IMSA: USCR 2018

[ATLFalconsFAN]

FFS, I can't believe some of the people here. We've complained (not me, as I attended in person each time) for years that WEC went to the "soul-less", "boring car-park" that is COTA. For years it has been complaint after complaint that they insist on running only at Grade 1 tracks, man, I wish they would go back to Road Atlanta, Sebring, etc.

And now that they ARE coming back to Sebring you guys would rather complain about it than be excited?!?! Maybe I need to stay away from this forum for a while, the negativity is just too much.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

FFS, I can't believe some of the people here. We've complained (not me, as I attended in person each time) for years that WEC went to the "soul-less", "boring car-park" that is COTA. For years it has been complaint after complaint that they insist on running only at Grade 1 tracks, man, I wish they would go back to Road Atlanta, Sebring, etc.

And now that they ARE coming back to Sebring you guys would rather complain about it than be excited?!?! Maybe I need to stay away from this forum for a while, the negativity is just too much.

Negativity is the 'in' thing these days. I don't know why, but it seems wherever you turn, pointing out negatives is the popular thing to do. You're right. I said the same thing about people wanting to have the WEC back at Sebring. Now they're mad because the 'real' (but not real) 12hr race is already running before them. I think the wec is a more 'real' 12hr of Sebring than the first one, but I'm not a traditionalist so maybe my opinion doesn't count!

[fieldodreams79]

Wow. Complaining about negativity when there's been plenty of it towards imsa / NA sports cars for like a decade. That's rich.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

FFS, I can't believe some of the people here. We've complained (not me, as I attended in person each time) for years that WEC went to the "soul-less", "boring car-park" that is COTA. For years it has been complaint after complaint that they insist on running only at Grade 1 tracks, man, I wish they would go back to Road Atlanta, Sebring, etc.

And now that they ARE coming back to Sebring you guys would rather complain about it than be excited?!?! Maybe I need to stay away from this forum for a while, the negativity is just too much.

At least the complaints have a solid basis - it's very clear that this was rushed into action and not planned out effectively. There are better options for how to do a US round for the WEC - even when trying to deliberately piggyback off of one of our biggest annual events.

Could it end up working? Sure. Was it the right way to go for the series? Probably not.

[Coach Ep]

As a fan I think it's great WEC returns to Sebring, their spiritual home in N-A (although I share the option of folks it's a weird proposition they came up with). However, as a volunteer corner worker/marshal, I'm not looking forward to another 12 hours race right after the 12H have finished, it's been 4 long days at the track being on your feet most of that time so when the checkers are being waved, I'm done with it and need a drink - or two!

Re the weird proposition they've came up with: the last time IMSA and WEC shared an event and raced on consecutive days was at CotA in '13 - WEC didn't like it because the paddock looked empty the day after the IMSA race. That was the reason the schedule was changed and both series ran on the same day from '14-'16. Starting at midnight is a gimmick - probably a brain wave by marketing folks or the WEC circus department, aimed at cloning the existing 12H and making it look like, I don't know tbh.

Besides, doing both races on the same weekend eliminates any guest entry from either side, no one is gonna run a 12 hours race and then run another one just for the sake of it. What's the gain for either competitor to also run the 'other race'? The only guest entries I think you will see are the ones that you will also see in 2018: ELMS or AsLMS teams looking for a warm up race to their regular season or ticking off a box for their Silver rated driver. Which actually might make for a nice little competition: do they join the IMSA or the WEC race? Keep in mind the WEC will probably see something like 25-30 entries. For a 12 hours race. On a 3.75 mi/6 km track. IMSA will easily have more entries (more prototypes, more GTE/GTLM's).

Btw, do any of the Road Atlanta/Petit regulars remember when World Challenge ran a couple of 'make-up' races on Sunday after the Petit? Think it was 2001 and they were held in the early afternoon. Talking about the twilight zone...

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

At least the complaints have a solid basis - it's very clear that this was rushed into action and not planned out effectively. There are better options for how to do a US round for the WEC - even when trying to deliberately piggyback off of one of our biggest annual events.

Could it end up working? Sure. Was it the right way to go for the series? Probably not.

OMG. We agree on something

[WolfsburgRS]

Is two hours enough time to switch around all the pit equipment and clear fans from the pit lane? I swear the podium celebrations last at least 3 hours some years

[Lanky Turtle]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgRS

Is two hours enough time to switch around all the pit equipment and clear fans from the pit lane? I swear the podium celebrations last at least 3 hours some years

Since they built the little victory lane on the paddock side of the track last year, they don't let fans on the track after the race or do the podium there, so they'd just need to swap pits. I'm assuming there will not be a grid walk for this race.

I predict this race, if it goes through as planned will see most attendees watching the first hour, and then waking/sobering up to see the last couple hours.

[Coach Ep]

I predict the 12+12 hours of Sebring will be a one off in 2019.

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

I had a gut feeling that Performance Tech would move up, if this is true (only source so far is a Facebook Post), then that is yet another Prototype to the ranks of DPi.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/0...s-in-2018.html

Earlier I poo-poo'd on them moving up, but I'm stoked to read this! It's a big step up, but with their crew and driver lineup (such a good group of people), I'll be cheering for them. I hope the budget is there for the whole year.

-mike

[AoB Special Stage]

Now it's time to speculate on which chassis they'll use

[Matt]

Originally Posted by TF110

Negativity is the 'in' thing these days. I don't know why, but it seems wherever you turn, pointing out negatives is the popular thing to do. You're right. I said the same thing about people wanting to have the WEC back at Sebring. Now they're mad because the 'real' (but not real) 12hr race is already running before them. I think the wec is a more 'real' 12hr of Sebring than the first one, but I'm not a traditionalist so maybe my opinion doesn't count!

Wrong.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I predict the 12+12 hours of Sebring will be a one off in 2019.

I'd still bet a case of beer that there will be substantial changes to the format before the event is held. The midnight start thing is the stupidest thing I've heard since... the LM press conference and that idiocy about doing the first kilometer on electric power only.

[Purist]

TF110, if the WEC had grids like the 2008 LMS at Monza or Spa, then yeah, sure, but as it stands now, nope.

[Akrapovic]

To me, Sebring is very much an America IMSA event. Or ALMS. Or whatever the top American series is at the given time. I personally associated it with American sportscar racing.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

I'd still bet a case of beer that there will be substantial changes to the format before the event is held. The midnight start thing is the stupidest thing I've heard since... the LM press conference and that idiocy about doing the first kilometer on electric power only.

^this

Yeah, I'm seeing a Friday 6 hour race, which would be freaking awesome.

The addition of the series to race weekend is an extreme positive, imho. The manner in which it's been proposed is ludicrous.

And I hope that American prototype teams will get an invite to LM out of this.

[Purist]

Akrapovic, keep in mind that next to nobody had heard of Sebring until the second running of the 12 Hours, when it was the first round of the first season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship in 1953. (So Sebring held the first WSC race, like Silverstone hosted the first F1 World Championship race.)

Sebring didn't join IMSA until 1973, then it missed in 1974 due to the oil embargo. So Sebring wasn't solid in the IMSA camp until 1975, when Daytona also joined the Camel GT series, though the 24 was still a round of the WSC also in '75.

Alec Ullman came up with doing Sebring after seeing Le Mans in person.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Purist

Akrapovic, keep in mind that next to nobody had heard of Sebring until the second running of the 12 Hours, when it was the first round of the first season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship in 1953. (So Sebring held the first WSC race, like Silverstone hosted the first F1 World Championship race.)

Sebring didn't join IMSA until 1973, then it missed in 1974 due to the oil embargo. So Sebring wasn't solid in the IMSA camp until 1975, when Daytona also joined the Camel GT series, though the 24 was still a round of the WSC also in '75.

Alec Ullman came up with doing Sebring after seeing Le Mans in person.

You're right, but that is 50 years ago. Perceptions change over time and if an event spends 50 years as part of an IMSA championship, it'll become embedded in peoples minds as that. It may have originated elsewhere, but many see it as IMSAs 12 Hours. They're claiming that on Facebook too - "There's only one 12 hours of Sebring".

I know not everybody is happy with the layout, but the amount of Facebook comments hoping WEC dies because of this is a bit depressing. "I don't like your series, so it shouldn't exist". Aye, very good.

[Purist]

It isn't just that it originated as it did, but spent 20 years as a WSC event before IMSA. Also, what Sebring is is a bit muddled, as the initial several years under IMSA had it as a GT event, then you had GTPs for just over a decade, then you had the open WSCs as the quickest cars, but the factory efforts were all in GTS/GTS-1/GT1. After that, you had ALMS and that format, and now it's "New IMSA", which only fully left the Grand-Am machinery in mothballs at the start of this year.

Now, I think there should only be one 12-hour race, but I'm fine with the WEC have an 8-hour or something accompanying it.

Maybe I'll post a bit more in the WEC 2018 thread.

[AoB Special Stage]

I think the World Championship should never be playing second fiddle to a national series. I actually do like the 1500 km idea. I'd think IMSA would mesh better with a distance race than WEC.

Also, a world championship racing around Sebring for 12 hours sounds more like a 12 Hours of Sebring to me than some dolled up P2 cars lapping the day before.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

You're right, but that is 50 years ago. Perceptions change over time and if an event spends 50 years as part of an IMSA championship, it'll become embedded in peoples minds as that. It may have originated elsewhere, but many see it as IMSAs 12 Hours. They're claiming that on Facebook too - "There's only one 12 hours of Sebring".

I know not everybody is happy with the layout, but the amount of Facebook comments hoping WEC dies because of this is a bit depressing. "I don't like your series, so it shouldn't exist". Aye, very good.

I've always seen the 12 hours of Sebring as an international sporting event. Only in recent years has it become a US ONLY feeling. Just looking at all the winning manufacturer names on the front stretch and all names of drivers that have won, it's an international race.

WEC won't die because of this. I think there's plenty of other reasons.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

I'd still bet a case of beer that there will be substantial changes to the format before the event is held. The midnight start thing is the stupidest thing I've heard since... the LM press conference and that idiocy about doing the first kilometer on electric power only.

I'm not disagreeing with you and hope they come to their senses over the next year or so, there's plenty of time to change this extraordinary weird proposition.

[MaskedRacer]

With only four wec races in 2018 do you think drivers and crew will try to push there way into imsa? One thing I hope is that Porsche considers a three car program. They have the man power to do it. Also Aston Martin should run in imsa gtlm again. They have only run in Gtd at Daytona only past couple years

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by AoB Special Stage

I think the World Championship should never be playing second fiddle to a national series. I actually do like the 1500 km idea. I'd think IMSA would mesh better with a distance race than WEC.

Also, a world championship racing around Sebring for 12 hours sounds more like a 12 Hours of Sebring to me than some dolled up P2 cars lapping the day before.

Well sorry to inform you that the Sebring race has always been an American Sports Car race. It has always played to and enjoyed International contestants, including being a round of 2 different World Championship series, but none the less an American race. The thought that it would choose to be a round in (at this moment) flailing WEC over its current IWSC partner is ludicrous! This is no different than any blue riband International event around the world, it does not owe anything to FIA's World Championship!






L.P.

[Matt]

Yeah, this is the WEC tagging along to IMSA's event to try and stay somewhat relevant.