[FIA GT] 2010 FIA GT1 entries

[TheNewBob]

Looks like there is a revised 2010 calendar on FIAGT.com

http://www.fiagt.com/newsitem.php?key=2294

[FIRE]

Ask people what cars they dream of. Most of them will say Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini...despite that in general GT racing doesn't attract large crowds. So I don't agree with Ratel cars alone will attract fans and media.

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Ask people what cars they dream of. Most of them will say Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini...despite that in general GT racing doesn't attract large crowds. So I don't agree with Ratel cars alone will attract fans and media.

Ratel says there is brand name involvement rather than manufacturer involvement. With a bit of luck the manufacturers might still help with event promotion? That would certainly start attracting attention.

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Ratel says there is brand name involvement rather than manufacturer involvement. With a bit of luck the manufacturers might still help with event promotion? That would certainly start attracting attention.

The only possible one that might would be Nissan - really can't see much coming from the others.

[Canada ALMS fan]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Looks like there is a revised 2010 calendar on FIAGT.com

http://www.fiagt.com/newsitem.php?key=2294

Surprise, surprise! No round of another World Championship for North America.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

Surprise, surprise! No round of another World Championship for North America.

So can you really call it a World Championship then???

[NaBUru38]

The F1 didn't visit North America nor Africa this year, so yes, a championship without North America nor Oceania can be called a world championship. It's sad, of course.

Btw, the Argentine date must be wrong. That's Turismo Carretera's final race at Buenos Aires (the top racing series of the contry). San Luis organisers can't be that stupid to have their international race the same day as them. The Turismo Competición 2000 raced with the FIA GT in 2008, but its 2010 final two dates are on November 7 and 28, the same as FIA GT's Durban and Interlagos races.

[Joe Taylor]

I've criticised the GT1WC for a lot of things such as stupid race lengths and grandfathering etc, but going by this latest calendar, they definitely have the tracks right. Interlagos, San Luis, Spa, Brno, Silverstone and Portimao are all great and Yas Marina and Nurburgring are hardly terrible.

[ger80]

Saleen in now
http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...ance-3081.html

[mirkob]

Maybe, it will be homologate only for ACO races...

[Mike E]

Does anyone know the location of the Durban race? The old A1GP course?
It should be slightly more comfortable in November than the A1 race was in Feb, but it will still be pretty hot and sticky. Especially in a closed car. Do they run aircon like at Le Mans?

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by ger80

Saleen in now
http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...ance-3081.html

Saleen was homologated a while back

[JayBMS]

Gavin is out testing again at portimao I thunk with srt again, vitaphone also there

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

the Argentine date must be wrong. [... TC2000's] 2010 final two dates are on November 7 and 28, the same as FIA GT's Durban and Interlagos races.

The Turismo Carretera has races on October 31 (Paraná), November 14 (la Plata) and December 5 (Buenos Aires). The Top Race has races on October 17 (La Rioja), November 21 (General Roca) and December 12 (Paraná). The Turismo Competición 2000 dates are October 24, November 7 and November 28, with venues to be confirmed.

There are no free weeks in the middle, so either the TC or the TRV6 changes one of the races to Potrero de los Funes (very unlikely), or the FIA GT1 Argentine and Brazilian dates swap dates.

[Speed-King]

Or they just keep the dates.

The Nürburgring GT1-round is held at the same weekend as the Belgian GP at Spa, some 100 kilometers away... go figure.

[NaBUru38]

But Argentina is all about politics, and if the date stays they (San Luis government and TC authorities) won't stop arguing and taking revenge to each other. That just shouldn't happen.

[Purist]

I know it's off for 2010, but I'll give a Canadian rundown. Montreal is almost certainly out for the foreseeable future, unless the Nationwide Series pulls out of there, like they've done from Mexico City. Mosport or mont Tremblant seem like the best options.

Hard to say how Trois Rivieres would go. It is tight, but it does have three noticeable straights and decent enough pit and spectator facilities, not to mention it's popular locally. Toronto would definitely be a better bet as far as street circuits go. And yes, the Toronto circuit was changed for the 1996 season; Jeff Kronsof's fatal crash in 1996 had nothing to do with any course configuration changes. Edmonton would also be a suitable circuit, but of course the dates don't match up right now. I wonder if Pacific Place in Vancouver will be useable again after the Olympics.

I don't know that Calabogie has a long enough high-speed run given its lap length. The place certainly has precious few challenging, high-speed corners. Mission Raceway seems too short and tight. Race City would need facility upgrades, and a few walls pushed back. I'm not sure what the present state of Atlantic Motorsports Park is, but it seems a good layout that is long enough, and though the videos I've seen show minimal facilities, they still see fit to run Canadian Superbikes there.

As for Australia, despite the worries put forth in the other threads, the "upgrades" to Eastern Creek are an F1 contingent. I don't think they'd go to all that trouble, or need to, for the GT1 Championship to run there, though I'd personally prefer Philip Island for such an event.

I'm VERY glad that San Luis is back, and that the schedule has mostly excellent circuits on the whole. I do worry a bit about what Ratel sees as the European core once the series spreads out. I still think that a 12 to 13-race GT1 calendar should have five or six European events: Silverstone, Algarve, Spa, Hockenheim*, Monza, and Brno for instance. The rest could be Abu Dhabi (UAE), Suzuka (Japan), Philip Island (Australia), Potrero de los Funes (Argentina), Interlagos (Brazil), Mexico City* (Mexico), Road America (USA), and Mosport Park (Canada).

Something just occurred to me. Do we know if the GT1s are doing rolling starts, or are they maybe going to try and spice things up with a standing start format?

I think that presently the requirement is three continents for a "World Championship". If not, it's definitely four then. However, I personally think that minimum should be five continents. Of course, the problem there is it would put F1 in a bit of a bind, now wouldn't it, and we can't have now can we (dripping sarcasm here).

[rich07]

Very happy to see San Luis back, thats a great circuit so to miss that would be very disappointing. As for Australia, I'm still hoping that some last minute race pops up for next year at Surfers Paradise, the state government are still looking around for an international category to headline the Indy event with V8 Supercars and my hope is it'll be FIA GT. If so I'll be there!

[R4z3rw33n]

Originally Posted by rich07

As for Australia, I'm still hoping that some last minute race pops up for next year at Surfers Paradise, the state government are still looking around for an international category to headline the Indy event with V8 Supercars and my hope is it'll be FIA GT. If so I'll be there!

This may not be entirely out of the question.
There's a gaping hole in the calendar around that date. I tend to think it's there for a reason.

[Fogelhund]

Until the asked sanction fee is reduced, you can forget Mosport or Mont Tremblant.

Calabogie isn't a spectator track.

[Purist]

Wonder how Argentina is paying the sanction for San Luis then, if the fees are really that high.

Not GT1, but did anyone else notice that GT2 is heading to Enna-Pergusa for 2010? I hope that one doesn't turn into a wreck-fest with all those chicanes.

[Foster]

Originally Posted by Purist

I'm not sure what the present state of Atlantic Motorsports Park is, but it seems a good layout that is long enough, and though the videos I've seen show minimal facilities, they still see fit to run Canadian Superbikes there.

If there was ever any sort of power laid down on the poor pavement of AMP, the place would fall apart. I love the place since it's all we got for road racing in the maritimes, but it shall never hold any sort of "major" road race. There are no facilities, no seating, and I would think it is rather short for GT's.

The Superbike guys complain it's a hard place to get the power down, as there are a number of different types of pavements that are in place, and the tight nature of the layout. It's saving grace, is the fact that it's a party track, and I dare you to find any place that throws a party like the Saturday night of Superbike weekend.

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by rich07

As for Australia, I'm still hoping that some last minute race pops up for next year at Surfers Paradise, the state government are still looking around for an international category to headline the Indy event with V8 Supercars and my hope is it'll be FIA GT.

According to this week's Autosport, this looks distinctly possible:

Provision has been left on the [FIA GT1] calendar for an 11th round to be added. This would be at Surfers Paradise.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

According to this week's Autosport, this looks distinctly possible:

Whilst i'm hopeful, World Sportscar races have a bad record in Australia of being listed and 'proposed' on Series calendar's on many occasions, but all we've got to show for it were two races at Sandown (1984 & 1988) & one at Adelaide (2000)

Surfers Paradise (the original permanent circuit) was on the calendar for the WEC in 1985 and 1986
Eastern Creek was listed as the 1991 WSC opener
Adelaide was supposed to happen in 2001, but was cancelled mid-year

[cptkablamo]

The advantage Surfers Paradise has is that it doesn't have to an economic success as it did at the other tracks. It also won't have the V8 Supercar politics working against it as SP needs an international category.

What it needs is TV, date and an sanctioning fee/transport that is not outrageous and it fits the bill

I am hearing really positive things about the possibility of this happening