IMSA DPi Discussion

Madkart · 19 Mar 2016, 01:00 (Ref:3624052)

Quite a few interesting words today from IMSA VP of Competition Simon Hodgson regarding DPi and how things will start out in 2017...

One team already evaluating a DPi program, Greaves Motorsport.

Thoughts?

Aces · 19 Mar 2016, 01:21 (Ref:3624058)

What's not to like? You can have the opportunity to race for overall victories for races like Daytona, Sebring etc. They seem to have a solid plan, but I personally think we will see very few Dpi cars next year. The majority could be grandfathered p2 and wec spec p2 (which isn't a bad thing) but that's just me I could be wrong.

Madkart · 19 Mar 2016, 01:35 (Ref:3624065)

“I’m quite excited about the American racing and the way it will go,” Greaves said. “It seems like it will be more affordable racing than P1."

“There’s a willingness to do things. And trying to do something for $10 million is sort of doable. To do it for $150 million, you’ve got to have something special."

Is this the start of the end of P1 ?

**joeb** · 19 Mar 2016, 01:38 (Ref:3624066)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aces

What's not to like? You can have the opportunity to race for overall victories for races like Daytona, Sebring etc. They seem to have a solid plan, but I personally think we will see very few Dpi cars next year. The majority could be grandfathered p2 and wec spec p2 (which isn't a bad thing) but that's just me I could be wrong.

Welcome to the forum Aces! I agree, the timeline is short for getting new cars to the track at Daytona. First of all we haven't seen any of the 2017 P2 cars which will be the base for the DPi's so if there is any delay there it will further hamper the ability of a team/manufacturer to put together a DPi program. If we can get "regular" 2017 P2's on the grid at Daytona that is great, but that might be pushing it as well.

Depending on the source we have 4-8 manufacturers evaluating a DPi program. Will they all make it to the grid next year? Who knows.

Possible DPi's
Cadillac-GM
Mazda
Nissan
Acura-HPD
BMW
Lexus-TRD
Lambo/Bentley - some VAG brand

TF110 · 19 Mar 2016, 01:42 (Ref:3624067)

Too bad it's performance balanced to the minutest detail, they're stuck on continental tires and there's only 4 chassis's to choose from. Besides that it looks like a good idea for manufacturers to get 'cheap' wins.

Madkart · 19 Mar 2016, 01:53 (Ref:3624070)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TF110

'cheap' wins.

OUCH!

seanyb505 · 19 Mar 2016, 02:43 (Ref:3624078)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aces

What's not to like?.

It's the dp principle in a different shape. It's manufacturers buying sticker space and crediting themselves with a win.

**joeb** · 19 Mar 2016, 02:50 (Ref:3624080)

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanyb505

It's the dp principle in a different shape. It's manufacturers buying sticker space and crediting themselves with a win.

To be fair they also create an engine and some body parts.

MoMedic9019 · 19 Mar 2016, 03:26 (Ref:3624086)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madkart

“I’m quite excited about the American racing and the way it will go,” Greaves said. “It seems like it will be more affordable racing than P1."

“There’s a willingness to do things. And trying to do something for $10 million is sort of doable. To do it for $150 million, you’ve got to have something special."

Is this the start of the end of P1 ?

No. But surely an evolution is coming.

TF110 · 19 Mar 2016, 05:16 (Ref:3624098)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madkart

OUCH!

Cheap as in inexpensive (relative to lmp1).

Rcz · 19 Mar 2016, 05:35 (Ref:3624102)

Alfa Romeo said their looking into it. Even though I kinda doubt they are.

Audi maybe interested. When IMSA send out their first engine regs, a 5.2L V10 was on the list, unless it was really Lamborghini.

**joeb** · 19 Mar 2016, 10:54 (Ref:3624186)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rcz

Alfa Romeo said their looking into it. Even though I kinda doubt they are.

Audi maybe interested. When IMSA send out their first engine regs, a 5.2L V10 was on the list, unless it was really Lamborghini.

Could be Audi as well. We really have little knowledge of who is doing what other than GM and Mazda.

Starfish Primer · 19 Mar 2016, 12:39 (Ref:3624203)

I think is a good idea, then the ruleset and the implementation of the rules will define if it will be successful. It would be also interesting if the ACO makes the DPi and the LMP1 private compatible.

carbon_titanium · 19 Mar 2016, 13:48 (Ref:3624228)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

I think is a good idea, then the ruleset and the implementation of the rules will define if it will be successful. It would be also interesting if the ACO makes the DPi and the LMP1 private compatible.

Honestly, you can see the irony behind this, if you consider that DPi will be an lmp2 chassis powered by a not spec engine, that basically is what r-one and CLM already are

.

Back to topic, to me there is only GM really interested for a proper DPi! very likely mazda, HPD, someone else, will just fit an engine inside a standard lmp2 without any bodywork update. The reason to me is simple: why spend money in R&D for a custom bodywork, when will be bop to screw you?
just ask oreca...

The DPi concept is great, but 2017 is the wrong year. It'd be worked in 2012 as new DP3 gen, forcing ford and bmw to follow GM path.

MagVanisher · 19 Mar 2016, 14:05 (Ref:3624234)

@carbon_titanium
I can agree with you regarding performance balancing. Manufacturers should make bodykits that are inefficient by it slightly resembles the whole brand/specific road car.

The only that counts is the driver's skill. Whoever is better on driving the DPi wins the race!

carbon_titanium · 19 Mar 2016, 14:11 (Ref:3624236)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

@carbon_titanium
I can agree with you regarding performance balancing. Manufacturers should make bodykits that are inefficient by it slightly resembles the whole brand/specific road car.

The only that counts is the driver's skill. Whoever is better on driving the DPi wins the race!

well, then IMSA more than lmp2, had to choose the DTM route with spec aero parts for everyone. Once again it would be required a main factor: a direct manufacturers effort.

YZFrider · 19 Mar 2016, 14:33 (Ref:3624254)

DPi: great potential for growth of class competitors and series exposure, and equally great potential for a management mess...with BOP and the whole "keeping a link with ACO".

My personal feelings are:
1.) a strange feeling that ACO will follow our lead at some point down the road with their version of DPi. LMP1 for privateers isn't that far off anyway. Almost reminiscent of the GroupC/GTP to WSC era. Great for us right?

2.)BOP is necessary I guess but too much BOP I don't like. Nascar drove off a lot of fans when the cars were pretty much the same. And while racing between drivers is important...motorsports is unique in that there is also competition between the machines i.e. Ford vs Chevy. Rivalries like that are great. But the philosophy of DP and now DPi make those irrelevant. Motors with the same power curve, spec aero, etc. maybe great for an amateur class but top flagship class?

MagVanisher · 19 Mar 2016, 16:05 (Ref:3624336)

Quote:

Originally Posted by carbon_titanium

well, then IMSA more than lmp2, had to choose the DTM route with spec aero parts for everyone. Once again it would be required a main factor: a direct manufacturers effort.

For me, the DTM regulations is a failure because it's slow to implement. Besides, the problem lies with the Germans that selling the regs to the likes of Japan and USA would cope their losses, but it did little to gain revenues.

Speaking of Japan, Super GT might consider changing the top GT500 to a GT3-based car platform in the future since they can't convince the Germans to adopt their turbocharged inline-4 engines. So much for rule unification.

Now back to DPi as having the same torque, power, and everything else in the top class is like playing a sterile fighting game where you have 8 characters with equal moves. Honestly, IMSA is basically doing the same thing as ACO's LMP2 class but with manufacturer support.

Aces · 19 Mar 2016, 18:58 (Ref:3624470)

I also think that we won't see many European teams doing full season entries. Most likely for NAEC but that's about it. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it a lot cheaper to do a full season in WEC or ELMS compared to IMSA?

Akrapovic · 19 Mar 2016, 19:11 (Ref:3624471)

When we move to DPi, are Panoz planning a car? Or are we going to still have the DeltaWing? Or the DeltaWing GT?

Dyson Mazda · 19 Mar 2016, 19:33 (Ref:3624480)

I would love to see Panoz return to GT racing: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news...-1-only-890000

Rcz · 20 Mar 2016, 03:54 (Ref:3624989)

I hoping IMSA allows Protoypes outside of the chosen 4 under special waivers or something.

Like the DW or a Roadster. They just can't be race anywhere else but IMSA. I wonder what Coyote will do?

I think if Class 1 regs are use, I hope they are not part of the main championship. It should it's own series that run 100 mile sprint races.

FormulaFox · 20 Mar 2016, 04:06 (Ref:3624995)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rcz

Like the DW or a Roadster. They just can't be race anywhere else but IMSA. I wonder what Coyote will do?

Coyote is owned by Spirit of Daytona. SoD will probably continue in DPi.

MagVanisher · 20 Mar 2016, 04:07 (Ref:3624997)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rcz

I think if Class 1 regs are use, I hope they are not part of the main championship. It should it's own series that run 100 mile sprint races.

The problem is that DTM USA is dead before it started, as well as "bureaucratic" problems regarding rule unification.

Germany wanted cost-containment while Japan wanted car development, personally I believe that the former shouldn't sell their regulations to the latter as they won't get anything in return!

Accident · 20 Mar 2016, 07:55 (Ref:3625069)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

Coyote is owned by Spirit of Daytona. SoD will probably continue in DPi.

You mean Action Express?

It is something I'm somewhat curious about. If the Coyote business is building the DP chassis and parts for them, what happens when there are no more DPs? They don't build any other cars as far as I know.

I'm sure DPs will still run around in historics, but I'm not sure how big of a business supplying parts for those is...

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