Michelin Le Mans Cup

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Could a mod remove the 'GT3' from this thread title?
Thank you please.

I suppose that would be the appropriate thing to do!

[Mike E]

[Mike E]

RAM Racing to do full season with AMG GT3. Tom Onslow-Cole to drive.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-mans-cup.html

[Mike E]

Kox Racing Confirm Full Season

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/03/07/183322.html

[KA]

...and United Autosports doubling up to a second car alongside the Meins/Lynn car already announced...

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...matt-bell.html

[Mike E]

RLR/Mike Smith LMP3 full season entry.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-mans-cup.html

[Graham Goodwin]

One more to come in a wee while

[Bcarr6]

Villorba Corse will be running a Huracan GT3 for last years Blancpain GT Sports Club front runner Cedric Mezard along with Steve Hiesse

[Mike E]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...-mans-cup.html

[Mike E]

20 cars on the full season entry list, consisting of 6 GT3s and 14 LMP3s.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...ouncement.html

[Akrapovic]

That's a pretty poor number of GT3s tbh. I'm surprised at this - there must be something stopping teams signing up, because even GT Open has a decent grid. So why not this? It has a support race at Le Mans on the Saturday, but even that isn't enough to bring the cars? So what trick is the ACO missing?

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

That's a pretty poor number of GT3s tbh. I'm surprised at this - there must be something stopping teams signing up, because even GT Open has a decent grid. So why not this? It has a support race at Le Mans on the Saturday, but even that isn't enough to bring the cars? So what trick is the ACO missing?

LMP3... GT3 guys like for upfront I guess

[Juntos]

You need to have an enormous ego to go racing GT3 in Michelin Le Mans Cup. There is plenty of healthy GT3 racing around Europe, so why are you joining to a 6 car series? It is hard to soar like an eagle when surrounded by turkeys.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Juntos

You need to have an enormous ego to go racing GT3 in Michelin Le Mans Cup. There is plenty of healthy GT3 racing around Europe, so why are you joining to a 6 car series? It is hard to soar like an eagle when surrounded by turkeys.

No other GT3 series races at Le Mans though. How many in Europe have mixed class with prototypes?

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

How many in Europe have mixed class with prototypes?

What is the point to race behind the pack?

[Akrapovic]

I'm guessing there must be something that keeps all those GTLM cars turning up to races where they're behind the pack.

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I'm guessing there must be something that keeps all those GTLM cars turning up to races where they're behind the pack.

The illusion of playing in the big league?

[Akrapovic]

I didn't realise the GTLM class was an illusion. I always thought it was real!

Maybe single class racing would be more suited to your tastes.

[Alessio]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I didn't realise the GTLM class was an illusion. I always thought it was real!

Maybe single class racing would be more suited to your tastes.

The problem is that when you have the ELMS, Blancpain and GT Open, why enter a GT3 in a series with minimal coverage and less prestige like the Le Mans Cup?

[Bcarr6]

I think GT3 guys only want to enter the Le Mans race, then run a full season of British GT, Gt Open, Blancpain etc, instead of a full season in a pretty pointless series like LM GT CUP

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Alessio

The problem is that when you have the ELMS, Blancpain and GT Open, why enter a GT3 in a series with minimal coverage and less prestige like the Le Mans Cup?

ELMS doesn't have GT3 cars anymore. Blancpain and GT Open will never race at Le Mans, or have Prototypes in the same field.

Michelin GT3 Cup is good for those who want to race at Le Mans, but are not at the level of ELMS (a GTE car is much more of a handful than a GT3), and those who want to experience being on track with prototypes without being launched into P2s and even P1s. Maybe drivers like Tracy Krohn would've had far less incidents with prototypes if they had some experience with mixed class racing first.

It'd also be quite intimidating for a new GT3 driver to try and enter Blancpain. That's basically a pro series of 30 cars now. The Michelin GT3 Cup might be an easier starting point that won't involve the amatuer driver being scared out of the way by a works Mercedes or Audi (or driven into by a works Bentley).

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

ELMS doesn't have GT3 cars anymore. Blancpain and GT Open will never race at Le Mans, or have Prototypes in the same field.



Michelin GT3 Cup is good for those who want to race at Le Mans, but are not at the level of ELMS (a GTE car is much more of a handful than a GT3), and those who want to experience being on track with prototypes without being launched into P2s and even P1s. Maybe drivers like Tracy Krohn would've had far less incidents with prototypes if they had some experience with mixed class racing first.



It'd also be quite intimidating for a new GT3 driver to try and enter Blancpain. That's basically a pro series of 30 cars now. The Michelin GT3 Cup might be an easier starting point that won't involve the amatuer driver being scared out of the way by a works Mercedes or Audi (or driven into by a works Bentley).

Fair point, but Blancpain also have the GT Sporte Club for Am drivers to get used to running GT3s before taking on Blancpain fully

[Akrapovic]

That fits very well for those who want to move to Blancpain, but doesn't fit if you want experience with prototypes on track, and a race at Le Mans.

I'd hazard a guess that the ACO aren't offering the teams and drivers enough to get cars in. It's not like we're short of GT3 cars and teams, and the advantages of the series are obvious.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

That fits very well for those who want to move to Blancpain, but doesn't fit if you want experience with prototypes on track, and a race at Le Mans.

I'd hazard a guess that the ACO aren't offering the teams and drivers enough to get cars in. It's not like we're short of GT3 cars and teams, and the advantages of the series are obvious.

Very true.

I think those kind of folks might be going from club Racing to low level LMP3 now though?

[Alessio]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

ELMS doesn't have GT3 cars anymore. Blancpain and GT Open will never race at Le Mans, or have Prototypes in the same field.

Michelin GT3 Cup is good for those who want to race at Le Mans, but are not at the level of ELMS (a GTE car is much more of a handful than a GT3), and those who want to experience being on track with prototypes without being launched into P2s and even P1s. Maybe drivers like Tracy Krohn would've had far less incidents with prototypes if they had some experience with mixed class racing first.

It'd also be quite intimidating for a new GT3 driver to try and enter Blancpain. That's basically a pro series of 30 cars now. The Michelin GT3 Cup might be an easier starting point that won't involve the amatuer driver being scared out of the way by a works Mercedes or Audi (or driven into by a works Bentley).

Great points, I do agree with these. However, I still believe on a purely business front the ROI is not worth choosing Le Mans Cup where there is very little exposure (last year I rarely heard from the series but that may have been just me) compared to Blancpain or elsewhere. This is an assumption on my part though.