Pirelli World Challenge

[jjvincent]

Once WC Vision does away with the single driver 50 minute races, the Sprint X Championship will grow to 35 to 40 car fields like in Europe because everyone want's 60 minute races with a mandatory driver change. Then the addition to the PWC Endurance series that will get 50 entries, the PWC race weekends will consist of two 60 minute GT4 races and a mandatory pit stop/driver change. Two Sprint X 60 minute mandatory pit stop/driver change races and then a 6 hour Enduro X Championship race. With Sprint X at 40 cars, Enduro X at 50 and GT4 at 30, there will be no need for anything else. 120 cars over 5 races will be enough for a race event.

It's only getting better.

[Rcz]

Their gonna need bigger tracks then...

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by jjvincent

Once WC Vision does away with the single driver 50 minute races, the Sprint X Championship will grow to 35 to 40 car fields like in Europe because everyone want's 60 minute races with a mandatory driver change. Then the addition to the PWC Endurance series that will get 50 entries, the PWC race weekends will consist of two 60 minute GT4 races and a mandatory pit stop/driver change. Two Sprint X 60 minute mandatory pit stop/driver change races and then a 6 hour Enduro X Championship race. With Sprint X at 40 cars, Enduro X at 50 and GT4 at 30, there will be no need for anything else. 120 cars over 5 races will be enough for a race event.

It's only getting better.

Might be a little optimisitic

[Bob Baldwin]

" A LITTLE OPTIMISTIC " ?

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Might be a little optimisitic

sarcasm

john vincents only got snark left, its his only schtick.

[Coach Ep]

Is it me or does PWC already seem to have lost a lot of the momentum they picked up last year?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Is it me or does PWC already seem to have lost a lot of the momentum they picked up last year?

Some of it, maybe. But that whole Patrick Long-Effort-Wright-story shows that at least Porsche is still willing to throw some money/influence at the series.

[jjvincent]

They didn't lose any momentum. It's just that when IMSA and ALMS merged, there were the ones that despised NASCAR and they decided to put PWC up on a pedestal. The series could do no wrong and then they got into a press release blitz that on the internet just made the series bigger than life.

Now reality set in and we are right back to where we started. Trying to convince rich older white guys to spend money on us. All of the hype didn't work. It's that PWC still has to compete with all of the other series' out there in the US that nobody talks about. This same thing has happened in IMSA.

Until someone can figure out how to have real publicity that doesn't involve two full time websites and a half of dozen hobby fan websites, real TV/Streaming and actual prize money (PWC prize money is horrible too as for Mosport, you are getting $4,400 for a GT win which won't pay the tire bill) nothing is going to change. It'll be a constant downhill with a few spikes along the way.

If you notice, there are barely any sponsors and when a new "partner", series sponsor shows up or some global TV package, the competitors get absolutely nothing out of it. Only the sanctioning bodies. That's why it's glorified club racing. If anyone out there exemplifies this better than anyone, it's PWC. Only bone they throw to the competitors is that if you leave the series and show up for one race the following year, it's front page news. Then it just gets repeated about 7 or 8 times on various websites, 200 clicks, 100 FB likes, 300 FB thumbs ups and a hashtag. That is something that will not even pay for something on the value menu at Wendy's but it makes someone who is working as "marketing" on the team to justify their paycheck and make the team owner feel warm and fuzzy inside.

[Rcz]

Your right in that this is a glorified club series. Mainly as a support series for Indycar and others. Television coverage is nearly nonexistent and equal to trans-am.


I still get why the push for Sprint X? More races sure, but they could just add a third regular race to the weekend. The two drivers and tire changes are pointless and don't add anything for me.

[Bob Baldwin]

Rcz: " Mainly as support series for Indycar and Others " WHO be the " OTHERS " ?

[jjvincent]

Why not just do like they do in Europe, twin sprint races with a pit stop? Pro-Pro, Pro-Am and Am-Am classes. Three separate podiums and it covers all bases. In Europe they are just about getting more GT3 cars just for sprint races than PWC and IMSA combined. Why PWC is messing around with these single driver 50 minute twins is beyond me. That is not the way to go. The SRO does it right. It's a fact that they got 37 cars to show up at Brands Hatch two weeks ago for a sprint event and 38 a month ago at Misano. PWC has 24, 20, 24, 23, 21 for their events. When you can ditch that GTC class that is hated so much and replace it with more GT3 cars, it's a win win for everyone.

All I've been hearing is that GT3 is the car everyone can't wait to see. Why not give the fans what they want?

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by jjvincent

Why not just do like they do in Europe, twin sprint races with a pit stop? Pro-Pro, Pro-Am and Am-Am classes. Three separate podiums and it covers all bases. In Europe they are just about getting more GT3 cars just for sprint races than PWC and IMSA combined. Why PWC is messing around with these single driver 50 minute twins is beyond me. That is not the way to go. The SRO does it right. It's a fact that they got 37 cars to show up at Brands Hatch two weeks ago for a sprint event and 38 a month ago at Misano. PWC has 24, 20, 24, 23, 21 for their events. When you can ditch that GTC class that is hated so much and replace it with more GT3 cars, it's a win win for everyone.

All I've been hearing is that GT3 is the car everyone can't wait to see. Why not give the fans what they want?

They introduced the GTC class to get a bigger overall field. There's not exactly a bunch of GT3 cars ready to replace them

[jjvincent]

GTC is part of the ladder program. Thompson was chosen by the KPAX team due to winning the GTC championship. Fergus won the TC championship and got chosen to move up to GTC. The GTS Rookie of the year was also running in GTC. So, it is a field filler but it's a vital part of the PWC ladder program that advances young talent to the upper levels of sportscar racing. Since it's only got four full time competitors this year and people wish it would go away, I think it is needed and hopefully it expands.

Remember, Michael Lewis came from the IMSA version of this class, so its proven that GTC is doing its job. Maybe PWC can give the class its own race and then these stars of tomorrow can shine and not take away from the GT3 experience.

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by jjvincent

Until someone can figure out how to have real publicity that doesn't involve two full time websites and a half of dozen hobby fan websites, real TV/Streaming and actual prize money (PWC prize money is horrible too as for Mosport, you are getting $4,400 for a GT win which won't pay the tire bill) nothing is going to change. It'll be a constant downhill with a few spikes along the way.

If you notice, there are barely any sponsors and when a new "partner", series sponsor shows up or some global TV package, the competitors get absolutely nothing out of it. Only the sanctioning bodies. That's why it's glorified club racing. If anyone out there exemplifies this better than anyone, it's PWC. Only bone they throw to the competitors is that if you leave the series and show up for one race the following year, it's front page news. Then it just gets repeated about 7 or 8 times on various websites, 200 clicks, 100 FB likes, 300 FB thumbs ups and a hashtag. That is something that will not even pay for something on the value menu at Wendy's but it makes someone who is working as "marketing" on the team to justify their paycheck and make the team owner feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Wow, PWC works the same way as every other sports car series in the world. Mind. Blown.

They didn't lose any momentum. It's just that when IMSA and ALMS merged, there were the ones that despised NASCAR and they decided to put PWC up on a pedestal. The series could do no wrong and then they got into a press release blitz that on the internet just made the series bigger than life.

You are so right. How dare we race fans be enthusiastic about a race series we actually enjoy. It's ridiculous to get excited about mediocre machines like McLarens, Porsches, Godzillas, Bentleys, Audis and the like. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by jjvincent

GTC is part of the ladder program. Thompson was chosen by the KPAX team due to winning the GTC championship. Fergus won the TC championship and got chosen to move up to GTC. The GTS Rookie of the year was also running in GTC. So, it is a field filler but it's a vital part of the PWC ladder program that advances young talent to the upper levels of sportscar racing. Since it's only got four full time competitors this year and people wish it would go away, I think it is needed and hopefully it expands.

Remember, Michael Lewis came from the IMSA version of this class, so its proven that GTC is doing its job. Maybe PWC can give the class its own race and then these stars of tomorrow can shine and not take away from the GT3 experience.

Your last comment just suggested 'ditching GTC' because 'it is hated so much by everyone'

Make your mind up

[Speed-King]

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Some of it, maybe. But that whole Patrick Long-Effort-Wright-story shows that at least Porsche is still willing to throw some money/influence at the series.

Correct, it's well known the series runs on Porsche (+ Pirelli and Cadillac=GM) money hence the existence of the GTC class (which is also the reason we won't see other cup/challenge cars joining the class).

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Your last comment just suggested 'ditching GTC' because 'it is hated so much by everyone'

Make your mind up

It's called sarcasm.

That entire post of his was sarcastic.

[Bcarr6]

There will be a Flying Lizard liveried Porsche back on track!!

FL will be running Am driver Andy Wilzoch for Road America, Sonoma, and Laguna Seca, in the iconic livery, on a brand new Porsche 911 GT3 R


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[pederb]

Looks fantastic

[Bcarr6]

There is something right about seeing a Porsche in that livery


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[Mechanic Z]

And it's debuting at Road America! Can't wait to see it in person!

[TRspitfirefan]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

There is something right about seeing a Porsche in that livery

+1
Flying Lizard Porsche = Awesome!

[TheMightyM]

John Dagys tweets:

I am #SprintXed out. The rules are next to impossible to follow. If I can't follow them, not sure how the fans can either.

[jjvincent]

Sprint X is easy to follow. Think of it like the Blancpain GT Sprint Series except for that the rules are slightly different, way more interesting, no GT4 and they pay $33,500 for a win as opposed to about $1.7K.