IMSA Race Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Aug 21-23

[Fogelhund]

Enjoyed watching this race. For me, a GT only format with IMSA would be worth following on a regular basis.

[Deleted]

It's mildly strange that no outsider GTE team wanted to attend, because with...

1) FIA GT2 dead
2) IGTO now having gone all GT3 like everyone else
3) N24 and few separate other events still allowing GTEs put them in secondary favoritism basket after GT3s

... this was about the only non-historic/club event left in the world where you could have won the race overall with this type of car. Next year you will have the LMPCs on the way too

[seanyb505]

I don't think that races are better with no protos, but I will definitely concede that this race was infinitely better and much more enjoyable to watch with the absence of the legal protos. YMMV

Track looked so empty with only 18 cars though.

I was surprised by activities involving the 25 on two occasions. I can't remember who was driving the Vette at the time, but after T1 when Auberlin went to pass, the Vette driver let the car drift wide - into the left rear corner of the BMW. I understand car banter, but that seemed a little too risky for what it was. Auberlin was right on the edge of being spun after setting up and executing the pass. Seemed pretty douchey.

The second occasion that left me wondering was how the BMW was able to stay ahead of the vettes despite lacking a significant piece of aero when the whole rear bumper fell off. I usually have the feeling that a lot of the aero is quite sensitive. No diffuser didn't appear to hamper competitive speed at all.

Hat's off to race control for not calling yellow even with the BMW bumper right on the track surface. Drivers were swerving to avoid it. I don't think anyone would have given race control crap if the called for FCY, but letting it go to the end like that felt good, and a purposeful step in the right direction.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

I don't think that races are better with no protos, but I will definitely concede that this race was infinitely better and much more enjoyable to watch with the absence of the legal protos. YMMV
.

Just to clarify.. sure, I'd love to have LMP1.. don't have much use personally for DP, or LMP2. But that is never going to happen.. not that GT only will either... and agree, would need more entries.

[Deleted]

In 2008 NO-ONE sitting and watching those Audis and Pugs and Spyders and HPDs and rest at Sebring and PLM would have thought that they'd be following Coyote/Dallara 'Chevrolet Corvette' DPs challenging for overall wins just 6 years later in the same races, so maybe "never" is bit too hard word. More like highly improbable

[seanyb505]

Chiana you give me hope.

[ATLFalconsFAN]

I went to the race yesterday (the only day I attended). I was surprised that there was a better crowd than I expected. The paddock had a nice vibe to it and VIR is always such a nice place to visit.

I talked with a few drivers and team owners in the GTD class (I won't say whom other than that they were mostly Audi teams). From what I was told I am expecting next year to be possibly even worse than this year for car counts. I was told repeatedly that operating costs are too high and that with the mandatory purchase of a new $500,000 car that it was likely that teams would not be joining the series next year. One team I spoke with said they'd be calling it quits after COTA, skipping Petit and next year.

18 cars is not enough though, there were way too many periods (while under green) where it was just too long a time of staring at nothing on track, waiting for cars to come around. Perhaps it's not a good idea to have an 18 car race be the next one you attend after being at Le Mans, dare I say, I was bored for much of the race.

Besides that I had a pleasant exchange with Jordan Taylor. I have not been a fan of his due to his love of the DP formula, but he scored some big points with me yesterday. I had my Le Mans poster with me that I always get signed by the class winners, saw him in the paddock before the autograph session. He didn't have a pen and neither did I, he spent the next few minutes asking random crew people and fans for a pen until he found one so that he could sign my poster. I thought that was pretty cool of him and an example of his character.

[Coach Ep]

Although having a completely different feel, surprisingly both events had rather similar densities, going by track length divided by car count (.15 LM vs .18 VIR)!

The track is definitely the star of the show but agreed, it could use a couple more cars. Next year with the faster GTLMs and hopefully a couple more GTDs should improve things!

[kyoung]

Short of an AoP change let’s see how close I can come to calling the next race. Porsches qualify 1-2, Ferrari 3, Tandy takes off and leaves the field for dead, a hapless Ferrari dive bombs the second Porsche and takes the second position. Bergmeister lets him go because he isn’t too concerned, he needs for it to look like a race early on and he knows he can easily pass him later on. In the “sub thanks for coming race” Corvette loses some down force for CoTA and can just match BMW in top line speed down the straight, but unfortunately the gamble doesn’t work and they lose out in the corners and find themselves at the back of the pack again; this time with the Falken car finishing ahead of them both and maybe splitting the BMWs.

I think the die is cast, Porsche wins the Championship, if anyone gets a break it will be Ferrari so they can win a (race?). Anyone else want to see if they can call the next “spectacle”?

[Deleted]

But even so they'll rebop it in time for PLM though, for the others to magically jump up in speed again and provide 'grandstand finish' in championship (that no-one asked for) again right?

[Coach Ep]

A green-white-checker finish to the season means Falken wins Petit again (!) in front of the #25 BMW followed by one of two factory Porsches!

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by Chiana

But even so they'll rebop it in time for PLM though, for the others to magically jump up in speed again and provide 'grandstand finish' in championship (that no-one asked for) again right?

I don't think so, they might for Ferrari, to let them win a (race?). Short of that I think this is a mandated Porsche championship, it's their turn.

Your not going to do a pre-spectacle call?

[Deleted]

Last year, didn't they bop-penalise Corvette midway season after their big winning streak, only to hand them less weight and bigger restrictors again just in time for COTA and PLM for the said "grandstand finish" crap. I think they'll do the same

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Last year, didn't they bop-penalise Corvette midway season after their big winning streak, only to hand them less weight and bigger restrictors again just in time for COTA and PLM for the said "grandstand finish" crap. I think they'll do the same

Yeah they took away a lot and gave back too little too late.

I don't want to get in some argument about AoP because it is a fruitless endeavor and you know this as well as I, but this is what happened...

They took the Championship leading car and slowed it so another car could win...not match pace or equalize...but win. It was a Viper mandated win all the way. And I am OK with that, but it doesn't mean I have to delude myself to believe the final AoP was in anyway fair.

I mean according to the talking heads at Fox, Porsche found some speed with their new Michelin tire. Then talking head two messes that theory up by telling cohort one, "doesn't Corvette have access to the same tire" cohort two:"murmur, murmur, murmur"

So you believe the Corvette and Viper were evenly matched at Petit?

[Deleted]

No but that's partly because I thought the Viper always had laughable allowances to begin with, you know on top of the waiver engine and stuff they had even bigger base restrictors than Corvette despite being 2,5 liters larger. Bop on top of that

Anyway, regarding that tire thing, even though the whole discussion was entirely pointless due to bop really being the deciding factor of course, the teams in the class do have confidential exclusive tire deals for different compounfd with Mic, so technically it's not the worst of excuses one could come up with

[YZFrider]

Originally Posted by Lagunaseca_4life

gtlm is cool and used to be my favorite in alms but now these bop shenanigans it all just a contrived show!

Sadly I agree. It's as if the BOP is to alter the point standings to create drama. Scripted, till the final race.

[carbsmith]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Last year, didn't they bop-penalise Corvette midway season after their big winning streak, only to hand them less weight and bigger restrictors again just in time for COTA and PLM for the said "grandstand finish" crap. I think they'll do the same

They only reduced the BoP to cripple tier instead of cripple with their one good arm tied behind their back carrying a concrete block tier.

Although actually the Corvette BoP wasn't that bad compared to early season (slightly heavier with slightly more power) but Dodge, Porsche, and Ferrari's were ridiculously good. Vipers were 15kg lighter with a bigger restrictor than when they should have won Sebring, Porsche's got +0.7mm restrictor and like GT1 aero, and Ferrari was 30kg lighter with a jacked up alternate rear wing.

[kyoung]

Originally Posted by Chiana

No but that's partly because I thought the Viper always had laughable allowances to begin with

Anyway, regarding that tire thing, even though the whole discussion was entirely pointless due to bop really being the deciding factor of course, the teams in the class do have confidential exclusive tire deals for different compounfd with Mic, so technically it's not the worst of excuses one could come up with

Yeah that ranks right up there with "well you know we have been working really hard on our setup", Uh huh, like the other teams haven't, cause everyone knows Pratt & Miller know nothing about setting up a car. So not to turn this serious, because it really does not deserve serious conversation who do you think wins it all and under what circumstances? Its just for fun...what do you think?

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by YZFrider

Sadly I agree. It's as if the BOP is to alter the point standings to create drama. Scripted, till the final race.

Yes

Also, if one was only to follow NAEC, or its points evolution, it's even more confusing to judge the advancements there due to the bop switcheroo going on between the sprint races and that affecting things in the sub championship

Is there even any reason for having NAEC in this day? It's not like any extra teams are doing those races anymore anyway, except maybe Dempsey. But he would probably be there anyway with or without. Teams doing Daytona and/or Sebring only are only there for the one-off purposes and will never show up for rest. The sub trophy 'glory' goes pretty unnoticed too

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by kyoung

Yeah that ranks right up there with "well you know we have been working really hard on our setup", Uh huh, like the other teams haven't, cause everyone knows Pratt & Miller know nothing about setting up a car. So not to turn this serious, because it really does not deserve serious conversation who do you think wins it all and under what circumstances? Its just for fun...what do you think?

I don't really care either way, but yeah I would agree for Porsche to win it - their , umm, 'development technology' just is better hehe That being said I do think the others are still given few breaks to keep them momentarily relatively happy

[jasonjessica09]

I wonder if the single stint Michellans have helped the mid engine Porsche and Ferrari a lot while the more front engined BMW and Corvette did not receive such a boost. But lets see if the playing field is more equal at COTA. Are not the single stint tires going away for that round?

It was great that this race went free of full course yellows One benefit of the smaller girds. I think that also helps explain the gaps between the GTLM field some. As Jeremy Shaw said it was a proper motor race. Cheers for all GT racing!

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by jasonjessica09

But lets see if the playing field is more equal at COTA. Are not the single stint tires going away for that round?

Yup, that's what they said during the television coverage of the race.

[Lagunaseca_4life]

Yepp race was pretty boring just like I thought.porsche and Ferrari race,next imsa will bop bmw and corvette back into the mix just in time for PLM.glad I dvr'd and went to the 49er vs Cowboy game instead.

[Artur]

Curiously, when it comes to fastest laps, Porsche doesn't have an advantage!

Ferrari's FL is even slightly quicker than pole. Porsche #912 FL is just one tenth slower. BMW #24 FL is 3 tenths off while Corvette #3 FL is 7 tenths down.

The #17 Porsche, mounted on Falken tyres, is a far cry from everybody and lags more than 1.3s to the Michelin #912 Porsche.

[Accident]

I wasn't quite on the "this is all contrived BS!" train about the BoP thing for seasons before 2014, but these last 2 years have been pretty goofy with the BoP messes.

Ultimately it ended up spoiling this race a fair bit as it felt like it was hard to avoid noticing the huge gaps throughout the duration. Otherwise it wasn't too bad, the track is nice and the cars looked good going around it (I thought the softer GT3 cars looked particularly good rolling through the esses and up to Oak Tree), mostly good driving and a few alright little fights even if they weren't for the lead, and it ran out nicely with no cautions.