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24 Apr 2019, 17:17 (Ref:3899429) | #1201 | |||
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Quote:
-mike |
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24 Apr 2019, 18:06 (Ref:3899444) | #1202 | ||
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13 May 2019, 21:04 (Ref:3903569) | #1203 | ||
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Road Atlanta tower is coming along. Looks like they took out the bathroom behind the old tower
https://twitter.com/IMSA/status/1128...118806016?s=19 |
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14 May 2019, 14:44 (Ref:3903722) | #1204 | |
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Good progress there. Can't wait to see the finished work. Made some good use of money replacing the old one with a more up to date one
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22 May 2019, 16:56 (Ref:3905248) | #1205 | |
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Talking about BMW's WEC withdraw and its effect on IMSA.
WEC GTE Pro has been awesome this super season and it really has been the GT racing at its finest. The summit of that category has been reached it appears now. Downhill from here. I imagine Ford will say good bye after Le Mans too. And that GTE will have just 3 manufacturers full time across the pro and am landscape. That will kill interest. Got a good feeling we'll see a Ford in IMSA GTLM in 2020 through privateer or semi factory means. So IMSA GTLM should be in good shape in 2020. But I think GT racing future is going to be fuzzy until the prototype situation is worked out. At least on WEC side. IMSA is straight forward. DPI2 is a go in 2022. I think GTLM will open itself to allow with GTE cars and GT3 pros in a year or 2. I think a GT3 car in IMSA can compete in GTLM when you have 1) all pro drivers 2) customized Michilens tires (or other brand) 3) removal of GTD mandated BoP. Thats it. That will put a GT3 car right there in GTLM speed zone. |
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22 May 2019, 18:30 (Ref:3905260) | #1206 | ||
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I could see GT3s hanging at top end but on the tighter tracks and the corners? No way they can do enough to speed them up to make it a reasonable race, even with full Pro entries. Although I wouldn't be surprised to see IMSA try so they could get MB, McLaren, Acura more interested. Think it would be the precursor to a full GT3 factory team field and the end of GTE/LM |
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22 May 2019, 19:29 (Ref:3905264) | #1207 | ||
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I'm not sure how much different in performance the current crop of GT3 cars are vs GTE/GTLM cars. The Aston Martin Vantage and Ferrari 488 are seemingly very similar as far as SRO GT3 vs ACO/IMSA GTE/GTLM specs as far as aero and power.
Also, GT3s run in Super GT, and at Fuji a GT3 spec BMW M6 did run a faster lap around Fuji than a GTE spec Ford GT. I know that Super GT has a more intense tire battle vs the WEC, and JAF do BOP differently than the ACO or IMSA or the SRO. Also, GT3 cars that run in GTD are more restricted to keep them separate from GTLM cars. |
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22 May 2019, 20:50 (Ref:3905278) | #1208 | |
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Sorry to double-post but this discussion is also going on in the WEC thread and my thoughts haven't matured much in the 30 seconds since I posted there ....
I may not remember correctly, but I think a lot of the GTLM/GTE-Pro advantage is aero. The GT3s are almost as quick on a long enough straight (which makes Daytona so much fun for GT drivers) but the GTE/GTLM cars have a lot more aero for braking and cornering. Not sure the manufacturers dropping big bucks in GTE/GTLM would take kindly to a lot of privateers trying to build their own---not sure the GT3 manufacturers would want their names on home-made GTE specials ... and as I recall, some manufacturers have simply ruled out the expense of GTE/GTLM (Audi, McLaren as I recall.) An addition: even if they cars could be sort of "balanced" on some tracks, it would be a DP/P2 sort of balance, where the GTLM/GTE cars would make speed in very different ways---and if the GT3s were given enough power to compete, they could get in front of a GTLM/GTE and just block through the corners and pull away on corner exit. if the GT3s had less power, they wouldn't be able to hang at all unless the track had a huge straight, and then they'd need help from traffic or something. I don't see it as a very tidy solution. |
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22 May 2019, 21:48 (Ref:3905286) | #1209 | |
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Doesn't it just seem like it's about time for gtlm to the way gt1 did, where gt2 took it over as top class after it dwindled to just corvette? Seems like the natural progression: top gt class gets too expensive, maxes out performance, goes away, second, larger class takes over. Becomes just as quick as previous iteration of top gt class, prices itself out, and goes away in favor of secondary gt class again.
Gt3 will be the new gt2 (gtd), gt2 (gtd) the new gtlm. Then gt4 the new gt3 and round and round it goes.... |
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23 May 2019, 00:14 (Ref:3905303) | #1210 | ||
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With the c8r seemingly around the corner, I expect the current get ruleset to be around for a few more years, and free of gt3 cars during that time.
For some reason BMW have thought it worthwhile to continue gte racing in North America, even when they didn't actually have a purpose built gte car. With the m8 battleship, I expect them to continue through the end of that car's life cycle. Ford, being the most specialized, don't see them lasting through 2020 competitively. I'd also expect Ferrari and Porsche to drop gte at the end of their car's cycles, in that order. Meaning corvette is one of the last cars in the top gt class. Once there is no one left to beat stateside AND Le Mans, only then will a new ruleset comes into play. |
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25 May 2019, 20:43 (Ref:3905755) | #1211 | |||
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26 May 2019, 03:25 (Ref:3905774) | #1212 | |
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26 May 2019, 09:31 (Ref:3905809) | #1213 | |||
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Isn't that one (minor) part of the problem: the GT2 trademark is owned by Ratel (SRO), while GT3 is not. THat's why the current re-invented GT2 cars are slower than the current GT3. Or did I misunderstand all that? |
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29 May 2019, 13:02 (Ref:3906722) | #1214 | |
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I am thinking at this point that we will get at Watkins Glen, two Brumos liveried Porsches again along with the Ford Gulf and 2016 ones too. Doubt they can switch liveries from Le Mans to the Glen that quickly when you include shipping across the ocean and prepping it for the 6 hours. Just a 2 week turn around, which means we get that for CTMP the next week too. Maybe they can switch back for Lime Rock if the teams decide on this.
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29 May 2019, 13:36 (Ref:3906729) | #1215 | |||
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Both Ford and Porsche must probably have more than just 4 cars, no? |
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29 May 2019, 14:38 (Ref:3906751) | #1216 | |
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It appears like they actually ship the cars as we have seen both the Fords this year being shipped over and have seen the Porsches in the past as well. There are probably more than 4 cars but I'm guessing the race prepped and ready cars are what the teams want and ship. There may be a spare in that kit as well but not fully equipped extra cars waiting to be used just for LM.
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29 May 2019, 16:26 (Ref:3906768) | #1217 | |
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I guess if they do ship them over, it's cost effective. I'm sure they have plenty of spare cars back in the factory just in case they get damaged on the trip over there.
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1 Jun 2019, 14:05 (Ref:3907272) | #1218 | ||
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Though this is the 2019 thread, it seems that Ganassi is also unlikely to run Ford GTs in 2020, and is waiting on Ford to make a decision on DPI.
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1 Jun 2019, 17:33 (Ref:3907327) | #1219 | |
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There was no chance Ganassi was going to run them after Ford said they're not supporting the team. There aren't any non-factory teams, the costs are way too high. Think we'll see Ganassi dropping out until Ford decides what they want to do and CGR can bid on the project.
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1 Jun 2019, 20:01 (Ref:3907379) | #1220 | ||
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1 Jun 2019, 20:08 (Ref:3907384) | #1221 | ||
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I'm not thinking that GTE cars are too expensive in and of themselves, but it's a question of factory support most likely. Ford has said that they'll support any private entry, but what do they mean by that? To the level that Porsche and Ferrari support private entries, and like what AMR are prepared to do when the new Vantage goes up for sale following LM? Or will it be like Nissan are doing in DPI in IMSA, which is hardly anything as far as true factory support?
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1 Jun 2019, 22:33 (Ref:3907425) | #1222 | |
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Likely they would provide spares as needed, not free but have Multimatic make you parts, and assist them with an engineer. But other than that you're probably on your own.
Last edited by broadrun96; 1 Jun 2019 at 22:45. |
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2 Jun 2019, 05:19 (Ref:3907454) | #1223 | |
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That is disappointing. If chip ganassi can't afford it, it probably isn't affordable. If we lose the fords and no new cars come in, a 6 car class starts to look weak. Either need to get these makes all in gtd in preparation for that becoming top class, or find a way to make it affordable.
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19 Jun 2019, 12:36 (Ref:3912863) | #1224 | |
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Looks like Risi is at their usual, will return for Petit and possibly other races at the end of the season as cash allows.
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19 Jun 2019, 12:50 (Ref:3912866) | #1225 | |||
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