[WEC] 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by TimRTC

How about a street race, the Audi looked pretty good at Norisring

Doing 6-hour races in street circuits doesn't sound like a good idea. 2-hour would work - but not in the Endurance World Championship.

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Doing 6-hour races in street circuits doesn't sound like a good idea. 2-hour would work - but not in the Endurance World Championship.

To me endurance is 4 hours or more. It's not named World Endurance Championship for nothing. Otherwise they would've gone with World Sportscar Championship...

[911targa]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Ok, this is getting silly, 8 Star and 4 AF Corse cars for WEC, who will also have two P2 cars for SMP and have two further GT Am auto entries for Le Mans. 9 cars run by one team is a bit too much, don't we think?

http://www.endurance-info.com/fr/cin...pour-af-corse/

I don't think ACO will finally offer them seven 458 GTE entries at LeMans, given their #54 performed so poor last year with 1 silver and 2 bronze drivers. I can see 2 PRO cars, 3 AM cars and the 8Star car. They've only one auto entry in hand for winning 2013 AsLMS GTC class, a 2014 full season ELMS entry could ends up on the reserve list like ProSpeed did last year.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by TF110

Plus its the only race other than Le Mans that runs into the night.

So far. That´s about to change this year though with the expected COTA night race.

[Beetle]

http://sportscar365.com/wec/af-corse...raris-for-wec/
AF Corse will field FIVE cars in the FIA WEC, + 2 for LM24 + 2 SMP LMP2s.

Wow... reflecting what was said above, I'd rather see a monopoly than a dying grid.

[Coach Ep]

I would be surprised if the FIA/ACO is to honor all those GTE-Am entry requests, I can see them denying at least 1 request (the ELMS entry) and possibly a second one if they decide to limit AF Corse´s WEC´s entries to two (again in GTE-Am).

When are the entry lists for Le Mans and WEC to be released again please? Thx.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I would be surprised if the FIA/ACO is to honor all those GTE-Am entry requests, I can see them denying at least 1 request (the ELMS entry) and possibly a second one if they decide to limit AF Corse´s WEC´s entries to two (again in GTE-Am).

When are the entry lists for Le Mans and WEC to be released again please? Thx.

Next Thursday.

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Next Thursday.

The 13th right?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by NelisB

The 13th right?

Yes.

...which means I'll be on a 9h coach trip to a Slovakian mountain resort just as the entries will be announced.

[Coach Ep]

I assume there will live coverage (stream) for the releases again.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by NelisB

To me endurance is 4 hours or more. It's not named World Endurance Championship for nothing. Otherwise they would've gone with World Sportscar Championship...

That's just semantics.

I doubt the old name was the 1st choice though because ACO likes the E word, and also Ratel's World Championship still existed in 2011 when WEC was announced, so "GT" and "Sportscar" might have caused some conflict.

I can see the E word being dumped again though, for exactly same reasons it was changed in 1986.

[valedave]

Never seen that Lausitzring layout before. The DTM course is just a poor man's Daytona and not exactly inspiring - but the long layout looks brilliant. It's never gonna comply with FIA regs, but one can dream.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

So...any Mako-status? If he'll drive for Porsche, then never mind.

[werner]

Originally Posted by TimRTC

How about a street race, the Audi looked pretty good at Norisring

I was thinking about Surfers Paradise in Australia. Since they lost the Indycars they have tried hard to remain an 'international race', even when it made life very difficult for the V8-supercarteams that had to find suitable drivers to compete in the event.

Since they have marketed the event as an enduro already (well to 300km-races in 1 weekend on a short lap, so over 100 laps per race) a long race won't be a problem for them.

I wonder though if the long track is still available. I've read some things about a lightrail track that was supposed to be build in the middle of one of the roads that made up a part of the track.

[Richard117]

Originally Posted by Mr Pink

The layout the DTM races on is a lot different from the one I'm talking about though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVPNE9w8Khw
http://www.lausitzring.de/besucherpo...ke-113-km.html

11.3 Km

That's the layout where Alboreto had his fatal crash.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by werner

I was thinking about Surfers Paradise in Australia. Since they lost the Indycars they have tried hard to remain an 'international race', even when it made life very difficult for the V8-supercarteams that had to find suitable drivers to compete in the event.

Since they have marketed the event as an enduro already (well to 300km-races in 1 weekend on a short lap, so over 100 laps per race) a long race won't be a problem for them.

I wonder though if the long track is still available. I've read some things about a lightrail track that was supposed to be build in the middle of one of the roads that made up a part of the track.

It looks good at first glance, but it's far too narrow in some places to hold multiclass endurance racing. And I'm not sure the 'long' circuit is still available... it hasn't been run since A1GP in 2009, I believe.

I agree that FIA WEC should run a race in the AUS/NZ area, but the only track I can think of being suitable is Albert Park. That's a street circuit, contrary to popular belief.

The idea with Albert Park is it's wide and long, perfect for both F1 and multiclass endurance racing. I can see a 6 Hours of Melbourne in the making. Of course, they'd have to run it on a different weekend than F1...

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by Beetle

It looks good at first glance, but it's far too narrow in some places to hold multiclass endurance racing. And I'm not sure the 'long' circuit is still available... it hasn't been run since A1GP in 2009, I believe.

I agree that FIA WEC should run a race in the AUS/NZ area, but the only track I can think of being suitable is Albert Park. That's a street circuit, contrary to popular belief.

The idea with Albert Park is it's wide and long, perfect for both F1 and multiclass endurance racing. I can see a 6 Hours of Melbourne in the making. Of course, they'd have to run it on a different weekend than F1...

Albert Park could be good, wouldn't it?

[carbon_titanium]

A smart move could be to join in a street race of the new formula E calendar, possibly each year in a different city.
Saturday the WEC event, a 2 hours race with a mandatory pitstop and money prizes for lmp2 and gt-am class winners and best finishers. Sunday the race of the formula E.
LMP1 and GT manufacturers could use the event as a parade-showroom to promote their mark, private lmp2 and gt teams could be interested to contest to win the grand prix like baku and macau races.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Beetle

It looks good at first glance, but it's far too narrow in some places to hold multiclass endurance racing. And I'm not sure the 'long' circuit is still available... it hasn't been run since A1GP in 2009, I believe.

I agree that FIA WEC should run a race in the AUS/NZ area, but the only track I can think of being suitable is Albert Park. That's a street circuit, contrary to popular belief.

The idea with Albert Park is it's wide and long, perfect for both F1 and multiclass endurance racing. I can see a 6 Hours of Melbourne in the making. Of course, they'd have to run it on a different weekend than F1...

I´d rather go here!

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I´d rather go here!

I see your Adelaide and one-up you with Mount Panorama. I know that LMPs and GTs there would equate to either bodily injuries to drivers and/or a lot of SC because of traffic incidents on the mountain, but... a LMP1 negotiating that manic downhill section and then blasting down Conrod? YES PLEASE.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I´d rather go here!

Adelaide?! That's another cool option!

[radreps]

Can anyone tell me who to contact to marshal at WEC Silverstone?

[Victor_RO]

Meanwhile, Aston Martin's Danish connection in GTE-Am is maintained, as David Heinemeier Hansson joins the team for the full WEC season.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Big news.
IMSA Performance Matmut driver Jean-Karl Vernay replaces Frédéric Makowiecki for Super GT.
http://www.honda.co.jp/Racing/news2014/02/

[TheNo1F1Fan]

And P.S.: here's the link to the photo of Vernay (right).
http://as-web.jp/photonews/info.php?c_id=2&no=51164