IMSA: USCR 2018

[schmidder]

I thought porsche is running them directly, core dropped down to gtd...

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[Akrapovic]

I thought CORE was still running them. They still do reports on their website.

http://coreautosport.com/strong-perf...es-unrewarded/

[schmidder]

I stand corrected, gtlm also listed on their site under racing programs...

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[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by joeb

I guess this means you think they aren't up to snuff? I'm not sure they have been underperforming the last few years. Compared to their competition, their car has been the least best, and Porsche seems to just shuffle drivers in and out of those cars at will. In past seasons when Porsche had IMSA success they had steady driver lineups, which i think contributed to the success. As a comparison, how have the Porsches fared in WEC competition over the same time period?

The new car seems to have speed but hasn't had the reliability thus far.

Core has the only win in the new Cayman... I mean 911.

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[MaskedRacer]

Anybody want to play predict the 2018 IMSA schedule yet? I am guessing they will follow last year's path and announce it Road America which is the race after the next for the GT's and the next race for the prototypes.

I think there is a path for LMP3 cars to race if they want to get them in there. That is to have some stand alone prototype races. I for one would love to see Barber in Alabama added after the Petit Le Mans/Road Atlanta, in order to separate the NAEC and full season championship finales. Its a jumbled mess at PLM right now.

Must also wonder if 12 races has been a stretch on the resources of the GTD teams. They might get cut back to 11 or 10 races I think. Long Beach will get for them probably.

[RWill2073]

I'm late to the thread since the penske confirmation, but I kinda wish they had badged it as Honda and moved shank up to gtlm with the Acura brand. Coulda covered two brands in top classes and still allowed shank to find a pay driver for one car while filling thw other with lally and legge or an upgrade for legge in the top car and legge with the pay driver if she wasnt considered up to it.

Really wish/hope the Acura and Lexus both get moved up to gtlm to add to that class. As is, its on the edge of unsustainable. Its 8 great cars, but if one manufacturer pulls out, it begins to look like gt1 in its dying days. Even if both had one car with a pay driver to help fund it, its still 2 extra cars competing for wins.

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by Kimi7

This is purely for fun but heres my opinion on the top 9 full-time prototype drivers and why I rate them where I do. There are essentially 9 real full-time teams, so 18 total drivers. Interestingly only one team has two who are in the top 9, the 10 car. Only one team has 2 who are not in the top 9, one of the Mazdas. This is not a rip on anyone, just interesting when you consider the success of the 10 car, and maybe this is part of it.

1. Derani - Consisently outperforms anyone else in the car, excellent under pressure, with overtaking, and never makes any mistakes.
2. Cameron - Big desparity between teammate typically, does heroic 3 hour stints in the car without any drop off, generally makes very few mistakes(although can and did make one big one earlier this year which is why I put him a tad lower) This might be a tad unfair becuase he's probably asked to do more than anyone else on this list.
3. Van DerZande - Extremely quick in anything, making the Riley look more respectable at times than it should, talent always shines in the rain or mixed conditions
4. Jordan Taylor - Clearly very fast, Taylor brothers are making AXR look second rate this year in the same car, makes unnecesarry mistakes on rare occations like CTMP
5. Simpson - Makes zero mistakes, doing a lot with less, fast and consistent, good at overtaking. (people dont know how good Simpson is or his background, at one point he was an open wheel ace getting podiums in A1GP), super mature driver now
6. Ricky Taylor - very fast, taylor brother making AXR look second rate in the same car, makes unnecesarry mistakes that others on this list do not(Detroit quali) which is the only real knock on him
7. Bomaritto - Pulling speed out of the Mazda that others cannot, super consistent, zero mistakes, fast in anything he drives(open wheel, GTLM, Proto), could be higher on this list
8. Dalziel - Fast and consistent, zero mistakes, probably less truly standout performances than some of the guys at the top
9. Barbosa - Fast and consistent, super aggressive and typically comes out on top in a fight, could be higher on this list

I consider all these guys to be excellent and any can be faster than another on a given day. Guys like Derani and Cameron maybe just more consistently stand out.

I like this and it highlights how strong the driver lineups are. However, I've always though Nunez got more speed out of the mazda than bomarito.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Core has the only win in the new Cayman... I mean 911.

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The new RSR has yet to win a race, much to my chagrin.

RWill, I think the DPi program will be where GTLM-levels of money go. As for Lexus, they don't have a car they feel confident running in GTLM against the big boys.

Chris

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

The new RSR has yet to win a race, much to my chagrin.

RWill, I think the DPi program will be where GTLM-levels of money go. As for Lexus, they don't have a car they feel confident running in GTLM against the big boys.

Chris

Well, that will hurt gtlm. But Acura/Honda could have done what corvette/Cadillac are doing. Add in a pay driver for shank and it's more affordable.

And being a bop class, I would reckon the Lexus is close enough that it would be bop'd to competitiveness.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

I like this and it highlights how strong the driver lineups are. However, I've always though Nunez got more speed out of the mazda than bomarito.

Me too, but Bomarito has been good this year as well.

Edit: just found this on Twitter after I posted it is from dhh and has fastest drivers by their 20 fastest lap in protos

Check out @dhhracing's Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhhracing/status...215773185?s=09

Both Oreca drivers were fastest, but fastest Mazda driver was Joel Miller?!

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by joeb

but fastest Mazda driver was Joel Miller?!

Joel Miller is the USF2000 driver coach, and is developing the new Tattus chassis. Don't sleep on him, dude can pedal.

Chris

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

Joel Miller is the USF2000 driver coach, and is developing the new Tattus chassis. Don't sleep on him, dude can pedal.

Chris

I agree, but I was surprised to see him faster than both the 55 drivers.

I do like to see the lap summaries that dhh puts together, they can be quite informative. Same thing with the GT-Eins lap graphics.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

The new RSR has yet to win a race, much to my chagrin.

RWill, I think the DPi program will be where GTLM-levels of money go. As for Lexus, they don't have a car they feel confident running in GTLM against the big boys.

Chris

Whoops. Well, the engine is clearly in the wrong place.

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[Damian Baldi]

At WG Bomarito has been flying at the end of the race, he was more than a second faster than Miller.




http://results.imsa.com/Results/17_2...test%20Lap.PDF

[TF110]

I think the RC F GT3 is hard to get down on weight. I think Japanese Samurai posted in the Super GT thread some TRD info on the new model being 1280kg(?) minimum weight. That's too heavy for GTE. But it does make good power and aero.

[Jonerz]

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/p...r-gte-program/

Does anyone know the status on the Toyo Tires rumor? Could that be the U.S. customer interest in the RSR?

One would think, assuming Toyo (and the Lizards?) are serious, a more "proven" customer platform like the 488 might be the best route? However, all reports indicate this version of the RSR has a much wider setup window than the old car did.

Chris

[chernaudi]

I believe that FLM is pretty loyal to Volkswagen Group makes, hence the Ferrari isn't an option. They've run Audi R8 GT3 cars in some races, but that's not an option, either, as Audi Sport won't support a R8 GTE/GTLM program. Audi and Porsche are in GTD, but that's a spec tire class for Continental.

GTLM is about the only place to go, Porsche for them are probably the only way to get there. If that's the case, will they do like the ALMS and have one all pro car and one pro-am?

[Kimi7]

Originally Posted by joeb

I agree, but I was surprised to see him faster than both the 55 drivers.

I do like to see the lap summaries that dhh puts together, they can be quite informative. Same thing with the GT-Eins lap graphics.

agreed

Sometimes I think there is a perception that the prototype drivers in IMSA arent quite as good as top end ones racing in WEC. I have felt this way at times but then you look at the data and its not often that the ones who come over for Rolex or Sebring really outshine the full-time guys.

Look at the sebring data. Cameron faster than conway, barbossa and fittipaldi faster than albequerque, both taylors faster than Lynn, Van Der Zande faster than Rast

https://twitter.com/dhhracing/status/843933855811813376

Also can look at when JDC brought in Beche who is clearly very fast, but Simpson was actually the one who was quicker by DHHs stat.

https://twitter.com/dhhracing/status/826050544116592640

there is some value in having run that car a bit more but clearly none of the lead IMSA guys are scrubs

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

I believe that FLM is pretty loyal to Volkswagen Group makes, hence the Ferrari isn't an option. They've run Audi R8 GT3 cars in some races, but that's not an option, either, as Audi Sport won't support a R8 GTE/GTLM program. Audi and Porsche are in GTD, but that's a spec tire class for Continental.

GTLM is about the only place to go, Porsche for them are probably the only way to get there. If that's the case, will they do like the ALMS and have one all pro car and one pro-am?

The lizards now spend most their days running Mclarens for Kpax....

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

The lizards now spend most their days running Mclarens for Kpax....

Shhh, don't bring facts into the discussion. That might require actually watching the racing and paying attention instead of fantasy league racing.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Shhh, don't bring facts into the discussion. That might require actually watching the racing and paying attention instead of fantasy league racing.

How silly of me!

[gsmith2424]

Joest is back in IMSA with the Mazda:

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/14240...-debut-in-2018

[Matt]

As long as that engine stays together, Mazda will finally see wins.

[gsmith2424]

Originally Posted by Matt

As long as that engine stays together, Mazda will finally see wins.

That and somehow changing the tub design to get a smaller windshield.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by gsmith2424

Joest is back in IMSA with the Mazda:

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/14240...-debut-in-2018

Wow, that is way out of left-field. :O