IMSA Race 2017 Chevrolet Sports Car Classic(IMSA @ Detroit) - June 02-03

[Matt]

P, PC, and GTD cars will race in support of the Verizon Indycar Series this weekend on the streets of Detroit for a 1hr, 40min contest. 28 cars will represent the three classes in competition, and will we see Wayne Taylor Racing go 5-for-5 to start the season?

GTLM is not competing due to the upcoming Le Mans test days.

The race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2 from 12:30p to 2:30p ET

Essentials:

IMSA Radio

IMSA WSC Spotter Guide

Entry List for WSC(28 cars)

Event Schedule(at bottom of page)

Detroit, MI Weekend Weather

Track Layout:

Track Graphics c/o RacingCircuits.info

Last Years Race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7if66WUfvI

[joeb]

Thanks for starting this thread, I almost forgot there was a race this weekend!

The big question for me is if anyone can actually get in front of the Caddy's with the recent BOP adjustment. Nissan should be able to, but I'm in a wait and see mode. The Caddy's have battle through every adjustment so far this year.

[MaskedRacer]

Yeah with GTLM not running, Detroit is always the least interesting event of the entire WeatherTech series calendar. I'll have slight more interest this time though because of the quality of the GTD field and also due to the fact that IMSA decided to throw a monkey wrench in the Cadillac fleet through this weird BoP change. I'll be cheering for WTR to win again and also in GTD for Acura and Lexus to do something right this time.

The IMSA Lexus team especially needs to see how their counterparts in Europe are destroying the GT open field winning every race. I think they know they can do better. They got the car to win that's for sure.

[RWill2073]

What was the latest bop change?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

What was the latest bop change?

Smaller restrictor, 2 liters off fuel capacity and drastic restrictions to rear aero settings.

[TF110]

I predict a Mazda pole! But not a race win

[joeb]

Early practice this morning for the imsa cars. I don't expect anyone to show their cards in this first session, but listening to the cars is a great way to start the day!

[Matt]

http://results.imsa.com/Results/17_2...03_Results.PDF

FP1 results.

[chernaudi]

I guess now that we can conclude that, even though Detroit is a street circuit where mechanical grip is more important than aero or power, that the Caddy teams are just the best out there right now? I do think that their advantage, aside from Daytona, has been down to getting their cars up and running before anyone else did.

And yes, I know that GM probably have put more resources into their program than Mazda and Nissan are, but BOP is supposed to mitigate that. The Cadillac DPI teams simply have more miles and experience with their cars.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

I guess now that we can conclude that, even though Detroit is a street circuit where mechanical grip is more important than aero or power, that the Caddy teams are just the best out there right now? I do think that their advantage, aside from Daytona, has been down to getting their cars up and running before anyone else did.

And yes, I know that GM probably have put more resources into their program than Mazda and Nissan are, but BOP is supposed to mitigate that. The Cadillac DPI teams simply have more miles and experience with their cars.

Yeah, that's been the theory since Daytona. Cadillac has the best teams. Full stop. Now when Penske and Honda enter, the game is upped. Cadillac waiting for Honda is the same as Audi waiting for Porsche in the last decade.

Chris

[Akrapovic]

The Caddy advantage is everywhere. The car was finished before the others were. The engine is miles better than the Mazda, and better than the Nissan. The level the teams are at is higher than Mazda and Nissan. The drivers are better. The BoP was in their favour at Daytona.

I can't think of one thing that any of the other cars is better at than the Caddys.

[chernaudi]

Are Cadillac's teams Audi or Porsche or TMG good? I sort of doubt it (and may be impossible to judge due to different formulas between DPI and LMP1, and WTR and AXR are still more of a privateer outfit than Audi Sport Team Joest, Porsche Motorsport, or TMG) but WTR and AXR have the best support, the best drivers available, backing from a car maker that's taken DPI more seriously than others as far as playing to win, and a chassis supplied by the guys who made the Audi R8, R10, R15 and the 2011-2013 R18.

To say that Dallara didn't benefit from the experience with working with Audi Sport through the years is selling them short. Even their LM spec car, especially the nose, barrows from ideas that Audi used on the R18 last year (though Dallara had nothing directly to do with it), and the Dallara with the Gibson engine has fared well in the LMS. Giving it a beefier engine would only make an already very good car better.

I hesitate to say that GM/WTR/AXR would be doing as well, let alone any better with an Oreca or Ligier, and the Riley has really been pretty anonymous in DPI so far outside of Mazda's issues.

[Matt]

WTR are the defacto factory Cadillac team. AXR purchase the car as a customer.

[chernaudi]

Even if you're gonna call WTR a factory team, they're no more a factory team than Champion Racing was in the Audi R8 days (2001-2005). Even IMSA considered them a privateer team back then.

Also, what have Audi, Porsche, and even TMG done that WTR hasn't (yet)? Have the car maker or its motorsport arm be the main sponsor of the team.

[TF110]

3/4 the way through Practice 2 and it's a Caddy 1-2-3 with the #70 Mazda in fourth about .7 back. No one saw this coming

[carbsmith]

Trying to determine the depths of the Cadillac's sand bags is starting to feel like some sort of cosmic horror.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Are Cadillac's teams Audi or Porsche or TMG good? I sort of doubt it (and may be impossible to judge due to different formulas between DPI and LMP1, and WTR and AXR are still more of a privateer outfit than Audi Sport Team Joest, Porsche Motorsport, or TMG) but WTR and AXR have the best support, the best drivers available, backing from a car maker that's taken DPI more seriously than others as far as playing to win, and a chassis supplied by the guys who made the Audi R8, R10, R15 and the 2011-2013 R18.

To say that Dallara didn't benefit from the experience with working with Audi Sport through the years is selling them short. Even their LM spec car, especially the nose, barrows from ideas that Audi used on the R18 last year (though Dallara had nothing directly to do with it), and the Dallara with the Gibson engine has fared well in the LMS. Giving it a beefier engine would only make an already very good car better.

I hesitate to say that GM/WTR/AXR would be doing as well, let alone any better with an Oreca or Ligier, and the Riley has really been pretty anonymous in DPI so far outside of Mazda's issues.

They also rule the world of national single-seater racing for a reason. Dallara is an excellent firm who make great cars.

On the subject of FP2, I'm glad to see the VFR guys in fourth, and better than Nissan and Mazda. I was going to throw some shade in my previous post about Caddy taking the best teams. For whatever reason VFR didn't make the cut - perhaps only because of WTR's preexisting relationship with Dallara. But they certainly have looked the lowest of the ex-Corvette teams, due in part to the Riley package, but to see them the best of the rest is great! I expected them to be best of the rest from the start of the year, and I've been disappointed with their season to date.

Chris

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

They also rule the world of national single-seater racing for a reason. Dallara is an excellent firm who make great cars.

On the subject of FP2, I'm glad to see the VFR guys in fourth, and better than Nissan and Mazda. I was going to throw some shade in my previous post about Caddy taking the best teams. For whatever reason VFR didn't make the cut - perhaps only because of WTR's preexisting relationship with Dallara. But they certainly have looked the lowest of the ex-Corvette teams, due in part to the Riley package, but to see them the best of the rest is great! I expected them to be best of the rest from the start of the year, and I've been disappointed with their season to date.

Chris

I think VFR's wanting to go to LM was the clincher for them going with a global spec car instead of down the DPi route.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by Matt

I think VFR's wanting to go to LM was the clincher for them going with a global spec car instead of down the DPi route.

Possibly, but you need not run a car for the full season to be competitive at Le Mans. See Ben Keating, he has the AMG GT3 car for the full season, and is running a P2 car at Le Mans. Scuderia Corse is doing the same, albeit a 488 GT3 and GTE/LM are at least in the same family.

As I recall VFR was pursuing a DPi program fairly hard (not Cadillac) and lost out on it. The manufacturer was very likely to work with the Riley-Multimatic.

Chris

[Maelochs]

Anyone else unable to get the quali stream? Okay, there it is.

[J Jay]

The Lexus is looking good around Belle Isle...

(awaits incoming congratulatory post)

Edit - Aschenbach takes pole. Great late surge from Legge to take 2nd.

[Maelochs]

Wow .... been waiting for Kat Legge and the Acura to come good.

Stevenson .... no surprise, Sellers ... no surprise ... Pruett .... toss-up if he or Legge would have been better.

[Jonerz]

Am I wrong for being surprised by Lexus' pace?

Chris

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Can someone please find a way to allow fast forwarding during PC qualifying???

[Maelochs]

PC quali ... oh, you mean bathroom/dinner break.