USCC 2014 Entry List & Schedule ONLY

[FstrthnU]

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/at...hedule-change/

As guessed in this thread earlier, PC cars will run with IMSA Lites at the standalone VIR race (as well as at Kansas)

[TheMightyM]

A John Dagys tweet from earlier today:

I feel really bad for all those teams that purchased PC cars. And they've pretty much now been hung out to dry with today's news.

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/at...hedule-change/

As guessed in this thread earlier, PC cars will run with IMSA Lites at the standalone VIR race (as well as at Kansas)

Won't the Lites cars be faster on a road course then the PC cars?

[EricS]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Won't the Lites cars be faster on a road course then the PC cars?

Definitely not.
Cota fastest race lap:
L1 2:03.895
PC 1:59.877

Road America fastest race lap:
L1 2:04.923
PC 1:59.068

Mosport fastest race lap:
L1 1:14.920
PC 1:10.962

[TheMightyM]

I'm working on an analysis of part-time entries in GA and ALMS this year to give additional insights into what might happen in TUSC next year, but for now I’d just like to note an oddity. Leaving aside the grid space availability issue, 2014 is the year in which it’s probably going to be the most difficult to field a part-year entry. Why? Rules uncertainty and limited car availability. Specifically:

• Only Gen 3 DPs are legal in 2014; previous generation DPs can't be used. And there aren't that many Gen 3 cars out there. Yes, certain earlier generation cars can be upgraded, but that costs money and then there's the additional cost of the 2014 DP upgrades.

• The techincal specs for TUSC’s P class still aren’t known. Uncertainty makes it hard to commit, and it’s especially an issue as the two biggest TUSC races are also the first two races on the calender.

• PC cars are also in limited supply, so it would be difficult to find a car to do a part-time (or Daytona and Sebring only) entry.

• The 2013 GA and ALMS Porsche 911s won’t be legal in 2014 and the new 911 GT America will be available only in limited quantities at the beginning of the year.

So, overall, it should be easier to apply to do a limited schedule in 2015 than in 2014 simply because it will be easier a year from now to acquire the appropriate equipment. Oddly, I think that there might also be more spaces available on the grid in 205 for NAEC or just Daytona and Sebring entries. Today, nobody really knows how much money and driver interest (the two are, of course, related) TUSC will attract. A year from now we’ll have a better idea, and I suspect that some teams will realize that there just isn’t as much money/driver interest out there as they hoped. So, yes, perhaps fewer full-season entries in a year as things start to sort themselves out.

Bonus thought: If TUSC does attracts 60 (or close to it) full-season entries for 2014, then it needs to seriously consider adding races in 2015.

[Lanky Turtle]

Now I wonder if 58 of 60 spots are filled by full season entries for a race, will IMSA invite 2 teams to fill out the 60 or will they let 20 cars show up and try to qualify to race?

And if only 10 GTLM cars are entered for a race, which class will the 2 extra spots go to?

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by Lanky Turtle

Now I wonder if 58 of 60 spots are filled by full season entries for a race, will IMSA invite 2 teams to fill out the 60 or will they let 20 cars show up and try to qualify to race?

And if only 10 GTLM cars are entered for a race, which class will the 2 extra spots go to?

Let's be honest here: Excess demand for entries is mainly a Daytona and Sebring issue. That said, there are some car availability issues that are going to restrict the number of possible entries in 2014 (see my previous post). The entry caps seems very friendly for Aston Martin at Dayton and especially Sebring. Beyond that, I suspect in 2014 that cars in P would most likely get the invite if spaces are available beyond those for full-season entries (and then AMR).

[Simmi]

It only takes a couple more interested GTLM entries to come out of the woodwork and the door is shut for Aston.

The biggest thing for me now is that, not only do P teams still not know the regs, the don't know whether they could even get a guaranteed entry if they do take the plunge.

[NaBUru38]

I'm worried about only 12 GTLM entries for Daytona 24h, Sebring 12h and Petit Le Mans. I'm sure that many WEC GTE-Pro teams would love to join those races.

[Dyson Mazda]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I'm worried about only 12 GTLM entries for Daytona 24h, Sebring 12h and Petit Le Mans. I'm sure that many WEC GTE-Pro teams would love to join those races.

There are only 3 teams in GTE-Pro and Porsche has a NA program set up.

[NaBUru38]

Racer has published race lengths:

o- Daytona 24, Sebring 12h, Petit Le Mans 10h and Watkins Glen 6h as usual.
o- Mosport, Indianapolis, Road America and Austin are 2:45.
o- Long Beach and Detroit are 2h.
o- Laguna Seca, Virginia and Kansas, which have multiple races, are to be determined.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by Simmi

It only takes a couple more interested GTLM entries to come out of the woodwork and the door is shut for Aston.

The biggest thing for me now is that, not only do P teams still not know the regs, the don't know whether they could even get a guaranteed entry if they do take the plunge.

The one thing we haven’t heard talk of recently are additional full-season LMGT entries. Aston wants to do what seems like a single car NAEC entry plus a second car for Daytona and Sebring. (Maybe more.) AF Corse was talking NAEC plus Indy, two or three cars.

On the P side, yesterday's announcement is a game-changer. There seemed to have been an assumption that many of the Am drivers currently driving DPs would go over to PC next year (so more PC cars, fewer DPs). Now with the cap on PC cars, that doesn’t seem that likely. I don't think people in the know were that concerned about teams being able to get a full-season spot in P; that may now be more of an issue.

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by EricS

Definitely not.

Thanks, I didn't realize the differential was that large.

[ACFlinn]

In 1984, exploding popularity caused IMSA to adopt split races at most of the tracks (other than the endurance events at Daytona, Sebring, Riverside, Road America and Watkins Glen, of course) after a 1983 season of mostly combined class races.

If the USCC is as successful next year as most (unfortunately not ALL) of us hope, the series should at least consider this option for 2015.

Prototype and PC, and GTLM and GTD at Laguna Seca sounds good to me.

Oh, and giving every class a shot at overall victory is one of the dumbest ideas in sports car racing I've heard in quite some time. Why even have classes? Think about the BOP nightmare. It sounds like a dream cooked up by one of the GTLM manufacturers.

If the GTLM's want to shine overall, more reason to adopt a GTLM/GTD only race.

Then the issue is how does FS1 and FS2 broadcast all of these potentially awesome races? .

Andy Flinn

[Breitling24]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Racer has published race lengths:

o- Daytona 24, Sebring 12h, Petit Le Mans 10h and Watkins Glen 6h as usual.
o- Mosport, Indianapolis, Road America and Austin are 2:45.
o- Long Beach and Detroit are 2h.
o- Laguna Seca, Virginia and Kansas, which have multiple races, are to be determined.

I would hope Laguna will be 2:45 each, based on this from Dagys:

"Additionally, changes have been made to the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca weekend, with PC/GT Daytona and Prototype/GT Le Mans having separate races on the same day.The race lengths have yet to be determined and will be dependent on TV variables, Atherton said." (my bolding)

Can't imagine two 4-6 hour races run on one day. Currently the schedule shows race day as Sunday. Laguna was my favorite as a 4-6h race into the dark on a Saturday.

And then to add "TV variables" into it, do you end up with two 2h races?

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Racer has published race lengths:

o- Daytona 24, Sebring 12h, Petit Le Mans 10h and Watkins Glen 6h as usual.
o- Mosport, Indianapolis, Road America and Austin are 2:45.
o- Long Beach and Detroit are 2h.
o- Laguna Seca, Virginia and Kansas, which have multiple races, are to be determined.

Road America 2:45 again!?!

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I'm worried about only 12 GTLM entries for Daytona 24h, Sebring 12h and Petit Le Mans. I'm sure that many WEC GTE-Pro teams would love to join those races.

Same here. Right now it looks like probably 10 GTLM cars full season, which only leaves two slots as is. (Orange is for probable entries.)

#3 Corvette C7.R
#4 Corvette C7.R
#17 Porsche 991
#55 BMW Z4 GTE
#56 BMW Z4 GTE
#62 Ferrari 458 GTE
#91 SRT Viper GTS-R
#93 SRT Viper GTS-R
#__ Porsche 991
#__ Porsche 991

Potential WEC teams:
#__ Aston Martin Vantage
#__ Aston Martin Vantage
#__ AF Corse Ferrari 458 GTE


That's potentially 13 for the NAEC rounds, assuming that rumored efforts (like the AIM GTLM car) don't ever come to anything. Could make things very difficult for AMR.

[Simmi]

Ok so it's fair to say that the PC team owners are p*ssed. Some strong words here in this piece from John Dagys.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/pc...edule-changes/

They are basically accusing TUSC of squashing the PC class to prevent a drop off in P cars.

[Breitling24]

.

[Salamus]

I honestly had no idea there was that much interest in PC for next year.

If P numbers do drop next year, the capped numbers will probably change. Unless this is IMSA's way of preventing teams from going from P to PC, like one of the guys in the article said.

[Breitling24]

Yet, it only seemed to me to be a team or two that might go from P to PC. In the long run, is it really that big of a deal? It might be to the Daytona based powers that their dream machine DP might not be as attractive as it had been.

[Danske]

P2 is included in the P class, so why isn't the charge they're trying to force more teams into P2 where they belong in the first place?

[jasonjessica09]

A 15-18 car LMPC grid is crazy and that is the direction it was going. Plus it is the class that is the least interesting to us fans. So kicking it to the curb like TUSCC has is a good idea. I hope that the technical regs coming out will slow the cars down with an air restrictor decrease so it will deal LMPC another death blow. So I don't see why all the sad faces and hostility to the Friday announcement. I think its great!

Also I have no issue with Euro P2 teams being turned away due to the car cap rule. I could not care less about Graves or Oak or TDS. An Oreca 03 does not bring fans to the race track but a Corvette C7, Audi R8, Ferrari 458, Porsche 911, Aston Martin Vantage? Those cars that we can see in GTLM and/or GTD do bring the fans including me. I am going to see the Daytona 24 in person for the first time in 2014 because the GTLM class is finally going to be in it. For the past decade I have wanted to go see the Daytona 24 in person but decided not go to because it was under the Grand Am banner and race with only DP cars and dumbed down GT cars did not appeal to me.

[fanta4]

Originally Posted by jasonjessica09

Plus it is the class that is the least interesting to us fans. So kicking it to the curb like TUSCC has is a good idea.

Speak for yourself, I really like the class. Pushing entries out the door before the rules and regs have even been announced is a big middle finger to the team who have already bought cars. Gentilozzi said it best, "it's on the verge of insulting". Lots of unanswered questions still lingering.

[KingKenny04]

Originally Posted by Salamus

I honestly had no idea there was that much interest in PC for next year.

If P numbers do drop next year, the capped numbers will probably change. Unless this is IMSA's way of preventing teams from going from P to PC, like one of the guys in the article said.

Well we've got Shank, Ganassi, Sahlen, Taylor, 8 Star, Starworks, Spirit, Marsh, and Gainsco all sticking with (or trying to stick with) the P class. Who does that leave trying to ditch P for PC? We've got Level 5, and 8 star were trying to run one. Anyone else?