IMSA Race Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Aug 21-23

[DeezPutz]

Looks like a really good crowd at VIR all weekend which is good to see.

[FLGTFAN]

This could be a cracker next year.

[deggis]

I always wonder are those far away (from the track) treelines barried? E.g. to the left of the finish straight?

[Matt]

No.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by FLGTFAN

This could be a cracker next year.

Do you mean just because more cars should be here?

Next year is going to have PC as well, which is not a plus for me. This race is just great as a GT only affair.

[joeb]

Interesting to see Bell pull away from Hasse. I thought the Audi was going to be able to overtake the Ferrari within a few laps.

Also, could Risi be on a fuel stretch strategy? They have dropped back from the Porsche.

[J Jay]

I need to stop missing the first half-plus of IMSA races.

What have I missed?

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by deggis

I always wonder are those far away (from the track) treelines barried? E.g. to the left of the finish straight?

So old school.

I recall some track in early ALMS days where Corvette C5-R either crashed or rolled into some unprotected forested area, but my memory is very hollow on that. Maybe it was just the camera angle that was on top of the trees, I don't know

[joeb]

Originally Posted by J Jay

I need to stop missing the first half-plus of IMSA races.

What have I missed?

Mostly clean running. Magnus had two left front flat tires. Porsche in GTE has been on their own all race, and there was contact with Risi, but I missed it when I turned away....

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by joeb

Mostly clean running. Magnus had two left front flat tires. Porsche in GTE has been on their own all race, and there was contact with Risi, but I missed it when I turned away....

Thanks joeb. I saw the contact - Bamber put an aggressive pass on Kaffer at Left Hook (? It was a slow left-hander so either there or in the Spiral) and the cars touched. Nothing unfair, just a forceful move by the Porsche that took the corner away from the Ferrari.

Edit - Haase off track race in the #48 PMR R8! #007 up to 2nd! My potential FRC points increase by a couple!

[joeb]

Thanks, the pass would have taken place eventually given the speed of the Porsche


And the pm Audi is off!

[joeb]

Interesting race for the Viper. When the Am's were in, Keating kept the car competitive. But with Bleeks in, the car has fallen back. Or did it have an issue that I missed?

[kyoung]

For chrissakes it's BoP just say it.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by kyoung

For chrissakes it's BoP just say it.

Yes, I'm aware of the changes. I was just noting that it wasn't much of a factor when the Am's were all on track.



Good race overall, with Risi would have managed a 2nd, but hard to touch the Porsches these days.

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by joeb

Yes, I'm aware of the changes. I was just noting that it wasn't much of a factor when the Am's were all on track.



Good race overall, with Risi would have managed a 2nd, but hard to touch the Porsches these days.

Hey Joeb, apologies that wasn't meant for you, I was referring to talking heads on Fox, my laptop froze and I couldn't change the post in time.

Anyway I wish I could share your enthusiasm for the race I thought it was pretty terrible just a train of cars going around for a couple hours.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by kyoung

Hey Joeb, apologies that wasn't meant for you, I was referring to talking heads on Fox, my laptop froze and I couldn't change the post in time.

Anyway I wish I could share your enthusiasm for the race I thought it was pretty terrible just a train of cars going around for a couple hours.

Yeah you're right the race was not very exciting but I thought it was a good race in the sense that there weren't any cautions and teams were allowed to run different strategies and make the final order based on on track performance.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by kyoung

Hey Joeb, apologies that wasn't meant for you, I was referring to talking heads on Fox, my laptop froze and I couldn't change the post in time.

Anyway I wish I could share your enthusiasm for the race I thought it was pretty terrible just a train of cars going around for a couple hours.

Isnt that the worst? I shake my head when they go to the leading/winning car's crew and ask what they did to make their cars so good when in reality its the breaks the car received.

[schmidder]

Originally Posted by jasonjessica09

I won't be able to follow the race live due to going out of the house and all on a summer Sunday.

My thoughts is that it could be similar to Road America a battle between Porsche N.A. and the Risi Ferrari. BMW might mix it up but will end up no higher than second. I fear that Falken and Corvette will battle for 6th, 7th, 8th, I hope my last prediction is wrong.

Should be a good one. Expect no more than one safety car. Perhaps none at all. Would be great if that is the case and it would help encourage future all GT events. If so then maybe it will encourage IMSA to take LMPC out of Lime Rock and split up Laguna next year.

And the laguna split makes it in again..sorry..just cracks me up.

[JHamilton]

I thought it was a good, clean race. The track looked terrific on TV and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[YZFrider]

Question, I read on another site IMSA gets a few changes to BOP per season, is it true they just used up their last one????

[Akrapovic]

The biggest and most obvious evidence of BOP issues isn't that the Porsche dominated - it was that the cars ran in formation.

2 Porsches
1 Ferrari (there was only one)
2 BMWs
2 Corvettes
1 Private Porsche

There was a very very obvious pecking order between the cars. Only the BMWs and Corvettes looking kinda close, but that was because the BMW couldn't pass in a straight line. In clean air, they gapped the Corvettes relatively easily.

So yeah, I'm going to add my voice to the BOP discussion and say it wasn't balanced well at all. I don't mind that Porsche won, but not one single car was balanced in that class.

Despite this, I honestly feel that TUSCC is more interesting without the Prototype classes.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by YZFrider

Question, I read on another site IMSA gets a few changes to BOP per season, is it true they just used up their last one????

I haven't been keeping track of how many they've used. But previously they have shown no need to follow their own rules on this.

[Deleted]

Last year they said the bopping allowance was four per class, but they increased it to five for 2015 in order to make it more 'exciting' and shiz. However that number doesn't include pre-season boppings, non-revised boppings (not appearing in the following) and in Prototype the round by round aero/altitude-temp-RPM boppings

Anyway in GT2 alone for counting

2015 IMSA GTE bopping , date of documents
* 26/Dec/14 Pre-Roar
* 16/Jan/15 pre-Daytona
* 11/Mar/15 pre-Sebring
* 08/Apr/15 Pre-LB
* 08/Apr/15 Pre-LB (separate) & Pre-Laguna
* 12/Jun/15 Pre-Glen
* 30/Jul/15 Pre-Elkhart

So the limit is already up, even when taking account the so called "exceptions", but I think they'll just come up with some excuse for spicing up everything and crap in time for finale. I suppose the said excuse could be that Long Beach and Laguna bops were given on same day - even though they are different for the two circuits!! - "so they don't count as two"

Originally Posted by TF110

Isnt that the worst? I shake my head when they go to the leading/winning car's crew and ask what they did to make their cars so good when in reality its the breaks the car received.

I remember for some reason watching FIA GT3 Euro back in the day, and laughing my ass off when the commentators were wondering and explaining how radically differently the cars perform on different circuits because of the 'charasteristics of the brands' and thus explaining the radically up and down altering performances

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Last year they said the bopping allowance was four per class, but they increased it to five for 2015 in order to make it more 'exciting' and shiz. However that number doesn't include pre-season boppings, non-revised boppings (not appearing in the following) and in Prototype the round by round aero/altitude-temp-RPM boppings

Anyway in GT2 alone for counting

2015 IMSA GTE bopping , date of documents
* 26/Dec/14 Pre-Roar
* 16/Jan/15 pre-Daytona
* 11/Mar/15 pre-Sebring
* 08/Apr/15 Pre-LB
* 08/Apr/15 Pre-LB (separate) & Pre-Laguna
* 12/Jun/15 Pre-Glen
* 30/Jul/15 Pre-Elkhart

So the limit is already up, even when taking account the so called "exceptions", but I think they'll just come up with some excuse for spicing up everything and crap in time for finale. I suppose the said excuse could be that Long Beach and Laguna bops were given on same day - even though they are different for the two circuits!! - "so they don't count as two"

If you read the fine print, they have one more adjustment available per their own rules.

[Deleted]

So 8(-9) adjustments in reality, 5 officially regarded as such. Lol

In Prototype I think the number is already something like 13 with quick count comprised of normal bops, preseasons, event attitude compensations and aeros put together, but obviously they count them as they please... it will go to 16 with the next set of normal bop and two attitude compensations

If non-revisions were counted both higher