Grand Am making its move, is it time for ALMS to make its move?

[JAG]

Originally Posted by dj4monie

I don't want anything to do with GT-Pro-Am you can save that shhh for Europe. This is the ACO answering a question nobody asked. Nobody is asking can we dumb down the class enough so Seth can have a chance to win his own class or adding yet another ceremony and trophy presentation. As I said GTC is a ALMS creation, the ACO doesn't have such a class so adding used GT(2) cars to get the grid is their way of addressing that, if it was a problem and I don't believe it was. They just want more entries ($$$) at the main event.

We have some non-career drivers in GTC currently. This would carry over and that's fine driver makeup, we don't need the additional complication in the ALMS.

GTC is a short term fix to boost grids on a budget.

If teams can afford to run R8's and SLS's they can run a front running GT2 car.

I doubt a team like AJR is in that position but they could conceivably run a year or two old 911 RSR or M3.

[6157]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

L.P.

He makes a completely valid point about lack of opportunities for professional drivers to get paid, a point which MANY others have made in sportscar racing over the years and this is your response?

If certain people made this post, it would most assuredly earn them a ban.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by 6157

He makes a completely valid point about lack of opportunities for professional drivers to get paid, a point which MANY others have made in sportscar racing over the years and this is your response?

If certain people made this post, it would most assuredly earn them a ban.

Hmm, 6 posts in a row with a gambit of subject matter, mostly in a contentious vein. Seems like fishing for an argument to me!!

As to being disgruntled for having been reprimanded for not following the rules.....



L.P.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by 6157

He makes a completely valid point about lack of opportunities for professional drivers to get paid, a point which MANY others have made in sportscar racing over the years and this is your response?

If certain people made this post, it would most assuredly earn them a ban.

C'mon man, just stick your head back in the sand like everyone else. Everything is gonna be great, just think, if you only knew what I know. Go get ready for the Oklahoma City grand pri...oh.

Oops.

[bludd billz]

Originally Posted by fasteric

I would like to see FIA GT3 cars allowed in Grand Am ..with a weight rule for tube frame cars..eventually a large field of cars would be a great promotion for the teams/manufactuers to race...the prototypes are over hyped ... lemans and sebring are great..but most sports car fans like seeing someting they can buy being raced..have a few events daytona, sebring,watkins glen, atlanta ,endurance races ..invite the big cars and get a big crowd ..but the rest have a large GT series racing

What are you basing this on? I feel sports car fans are well-acquainted with the idea of the purpose-built prototype and like them quite a bit. For some on this board the prototype is an indispensable part of the sport.

Honestly, I think fans will come and watch if the grids are healthy and there is factory support, be it prototype or GT racing. The challenge is to figure out which is more viable for attracting factories and privateers at the time (the great question for any discipline!).

[dj4monie]

Yeah those six post is like connecting the dots - Legends Cars + Grand Am = NASCAR.

Dawg is right does seem like a Fishing Expedition looking for an argument.

I think its quite well known how I feel about Grand Am and its sub-par series.

They can do whatever they like, however they will not bring over GT3 cars in full FIA spec because they would horribly outclass current GT cars and challenge the Proto-Turtle in overall pace. This is why they dialed back the GT cars in the first place after TGR embarrassed them by winning The Daytona 24 with a GT2 car.

IMSA can handle the transition, it just has to be agreed upon. It seem to me the players in GTC would like to push the ball forward. The class needs variety it currently doesn't have and as I said teams with older car will be looking to replace them anyway. The teams with 2010 cars according to Speed King says they can be converted to GT3-R spec, Porsche Motorsport NA can offer such an upgrade package, if they know there's a market.

@540 we agree more than you think...

As for Drivers, professional drivers -

I couldn't tell you much, I'm not familiar with that side of racing as much as I would like and that's also because unlike the major stick and balls sports in America, most drivers are private contractors and are not at liberty to discuss how much they get paid. I don't see paid factory drivers coming forward with their incomes either.

What I can say is that personal sponsors and factories do pay fairly well. If I'm not mistaken Jorg lives in SF these days and that ain't cheap by no stretch of the imagination. I also thought Pat Long lives in the FL South Beach area and that's not cheap. That's proof being a factory drivers pays fairly well.

[Canada ALMS fan]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

C'mon man, just stick your head back in the sand like everyone else. Everything is gonna be great, just think, if you only knew what I know. Go get ready for the Oklahoma City grand pri...oh.

Oops.

I can't believe Grand Am is so insecure that it has you two employees post here and attack your superior competitor.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

I can't believe Grand Am is so insecure that it has you two employees post here and attack your superior competitor.

Wow.

I mean, really, just wow.

Not doing much to dispell that "slow" stereotype about canadians, are ya, eh?

[Canada ALMS fan]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

Wow.

I mean, really, just wow.

Not doing much to dispell that "slow" stereotype about canadians, are ya, eh?

Not doing much to dispell the notion of nascar folk being a bunch of ignorant hicks, eh? Employees, team members, whatever... Looks like I hit a nerve. Your agenda here is so transparent. What are you guys so afraid of? The more racing series, the better. Just because you are intimidated by technology and carbon fibre doesn't give you the right to make a lame attempt of a personal attack on me. I will not comment further to avoid wasting the time of fellow members of this community. Perhaps the mods will so us all a favour and let you sit this one out for a bit...

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

Wow.

I mean, really, just wow.

Not doing much to dispell that "slow" stereotype about canadians, are ya, eh?

Keep the personal attacks out of this or you'll take a "vacation"

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

Keep the personal attacks out of this or you'll take a "vacation"

Sweet, I hear Maui's nice this time of year.

[Speed-King]

Funny how the ban-hammer is never far away at the slightest mention of Grand Am...

[joeb]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

Sweet, I hear Maui's nice this time of year.

Is there a time of year when Maui isn't nice!

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Funny how the ban-hammer is never far away at the slightest mention of Grand Am...

Yes, it is rather predictable that when Grand Am enters the conversation there are sightings of critters that usually dwell under bridges and in caves.





L.P.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

Yes, it is rather predictable that when Grand Am enters the conversation there are sightings of critters that usually dwell under bridges and in caves.

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Funny how the ban-hammer is never far away at the slightest mention of Grand Am...

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Funny how the ban-hammer is never far away at the slightest mention of Grand Am...

It has nothing to do with grand-Am and everything to do with a personal attack by picchiofan on Canada ALMS Fan.

[The Badger]

I thought it was quite funny actually !!!

You cant seriously like the look of those Grand-Prams !!!

[joeb]

Dyson's Lola chassis that they are going to be campaigning at Utah and next season is said to be the ex-Krohn chassis. My memory is a little fuzzy on this matter, but I though Krohn had two chassis and one was wrecked badly. Am I remembering correctly, or did they just stop running the 2nd chassis for other reasons?

[The Badger]

Just seen a pic of the Lola DP ..... its the best looking DP ever , if you can say its good looking at all .

Takes the Irish to show ye how to make a good looking car , eh !!!

[cmk]

Honestly, I can't remember whether one's been wrecked more often than the other, but they've each had more than a few prangs. Tracy of course is prone, but van de Poele has had a couple of biggies in his time in the car too!

In the end it's a pro-am lineup anyway, so as long as it still drives predictably it's probably going to fit the bill fine, even if it's off the ultimate pace.

[rich07]

Marshall Pruett takes an interesting look at how Grand Am may look in 2012.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...s-set-for-2012

With some great design studies by Andy Blackmore (andy_b).

http://www.andyblackmoredesign.com/grandam

Top stuff Andy-as always.

[Dyson Mazda]

The DP's still look like crap. I don't know what direction they want to take the series in, but apparently it is not the right one for sports car racing. NASCAR needs to worry about NASCAR with its record low TV rating and rows of empty seats that accompany every track. I think the bubble is soon to burst.

[joeb]

I think Andy's renders make the DP's look a lot better. I am not sure how they will do the modifications outlined by Marshall but keep the price point where teams need/want it in GA. It sounds like bending the roll cage will be an issue, and all that new body work has to cost quite a bit, especially if the series continues its rubbing is racing spirit.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by joeb

I think Andy's renders make the DP's look a lot better. I am not sure how they will do the modifications outlined by Marshall but keep the price point where teams need/want it in GA. It sounds like bending the roll cage will be an issue, and all that new body work has to cost quite a bit, especially if the series continues its rubbing is racing spirit.

Realistcally, though, teams have raced their cars as long as they could expect to... some of the chassis in the series are 7 or 8 years old, and that's of course quite a long time. Switching to new chassis should thus not be all that hurtfull, but rather be seen as a natural process.
If they are smart - and I think Bledsoe is -, they'll allow the older cars to stay in the series at least until 2014 and phase them out gradually...

[andy_b]

thanks guys. I think an all-new car is out of the question, hence this discussion of an update on the existing chassis over an all-new car, as outline by Marshall.