IMSA IMSA : 2019

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by TF110

I have yet to see the ACO DEMAND IMSA do anything on the dates. They asked for plm to be pushed up so they can have no conflict but that's not demanding. I think this reaction is overblown and it's not going to change anything in the future. Good luck telling them to "pound sand" lol

Wow, the ego there. I believe a series has already told the ACO to f off once, and it faced the exact same fate as the series who embraced the ACO rules.

And no, a comment from Neveu expressed displeasure and a backhanded well we see where we sit to IMSA comment after IMSA told them Petit wasn't moving. Which if they bothered to report, it's exactly what they told the WEC when the subject was broached over a month ago. And yet he acted like they have asked and IMSA was considering a move, they were NOT.

[Coach Ep]

I'm sure IMSA considered a move but found out pretty quickly it was practically impossible at this point.

[chernaudi]

As Akrapovic said, let the ACO screw themselves or to bend over backwards for once next time something like this happens. I doubt that IMSA really gives a damn if the ACO decide to back out of Sebring in much the same way that the ACO probably don't give a damn about the PLM/Fuji date clash.

The current ACO administration, who I've had a beef with since they came in after 2008, have made some wise moves recently, especially with LMP1, but we've still yet to see if the BOP is right there or not.

And yes, I believe that the ACO and IMSA should be on the same page basically as when Don Panoz ran the show, but that's a case there I'd argue of Panoz tiring of giving a crap about IMSA and the ACO after his team won GT2 at LM in '06, as Panoz achieved what he wanted to achieve all along.

Of course, this is what sometimes bores and tires me about motorsports and sports in general. I go to them to try and escape from politicking and the BS of the real world, but that same crap finds it own way in to ruin that, too.

But I also agree with Akrapovic. At this stage, IMSA telling the ACO/WEC to buzz off from Sebring is an equally stupid answer to a stupid problem the ACO and the FIA created.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by carbsmith

It won't happen at Sebring because Toyota doesn't own Sebring.

What happens if Alonso is atop the WEC standings after five races heading into Sebring but the Sebring date clashes with the start of the F1 season? You really think that the ACO/WEC and Toyota wouldn't want to make it so Alonso could race either by change the date of Sebring or when that doesn't happen, racing someplace else instead on a date that works for Alonso?

[Coach Ep]

WEC can do whatever they want, the date for the Sebring 12H 2019 is not gonna change.

Now, if the above painted scenario would become reality, it would be typically WEC arrogance to schedule a replacement event at the same weekend as Daytona in, let's say, Mexico City.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

That'd be a childish response to a stupid situation that the WEC has created for itself. IMSA should just take the moral high ground and not react.

WEC spent a long time ignoring P1 privateer teams and then had to go running back to them when they needed them. Lessons have not been learnt as again we're shafting the small guys to get a big one in. This will hurt WEC more than IMSA, so all IMSA need to do is shut up and let WEC cause its own problems.

Publically or privately the folks at IMSA need to finally accept that the WEC can't be trusted anymore.

[carbsmith]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

What happens if Alonso is atop the WEC standings after five races heading into Sebring but the Sebring date clashes with the start of the F1 season? You really think that the ACO/WEC and Toyota wouldn't want to make it so Alonso could race either by change the date of Sebring or when that doesn't happen, racing someplace else instead on a date that works for Alonso?

Do you really think that F1 is going to randomly move their first race to conflict with Sebring if Alonso is leading the points? The only scenario that happens is if someone is politically motivated to keep Alonso from finishing the WEC season, and in that case a WEC schedule change won't get approved anyways.

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

Publically or privately the folks at IMSA need to finally accept that the WEC can't be trusted anymore.

IMO, they never could be trusted. They were always more "actively competing with" ALMS than they were partners under the ACO/sportscar banner. There have been around 10 IMSA/ALMS races a year and 6-8 WEC races per year. That's 18 weeks out of 50 (exclude Christmas and one other for holiday-sake). Make it work. Broken down even further, if Daytona, Sebring and Petit are the major ones you want to avoid, that's 9-11 weeks out of 50 that need to be separated. If you can't work that out, and consider traditional dates, then you are a competitor moreso than someone to trust.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

WEC spent a long time ignoring P1 privateer teams and then had to go running back to them when they needed them..

That's note quite true. The majority of these privateer entries were all already in the works before everything hit the fan - I figure we got two more privateer P1s out of this than we would have had otherwise. Three at most. The ACO didn't go running back to them, they breathed a sigh of relief that programs were in the works.

The Ginetta was announced months before Porsche's withdrawal(January and July 2017 respectively), and Dallara had been rumored to be working on something around a month before he Porsche announcement.

All the ACO had to do was work out if any parity should be applied to the Toyotas.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

All the ACO had to do was work out if any parity should be applied to the Toyotas.

"All the ACO had to do was make sure the new cars could be competitive this time"

Yes, that's running back to them. Ignored when they were rolling in Audi and Nissan money, and then made sure they could be competitive once the big teams left. I never said the Porsche announcement was the tipping point.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

"All the ACO had to do was make sure the new cars could be competitive this time"

Yes, that's running back to them.

No, that's not. Running back to the privateers would have been hastily creating entirely new rules to ensure their participation, not adapting the current balance of performance - at the request of Toyota.

All the ACO did was adapt to how the situation changed. Which is exactly with the separate hybrid and non-hybrid P1 rules were created to allow for.

Ignored when they were rolling in Audi and Nissan money, and then made sure they could be competitive once the big teams left. I never said the Porsche announcement was the tipping point.

The ACO didn't "ignore" the privateers - the rules were there for them to build the cars all along. The ACO "do" anything to make them competitive. The rules for the privateer LMP1s are the same this year as they were last year. Most of the programs were already in the works before Porsche left.

The timing just happened to work out well.

[Akrapovic]

"The rules are the same, except the BoP". It's the same, except how they're applied. Very good.

You keep talking about Porsche and how projects were in the works, as if I've implied that the sudden change of direction from the ACO was in reaction to Porsche. I didn't say that.

If you want to continue that, there's an ACO forum for it. This is the IMSA forum, and IMSA shouldn't change anything just because the WEC is sucking up to one person and disregarding everybody else. Again.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

"The rules are the same, except the BoP". It's the same, except how they're applied. Very good.

You missed the point. The ACO wasn't going to change anything until TOYOTA asked them to.

You keep talking about Porsche and how projects were in the works, as if I've implied that the sudden change of direction from the ACO was in reaction to Porsche. I didn't say that.

You did imply it with your repeated claims that the manufacturer situation has caused the ACO to go "running back" to the privateer teams. There was no cause for concern when only Audi had left, after all.

If you want to continue that, there's an ACO forum for it.

While we may have been dragging this a bit far, since it's all directly related to the matter that's causing some issues for IMSA, I wouldn't call this being too far off-topic. But if you're really worried about it, I'll be glad to make this my last reply. You can make one last response if you wish and we'll move on.

This is the IMSA forum, and IMSA shouldn't change anything just because the WEC is sucking up to one person and disregarding everybody else. Again.

The ACO isn't sucking up to one person. They're sucking up to a PROMOTER. Ignore the promoters, and you'll lose them. Without promoters the series has to promote events themselves, which costs them more money, which makes it harder to survive.

[Coach Ep]

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

"The rules are the same, except the BoP". It's the same, except how they're applied. Very good.

You keep talking about Porsche and how projects were in the works, as if I've implied that the sudden change of direction from the ACO was in reaction to Porsche. I didn't say that.

If you want to continue that, there's an ACO forum for it. This is the IMSA forum, and IMSA shouldn't change anything just because the WEC is sucking up to one person and disregarding everybody else. Again.

Indeed.

Please keep the discussion to imsa 2019 in this thread.

[Coach Ep]

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mi...or-imsa-teams/

This should also make it easier for non US based P2 teams to come over and make guest appearances in IMSA*

* provided the blue blazer scheduling department in Paris is on their A-game.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mi...or-imsa-teams/

This should also make it easier for non US based P2 teams to come over and make guest appearances in IMSA*

* provided the blue blazer scheduling department in Paris is on their A-game.

I wonder how imsa will decide which teams will do the testing for Michelin? The Daytona testing seems like it will be the most important.

[ModelT]

Originally Posted by joeb

I wonder how imsa will decide which teams will do the testing for Michelin? The Daytona testing seems like it will be the most important.

Let me check my crystal ball for you.

Hmmmm, appears to be, WTR, Action Express, Penske, ESM.

WOW!!!! What a surprise!!

[TheMightyM]

Change is coming to GTD in 2019, though exactly what that means is still being figured out:

IMSA President Scott Atherton says to expect “material change” to the GT Daytona class next year, in a concerted effort to reduce costs for competitors.

The GT3-based category, which has seen an influx of manufacturer support in recent years, has been hit with skyrocketing budgets, largely triggered by the increased professionalism in the Pro-Am-enforced platform.

More here from Sportscar 365.

[Bentley03]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...gtlm-race.html

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...gtlm-race.html

I almost forgot what today was at first reading and then went oh yes, DSC had to do something today

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...gtlm-race.html

That is a brilliant idea though!

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/0...gtlm-race.html

Its the cruelest april fools day article yet because the idea is so awesome in actuality.

[Adam43]

Crikey. DSC went big with April Fools Day this year. How much wit can we take on one day?

[HORNDAWG]

This is a really smart move by all IMO.

https://www.imsa.com/news/042018/cha...durance-racing








L.P.