JGTC to become global series

[Asa]

Autosport just reported that the JGTC plans to become a global series with races in China, Malaysia and maybe Singapore and Australia as well.

The California event will remain as an invitational race for the forseeable future.

I just wonder if they would be able to attract any entries from outside Japan at all. (Malaysian team Amprex is already planning to move to either the LMES or the FIA GT. There is no way they can be competitive in the JGTC with the Lambo.)

[TerryC]

Or should you say all Lambo Mucié do indeed need a lot of work to even stand a chance to be competitive?

[SALEEN S7R]

Nope. The Lambo can never be competitive in JGTC, the same applies for the Prodrive built Ferrari 550 that runs in the series, the JGTC cars are effectivly Prototypes chasis with the original engines and bodywork built to look the same as the road cars. Dont forget the Ferrari 550 and Lambo are not like them chasis wise, and they are running in a much lower spec, producing only 500bhp, whilst the versions in LMES/ALMS/FIA GT produce 600-650bhp.

[Mal]

Its a shame the organisers of JGTC dont adopt the ACO / FIA rules as that could well lead to the Japanese manufacturers building GT1 / GT2 cars.

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes, but the MK4 Supra is a GT2 car. Or at least it was when it ran at Bahrian, quite competitivly too. But can u really see the ACO ever allowing a car like a Supra to race at Le Mans?

[Kicking-back]

I'd call it an Asia-Pacific series, which there is a gap for, rather than a global series, which there isn't.

[SALEEN S7R]

KB - there is a global series. FIA GT is a global series in all but name, particulay when u consider that in 2005 the series is likely to visit Australia too. In 2006 the series should be offically a FIA sanctioned World Championship by filling the requirements of visiting 3 continents, thats providing of course the series does get the much rumored USA date for 2006. That said, I still personally consider FIA GT to be a World championship as it is, albeit not in name. Yet.

[gttouring]

JGTC has been very upstarty lately pushing for rounds everywhere, and going on with the same models and a few new ones in their series for like 10 years.
the engine specs and chassis are simply wild...and if anyone believes that they are adhereing to the gt300 and gt500 HP limit, you have to be joking...
It is well documented on many a JGTC video that the pilot refer to GT500 as "gt500+plus" which easily infers that they have a minimum of 500 horsepower. these things are crazy fast, and such loverly shapes. in the current car market- especially in the pacific rim -US included, these cars are the stars and they have all the ones everyone wants to drive. an ASIA=pacificRim series can do very well, no will they ever concede to allow their rules to match FIA GT? not likely, will FIA or ACO allow them? not unless GTX comes back, but then the Grand AM is considering a free tube frame chassis rule on OEM bbodywork or something similar so JGTC ight invade deep into US shores, it is onlya 10 round championship so far i believe

[Mal]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
But can u really see the ACO ever allowing a car like a Supra to race at Le Mans?

I would nhave thought if Toyota developed and entered a GT2 Supra, the ACO would welcome them with open arms!

[SALEEN S7R]

They already have. The car that raced in Bahrain, but personally I feel the ACO would feel the car dosent fit the spirit of the rules. Some may say the car is more of a tourer than a true GT car. I woudnt, but the Supra is hardly a conventional GT2 level sportscar, particularly on looks, and unfortunatly have the "boy racer" tag attached to their image.

[Kicking-back]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
KB - there is a global series. FIA GT is a global series in all but name, particulay when u consider that in 2005 the series is likely to visit Australia too. In 2006 the series should be offically a FIA sanctioned World Championship by filling the requirements of visiting 3 continents, thats providing of course the series does get the much rumored USA date for 2006. That said, I still personally consider FIA GT to be a World championship as it is, albeit not in name. Yet.

Read it again, Saleen.

I didn't say there's not a global series, I said there's not a gap for a global series.

That gap is already filled by FIA GT, as you rightly say.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
Read it again, Saleen.

I didn't say there's not a global series, I said there's not a gap for a global series.

That gap is already filled by FIA GT, as you rightly say.

My apoligies KB.

[Fogelhund]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
They already have. The car that raced in Bahrain, but personally I feel the ACO would feel the car dosent fit the spirit of the rules. Some may say the car is more of a tourer than a true GT car. I woudnt, but the Supra is hardly a conventional GT2 level sportscar, particularly on looks, and unfortunatly have the "boy racer" tag attached to their image.

What?

C'mon, the ACO would not stop such a car, and to think so is absurd. There is no spirit of the rules clause to disallow certain cars in based upon some blokes idea of what is and isn't a GT. Certainly it would be hard to make a case that the Supra was less GT then the Aston or BMW M3.

[Asa]

If the FIA GT visits Australia next year, then it is visiting 3 continents already, isn't it? I am pretty sure Australia is not part of Asia. Then the FIA GT will be an official world championship next year, won't it?

JGTC has no plans to go to Europe, the furthest it think it will go is Turkey. I think it should establish itself as an Asian Pacific GT Series.

But it is such a shame that they won't run to ACO GT rules.

[TerryC]

I think it's ok for JGTC to stay a Pacific Rim series. Also, not following the ACO rules may not be a bad thing after all.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by Fogelhund
Certainly it would be hard to make a case that the Supra was less GT then the Aston or BMW M3.

The Aston is a GT1 car, not a GT2 machine. Also the BMW M3, let me think, when was the last time that car raced at Le Mans?

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
KB - there is a global series. FIA GT is a global series in all but name, particulay when u consider that in 2005 the series is likely to visit Australia too.

The FIA GT Championship is NOT due to visit Australia in 2005

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Originally posted by Asa

But it is such a shame that they won't run to ACO GT rules.

Considering the spec of the current JGTC cars I think it's a big plus point for the championship as it helps it keep that strangely unique status it has.

The only reason to change to FIA rules would be if the current teams had a hankering to race in other series, but it looks like they're having to much fun in Japan to bother.

[PascaLM]

Originally posted by Mal
Its a shame the organisers of JGTC dont adopt the ACO / FIA rules as that could well lead to the Japanese manufacturers building GT1 / GT2 cars.

JGTC organisers would not like to see a non japanese car win some races.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

I don't think that's true Pasca, the only reason why the Japanese cars do so well is the major factories build the chassis specifically for the series and spend a lot of money on the engine program.

Besides, I think the Japanese love all kinds of racing so I doubt the organisers would be bothered provided it was a good show.

[PascaLM]

This explanation sounds better for MotorRacing.

[JAG]

The only reason the JGTC has been so successful in recent years is because it is virtually a closed shop.

Variations of the same cars have been racing for nearly 10 years now. If the domestic manufactuers had serious competition from European/US manufactuers then we would have seen the likes of Toyota move away from the Supra to their GT-ONE, Nissan likewise by moving to the R390 or something of this like.

As its a closed shop the rules can be tinkered with each year to keep these chassis competitve. This is why the chassis regs are so free these days.

An ACO spec car cannot be competitive in the JGTC because they are stuck with production based chassis, while there one advantage in ACO spec, BHP, is pegged back to '500'bhp.

The Japanease manufactuers have always shown a reluctance to race production based cars in sportscars. They either run prototypes or prototype like 'GT's'.

[Fogelhund]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
The Aston is a GT1 car, not a GT2 machine. Also the BMW M3, let me think, when was the last time that car raced at Le Mans?

I did not differentiate between classes, just stated a GT... as in Grand Touring... I am fully aware of which class the Prodrive car will race in, but I apologize if you find this confusing.

Let me think, when was the last time an M3 raced under ACO rules... hmmmmm. The M3 received approval by the ACO, to race in ACO rules based series, and at LM if they chose. So they chose not to race at LM....

[slicktsax]

the toyota Gt-one and teh nissan r390 wouldn't have been allowed to race in the JGTC anyway, tehy aren't based off of real production cars. granted the current GT500 cars are pretty far from their road counterparts but still look like them and are called them. also don't forget that the supra and the nsx are still in production in japan and nissan did move to the 350z this past year. it would be nice to see a us or european car maker commit full time to the JGTC. i read an interview of micheal krumm driver of one of the nissan 350z's in the GT500 class and he said the GT500 cars can pull 3 g's around a turn but he also said the aco spec cars have the advantage down straights because tehy have more power but are slower around the turns. also the supra has the most power with around 470 the skyline second with like 465 and the honda last around 460. those figures were reported from import tuner when they went to japan to report on the JGTC. now as far as cars that would make good GT500 cars i think the new viper would do, in road form it already has 500 hp and it would have a massive torque advantage over teh other cars. and again it would have to be built to JGTC rules. problem with teh viper is that it's nose heavy but JGTC rules allow teh trannys to be put in the back so they can move teh tranny in the back for better weight distribution. of course aother cars like the vette, 575, lambo and others would also be very good if they were built to the rules. i think chrylser should enter the JGTC with a facotry viper team because there is such a strong and loyal viper following in japan

[JAG]

I think you can add 100BHP to those 'official' BHP figures!