Quote:
Originally Posted by JAG
The first thing to deal with is the world, and sport, have changed dramatically since 2008. Yesterday saw some positive developments for the series, steps that need to be taken before we can hope to get back to grids like 2008, to dismiss it out of hand as expensive club racing..............it's not an accurate description and doesn't acknowledge how series grow and attract factory interest over time, rarely does a series start from day one with factory teams, there were unique reasons why the ALMS did.
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The world hasn't changed since 2008, it is the same as it has been for centuries. Cycles, fear, greed and so on. The Sport, yes it has changed, due to the creation of the WEC taking away the Professional LMP teams, and factory teams.
How do sportscar series grow then in the modern era?
FIA GT was due to factory interest, as it grew from BPR. The ALMS had factory interest. The WEC had factory interest. LMS had Audi factory interest, and a desire to race in Europe... FIA GT in it's latest changes had factory interest... hmmmm
Rarely do series see all of the money and manufacturer support leave, and survive without a complete reorganization. This has been deteriorating for many years, and continues to. There has been no catalyst for change to make it professional again, in fact the opposite.
I'm sorry that you do not agree this is expensive club racing, but I fail to see it as much else. ONE amateur LMP team, with PRO drivers... the rest are filled with amateurs, and ride buyers. I'll admit, Chris Dyson is a VERY GOOD amateur, as good as the sport has seen. But that doesn't change our reality. It doesn't matter how fast the cars are, or how expensive they are, how pretty the transport trucks are, if the pro teams aren't there, it isn't pro racing anymore. If it isn't pro racing, it is amateur aka, club racing. That is what it has started to become, and that trend will continue.
What you call positive changes, are for numbers in the LMP2 category only, but they just reinforce what the series has become. By the start of the season, we shall still see real ACO cars drop in numbers year/year. If down is the new up... fair enough.
2008 Laguna 18 all pro teams
2009 Laguna 12
2010 Laguna 11
2011 Laguna 12
2012 Laguna 8..
2013 4-6....
PSCR had some interesting cars, but the fan attendance eroded, and there was no chance of factory involvement without change... that change was the ALMS. Sportscar racing won't die, but like it always has, the cycle has run it's course, and it requires a new rebirth in North America. It will survive as amateur hour as long as it fancies Panoz, or until someone finally pays too much for it.