IMSA set to ruin GTD?
#31
#32
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From: Exit Row seats
Yeah Mike I definitely agree on that but everyone sees Bernie Ecclestone and thinks they can do the same thing. My race team is a sustainable enterprise mostly because of my dealer and media stuff being able to open doors that other teams can't. It's immensely harder to break even in sports cars than run profitable dealer groups!
#33
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/au...or-new-r8-lms/
Speaking to Sportscar365, Romolo Liebchen, Head of Audi Sport customer racing, said multiple deals are in the process of being finalized that will likely see the German manufacturer be well represented on the GT Daytona class grid.
Despite Audi being firmly invested to the new-look GTD class, Liebchen has expressed concerns of the category not living up to its full potential, given IMSA’s limitation of manufacturer involvement to its Automotive Partners only.
“I’m a little worried about the situation of the entry fees IMSA is asking for the manufacturers,” he said. “I have the feeling that not everybody will pay for it.
“This is not a good thing because maybe we will be missing one, two or three brands. But I’ve only heard rumors.”
Speaking to Sportscar365, Romolo Liebchen, Head of Audi Sport customer racing, said multiple deals are in the process of being finalized that will likely see the German manufacturer be well represented on the GT Daytona class grid.
Despite Audi being firmly invested to the new-look GTD class, Liebchen has expressed concerns of the category not living up to its full potential, given IMSA’s limitation of manufacturer involvement to its Automotive Partners only.
“I’m a little worried about the situation of the entry fees IMSA is asking for the manufacturers,” he said. “I have the feeling that not everybody will pay for it.
“This is not a good thing because maybe we will be missing one, two or three brands. But I’ve only heard rumors.”
#35
Seriously though, I get it. PC is the ticket into the big show, but my comments are from the average fan/spectator perspective. They always seem to be in the middle of the GT battles on track, and unlike GTD who seems to typically get out of the way of GTLM, PC and GTLM seem to clash often. Plus, nobody really identifies or cares about those cars (from a fan perspective, no disrespect to the PC teams/drivers).
With GTLM getting faster, and assuming GTD will still be faster...I wonder how PC fits back in again. They seem to have less mechanical grip, and now with GTLM having more aero...makes me wonder if PC will be even more problematic. BOP in that series must be a miserable job....
I'd much rather see a bunch of standard spec 991 GT3 Cup cars in their place, but I also realize DPi/P2 needs their feeder as well.
I guess that is why I am pulling for PWC to add a couple enduros, because (WEC aside) I prefer watching all-GT races these days, and why I love Blancpain so much. The crash-prone standing starts are a disaster when you run 50-60 minute sprint races, glad to see PWC got rid of them all together.
Plus, I much prefer your in-car video from a 458 Italia.
I believe the Lambo is priced very attractively compared to it's competition, and has a year of racing under it's belt. Both probably reasons for it's sudden popularity.
Last edited by Mvez; 11-06-2015 at 05:50 PM.
#36
From PWC:
"The alliance is today confirmed with the announcement of the first GT3-only endurance race in North America with a six-hour race at the Circuit of the Americas scheduled for March 5, 2016. Independent from the Blancpain GT Series in Europe, the race will be part of the planned Intercontinental Challenge, which will bring together the Liqui Moly 12 Hours of Bathurst in Australia, the Total 24 Hours of Spa in Europe and the 12 Hours of Sepang in Asia; all races where a GT3 class will be the overall winning class. The US round will also be open to GTS/GT4 cars."
http://www.world-challenge.com/news/...new-rules.html
"The alliance is today confirmed with the announcement of the first GT3-only endurance race in North America with a six-hour race at the Circuit of the Americas scheduled for March 5, 2016. Independent from the Blancpain GT Series in Europe, the race will be part of the planned Intercontinental Challenge, which will bring together the Liqui Moly 12 Hours of Bathurst in Australia, the Total 24 Hours of Spa in Europe and the 12 Hours of Sepang in Asia; all races where a GT3 class will be the overall winning class. The US round will also be open to GTS/GT4 cars."
http://www.world-challenge.com/news/...new-rules.html