IMSA USCC in 2016 and 2017

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

There MAY be some grandfathering of currently (already built) DP cars. New cars from 2017 on will be built on the 4 cf chassis as agreed upon by the ACO and IMSA.





L.P.

Unless of course, IMSA has realized that there is little benefit to an ACO connection when you have no ACO cars running in your series.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

Unless of course, IMSA has realized that there is little benefit to an ACO connection when you have no ACO cars running in your series.

The relationship will continue!








L.P.

[TF110]

As long as theyre new prototypes and are using current tech (like carbon fiber) it should be ok for dp. I think dp as it is now will continue on for a year or so, for grandfathering, but new regs will be introduced. Someone like Bentley could influence the way they're made and look.

[carbon_titanium]

it's a quite easy for bentley to start a season in TUSC prototypes... just buy two or three riley chassis, put inside the same engine from the continental gt3 with a bodywork made by M-sport.

[Bob Baldwin]

Mighty M : Well I might buy in to your thinking about $ 200 Million for the Factories Porsche / Audi but from a Privateer perspective I find it hard to believe many / Any team owners are spending more than $ 10 million per year for operational expenses .

Heck for 5 -6 million dollars you can run a Ferrari for the whole TUSC season in GTLM !!

MoMedic9019 : Perhaps They saw the Light : Perhaps " IMSA has tralized there is little benefit to an ACO connection when you have no ACO cars in your series "

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

The relationship will continue!

Agreements aren't worth the paper they are written on.

We are looking at three P2 cars(two of which aren't even LM24 eligible/ACO compliant), and three, maybe four GTE cars for next season. That's a pretty weak link.

The ACO couldn't give a toss as to what is going on here.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by Bob Baldwin

Mighty M : Well I might buy in to your thinking about $ 200 Million for the Factories Porsche / Audi but from a Privateer perspective I find it hard to believe many / Any team owners are spending more than $ 10 million per year for operational expenses .

Heck for 5 -6 million dollars you can run a Ferrari for the whole TUSC season in GTLM !!

Bob: I forgot where I heard it reported, but apparently three of the four factory P1 team's budget is believed to be $200 million+.

The P1 factory teams show up at the track with a lot more people than a privateer GTLM team would and I suspect that their cost structures are also a wee bit higher. Parts aren't cheaper either. Running those very complex P1 cars is just expensive. (I'm presuming that you'd need to establish a dedicated team to run the cars in the U.S.)

Throw in some development/testing work associated with Daytona, additional marketing expenditures (which might get buried in a different line item in the overall budget) and I really doubt that the total investment is less than about $40 million a year.

[Bob Baldwin]

Mighty M : I do understand the point you are making . the ONLY ones that can afford it is the Factories . one offs Possibly Daytona , Maybe Sebring , would hope also Petite but the rest of the series .I just don't see it happening . What is the worth of doing such for a Privateer team ?

[Rcz]

It's a weird rumor about Bentley going DP. It's like that old Maserati and Audi rumor.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[Bob Baldwin]

Bently to DP Pipe Dream at Best

[TF110]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Bob: I forgot where I heard it reported, but apparently three of the four factory P1 team's budget is believed to be $200 million+.

The P1 factory teams show up at the track with a lot more people than a privateer GTLM team would and I suspect that their cost structures are also a wee bit higher. Parts aren't cheaper either. Running those very complex P1 cars is just expensive. (I'm presuming that you'd need to establish a dedicated team to run the cars in the U.S.)

Throw in some development/testing work associated with Daytona, additional marketing expenditures (which might get buried in a different line item in the overall budget) and I really doubt that the total investment is less than about $40 million a year.

Toyota say they spend a quarter what they spent in f1. That would be something like $75-$100million.

[Gulf]

Originally Posted by Bob Baldwin

Mighty M : Well I might buy in to your thinking about $ 200 Million for the Factories Porsche / Audi but from a Privateer perspective I find it hard to believe many / Any team owners are spending more than $ 10 million per year for operational expenses .

Heck for 5 -6 million dollars you can run a Ferrari for the whole TUSC season in GTLM !!

MoMedic9019 : Perhaps They saw the Light : Perhaps " IMSA has tralized there is little benefit to an ACO connection when you have no ACO cars in your series "

Muscle Milk claimed it cost 5 million a year to run their P1 HPD, basically a nascar nationwide series budget. Its not because of the cost they got rid of P1 it was because there was no way it hell to make a DP faster.

[TheMightyM]

“Audi's annual LMP1-H budget is $242 million.”

Source: Marshall Pruett, “Inside the Audi F1 rumors”, Racer, November 4, 2014. Link: Here.

[BrentJackson]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

There MAY be some grandfathering of currently (already built) DP cars. New cars from 2017 on will be built on the 4 cf chassis as agreed upon by the ACO and IMSA.

L.P.

Considering those rules have gone down like a lead brick with most of the team owners, constructions, OEMs and many sponsors, I'm thinking that the Bentley man might be right here. The number of ACO cars in IMSA is getting small and in the prototype categories is rapidly becoming next to none. If I were them, I'd have told the ACO where to shove it long before now.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by BrentJackson

Considering those rules have gone down like a lead brick with most of the team owners, constructions, OEMs and many sponsors, I'm thinking that the Bentley man might be right here. The number of ACO cars in IMSA is getting small and in the prototype categories is rapidly becoming next to none. If I were them, I'd have told the ACO where to shove it long before now.

And, obviously, they've had conversations with IMSA that has led them to believe the current, or maybe a slightly updated DP is going to happen. Which, to me a carbon safety cell like DTM is the only probable change.

Until more is uncovered, I'll stick with my original thought that nothing will change, and DP carries on as we know it.

[Damian Baldi]

The DPs have to disappear someday. Modern tubes are needed, if not, ask Memo Gidley. I had read that a DP was as expensive as a P2. I think the team owners don't want to start from scratch with a new car, and that's part of the problem.

By other side, american constructors have to design and build a P2. If they don't want to be P1 privateers and they want to compete at P2, they could use the same electronics as in WEC P2 to reduce costs. If they want keep freedom about electronics, they are at the same point to build a P2 or a P1 private.


all links about Coyote and Riley about the new P2
http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/11069...yote-eyeing-p2

http://sportscar365.com/industry/coy...017-lmp2-regs/

http://sportscar365.com/industry/ril...type-for-2017/

[DeezPutz]

I'm gonna call the Bentley dealer to see what they know but I don't expect much info. Stay tuned.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

And, obviously, they've had conversations with IMSA that has led them to believe the current, or maybe a slightly updated DP is going to happen. Which, to me a carbon safety cell like DTM is the only probable change.

I would support that instead of having to wait for IMSA to make a separate Class One series. The American DTM series is already a dead horse to me!

I mean, that chassis tub is suitable for a Bentley Continental than a narrow-shaped P2 one!

[ger80]

I also like the idea of a LMP3/DTM type carbon tub with stell roll cage - you can adjust the roll cage so the same carbon tub can be used for different shapes of car

[Speed-King]

I think what's more likely is what Merc have done on the SLS GT3: Have a carbon survival cell, but inside the actual frame and not as a structural part of the car. IIRC that was also done on the previous generation DTM cars.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Damian Baldi

The DPs have to disappear someday. Modern tubes are needed, if not, ask Memo Gidley.

I love how everyone can only cite one crash with a severe injury in a DP, yet I can pull up multiple instances of broken backs in LMP1 cars...

(FWIW, Boris breaking a rib in the Marsh car last year doesn't count as a car related injury, as you can break a rib simply by sneezing really hard)

[Bob Baldwin]

Does anyone know what the current status of Memo Gidley is ?

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Matt

I love how everyone can only cite one crash with a severe injury in a DP, yet I can pull up multiple instances of broken backs in LMP1 cars...

(FWIW, Boris breaking a rib in the Marsh car last year doesn't count as a car related injury, as you can break a rib simply by sneezing really hard)

(FWIW compression fractures can happen by falling out of your chair and landing on your rump.) So. Kind of invalidates your claim here.... moving on.

[FLGTFAN]

Just compare Memo's accident to the one Greg Pickett had at M-O.

[Lagunaseca_4life]

Yea I like DP's but when you at gidley's crash and the state of the car and then look at all the resent audi crashes at Le Mans I think a safety cell is needed.

Eventhough I didn't like Duval's crash last year during practice,looked like the door broke off and roof peeled back and his helmet was clearly visible.NOT GOOD.