Quote:
Originally Posted by jjvincent
There was a time where the series had about 80-100 entrants per event. Thus, they had to split the races because too many cars. Top that off with GA had a total of two haulers and brought 35 employees to the track for a combined Conti/Rolex weekend. With IMSA it went to 130 employees and 7 haulers. I suspect that the increase in the number of employees, number of haulers and the reduction in entrants, makes the current model where you need to get the money from the competitors to make it work. That would explain why there's an an increase in the amount the teams pay to IMSA and the reduction onto what they pay out.
I run my own business and I know a number of other former team owners and renters that do the same. They just have a hard time accepting that IMSA can decide to run at an inflation rate 10X than what they an do. In the end, they go elsewhere. IMSA thinks that the TV time makes up for it but it doesn't. In that day of age, TV is out and streaming it in. Thus explains the disconnect with PWC and IMSA with the new customer base.
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Yeah, all of the above totally makes sense. (owners not being happy with the changes, not seeing the dollars and cents add up) I can't believe Grand Am ran a combined Koni/Rolex weekend with 35 people. I have to admit to being one of the grand-am haters back in the day. But then APR got involved with Koni Challenge and I went to a couple of those races, and then I started paying attention to the GT stuff again, and by the time the did the Gen 3 DPs I was back to being a fan. I kind of miss the "DIY" aesthetic of Grand am in some ways. Like the non-standardized numbering for cars and the hot-rod nature of the cars. (GT3 Cups with RSR parts and what not)
As i've kicked it around I do like the GT4 as GTD angle, but you'd still end up with 3 classes in the big show.