IMSA TUSC 2015 Entries, Schedule, and Rumors

[Rodger Davies]

Wish they were both running on a white base colour, but can't fault the BMW Sebring retro livery:

http://cdn.bimmertoday.de/wp-content...-2-750x500.jpg

[rich07]

That looks fantastic!

It looks good on white but I'm quite liking the black car and the white car as a pair. They both look good IMHO

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by rich07

That looks fantastic!

It looks good on white but I'm quite liking the black car and the white car as a pair. They both look good IMHO

Black car has a bit of history as well:
http://www.arthurporter.com/UserFile...close%20up.jpg

[Rodger Davies]

It certainly does; still looks fine; just personal preference

[TF110]

Here they are

[Rcz]

Sebring is over, time to look forward to the next races.

As you know, next year GTD will be GT3 compliant.

And their think about having a GT3 sprint series...
http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/11456...6-gt3-planning

[MagVanisher]

Let IMSA do the endurance side of GT3 instead of competing with PWC! Heck, it would be nice if they collaborate instead of antagonize each other!

[Maelochs]

Finally, series management have a sensible plan: knowing their efforts with FIA will totally kill the P2 class and make the Tudor series once again the joke it started as, IMSA is preparing to poach from the only successful pro sports car series in North America.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Finally, series management have a sensible plan: knowing their efforts with FIA will totally kill the P2 class and make the Tudor series once again the joke it started as, IMSA is preparing to poach from the only successful pro sports car series in North America.

it depends. IMSA just re-upped it's partnership with the ACO for another 9 years or something...my french is horrible, but, that's the gist I could pull out.

I'm wondering, just a bit, how the teams will react to 2017. If IMSA does one thing right, they have the potential to have massive grids.

And that's leaving P2 as is. If they will warmly welcome an open formula, they may have teams defecting from the WEC/ELMS to come play in the states. Even more likely if the ACO allows an IMSA class at the 24. Which, seems likely.

There is a reason the ACO is doing this, I'm not sure what the driving force is, but, there is a reason. Done smartly, TUSCC will thrive!

[chernaudi]

IMSA and the ACO re-upped until 2020.

And the reason why the ACO have changed the LMP2 regs is because GTE-Pro and especially LMP1 are healthy, so the pro-am classes are the side show for rich guys who want to blow their money racing. Or so it seems, at least.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

IMSA and the ACO re-upped until 2020.

And the reason why the ACO have changed the LMP2 regs is because GTE-Pro and especially LMP1 are healthy, so the pro-am classes are the side show for rich guys who want to blow their money racing. Or so it seems, at least.

It's 'interesting' because in early 2000's the two classes everybody cared about were LMP1/LMP900 and GT1/GTS. Early LMP2/LMP675 was a bunch of low budget, low reliability garage projects without much attention and GT2/GT was essentially Porsche parade with maybe some odd TVR or whatever in the mix. Clearly all the attention was in the two big classes.

Then by the end of the decade you had four distinctly unique classes each aimed for pro and amateur teams. No restrictions, no dumbin downs. LMP2 and GT2 were rather close to LMP1 and GT1 in treatment. Go wherever you wish! And each category had it's fans.

Fast forward to current times and we are going backwards to early 2000's. Two classes we are supposed to follow with the other two as grid fillers. But unlike back then when it was just the way things turned out naturally, it has been carefully constructed so that those two classes are the only ones worth caring (or LMP1 only if you're not into GTE way of 'racing'). On top of that add also the spec + BoP + pro-am + restrictions nonsense of modern age.

[MoMedic9019]

Perhaps Pierre, and his band of ACO Jesters are romanticizing about days gone by...

[wdave0]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

Perhaps Pierre, and his band of ACO Jesters are romanticizing about days gone by...

More like bankrolls gone by!

[nasportscar]

Here's a thought on the Prototype class going forward http://nasportscar.com/the-problem-w...lution-is-gt3/

[MagVanisher]

I read that article and I believe that the prototype class should have the same principle as GT3. I imagine LMP2s, DPs, and Class One cars battling out on the same level of playing field!

It could work, but it won't convince others like the IMSA!

[BrentJackson]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

I read that article and I believe that the prototype class should have the same principle as GT3. I imagine LMP2s, DPs, and Class One cars battling out on the same level of playing field!

It could work, but it won't convince others like the IMSA!

Unfortunately, it appears that the ACO hasn't got any wishes for vehicle diversity in any field except P1 and GTE-Pro, and since IMSA hasn't done the smart thing and told them were to go shove it, these ideas will undoubtedly fall by the wayside in favor of a field of mildly-warmed over ACO P2s, and in a couple seasons when the cost/exposure problem and the existence of the Pirelli World Challenge has wounded IMSA to the point where half the field is spec cars as the ALMS was in 2012 and 2013, they'll have a whole punch of P3s and/or decade-old FLM09s making up the numbers.

[Rcz]

Well, Class one cars don't use production engine. Plus their not really popular by either fans or manufacturers.

I wish P2 was just left alone, and IMSA would create their own Protoype class.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Rcz

I wish P2 was just left alone, and IMSA would create their own Protoype class.

They haven't said what their chassis intentions are yet. I'd be stunned if they did anything BUT take on everything available. Going down the old GA route did them no favors, I'm sure they've learned that Spec isn't the way forward for some things.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

They haven't said what their chassis intentions are yet. I'd be stunned if they did anything BUT take on everything available. Going down the old GA route did them no favors, I'm sure they've learned that Spec isn't the way forward for some things.

It's gone to worse since early Grand-Am days as DPG3 is actually more spec than the old "generations", and they've also outlawed anyone except Riley, Coyote and Dallara from having chassis. I fully expect them to embrace the glorious era of spec racing we're being guided to from so many directions.

In any case, and putting aside MagVanisher's idea of bringing all the three concepts into one big confusing BoP mess which would clearly end up well, the new cars will be dragged to the wind tunnel for IMSA aero performance balancing on constant basis so does it really even matter how diverse things are? IMSA-NASCAR P2s might be slightly more diverse than the uber spec FIA-ACO P2s, but at least it's relatively ensured that tweaking is kept to minimum by the French. It's 50-50 which LMP2 is slightly less terrible.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Rcz

Well, Class one cars don't use production engine. Plus their not really popular by either fans or manufacturers.

Well, half of it (but your mileage may vary) as the current Class One cars are faster than before even though it's bound by a turbo-charged inline-4 engine. Of course, that only applies in Japan, especially in the GT500 class.

Either way, the TUSC prototype class might have diversity in the engine side of things, but I feel that it needs to be faster and more diverse than the previous one. Right now, the current crop of P2 cars don't have the endurance to last a fight against DPs!

[Deleted]

Honestly one of the reasons I think they don't want Class1 type cars out there is because the GTE manufacturer bosses wouldn't wish to be embarrassed by sort-of-production-car-lookalikes that are ridiculously faster (unless dumbed down) than their mediocre performance vehicles. With LMPs and weird Dinosaur Mobiles the gap can be 'explained'.

In GT300 the philosophy in thinking is different so they work as secondary class.

[DistortedSmile]

Originally Posted by Rcz

Plus their not really popular by either fans or manufacturers.

lol what? SuperGT and DTM are the top series in their respective countries. And not popular with manufacturers? Tell that to Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

[MagVanisher]

I think he's referring to the American audience/manufacturers not liking the Class One concept. Of course, it doesn't stop GM from fielding a Corvette DP apart from the real Corvette GTE car!

[Rcz]

I think the Corvette DP thing should be seen as a fantasy fan thing, yes it's probably done for marketing too, but I see as something for the corvette fans to cheer for.

I like the Vette Protoype idea, wish they went further with it. Open it up. Go to the GT1 EVO route with it.
Or they could just blow the dust off the GTP rules set of old and do a little modernization with it.

Class one shouldn't be apart of TUSC, it's just Trans-Am and Cup cars with carbon fiber tubs. It too strict in the rules department. It should just be its own thing.

[Matt]

The look of the Vette DP is essentially a tweaked version of the P1-Evo Corvette render.