Werksracer

Does anyone know why Porsche, or at least a factory-supported team, doesn't race the GT2 in
the GTS category of the ALMS?

I'd love to see a Turbo Porsche out there battling the Corvette & Saleen.

Is there a reason why no one is Racing a Turbo-Charged Porsche? Talking about a Serious/Top level team.


Sc
Modesto Ca

Jo

Well, there is a belgian team, PSI Motorsport, that races Porsche 996 in the GTS class in the FIA GT championships. However, it is a converted Turbo and not a GT2. Unfortunately they have withdrawn from further racing due to lack of money (the Spa 24 Hours was to expensive).
I guess the reason why there hasn't been a factory GT2RS could be that Porsche already has a successful racer on the tracks in the GT3RS thats gives enough publicity and the introduction of a GT2RS (or whatever they would call it) could cause a bit confusion -they are basically the same car, at least visualy...
Also, the development of the Cayenne is a reason because it needs all capacity of the factory, including the race department who also works on the Carrera GT. The Cayenne is the reason why Porsche withdrew from all top level motorsport in the first place.
It's still strange though that they don't compete with the GT2 when they have the car ready and homologated.

/Jo

M758

Heard from a local source that a few race teams like Franz Konrad and others purchased GT2s for racing. Maybe we will see them in 2003???

Greg Fishman

The last factory GT-2 Porsche race car was the 993. Unfortunately it is outclassed by the competition. Larry Scumacher ran his at the Rolex 24hrs a couple years ago (2000, I think) for the last time and he was up pretty high overall. The car is at least 6 years old, which is way past the half-life of most race cars.

Joe@Fabspeed

The factory should have evolved the 1998 GT1 EVO and ran it hard in GTS. But they didnt. The Saleen and Viper and Corvette CR5 are bullet fast and reliable.........Porsche will need a GT1 like effort to beat these cars as they are GT1/GTP like cars.

God I am looking forward to the day.........Porsche rolls out some wicked Turboed faster than hell car.......when that happens its time to packup and hear it whistle and pop shoot 6' flames like Al Holberts Lowenbrau Special! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Bob C.

Before the current GT2 went into production, Jürgen Barth commented that Porsche would never race it. He said that the cost of making it competitive against the likes of Viper and Corvette were prohibitive (the comments were made before the debut of the Saleen).

Frankly, the better choice in GTS would be the Carrera GT. The ACO regs which were announced at Le Mans in June would allow the car to compete in the GTS class next year. Of course, Porsche has recently announced that they won't race it either. I suppose the decision is hardly surprising given the current leadership at Porsche.

Let's hope a well-funded privateer comes along and does the right thing.

pig4bill

At a cost of $400k just for the street car I can't imagine anyone wanting to spend the money to make it into a competitive racer.

M758

The Saleen S7 Street Car is also about $300-$400k. Of course they do get factory support although the Saleen factory is tiny compared to Porsche.

Geoffrey

Is one of the reasons they aren't racing in GTS because of the restrictions put on Turbo cars which make them uncompetitive?

E. J. - 993 Alumni

There is nothing street about the current GTS classes. Chevrolet (not really, Pratt and Whitney) spent 18 months in development of that chassis. Is it as far removed as you can get from a streetcar and not have a carbon fiber tub. I know that when Prodrive preps the 575 maranellos for the GTS clas, they remover every body panel and throw them away, to be replaced by CF parts. They cut the tub right in front of the firewall and weld in a tubular frame chassis that incorporates the engine mounting points and the suspension pick up points.

Bottom line is that these are real big race shops spending really big dollars on these race cars. Hell, I ws dissapointed last year and this year when the GT1s couldnt run with the vettes in the 24 hours of daytona. Think about that - they were the fastest cars and won LeMans in only 1998 at the top class. They went through a major revision and still weren't competitive in GTS class 4 years later. No way for a GT2 to run in that class - period.

I would like to see the GT2 remain somewhat stock (like a GT3RS) and race the PTG and BMW AG factory M3 V8s in GT3 (gt)class. That would be great.

E. J.

Sloth

[quote]Originally posted by E. J.:
<strong>
I would like to see the GT2 remain somewhat stock (like a GT3RS) and race the PTG and BMW AG factory M3 V8s in GT3 (gt)class. That would be great.

E. J.</strong><hr></blockquote>


I am pretty sure that turbos are not allowed in GT (ALMS & Grand AM), same with the factory built V8 M3's. I am not sure the logic behind the M5 powered M3 running GT in Grand Am, but till it is a true threat I doubt anybody would contest it. There was one GT3 running in GTS (Grand Am) w/o restrictors, they were probably trying to get points through atrition.

Greg Fishman

Hey Ej,
Read the rule book. LOL! Sloth is right, no forced induction is allowed in the GT class.

Bob C.

[quote]Originally posted by Sloth:
<strong>


I am pretty sure that turbos are not allowed in GT (ALMS & Grand AM), same with the factory built V8 M3's. I am not sure the logic behind the M5 powered M3 running GT in Grand Am, but till it is a true threat I doubt anybody would contest it. There was one GT3 running in GTS (Grand Am) w/o restrictors, they were probably trying to get points through atrition.</strong><hr></blockquote>

As you said, Grand-Am allows turbos in GTS but not GT. However, ALMS (per ACO regs) allows turbos in both GTS and GT.

The factory-built M3 GTR *could* compete in ALMS (not Grand-Am), but it would be heavily penalized for not having met homologation requirements: ballast (100kg, max for 2002) and air restrictor (-20%, max for 2002).

IMHO, the M5 powered M3 is allowed to run for no better reason than to fill the field. The same can be said for the Mosler. Only 23 cars are entered for this weekend's race at Mont Tremblant. Five or six of them are field-fillers from Grand-Am Cup. ...two SRP 1, one SRP 2... It's sad.

I know Jack Lewis ran a GT3-Cup car in the GTS class at a couple races. Another team (can't recall which) has competed in GTS in a GT3 R. It probably makes sense because there are sometimes only one or two cars in the GTS class. The GT class, on the other hand, has had the strongest competition this year.

Bob C.

[quote]Originally posted by E. J.:
<strong>Chevrolet (not really, Pratt and Whitney)...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Wait a minute, aren't they the airplane engine guys? Pratt & *Miller* are the GTS Corvette guys.



The rumor is that they're involved in building a privateer *GT* class Corvette to compete against the Porsches next year. ...probably for MCR. The ALMS GT class could be interesting in 2003. ...M3s for PTG, Vettes for MCR, 350Zs for Nissan, perhaps a couple 360s. I hope a few of the rumors come true.

<a href="http://www.chapman3.com/images/vroomvroom/mosport2002/mos_sat_0126.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.chapman3.com/images/vroomvroom/mosport2002/mos_sat_0126.jpg</a>

E. J. - 993 Alumni

Hey guys, pull your heads out of the rule books and realize that I know turbos are not allowed in the GT class. I was talking hypothetically of course.

Bob, I of course meant Pratt and Miller, my bad...

I agree that the GT class could be quite fun next year.

As for the M5 powered M3 running in GT class in Grand Am:

1. They are hurting for entries - hell, I could probably eneter my wife's C-class in the next race.
2. It is a 'stock' car with a 'stock' engine actually produced by BMW. Just because a bunch of guys got together one weekend to shoehorn an M5 motor into a stock M3 doesnt mean they cant race in the Grand Am GT class. We need to get to gether and shoehorn a Cayenne turbo V8 into a (gulp!) 996 and go race Grand Am. Sounds like fun.

E. J.