Corvette preventing other teams from enterting GT1???

[Mindspin13B]

First off, this is my first post on the forum, I found it earlier in the day. It looks awesome and has a ton of information that will hold me over till Sebring in March haha.

Anyways...

Do you think that the dominace of Corvette has prevented other teams from entering GT1? With such a huge factory backing, not to mention Pratt/Miller telling GM engineers how to design the C6, it seems like no other team wants to waste the money to probably loose to the C6R. This is one of the main reasons I love the Astons, someone actually has the balls to stand up to Corvette, and beat them. Not to mention its a sexy car. If Corvette does indeed make the jump to Europe, do you think more teams would be apt to enter? Would AMR return?

Just felt like gaining everyone's opinion on the matter.

[SALEEN S7R]

To be honest I woudnt say it has prevented anyone from entering the class but it might well have made people think twice. As we all know a GT1 car is more expensive to purchase and run than a LMP2 and indeed some of the older LMP1 class cars. Yes in the other classes you also have factory oppostition but at least in the LMP classes you can run closer to the front of the field rather than in the mid field as you would with a GT1 car.

If you look at the LMS and FIA GT Championships whilst there are some manufacturer backed teams there are no factory teams to the extent of the Pratt and Miller run C6R's that we see in the ALMS. As a result the cars are perhaps not as fast as fully fledged factory machines and therefore making it easier for well funded privateers to compete against them rather than a factory GT1 car.

Oh, and welcome to ten-tenths Mindspin138.

[The Badger]

Well , im sure Mr.Giangrande would be still there , but he cannot compete against the limitless budget of a full blown factory team . So in that respect , i would think that it is keeping teams from entering GT1 .

What other team with a C6R or even a C5R has been running them like Pratt & Miller ?

Making people think twice ..... and not entering is effectivily keeping people away . If not , what else is it ?

Not GL-PK , not PSI , not Alphand .....

Anyway ..... Corvette should be in LMP1 as said in a recent interview from a big Audi honcho . They have nothing left to prove in GT1 . And to race in Europe would be much the same i feel ..... they would clean up from the word go .

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Corvette should be in LMP1 as said in a recent interview from a big Audi honcho . They have nothing left to prove in GT1 . .

The Corvette would get its butt handed to it in GT1.

Chevrolet is only interested in running cars based on production cars which was made know several years ago, when Chevrolet spokewment took a bach-hand swipe at GARRA.

I cannot really see whey they stay, but then I do not see why they spend millions in NASCAR.
Bob

[Mindspin13B]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

As we all know a GT1 car is more expensive to purchase and run than a LMP2 and indeed some of the older LMP1 class cars.

I was not aware of this, how is it possible? I figured with all the better technologies and the money put into chassis developement that the P1 and P2 cars would be more expensive?


Also, what would Corvette run in LMP1? Just a V8 setup in an already existing prototype chassis?

[JAG]

It's unlikely to happen but I'd like to see GM/Corvette in P1 with a test bed for future roadcar technologies, thereby retaining the roadcar link.

GT2 customer Corvettes with a support program ala Porsche would see plenty of cars going up against the Z06's road car competition, 911 GT3, 430, Panoz, M3 etc.

Seems logical to me, and you'd think they've at least considered this scenario.

[chewymonster]

GM already tried P1. We know the results.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by chewymonster

GM already tried P1. We know the results.

Chevy is not interested in dealing with blown engines, which is a must in P1, IF someone at Cadillac could reopen the backdoor shop, they at least have an engine designed to be blown.

[dj choc ice]

i think its not completely to blame for GT1 being quite empty and if i was a team boss i would not really do the ALMS as chances of winning in any class are low if you are a privateer unless you have a decent team and very good drivers at the least and i think the big works efforts from aston martin and corvette are probably putting GT1 privateers off coming into the ALMS, if i was boss at say cirtek i wouldnt go to lemans even though i have 3 fantastic drivers and a very good car it wouldnt be worth the risk while in the LMS you have no big works teams in GT1 or infact any class which makes it much easier and more realistic to have a good crack at winning if you are a privateer team and going against other privateer teams instead of massive works operations with all pro driver line ups and with a endless budget and a massive amount of skill as a team that would put a lot of people off thats why i think the LMP2 class has swollen up for next year with a flood of entries

[Satorian]

Originally Posted by dj choc ice

i think its not completely to blame for GT1 being quite empty and if i was a team boss i would not really do the ALMS as chances of winning in any class are low if you are a privateer unless you have a decent team and very good drivers at the least and i think the big works efforts from aston martin and corvette are probably putting GT1 privateers off coming into the ALMS, if i was boss at say cirtek i wouldnt go to lemans even though i have 3 fantastic drivers and a very good car it wouldnt be worth the risk while in the LMS you have no big works teams in GT1 or infact any class which makes it much easier and more realistic to have a good crack at winning if you are a privateer team and going against other privateer teams instead of massive works operations with all pro driver line ups and with a endless budget and a massive amount of skill as a team that would put a lot of people off thats why i think the LMP2 class has swollen up for next year with a flood of entries

I think from the position of a team manager it isn't about winning, but about making ends meet, which means good enough exposure to pull sponsors/advertisers/paydrivers to pay at least for the effort you put in in terms of car/staff/travel/etc to survive the year, and TV deals make a big difference in money which favours the ALMS over the LMS I think. Between running 10th in the ALMS while writing black numbers and running in the Top-3 in the LMS while writing red numbers, most teams would probably prefer the ALMS.
Guess why F1 teams even only running on the last few places are unlikely to just quit or give their license away.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Satorian

Between running 10th in the ALMS while writing black numbers and running in the Top-3 in the LMS while writing red numbers, most teams would probably prefer the ALMS.

I agree with what you are saying generally Satorian; A team needs to exist. However is your example correct or close to the situation? Do you have to bankrupt yourself to run in LMS? In addition it is impossible to run 10th in class in ALMS, especially in GT1!

[Satorian]

Of course this was just a qualitative illustration, not a quantitative one. The numbers may be way off or it may even be the other way round between the series, but my point is still that team managers rather "just run" in a financially functional team and series than "winning" bankruptcy.

[JAG]

With Audi and Peugeot helping to fund an improved TV deal, plus the ACO now including LMS TV rights in the Le Mans package, LMS should be more visible next year.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

The Corvette would get its butt handed to it in GT1.

How can you say that ? On past performance , its Corvette who has served up "butt" to other teams !!!

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by The Badger

How can you say that ? On past performance , its Corvette who has served up "butt" to other teams !!!

I gotta agree with you there, the factory would definately be able to beat the privateer cars. I know the budgets and driver skill difference is probably great, but look at the privateer in the ALMS a few years ago, Pacific Coast something. I realize it was C5 vs C6 but it was the first year for the C6 so you had to expect some problems. And look at the ACEMCO Saleen vs the factory, a few challenges but nothing approaching an even field, esp after losing the spoiler width. But I would LOVE to see the LMS field size here and some privateer racing again, love to see the 1, yes thats ONE, fulltime engineer team Intersport, going up against Porsche. I know Porsche will come out on top but Intersport tries and makes it a close fight down to the end. Oh to win the lottery and start a DBR9 team here, but no luck so far.

[Paddy_NL]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Anyway ..... Corvette should be in LMP1 as said in a recent interview from a big Audi honcho.

Yeah, let them get that big Detroit Diesel in there!




ps. how many years to go before I can hand you that draught beer on MB, Ger?

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by The Badger

How can you say that ? On past performance , its Corvette who has served up "butt" to other teams !!!

I am speaking of the Corvette not a Chevrolet engine P1 car, Corvette and Chevrolet are two different things, one is a car, the other is a companiy that builds the car.
Simple as that.

Bob

[The Badger]

I am very aware of that fact , i just thought you were talking about their GT1 project .

Going back to Cadillac LMP1 effort ..... they never gave their last chassis a real chance . If they had played about with it for another year or so , their results would have been very differant imo .

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Paddy_NL

Yeah, let them get that big Detroit Diesel in there!




ps. how many years to go before I can hand you that draught beer on MB, Ger?

I didnt make this year for the first time since 1993 , absolutly a bloody disgrace but nothing i could do about that , but im going next year . So ..... I'll pack my bib paddy .

[old man]

Now that Lambo have won a race, what about an entry from them with real manufacturer group backing, bet it won't happen!

[Satorian]

I wonder whether Audi would throw their support at a Lambo GT1 project or perhaps an Audi R8 coupe GT2. Would certainly make a pretty addition to the class.

[Mindspin13B]

Originally Posted by Satorian

I wonder whether Audi would throw their support at a Lambo GT1 project or perhaps an Audi R8 coupe GT2. Would certainly make a pretty addition to the class.

That would be awesome to see Audi put some money into the Lambo. I remember seeing it race at Petit in 2003, it sounded awesome.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by old man

Now that Lambo have won a race, what about an entry from them with real manufacturer group backing, bet it won't happen!

Which race, i've been frantically searching for results?????

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Which race, i've been frantically searching for results?????

http://www.lmchallenge.jp/news/0610_05.html

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

http://www.lmchallenge.jp/news/0610_05.html

Thanks for the link mate, I just found it!

Shame it only had to beat 2 others though.