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15 Mar 2018, 13:22 (Ref:3808139) | #1151 | ||
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Nyck de Vries will be driving for Racing Team Nederland in LMP2 after Le Mans 2018 as replacement of Jan Lammers.
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15 Mar 2018, 21:31 (Ref:3808233) | #1152 | ||
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More rumors that the Sebring WEC round could be in trouble as far as happening as envisioned:
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/se...ay-notebook-6/ |
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15 Mar 2018, 22:35 (Ref:3808247) | #1153 | |
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If John Dagys says sources are telling him something it's usually the opposite.
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15 Mar 2018, 23:47 (Ref:3808254) | #1154 | |
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I posted on the Sebring race thread that the rumors are always something negative. It's like these 'sources' want the race to fail. Maybe they're afraid of being upstaged or something? That's not to say the teams are but maybe IMSA supporters are whispering things like this.
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16 Mar 2018, 02:36 (Ref:3808265) | #1155 | ||
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Anyway, regarding that 'notebook' article, I just have to laugh at "multiple sources have indicated that a number of logistical and marketing issues may be to much to overcome" line. It really isn't that difficult. |
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16 Mar 2018, 02:55 (Ref:3808269) | #1156 | ||
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Are there real logistical issues in staging a 1,500 mile race right after a 12 hour race by a different series? Yes.
Are there likely to be marketing issues? Yes — neither series can come across as the costar here. Does it come as a particular surprise that an ACO Sebring 2019 race might not happen? No. At best, having both IMSA and the ACO at Sebring is a kind of crazy stop-gap solution and not something that is sustainable long-term. Most people get this — the only question is when the split comes and how much finger-pointing we will see. |
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16 Mar 2018, 03:36 (Ref:3808273) | #1157 | ||
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For costar "issue", they could've - and still could if they wanted - market the event as "Twin 12 Hours of Sebring" or whatever, or integrated the two events into one* as originally inquired by the ACO, but it was IMSA that first started going on about "we want to save the prestige of Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring" etc. That's just the same sort of mentality that destroyed the 2012 race, both sides not listening to each other but acting arrogant about their own product, unlike in 2010 and 2011 for the ILMC. I know what the reply here is going to be, that IMSA is already doing ACO "free favor" by letting them be there in the first place, but you don't think ACO is not doing the same already elsewhere? * It's laughable that certain IMSA teams/OEMs/drivers would like to get top billing free-at-charge at Le Mans, but at Sebring it's definite no-no that LMP1 would be there ahead of them. I guess it goes just one way around Last edited by Deleted; 16 Mar 2018 at 03:44. |
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16 Mar 2018, 04:24 (Ref:3808274) | #1158 | |
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My bet is it goes forward even though there's naysayers. Maybe there's some issues to handle, but it's not going to be impossible. We'll see around this time next year!
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16 Mar 2018, 04:32 (Ref:3808275) | #1159 | |
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I don't have doubts for 2019, but I do some for 2020 and forward, particularly if the LMP unification talks collapse again. Anyway, I'm glad they are going there next year because they definitely deserve it.
And most of all it's a relief from the FIA/ACO bureaucratic side that we don't have to hear things like this anymore: Gerard Neveu 2014 “We know that in the United States there’s not a lot of options for us and for the style of racing we have,” he said. “Historically you can say Sebring, Petit Le Mans and Laguna Seca were the logical places to welcome endurance races. But we know that it’s technically impossible [now]. |
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16 Mar 2018, 13:27 (Ref:3808326) | #1160 | ||
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The ACO could race anywhere in the US for a North American round if they give up on running almost exclusively on Grade 1 tracks, or even a place like Montreal. I myself see the twin Sebring event as like the first WEC race at Sebring that was a combined ALMS round, basically a stop gap until something more permanent can be worked out.
After all, the ACO placed themselves in this position when both they and IMSA ditched races at COTA due to problems there. IMSA replaced COTA with Mid Ohio and the ACO are trying to do their own race at Sebring on the same weekend as the 12 Hour. |
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16 Mar 2018, 14:33 (Ref:3808343) | #1161 | ||
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Quote:
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16 Mar 2018, 14:48 (Ref:3808347) | #1162 | ||
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Remember how awkwardly the race actually happened? And we well know now how much the ACO like Grade 1 infrastructure and 6 hour races. That's something that even now Sebring doesn't really offer, being a Grade 2 track.
IMO, Sebring happened in '12 due in part to how much pull Audi Sport had in the WEC's formative days, and that they (and some others as a LM warm up) would've run Sebring anyways with or without the WEC. It was just a marriage of convenience there for Sebring that year. Of course, a combined Sebring or even PLM event could've continued if egos didn't get in the way. |
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16 Mar 2018, 15:26 (Ref:3808366) | #1163 | ||
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Too bad that the trust was misplaced. Idiotic separate sub classes for same cars when beforehand they were easily combined, absurd hateful quotes from FIA year beforehand ("we will not accept GTC cars"), badly coordinated proceedings... Those were the things that got out of hand. Overall I still don't think it was as disastrous as everyone claims it was, but obviously far from ideal. Of course the final nail in the head for the event, albeit already after the conclusion, was the Grand-Am takeover talks, which killed off any possible future full-on integration and LMP1 future in North America. EVEN for 2019, as already discussed Anyway, obviously they do love their sterile Grade 1 carparks and VIP money lounges, but I think Sebring gets a "waiver" where they overlook things for the benefit of common good. They also should know from the recent surveys that this is what people actually want, not 6 hours of whatever in the middle of nowhere. The rumored Mil Milhas resurrection may further indicate that they are listening now, at last what people want I am excited for 2019 Sebring, even to the point where I doubt I would have come back discussing here about things if they hadn't announced the event. Just like PLM, the 12 hours is a sad shadow of it's former itself with dumbed down spec cars and lucky dog nonsense so this 1500 miles is the true replacement for me... Even if it ends up being just one-off - which I hope not of course - it's something the championship has needed for a long time IMO, another event besides just LM that stands out and is worth something more. Added bonus the great circuit itself, unneutered Sportscar racing should be about events first and foremost. The championship should just be the tool that loosely connects those events together... Not the other way around |
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22 Mar 2018, 06:22 (Ref:3809795) | #1164 | |
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It's the 22nd, so if the resurrection of Mil Milhas is happening, it should be announced today.
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22 Mar 2018, 06:26 (Ref:3809797) | #1165 | |
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What are everyone's thoughts on Pastor Maldonaldo signing on for Dragonspeed's lmp2? Does it scare you or do you think he deserves another shot? I think he has at least a chance to prove himself and get rid of the 'Crashdonaldo' nickname. And he has won an F1 race before.
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22 Mar 2018, 06:28 (Ref:3809798) | #1166 | |
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Well Grosjean got rid of his name crashy nickname too...
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22 Mar 2018, 11:41 (Ref:3809858) | #1167 | |
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Good to hear
"Firm plans for the Sebring World Endurance Championship race next March could be announced within the next two weeks." https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/fir...111005953.html edit: https://twitter.com/specutainment/st...20146688552960 Latest, according to WEC paddock chat; it seems the latest proposal for @FIAWEC Sebring Race is that it runs 9 hours, Friday Afternoon into darkness. noooooooooooooooooo this sounds like utter crap hopefully nonsense as it has inferiority complex feel to it most of all First ACO draft - run it integrated with IMSA as 12 Hours, IMSA refuses because of product protection Second ACO draft - run it as separate 12 hours distance after IMSA, IMSA refuses because of product protection Third ACO draft - run it as separate 1500 miles distance after IMSA, accepted [but ???] Fourth ACO draft (???) - run it as separate 9 hours prior IMSA, ??? Last edited by Deleted; 22 Mar 2018 at 12:08. |
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22 Mar 2018, 12:25 (Ref:3809873) | #1168 | |
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I was thinking of why this particular aspect felt so familiar and then it hit me... remember 2010, you had Spa 24 Hours and GT1 World Championship running separately that weekend, in 'a rousing success'... the former first division cars of the historical feature event, now racing in world championship are relegated to shorter racing that's being run as build-up towards the said main feature event, which in turn is made up of previously second-rate cars
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22 Mar 2018, 12:27 (Ref:3809874) | #1169 | |
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I liked the 1500 miles, I wonder why that changed.
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22 Mar 2018, 12:30 (Ref:3809876) | #1170 | |
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22 Mar 2018, 12:31 (Ref:3809878) | #1171 | ||
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I'm thinking that the ACO have come to believe that holding their race a few hours after the proper IMSA 12 Hours doesn't make much sense. Holding a day into night race makes more sense for the captive audience and such a race on Sunday would be a hard sell.
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22 Mar 2018, 12:36 (Ref:3809880) | #1172 | ||
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I'm - perhaps cynically, perhaps not - thinking of IMSA yet again being over protective of the 12 hours and wanting to feel like the 'real star' of the week. The way the evolution of the format has progressed so far does seem to support this theory |
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22 Mar 2018, 12:59 (Ref:3809884) | #1173 | ||
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I'm not bothered. If it's a non-6 hour race and it is at Sebring then that's fine with me.
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22 Mar 2018, 13:02 (Ref:3809885) | #1174 | ||
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22 Mar 2018, 13:10 (Ref:3809890) | #1175 | |
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I'm not bothered if it's held in Friday as per say, especially as it'll be the only race I'll watch that weekend... even the 9 hour distance would be fine-ish if this wasn't already the third revision AND considerably shorter and compromised than promised
But the real problem is that the event seems to be, intentionally or not, moving towards the range of "support race", or if that's too harsh then at least towards "it shall not be in the level of prestigious Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring" I mean, of course I will still take 9 Hours at Sebring over whatever generic Tilkedrome with sterile 6 hour format, it will still be worth looking forward to, but it is (or would be, given that this is still paddock talk) another step into wrong direction Last edited by Deleted; 22 Mar 2018 at 13:20. |
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