Good races for a newbie to watch?

[JimboCycling]

Hi everyone
I'm new to the forum. I've been an f1 fan for years but am only just discovering sports cars. I'm watching bathurst 12 hours from this year (not quite finished so no spoilers please!) and really enjoying it.
So I'm wondering if anyone can suggest any other good races to watch? Preferably not too many years old so that I get familiar with current teams / drivers etc. And of course it needs to be available on YouTube!!
Many thanks
James

[Deleted]

Le Mans and Sebring

[Akrapovic]

Here's a mix of 2018 races. You can decide what you like

Le Mans 24 Hours Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=P...&v=1MTM8doiuJo (this starts with qualifying. Can skip to the race in the platlist)
Nurburgring 24 Hours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPCsjrC0Hks
IMSA Petit Le Mans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=P...&v=rEkr0kM8jSg
ELMS Silverstone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZa_8QY2C_g
SuperGT Sugo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IJZHW-vENY

Bit of self-advertising, but I think it's relevant. If you go here - http://theracingline.net/trl-tv/ - I've archived the majority of the 2018 sportscar races. Some links may be broken, but almost everything is here I think.

[GT6]

if you want to actually go then it depends on where you are for 2019 then spa is a great race 6 hours of racing and a very open track one of the best race tracks in the world

[Willmaz223]

Michelin Le Mans Cup-Very good races
,not to long either.Watch the Red Bull Ring Round.FANTASTIC it was.Quality is really good aswell.

Happy watching as I to have recently bee getting more into sportscars .

Will

[JimboCycling]

That's brilliant, thank you very much.

[courageous]

Get yourself some VLN - all on Youtube & shown live through the year.
You might think that a series which only runs on 1 track all year might get a bit samey - but when that track is the Nordschleife…

[Accident]

Originally Posted by courageous

Get yourself some VLN - all on Youtube & shown live through the year.
You might think that a series which only runs on 1 track all year might get a bit samey - but when that track is the Nordschleife…

Second this. Very interesting series with huge grids, big variety, and lots of inter-class excitement.

[seanyb505]

As far as getting familiar with current teams & drivers, I think you'd be safe to go back maybe 5-10 years. Most of the high profile teams and drivers are still around, and it'll give the most recent races some helpful context.

Something like oh so and so is a big name in this race series with some big achievements, but they've switched series/disciplines and that's interesting to watch unfold.

I'll also add that the Truth in 24 documentaries make for something interesting watching. They're a little too focused for following multi-class racing, but they definitely show how to make the most of a story-line within a race.

[coppice]

Depending where you are located, forget watching TV and go and see GT racing live . British GT a good start but (assuming you are UK based) we have a huge amount of racing in this country which needs a live audience. Watching racing on TV is, ultimately, just watching telly . So 2D image, crap sound , and somebody else decides what you see ....

[PascaLM]

Hello JimboCycling, welcome on our forum.
Watching sportcars races depends also if you like restarts or not (i.e artificial suspense or real racing).

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by PascaLM

Hello JimboCycling, welcome on our forum.
Watching sportcars races depends also if you like restarts or not (i.e artificial suspense or real racing).

By restarts I take you mean wave-by (free-laps-back) and/or phantom cautions utilized by some series?

Of course there's much more to artificiality in racing than just that but yes...

[Mountain Man]

Any race at Spa. Because it's Spa.

[Mountain Man]

Originally Posted by PascaLM

Hello JimboCycling, welcome on our forum.
Watching sportcars races depends also if you like restarts or not (i.e artificial suspense or real racing).

He's said he's an F1 fan. So therefore he is used to artificial suspense and lack of real racing.

[MaskedRacer]

Recommend the IMSA GT only races at VIR and Lime Rock over the past 2 seasons. Also Mid Ohio. Very few full course yellows in those races.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by courageous

Get yourself some VLN - all on Youtube & shown live through the year.
You might think that a series which only runs on 1 track all year might get a bit samey - but when that track is the Nordschleife…

I can imagine that the low production value of VLN is going to be rather off putting for new fans (especially after Bathurst 12h which I'd probably rank even better than WEC in terms of the production & presentation) and the VLN-only classes and rule quirks might be pretty confusing too.