Thread: FIA GT GT4 - The future...?
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Old 16 Jul 2010, 19:05 (Ref:2727727)   #25
dj4monie
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickP:Clio51 View Post
Poor execution is right, it IS a good concept but there is this constant lack of finances at SRO which means they are prepared to sell out all the current teams to get 1 or 2 more cars in, regardless of whether they fit the rules. And of course Maserati support the GT1 white elephant so they can do exactly what they like in GT4.

The balancing is done wrongly, it should be success ballast, but that's what's done in the WTCC and of course Mr Ratel can't be seen to copy Mr Lotti... because we have the situation in British GT's where the tyres don't cope with the weight of the cars very well, so while on a 1 lap we could get close to the Ginetta's, by the end of the race the tyres had gone off 4-5 secs/lap on the heavy cars, but not on the light ones. Performance balancing takes no account for this, nor the preferences of the chosen driver who 2 years ago couldn't drive a RHD car, nor would he spend any time in the Ginetta as he considered it a death trap!

Costs for the cars on here is pretty wrong, if I recall the Maser is over Euro 150k and you need one of those if you are going to win since it's the only car with a proper aero package (for obvious reasons).

Don't forget that the original N24 Astons are non-competitive, only the Mallock car (which is strictly illegal as it's an N24 with a later engine package in it I understand) is competitive of the older cars.

To be honest, I think GT4 should just abandon the SRO and go and join a proper organiser like Dick Van Elk and the Dutch Super Cars. Good length races, sensible entry fees with hospitality included, cheap, long lasting tyres (I mean, we're all on the same, so why not use tyres that can do more than 1 qually lap???) and good TV coverage???

The day I realised finally that there was no saving the SRO was when they took the whole circus to Adria. If there is a worse circuit for GT's in the World I have yet to find it.... but of course, no cost to the SRO to rent the circuit, local tourist authority actually HELPS them with costs to go there apparently... total sell-out of morals.
I couldn't agree more. Conti Challenge Races are 2:30 with a mandatory pit stop. You can opt not to change tires, but wear at some tracks is an issue so most of the powerful RWD cars will change tires during the driver change and refueling. Most of the big engined cars need a splash-and-go if there are no caution/safety car periods (RARE!).

With the Endurance Format you can have two drivers share the cost, its a win-win for everybody. GT3 works better because of this but I think its a bit contrived to have people make a mandatory 70 second pit stop for a driver change and tires. Let teams have the option of changing tires or not. You can still limit the sets per weekend, but every team should have at least one new set of tires for the race either to start on or to change to.

TV Coverage is essential to sponsorship. Conti Challenge is taped delayed its not live. That's no different than GT4's previously, it was never shown live, but it went from tape delayed to highlights only to nothing at all.

I say do what IMSA did years ago and it works - Tie it to a Tire Deal. Look for a tire company looking for larger market share. I would say those are Japanese and Korean Tire companies, why not Hankook, Falken or Kumho?

All three companies have experience supporting spec tire series.

When the Conti Challenge was called the Koni Challenge, guess who was the sole supplier of shocks and struts? Doesn't KW supply all the WTCC teams?

There are ways to give incentives and reduce cost. But they need to add a lower class like the VLN has but not so extreme. I don't see why a European series (Not a National Series) with grids of 50+ cars can't be exciting, profitable and fun for everybody involved.

If you listen to the last Ratel interview (on Facebook) it seems he's a bit of a snob when it comes to cars. He has always been into high end sports cars.

For GT4 that simply doesn't work, it just cost too much! You need to give people options! I think he tried that by allowing the Xbow, but those things are too expensive! I know there's a culture of "Track Day" extreme cars in Europe (Atom, Xbow, Radical, etc) but most of the major companies make an affordable racing Hot Hatch, instead of having large spec series, race them all together!

Imagine: Ford Focus ST, Renault Clio 200 Cup, Opel OPC Astra, VW Golf Turbo, Peugeot 207 Sport, Mini Cooper JCW, Honda Civic Type R, etc.

Since road racing is more ingrained than drag racing small cars like here in the States, you have a natural fan base with cars JUST LIKE THE ONES THEY OWN racing.

This is in fact - Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday

The series should be sold that way, the manufactures will support it because even a short run of limited edition cars they can sell not only to competitors but fans, they still makes them money.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed-King View Post
There are four door cars in the Continental series like the Audi S4 and the Subaru WRX. And then Camaros and Mustangs have a long history of competing in touring car racing in Europe, as has the BMW M3.

The only proper GT-cars in the series are actually the Porsches and there aren't even all that many of them.

Bear in mind that I am not talking about the current European series, but about what could have been if they had followed the example of the Americans. You're absolutely right, the current European series is a GT-series, but it should have been a touring car series!

They should have also added a second division for pocket-rocket cars like the Vokswagen GTI, Mazdaspeed 3, Honda Civic and smaller BMWs like it is the case in the American series.
Well the Challenge series has always been about Bronze rated drivers with maybe a few real professionals in it like Boris Said. I don't think you wanna go overboard, but let's be honest; if Porsche really wanted to win Continental Challenge they would put Porsche Jr drivers in the cars and have one of the respected Porsche teams (Alex Job, TRG, Flying Lizard) run the operation.

Porsche is fine with letting their customers race the cars without much factory help and developing young local (North American) drivers.

I wholehearted agree, listening to Americans - Blasphemy!

Since we know the (Conti) series so well Speed, how about me and you pitch it to all the GT4 teams? lol

Last edited by dj4monie; 16 Jul 2010 at 19:11.
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