Bring back Procar

[davyboy]

With little in the way of proper racing going on out on the track, and gross inequality in terms of the cars themselves, maybe its time we should bring back the concept of Procar ? For those who don't remember, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, GP drivers would step into equal BMW M1s and take to the track before the GP for a race. It was often very spectacular. Bernie thought of bringing it back in the late 1980s and I remember seeing a stillborn Alfa 164 silhouette, but nothing came of it.

So how about a manufacturer gets something decent, pokey and rwd like the mid-engined Renault Megane for example. Builds 30 or so of them [yep, let's put the third drivers in there as well]... and we set them up to be raced over about 20 minutes on Sunday morning of a GP weekend. It beats seeing 22 bored premadonnas chatting to one another on the back of a tractor-trailer doesn't it and would certainly give a good assessment of the up-and-coming against the incumbent.

[Nado]

Are BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Honda going to want their drivers driving a Renault?

[TEAM78]

Nah bring it back, sounds great. stuff the politics

[Nado]

As much as I'd like to see the drivers in equal cars, I just think politics won't allow it. I don't think the safety car is an issue because their drivers don't drive the car.

[Stargazer7]

Originally Posted by TEAM78

Nah bring it back, sounds great. stuff the politics

Just give them a fair money prize and those hungry-for-money *******s will drive like crazy to win it.....

[SpawnyWhippet]

Originally Posted by Stargazer7

Just give them a fair money prize and those hungry-for-money *******s will drive like crazy to win it.....

Unlikely to make any difference to these guys, they will either race or not, don't think money will come into it.

[Mystery]

Would love to see it but sadly will never ever happen with the current teams and those running the sport today.

[davyboy]

If Bernie tells them to do it, they will. In terms of the cross-brand driving, I don't think it would be a problem either. There's brand dictation with all the course cars already, you don't see BMW, Honda or Renault whinging that the safety car's not one of theirs. Again, its all a Bernie thing.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by davyboy

If Bernie tells them to do it, they will.

If the insurance companies tell them not too, they won't

[ZXRobert]

This sounds like a fantastic idea, which is rather sad, because it means that something is missing from F1; and no one wants to admit that. Seems true, though.

Most athletes like to be "pushed", to be forced to excel, and one would hope that would be the response from all drivers in a series like this. For sure, the series backmarker would adopt an "I'll show you!" attitude, and one would hope that the F1 darling would adopt a, "No, I'll show YOU!!" type of response.

Alas, I fear that instead, you'd just see upper-tier drivers whining about what a "waste of time/resources" it all would be, instead of wanting to show their mettle.

[Last2LiftOff]

Originally Posted by Mr V

If the insurance companies tell them not too, they won't

Aint' that the truth.

[duke_toaster]

On the "Renault drivers in Porsche" problem, here's an idea - make it a spec car, and just decal it to look like that company. So the Honda would look like a Civic, the BMW would be a 3 series and Ferrari ... erm ... I dunno.

Like NASCAR with the COT and V8STAR (OK, that had different body shells).

[Gt_R]

Put them all in Porsche GT3s and let them go for a 10 lap sprint race after qualifyings on Saturday. For fun. No pressure, no points, no politics.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by davyboy

and gross inequality in terms of the cars themselves,

lol, same as same as (actually less so!). Sounds like you want to watch great drivers in equal roof based machinery. Try WTCC and FIA GT. It is there already!

Firstly I would like to say that we are well catered for nowadays - more than at most points in the past. We have the RoC nowadays and numerous karting events and now for the oldies we have GP Masters.

However the Procar series looked good (although a tad before my time), although there were contractual issues back then - especially with tyre manufacturers IIRC. However Bernie had more control then and could get things done.

Yes it would be good, but I wouldn't want it to get in the way of the real race that weekend.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

Yes it would be good, but I wouldn't want it to get in the way of the real race that weekend.

The "real race"?? Do you mean the GP2???

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Mystery

The "real race"?? Do you mean the GP2???

Good one!!!

[AllonFS]

Sadly I can never see Bernie allowing a Procar type series back. Would he really want F1 drivers in a close exciting series with lots of action - then follow this with an 'real' F1 race a few hours later. I know this has been a better year for F1, but I think a Procar series could provide a little too much excitement in comparison to some F1 races.

[AllonFS]

You are right of course about Bernie setting up the original. However Bernie wasn't always the mad meglomaniac he is now. In the early days he did a lot of good, but he is a prime example of 'power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely'.

As for why I would want another series; well I am a race fan and I would love to see the best drivers in the world competing for the hell of it in identical cars.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by AllonFS

You are right of course about Bernie setting up the original. However Bernie wasn't always the mad meglomaniac he is now. In the early days he did a lot of good, but he is a prime example of 'power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely'.

Equally power corrupts people's perception of someone and absolute power corrupts people's perception of someone absolutely.

Bernie's influence isn't once what it was IMHO - and that is the problem. Still it is Bernie's fault. Everyone else is fallening over themselves to do this yet all he does is, er, wait a minute, I think we all may be getting ahead of ourselves here

[davyboy]

Porsche GT3s sounds sensible alright. If the F1 drivers were compelled to race these cars [like they're compelled to sit in the press conference], I'm sure most fans would welcome the competition. We all see Kimi, Schuey and Alonso as pretty hot... but what if somebody like Davidson emerged as someone who could whip their asses week in week out in Procar. It may be just that the team managers would start to take notice and the balance may begin to mix around a little.

I don't think it would get in the way of the main event... nothing will do that... but it would certainly spice up the weekend don't you think ?

[Kicking-back]

Apropos of nothing, a Formula One test driver called Mika Hakkinen entered the Porsche Supercup race at the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix and scored a dominant win.

Whatever happened to him?

[chunterer]

This has been mooted already for the 'Masters' but after Sunday's show, i bet you those guys would rather race powerful single seaters than a mofified sportscar.

I know the M1's were quite spectacular but speeds have moved on, so the equipment needs to as well...

[SpawnyWhippet]

I think its a great idea, the type of machinery doesn't matter so much as the fact that they are equal, ie 30 MINI Cooper S's or 30 Ferrari 360 Challenge, results should be the same.

[Nado]

A Mini would be interesting, and although it is a BMW brand, it's not really BMW.

[chunterer]

A Mini?!!!

Surely it'll need to be something with a decent amount of poke!!

If it's gonna be production based cars then exotica is the way to go like the Veyron!!

Or perhaps a little less ostentatious something like the AMG SLK, or Beeem M6...