DP "The Class" is bad, but What about the Builders...

[BobN]

Doc, my question was not direcxted at Fabcar. You can replace the names (although using Grand-am's rules) with Panoz and Audi for all I care. My question really has to do with a chassis from last year (a full season of development) being .6 slower than out of the box cars. I expect this and understand it in other series. I was trying to find out how Grand-am reconciles it with their 10 plan for chassis value. Development will happen, but at what cost? The Panoz LMP1 is just a developed 1996 GT1 car, but that development didn't come at minimal cost. Can a year one buyer of a DP actually expect to keep his chassis viable for 10 years without costs that may exceed replacing to a new a better chassis?

[billnchristy]

Bob, i think the 10 year plan if you will was a plan for the concept, not necessarily the chassis.

New constructors will come on this year and maybe more next, each design should get better and better therefore leaving the last one in need of upgrades.

This is only my interpretation but from what Ive read into it, youre "guaranteed" a DP class with that basic ruleset for 10 years. This meaning one year youre engine is legal, the next its not should not happen. Or we will grandfather your chassis, but by next year you need these upgrades.

I dont think the plan was, here is the chassis, here is the body, heres all the junk that goes in it (real laymen there eh?) go race and keep at it for 10 years. That would be silly, even the former soviet union only worked off a 7 year plan and even that didnt work.

Big picture, there will always be a DP (for 10 years or series lifetime) vice a WSC,SRPI,LMP900,LM1...with very volatile rule sets. ***note, not a bash, just a comparison***

[Fab]

Just one thing about esthetics : we had some ugly prototypes in Le Mans. And they improved.

I sincerely think that the best is yet to come for DPs, and that we'll be happy later to have another good endurance serie.

IMHO, of course !

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by Scrutineer78
Maybe you should go back and read some of my posts and then you can rethink that "ALMShead" comment/

But there's nothing wrong with it! I'm sorry if my earlier comment has led you to believe that. All fans of all forms of racing are equal. Some just take a little longer to see the light, that's all.