Endurance or sprint format .

[The Badger]

What do you think .

Sportscar racing has always been refered to as "Endurance" racing . With the various championships doing the rounds , we now have anything from 1000 klick races to the shortened ALMS events and Fia-GT .

To me , endurance means endurance which means a race of 1000 klicks minimum .

So , what do you folks think ..... should the currant races be Sprint or endurance . Sprint meaning 3 hours or less and endurance meaning 1000 klicks or 6 hours .

[Stefvh]

I prefer 6hours/1000kms.

But, what is done in ALMS, with various length is a good idea, i think.
Just the Long Beach Race should be longer.

[prototype]

For me I wish that all races were atleast 1000km or 6 hours.

I think the ALMS is trying to reach the fringe fan, so have decided the average race should be 2:45 (TV ratings decision). I am fine with this, but the hour or 90 minutes they ran at Long Beach last year was too short.

[prototype]

Just beat me to the Long Beach point.

[The Badger]

I would travel to a lot more races , for example Monza Fia Gt , but not for a sprint . Its just not worth the effort for me .

I voted for 1000 or 6 hours .

[Hugewally]

Originally Posted by prototype

For me I wish that all races were atleast 1000km or 6 hours.

I think the ALMS is trying to reach the fringe fan, so have decided the average race should be 2:45 (TV ratings decision). I am fine with this, but the hour or 90 minutes they ran at Long Beach last year was too short.

2:45 is decided by the cost of TV time - nothing more.

[cptkablamo]

6 Hours or a 1000k...

I barely consider it a race unless it is 1000k...

I understand why the others have opted for more of 'sprint' format and I guess there does need to be variety in race lengths - but my preference is definately the longer version of the game...

[Pingguest]

I prefer the format of 1000 KM or 6 hours. Sportscar racing was found as a championship for manufactures and endurance races, as Formula 1 was found for the opposite: a championship for drivers and with short races.

[Speed-King]

I am a bit torn on this one. While I like the longer endurance races, the sprint races appeal to me as well. I think the LMS should stay with at least their four classical enduros (Monza, Silverstone, Spa, N'Ring), but I'd rather see 3-4 sprint races instead of the two other non-traditional enduros. For once to have more race weekends, as the breaks between them are awfully long, and on the other hand to allow them to share a weekend with some other series to raise the public awareness for the series. And I would love to see a prototype sprint race at the Norisring.
I'm fine with the ALMS's mix of sprint and endurance races, only they should maybe think about making the Road America even a proper 500 mile event.

As for the FIA GT: I'm also quite happy with their two hour format, that way they don't get too much into the way of the LMS.

And a last thought: Two of the greatest sportscar series ever (at least from what I'm told) were sprint series: CAN-AM and DRM, so there's nothing wrong with sportscar sprint races, and I would love to see a LMP-sprint series (1 driver, 90 minutes).

[isynge]

Longer races do it for me.

The periodic supersprint, like the Norisring of old, has its place, but in the main it's the concept of long distance sportscar racing, or endurance racing, that really appeal.

That's not to say that a short race is valueless - I enjoy ALMS races just as much as the next man, but for the same reason as test match cricket is ultimately more absorbing than 20:20 1,000km and upwards holds the real fascination.

[Justin Moran]

Endurance for me too. Anything under 6 hours isnt really endurance is it? I remember the FIA dropping the distances at the end of GpC to 500Km, sprint for a sportscar! If you binned it you had no chance of getting back anything at least in a 6 hr race you can spend 15-30 mins in pit time and still get a result!

[isynge]

Originally Posted by C9/89

Endurance for me too. Anything under 6 hours isnt really endurance is it? I remember the FIA dropping the distances at the end of GpC to 500Km, sprint for a sportscar! If you binned it you had no chance of getting back anything at least in a 6 hr race you can spend 15-30 mins in pit time and still get a result!

I found Jaguar's practice in 1991 of basically running a two car team with three drivers said it all about the shortcomings of the short races (380km if I remember rightly). If a single driver can do a whole race then it's not top flight sportscar racing.

[Mal]

I prefer Endurance races, but I do think that the LMS championship would benefit from a mixture. Maybe as Speed King says with the 4 classic 6 hour events plus a couple of 3 hours sprints maybe on tighter tracks (or a European street circuit) to let the LMP2 cars mix it up a bit to make for exciting races, and maybe make the flyaway event a 10 or 12 hours race to make the trip more worthwile.

[AstonGeoff]

Originally Posted by Mal

I prefer Endurance races, but I do think that the LMS championship would benefit from a mixture. Maybe as Speed King says with the 4 classic 6 hour events plus a couple of 3 hours sprints maybe on tighter tracks (or a European street circuit) to let the LMP2 cars mix it up a bit to make for exciting races, and maybe make the flyaway event a 10 or 12 hours race to make the trip more worthwile.

oh no, he mentioned the flyaway race aaaaggghhhh

But I've always liked the idea of a 12 hour race somewhere in Europe, preferably Silvestone or Spa. And 1000k/6hrs has to be the minimum. And I don't think Sportscars should appear on street circuits, thats just not their natural habitat!

[SebringMG]

Mix it up!! While i like the odd endurance race i would also like to see sprint races in emerging markets - for the majority of the great unwashed public a six hour event is too long for them to maintain attention span, unfortunately it is this market you have to appeal to for marketing, income etc......

While the endurance format is good - looking at it honestly the best racing for the past few years has been seen in the ALMS with its semi-sprint racing, although the longer events there have been awesome - partly down to better quality teams i don't doubt to a certain extent tho i think the LMS will overtake the ALMS in terms of quality teams for the first time this year....

[brielga]

endurance all the way, 8 x 1000 km races, 2 10 to 12 hours (Sebring and petit?) and Le Mans (and ideally retake Daytona from the Ugly Empire ;-)).

[Pingguest]

Well, I'd like to see a championship with two 24 hour races, one 12 hour race, eight 1000 kilometres race and a sprint race with a Grand Prix distance (305-310 kilometres). That would be really perfect.

[The Tour]

Originally Posted by brielga

endurance all the way, 8 x 1000 km races, 2 10 to 12 hours (Sebring and petit?) and Le Mans (and ideally retake Daytona from the Ugly Empire ;-)).

Spot on my man!!!

If all the rules and regs were the same we would also love to see 2 or 3 rounds from each of the LMS and ALMS being part of a World Champs thus encouraging more teams to compete on both sides of the pond for a few rounds at least. Oh, this is a completely different subject but youve got me started now

[GTfour]

Deffinitly 6 hour races. The odd sprintrace is not to bad,but when we saw this at Zolder last year,there was this partly unsatisfied feeling when the flag dropped...

What I really love about longdistance racing,is that the public(us) really can take all the time to walk around the track to visit all the good vantage points. Allthough at Le Mans we allways manage somehow to not have enough time to see everything....

[FIRE]

I prefer a mixture of sprint and endurance races. Besides the 5 endurance races (1000km/6h) LMS should add 2 or 3 sprint races (500km/3h).

[Bernard Bram]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

I think the LMS should stay with at least their four classical enduros (Monza, Silverstone, Spa, N'Ring), but I'd rather see 3-4 sprint races instead of the two other non-traditional enduros. For once to have more race weekends, as the breaks between them are awfully long, and on the other hand to allow them to share a weekend with some other series to raise the public awareness for the series. And I would love to see a prototype sprint race at the Norisring.

I second that. Especially the Norisring bit

[AU N EGL]

If NASCAR can do 4,5 and the occasional 600 mile race, then heck yah

Bring on the 1000 km races.

IMO

Mostly 1000 km
a few shorter 2:45 min for street circuit races,

two 12 hour and one 24 hour races.

[JAG]

My ideal calendar, money no object:-

5 LMS 1000k races
Le Mans
Sebring
PLM
Laguna Seca
Shanghai (huge potential)

...................and a big money sprint race at Norisring!

[Stefvh]

I'd replace Laguna Seca by Spa.

[1969MGCGTdriver]

Originally Posted by Stefvh

I'd replace Laguna Seca by Spa.

why? Spa could be included in the LMS events. And why would you want to remove the corkscrew from the world championship??

I would just like to add: NO STREET COURSES!!! Okay, maybe just 1...I HATE Houston & St. Pete, but maybe, just maybe, Long Beach could be on the list as a sprint race.