does fine in this area if you look at the past years with the Mustang in PWC and Grand Am. Ford also is one of the main work horses as far as engines go. They do a good amount and have for a while. They just haven't scaled it this large in many many years. Probably since GT/GTO spec of the mid 80 to early 90s has their been a ford presence this large in sport car racing.
The issue is people like to take Ford cars without backing from Ford to go race in endurance/sport car/touring series historically.
- 2,121
- Chicago
- mustang622006
Ya gotta have faith, besides, they have been running this ecoboost motor in the DP for a couple of years so it's not like it's brand new. I would love to see Ford, Chevy and Ferrari mixing it up race after race all year!
Lotta trash talkin' up 'n this thread hyaw'
Just a Ford fan doing my part in keeping the old Chevy vs Ford rivalry alive and well 👍
- 9,554
- Vermont
- catamount39
I'm getting extremely excited for the race and this year's season, the surge of the GT classes is really making things hyped! 
GTLM has the show stopper factory battles and GTD has the swaggest GT3 roster around! 
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!!
GTLM has the show stopper factory battles and GTD has the swaggest GT3 roster around! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!! 
- 9,554
- Vermont
- catamount39
- 6,723
- United States
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- 9,089
- Scotland
- 16,417
- United Kingdom
Perhaps it's a two year manufacturer program, and then they'll start flogging the cars to private teams?
- 9,554
- Vermont
- catamount39
Let's hope that's the case.
- 6,723
- United States
http://www.imsatiming.com/Results/2016/WeatherTech Championship/00-Roar/WeatherTech Roar Daytona Practice 1.pdf
Top traps P
70-189.3
37-188.9
55-188.9
5-187.6
31-187.2
LM
66-176.3
72-175.9
912-175.9
3-175.5
100-174.8
GTD
11-176.7
48-175.5
51-175.2
44-175.2
6-174.0
The debut of Lance Stroll
Top traps P
70-189.3
37-188.9
55-188.9
5-187.6
31-187.2
LM
66-176.3
72-175.9
912-175.9
3-175.5
100-174.8
GTD
11-176.7
48-175.5
51-175.2
44-175.2
6-174.0
The debut of Lance Stroll
- 9,554
- Vermont
- catamount39
- 6,259
- Tecumseh, MI
- I_Fail_At_FPS
Corvette number 4's fire was caused by the exhaust setting the rocker on fire, per SC365.
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/no-4-corvette-sustains-fire-in-roar-first-practice/
Also, speaking of Corvettes- a close up of the new paint addition that can be seen in the picture of the burned Vette:
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/no-4-corvette-sustains-fire-in-roar-first-practice/
Also, speaking of Corvettes- a close up of the new paint addition that can be seen in the picture of the burned Vette:
- 16,417
- United Kingdom
M6 GTLM did okay
- 9,554
- Vermont
- catamount39
That's the proper way to do a "patriotic" livery. I believe they're calling it the "Made in America" livery.
- 34,597
- Addison,Texas
- GTP_RACECAR
Looks like the Deltawing managed to outdue the Dragonspeed livery in patriotism. At the very least, they could've put an eagle on it and it would've gotten more chuckles then it does disgusted reactions.
I honestly have no idea. At least the Corvette's is subtle and not "IN YOUR FACE, COMMIE!!!"
I honestly have no idea. At least the Corvette's is subtle and not "IN YOUR FACE, COMMIE!!!"
