IMSA USCC in 2016 and 2017

[FormulaFox]

I say merge Class 1 cars into DPi in 2017 instead of trying to start a US DTM series. They're close enough in performance currently that there's no reason you could bop it into functionality even with the P2 overhaul.

It's sad that it will never happen, but I would have but one thing to say if IMSA actually did that: "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY."

[chernaudi]

We have to remember that Super GT and DTM have almost polar opposite views on Class 1 touring cars. SGT uses front and mid-engined super cars (with Lexus using a sports coupe), while DTM uses popular sports coupes based closely on popular sports sedans. Though at the end of the day, they're carbon-tubbed silhouette racers that share almost in common with the road cars that they're inspired by, almost like a high tech NASCAR series that runs exclusively on road course.

Also, as mentioned, SGT and DTM do have differing phlosophies. SGT is pushing the tech on aero and tires, which does drive up cost, though on the tire end, that's mostly because Michelin and Bridgestone are encouraged to make tires to suit the cars and are driven with max performance as the overriding factor. DTM is driven more towards moderate costs and stable car performance. That's also why if you put the DTM spec Hankook tires on any SGT GT500 car, they wouldn't work, as they'd lake the grip that the GT500 Michelins and Bridgestones have.

Granted, the Michelin and Bridgestone GT500 and Hankook DTM tires aren't made to be multi-stinted like the Michelin or Dunlop LMP tires in the WEC are. But that's because WEC rules encourage multi-stinting tires (tire limits per race, rules saying that refueling and tire changes can't happen at the same time), while DTM uses tires and tire choice as part of in-race strategy, while the SGT tires are geared towards performance.

That, and I'd have to say that right now, no car maker is ready or willing to run their cars outside of either DTM (Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW), or Super GT (Nissan, Honda, Toyota/Lexus), and there seems to be no true support from Ford or GM for a US Class 1 car. It seems that the DPI program is allowing for prototypes with brand ID on them. Granted, the most brand ID I've seen on a protoype the past 15 years or so was the BMW grille decals on the LMR, the Cadillac grilles (both functional and decals) on the Northstar LMPs, and the Audi R8 and R10 having headlights and tail lights styled broadly on those of the TT and R8 road cars.

But right now, I don't see anything adding up for Class 1 in the US, since both Germany and Japan have kind of gone their own ways with the rules.

[Rcz]

The DPi thing is sounds like IMSA is trying to have their cake and eat it too. In that they want their own rules for their class but also trying to keep a Lemans/ACO relationship.

Right now there is no known American manufacture support for C1. And there really nothing stopping anyone from building a family sedan like a Cruze, Fusion, or Mazda 6 is there. Just imagine those cars beating German luxury cars, and Japanese Sportscars, it be funny so I hope it happens.

[Deleted]

Justin Bell not fired after all on FOX, he's just the pit/informecial-guy now. Otherwise a lot of PR babble here that means nothing and is meant to distract you from the cost cutting. Only thing it does confirm that pretty much everything bar pit reports will be done from dark Charlotte bunkers after Daytona, as predicted...
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/i...oadcast-plans/

[BullMan]

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/pe...-find-our-way/

That IMSA guy is delusional. FOX broadcasts are unwatchable. It’s only going to become more unwatchable this season when they add in more of those featurettes about Continental or Corvette that nobody cares about or wants to see. Thank god for the stream.

[Deleted]

“There was a hope and expectation that ’15 would be different than ’14. But as we got through ’15, it just felt like we weren’t really moving enough.”

How could've it been different with even less network airing, more FS2, and even less across-series advertising in general (if possible)?

“I wish things with Bob had been different, but I don’t blame Bob for any of it,” Pettit said. “It came to a point in time where things happened, and he was very surprised by it. I sincerely regret that that came out about Bob that way.”

What an elaborate way of saying just saying he was sacked for money without telling him until the last moment.

Till will likely carry the lion’s share while Bell’s role will expand to more lifestyle-focused features. Jamie Howe may still fill in if needed for conflicts, and is headed for FOX’s new coverage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

More informercials is definitely what everyone wanted more from FOX this season. As is less female presenters.

According to Pettit, the move to Charlotte and the cut down on on-site production costs is what will allow for the new content IMSA hopes to showcase during its FOX shows in 2016.

“We’ve added a producer on both sides. The only difference is instead of the truck being here, the truck’s in Charlotte,” Pettit said. “The travel cost becomes so much when you look at bringing a truck down. We can drive down the costs enough to free up for the aerial cameras, bringing the executive producer on board, bringing in Justin and extending beyond that.”

Yes, I'm sure all this cutting is done just for the benefit of these new cameras and "beyond that", whatever it means.

Less people talking, more producers.

Guess the expensive FOX truck is switched for Super Hans's van now. Couple of pennies less for petrol. Merry old times circulating States with it.

Pettit said he expects some races where talent will still attend the event prior to the race itself – FOX and SPEED did that at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a number of years – and also said there could be a digital pre-race show beyond FOX.

“We have to find a way to reinvest. You can’t just keep bolting things on without recalibrating everything,” Pettit said.

Probably means Daytona-only, as the commentary-from-Charlotte switch for Sebring seems to mean they don't care rats about that race anymore, even though it's in Florida too, and as for Le Mans... they didn't get the tickets there last year either, so why now either with the cost cuts...

I don't exactly know what the "beyond FOX" prerace show means, but even ESPN managed those in their ALMS years so it's kinda minimal of expectation.

Another sore point was the perceived frequency of commercials, although Pettit said the number has remained constant at 17 minutes per hour of programming.

“It’s 17 minutes as it has always been, every series, every race, on every cable channel,” he said.

17 minutes of actual commercials, maybe so (assuming no lie), but when you add in the in-race informercials it probably adds to 25-30 minutes no?

The Creamer addition may “recalibrate the booth” to “change the energy level,” Pettit said, although specifics are still being finalized.

What does that even mean? And specifics on that???

I guess Creamer is slightly less bored than Varsha, but is less bored recalibrated?

[BullMan]

That new content is going to be everything but on-track action. I don't want to see it. I tune in to watch a race, not a commercial for Continental while a race is going on. Just awful.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, they had an online-only prerace show in 2014 with Justin Bell and cancelled it halfway through the season.

[hondafan37]

LAP TIME EVOLUTION – SEBRING
http://nasportscar.com/lap-time-evolution-sebring/

[BullMan]

According to DSC, Highway to Help is running NAEC this year. I figured we would never see them again after Daytona. I do have to wonder how badly they will get in the way at the circuits that have turns though.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

LAP TIME EVOLUTION – SEBRING
http://nasportscar.com/lap-time-evolution-sebring/

I guess GTLM and GTD will improve a lot at Sebring this year with the new configurations. Probably much more so than Daytona due to the emphasize on downforce on the GT cars.

[MaskedRacer]

The Sunday S365 notebook hints at Laguna Seca being split class format again which I think is a awesome. This however:

1. The races should be LONGER than 2 hours
2. Lets try GTLM/GTD in one race and DP/LMP2/LMPC in the other this go around.

[joeb]

S365 has a "pt 1" article on the 2017 Prototypes:

http://sportscar365.com/industry/ins...ulations-pt-1/

Not a ton of info there, but sounds like there will be 2 manufacturers for sure with the possibility of 5. My guess is 3.

[BullMan]

I don't see a way for the manufacturers to build their own bodywork and have it not be slower than the stock bodywork OnRoak, etc. come up with.

What is stopping someone from putting a GT3 engine in the regular P2 and going racing that way?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by BullMan

What is stopping someone from putting a GT3 engine in the regular P2 and going racing that way?

The rules?

[BullMan]

Originally Posted by joeb

The rules?

Merely an obstacle.

[BullMan]

Honestly, with the crunched timeline, there's a chance the bodywork wouldn't even ben ready in time. Heck, the regular P2s might not even be ready for Daytona.

[Makaze]

2017 DPi?

Riley-Multimatic=GM(Cadillac) or Mazda?

Onroak=HPD(Acura NSX)

Oreka=?(Ford)

Dallara=GM or Mazda

[BrentJackson]

So, IMSA is banking on these guys being able to do bodywork for cars they haven't seen and are probably not completely designed yet, and when the North American manufacturer is a partnership between a company which is already massively busy and expanding like a mad man to keep up with their existing commitments and a company which while excellent at making race cars hasn't made a carbon-tub car in over a decade. How in the hell do the manufacturers expect to attack their "bodywork" to these platforms?

And beyond that, with the chassis homologation rules effectively making sure that if you don't get it right IMMEDIATELY you're completely and utterly screwed for the next four years, who in their right mind is going to partner with Riley and Multimatic? Even Dallara is a stretch considering the timeframes involved. No, nobody is gonna do that - they will all pair up with Oreca and Onroak, which is EXACTLY THE BLOODY POINT OF THE EXERCISE. Kill the competition so the French guys can succeed.

IMSA, if your management has even the tiniest amounts of common sense, you will realize that this is going to screw your series in truly incredible ways. It will wreck the livelihoods for hundreds of people involved in the sport, for absolutely NO GOOD REASON WHATSOEVER. Is this worth it? Is the tiny, remote possibility of one of the prototype teams going to Le Mans with these junkwagon cars worth it? Is it worth it to have to tell GM and Mazda (Honda's not coming - after you kick them out of the prototype class and they have to deal with a messy F1 effort and big problems in Indycars, they will spend their money elsewhere) that they have to gamble on what chassis will work? If they get it wrong, do you cause a mess for the ACO or relegate them to also-rans, which by the way will mean their rapid withdrawal from the series?

Can you not see this is not worth it? Even the mess that was early 2014 was orders of magnitude better than this, because you do something about it there. Here, you can't.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by BrentJackson

IMSA, if your management has even the tiniest amounts of common sense

Brent, you and I have been around long enough to know that answer.

[BrentJackson]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Brent, you and I have been around long enough to know that answer.

True that, but I still hold out hope that these people can see what is about to befall them. When a late-twenties racing nut with an entry-level marketing job can see disaster on the horizon, I would hope that that can be seen by others.

[Coach Ep]

P2/DPi timeline:

The final set of provisions of the LM P2 regulations will be adopted by the World Motor Sport Council in December of this year, and the timetable will respect the following five stages:
• 1st January 2016: validation of the safety structures/monocoque;
• 1st April 2016: validation of the bodywork and the mechanical components;
• 1st June 2016: validation of the crash test;
• 1st September 2016: presentation of the draft homologation sheet;
• From 1 – 15 December 2016: inspection and final validation of the car;

The cars must be homologated by, and available for use in January 2017 for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the first race at which the new TUDOR Championship Prototype / LM P2 category regulations will be applied.

from http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/0...e-contest.html

+ recap DPi:

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/0...gulations.html

[BrentJackson]

^ That timeline only matters if it can be followed. Not a problem for Oreca or Onroak, maybe a problem for Dallara, big problem for Riley and Multimatic.

[MagVanisher]

@BrentJackson
You know, would it be better if Riley-Multimatic and Dallara should pull out from LMP2 since they'll get their butt kicked by these two French manufacturers anyway.

Oh wait, make LMP2 as a single manufacturer class instead!

[Deleted]

No one is getting buttkicked, this isn't old LMP2 where you could have had Normas and Radicals and whatever miles away from the top because of weaker and cheaper designs, this is DPi where the series will aero-bop the already near spec packages for weeks in wind tunnel in order to get theoretically identical lap times (or advantage to whomever has the best political power at given time).

Btw "Mazda" Speedsource will obviously choose Riley-Multi, and GM the Dallara

[10TENTHS]

So what do you suggest? That they ignore the ACO and keep running a hybrid top class of DP\LMP2 or some other designs?