ALMS 2011 Discussion

[Deleted]

Some actual viewership numbers finally, not in ratings but better than nothing:
Road America race on ABC approaches record audience

-- The Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase at the iconic Wisconsin road course drew the Series’ largest TV audience of the year and more viewers than any ALMS broadcast since the ABC network showing of the 2009 Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. In fact, with more than 900,000 households tuned in, last weekend’s show ranks as the second most-watched ALMS race in the last seven years. ---

-- The Road America race broadcast on August 21, marked the sixth broadcast of the 2011 season. To date and with just two-thirds of the season completed, 200,000 more households have enjoyed the incredibly close racing offered by iconic ALMS cars like Aston Martins, Ferraris, BMW, Porsches, Corvettes and Mazdas than in all nine Series race broadcasts last year. --

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Some actual viewership numbers finally, not in ratings but better than nothing:
Road America race on ABC approaches record audience

Yes, but my question is are these *households* mentioned in the article television ratings or internet hits combined with television ratings?

[joeb]

So was that 900,000 number just people who watched ABC, or does it also include the ESPN3 numbers?

edit: FCP beat me to the question!

[Carsandmotorracing]

That doesn't seeem right....

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

...

If you assume the above list is accurate, you can eliminate GTC cars that haven't done the full schedule and get down to 60....

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

I wonder how they will go from 60 to 53?

Amazingly corresponding with my list although afaik AF Corse only has 2 fulltime ILMC entries, Kaufman & co. were a parttime LMS/Le Mans entry (and they have another fulltime LMS entry as well).

That´ll leave 13 + 5 + 26 = 44 non challenge entries.

Add 8 entries for both challenge classes (2nd Genoa/Storholm London project LMPC car included, NGT and Napleton not included in GTC) and we have 60 entries allowed to qualify.

If the 44 non challenge cars are guaranteed of taking the start that´ll leave 16 challenge cars to battle for 9 spots. Taking the 4:3 ratio into account it´ll probably end up with 5 LMPC´s and 4 GTC´s. The rest will be on the reserve list. Otherwise we might lose the Autocon and/or 1 of the Jaguar or Ford GT entries in favour of 1 or more challenge cars (based on their qualifying speed shown so far). Rather not hope so.

Reading the memo from IMSA it´s almost as if the selecting process is even harder than inviting 56 cars for Le Mans itself!

[WolfsburgRS]

As much as I can understand the motivation behind wanting the Challenge classes removed from the ALMS proper, as they are spec, I would seriously disagree that the 'right' move by the ALMS would be to boot out season-long, regular series entries in exchange for more ILMC entries. At some point the ALMS has to put itself first and make sure to take care of its own competitors rather than trying to entice more overseas competitors. It's pretty clear that most international teams have zero interest in the ALMS as far as being a season-long entry. I personal love GTC as they're a lot of fun to watch sliding around, since they have so little aero. LMPC I could do without, but I understand its purpose.

I'd say a break from the ACO is going to have to happen at some point, as blindly following along with their rules, when they don't suit the racing market in the USA, will not do anything to help the long-term health of the series.

Back in the day at Le Mans they had an 'IMSA' class. Why not do the same thing for ILMC / WEC next year in IMSA? Rather than trying to make everything fit into one box, open up regs for ALMS (why not call it IMSA GT?) and then IF they can make a race or two fit into the WEC schedule, create a WEC class for those entries. That way everyone keeps racing against their peers (and teams like Dyson and Muscle Milk don't get shafted by the diesels) and IMSA keeps its own committed competitors up front for their own points and glory.

I don't see the two series as being mutually exclusive, but no-one should have to take a back seat, especially when fighting for a championship.

[Nick6]

I have a feeling that some of the part time C teams wont even enter now.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Nick6

I have a feeling that some of the part time C teams wont even enter now.

That would be disappointing for them, Petit has to be a great race for the little guys because they get the extra seat time.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

... they'll probably do something based off qualifying times. What, however, we'll probably find out on race week.

It sounds like you were right. LMPC and GTC teams will have to qualify their way into the show.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...o-53-starters/

[Jonerz]

"No, Scot. I'm only bringing 200 people from our major sponsor to what is possibly the biggest event on the calendar, it's totally cool that we might not make the big show!"

Oh well, tough situation. I kind of like that (eight, anyway) teams will have to qualify for the show.

Chris

[Speed-King]

They should at least make it more than a 15 minute session.... one FCY and it becomes completely random.

Some kind of qualifying race for the LMPC and GTC-cars would be nice, I think.

[Jonerz]

Agreed.

Chris

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

They should at least make it more than a 15 minute session.... one FCY and it becomes completely random.

Some kind of qualifying race for the LMPC and GTC-cars would be nice, I think.

I don't know about a qualifying race. Can you imagine Jon Field and some of those other squirrels in a qualifying race? Granted, the same could happen in a 15 minute session qualifying as well I guess.

[Carsandmotorracing]

Damn, that sucks.

[Deleted]

So how exactly is this situation any better than the one I suggested (ie change the regulations and have a separate race for all Challenge cars on friday). As you said there are teams that treat this event like the most important thing ever because of seat time and third drivers, but now they could get easily eliminated in quali by whatever ridiculous reason - someone else touches you, you have previous damage from practice, yellow or red flags in wrong time, mechanical failure etc. Plus on top of that non-full season entries are just coldly turned down

[Coach Ep]

IMSA saw this coming from miles away, at least the schedule gives the challenge teams the opportunity to battle on their own since both LMPC and GTC have seperate qualification sessions. If I were owner of one of those cars I´d hire a top notch pilot just for qualy to put my car on the grid!

Does this all mean we won´t get to see the United/Dams/Oak entry in LMP2? They´re not a full season ALMS entrant, don´t know about Oak, do they have 1 or 2 P2 entries in ILMC? (They already have 2 in P1, they ran 4 cars at LM but that was partly because of automatic entries wasn´t it?).

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Chiana

So how exactly is this situation any better than the one I suggested (ie change the regulations and have a separate race for all Challenge cars on friday). As you said there are teams that treat this event like the most important thing ever because of seat time and third drivers, but now they could get easily eliminated in quali by whatever ridiculous reason - someone else touches you, you have previous damage from practice, yellow or red flags in wrong time, mechanical failure etc. Plus on top of that non-full season entries are just coldly turned down

The difference being that at least a handful of cars will make it into the big show.

Perhaps the ALMS should make Challenge class qualifying where each car runs their laps by themselves. 2-3 laps and either the best lap time or an average. Teams can come in and start again if they get a puncture or something like that. I don't know if that will take too much time or what. Also, some of the LMP2 teams (and maybe lower quality GTE teams) may complain that the Challenge cars are getting close to their qualifying times due to a different qualifying process, but it's a long race so maybe they can deal with it.

[Purist]

Are the GTE-Pro/Am distinctions being honored at PLM? Also, if so, will they qualify separately? Having 27 GT cars out at once on Road Atlanta for qualifying just seems to border on the ridiculous.

I'm sure the FIA rules have changed since then, but I looked it up, and the most cars to start at Road Atlanta during IMSA GT was 59 in 1983.

IF they could start that many, that would make it fairly easy for some two car teams to consolidate their drivers in one car, and make the maximum grid size.

Oh well, there really isn't a "clean" way to do this, but it is what it is. And having more entries than spots is far from the worst problem a series could have.

[The Badger]

And this is what happens when organizers dont adhere to the global rules set up by the ACO , which is the governing body .

As far as I am aware , the LMPC & Cup teams are aware of that too , so shouldnt ***** too much .

The inclusion of LMPC & Cup cars was to bolster the ALMS grids ..... and was always subject to change .

You cant exclude the ILMC or regular ALMS (ACO rules) entries , so LMPC and Cup have to suffer ..... I have no issue with that at all .

Both LMPC & Cup are too small to have a support race by themselves .....

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Purist

Are the GTE-Pro/Am distinctions being honored at PLM? Also, if so, will they qualify separately? Having 27 GT cars out at once on Road Atlanta for qualifying just seems to border on the ridiculous.

I'm sure the FIA rules have changed since then, but I looked it up, and the most cars to start at Road Atlanta during IMSA GT was 59 in 1983.

IF they could start that many, that would make it fairly easy for some two car teams to consolidate their drivers in one car, and make the maximum grid size.

It's going to be crowded no matter what as 45 cars makes a crowd at RoadATL, but the schedule for q'ing shows the same set up as the rest of the ALMS year with challenge classes separate from the GT/LMP1-2 respectively. And there is no distinction with both being referred to as GTC and LMPC.

Oh well, there really isn't a "clean" way to do this, but it is what it is. And having more entries than spots is far from the worst problem a series could have.

Indeed. I could care less how they are eliminated as we are pretty certain who will not be eliminated, unless the undesired and unforeseen events that can happen starting Wednesday....there has been some unfortunate early exits in recent memory.

Perhaps they can invoke some sort of speed percentage rule for safety concerns...

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Both LMPC & Cup are too small to have a support race by themselves .....

They are but if IMSA GT3 Cup cars were added to that we could have a very nice little warm-up for the event, LMPC being the top class. Kinda like Night Before the 500.

Purist, of course PRO and AM will be separate, but PRO class still gets called GT. Both GT2 classes qualified together at Sebring so it'll be the same exact thing here

Q1) GTC
Q2) GT(E-PRO) & GTE-AM
Q3) LMPC
Q4) LMP1 & LMP2

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by AGD

Dagys is pointing out that the two Robertson Fords are not on the Baltimore entry list at the moment. I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm sure we'll find out more in the next few days.

Murphy the Bear heard through his rumor mill that there are $$$ issues for that team

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by JAG

Porsche may not be in Forza 4.

Just to bring closure of a topic from a few weeks ago...

It is official. The rumors regarding EA not licensing Porsche (road and race) were correct. This subtracts value from the linkage to ALMS in my opinion. The same day this was announced (see end of article at link below) Turn 10 also submitted FM4 to MS for certification. I suspect they were all ready to go with Porsche content and worked up until the last minute to try to make it work.

http://forzamotorsport.net/en-us/underthehood1/

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

Murphy the Bear heard through his rumor mill that there are $$$ issues for that team

Not true. The team tested at Road Atlanta on Tuesday following Road America and will test there again on Monday, September 5th.

[AGD]

Dagys retweeted something saying that Lotus may not make Petit. That would be good news for the Challenge classes.