World GT1 Championship

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

If you don't care about them, and you don't think things are as great as they were in the 1930's, and it's contrived, and... did I forget anything? Why do you even care, or post about this?

I know very little of the 1930s, please enlighten us as that of which you are speaking.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by JAG

Not blind optimism, vision.

If Panoz ever finds bucks-up gearhead sponsor, your vision may some day see the light, I'll give you credit for hoping for the best, and adapting to what shows.

Bob

[minimangler]

22 event season?
are you crazy?
the costs are astronomical for 10 or 11.
as for the single driver theory, there isn't the money. 2 or 3 guys sharing costs for a season is obviously a 3rd of wot 1 guy alone would pay.
also, NASCAR is huge because it is a long running well respected series. Americans support their drivers like a European supports their football team, and unless you replace footie, that isn't going to happen over here. why not just stick with it, and then us enthusiasts don't have to pay over the odds entrance fees (cough cough brands hatch dtm) and the sport remains reasonably pure?

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by minimangler

as for the single driver theory, there isn't the money. 2 or 3 guys sharing costs for a season is obviously a 3rd of wot 1 guy alone would pay.

That is a good point. As it is a series that relies on privateers then being able to attract more of them (for the outlay of one car) is important. In addition, Sportscar and endurance racing are associated with each other and the endurance side is presumably what these paying drivers are after.

[FIRE]

According www.projectlemans.de:

This weekend there were discussions between de SRO and the teams about the future of FIA GT.

• GT1 Teams support 2 hour racing format but not the high number of events and events outside Europe.
• GT1 Teams agree with events in Brazil (Mille Milhas), Dubai and maybe China (Zhuhai).
• GT1 Teams prefer a calender with the Mil Milhas, 7 or 8 races in Europe and a season end in Dubai and/or China.
• GT1 Teams [only German and Belgian/Dutch?] would like to see 2 German and 2 Belgian events.
• Flexible race format (race length, control tires, obligatorily pitstops, 2 hour races, etcetera.

[chunterer]

So who or what can we expect to see entering the FIA/World Series next year?

I'd hazard a guess at the following:

GT1

2 x Vitaphone MC12
2 x Other (Racing Box?) MC12
(I think we'll see 2 other cars out again as it's clearly the best car in it barring ballast)
2 x GLPK Corvette C6 ,
1 x Menten Corvette C6
2 x Zakspeed Saleen
1 x Oreca Saleen
1 x Balfe Saleen (upgrade to new spec car?)
3 x BMS Aston
2 x Race Alliance Aston
1 x Phoenix Aston
2 x Cirtek/Labre Aston
1 x Reiter Murcialago

GT2
2 x Ecosse 430
2 x JMB 430
2 X AF Corse 430
2 x Ebimotor Porsche GT3
2 x Renaur Porsche GT3
2 x Felbermayer Porsche GT3
2 x LNT Panoz Esperante
2 x Mosler??

Any obvious omissions as a starter?

[dj choc ice]

id say somewere like buggati or silverstone as a start to a world GT championship maybe monza if those noise issues get sorted out soon.

maybe we could see the new lister GT1 car in the GT1 class as well and maybe the works aston martin team and works corvette team perhaps acemco at a push

[Ranald]

Chunterer, with 8 DBR9's on you list already there is no chance that Prodrive would entre a works team. Remember there only thoing the ALMS as a works team this year because they didn't sell any DBR9's to American costumers to race privately.
As I understand ORECA are likely to take one of their Saleens to the ALMS next year so long as they get the funding.
I don't think there is a GT2 Mosler about, is there? The Moslers running in the British GT Championship are only locally homologated so couldn't race in GT2 outside Britain only G2. Plus I doubt there will be any along any time soon, what with Rollcentre building the GT3 cars at the moment.
BTW sorry for picking at your list.

[davemk7]

I really hope they stick with 3 hours, a 2 hour race and manditory pitstops will kill the series dead in 3 years (imho)

As for new cars next year, whats happening with the ferrari 599, I had heard runours of a possible race car for next year.

Some more cross championship entrys might happen though, there are quite a few F430's about, International gt open has several incuding a car run by Playteam who have already tried their mc12 at mugello. Also the french races could easily add the ffsa gt cars to the grip if they could make an agreement. I think their are more gt cars on the ffsa grid than the fia gt grid?

[FIRE]

There will be no new Ferrari 599 GT1 (at least not build by Ferrari or Michelotti).

[mirkob]

What is the situation of P&M C6Rs ?

We know that Luc Alphand will have the 1st car (wtih tha actual C5R) for LMS, and PSI (@ 99%) will have the 2nd car of 2006 GM works team.

Are there news about further cars for Europe ?

[JAG]

Originally Posted by chunterer

So who or what can we expect to see entering the FIA/World Series next year?

I'd hazard a guess at the following:

GT1

2 x Vitaphone MC12
2 x Other (Racing Box?) MC12
(I think we'll see 2 other cars out again as it's clearly the best car in it barring ballast)
2 x GLPK Corvette C6 ,
1 x Menten Corvette C6
2 x Zakspeed Saleen
1 x Oreca Saleen
1 x Balfe Saleen (upgrade to new spec car?)
3 x BMS Aston
2 x Race Alliance Aston
1 x Phoenix Aston
2 x Cirtek/Labre Aston
1 x Reiter Murcialago

GT2
2 x Ecosse 430
2 x JMB 430
2 X AF Corse 430
2 x Ebimotor Porsche GT3
2 x Renaur Porsche GT3
2 x Felbermayer Porsche GT3
2 x LNT Panoz Esperante
2 x Mosler??

Any obvious omissions as a starter?

IMO, there is a very good posibility one or more of your GT1 teams will be enticed over to the ALMS.

I also agree with an earlier poster, 2 hour 'sprint' races is the begining of the end.

My prediction, FIA GT will be a European based GT3 championship in 3 years time, maybe with Saturday qualification races if entries are huge.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by davemk7

I really hope they stick with 3 hours, a 2 hour race and manditory pitstops will kill the series dead in 3 years (imho)

As for new cars next year, whats happening with the ferrari 599, I had heard runours of a possible race car for next year.

Some more cross championship entrys might happen though, there are quite a few F430's about, International gt open has several incuding a car run by Playteam who have already tried their mc12 at mugello. Also the french races could easily add the ffsa gt cars to the grip if they could make an agreement. I think their are more gt cars on the ffsa grid than the fia gt grid?

If GT1 cars have twenty five gallon fuel tanks, a pit stop is absolutely necessary, why would it have to made mandatory ?

I despise with a passion this drift towards time oriented races, what the hell is wrong with a simple set distance.
With 12 or 24 hours it makes sense, otherwise it is moronic.

Bob

[Viper GTS-R***]

PSI has announced that they will entered 2 C6R Vette's in FIA GT 2007!
Race Alliance also 1 DBR9.
Phoenix (1 car) & BMS (2 cars) also have (unofficial) confirmed their enterings for 2007 in FIA GT.

Their where some speculations about that second Zakspeed Saleen for next year. Also where heared was the Belgium pilot : Maxime Dumarey!

Proton has also announced that they will enter a brand new 997 GT3 RSR for 2007 in FIA GT!

[ger80]

So the no GT1 cars in Belcar rumors come true

[davemk7]

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

If GT1 cars have twenty five gallon fuel tanks, a pit stop is absolutely necessary, why would it have to made mandatory ?

I despise with a passion this drift towards time oriented races, what the hell is wrong with a simple set distance.
With 12 or 24 hours it makes sense, otherwise it is moronic.

Bob

ok, i'll settle for 500km's then and spa 24 hour what do you think? What about 1000km for the brazil race at the start of next year (mille milhas?)

I believe if they go to a 2 hour format 2 pitstops will be manditory as they were in turkey last year (which imo is the worst and dullest race in fia gt history)

I'd also like to push for GT3 becoming a single 300km race. If Mugello is anything to go by GT3 will be the future of GT racing, there were over 40 entrants for Mugello and quite a variety of different cars. It's not my personal choice but the teams seem to like the idea.

[mirkob]

SportAutoMoto Italian Magazine confirms:

1) No more GT1 in Italian GT (99.99%), so also the Playteam MC12 should go in FIAGT 2007 (the Racing Box MC12 should have Michelin tyres)

2) FFSA confirm GT1 until 2009, when the Viper omologation expired, but for 2007 there will be a FIA GT3 class

3) In Budapest, the German GT1 teams are contacted from German Federation Rappresentant for an idea of a DGTM running in the same week-end of DTM (VItaphone, Phoenix, Zakspeed, Reiter/Allinkl, RaceAlliance .. also GLPk.. and Konrad can be interested)

4) For 2007 FIA GT calendar, just confirmed (signed) Interlagos and China, the GT1 team, are available only if there will be another round in Germany (Hockenehim) and in Holland (Zolder?)

P.S.
Sorry for my bad English

[davemk7]

this seems to be bad news? with no natinal gt1 classes apart from france and germany (maybe) and from what little I know about it, very few new gt1 cars coming along the way, the future looks bleak for the class. Of course british gt lost its gt1 class a few years a go and now looks like loosing Gt2 as well. This entrys have been very few and far between.
I just hope they stay with 500km races, and maybe if the number of GT3 cars keeps growing they we can have a GT3 500km per race championship?

[canam]

There is always ALMS. They are absolutely starving for more GT1 class cars.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by mirkob

3) In Budapest, the German GT1 teams are contacted from German Federation Rappresentant for an idea of a DGTM running in the same week-end of DTM (VItaphone, Phoenix, Zakspeed, Reiter/Allinkl, RaceAlliance .. also GLPk.. and Konrad can be interested)

Are they not confused with the German GT3 series which is planned for 2007?

[JAG]

Originally Posted by davemk7

this seems to be bad news? with no natinal gt1 classes apart from france and germany (maybe) and from what little I know about it, very few new gt1 cars coming along the way, the future looks bleak for the class. Of course british gt lost its gt1 class a few years a go and now looks like loosing Gt2 as well. This entrys have been very few and far between.
I just hope they stay with 500km races, and maybe if the number of GT3 cars keeps growing they we can have a GT3 500km per race championship?

GT3's the future, or at the very least, a more powerful class based closely on GT3 regs.

[mirkob]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Are they not confused with the German GT3 series which is planned for 2007?

I don know, seems another plan, cause the GT3 series should consist of 6 round and detail was explained on http://www.gt-eins.de/ and no DTM is mentioned.

SMALL UPDATE:

SportAutoMoto, tell also that Kuteman (JMB) owner of a MC12 could be interested to come back in GT1 with the Maserati car; I know that one of 2005 JMB cars is Kuteman's car; who is the owner of the other MC12 ? And where is it ?

[Satorian]

Originally Posted by JAG

GT3's the future, or at the very least, a more powerful class based closely on GT3 regs.

Seeing as some national GT3 series pop up (e.g. Germany, Australia) it looks like GT3 will indeed develop a broad base with many different brands that would lend itself very well to a world championship.

[dj choc ice]

no offence but GT3 cars are crap in my view they are so slow and uninspiring i mean seriously those cars replacing GT1 or GT2? not likely lots of fans will go against the FIA or SRO on that decision i would strongly advise the FIA or SRO or ACO or even IMSA not to do that would be a very bad move indeed

[FIRE]

I am getting more and more convinced GT3 is the future. GT1 has great cars but is very expensive. The 2006 FIA GT3 championship was very succesful. In spite it was a new chamionship it had already large grids (+30), involvement of different manufacturers (8) and almost equal car performances. Besides these positive facts GT3 is relative cheap. So it would not surprise me if GT1 and GT2 are replaced by GT3 in 3 or 4 years from now.

If we involve the prototypes we get this sportscar & GT landscape:

• LMP1 – Car manufacturers; Cars entered by factory teams and private teams like Pescarolo, Creation and RfH.
• LMP2 – Small specialized manufacturers like Courage, Radical and Lola; Cars entered by private teams.
• GT – Big and small GT manufacturers like Porsche, Ascari, Corvette and Aston Martin; Cars entered by private teams

I think GT3 instead of GT1 and GT2 suits perfect in the 2010 future vision of the ACO. In my interpretation of this vision the ACO wants LMP1 to be the top class with LMP2 and GT's in it's shadow. So no factory teams (i.e. Corvette and AM) in GT1 who claim a big share of publicity at cost of LMP1.