IMSA 2023 IMSA Season

[GT3_Fan]

You know every GTP car on the grid right now is connected to an IndyCar operation with the exception of Whelen Action Express now. That is one concern I have. That will get better soon I guess with privateer teams coming though. Just an observation I noticed.

[broadrun96]

What's the reason for concern over that? The same teams have been in and out of sportscars as the market dictates. It wasn't like we had fields of DPis run by other teams previously. Pro teams will always be the teams sought by manufacturer programs

Just gonna do my usual and enjoy what we have on the track, and support those who participate in the series by buying their products if I'm in the market.

[Mike E]

GTP bumped up to 697hp for Sebring test.

Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini GTDs also get power increases

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2...-sebring-test/

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mike E

GTP bumped up to 697hp for Sebring test.

Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini GTDs also get power increases

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2...-sebring-test/

I don't understand how the increased power allotment for GTP will fully play out at Sebring. Is this to better dictate a stint length? or improve lap time?

[Mike E]

I would assume it's a speed thing. Without the sustained high speeds of Daytona they maybe need a bump to deal with the LMP2s. Stint length can be fairly easily managed with energy per stint allocations. They aren't running with full tanks.

[broadrun96]

They got power increase, 27 hop, and total energy load, 10 MJ, increase as well. And LMP2 holds steady with IMSA looking at maintaining a class split so that could change

[broadrun96]

Well this could be interesting, home grown Carrera Cup or Super Trofeo

https://sportscar365.com/industry/fo...ustang-series/

I'm thinking closer to the old Panoz single make and most of the MX-5 drivers. Just folks out having fun instead of a place of up and coming kids driving. But both Porsche and Lamborghini have a few of them too

[S griffin]

Just hope we don't see too many of the Mustangs beaten up, they are beautiful cars that don't deserve that treatment

[rx555]

Why not, they're race cars and can get fixed. The Porsche Cup cars get beaten up all the time.
I guess it depends on who the series is for and who drives. Maybe they'll revive the Celebrity Race at Long Beach? Or maybe an IROC type series? A copy of the P Cup has already been done by Lambo too, as well as Mazda. We don't really need another.

[S griffin]

It's a good point. Trying to think who would be interested in this kind of series

[NaBUru38]

The Mustang series should be much cheaper than the other two.

[Mike E]

Sebring testing

https://youtu.be/ffwYS5gMtxc

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Sebring testing

https://youtu.be/ffwYS5gMtxc

It will be interesting to see if there are any reported lap times and class separation after the adjustments to the BOP post Daytona.

[Nick Woodbury]

IMSA's 'Win The Weekend' series continues with episode 2. This was was just as good, if not better than the first!

Enjoy! - https://youtu.be/Hlt2v18mNvw

*EDIT*

Speaking docu-series. Rahal and BMW released the first episode of their series called High Voltage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXQ2bgq16cM

[joeb]

Turns out yes, there are times reported from the test:

http://results.imsa.com/Results/23_2...ession%205.PDF

In 2021 qualifying lap was a 1:45.3 and in 2022 it was a 1:45.1 for reference Alpine had a 1:47.4 last year, and in 2019 Toyota had a 1:40.3

[broadrun96]

Well they have to be a bit slower or LMH sped up if they're gonna be together on track, weren't they slightly faster than LMH last year at Sebring?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Well they have to be a bit slower or LMH sped up if they're gonna be together on track, weren't they slightly faster than LMH last year at Sebring?

2 seconds faster in qualifying but i can't remember if there were different conditions.

[joeb]

Porsche bop in GT is causing teams to withdraw from the season. All in all I can't blame them for being upset about Daytona, but isn't there still time to fix the issues before Sebring???

https://racer.com/2023/03/01/bop-rev...che-gtd-teams/

[broadrun96]

Oh well, guess they can run in SRO and see how that goes. Oh wait, they're almost all the older gen cars still at St Pete at least. It will be interesting to see if SRO BoP is any different than IMSA. But even a bigger restrictor didn't seem to help Porsche too much at the test but the fastest was a Cup driver and Pfaff wasn't there.

[S griffin]

They might do better in SRO. Probably see more of a future in that series. Not sure if IMSA is quite sustainable atm. But it's still a good enough series, even if it isn't as good as it was a few years ago

[joeb]

IMSA is working on it, and said don't worry....

https://racer.com/2023/03/02/imsa-re...-bop-backlash/

[GT3_Fan]

Originally Posted by S griffin

They might do better in SRO. Probably see more of a future in that series. Not sure if IMSA is quite sustainable atm. But it's still a good enough series, even if it isn't as good as it was a few years ago

I think its just too early to judge the Porsche and Ferrari 296 for that matter. Lets get through a couple NLS races at the N'Ring and the first GT WC race at Monza and then decide.

[S griffin]

True, but I think both have got a lot of potential. I would be surprised if they weren't up there. Certainly though they will have some tough opposition in GT WC, so they might not have it all their own way

[joeb]

I don't know why nobody has posted this beast yet, but AO Racing is making a statement with the livery on their new Porsche:





Immediately great!
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/a...r-full-season/

[S griffin]

It certainly looks the business, let's hope it's performance is as stunning as it looks. It already looks like it might well do