[FIA GT] Blancpain Endurance Series 2011

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by 911 GT1

There was a report about the GT3 Camaro in german print mag Speedweek.

Roll out in June 2011
Katech V8 engine with 580 hp and 680 NM
sequentiell Hollinger gearbox, paddles at steering wheel
traction control
1.275 KG
ABS
180.000 €

Ah, too bad. I bought it often during the actual racing season, but didn't think there would be anything worthwile in it the last few weeks.

[911 GT1]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Ah, too bad. I bought it often during the actual racing season, but didn't think there would be anything worthwile in it the last few weeks.

A big mistake :-) It was an exclusive story in the last issue of 2010....

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by 911 GT1

A big mistake :-) It was an exclusive story in the last issue of 2010....

Any sportscar must reads in it tomorrow?

[rich07]

Originally Posted by 911 GT1

There was a report about the GT3 Camaro in german print mag Speedweek.

Roll out in June 2011
Katech V8 engine with 580 hp and 680 NM
sequentiell Hollinger gearbox, paddles at steering wheel
traction control
1.275 KG
ABS
180.000 €

Very interesting! Did the article say who was building the car?

[911 GT1]

SaReNi United. More details after January 31th...
It is a german company from Bavaria.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by 911 GT1

SaReNi United. More details after January 31th...
It is a german company from Bavaria.

Is there much known about this company? Do they have much experience?

They have a website but it says wait until the end of the month..

Its good to see more GT3 cars being built.

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Conti Challenge has a lot less rules creep that the SRO-series, I think. Which is good for the US-teams and the series, but bad as far as the interchangeability of cars is concerned.

Oh there's rules creep, the Mini's got fully programmable Bosch Engine Management systems, which I hear fully optioned out cost over $10,000 US.

I'm not sure if the Mazdaspeed 3's will get an "Adjustment" like that, since they depend on the factory PCM/ECU for tuning. I know Cobb has tuning for the previous model but I think the new cars are using all new electronics.

As far as I know, no adjustment in GS (Grand Sport) but I would assume instead of team built M3's, some might upgrade to the Motorsport built M3's.

Oh yeah the Camaros were given some "help" mid-season last year.

[Speed-King]

I didn't say no rules creep at all, just a lot less... nothing like the Cosworth cheater engine in the Evora or the aero-kits on the Masser and the BMW, anyway.

I know that guy that fields a BMW 330 in ST and that car is ten years old, yet it was close to the top in all the test sessions last weekend...

[Speed-King]

Gravity racing "is thinking" about fielding one or two Mercedes SLS

And I've read in another forum that Hexis is considering to move their GT3 Astons from the GT3 European Championship to the Blancpain series.

[old man]

According to DSC, the new McLaren will be racing in the Blancpain series this year.

I can't help but think we have too many GT series now

[Speed-King]

From the Belgian depaddock-Forum: Prospeed plans to compete in the BlancPain series with their Porsche GT3Rs.

Ratel might be right, this series has the possibility to be an "instant hit".

Now if some GT4 teams could come out of hiding...

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

From the Belgian depaddock-Forum: Prospeed plans to compete in the BlancPain series with their Porsche GT3Rs.

Ratel might be right, this series has the possibility to be an "instant hit".

Now if some GT4 teams could come out of hiding...

Thus giving Ratel something to fall back on if GT1 fails. Add all the tracks from GT1, make GT3 and GT4 more faster, rename the classes, add the World Championship title and ta dah! You have FIA GT Championship once more!

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Now if some GT4 teams could come out of hiding...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't FIA GT4 been pretty much a dead series for a while? Last year they had very very few entries, and there aren't that many other championships for those vehicles. I also remeber hearing complains from some of the teams.

I'm expecting a healthy GT3 lineup for the new series, with a very limited GT4 attendance. Some Aston Martins, perhaps a Lotus or two as well.

By the way- I hope the streaming coverage for this series is as good as with the GT1 & GT3.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Correct me if I'm wrong

Will do

but hasn't FIA GT4 been pretty much a dead series for a while? Last year they had very very few entries,

So far you're right

and there aren't that many other championships for those vehicles.

I'd tend to disagree with that... there are bespoke classes for GT4-cars in VLN, Spanish GT and British GT and there is the successfull Dutch Stand-Alone series, furthermore there are one make series for GT4-spec Astons, Maseratis and Ginettas. These cars are also raced in Britcar, VdeV and various "open" endurance series. Lotus has suppossedly sold 25 of their GT4 Evoras and these cars will need a place to race.

I also remember hearing complains from some of the teams.

IIRC the main complaints were about the schedule and the short race distances, both of these have been adressed in the Blancpain Series.

I'm expecting a healthy GT3 lineup for the new series, with a very limited GT4 attendance. Some Aston Martins, perhaps a Lotus or two as well.

I'm afraid you might be right there, but I still hope that we'll get 8 or 10 GT4 cars on track... anything less and it isn't really multi-class racing, is it?

[Deleted]

Those GT4 Evoras would make a very good spec support series, for BTCC or something While you're absolutely right about the national and one-make series, I feel that there aren't that many international series for GT4. Quite understandably.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Those GT4 Evoras would make a very good spec support series, for BTCC or something While you're absolutely right about the national and one-make series, I feel that there aren't that many international series for GT4. Quite understandably.

Right, but IMHO the limited number of races in the Blancpain series makes it very much combineable with a national or one make series, a lot of the GT3-teams will do actually do both, so I wouldn't rule out some of the GT4 teams from national series doing the same.

[AndrewF31]

Just to understand, the Blancpain series is the FIA GT Endurance Championship, for GT3 and GT4 cars? It's an extra 5 races apart from the regular GT3 and GT4 championships?

Why did the Rat go with this in such a format? I would actually be interested in seeing this, as it could make for some good grids and good racing. Adding in GT2 would make it perfect.
But with the regular championships, isn't he stretching the budgets a bit too far? At least they're all in Europe.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by AndrewF31

Just to understand, the Blancpain series is the FIA GT Endurance Championship, for GT3 and GT4 cars? It's an extra 5 races apart from the regular GT3 and GT4 championships?

Right. There was some talk about abolishing the standalone GT4 European series completely, but appearantly some teams argued against that.

Why did the Rat go with this in such a format? I would actually be interested in seeing this, as it could make for some good grids and good racing. Adding in GT2 would make it perfect.
But with the regular championships, isn't he stretching the budgets a bit too far? At least they're all in Europe.

I think there was a demand for an endurance format below LMS. Early plans called for the inclusion of GT2 in this series, but these fell through, as appearantly not enough GT2 teams were interested in this format.
When I find the time, I'll make a prelimniary entry list and just from the top of my head, that one will look really good as far as GT3 is concerend, so budgets don't seem to be much of an issue at least in the big class.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Chiana

there aren't that many international series for GT4. Quite understandably.

Ginettas can now run at the new European Production Series (six 50min races supporting the WTCC).

[I Rosputnik]

Endurance Info reckons the Endurance series could be bigger then GT1 and the GT3 Euro series. (In French)

[Speed-King]

And from the looks of it, there has been a stream-lining of the class structure... the articles mentions only two classes in GT3: Citation Cup and Pro-Am... I hope that doesn't mean that all-pro-line-ups will again be forbidden...

[NaBUru38]

Oops, wrong thread!

[JayBMS]

Barwell will be in GT3 and GT4

http://www.amr-teams.co.uk/2011/01/b...ntest-new.html

[E-racer]

Last race at silverstone in october - brrrrrrrrrrrr! Maybe a race in Spain at that time of year would have made a bit more sense...can't remember a major race series running so late ever in the uk before?

[Birddog07]

But it's a snow race, latest spectacle in endurance racing.