ALMS 2011 Discussion

[trahsub]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

As for the Lola; they have never made a bad looking car, IMO and in the classic USA livery?

...just got to get used to the fin.

So unofficially, what's the true USA livery? Definitely Blue/White, but is it Blue with white stripes, or white with blue stripes. What scheme has been on more US race cars?

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by trahsub

So unofficially, what's the true USA livery? Definitely Blue/White, but is it Blue with white stripes, or white with blue stripes. What scheme has been on more US race cars?

I always thought it was white with blue stripes, but I've seen it the other way around as well. I actually like the blue with white stripes better.

DK

[fieldodreams79]

White with Blue stripes! Don't muddle it up DK.
Honestly, I can't recall blue with white stripes on an American Team car..sure it exists. Gurney Eagle Can Am perhaps?

Not sure if this car/team were the original but it is an early example.
Thread about the 50th Anniversary of LM winnng Briggs/Cunningham 'vette:
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122901
(See page 2 for pics).

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever see this livery again, in the ALMS or at LM, unless there is a sponsor that can use those colors. Theitford and Dyson could do it (and have done it, sort of), but I don't know the sponsorship details with that team.

[joeb]

Dyson will be running a Rousch engine in GA next year, so I wonder if they would work on something with them for the ALMS? I can't really see Dyson running a p2 next year, so maybe they are working on a P1 option with Rousch.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by joeb

Dyson will be running a Rousch engine in GA next year, so I wonder if they would work on something with them for the ALMS? I can't really see Dyson running a p2 next year, so maybe they are working on a P1 option with Rousch.

Are we sure there will be a P1 in ALMS next year?

With Honda having already announced a P2 engine for next year and Dyson getting into some relationship with Ford/Roush, the two most important prototype teams in ALMS - Highcroft and Dyson - are just one step away from manufacturer backed P2 entries... and if those two should decide to go there, I think that IMSA would have no problem to effectively make P2 the new benchmark for their combined prototype category...

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Are we sure there will be a P1 in ALMS next year?

With Honda having already announced a P2 engine for next year and Dyson getting into some relationship with Ford/Roush, the two most important prototype teams in ALMS - Highcroft and Dyson - are just one step away from manufacturer backed P2 entries... and if those two should decide to go there, I think that IMSA would have no problem to effectively make P2 the new benchmark for their combined prototype category...

That would be a rather elegant solution, and it might not tick off the regular alms teams when the big factory P1 programs are in town for ILMC races. I just have a feeling that Highcroft doesn't want to compete with pro/am teams, I think they want to go for overall wins against the best teams. So where that leaves them, and with what equipment I am not sure.

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

White with Blue stripes! Don't muddle it up DK.
Honestly, I can't recall blue with white stripes on an American Team car..sure it exists. Gurney Eagle Can Am perhaps?

The NART Ferraris always ran a blue car with white racing stripe and so did the Shelby-American Cobras in the 60s. The white with blue stripe is nice, but it always got dirty too quickly and then it just looked like a gray car with a blue stripe.

DK

[arakis]

Murphy states ALMS might ban pit stops under safty cars, i don't know if its for next year or next race

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by dxk1

The NART Ferraris always ran a blue car with white racing stripe and so did the Shelby-American Cobras in the 60s. The white with blue stripe is nice, but it always got dirty too quickly and then it just looked like a gray car with a blue stripe.

DK

The colors are White with blue! There have been some who have transposed them, Shelby has ran it both ways. Here circa 1960 even though it goes back much further.




L.P.

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

The colors are White with blue! There have been some who have transposed them, Shelby has ran it both ways. Here circa 1960 even though it goes back much further.




L.P.

I agree that white with the blue stripe was the accepted traditional american racing colors and Briggs Cunningham, the most traditional of American racing entrants, always ran the white with blue stripe cars. Others thought changing up a little was good fun so Mecom, Shelby American, NART (when they didn't run a red car) and a few others ran the blue with a white stripe. As a matter of fact, I never saw a Shelby American car that wasn't blue with the white stripe, but I'll take your word for it that they ran the white with blue stripe. Anyway, it would be really nice to see someone in ALMS run those traditional colors, at least when they race in Europe (Le Mans).

DK

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by arakis

Murphy states ALMS might ban pit stops under safty cars, i don't know if its for next year or next race

[RISK OF STUPID QUESTION]

How do you ban stops under the safety car? What if you're out of gas or have a puncture......?

[/RISK OF STUPID QUESTION]

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

[RISK OF STUPID QUESTION]

How do you ban stops under the safety car? What if you're out of gas or have a puncture......?

[/RISK OF STUPID QUESTION]

You give people a penalty if they come in.

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

You give people a penalty if they come in.

It's a stupid idea fullstop, if it wasn't for pit stops under caution there wouldn't be nearly as much close racing, especially in GT, often you find cars that were way behind like the BMW's today in the 2nd stop jumping upto the front of the field when all the cars come to the pits together under caution and leading to some fantastic battles.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Are we sure there will be a P1 in ALMS next year?

With Honda having already announced a P2 engine for next year and Dyson getting into some relationship with Ford/Roush, the two most important prototype teams in ALMS - Highcroft and Dyson - are just one step away from manufacturer backed P2 entries... and if those two should decide to go there, I think that IMSA would have no problem to effectively make P2 the new benchmark for their combined prototype category...

Except Honda already have a 2011 P1 engine and Roush are reportedly working on one.

You'd also have to consider is it fair to have a team like Highcrift run in P2 when from next year it is meant to be specifically for lower budget teams.

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

How about the 2.0 turbo engine used in the Focus WRC?

As far as I know that is not a production engine and Roush/Yates does not build it.

[JAG]

All WRC and S2000 engines are production based.

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by JAG

All WRC and S2000 engines are production based.

The GRE (Global Race Engine), for the record, I don't believe is a stock block/production engine. It's built by Montune, which is an quasi-factory company that builds Audi and VW engines namely for the Formula Palmer Audi and the Audi powered F2 cars. I've seen photos of that engine, and it looks like a purpose built race engine.

A bit off topic, but all other 2.0 NA and turbo engines (Super 2000 touring cars, like WTCC and BTCC, and WRC engines) are stock block engines, even the 2.0 turbo AER P07 engine was based off the Rover K/N series four banger and the current AER Mazda engine is a stock block engine.

[JAG]

Isn't the GRE more of a spec sheet from which various engines can be built rather than off the shelf motor as Ford, Citroen and BMW/Mini seem to be building their own 1.6 turbos from production blocks for the WRC.

[Duff_44]

Based on the current rule set (which is subject to change at the behest of the ever-fickle ACO) the engines are:

P1:
3400cc normally aspirated (no cyl limit listed yet)
2000cc turbocharged
3700cc turbo diesel
there's no provision for production engines - you have to run them under the limits above

P2 (all production based, no tie-in to GT2 homologation):
5000cc 8cyl max normally aspirated
3200cc 6cyl max turbocharged (note: it is allowed to add turbocharging to non-turbo production engines if it meets the 3200cc/6 cyl limits)
-no diesel-

If Honda and Roush/Ford are committing strongly to the P2 class, then it may not be a bad idea to make that the premier class of the ALMS and only include the P1's for Sebring & Petit.

[Birddog07]

Cetainly wouldn't really change much with no seasonal manufactuer P1 entries. I like it now with all the privateer LMP's on the same level competing for overalls. So why not just drop P1 all together because it is obvious the big teams aren't gonna race it, and then all ALMS LMP's will be ACO LMP2 compliant.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

Cetainly wouldn't really change much with no seasonal manufactuer P1 entries. I like it now with all the privateer LMP's on the same level competing for overalls. So why not just drop P1 all together because it is obvious the big teams aren't gonna race it, and then all ALMS LMP's will be ACO LMP2 compliant.

Huh? First off, P-1 and P-2 this year will still be eligble to run as P-1 next year! This years ALMS LMP, is a glimpse at next years ACO P-1.





L.P.

[Birddog07]

I mean that ALMS LMP teams can all run to the ACO LMP2 spec and if the big P1 teams visit or if the American teams go to Le Mans, then they will already be in the proper class.

[HORNDAWG]

Sorry, to me that implies that the ALMS teams are inferior. Which I TOTALLY disagree with!







L.P.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

I mean that ALMS LMP teams can all run to the ACO LMP2 spec and if the big P1 teams visit or if the American teams go to Le Mans, then they will already be in the proper class.

I think this would uneccessarily limit the ALMS's potential.

All LMP teams already have cars that can fit into 2011 P1, Highcroft are rumoured to be looking at an all new P1 and HPD/Roush have P1 motors in development.

As I've already said with P2 meant for budget teams would it not put off some potential entrants if they were expected to go up against the likes of Highcroft.

[Birddog07]

No I'm just saying that P2 seems better for the budget privateers in the ALMS so the big European giants don't blow them out of the water if they visit or if the team goes to Europe.