General Sportscar Chat thread

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I'd definitely be in favour of this and mixing it up a bit.

I'd mix it up even more, by having timed and distance races. As long as it wasn't the norm I'd be up for the odd short 2:30hr or 350km or similar race. Variety and all that. Still that just makes it more complicated for the great unwashed.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Still that just makes it more complicated for the great unwashed.

Stupid as they are.....

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by TF110

Those 3 American tracks you wont see the WEC on. Not with the current uscr situation. Road America I would love to see.

Of course, but one of the most intelligent things would be choose the right tracks for a so intriguing championship! Daytona would be part of the match, as well as Road Atlanta and Sebring. This could attract more interest by endurance lover searching for reminiscences.
With ALM and Gran-Am fusion, DP may arrive in Le Mans, while LMP1 may arrive in Daytona. I don't like DP, but to see P1 back in Daytona, is the fee to pay!

[TF110]

Dont see that happening. Not together at least. Maybe the WEC will receive the USCR's blessings to be allowed to run those tracks, but seems unlikely.

[Simmi]

The WEC is on a hiding to nothing going to tracks like Daytona and Sebring IMO unless they are there at the main event. A six-hour race at those venues is probably always going to be a pale imitation.

[Gingers4Justice]

Completely agree with those saying sportscars don't suit Tilkedrones. Shanghai was a depressing episode. Somewhere in the distance, amongst the 6 hour live broadcast of tarmac run off area and smog, you could actually see a motor race, which was a nice little bonus.

The main issue with these tracks for me is that they always look empty. Silverstone is such a horrible place to be when you compare it to Brands Hatch or Donington..

[GT6]

Well that is because the new circuits are design for cars and safety, where as the old circuits were designed for spectators the new designs look good to the technical people and often on paper they appear to be an improvement, but once completed they are shown to be soul less and not good for the spectators but by then it is to late

[Mr Pink]

Originally Posted by GT6

Well that is because the new circuits are design for cars and safety, where as the old circuits were designed for spectators the new designs look good to the technical people and often on paper they appear to be an improvement, but once completed they are shown to be soul less and not good for the spectators but by then it is to late

Exactly!
While I like COTA, I think you could have a much more interesting calendar with for example Brands instead of Silverstone, stop running Bahrain and Shanghai and adding circuits like Potrero de los Funes, Mosport, Portimao etc.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Mr Pink

Exactly!
While I like COTA, I think you could have a much more interesting calendar with for example Brands instead of Silverstone, stop running Bahrain and Shanghai and adding circuits like Potrero de los Funes, Mosport, Portimao etc.

Bahrain is probably the only race in WEC that is paying for the race - so they won't be leaving their in a hurry

[Mr Pink]

Originally Posted by Mal

Bahrain is probably the only race in WEC that is paying for the race - so they won't be leaving their in a hurry

Yeah, I just remembered that after I wrote.

My point still stands though, in my mind sportscar racing is all about soul and they should try to emphasize that.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Completely agree with those saying sportscars don't suit Tilkedrones. Shanghai was a depressing episode. Somewhere in the distance, amongst the 6 hour live broadcast of tarmac run off area and smog, you could actually see a motor race, which was a nice little bonus.

The main issue with these tracks for me is that they always look empty. Silverstone is such a horrible place to be when you compare it to Brands Hatch or Donington..

This includes Fuji Speedway and Hockenheim, which lost its soul. If I was a designer, I would re-configure these two into a Daytona of the Far East (with the oval section completed) and a Mini Le Mans (using the old layout, but adding some infield roads and corners), respectively.

Still, if only FIA should stick with tradition instead of chasing F1. Hell, if sportscar racing is gone (and others like Indycar, etc.), I have a feeling that the only remaining series are Formula One and NASCAR.

[Canada ALMS fan]

On a different theme, is anyone else really enjoying the development war between Audi and Toyota? Audi has really had to up its' game. Even though I thought the Peugeot was the better car than the Audi it seems to me they're feel a lot more pressure from Toyota?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

On a different theme, is anyone else really enjoying the development war between Audi and Toyota? Audi has really had to up its' game. Even though I thought the Peugeot was the better car than the Audi it seems to me they're feel a lot more pressure from Toyota?

I don't think Audi wants to be in the same place they where every year with Peugeot, the underdog.
Although Dr. Ullrich has said he likes this place as the pressure is less, It really isn't that desirable spot to be in.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Mal

Stupid as they are.....

[Mal]

Picking up from the off topic discussion in the Spa thread

Let me guess: every sport that doesn't fall under "motorsport/sportscars" category is only popular because of huge marketing around it?

If sportscars were so obviously the pinnacle of motorsport, this topic wouldn't pop up in every other thread and especially not in an otherwise completely unrelated race thread. The F1 bashing and glorification of everyone's favourite category here is some sort of virtual group masturbation.

I'll challenge you to find a better attended regular WEC race than the average of the 10 worst attended F1 races.

You are right of course - but it doesn't help that WEC have turned away from 2 of the best attended sportscar races - Sebring and PLM

Back in the sixties sportscar racing was pretty much as popular as F1 so what is the main cause of the change- A big part of it is the clever marketing the Bernie and his team brought to F1 that really did elevate it from a niche sport to the one of the biggest global sports. I think it is F1 that has shifted its position upwards rather than sportscars experiencing a decline.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Mal

You are right of course - but it doesn't help that WEC have turned away from 2 of the best attended sportscar races - Sebring and PLM

And both event are owned by USCR. Nevertheless, I think WEC needs is tradition, as in reviving lost events from decade's past.

Maybe they should revive the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, and other events, but held in modern tracks like Imola, Monza, etc.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Terrible crowd today at Spa one of the worst I've seen for any professional series and sports car racing at the circuit despite excellent weather.

[Mitchi_S]

Originally Posted by TF110

I wouldn't mind the GT cars being faster so there is more time during the lapped car process.

Put bigger restrictors in (lots of people don't get it why the 458 has 100hp less than the street car) and you basically get GT1 cars back. Wouldn't even really make the operating costs higher, would it?

[TF110]

Take away some of their ballast as well. They are pretty limited in aero on top of that.

[Mitchi_S]

But downforce gets higher and higher on GTE-cars, it's more than it was some years ago I'd say. Maybe not on old GT1-levels, but even the F430 GTC version did on some courses the same lateral g-forces than some GT1s in 2009 and 2010 ...

The benefit from that would just be that the existence of the GTE cars is just more justified compared to GT3 ones. And they'd be faster than GT3s aswell.

[jimclark]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

Maybe they should revive the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, and other events, but held in modern tracks like Imola, Monza, etc.

Revive the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio on a track??? Errrggghhhh...

I guess the Tour de France should be on a velodrome...

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Mitchi_S

Put bigger restrictors in (lots of people don't get it why the 458 has 100hp less than the street car) and you basically get GT1 cars back. Wouldn't even really make the operating costs higher, would it?

Originally Posted by TF110

Take away some of their ballast as well. They are pretty limited in aero on top of that.

And then you have GT's beating the LMP2's down Mulsanne, and hardly any slower around the corners!
Adding speed to one group of cars is dangerous.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Terrible crowd today at Spa one of the worst I've seen for any professional series and sports car racing at the circuit despite excellent weather.

Absolutely not my experience at all. Felt as busy as I've seen Spa for a sportscar race.

Stands at the start reasonably full, steady flow people whole way up to Les Combes, and genuine competition for places to sit by Pouhon.
.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by isynge

Absolutely not my experience at all. Felt as busy as I've seen Spa for a sportscar race.

Stands at the start reasonably full, steady flow people whole way up to Les Combes, and genuine competition for places to sit by Pouhon.
.

Good to hear then. TV angles must have not shown the majority of spectators in GA areas.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by CTD

And then you have GT's beating the LMP2's down Mulsanne, and hardly any slower around the corners!
Adding speed to one group of cars is dangerous.

Why is that a bad thing? And what is dangerous when it used to be GT1 cars finished sometimes in the top 15 overall. The cars now are a shadow of themselves in almost every category.