IMSA 2022: Looking to the present?

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

So GTD Pro and Am will have different BoP. That's a bad idea.


Why don't they instead use success ballast? Therefore, bad drivers in good cars wouldn't get penalized.

You won't see more than one team per car make in GTD Pro most likely, MAYBE multiple Porsche but the rest, it's a single or 2 car team per so BOP will impact the same team's cars. So I don't think you would see an issue there. Plus that allows a better BOP for the Ams who pay but may not run as well as the Pro-Pro team in the same car. Don't penalize the guys who pay well to play.

Other than that it makes sense to hold station with other specs as manufacturers didn't seem interested in building a better mousetrap. And gives them 2022 to test and develop for the likely confidential tires in 2023.

[Pandamasque]

Frankly, beyond BMW and Corvette which already have factory GT programmes in IMSA, I don't see where the extra cars may come from. I suspect Lexus will bankroll an effort, as they seem to be putting their money into the GT3/GTD thing already, but other than that, removing the AM bit of GTD you remove the funding.

If I were IMSA, I'd keep BoP exactly the same and actually score them as one class with an AM sub-class (like LMP2 and LMP2-ProAm in the WEC). The more you separate the 2 GTD classes, the more embarrassingly small the Pro side will look.

[canaglia]

I expect factory corvette and bmw efforts for sure +
1 or 2 backed teams for porsche
backed 1 car risi or scuderia corsa for ferrari

grasser for lamborghini and HTP for AMG maybe, but not full season

[Pandamasque]

Also, judging by statements from GM racing leadership there's a chance Corvette Racing GTD endeavour is a one-year stop gap plan before they make the jump to DPi 2.0.
We're about to find out more on that.

[WyldStallion]

Is there a BMW attempt to upstage the Chevy here. Making an LMDH announcement as Chevy wants to do their GTD Pro confirmation.

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by canaglia

I expect factory corvette and bmw efforts for sure +
1 or 2 backed teams for porsche
backed 1 car risi or scuderia corsa for ferrari

grasser for lamborghini and HTP for AMG maybe, but not full season

Can see Audi put in an all pro car at Daytona for sure. Daytona 24 will be good for sure. Could have GT WC Europe level depth now.

The rest of the season..who knows beyond Corvette, BMW, Lexus, and perhaps the Porsche backed efforts. Would be nice if we can get KPax on board with their Lamborghinis. Could convince them if you have more all GT racess on the sked.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

Is there a BMW attempt to upstage the Chevy here. Making an LMDH announcement as Chevy wants to do their GTD Pro confirmation.

Doesn't everyone and their dog expect GM to confirm a 2023 LMDh programme this weekend at Detroit?

I thought GTD Pro was confirmed a long time ago. GM also confirmed they're not making a GT3 car, but working on getting GTE BoPed into GTD.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Doesn't everyone and their dog expect GM to confirm a 2023 LMDh programme this weekend at Detroit?



I thought GTD Pro was confirmed a long time ago. GM also confirmed they're not making a GT3 car, but working on getting GTE BoPed into GTD.

Yeah, the confirmation you would expect this weekend would be the LMDh program and if it's Caddy or Corvette. GTD Pro has been confirmed already.

As for the takers for GTD Pro you've hit the nail on the head. Think we will see Lexus step up and pay the program to run full pros with Corvette and maybe the BMW guys (which team though) with an M4 until LMDh. Beyond that who?

Porsche-maybe with one car for the Enduro schedule but the rest of the season then what?

Audi-maybe to try to get BOP consideration by running a car?

Lamborghini-see above with multiple team options

Acura- already spending the money on DPi so

MB- they've made no noise so no?

Ferrari- Risi couldn't get a GTD program to be partially funded with their car, why suddenly now any interest?

McLaren- hell we can't get a full season car so

It's a class to keep Corvette running, and the hinting and teasing of 2023 confidential or better spec tires makes me think you'll see Caddy at the front and Corvette in GT still. And pushing for GT3 at LeMans. And IMSA already knows but can't tell us of course, think we'll know a lot more by Saturday afternoon.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

....BMW guys (which team though) with an M4 until LMDh.

Oh, this is a good point. Now with the Pro class using GT3 machinery manufacturers will be less reluctant to start a short term programme, knowing that the car could be moved into private hands any time. It'll be a lot easier to justify building cars without long term plans approved. I haven't thought of that before. That's an undeniable perk of a global GT class, whatever it is.

[WyldStallion]

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news...rgets/6573003/

IMSA back at Indy eh? I think the obvious choice of event to replace on the sked to get this is Detroit. Also with GTD Pro coming in the big break from Long Beach to Watkins Glen that GTLM had I think might be coming to an end. So they can get both DPI/LMDH and GTD Pro classes in that event.

[Pandamasque]

I don't know what the attending fan experience is like or the viewing figures for that matter, but as a TV spectacle Detroit has to be the dullest venue on the ISMA schedule, and by some margin. Racing hasn't been great, as far as I can recall. And the track just looks like a corridor of concrete, each corner looking like the next. The only time when the audience sees anything else but grey concrete and ad banners is when the director takes us completely away from the action for some landscape shots (usually of the Chevrolet building). This is often the issue with street circuits, but places like Long Beach or Baltimore actually had some features visible from track cameras as well as onboards.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

I don't know what the attending fan experience is like or the viewing figures for that matter, but as a TV spectacle Detroit has to be the dullest venue on the ISMA schedule, and by some margin. Racing hasn't been great, as far as I can recall. And the track just looks like a corridor of concrete, each corner looking like the next. The only time when the audience sees anything else but grey concrete and ad banners is when the director takes us completely away from the action for some landscape shots (usually of the Chevrolet building). This is often the issue with street circuits, but places like Long Beach or Baltimore actually had some features visible from track cameras as well as onboards.

I think GM, and Penske when he was running in IMSA, were the main backers of having a Detroit race. But now that Penske is in charge at Indy, maybe he can draw the race over there instead. I guess the Indy Roval is better than Detroit??

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by joeb

I think GM, and Penske when he was running in IMSA, were the main backers of having a Detroit race. But now that Penske is in charge at Indy, maybe he can draw the race over there instead. I guess the Indy Roval is better than Detroit??

He is the promoter of the event and has the links with GM for Detroit. I could see them move it to Indy but it's not like that racing is any better.

[NaBUru38]

Indianapolis has huge grandstands, and they full only once every year.

[broadrun96]

Putting an IMSA race there again isn't gonna do that either. It's been there 100 plus years with empty stands and will be that way other than the 500. The road course isn't much better than Detroit and at least they have GM's money right there at the track

[Adam43]

Yeah. IMSA at Indy? I think that it’s be me and a couple of other losers in the stands.

They should have an oval race. Other than the ‘50s race of two worlds at Monza (and my kid on Project Cars) have we ever seen sports cars on an oval?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Yeah. IMSA at Indy? I think that it’s be me and a couple of other losers in the stands.

They should have an oval race. Other than the ‘50s race of two worlds at Monza (and my kid on Project Cars) have we ever seen sports cars on an oval?

I'm trying to think if Grand am ever ran on an oval without using some rinky-dink road course, but I'm not sure. GTP cars used to run at Charlotte, but I think they always had some type of a little drop down off of the oval. They used to test at Talladega but I can't recall a race there.

[Adam43]

Not a race, but
https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsp...ladega-record/

[NaBUru38]

I insist that either IMSA or Nascar should do an oval with two chicanes and no infield, like the Argentine Turismo Carretera does at Rafaela.

[Pandamasque]

Personally, not a fan of rovals. The infield turns tend to be quite flat and featureless. I found Charlotte last year to be rather dull, in spite of the downpour.

That said, I wouldn't mind seeing IMSA on a super high banked roval with very minimal infield section. Maybe some version of Talladega?
There's just something special in seeing the roof of the car you're following.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Personally, not a fan of rovals. The infield turns tend to be quite flat and featureless. I found Charlotte last year to be rather dull, in spite of the downpour.

That said, I wouldn't mind seeing IMSA on a super high banked roval with very minimal infield section. Maybe some version of Talladega?
There's just something special in seeing the roof of the car you're following.

So Daytona?? Banking at Daytona 31 in the turns, 18 on the trioval, Talladega is 33 and 16.5 on the trioval.

We already have Daytona, Talladega is just copy and paste but without any history.

[Pandamasque]

That's why I wouldn't mess with Daytona. Someone suggested an oval with just a few chicanes. So that gave me an idea of having a minimal unfiled section and a lot more banking. Daytona isn't that. And although Daytona is just as highly banked, it doesn't quite have the same "wall of death" effect that smaller ovals have. So I thought of Talladega. A simracing friend of mine used to call them "cement mixers"

This layout would do. Just thinking out loud. It'll not like this would ever happen.

I don't know if this is a real layout used for racing, just a pic I googled.

[joeb]

Proton is looking to continue in IMSA with Cooper, but will be in GTD next season. Interestingly it will be their first time running a GT3 car they've done GTE and cup cars previously. Also in talks with Porsche for lmdh.


https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/p...mdh-prospects/

[broadrun96]

Well Chip stole the chance of Dragonspeed getting a Caddy chassis. And it appears Chip has decided to stop waiting for Ford and are jumping with both feet in to GM's camp.

https://racer.com/2021/07/27/chip-ga...gram-for-2022/

Oh, and it's rumored they will be a 2 car program with the LMDh car to be announced, and a possible WEC program as well. Guess CGR is using the sale of the Cup program for good things, well for the left and right fans

[joeb]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Well Chip stole the chance of Dragonspeed getting a Caddy chassis. And it appears Chip has decided to stop waiting for Ford and are jumping with both feet in to GM's camp.

https://racer.com/2021/07/27/chip-ga...gram-for-2022/

Oh, and it's rumored they will be a 2 car program with the LMDh car to be announced, and a possible WEC program as well. Guess CGR is using the sale of the Cup program for good things, well for the left and right fans

Ouch for Dragonspeed, they were told no engines exist, but I guess Chip got a different answer ....