[FIA GT] GT1 World Championship 2011

[dj4monie]

The Internet fills in that niche, however too many people still use the internet only for email, the Cat riding on a Roomba videos on You Tube and talking smack on Facebook and not looking for alternative sports outlets or news.

I'd like to see an American GT1 event, but as I have said before, its largely unknown here and they'll need to partner with a series, either the ALMS or World Challenge being the likely candidates.

That or they'll have to heavily promote it on local media and regional media where ever it was shown. I think Speed would talk about it since the last 3-4 races have been shown on Speed 2 and could promote their new online channel.

I would think the entire ALMS fan base would be interested in GT1's if they came, so I guess its just a matter of announcing the race. Since Indy Car has yet to commit to running at Road America, I'd say pairing the ALMS with World GT1 would make a ton of sense, maybe TOO much sense as is mostly the case with this sort of thing.

[TF110]

Yeah I doubt that, seems FIA GT1 and ACO events don't wanna butt heads. It'd be awesome to see these Machines at Road America though, that Maserati would be a welcomed site, since it was abolished in ALMS.

[Félix]

There's a HUGE crowd of kids playing video games with exotic cars and souped-up Audis, Porsches, Hondas, Peugeots, BMWs, Mercedes. The motorsport that gets to them is Japanese imports plastered with energy drink brands drifting, but give GT1, DTM or V8 Superstars mainstream exposure and they'll love it.

Sadly, for whatever reason, this generation is not deemed important enough to be targeted by motorsports and there's not much choice if you don't fancy becoming a walking billboard for one of F1's top teams/your NASCAR driver.

I feel someone with enough money, media connections and patience (to get over the red ink in the first years) could build something quite successful in the US with a series like FIA GT1. Or ALMS could piece its s*** together and achieve more than obscure series status.

[Félix]

Barely related, but in the Disney's Cars 2 trailer I just watched, that McQueen red car/main character is racing in the "World Grand Prix" against a C6.R, a DBR9, an NSX look-alike, a Caparo/F1 and a Radical/LMP.

The cars are out there virtually in multiple forms, maybe it's just a matter of making a race series with them mainstream...

[I Rosputnik]

Seriously, if the SRO/FIA/ACO play their cards right GT1 and the ILMC could be up there with F1 on mainstream attraction. In fact if the other big two (WTCC and the WRC) got their acts together then things would get interesting.

The big five; F1, GT1, ILMC, WRC and WTCC. I'd love to see that in the future, and if Indy and Nascar went more global, then maybe we could have six or seven.

Anyway back to business, the rep on the GT1 website said that the Alpina project is still happening. I'm confused, but I'm still hopeful that we will have an B6/M6 in GT1 sometime in the future.

[TF110]

NFS: Shift 2 will supposedly have the new GT1 cars in it. From the teaser trailer it seemed so. Not in the same popularity as Gran Turismo, but it's decent, so if that gets some attention the America's might catch on to it.

[Jamesy-18]

Well, if manufacturers start to take a real interest in the series, I'll bet they'll force the SRO into having races in America. America is hugely important for manufacturers, so I wouldn't be suprised if there was a race or two in North America in coming years.

[Jamesy-18]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Seriously, if the SRO/FIA/ACO play their cards right GT1 and the ILMC could be up there with F1 on mainstream attraction. In fact if the other big two (WTCC and the WRC) got their acts together then things would get interesting.

The big five; F1, GT1, ILMC, WRC and WTCC. I'd love to see that in the future, and if Indy and Nascar went more global, then maybe we could have six or seven.

Anyway back to business, the rep on the GT1 website said that the Alpina project is still happening. I'm confused, but I'm still hopeful that we will have an B6/M6 in GT1 sometime in the future.

It's an interesting discussion point you raise. Sadly, I doubt it'd be true. I doubt that any of the mainstream channels would really want to pay to show racing that isn't as popular as F1, which is a shame.

I am a fan of F1, but I agree that it's such a shame that Formula One really monopolises. I blame Bernie on that one, he's incredibly wise and whilst he's still in his position, I doubt he'll want any rivals in terms of other series.

There's a hell of a lot of good racing other than Formula One out there, but other than us die-hard fans, seemingly not many people know about it. Hopefully that'll change though, I see this as a big decade for all types of motorsport.

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Jamesy-18

It's an interesting discussion point you raise. Sadly, I doubt it'd be true. I doubt that any of the mainstream channels would really want to pay to show racing that isn't as popular as F1, which is a shame.

I am a fan of F1, but I agree that it's such a shame that Formula One really monopolises. I blame Bernie on that one, he's incredibly wise and whilst he's still in his position, I doubt he'll want any rivals in terms of other series.

There's a hell of a lot of good racing other than Formula One out there, but other than us die-hard fans, seemingly not many people know about it. Hopefully that'll change though, I see this as a big decade for all types of motorsport.

The WTCC back in '87 was stopped after the FIA feared it could become more popular then F1, but times have changed I can see Ratel keeping a firm grip on GT1 so hopefully he will not be pressured into downgrading GT1 into something much weaker then F1.

I also hope that if other Manufacters become interested in this, follow Nissan's example by backing two teams, giving them PR, Data, parts and engineers and get involved in the core of the championship, such as banners around the track and providing support cars. It's not really "The Battle of the Brands!" when all there is, is giant Nissan banners everywhere and the support cars are just 370Z's, GTR's and Sentra's.

Also if I was Ratel I would be milking their partnership with EA. Put a live feed to GT1 and GT3 races on Shift 2, it would be great way of introducing the series to younger fans.

[Down F0rce]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

The WTCC back in '87 was stopped after the FIA feared it could become more popular then F1

Citation needed?

[johntt]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

Citation needed?

I can give the World Sportscar Championship as corroborating evidence to I Rosputnik's point.

[Jamesy-18]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

The WTCC back in '87 was stopped after the FIA feared it could become more popular then F1, but times have changed I can see Ratel keeping a firm grip on GT1 so hopefully he will not be pressured into downgrading GT1 into something much weaker then F1.

I also hope that if other Manufacters become interested in this, follow Nissan's example by backing two teams, giving them PR, Data, parts and engineers and get involved in the core of the championship, such as banners around the track and providing support cars. It's not really "The Battle of the Brands!" when all there is, is giant Nissan banners everywhere and the support cars are just 370Z's, GTR's and Sentra's.

Also if I was Ratel I would be milking their partnership with EA. Put a live feed to GT1 and GT3 races on Shift 2, it would be great way of introducing the series to younger fans.

Yes, but up until recently, it seems that the FIA has only had eyes for Formula One. Who can blame them? It's a hugely popular sport, probably second only to football/soccer globally, and it's by far and away the most popular form of racing. Sure, NASCAR has a hell of a lot of following in America, but consider that on average, more people in the UK watch every F1 race than how many people in America watch NASCAR, despite the size of the American population.

Globally, it isn't even close. F1 is top of the pile by a long, long way.

Hopefully it'll change though, but after a year like Formula One has just had and despite always being second behind football in terms of media coverage, I doubt it'll change much. Look at the way the BBC "reported" the Indy 500. Supposedly one of the biggest races in the world got about one line on UK's biggest news channel, with a clip showing Mike Conway's crash. Meanwhile, we're getting bombarded with stuff about the premiership, the SPL, the europa whatever (I hate football FYI) and other dreary nonsense there is.

What I'm trying to say is F1 is massive in terms of racing. Yet it's not any country's "main" sport. In the UK, it's second or even third to football, despite the success of Hamilton and Button recently. In America, NFL dominates. Canada and Russia, its hockey. Australia, I'd guess it's V8s.

Basically, the biggest form of racing there is can't cope against other sports. And if that's the case for Formula One, the "pinnacle" of motorsport, I can't see how the likes of ILMC, WRC, WTCC, GT racing, etc, etc, will do much better, however well managed they are and however much manufacturer backing they have.

[I Rosputnik]

Oh well, I can always hope.

***

Would this do as evidence towards the WTCC ending in '87?

[JAG]

Back then the FIA made FIFA look clean.

[Joe Taylor]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Oh well, I can always hope.

***

Would this do as evidence towards the WTCC ending in '87?

So they were actually planning a Global Racing Engine back at the end of the 1980s then?

[Speed-King]

Just putting together some rumors:

Phoenix sold both Corvettes and these cars will race in DSC next year (Turbo-Magazin) +
All GT1 teams except Matech intent to be back next year (Speedweek) =
Phoenix will be back with something other than the Vettes.

Audi R8 GT1?

[Nick6]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

It's debatable. I would say it is at an International level although based in Germany, compared to other touring car championships, as there are races based oversees, and drivers from different countries. I tend to see things that have races in around four or more different countries I would say it's international, while I would say if it's on four or more continents, I would say it's global.

Yes the DTM may be German at it's core, but it's got a strong international reach.

I guess you consider ALMS and Grand Am to be international championships too.

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Nick6

I guess you consider ALMS and Grand Am to be international championships too.

Yes I do with the ALMS, due to the amount of interest the series gets outside of the USA. I see the LMS and the ALMS as two international championships that are tied together by the 24 hours of Le Mans and the ILMC.

I'm not completely famliar with Grand Am, but you could say the Dayota 24 hours has an international appeal to it.

***
I curious to see Phoenix comes back with. I'm guessing either R8's, B6's or Ford GT's.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Yes I do with the ALMS, due to the amount of interest the series gets outside of the USA. I see the LMS and the ALMS as two international championships that are tied together by the 24 hours of Le Mans and the ILMC.

I'm not completely famliar with Grand Am, but you could say the Dayota 24 hours has an international appeal to it.

***

I would agree with you on the ALMS issue, whilst the series generally stays in the US the ammount of competitors from other countries in terms of both drivers and teams on a regular basis as well as the quality of the entrants would make it a International series. As for Grand Am, well as you say the Daytona 24 hours does have a bit of a international appeal to it, but not so much these days as it did back in say the mid tllo late 90s and apart from Daytona it goes largely unnoticed internationally. IMO.

[Asa]

I cannot see the WTCC being more popular than DTM in the forseeable future. DTM has or will have Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Toyota, Honda and Nissan among its makes. WTCC has Chevy and Volvo, with Seat and BMW supplying cars only... I know which one I want to watch.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Just putting together some rumors:

Phoenix sold both Corvettes and these cars will race in DSC next year (Turbo-Magazin) +
All GT1 teams except Matech intent to be back next year (Speedweek) =
Phoenix will be back with something other than the Vettes.

Audi R8 GT1?

Hope its an Audi, it would be nice to have a new car for 2011. (Well having heard the Alpina is dead and nothing else happening bar the Lexus/Vitaphone rumours). Good to see most teams want to be back next year, the intent is there lets hope they have the funds to return.

Was hoping Phoenix would return, I thought they may not after this years ups and downs.

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Anyway back to business, the rep on the GT1 website said that the Alpina project is still happening. I'm confused, but I'm still hopeful that we will have an B6/M6 in GT1 sometime in the future.

Forget it. That B6 is as dead as dead can be. Except you bring funding.

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Just putting together some rumors:

Phoenix sold both Corvettes and these cars will race in DSC next year (Turbo-Magazin) +
All GT1 teams except Matech intent to be back next year (Speedweek) =
Phoenix will be back with something other than the Vettes.

Audi R8 GT1?

Not necessarily. Phoenix can still use these Vettes in GT1 if they find funding.

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Dauer 962

Forget it. That B6 is as dead as dead can be. Except you bring funding.

I know why the Alpina bid is off now. On Speed.com they did an interview with Ratel and turns out Alpina didn't produce enough B6's.

Also in that interview there will be ten races next year with four fly away races. Mongolia will be one of these fly away races, so that could be interesting. The USA will not be on the calendar due to schedule reasons, but it still on the cards for 2012, and will be for sometime. Ratel also wants a street race in Beijing, but it's proving to be too difficult.

Here's a summary version and the full version will come out soon.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Asa

I cannot see the WTCC being more popular than DTM in the forseeable future. DTM has or will have Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Toyota, Honda and Nissan among its makes. WTCC has Chevy and Volvo, with Seat and BMW supplying cars only... I know which one I want to watch.

Were did you read the confirmation of Toyota, Honda and Nissan entering DTM?