Other races

[Bob Riebe]

I see over the week end, that in the continuation Trans-Am (to keep it going until, last rumor, Greg Pickett runs it next year) was won by Jorge Diaz in a Jaguar.

Across the pond, the SRT Corvettes finished first and second at the Belcar Spa race.

It will interesting to see what the powers that be, will do to Sports Car racing next year.
Could improve, could continue to grow sideways, or could slide farther down a slope.
Bob

[JAG]

Trans Am isn't sportscar racing, while Belcar etc. are national series, of which there a many.

They don't impact on ALMS/LMS/Le Mans., other than provide a steady stream of teams and drivers.

Grand-Am, Super GT and FIA GT cater for there own particular market.

The same structure applies to touring cars, single seaters and rallying in Europe.

Think how much space there would be on the calender in the US if there was no oval racing.

[FIRE]

Next year no longer GT1 in Belcar. Only "Belcar Specials" (sort of GT2), GT3 and Cup cars are allowed.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Next year no longer GT1 in Belcar. Only "Belcar Specials" (sort of GT2), GT3 and Cup cars are allowed.

Well so much for a series that on many forums, at times, was the only interesting talk going.
Why are they gutting a series that had a LOT of attention for awhile.

Fire, to show you how the mighty have fallen, the Trans-Am used to draw 40-60 plus entrents because when the big show was in town, the SCCA club racers would take a shot at the big time.
THis year, the Trans-Am race ran as a support for the SCCA National Championship, and the National amateur drivers did not want to chance damaging their cars in the pro race.(a couple of GT2 Mazdas did run the T-A out of curiosity.

Jag:
In the US, it is all road racing.
Whether it is a sedan or a two-seater makes little difference, it all lives and dies as one single entity.
If someone grabs a major sponsor and gets Detroit interested in the Trans-Am, the IMSA will be in a bigger world of hurt, but road racing in the US will grow, and if the IMSA adapts quickly, so wil it.
Bob

[JAG]

Belcar is interesting because of the specials that race over there.

GT1 was the preserve of a handfull of teams, most of whom seem to be graduating to FIA GT/LMS.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by JAG

Think how much space there would be on the calender in the US if there was no oval racing.

Very true, very true. but NASCAR is now the most popular sport in the US. Has the highers TV ratings and spectator attendanec of any sporting event.

Not to mention the ecconmy of the areas where the races are plus the jobs provided where the race shops are located.

Personally, I dont watch much NASCAR, but it has helped other sports car racing recognition.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Personally, I dont watch much NASCAR, but it has helped other sports car racing recognition.

How did they do that?

I just wish stock cars racing was more like it was in the sixties and seventies.
Many sanctions, and no turdmobiles.

Bob

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

How did they do that?

Bob

Bob remeber, NASCAR Owns Grand AM. Many of the NASCAR teams and drivers now have or will have a GRAND AM team.

Without NASCAR there would be no SPEED TV. Withough SPEED TV very very little other motor racing would be on TV, excpt ALMS which has some CBS coverage.

Many of the racing tires that started in NASCAR now make sports car tires too. Hoosier specificly. Good Year ( Dunlap owned by GY ) makes many many sports car tires.

Fair amount of technology transfer from NASCAR to the Manufactures and small specialty shops.

I took two sets of race wheels and 8 tires up to my local tire place to have them mounted. Got lots of ppl come over to look at the wheels and tires and ask questions about them and what type of racing I do, what car I race and soforth.

[Bob Riebe]

Personally, I dont watch much NASCAR, but it has helped other sports car racing recognition.

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Bob remeber, NASCAR Owns Grand AM. Many of the NASCAR teams and drivers now have or will have a GRAND AM team.

Without NASCAR there would be no SPEED TV. Withough SPEED TV very very little other motor racing would be on TV, excpt ALMS which has some CBS coverage.

Many of the racing tires that started in NASCAR now make sports car tires too. Hoosier specificly. Good Year ( Dunlap owned by GY ) makes many many sports car tires.

Fair amount of technology transfer from NASCAR to the Manufactures and small specialty shops.

I took two sets of race wheels and 8 tires up to my local tire place to have them mounted. Got lots of ppl come over to look at the wheels and tires and ask questions about them and what type of racing I do, what car I race and soforth.

Grand-Am has NOT HELPED road racing, period, ARRRRH.

It took Daytona, the only US race that had true international connections, and turned into a France financed, club race.(As nice as Sebring is, it more or less, thrived on Daytona's coat-tails.)
Big fields?
The France boys pay for that.

Hoosier became, very big time, because of their Sprint Car, (they have horribly embarrased Goodyear there) and NASCAR, from which they were banned. (OF course NASCAR fed them the Grand-Am bone)
Goodyear and Firestone were making two hundred MPH tires for sports cars, years before they did the same for stock cars.(As an aside, Greenwood used tires,that had been outlawed by USAC rule changes, on his Corvette, when he needed even wider tires)

The tech. transfer started decades ago with Bud Moore and then Jack Roush, plus others.

It has been know for a looong time, that US speedshops, can adapt quickly to whatever series comes there way.
The current spec. and or quasi-spec. series, in any racing curriculum has stifled the spectrum they operate in, down to picking nits.(I will admit that the ACO/IMSA are as guilty of this as Grand-Am)

In, MY opinion, Grand-Am has been the anti-thesis of just the things you listed.
Bob

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

Personally, I dont watch much NASCAR, but it has helped other sports car racing recognition.

Grand-Am has NOT HELPED road racing, period, ARRRRH.

In, MY opinion, Grand-Am has been the anti-thesis of just the things you listed.
Bob

Grand Am has not released there spectator and TV ratings nor who their spectators are. ALMS did the spectator stats release a few weeks ago via an indepednet polling company.

It will be very interesting to see the Grand Am spectator & TV stats.

Grand SHAm is 'suppose to be' sports car racing on a budget. The DPs costing from $500 to $650K plus engine and electronics for a new car.

The Grand Sham GT class is pathtic for performane but very popular for teams. The Grand Am Cup races have boomed with many amatures tired of the SCCA 20 min sprint races and turing Pro( minor league ) but still pro to have endurance races of 200 miles to 6 hours.

By the way, it is easer to get a Grand AM Pro lic then a SCCA amature Lic. Go Figure.

[extramundane]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Bob remeber, NASCAR Owns Grand AM. Many of the NASCAR teams and drivers now have or will have a GRAND AM team.

Besides Chip Ganassi (who's not so much as NASCAR team owner as a Motorsports team owner), and the occasional drive by NASCAR drivers (mostly at the Rolex 24) who are these "many" NASCAR teams and drivers?

Without NASCAR there would be no SPEED TV. Withough SPEED TV very very little other motor racing would be on TV, excpt ALMS which has some CBS coverage.

SpeedTV existed as Speedvision with relatively little NASCAR coverage and could likely do so again, if ownership wasn't in bed with NASCAR. ALMS, CCWS & IRL all have siginificant network/basic cable coverage, so they'd likely do just as well viewership-wise w/o Speed.