Quote:
Originally Posted by jjvincent
Here's the problem....
As you can see, a 46-83% increase in IMSA costs with a decrease of 37.5% in IMSA give back, means, the class dies off. With the prize money and the entry fees, IMSA is telling the ST teams, go away or join TCR. Again, we will flush out the old and hope for the new. Same thing we did with GS. Tell everyone that it's too hard and expensive to build your own car so we have the answer. It's GT4 even though the running costs end up being more.
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Do you think that when Koni/Conti challenge was being run by Grand Am it was being propped up by the mother ship (NASCAR) and now that it's IMSA and NASCAR doesn't have to subsidize it per say, they have to be profitable? Hence costs going up and "savings" not matching the increase in the slightest. I have no idea if Grand Am was or wasn't profitable for the series BTW, just going off "popular opinion"
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjvincent
The real problem is the competition with other series'. IMSA used to be the top dog but now there are so many other places for people to spend their money, they don;t look at IMSA or even PWC as a place where when you run, you are a "pro" or "made it". It's just another series. Mark my words, in 5 years when all of these current TCR, GT4 and GT3 cars will be too old to race because the manufacturers will force teams to upgrade to the new model, someone out there will make a new home for them and do an endurance series. It's already happening right now with the great IMSA purge of GS and ST cars.
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If someone in the USA could put together a series like the VLN in the states it seems like a no-brainer. As you say there are plenty of teams and cars. Throw together a series with a ton of classes (including grassroots...there's a VW Corrado that runs VLN!), do away with driver ratings, offer real prize money...profit? (or at least break even)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund
Frankly, if you're not worried about the GTD class then you either don't care about it either way or don't have the facts (not throwing stones at you in particular chernaudi!). The writings been on the wall for a couple seasons.
-mike
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As a guy who has a does run these series over the years, what do you think is an ideal solution? Is it simply fix the sneaky silver issues or does it require a complete class revamp?