2017 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship - General Season Discussion ThreadSports Cars 

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Apparently the Lexus and Acura factory efforts are being allowed for this year only so they can develop the cars. After that, the cars have to be entered as customer teams like every other car according to IMSA president Scott Atherton. This is according to SC365.

That doesn't change the fact that they and some other teams are still using quasi-silvers, but does at least clarify the whole factory vs privateer thing in GTD a little bit.
 
AnthonyD1993
Apparently the Lexus and Acura factory efforts are being allowed for this year only so they can develop the cars. After that, the cars have to be entered as customer teams like every other car according to IMSA president Scott Atherton. This is according to SC365.

That doesn't change the fact that they and some other teams are still using quasi-silvers, but does at least clarify the whole factory vs privateer thing in GTD a little bit.
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Good, so at least IMSA is not ignoring the fact that their factory teams at the moment. The driver thing is unfortunately an issue all over the place.
 
AnthonyD1993
Apparently the Lexus and Acura factory efforts are being allowed for this year only so they can develop the cars. After that, the cars have to be entered as customer teams like every other car according to IMSA president Scott Atherton. This is according to SC365.

That doesn't change the fact that they and some other teams are still using quasi-silvers, but does at least clarify the whole factory vs privateer thing in GTD a little bit.
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Zero things wrong with that.

You'd do the same thing in their position.
 
mwoodski
Zero things wrong with that.

You'd do the same thing in their position.
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You're damn right. If I was HPD or Lexus (or anyone looking to sell a large bulk of GT3 cars), I'd want the best drivers I can get to give me the best chance of winning right out of the box as well. I don't have an issue with it and never really have had an issue with that, but I mentioned it because I know some have an issue with it.
 
AnthonyD1993
You're damn right. If I was HPD or Lexus (or anyone looking to sell a large bulk of GT3 cars), I'd want the best drivers I can get to give me the best chance of winning right out of the box as well. I don't have an issue with it and never really have had an issue with that, but I mentioned it because I know some have an issue with it.
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It's the evils of a Pro-Am class. Always going to have those who press the rules.
 
AnthonyD1993
Apparently the Lexus and Acura factory efforts are being allowed for this year only so they can develop the cars. After that, the cars have to be entered as customer teams like every other car according to IMSA president Scott Atherton. This is according to SC365.

That doesn't change the fact that they and some other teams are still using quasi-silvers, but does at least clarify the whole factory vs privateer thing in GTD a little bit.
Click to expand...

Considering this class is full of GT3 cars well developed, I can sort've see why. Hell, this isn't just the first race of the WTSC season, but the first race anywhere in the world for that NSX. As for the RC-F, this is basically the first full season anywhere for it since they've started over.

catamount39
It's the evils of a Pro-Am class. Always going to have those who press the rules.
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Hasn't that always been Sports car racing though? Cars like the Toyota GT-One, Maserati MC12 and Ford GT all exist do to that mindset.
 
It's not exactly a stong selling point for a customer looking to buy a Lexus or Acura if the car doesnt win every race with factory teams running them. There is no way this turns out good for IMSA or Lexus/Acura, either the rest of the GT3 OEM's are wondering why they didnt get the special factory team waiver, the Am funded and independent teams are wondering why these guys get to play with a different set of rules, and if they L/A dont dominate then why would anybody want to buy one?

Dont overlook the fact that Atherton just publicly favored two OEM's in a customer class.💡
 
RACECAR
Considering this class is full of GT3 cars well developed, I can sort've see why. Hell, this isn't just the first race of the WTSC season, but the first race anywhere in the world for that NSX. As for the RC-F, this is basically the first full season anywhere for it since they've started over.



Hasn't that always been Sports car racing though? Cars like the Toyota GT-One, Maserati MC12 and Ford GT all exist do to that mindset.
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No I iust meant the driver thing. Not hate or salt just pointing out that it's always an isssue with a Pro-Am class to have the "fake silvers".
 
IforceV8
It's not exactly a stong selling point for a customer looking to buy a Lexus or Acura if the car doesnt win every race with factory teams running them. There is no way this turns out good for IMSA or Lexus/Acura, either the rest of the GT3 OEM's are wondering why they didnt get the special factory team waiver, the Am funded and independent teams are wondering why these guys get to play with a different set of rules, and if they L/A dont dominate then why would anybody want to buy one?

Dont overlook the fact that Atherton just publicly favored two OEM's in a customer class.💡
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Isn't Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 and WeatherTechs Mercedes-AMG GT3 both Factory backed though?
 
Wiz
Hey fellas, quick question.... what are the good websites out there for IMSA news?

So far I have bookmarked,

Motorsport.com
SC365
Racer
NASportscar
dailysportscar

Any other good ones I should know about? Thanks.
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SC365 will give you the most consistent news for IMSA without it being lost within other series news (Like what Racer and Motorsports does).
 
Remember that S365 posts a lot of "fake" confirmed reports because Dagys likes to jump the gun on everything before getting all the facts.
 
mwoodski
Remember that S365 posts a lot of "fake" confirmed reports because Dagys likes to jump the gun on everything before getting all the facts.
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And as I learned last week with someone's prank, he isn't the brightest bulb as it turns out.

IforceV8
Ben Keating confirmed in 24hr Le Mans in his Riley/Gibson.
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I thought I remembered Keating securing a Riley LMP2, was just thrown off to see them in the Mercedes instead at the Rolex 24.
 
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From the IMSA Website:
IMG_7248.jpg


500,000 on a cable channel and a .5 on FOX, that's fantastic ratings!
 
The ratings really show the overall health of the series is today and Gordon's appearance certainly helped.

And that's with Fox's subpar coverage.
 
Panoz
The ratings really show the overall health of the series is today and Gordon's appearance certainly helped.

And that's with Fox's subpar coverage.
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Honestly IMSA have done a whole lot of right with DPi, making it in a way that caters to both Factory car makers and private entries, both of which almost equal machinery, I was skeptical at first but still interested in seeing how it goes, and its a big win, I expect to see at least 1 if not 2 manufacturers join DPi in the next 2 seasons,

They really need to drop the PC class, get them into the LMP2 chassis,
 
RACECAR
Once again, proof that you don't need unnecessary gimmicks to draw in fans.
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From my perspective, one of being a motorsport enthusiast, the biggest problem for North American road racing has been the division between what was Grand Am and ALMS and IndyCar/ ChampCar split, it was hard to keep up with everything prior to the expansion of the internet, and forums like this one, the ease of following series like NASCAR and Formula 1 drew a lot of fans away, it wasn't confusing to follow and there were absolutely no worries about events not happening, now that there is this solidarity to the road racing side with exciting new prospects coming forward, the fans will return,
 
TDZdave
Honestly IMSA have done a whole lot of right with DPi, making it in a way that caters to both Factory car makers and private entries, both of which almost equal machinery, I was skeptical at first but still interested in seeing how it goes, and its a big win, I expect to see at least 1 if not 2 manufacturers join DPi in the next 2 seasons,

They really need to drop the PC class, get them into the LMP2 chassis,
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PC in WSC is going away at the end of the year....

PC is going to be it's own series with P3 and the current IMSA Lite cars.
 
mwoodski
PC in WSC is going away at the end of the year....

PC is going to be it's own series with P3 and the current IMSA Lite cars.
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That's great news, does that mean that GTLM will go proper GTE spec next season?
 
TDZdave
That's great news, does that mean that GTLM will go proper GTE spec next season?
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It's already proper spec, just with better BoP. :P The PC cars got some upgrades a while back to speed them up if I recall. Remember 2015 at Petite Le Mans? Proper GTE overall win. :sly: The only class slowed was GTD in the first two seasons as a hybrid GT3/Grand-Am GT class.
 
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