What Happened to GT1?

[pitviper]

have to disagree on that last one... in 1995, a car (Maclaren) won LeMans that was quite exactly what you described an ideal GT1 to be, Road car first, Race car second. And a little modified one at that...

pit

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by Purist

I think I said this before, but anyway, I think it could really help if the rules were augmented to allow old AGTs and Trans-Am cars to run in GT1.

If that happened Chevy would walk away, they have said they want nothing to do with tube frame GT1.

I don't know what purpose-built prototypes have to do with Detroit not running LMPs. Purpose-built cars, as far as I'm concerned, have won Le Mans every year since at least 1954.
[/QUOTE]

Not the chassis, the engines, powering the vehicles.
Ford and Chevy both got their most famous wins, in the old World Championship of Makes, with high performance prod. engines.

[duke_toaster]

I seriously hope that there is an end to any tube fraud GT cars.

[Purist]

Even if it is an engine thing, it's apparent that with real funding and support, the Lister Storm LMP (Chevy V8 badged a Lister), Chrysler-Mopar LMP (Chrysler V8), and Panoz LMP1 (Ford V8 badged Yates or Elan) would have been serious contenders in LMP900/LMP1 (yeah, Panoz won, but it's not a very big manufacturer).

[minimangler]

i agree wiv pitviper here-
the mclaren f1 was a road car turnd racer
and i dont care whether the gt1 field is all prototypers, in FIA GT the ballast and penalty system is working and everything is dandy.
do i suspect a slightly sour aston fan?
or am i just a cynic??

[minimangler]

in fact, betr thn dandy!

[Purist]

Before someone else mentions it here, purely changing up minimum weights won't fix things entirely, or reduce costs on materials. As important as the overall weight is, that placement of that weight is paramount, so use of exotic materials would continue in GT1 and/or GT2 even if the minimum weight was increased.

My thought about AGT and Trans-Am cars is simply in response to the fact that GT1 has so few cars as it is in the US. There are quite a few AGTs and Trans-Am cars lying around, and a number of them ought to be reasonably well-sorted, so why not allow pre-existing cars of that type into GT1? And to be clear, I am not proposing that we allow new "tube framers", or whatever, to be built specifically for GT1.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Purist

Before someone else mentions it here, purely changing up minimum weights won't fix things entirely, or reduce costs on materials. As important as the overall weight is, that placement of that weight is paramount, so use of exotic materials would continue in GT1 and/or GT2 even if the minimum weight was increased.

My thought about AGT and Trans-Am cars is simply in response to the fact that GT1 has so few cars as it is in the US. There are quite a few AGTs and Trans-Am cars lying around, and a number of them ought to be reasonably well-sorted, so why not allow pre-existing cars of that type into GT1? And to be clear, I am not proposing that we allow new "tube framers", or whatever, to be built specifically for GT1.

They do. in SCCA GT1. It has been a debate for a long time and will continue to be debated.

The ACO/ IMSA/ ALMS will continue to work with manufactures on car developments to show case specifice vehicals or vehical devleopment. This helps the manufctures. However, some competition adjustments are needed to help the smaller indpendent teams be competitive with the manufacture high dollar teams.

Yes we would love to see more GT1 cars, Krohn Racing with Aston Martin for 2007 is a stong possibilty.
Potentail ( but not likley ) of a new Ferrari 599 GTC.
Audi taking over the Lambo race program ( again I dont think we will see a GT1 race car)
BMWs GT1 program is on hold and not likley to get off the ground as the putt all their eggs into F1.
Honda getting into LMP2 maybe LMP1 depeding on the rules pushing high dollar teams into LMP1 and keeping LMP2 for smaller budgeted teams.
Toyota is going to NASCAR Nextel Cup soo they are not likely.
There are two smaller specialty car builders looking at getting into GT1. Sponsorship is not likely on an unproven vehical.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by Purist

Before someone else mentions it here, purely changing up minimum weights won't fix things entirely, or reduce costs on materials. As important as the overall weight is, that placement of that weight is paramount, so use of exotic materials would continue in GT1 and/or GT2 even if the minimum weight was increased.

My thought about AGT and Trans-Am cars is simply in response to the fact that GT1 has so few cars as it is in the US. There are quite a few AGTs and Trans-Am cars lying around, and a number of them ought to be reasonably well-sorted, so why not allow pre-existing cars of that type into GT1? And to be clear, I am not proposing that we allow new "tube framers", or whatever, to be built specifically for GT1.

It opens pandora's box, not that, that box, is not alreay unsealed.

Well if a more realistic minimum weight, 2,700 lbs dry, were applied, only so much can be shifted before the cars balance is gone, plus eliminate the carbon bodies and make them use material based off of the prod. car for the bodies.(The ZO6 is not legal, so neither should its carbon body be.)
The bizarre fear of adding weight to slow cars down, verses the seeming love for contrived spec. style regs., and non-street related aero aids, is odd at best.
They could simply eliminate the wings and diffuser, which would, even without restrictors, slow them down considerably.
The ACO/IMSA will not allow engines to simply produce power available because the cars might be "Too fassst" for their tender opinions, but they allow cars to gain huge amounts in cornering speeds, by allowing aero items the street cars do not have.
THey are being hypocrites at best but really a bit moronic and disingenuous.
Bob