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17 Mar 2003, 13:31 (Ref:538899) | #51 | ||
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I tried to count the 24 hours sportscars race :
- Le Mans, - Daytona, - Spa, and ? Is there one in Japan ? Isn't any 24 hours race around Bathurst or Watkins Glen ? |
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17 Mar 2003, 13:35 (Ref:538906) | #52 | ||
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92 was the bad year Fab - 28 entries - but even then, with both Toyota and Peugeot involved as works entries, we had a gopod race in the rain. I'm still with Nordic on this. No round of any FIA sportscar championship will ever have the popularity of Le Mans. Ratel is wise and experienced enough to know that full well.
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280 days...... |
17 Mar 2003, 13:39 (Ref:538914) | #53 | ||
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I thought that this was an ACO thing.
Le Mans is the best endurance race and that goes without saying. Still there are a lot of dead races which are in need of a revival, brands 1000km to mention but one. |
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17 Mar 2003, 13:57 (Ref:538937) | #54 | ||
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Whats needed is a ONE set of rules, ONE world series to include all the big races, Daytona, Sebring, Spa, Le Mans, Suzuka, restart a few lapsed ones, Brands, Monza etc.
and some new ones, Bathhurst Sepang mix the distances from 1000km to 24hrs mix the cars protos & GTs 3 regional series, based in. Europe, Amercia (North & South), Japan and Asia. will it happen? Nah to many vested interests. |
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Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. H S Thompson 1937 - 2005 |
17 Mar 2003, 21:17 (Ref:539464) | #55 | ||
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I agree that there should be one set of rules, etc...
But the cost of doing a whole big international thing would drastically cut the teams and participants.... My suggestions.... Keep ALMS, FIA-SSC (if they get on board), and run thier schedules with "open slots during the year that would be set for "All-Star" or mixed series invited races at the key tracks around the world.... this sounds like what they are proposing, and if it is, It would be incredible.... Now, only if we can get Speed Channel to pick up those "Tournament" or All-Star" races with flag-to-flag coverage like we had last weekend... I'd love to see ALMS cars race against Racing for Holland, Courage Competiton, Pescarolo, Oreca (if they resurface), etc. 3-4 times a year in addition to Le Mans... You could take existing dates like Sebring, Petit, plus other famed European courses, Suzuka, etc., and rotate venues into the mix each year.... But Nordic is right...too many chiefs and not enough indians...the politics and egos would kill it before it ever got off the ground... |
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Finally... One American Open Wheel Series! |
28 Mar 2003, 14:47 (Ref:551143) | #56 | ||
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Stephane Ratel reacted to the 'Le Mans Tournament' Project, on SpiritOf :
http://www.spiritof.com.fr/spirit%20...0303.htm#Ratel The text is in french, I try a small translation : "Concerning GTs, the project doesn't disturb us. Touhcing the 36 cars, we don't need ACO to survive. Althought, the fact of having to same things is a stupidity, regarding the fact that the rules will be the same in 2004. But I'm open to negociations if reason can merge. First of all, I'm open to enter the Bentleys, if others concurrents are agree..." |
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28 Mar 2003, 15:16 (Ref:551172) | #57 | ||
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I would guess that Silverstone is the better in terms of facilities being an F1 approved circuit. Donny is pretty good though hosting DTM and ALMS
Brands would be very good for Eurpeans wanting to change their Euro's into £££'s being on the M20 / M25, barely an hour from Dover. Simon |
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29 Mar 2003, 20:22 (Ref:552373) | #58 | ||
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Quote:
I agree with Ratel that GT racing doesn't need ACO but it can give prototype racing a boost. The name Le Mans generates more media attention (Well is this true ELMS did not work. :confused:. I hope that 4 rounds of Fia SCC can be combined with the Le Mans Tournament. So that teams like RfH and Pescorolo can compete against Bentley or Audi and score points for the Le Mans Tournament and also for Fia SCC. Last edited by FIRE; 29 Mar 2003 at 20:24. |
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29 Mar 2003, 21:10 (Ref:552417) | #59 | ||
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I'm really interested in this "Tournament" idea...as many of you seem to be as well....
The real question would be the cost for travel, etc., for teams to do this a few times a year, as well as Le Mans, and how all of that is fitted neatly within other scheduled events within the ALMS and FIA schedules logistically... |
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Finally... One American Open Wheel Series! |
29 Mar 2003, 21:29 (Ref:552433) | #60 | ||
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Not that long ago the Silverstone 6hr was viewed as a shakedown race for LM, I think there was even a trophy for the best average between the 2 races.
This was held about 3-4 weeks before LM and gave teams a chance to see what the cars would do on the high speed straights. Now Silverstone has been slowed to suit the "Premier Drivers" another circuit would have to be found. The race date gave teams enough time to repair damage, rebuild engines etc so in effect a mini LM. Perhaps a race in early April, PQ in early May, then late May a 2nd race, followed my LM in mid June. Hopefully Daytona 24 adding to the fun in Jan / Feb so teams could still do the double Simon |
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29 Mar 2003, 23:36 (Ref:552497) | #61 | ||
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Sounds pretty good to me, SL...
I was asking in another thread that I started about what ALMS teams should do between Sebring & le Mans after Mexico dumped out of the schedule.... I don't know if the ALMS teams would want to spend that much time away from their shop with the April race, but the PQ and the later in May race might make sense... sure beats what they did last year...PQ, Sears point california 2 weeks later, then bac to the shop before going to le mans...lots of travel and they didn't learn a damn thing that they could use for LM at Sears Point. |
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Finally... One American Open Wheel Series! |
30 Mar 2003, 00:06 (Ref:552519) | #62 | ||
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The idea is to WIN Le Mans, therefore the build up should be tracks that are similar.
Perhaps the first race could be open and then entrants for LM drawn from that, maybe this would need 2-3 races as qual for LM. If this makes sense. USA/Europe/AusAsia the best PERFORMANCE, not really finishing pos to count to the big LM race. That is a set of qualifiers for the big one, then Daytona/Sebring as a double / warm up for the next race Simon |
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30 Mar 2003, 00:36 (Ref:552546) | #63 | ||
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Setting the criteria for Performance might be dificult, but i could buy into the concept...
The new programs or the newly-created prototypes could really be in a fix in thst system, unless you have an outrageous budget like Audi or Bentley.... something to at least consider before making that system a policy |
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30 Mar 2003, 01:51 (Ref:552588) | #64 | |||
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30 Mar 2003, 08:56 (Ref:552709) | #65 | |||
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