FIA GT FIA GT 2007 - Which direction? - Page 4

davemk7 · 20 Oct 2006, 10:37 (Ref:1743004)

this is certainly a cross roads for gt racing (not just fia gt) imho. I 2007 is a success how long before it is a single driver (f1 style) championship?

that said which is better for gt racing, should gt races be 300km sprints or 500km to 1000km endurance races.

I've always seen gt racing as endurance racing. The British Gt championship has run 2, 2 hour races this year (no manditory pitstops) and they were by far the best 2 rounds of the season. 2 hours works quite well for national championships rather than 2, 1 hour races one on saturday and one on sunday. Which means if you want to see both at the track you have to go on both days which is stupid because I can't get there for both days (but thats slightly getting of topic)
I do think they need to go to an even number of hours though. imo 4 would have been better than 2 but thats a matter of opion.
As for the german teams wanted this change to get a better tv deal I what has been said above is true then this is a big mistake for them, i think.
Which is the best attended race of the year usually? I guess Spa is that right?

**FIRE** · 20 Oct 2006, 14:31 (Ref:1743191)

Quote:

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

I woudnt count on the races being live on Motors TV, not unless Motors TV have a big change of heart and decide to dump the DTM and BTCC. Traditionally these series tend to attract more viewers. Perhaps though Sky Sports will cover the events live? They did with the ELMS after all.

I don't think Motors TV will dump the BTCC and DTM coverage.

LMS races in weekends if there's no BTCC and DTM?
Or LMS races on saturday?

old man · 20 Oct 2006, 15:18 (Ref:1743234)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

I don't think Motors TV will dump the BTCC and DTM coverage.

LMS races in weekends if there's no BTCC and DTM?
Or LMS races on saturday?

LMS tends to race when there is no ALMS so that any drivers doing both can be accomodated, trying to find a weekend when they miss all three would be difficult to say the least but, as we only need 5 weekends, perhaps not impossible

Dani Filth · 1 Nov 2006, 17:48 (Ref:1755488)

ok guys .. need some feedback on the track that should be used for next years FIA GT race in Bucharest ..

site here http://www.bucharest-ring.com/BR_home.html

http://www.bucharest-ring.com/images...rcuit_1_04.gif

The Real DMN · 2 Nov 2006, 13:13 (Ref:1756197)

Looks from that map to be similar in ways to Enna (long striaghts + chicanes and tight corners).

I think it would be wrong to pass judgement not having seen a race there, but it looks promising.

davemk7 · 2 Nov 2006, 13:43 (Ref:1756233)

the one thing that worries my slightly is the nature of the tight corners. apart from the last one the other are going to be near impossible to pass into. Turn one is alot like turn 1 at oschersleben which is very difficult for cars to pass into. the bus stop style chichane is too shallow an entry. seven looks like a fun corner but again it's going to be very tricky. 8,9,10 look fun. 11,12 is again a very shallow entry leaving just 13 for overtaking.

don't get me wrong it looks good and for a street curcuit it looks great to drive. I just worry a little about the racing.

I'm probably completely wrong but thats how it looks me, what is the track width like, how long are the straights and what are the corner radious's like?

Dani Filth · 6 Nov 2006, 19:40 (Ref:1759315)

an idea of how the circuit will look like

http://www.bucharest-ring.com/Introm.asf

Asa · 9 Nov 2006, 01:25 (Ref:1761251)

In Autosport, Michael Bartels said the FIA GT Championship is called the "FBI Championship" by the teams because they travel around undercover. They really suffered from the lack of TV coverage.

Ratel apparently is still keen on creating a World GT Championship, he said he got proposals from Australia, North and South America and Africa. But the teams don't share his enthusiasm unless they are paid to go.

It is true though when Ratel claims that there are too many championships in the market place (DTM, WTCC, WSBR, LMS...etc) and all are competing to go to the same tracks and looking for the same sponsors.

If you ask me then I think FIA GT should try to work with WSBR to form a new package. Get WSBR to drop the Renault Weekend thing and change to something else.

**chunterer** · 9 Nov 2006, 08:35 (Ref:1761404)

But how would that help either category?

The Renault weekends regularly draw crowds and it is heavily subsidised by Renault and various national dealer promotions afaiaa.

The only way a GT series would fit what they are doing is if a Renault car ran in GT1 or GT2.

The GT's have plenty enough appeal of their own so long as it is promoted and organised to the benefit of the entrants not just the organisers.

I agree though that it might benefit from sharing the bill with another significant series. Or how about each round being held at events where GP2 is one weekends, or WTCC the next, or GP Masters the next for example.

davemk7 · 9 Nov 2006, 10:03 (Ref:1761487)

i think as long as their are prototypes big manufacters will build them and not gt1 cars. If the fia t championship is to continue on as it is, it will always be for priviteers only. On that basis anybody with a gt1, gt2, g2 or g3 car should be incuridged to enter as somewhere to race their car. I don't think it's going to grow as a professional series because there are so many others, I simply a fun and exciting place to race, imho.

Sharing a weekend with world series by renault won't be good for gt and won't happen anyway because renaukts money is going towards f1 and le mans.

I also think they need longer races bases on a more central calendar. Something like...

silverstone
assen
spa
zolder
dijon
magny-cours
hockenheim
oschersleben
donington park
valencia
mugello

for example. no where to far to travel.

sharing to billing with national gt championship might help, sharing the track with them too??

Garp · 9 Nov 2006, 14:33 (Ref:1761683)

FiaGT should be classics only.

Sebring 12h together with ALMS
Monza 1000km together with Italian GT
Silverstone TT together with British GT
SPA, Zolder, Zandvoort 2hr together with Belcar
Barcelona 2hr together with Spanish GT
Kayalami 10hr together with LMES(or other)
Bathurst 24hr together with aussi GT
Suzuka 1000k together with super taiku
Mille Milhas together with BrasilGT

Always strong fields, with a strong crowd

davemk7 · 9 Nov 2006, 16:10 (Ref:1761734)

that would be a god calendar!

where does the gtr licence fit into selling sponsorship? I know pretty much every name on every car simply through playing the games.

Asa · 10 Nov 2006, 01:32 (Ref:1762230)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garp

FiaGT should be classics only.

Sebring 12h together with ALMS
Monza 1000km together with Italian GT
Silverstone TT together with British GT
SPA, Zolder, Zandvoort 2hr together with Belcar
Barcelona 2hr together with Spanish GT
Kayalami 10hr together with LMES(or other)
Bathurst 24hr together with aussi GT
Suzuka 1000k together with super taiku
Mille Milhas together with BrasilGT

Always strong fields, with a strong crowd

If this calendar came to be, then Ratel would achieve his World GT Championship. Asia, Africa, North & South America and Europe are all on it... imagine the travelling costs...

JAG · 10 Nov 2006, 02:06 (Ref:1762247)

LMS has, apparently, snagged the Mil Milhas, while the Monza LMS round will be shared with the Renault World Series.

This is good to hear as Monza is the one round that requires massive promotion, which Renault will help to provide.

Fogelhund · 10 Nov 2006, 02:59 (Ref:1762280)

The LMS has no business being in South America, and frankly I think it is a stupid idea for the series.

JAG · 10 Nov 2006, 03:05 (Ref:1762283)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

The LMS has no business being in South America, and frankly I think it is a stupid idea for the series.

The Group C Series always raced in Mexico, and Canada for that matter.

South American racing appears to have closer relations to Europe than North America.

I don't see any competition with the ALMS, and if the LMS can organise travel funding it could be an interesting event.

Bob Riebe · 10 Nov 2006, 03:29 (Ref:1762296)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAG

The Group C Series always raced in Mexico, and Canada for that matter.

South American racing appears to have closer relations to Europe than North America.

I don't see any competition with the ALMS, and if the LMS can organise travel funding it could be an interesting event.

I agree with Jag, as I see no harm done.

The Real DMN · 10 Nov 2006, 10:18 (Ref:1762560)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAG

LMS has, apparently, snagged the Mil Milhas, while the Monza LMS round will be shared with the Renault World Series.

This is good to hear as Monza is the one round that requires massive promotion, which Renault will help to provide.

Thats great news on both counts.

Fogelhund · 10 Nov 2006, 15:46 (Ref:1762806)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAG

The Group C Series always raced in Mexico, and Canada for that matter.

Well, this isn't the Group C series, which was a World Championship. The LMS, is supposedly a quasi European series, with primarily European entrants, and primarily European sponsors.

While there is no doubt that some costs of shipping the cars should be covered, there still are likely to be expenses beyond that of racing in Europe, without the benefit of racing in an area most of the sponsors wish to have exposure. Ok, I'll admit exposure is a bit weak in the LMS anyway at the moment.

Keep in mind that this race, and all it's 'benefits' were first proposed to the FIA GT entrants. They said no!! Do you think there is a reason?

It also sounds like this could be a one-off event, which helps how?

Quote:

I don't see any competition with the ALMS, and if the LMS can organise travel funding it could be an interesting event.

As mentioned above, funding is unlikely to be comprehensive, otherwise you would have thought the FIA GT entrants would have accepted this. It sounds more like saving face to me, for a deal worked on, that FIA GT said no to, and now it is trying to be forced on LMS entrants.

It is my opinion that the regional series, should stick within their regions, and if promoters/tracks wish to have a race, that they be directed to the series in their region. I don't think that this will harm the ALMS in any way, but I do think an ALMS race in Brazil is something that could be built on, while an LMS race that is just unlikely to happen.

The LMS needs a stable schedule, and this isn't it. Stay in Europe and try and build, this is craziness. How did this end up in an FIA GT thread anyway? Oh, that's right, this is a race the FIA GT entrants vetoed...

davemk7 · 23 Nov 2006, 14:18 (Ref:1773254)

did anybody else see the international gt open race from montmelo? It was one race with 4 classes (gtc only had one entrant though) It was a single 2 hour race with two manditory pitstops and despite it only being gt2, gt3 and a some what ambigious class is was a good race. The significant thing is though there were 61 entrants (not all started but most did)

Ranald · 23 Nov 2006, 19:52 (Ref:1773466)

60+ entries indeed and according to DSC plenty more in the wings waiting for a drop out.

AU N EGL · 23 Nov 2006, 20:39 (Ref:1773494)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranald

60+ entries indeed and according to DSC plenty more in the wings waiting for a drop out.

HELLO PROMOTORS. Any promotors reading these last two posts??

GT popularity is EXTREEMLY HIGH RIGHT NOW. Drivers want races of a good length. Two hours is a very good length.

I dont think that mandating the number of stops is that important. Cars will need to stop two times for fuel and at least one tire change.

davemk7 · 23 Nov 2006, 21:48 (Ref:1773543)

they had a 25 litre limit on fueling at pitstops which makes a certain amount of scence for that series as usually they don't refuel. 2 hours is perfect for privateer / national championships. The big teams need lms type 1000km races imho. To be honest the loss of fia gt would be sad but it looks likely unless they improve the way they treat teams and fans.

The International GT open has had massive grids everywhere except turkey, the comentary from the first time they went to estoril said they had so many entrys they had to split the races.

AU N EGL · 23 Nov 2006, 23:13 (Ref:1773591)

Quote:

Originally Posted by davemk7

they had a 25 litre limit on fueling at pitstops which makes a certain amount of scence for that series as usually they don't refuel. .

25 litre ? is that correct?? I have a 14 US Gallon tank ~ 56 liters. I get 3.5 mpg at WOT, or about 50 miles on a tank of fuel. That is about 35-40 min. 45 min if I am conservative and lucky.

Not to mention the added wt 7lbs / gallon at 14 gallons is 98 lbs.

davemk7 · 24 Nov 2006, 09:53 (Ref:1773878)

thats what the comentary said, there were no fuel rigs just a very small, 1 man fuel can. One of the Moslers had to come in a third time.

http://www.gtsport.es/INTERNATIONALGT/indexIng.asp

there is no information I can find but it's worth posting the website anyway.

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