Tourers @ Spa 24?

[redshoes]

That's odd because I thought the only reason cyberdorf made the suggestion in the first place was due was his reluctance to accept GTs no longer had top billing (see his first post).

Why stop here. How about adding a few Formula Renault cars to the back of an F1 grid, or have a round of the FIA GT championship decided on a drag strip?

I'm not trying to put down GTs or endurance racing - if that's what you enjoy then fair enough. As I said before, don't try to turn a series into something it's not. I'm sure many GT fans would have the same reaction if I suggested turning running the championship as a series of 10 lap sprints.

[racer69]

If the WTCC was being run as an Endurance Championship, as it was in 1987, then go for it, but if all the other rounds are sprints, why have one long race, where they will be forgotten in the pack.

The Spa 24 Hours is now a round of the FIA GT Championship. Run it for more GT cars, don't mix Touring Cars up in there. I'd much prefer it if the race was still for Touring Cars......

Why do they give out points at quarter and half distance?

[kmchow]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The point is that the WTCC is a series based around short sprint races, not endurances races, that's what the teams want. Why do you want to turn into something it's not?

I don't the proposal is to change the WTCC into an endurance series. However--once a year--it would be kinda different for teams to race for longer periods. I think it would make a nice season ender.

[cybersdorf]

Slowly, the tide is turning...

Originally Posted by redshoes

That's odd because I thought the only reason cyberdorf made the suggestion in the first place was due was his reluctance to accept GTs no longer had top billing (see his first post).

Yes I guess a conspiratorial undertone can be found in everything if you just look hard enough. Seriously now, the GTs have lost whatever "top billing" they may have had the moment the ETCC was set up. The factories have the money, they call the shots. With WTCC, the GTs are no more than an unloved support race. We'll see what happens; Ratel may get fed up with it and take the GTs elsewhere, or WTCC may go up in smoke again (that's unlikely, I know ).

Why stop here. How about adding a few Formula Renault cars to the back of an F1 grid,

...GP2?

or have a round of the FIA GT championship decided on a drag strip?

Makes for good television I'm sure. And isn't this what it's all about. They could make their driver change at the end of the run, then turn around and make a run back to the start

I'm not trying to put down GTs or endurance racing - if that's what you enjoy then fair enough. As I said before, don't try to turn a series into something it's not. I'm sure many GT fans would have the same reaction if I suggested turning running the championship as a series of 10 lap sprints.

And wouldn't you know it, this suggestion keeps popping up every couple of years (FIA-GT used to be 4 hours, now it's 3...). Everything's been done before. In the eyes of an ETCC fan of 30 years ago, isn't the current WTCC format "turning the series into something it's not"?

[cybersdorf]

Originally Posted by racer69

Why do they give out points at quarter and half distance?

To encourage participation. This way, it's not an "all or nothing" affair, and even teams that don't make the finish don't walk away empty-handed. It (hopefully) justifies the greater expense of a 24hr race.

[courageous]

If touring cars want an endurance race, then surely the 'ring already provides it. this year the only top flight GT car is the BMW M3 V8, from next year even that won't be running. Spa is for GT, Le Mans is for Prototypes, 'ring is for Touring cars.

[SALEEN S7R]

Not really, the Ring 24hrs will always attract GT cars such as the Marcos LM 600 and the older Porsche 911 GT2 machines and probably Vipers too now that the car isnt competitve in top level GT competition and there are so many of them floating around, not to mention all the GT3 class runners who will be at the event. The ring 24hrs is a mix of GT and touring cars, where as the Spa 24hrs is as u say more for GT cars. Although having said that there have been BMW Z3's entered in recent years at the Spa 24hrs...

[racer69]

Spa is only more of a GT race because that is what the rules are these days, prior to 2001 you would have said it was more of a Touring Car race.

Lets not make these things something they aren't these days. Nothing would please me more than if the ETCC of the last few years, and this years WTCC, had followed history and have been two-driver Endurance races, encompassing the Spa 24 Hours.

Short races are all the rage though nowadays, even GT races are pretty short.

Why muddy the waters by mixxing cars from the WTCC into a GT race? The Touring Cars would be at best mid pack, struggle to last the distance and in the eyes of the general public (not the purists/enthusiasts, who don't matter to the powers that be in world motorsport these days) would look quite bad. How would the marketing arms of BMW, Alfa Romeo, Seat and Chevrolet like that?

It would be good for Europe to have a long distance Touring Car race in it's own right again. Spa and the TT have been lost to GT cars unfortunatly. But a long distance race for WTCC type cars is pretty pointless if all their other races last only 75km......