IMSA TUSC 2015 Entries, Schedule, and Rumors

[Purist]

I think that all the new LMP2 coupes, which the HPD ARX-04b is one, are to the new specs, like the Lotus T128s, the Dome S103, and the Ligier JS P2. It shouldn't be a problem for them to keep running for a number of seasons.

I'm glad to see such interest in the LMP2s, and I think this tips the scales toward IMSA having a NEED to MAKE the LMP2s more able to RACE with the DPs.

JJ09, giving GTD the ABS and TC could put them too close to the GTLM pace. If this GTE Evo thing happens, that might not be an issue anymore.

Keeping largely the same schedule, these are some adjustments I would like to see.
1. Daytona 24
2. Sebring 12
3. Long Beach (P/GTLM)
4. Laguna Seca (P/GTLM/GTD) (PC/Lites)
5. Lime Rock (GTD)
6. Detroit (P/PC)
7. Watkins Glen 6
8. Mosport (P/GTLM/GTD)
9. Indy (all classes, assuming they keep to the layout they used in 2012-13)
10. Road America
11. Austin
12. VIRginia
13. Road Atlanta 1000

I wish Detroit wasn't at the height of Le Mans prep, so that the GTLMs could take part.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Christian Mogami

Wrong version.....L5 ordered the LMP1 ARX-04a but then it was delayed and finally L5 closed it's doors.

Gotta be honest, I don't think they actually ordered the 04a...I'm actually almost positive it never even left the CAD phase.

If I'm wrong so be it, but, I'm sure they ordered the new P2 with the lack of P1 going forward.

[rich07]

I'm hoping for Risi to return with a strong lineup and Aston to compete in GTLM with a factory car. Really there are no excuses not for them to be there except for funding-but I can't help them with that.

[Accident]

We just need some LMP2 teams or chassis manufacturers working on stuffing the current Chevy/Ford motors into the back of a few of these new coupes.

[BullMan]

Originally Posted by Accident

We just need some LMP2 teams or chassis manufacturers working on stuffing the current Chevy/Ford motors into the back of a few of these new coupes.

They aren't going to do that as long as there are a bunch of other better, tested options. Now if Ford or Chevy gives them money to do it, sure, but Ford can't be bothered to do anything but NASCAR and Chevy runs the GTE Vettes.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by jasonjessica09

Do you think there will be any new DP entries? I personally think no. That it will be the same Corvettte and Ford teams we have this year.

I could see Ganassi or Shank or Action Express trying to add a second full time car next season. On a similar vein, what is the status of the HPD lump Starworks was trying to get in a DP? Could they show up next season? Or what about the new Coyote bodywork?

Originally Posted by Accident

We just need some LMP2 teams or chassis manufacturers working on stuffing the current Chevy/Ford motors into the back of a few of these new coupes.

Ford could easily work with a P2 manufacturer to get the Ecoboost in the back, but they seem content with their DP route for now.

[Maelochs]

Ford has no reason to choose any other team than five-time champs Ganassi, and no reason not to choose the dominant Riley DP platform.

[Gulf]

Originally Posted by Salamus

OAK Racing is here in 2014 to get potential entries for next year right? So I hope at least one team buys a Morgan LM P2.



A sub-par American sportscar championship is better for the health of global sportscar racing than not having one.

I disagree the sooner Tuscar dies the sooner something great hopefully run by people who actually care about sports car racing can take over. If fans keep propping this s*** up because it's the only game in town the longer we are going to be stuck with it.

Also if Tuscar was dead the WEC could run Sebring maybe even Daytona (unlikely) and that would make the WEC stronger.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Gulf

I disagree the sooner Tuscar dies the sooner something great hopefully run by people who actually care about sports car racing can take over. If fans keep propping this s*** up because it's the only game in town the longer we are going to be stuck with it.

Also if Tuscar was dead the WEC could run Sebring maybe even Daytona (unlikely) and that would make the WEC stronger.

Please hold your breath!





L.P.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Gulf

I disagree the sooner Tuscar dies the sooner something great hopefully run by people who actually care about sports car racing can take over. If fans keep propping this s*** up because it's the only game in town the longer we are going to be stuck with it.

Also if Tuscar was dead the WEC could run Sebring maybe even Daytona (unlikely) and that would make the WEC stronger.

Just a FYI, but if IMSA fails you will be left with nothing. And it is also obvious that you have done no research on how we ended up in this position!

[joeb]

Looks like we can expect to see at least one Ligier in TUSC next season with a chance of a team debuting this season.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/d...-and-reliable/

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Just a FYI, but if IMSA fails you will be left with nothing. And it is also obvious that you have done no research on how we ended up in this position!

You mean left with nothing, like when Can Am died, and IMSA GT died, and IMSA GTP and WSC, and Grand Am, and ALMS, PSCR and......

There will be something that will come out of the ashes, once this too runs it's course.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

You mean left with nothing, like when Can Am died, and IMSA GT died, and IMSA GTP and WSC, and Grand Am, and ALMS, PSCR and......

There will be something that will come out of the ashes, once this too runs it's course.

Be waiting awhile on that!








L.P.

[Purist]

Fogel, the difference now, and it's a major complication, is that ISC/NASCAR now have Daytona, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, and the lease agreement for holding the Sebring 12 Hours. You're kind of hosed as an attempted start-up North American Sportscar series if you can't get any of those events on your series' calendar.

Just a note on my earlier post, as looking again at the current schedule, I should have listed Austin after VIR.

[Gulf]

Originally Posted by Purist

Fogel, the difference now, and it's a major complication, is that ISC/NASCAR now have Daytona, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, and the lease agreement for holding the Sebring 12 Hours. You're kind of hosed as an attempted start-up North American Sportscar series if you can't get any of those events on your series' calendar.

Just a note on my earlier post, as looking again at the current schedule, I should have listed Austin after VIR.

That's why the series has to fail 1st. It's not like nascar will not let someone else try out of spite.... Well maybe.

[Breitling24]

Originally Posted by Purist

Fogel, the difference now, and it's a major complication, is that ISC/NASCAR now have Daytona, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, and the lease agreement for holding the Sebring 12 Hours. You're kind of hosed as an attempted start-up North American Sportscar series if you can't get any of those events on your series' calendar.

...and if/when TUSC entries start to go away, will they run NASCAR divisions at those tracks?
Wondering...

[Lanky Turtle]

Originally Posted by joeb

On a similar vein, what is the status of the HPD lump Starworks was trying to get in a DP? Could they show up next season?

They're supposed to be back on track for Road America. I think if they can get things going well to finish out this year they'll be back for '15.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by Gulf

That's why the series has to fail 1st. It's not like nascar will not let someone else try out of spite.... Well maybe.

The last thing NASCAR wants to do is see this series fail. It would be a huge waste of money if that happened.

Originally Posted by Breitling24

...and if/when TUSC entries start to go away, will they run NASCAR divisions at those tracks?
Wondering...

I can see NASCAR holding races at Road Atlanta in the future. It is basically a better version of Sonoma.

-----------------

To get back on topic. I wonder if Sahlen's of Stevenson will return next year. And I hope someone brings new GT3 machinery to GTD.

[Maelochs]

Whole lot of things wrong wrong with TUSC, but a whole lot of things wrong without TUSC.

Who is really ready to put up the cash to start6 a new series idf even NASCAR can't make sports cars work? What TV network will be willing to broadcast races if NASCAR can't even get its buddies at Fox to show all the races live, let alone on a channel anyone actually gets? How many sponsors are going to sighn up knowing that even with NASCAR backign, the TUSC sponsors ended up getting crappy RoI, and now the series is streamed on the Internet ... maybe?

Why would NASCAR sell any tracks, or the lease to Sebring? They sure aren't selling Daytona--that's obvious. Road Atlanta can be a Cup race, or a housing project as the economy comes back. Watkins Glen can generate rental fees, as can Sebring--so Maybe a new sports car series could rent those tracks.

I kind of think NASCAR intends to eventually control all motor racing entertainment in North America--it's their metier, why not have a monopoly?

Another possibility--if TUSC fails NASCAR might reintroduce "DTM America," with relativley cheap, spec chassis, sealed motors, and "manufacture styling cues" bodywork (where have we heard that before?)---even more a NASCAR sports car series than Rolex or TUSC.

If NASCAR makes it easy for major manufacturers to get on board and guarantees parity so everyone has a chance at winning ... "Sports car racing" might come to mean 2600- rather than 3600-lb tube-framed spec chassis and motors with different grille decals saying Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Chevy, Ford, BMW, Audi ...

Don't think there could be anything worse than TUSC? I'm not so sure---and not very eager to find out.

[Breitling24]

Originally Posted by Salamus

I can see NASCAR holding races at Road Atlanta in the future. It is basically a better version of Sonoma.

Agreed, especially after the "NASCAR changes" were made to course they run at Sonoma. Leads to one wonder what changes would be made at RA, no?

[Purist]

A lot of the changes at Sears Point in 1998-02 were made with an eye toward the AMA Superbikes also.

Thankfully, I don't think they'd have reason to change the layout at Road Atlanta, and there are good reasons not to mess with it. The "stock cars" need that back stretch intact, while any short course could only truncate it, and it would eliminate some viewing points, as well as infield parking/camping. Removing the Turn 4-7 section of Sears Point lets NASCAR fill up the track more, whereas a short course at Road Atlanta would have the opposite effect.

[TRspitfirefan]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Whole lot of things wrong wrong with TUSC, but a whole lot of things wrong without TUSC.

Who is really ready to put up the cash to start6 a new series idf even NASCAR can't make sports cars work? What TV network will be willing to broadcast races if NASCAR can't even get its buddies at Fox to show all the races live, let alone on a channel anyone actually gets? How many sponsors are going to sighn up knowing that even with NASCAR backign, the TUSC sponsors ended up getting crappy RoI, and now the series is streamed on the Internet ... maybe?

Why would NASCAR sell any tracks, or the lease to Sebring? They sure aren't selling Daytona--that's obvious. Road Atlanta can be a Cup race, or a housing project as the economy comes back. Watkins Glen can generate rental fees, as can Sebring--so Maybe a new sports car series could rent those tracks.

I kind of think NASCAR intends to eventually control all motor racing entertainment in North America--it's their metier, why not have a monopoly?

Another possibility--if TUSC fails NASCAR might reintroduce "DTM America," with relativley cheap, spec chassis, sealed motors, and "manufacture styling cues" bodywork (where have we heard that before?)---even more a NASCAR sports car series than Rolex or TUSC.

If NASCAR makes it easy for major manufacturers to get on board and guarantees parity so everyone has a chance at winning ... "Sports car racing" might come to mean 2600- rather than 3600-lb tube-framed spec chassis and motors with different grille decals saying Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Chevy, Ford, BMW, Audi ...

Don't think there could be anything worse than TUSC? I'm not so sure---and not very eager to find out.

It isn't just sportscar racing that is threatened. ALL American motorsport appears to be in decline. NHRA has been struggling for quite awhile, INDYCAR continues to falter, even the once mighty NASCAR is experiencing a massive decrease in attendance and TV ratings. It's almost shocking how many empty seats are visible in the recent CUP Series broadcasts.
People are simply losing interest in the modern style of car racing.
In my opinion, the solution to this is to appeal to the public's fascination with Technology and electronic gizmos.
Race cars need to be awesome marvels of modern engineering. The current trend of cars that are more of an appliance, simply a means of going racing, just isn't capturing the public's imagination anymore.
Of all the types of American Motorsport, sports car racing is the best suited to survive into the future.....IF it's taken in the right direction.

[TRspitfirefan]

Originally Posted by Accident

We just need some LMP2 teams or chassis manufacturers working on stuffing the current Chevy/Ford motors into the back of a few of these new coupes.

I'm wondering if chevy will continue to race the same DP bodywork next season. The styling cues are taken from the C6 model, so it would be kind of silly to continue with the same car until 2017, with the C6 long out of production.
So, will GM go to the expense of designing a new set of bodywork, decorated to resemble the C7? Perhaps dropping an engine into a P2 chassis would be a better choice.
(Wishful thinking, I know. )

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Yep

NASCAR ratings and attendance: In a free fall and getting worse every year

Everything else in American Motorsport: Borderline non-existent and irrelevant getting out-drawn by South Park re-runs on Comedy Central at midnight and infomercials.

Although Laguna numbers on FS1 were especially atrocious and since that's the only data we've got for TUSC we can assume those are typical, and if so even Indycar is in a position to be laughing down at TUSC. I wonder just how terribly the series does when it's on FS2

[Accident]

Originally Posted by BullMan

They aren't going to do that as long as there are a bunch of other better, tested options. Now if Ford or Chevy gives them money to do it, sure, but Ford can't be bothered to do anything but NASCAR and Chevy runs the GTE Vettes.

I was thinking more for figuring things out ahead of whatever happens in 2016/2017. If the series is looking like it is going to go the P2 route, then I would think someone might see as an opportunity to get ahead early. While the factory approved/supported teams won't be switching away from the DPs, perhaps someone else might see it as an opportunity.

Gainsco has said they want to return in 2015 and they have ties with Chevy. With DPs being much more expensive now, maybe a P2 might look more attractive when Mr. Stallings needs to choose what kind of car to buy.

Whatever sort of chassis the future brings, I'd be willing to bet there will be a Chevy and/or Ford powering a few of them. Would hope that the P2 chassis showing that they can work with the American engines might also help the case in pushing for P2.

Originally Posted by Salamus

To get back on topic. I wonder if Sahlen's of Stevenson will return next year. And I hope someone brings new GT3 machinery to GTD.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sahlens guys back in GTD if the series can show that it's working good and has a future. The pro/am format works with them, and they have experience running GT cars.

I don't expect to see Stevenson coming back any time soon, but I would be happy to be wrong. I just don't think any of the current classes appeal to them.