ALMS 2012 Discussion

[AGD]

Originally Posted by gregtummer

Grandfathered cars are no longer accepted in WEC next year. ALMS has not made up their minds yet if they will be allowed. Aston Martin may run ALMS if they are accepted but they do not know yet.

Petit Le Mans was the last race for the Oreca Peugeot according from a source in the know.

Grandfathered P1 cars will be allowed next year in the ALMS.

[gregtummer]

Originally Posted by AGD

Grandfathered P1 cars will be allowed next year in the ALMS.

Source?

Not doubting you, this is the latest updates I heard as of last Friday and Saturday in the paddock.

If true, hopefully Aston Martin will return, Toyota Rebellion will enter along with the Oreca Peugeot (doubtful).

[AGD]

Originally Posted by gregtummer

Source?

Those watching the ALMS in 2012 will see the same five classes as in 2011: LMP1, LMP2, LMP Challenge, GT and GT Challenge. In 2012, LMP1 regulations will remain consistent with the current 2011 regulations which include 2010 “grandfathered” cars. LMP2, LMPC, GT and GTC regulations will remain as they are in 2011.

http://www.americanlemans.com/primar...cat=news|16339

[gregtummer]

Cool.

Good move by ALMS. Hopefully this will attract some old cars from Europe to enter ALMS.

[AGD]

E-I has an article discussing the future of ESM. Nothing groundbreaking was discussed as it mentioned rumors of them possibly not returning or returning next year with M3s. Those rumors have been mentioned by other sites, but I don't know if I would call those sites reliable. Sharp mentioned on ESPN that he hired an engineer from Europe (it sounded like a JMW guy), but I don't know if that was just for one race or what.

Anyway, M3s would be interesting. Is BMW interested in opening those up to privateers? Would ESM switch to Dunlops then? Would they stay in the ALMS or would they run some in Europe with BMW pulling out of the ILMC/WEC? Cosmo says they are going for the championship in 2012. I assume he is talking about the ALMS title, but who knows. Also, if Risi leaves the ALMS (I'm not sure if I buy that), is it possible that there won't be any Ferraris in the ALMS in 2012?

So, anyway, I guess there is a lot of speculation from unreliable sources to wonder about!

http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...ance-8462.html

[alexkiller8]

me too read that article, if esm tries to justify the poor season blaming the ferrari 458 gtc, well they are really pathetic... the car in ALMS has some shorter restrictors but is the same car used by winning teams like af corse and jmw. After all even if has been a disastrous season for team risi, at least the team won at road america a reached some podium with the same car! so if the line-ups and crew are not so good, having 2 m3 gt won't change a thing in their results.
For next year, i hope that risi will run in grand-am with 2 f458 gt3 and the af corse team will run a full season in ALMS, also because in next year the LMS will have poor interst.

[KA]

Originally Posted by The Badger

A Radical ..... you cant be serious . That Radical has more air miles on it that the space schuttle !!!

Dawson was involved with Ginetta and Tomlinson , whats happened to that co-opperation ?

It's certainly done more air miles than track miles....

Wasn't Dawson supposed to be involved in the 2012 Lotus USA project that was announced back in the summer after he split with LNT/Ginetta/Tomlinson? So what's happened to that?

(According to an interview on DSC the break with LNT/Ginetta was down to a change in their business focus- think they decided to concentrate on their production cars and developing the G55 for GT classes, rather than an LMP race programme- and 'mechanical issues' with the IES Nissan engine)

[Simmi]

Speaking of ESM/Cosmo he just tweeted the Travel Destinations/Lemansrace people to say he hopes to be racing there next year.

So read into that what you will.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

For next year, i hope that risi will run in grand-am with 2 f458 gt3 and the af corse team will run a full season in ALMS, also because in next year the LMS will have poor interst.

The first question is, will Mazda stay in Grand Am?

AF Corse in the ALMS? Why would they do that?

[alexkiller8]

the mine is just an hope, if i was chief of ferrari corse clienti i'd prefer to have a solid and competitive team like af corse in grid and not a mistakefull team like the risi of last 2 years!
With new modified gt3 cars that next year will run in grand-am maybe team risi is good enough to run on that competition.

[Canada ALMS fan]

^I thought this past spring there was talk this was the last season of factory support for the tube framed RX8 as it is out of production? I can't remember where I heard it.

[Speed-King]

At least Sahlen's will be back with their Mazdas in Grand Am... Dempsey is said to be back at least for the 24, the big question mark is behind Speedsource.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

Yes driver safety is a shame...

With the colours used in the Cytosport livery I'm sure the big honking fin would just be painted black.

They are well paid. If they do not like the odds, get a different job, or do as the Swiss did and ban it. No more bad boo-boos.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Speaking of ESM/Cosmo he just tweeted the Travel Destinations/Lemansrace people to say he hopes to be racing there next year.

So read into that what you will.

That is interesting. Perhaps switching to M3s give them a better shot at getting a car or two accepted to Le Mans. They are just another team with Ferraris if they stick with those, but they would have a unique car with the M3s (assuming no more WEC team and RLL does not enter) and that might be enough to get them in. Then again, I'm sure Brown could get in GTE-Am with whatever he enters given that ESM would be a pretty high quality Am team.

But, yeah, it would be odd if they run 3 new cars in 3 years. Who knows though. Maybe BMW is providing more assistance or something. Of course, like I said earlier, that rumor initially came from a very unreliable source so who knows.

[Purist]

I'm not convinced of the fin's efficacy. I think it could just as easily work as a sail, up high no less, if the car gets really sideways, or a little bit backwards. Also, if the new 908 flew as far as reports say it did, there's a much more fundamental issue at hand, and this fin is just a band-aid, that also serves as a giant, ugly, moving billboard.

BTW, I also still don't like the raised noses we've seen in F1 since the early '90s, and have seen at LM since 2006 or so.

I think the choice of coupe or spyder should be left up to the manufacturer or constructor; I do NOT think it should be mandated by the ACO one way or the other.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Purist

I think the choice of coupe or spyder should be left up to the manufacturer or constructor; I do NOT think it should be mandated by the ACO one way or the other.

I definitely agree with this. Even when it comes to safety, arguments could be made both ways. Ok, maybe coupes are better from a crash structure perspective, but spyders may give better visibility. As we've seen, it's not just visibility during the night/twilight and bad weather that is a problem now, it is a problem all the time. So, yeah, let the teams decide what direction is best. Plus, I think having the options available helps the smaller teams and constructors.

[MitchZ06]

Just make the P1's faster again and we won't have these problems...the 908's rarely if ever hit a GT car when they were alot more powerful.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

The first question is, will Mazda stay in Grand Am?

As Speed-King has pointed out, there will be Mazdas next year. And I imagine Speedsource will be back with RX-8s. Tremblay and the guys have run other types of cars (Porsches and DPs) but Sylvain has been touting his brand loyalty to Mazda and what he has done for the brand in the Rolex Series. Of course, their CTSCC program is chugging right along, so maybe he is "relegated" to that, if he wants to keep Mazda money. Of course, with Dempsey running at least the Rolex 24 there will be some Mazda factory money in the Rolex Series in 2012, even if it isn't for the full season. Of course, it is stupid to support a car that you no longer produce when you don't have much money to market with anyway.

Bottom line is, there will be Mazdas in Grand-Am, cars that are capable of winning, and if that turns Corse Clienti, Ferrari, or Risi off to the point they won't run in Grand-Am (and one can see why one or all three wouldn't like that) then perhaps Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale is one and done at Daytona. But does that race really garner enough exposure for them to buy the car, put a team together and then call it quits? One would assume an established team would do all that and then Ft. Lauderdale would have some cool looking cars sitting in their window. Seems pretty foolish that Ferrari would build the car and anticipate buyers if they don't want to race against the competition that exists in Grand-Am, if promises were made that brought them in, it doesn't sound very Grand-Amy, at least not from a historical perspective.

@alexkiller: On the AF Corse/Risi note. Risi is at least on par with AF Corse.

Chris

[AGD]

I'm not sure if it means anything as far as the race team is concerned, but Jon Field is being sued for back rent for one of his clubs in Ohio. The money amount may not be huge, but I wonder if this is a sign of trouble for the Fields considering the rumored IRS investigation.

[Jonerz]

They stopped paying for their expensive P1 car (I haven't seen Lenco Mobile or Strategic Air or whomever their P1 sponsors were on the PC car) and they appear to be trying strictly to make money off of buy-a-riders in their PC cars.

Chris

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by AGD

I'm not sure if it means anything as far as the race team is concerned, but Jon Field is being sued for back rent for one of his clubs in Ohio. The money amount may not be huge, but I wonder if this is a sign of trouble for the Fields considering the rumored IRS investigation.

Jon Field in financial and legal trouble?

Why yes, the sun did come up today.

[JAG]

In Autosport Plassart says Sebring will run to 100% WEC rules and gives the example of GTC cars not being allowed.

Clarification is needed as by rules he seems to be refering to classes.

Sebring will be 100 percent WEC rules. There will be no GTC cars, for example. They are not in the rules.

[seanyb505]

That sounds very contradictory to what the ALMS has told us that in joint events ALMS cars will run to ALMS rules.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

That sounds very contradictory to what the ALMS has told us that in joint events ALMS cars will run to ALMS rules.

Autosport's story mentions Atherton's belief. "That comment has been contradicted by the ACO. [Plassart quote here]"

[JAG]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

That sounds very contradictory to what the ALMS has told us that in joint events ALMS cars will run to ALMS rules.

Translations are likely involved, as I say by rules Plassart could be talking about classes, rather than finer regulation differences.

Hence he gives the example of GTC cars (which aren't allowed in the WEC) rather than Dyson who's car is a P1 but running far from ACO regs.