[WEC] Sebring 2012 - March 14-17 (entries/news/rumours)

[Simmi]

So much complaining about looks of cars. Don't think it looks half bad given the design hoops they have to jump through.

Would people rather it didn't race or something? If a car was too attractive people would find a reason to start complaining.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

So much complaining about looks of cars.

There's a reason why people lust after Ferraris and Lambos and not Abruzzis. Ok, there are several reasons why that is the case, but looks matter. Period. And many of these new cars are simply ugly. I'm sure there is a reason why the 03a is pug-faced, but it's very disappointing that this has morphed into this.

[TF110]

Was practice today? I didn't realise that. How about tomorrow? Friday?

[AGD]

The grandfathered Pescarolo 01 V10 will run at Sebring.

http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...ance-9510.html

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by TF110

Was practice today? I didn't realise that. How about tomorrow? Friday?

Testing was Yesterday and Today, its finished now till race week.

[DeathOrGlory]

Who's entering the Pescarolo?

Scratch that, its Henri and his boys. Great!

[AGD]

Originally Posted by DeathOrGlory

Who's entering the Pescarolo?

Pescarolo

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by AGD

The grandfathered Pescarolo 01 V10 will run at Sebring.

http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...ance-9510.html

Ok. Wow. Ok, really? WOW! But....was nobody else allowed to consider a grandfathered car?

[AGD]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Ok. Wow. Ok, really? WOW! But....was nobody else allowed to consider a grandfathered car?

I doubt any other WEC teams will be allowed to run a grandfathered car. In fact, I'm not sure of any other possibilities where this might happen. I guess an exception might be if a team (probably a P2 team) can't get bodywork with BHH and BHFs in time. I don't know about that though. That might also require permission from the other WEC teams.

An ALMS team can obviously run a grandfathered 2010 car without any problem.

[skycafe]

well, is it a WEC entry or an ALMS entry? Oh, whatever, if this is real, this is great news. If there was a wish list of who I would like to see at Sebring, Pescarolo would be on the top of the list, I just never saw any possibility.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by skycafe

well, is it a WEC entry or an ALMS entry?

WEC. Pescarolo will have a new car based on AMR-One tubs, but that car won't be ready for Sebring.

Of course, OAK will be there with their Pescarolo V8 P1 and there will be OAK Morgan Pescarolo P2s as well.

[cmk]

Originally Posted by AGD

There's a reason why people lust after Ferraris and Lambos and not Abruzzis. Ok, there are several reasons why that is the case, but looks matter. Period. And many of these new cars are simply ugly. I'm sure there is a reason why the 03a is pug-faced, but it's very disappointing that this has morphed into this.

Possible that we're looking at a high downforce configuration here, with the 01e-style nose to be used at Le Mans? I feel like the 01e was running at Sebring specifically with an eye towards a Le Mans assault, whereas Muscle Milk have no use for such low-drag aero at all this year.

[Peugeot908]

I can't wait for the race. Only a little over a month away. Does anone think the HPD ARX's can mount a challenge to the Audi's?

-Peugeot908

[FstrthnU]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...ts-to-sebring/
So Risi will be at Sebring at the very least, they're not sure about the rest of the season. They won't do full Grand-Am, just the other 3 races in the "North American Endurance Championship".

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...g-test-on-top/
And damn, the new cars are definitely getting quicker! Muscle Milk 2 seconds ahead of last year's POLE POSITION (that means faster than diesel), Level 5 8 seconds ahead of LMP2 pole, Risi Competizone about 2 seconds faster than last year (with the ESM Ferraris not far behind).

Greg Pickett: It's an F1 car with Fenders

[AGD]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

And damn, the new cars are definitely getting quicker! Muscle Milk 2 seconds ahead of last year's POLE POSITION (that means faster than diesel)

You have it backwards. The HPD is a little less than 2 seconds slower than the pole last year (Peugeot #8 1:46.571). It is, however, faster than Highcroft's qualifying time from last year.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...ts-to-sebring/
So Risi will be at Sebring at the very least, they're not sure about the rest of the season. They won't do full Grand-Am, just the other 3 races in the "North American Endurance Championship".

Actually, it doesn't say they won't do the full Grand-Am, just that they are likely to do at least the North American Endurance Championship. Haven't decided yet.

[Coach Ep]

Still, a brand new petrol car, running 1,8 secs. faster than its predecessor, getting to 1,6 secs. from last year´s pole time is impressive. And with the diesels getting slammed with even more restrictions this year, it might be closer than ever!

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

North American Endurance Championship.

Is Grand-Am going by the name "North American Endurance Championship" now? If so, is that new?

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Still, a brand new petrol car, running 1,8 secs. faster than its predecessor, getting to 1,6 secs. from last year´s pole time is impressive. And with the diesels getting slammed with even more restrictions this year, it might be closer than ever!

Of course, the diesels at Sebring last year were the Peugeot in it's first race (probably not pushing at 100%), the grandfathered Peugeot, and the grandfathered Audi R15. Granted, I do not anticipate that Audi will push real hard for speed at Sebring this year. They'll have the race in the bag as long as they don't screw up (which is always a possibility with Audi these days). The last thing they want to do is screw up their BoP before Le Mans. To that extent, I think the HPDs should run fairly close to the Audis. Will that mean anything? I guess we'll have to find that out at Le Mans later on in the year.

The wildcard in all of this is if IMSA gives their cars additional breaks versus the ACO cars. I have to assume that the cars at the test are running to ACO rules, but I'm not fully sure about that.

[KA]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Ok. Wow. Ok, really? WOW! But....was nobody else allowed to consider a grandfathered car?

Originally Posted by AGD

I doubt any other WEC teams will be allowed to run a grandfathered car. In fact, I'm not sure of any other possibilities where this might happen. I guess an exception might be if a team (probably a P2 team) can't get bodywork with BHH and BHFs in time. I don't know about that though. That might also require permission from the other WEC teams.

An ALMS team can obviously run a grandfathered 2010 car without any problem.

No, I'd suspect there might not be anyone else who'd need to ask the question- unless, as you suggest, there might be an LMP2 team unable to get 2012-regs bodywork in time for Sebring

Originally Posted by AGD

Is Grand-Am going by the name "North American Endurance Championship" now? If so, is that new?

Seems to be a 'series within a series'- a prize being offered for three specific races- Daytona, then Watkins Glen and Indianapolis in July, so it doesn't seem to be a full-time defection to GA by Risi

http://www.grand-am.com/naec/

[MitchZ06]

Grand-Am is running a 'North American Endurance Challenge' or somesuch, 3 races, Daytona24 is one along with the Watkins Glen one and some other race (yes, I give that little of a crap).

[TF110]

1:48 on it's first day is fast. I said this in the other thread, but if the other teams can improve upon their time by over a second during the tests, this could make the HPD P1 doing high 1:46's. I feel it's so. Audi will have to push, maybe not too hard, but they'll be challenged- at least in outright pace, maybe not over the race distance though. But let's remember, last year the HPD took 2nd place at Sebring without turning a wheel.

[AGD]

I'm shamelessly stealing the link that joeb posted in the ALMS 2012 thread, but Audi will use 2011-spec non-hybrid R18s at Sebring according to Dagys. I'm assuming by saying 2011 spec he means 2012 spec in terms of BHHs and stuff like that. But, anyway, I guess that keeps Toyota's dream alive of being the first hybrid on the podium.

[TF110]

They want to be the first Hybrid on the Podium at LeMans. I'm not sure if they said first at any WEC round. So no Hyrbid R18's at Sebring?

[AGD]

Originally Posted by TF110

They want to be the first Hybrid on the Podium at LeMans. I'm not sure if they said first at any WEC round.

Toyota GmbH manager Pascal Vasselon told LeMans.org., “We want to be the first hybrid car on a podium of the World Endurance Championship.”

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/spor...ry-164829.html

[gwyllion]

The latest press release of Audi Sport was very clear:

The new Audi sports prototype with hybrid drive will be presented at the end of February. The first competitive outing follows in the 6-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps on May 5. For the World Championship opener at Sebring on March 17 Audi Sport Team Joest relies once again on the Audi R18 TDI that proved victorious at Le Mans last year.