ESM left because it didn't find any advertising RoI with IMSA .... getting tequila Patron's name on the mini-series seemed a better route, and WEC allows Patron to be introduced to new markets (and gives Ed some slim chance of seeing a podium.)
Shank is living the dream; he is one of those guys turning a huge fortune into a tiny fortune through auto racing. He is not likely to win much in IMSA and certainly not at Le Mans, but he can Race at Le Mans---and to him the ride is worth price of the ticket.
Krohn also knows that if he drives in IMSA, his team loses; one simply can't go that slowly (or stay on track so rarely) and expect one's team to make up the difference in a three-hour race. In ELMS he can about hand with the other Pro-Ams. He is paying to play, and it is worth it to him ... but he'd like at least a passing chance at a podium himself.
The drivers go because, it is, after all, Le Mans. The drivers don't care about the ongoing feud between FIA-ACO and whichever U.S. body is trying to ruin sportscar racing; the drivers want to run in the big show, and add Le Mans starts to their palmares.
For most teams .... no reason to go. Their sponsors are U.S.-based so they cannot race in Europe; they can't get auto-invites; they cannot afford a car and crew just for Le Mans; the enormous cost would outweigh any potential business gains.
And in any case, Chip Ganassi is already there, the Taylors are there as drivers, Mazda plans (somehow) to compete there in the not-to-distant future .... which team is not on the grid there? Starworks can't even afford a P-class entry any more. AXR is pretty much a NASCAR subsidiary.
As Chernaudu hints, IMSA Wants more manufacturer involvement---in the form of advertising dollars. Chevy doesn't want to spend much money building its own car; it is totally happy selling crate engines and getting its name on things, why would it want to risk having its own team, which could lose, when it could have a handful of teams?
But that is very real factory involvement; Chevy pays its fees to be allowed to play in IMSA. I am sure Chevy also provides whatever engineering help it can, which Gibson will also do, I am sure; but Chevy only helps Chevy teams, so it is not a balanced playing field as it will be in WEC/ELMS.
Sure WTR and AXR aren't werks teams; however, they do benefit from links to a manufacture.
Mazda is a werks team.
FIA doesn't want Any manufacturer money going into P2. Manufacturer money might scare away the overly rich amateurs which FIA wants to fleece to let them race in P2. So no, AXR is not a werks team but is not comparable to say, Signatech.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chernaudi
In the end, I see this as a bunch of egos on both sides jockeying for power and prestige and we're also talking a rivalry between Jim France and the ACO that goes back to 1997 when IMSA adopted ACO/FIA regs for prototypes and GT1 cars instead of keeping IMSA as it was from 1993-97.
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