IMSA: 2020

[MaskedRacer]

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/h...pelly-ferriol/

Great news we have a confirmed Audi now. I was not too high on the Rick Ware thing working out anyway.

Seriously IMSA Radio and NBC folks. GTD deserves LOTS of TV time this year.

[carbsmith]

I really don't think it's a real decision on the promoter end at all, just stacking up enough checks on the list to get approval by government or insurance or whoever. I will say that there probably is a lot of entries on said list with very selective enforcement but the mask one is so easy to see it's among the more likely to be paid attention to.

Expectations for every rule to make sense all the time when things are being rammed through beauracracy in record time and enforcement resources are limited need to be tempered.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/h...pelly-ferriol/

Great news we have a confirmed Audi now. I was not too high on the Rick Ware thing working out anyway.

Seriously IMSA Radio and NBC folks. GTD deserves LOTS of TV time this year.

Half the field will be GTD cars at Daytona, according to Sportscar365. I think their expectation of 28 cars overall is very optimistic though.

[Gatorboy]

Has anyone hear if they are going to let spectators in for the Sebring race on the 18th?

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Half the field will be GTD cars at Daytona, according to Sportscar365. I think their expectation of 28 cars overall is very optimistic though.

Well we got a list now.
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2...ng-at-daytona/

All things considered we'll take it. GTD still has 9 different manufacturers. From that vantage point the one let down is no Aston Martin. I guess the cars won't go as fast at Daytona in July as they did in January due to the heat. With this grid should hope that the entire 240 goes safety car free. No issues with LMP2 not being there myself. Although I am still surprised they were left out of the Daytona 240 race rather than having to travel all the way to Laguna Seca.

[fieldodreams79]

It'll be a race. I'll enjoy some part of it. Too bad it'll be a day that I plan on being outside so maybe I'll see some of it.

[broadrun96]

I'll probably listen while working on the shed but honestly I'll probably forget and the radio will be playing all day annoying the neighbors. Hopefully by then I'll be raising the walls.

[fergus_r]

Good entry for the first race back, better than expected.

[Bcarr6]

Originally Posted by fergus_r

Good entry for the first race back, better than expected.

Could be a lot worse for sure. Interested to see the Mclaren debut on the Daytona banks

[MaskedRacer]

Calendar revised to avoid Indy 8 hour date. Yes. However. A trip to California between endurance races? Well I guess there is not much you can do. If the Laguna Seca race happens. I can see GTD teams for justifiable reason pass on that one. Cancelling GTD from running Laguna may not be a bad thing from the standpoint of the teams.

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/i...clash-avoided/

[MaskedRacer]

https://sportscar365.com/industry/be...-top-gt-class/

Would be nice if Paul Willams hinted that Bentley would come in if there was a GT3 Pro class introduced. Bentley likes going for overall wins. I bet if they would come in. They would negotiate with IMSA to get more all-GT races on the schedule.

[broadrun96]

I don't think Laguna will stay on the schedule and sadly probably not stay as a track much longer. Their laundry is airing and people are fleeing, and not leaving quietly. And they've lost a couple good paying events already this season.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I don't think Laguna will stay on the schedule and sadly probably not stay as a track much longer. Their laundry is airing and people are fleeing, and not leaving quietly. And they've lost a couple good paying events already this season.

Well at this point its not a big loss if that happens. DPI/LMP2 could move to V.I.R and be a stand alone 1 hour 40 minute race perhaps. GT still would be the main event and run their own 2 hour 40 minute race. Well that would be my idea.

[Adam43]

Why was VIR chosen as a GT only track in the first place? Suitability of the track, facilities, fan base? Just how it worked out?

[carbsmith]

Marketing value, probably. It's a slightly iffy track for prototype/GT interaction because of the massive speed differential and tight confines up in the esses but most tracks in the US are.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Why was VIR chosen as a GT only track in the first place? Suitability of the track, facilities, fan base? Just how it worked out?

Originally Posted by carbsmith

Marketing value, probably. It's a slightly iffy track for prototype/GT interaction because of the massive speed differential and tight confines up in the esses but most tracks in the US are.

I always thought Lime Rock made sense as a GT only race, but not VIR. The track has room, and tons and tons of grass runoff. ALMS used to run LMP1's there with Porsche cup cars and it was fine.

[fieldodreams79]

I'd love to see prototypes back at VIR, but I don't think we will for quite sometime, specifically for the area at the end of the esses. It's been a GT only round for a few years now and yes, lots of runoff, but little catch fencing.

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/alms/v...cident-at-vir/

14:25 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BfSy_eogw

I don't know; prototypes at Road Atlanta? Why not at VIR, eh?

[Adam43]

I’m thinking of going. It would be nice if the prototypes were there, but I’ll cope with GT only

[MaskedRacer]

racingsportscars.com is a great place to go for historical sportscar racing facts, figures, and results. I checked out ALMS in 2013 at V.I.R. GTLM today is as fast as LMP2 (Level 5/ESM HPD cars) was in 2013. Pretty neat.

But yeah if DPI/P2 goes to V.I.R as a result of a scenario where Laguna goes away, then I think it should be its own race separate from the GT's. I'd say make that one a 1 hour 40 minute race. Admittedly I am a GT fan first and foremost and have always enjoyed the all-GT races over the years. The more of them the merrier as far as I am concerned. 2 is ok. Would love to see a third one day but grid numbers need to be very high for that. Or maybe Bentley can come in and convince IMSA to have more all GT races as a condition of being in the series.

[Adam43]

I like the idea of a P race and a GT race. Entries are the issue I guess. I’m up for expanding to get wired and wonderful other cars in there, but I realise that’s not really the thing nowadays.

[Adam43]

It’s a bit daft as it is the race meetings that never was, but it’s something to decorate the basement.

[broadrun96]

Think that means you get to keep it forever as the oddity

[joeb]

Mazda has been busy moving shop during the pandemic. Joest is officially done and multmatic has taken control.

https://racer.com/2020/06/29/same-co...a-motorsports/

[MaskedRacer]

Even in the S365 podcast that came out today (Tues June 30), John and Ryan are not convinced about the Laguna Seca race coming together. The change in schedule served multiple purposes including buying the Laguna staff some time to get their act together. I still stand by my suggestion to keep the GT's and protos apart at V.I.R if by chance DPI/LMP2 is moved there due to something like Laguna falling through.

[broadrun96]

Plus it gives them 2 races on the card. I just can see prototype guys getting aggressive in the tight bits and cars off. Rather have 2 cleaner races than 1 combined yellowfest.