[WEC] 2017 WEC Season

[Coach Ep]

Time to start next year's thread with another poll as CotA might be a standalone event (IMSA no longer serves as co host) - or not?

Maybe we can expect the new calendar in Mexico?

[Rodger Davies]

So we're talking WEC right?

I don't expect any changes if so.

Unfortunately (that's mean, I long for Silverstone, Bahrain and COTA to go, the others I'm fine with).

Wouldn't expect any changes though, COTA will probably be shared with PWC looking at their calendar.

[MoMedic9019]

COTA is unlikely to be on the '16 schedule. Montreal at best, I'd bet on no other round aside from Mexico.

[TF110]

Voted Montreal if there's no COTA. I want Road America, but doubt the wec goes there with the track/facilities as-is.

[Maelochs]

I pray it is anywhere but Road America.

I hope that track is never subject to the FIA's destructive run-off nazis.

WEC would probably demand that a 1/4 mile stretch on each side of the track was cleared of grass and trees so they could ignore track limits at will without ever paying any price except the occasional disputed drive-through.

[Coach Ep]

Yes, WEC, I missed putting that in the title, sorry.

@ Joeb: can you adjust that please? Thx.

I share the fears towards RA's 'needed improvements' to the facility in order to host a round (and RA coughing up the sanctioning fee of course) so it seems very unlikely at least at this point. If only the emphasis would be put on establishing unique events (under the umbrella of a world championship) instead of copying F1...

Btw, voted for 'No race in the US or Canada at all' as the US and global sportscar powers drift (further) apart.

[seanyb505]

I really can't bring myself to vote either way. I have preferences, but I don't think those will ever come to fruition.

Best I could hope for would be Montreal or cota. In 30 days I'm heading to the airport for likely my sole trip to cota, so I won't really care if WEC doesn't come back again. Montreal could be a fun vacation. I'll likely never visit Mexico City, and Indy strikes me as an awful course.

I think Sebring has a better shot long term than Road America. The international significance has been there for longer. Not sure either would happen in the next 10-20 years though.

[J Jay]

Yeah, I don't see it moving from CoTA either, as much as I would like it to. I'm not going to bet against the stubbornness of Neveu & Co.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

I really can't bring myself to vote either way. I have preferences, but I don't think those will ever come to fruition.

Best I could hope for would be Montreal or cota. In 30 days I'm heading to the airport for likely my sole trip to cota, so I won't really care if WEC doesn't come back again. Montreal could be a fun vacation. I'll likely never visit Mexico City, and Indy strikes me as an awful course.

I think Sebring has a better shot long term than Road America. The international significance has been there for longer. Not sure either would happen in the next 10-20 years though.

The thing Indy has going for it is its history - although no sportscar at all (just Indycars). But I'm sure the Indy and WEC marketing departments can turn that into something unique and "beneficial" for both of them.

[MoMedic9019]

Indy isn't an option allegedly.

[chernaudi]

So why would the ACO waste their time visiting Indy to apparently look at possibly moving the WEC away from COTA to Indy, unless it was to milk concessions from COTA or possibly RA or to get Montreal to throw their hat into the ring?

If Indy's not a serious option at this stage, you can bet that the ACO are pressing COTA to give into some of their requests, or trying to get RA to go back to upgrading their track's infrastructure (originally done for NASCAR to get Cup up there, which doesn't seem likely to happen in the immediate future), or get Montreal interested.

Besides, FIA regs say that LMP1s can race on grade 2 tracks, but outside of LM, the ACO/FIA don't want to because they want F1-like facilities inside of the tracks, though it seems that they don't in reality give a damn about the tracks themselves. And even LM, which is grade 2, has facilities equal to if not better than some F1 tracks, and has since the early 1990s.

[MoMedic9019]

I have no idea what the reasoning is, it's just what I was told by a member of the major motorsports press.

I think their visit was more of an exploratory nature to see if the facility would fit heir goals. Barber is an 1T.... Certainly that would be better venue than Indy.

I think the biggest issue in manu. activation. It's part of what the struggle has been with COTA.

[TheMightyM]

I voted for COTA, because I think the WEC is stubborn, kind of clueless, and really does not want to deviate from its business model. That said, I think that a Labor Day weekend date with PWC in 2017 will be a complete disaster, with even lower attendance than what they’ve experienced previously. If the WEC were going someplace else in 2017, we’d probably have heard something about it by now. That’s especially true for Road America.

Now if the 2017 COTA race doesn’t draw, then I think that the WEC might move somewhere else for 2018. The thing about any of the alternative locations (Indy, Montreal, Road America) is that they all work much better in August than September. It remains to be seen if the WEC is flexible enough to do that.

Road America is a special case. If the WEC wants upgrades, that’s going to take time to carry out, probably at least a year, maybe two. The calendar options there are also really interesting. IMSA believes in keeping schedule changes to a minimum and has an early August date there. Would the WEC share a weekend with IMSA or would they show up a couple of weeks later. Not sure that IMSA would appreciate either approach.

[Mosport Fan]

I would have hoped the North American round would move to Montreal as well. side from the GP, they are permitted to host an extra race weekend there (just as they did for NASCAR). I think the location is quite good and it's a vibrant city for the fans.

I have visited COTA but not when there was racing on. It's an impressive facility but I can see why some international events struggle there (WEC and F1 from what you read, not sure about the bikes though).

Mosport and Mont Tremblant are in the same predicament as Road America with the facilities. To be honest, I can't see any of those venues changing their facilities to suit WEC or to cater to any other international event (basically, F1).

I'm being a bit biased, but I wish one of the rounds would move to Australasia. I think the only circuit at present in Australia that could do it would be Albert Park, but I think they'd need to run it around the same time as the F1 due to the setup- but for the same reason I don't think it would happen. Philip Island is a brilliant facility but miles away from enough hotels etc and just like Mosport et al above, would still need some work. I know the China and Japan rounds are out here, but I looked at the cost to go and attend, and it's quite high- and the Chinese round looked pretty scarse in terms of attendance. I know they're there to try and steer potential buyers, but I think it's missed the mark personally. Maybe Sepang or Thailand? Kind of central for out this way but I know it would be a hard sell for a 6 Hour race in what is probably viewed as a small and primitive market.

Hope Montreal gets a round. They did in 1990 and I'm sure they could do it again.

[PorscheFanNo1]

I hope it gets replaced by Rudskogen. It was built to FIA Grade 1 standards but I think they just didnt bother to renew the FIA gradings at all for last year. Still, it has the facilities and is a very cool track.

[Deleted]

I bet they will still be running at COTA in 2021, in front of 5000 people, repeating the same old tired lines of "we need to establish the market" and "you grow events little by little" and "it's only been few years since we've come here, we and our partners have complete trust in the attractiveness of this market and don't give up easily" and "the on-site marketing has really been improved for this year and will be even better next year, everyone in the city is enthusiastic of the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas and will be here" and "the world class facilities here are realistically our only choice in this country blah blah"

[TzeiTzei]

Originally Posted by PorscheFanNo1

I hope it gets replaced by Rudskogen. It was built to FIA Grade 1 standards but I think they just didnt bother to renew the FIA gradings at all for last year. Still, it has the facilities and is a very cool track.

Norway... kinda like Bahrain. Monarchy and oil money. Why isn't this in the calendar yet?

I voted for Road America. Just for fun though. Doesn't seem very likely. Maybe Montreal could be the one, it just doesn't sound as exciting as some other NA tracks. VIR? Watkins Glen? Indy is boring as hell, although the long straight could make things a bit interesting.

[Mr Pink]

Originally Posted by PorscheFanNo1

I hope it gets replaced by Rudskogen. It was built to FIA Grade 1 standards but I think they just didnt bother to renew the FIA gradings at all for last year. Still, it has the facilities and is a very cool track.

3.3 km, a bit short isn't it?

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by TzeiTzei

Norway... kinda like Bahrain. Monarchy and oil money. Why isn't this in the calendar yet?

It's not absolute monarchy like Bahrain though...

[PorscheFanNo1]

Originally Posted by Mr Pink

3.3 km, a bit short isn't it?

Probably, wont happend anyway... But its the nicest facility we have in the whole Nordic region, and has/had Grade 1 (or rather Grade 1T) status. Would be fun to have hosted atleast one high profile event before it turns into oblivion

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by Chiana

I bet they will still be running at COTA in 2021, in front of 5000 people, repeating the same old tired lines of "we need to establish the market" and "you grow events little by little" and "it's only been few years since we've come here, we and our partners have complete trust in the attractiveness of this market and don't give up easily" and "the on-site marketing has really been improved for this year and will be even better next year, everyone in the city is enthusiastic of the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas and will be here" and "the world class facilities here are realistically our only choice in this country blah blah"

Here’s the thing though, if the WEC doesn’t draw a crowd, then assuming COTA is competently managed (not a given) at some point the track will start offering the series less money to show up. And that’s especially true if COTA doesn’t think that the WEC has any other viable options based upon its business model in the U.S./Canada.

[Coach Ep]

I was gonna say - as long as CotA coughs up the sanctioning fee, WEC will keep returning there (much like F1). The suites at the track are really nice and the hotels nearby as well + fun entertainment is right around the corner in downtown Austin so that satisfies the series management needs.

Why go somewhere else when you know what you got?

[Deleted]

Does Caesars Palace still have the parking lot? It would suffice the needs of everybody at FIA and ACO. You know with obviously the "track" itself (just paint some random lines in the asphalt and it's just like COTA) and Neveu with his minions could go to the casino next door to gamble the dollars they made on the LMP2 spec cashing-in-deal + generous "donations" the Kingdom of Bahrain has given them on Patreon or whatever.

[Giba]

I think Indy, they need a round in America and honestly its the most likely place after CotA and WEC management don't seen to be happy with the CotA round

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I was gonna say - as long as CotA coughs up the sanctioning fee, WEC will keep returning there (much like F1).

And therein lies the issue. IndyCar gave them a substantial discount last year to try and secure a date, and they couldn't cough the money up. F1 is absolutely in jeopardy, and therefore the WEC has to be assumed to be...