IMSA 2021

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Very very very wildly guesstimating the following for full season entries from looking at the Daytona grid

We know DPI is pretty safely 6, P2 could be anything but estimated to be 3, seems the P3 entries almost all look like full season cars.

GTE we know the corvettes and single porsche are confirmed, BMW a big maybe, Risi fat chance.

GTD is the more vague one, but I think there is roughly 5 cars at Daytona that won’t do full season (GRT x2, AF Corse, TF Sport, NTE???), of course that NTE entry is unannounced so including that in the list of Daytona only for now.

It looks like a conservative bet puts the grid at just over 30 for the season, which I think would be a nice grid!

DPI - 6
P2 - 3
P3 - 6/7
GTE - 3/5
GTD - 13/15

Total - 30/36

Thanks for the analysis. I thought a GRT car might be full season. Just speculation though. Biggest hope for me is that we get a combined GTLM/GTD grid of 18-20 cars so we can have those grid sizes for the All GT races. Lime Rock is ok with having a 16 car grid. But at a V.I.R even 18 cars looks small for a track that size.

[W2Motorsport]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

Thanks for the analysis. I thought a GRT car might be full season. Just speculation though. Biggest hope for me is that we get a combined GTLM/GTD grid of 18-20 cars so we can have those grid sizes for the All GT races. Lime Rock is ok with having a 16 car grid. But at a V.I.R even 18 cars looks small for a track that size.

GRT plans to compete in all of the IMSA endurance races for GTD according to this article.

http://gt-place.com/2020/10/23/grass...meisterschaft/

I also don't think Winward or Sun Energy1 will be competing in IMSA for the full season but could be wrong. I try to keep tabs on most Mercedes GT3 teams and have not seen anything official about them running the full IMSA season. I would be more inclined to believe Winward plans to run the GTWC America season with their GT3 entry and continue in Pilot Challenge with the GT4.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by W2Motorsport

50 cars for Daytona 24H in 2021!

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/5...-for-rolex-24/

Great looking grid and I'm very excited for this race.

That will do nicely.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by W2Motorsport

GRT plans to compete in all of the IMSA endurance races for GTD according to this article.

http://gt-place.com/2020/10/23/grass...meisterschaft/

I also don't think Winward or Sun Energy1 will be competing in IMSA for the full season but could be wrong. I try to keep tabs on most Mercedes GT3 teams and have not seen anything official about them running the full IMSA season. I would be more inclined to believe Winward plans to run the GTWC America season with their GT3 entry and continue in Pilot Challenge with the GT4.

Winward sounds like they are working on full season plans but we all know how that goes in good years.

SunEnergy made no comment about full season and I would guess race at a time in the enduros is best case scenario there.

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Winward sounds like they are working on full season plans but we all know how that goes in good years.

Ward said, that Daytona is a test for 2022, because next year they´ll do the full season.

[WyldStallion]

Great article on GT racing in IMSA by Marshal. https://racer.com/2021/01/14/opinion...-for-imsa-gts/

He is right about the BoP for "GTD-Pro". There is precedent that works in International GT Open. Those are the fastest GT3 cars on the track today in any series. I wonder if DTM might pull a big open BoP as well.

I always thought if Corvette ends up having to go with a GT3 C8R, then instead of Le Mans. Use Nurburgring as their European endurance adventure.

[skycafe]

BMW Team RLL only doing the four Enduros in 2021
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...-for-2021.html

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by skycafe

BMW Team RLL only doing the four Enduros in 2021
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2021/0...-for-2021.html

This is concerning for Lime Rock and V.I.R.

[broadrun96]

Lime Rock I would wait until the week before the race to concern myself with car counts, I would guess it's 50/50 at best at going forward. From what I hear from friends still in Va it's a state that can't tell what the rules and future will be and there's still a chance the Gov Not me in Blackface may cancel the event again.

And not sure missing 2 GTLM will change much for either. Lime Rock is just traffic all day so interesting in it's own way but that garbage chicane makes it a must skip for me, rather drive it in FM than watch the race. ViR is so massive and open losing 2 cars won't look like anything. And for both of those it's which Vette was going to be in front and not hit by a GTD guy trying to not get his line blocked.

[WyldStallion]

Well with the way the IMSA GTLM sked is now, NAEC races are the first 3 events of the year for the class. So the impact of BMW R.L.L. not being there won't be felt all the way until July 4th holiday weekend which is CTMP.

[Gingers4Justice]

What's the traditional food eaten at the Rolex 24? Failing that, Florida?

With England in a lockdown, me and my girlfriend are planning to make a big deal of it.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

What's the traditional food eaten at the Rolex 24? Failing that, Florida?

With England in a lockdown, me and my girlfriend are planning to make a big deal of it.

Other than gator and frog legs, I can only think of Cuban sandwiches, though that's more of a Miami thing and might be actually hard to get in Daytona. They are seriously great, though.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

What's the traditional food eaten at the Rolex 24? Failing that, Florida?

With England in a lockdown, me and my girlfriend are planning to make a big deal of it.

The only thing I can think of that I see in Florida and not too many other places is a grouper sandwich. It is just a nice piece of fish on a bun with some mayo and lettuce.

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Other than gator and frog legs, I can only think of Cuban sandwiches, though that's more of a Miami thing and might be actually hard to get in Daytona. They are seriously great, though.

That is funny, I had never thought of a Cuban being related to Miami before but it may have been invented there!

edit: just looked it up, it was invented in Tampa Florida, not Miami

[chernaudi]

So closer to Sebring than Miami or Daytona?

[LC2guy]

Looking at the schedule, what session will set the grid for the "race that set's the grid for the 24" ? Also, is it all classes or just DPI & GTLM ? All I see on schedule is Q sessions for P2, P3 & GTD. I've got the beers in, and a couple steaks, ready to start 2021 Sportscar viewing and hoping this year isn't as foooked up as last year !! Stay cool everyone.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by LC2guy

Looking at the schedule, what session will set the grid for the "race that set's the grid for the 24" ? Also, is it all classes or just DPI & GTLM ? All I see on schedule is Q sessions for P2, P3 & GTD. I've got the beers in, and a couple steaks, ready to start 2021 Sportscar viewing and hoping this year isn't as foooked up as last year !! Stay cool everyone.

Regular qualifying, all classes. Apparently it is not streamed.

https://www.imsa.com/events/2021-roa...-the-rolex-24/

[GriffM3]

Checking the lap times in 1st practice session GLTM and LMP3 are mixed together. Are they planning on running the same pace in the race? That will be a mess if so.

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by GriffM3

Checking the lap times in 1st practice session GLTM and LMP3 are mixed together. Are they planning on running the same pace in the race? That will be a mess if so.

That's fine is that not what racing is supposed to be about. P3 cars will drop back eventually.

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by GriffM3

Checking the lap times in 1st practice session GLTM and LMP3 are mixed together. Are they planning on running the same pace in the race? That will be a mess if so.

will be the same situation of lmpc... maybe lmp3 will be slightly faster on qualifying but being a class made of mainly am drivers, during the race gtlm will have a better overall pace, considering also lmp3 will need to refuel more often than gtlm.
I've read some technical bulletin .pdf and now IMSA lmp2 have revlimit set to 8700rpm, very close to their original power (last year was 8250rpm)
https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...s-01142021.pdf

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by canaglia

will be the same situation of lmpc... maybe lmp3 will be slightly faster on qualifying but being a class made of mainly am drivers, during the race gtlm will have a better overall pace, considering also lmp3 will need to refuel more often than gtlm.
I've read some technical bulletin .pdf and now IMSA lmp2 have revlimit set to 8700rpm, very close to their original power (last year was 8250rpm)
https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uplo...s-01142021.pdf

Maybe won't be faster in qualifying as bronze drivers are mandated to the qualifying driver.

Thought LMP2 cars were going to be slower this year than last. Maybe not.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

Maybe won't be faster in qualifying as bronze drivers are mandated to the qualifying driver.



Thought LMP2 cars were going to be slower this year than last. Maybe not.

The P2 cars were slowed down previously, but not this year. I think they may have actually been given more revs this year than last year's Daytona.

[Damian Baldi]

Originally Posted by canaglia

I've read some technical bulletin .pdf and now IMSA lmp2 have revlimit set to 8700rpm, very close to their original power (last year was 8250rpm)

That could be related with the new LMP2 regulations at WEC to slow down the LMP2 to make room for the LMH. The new regulations could make the LMP2 faster at IMSA than last year when those cars losed a lot of power. Seems a good new to me.

[fieldodreams79]

Mr Turtle is there
https://youtu.be/vGBw8V_-WvU

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by joeb

The only thing I can think of that I see in Florida and not too many other places is a grouper sandwich. It is just a nice piece of fish on a bun with some mayo and lettuce.



That is funny, I had never thought of a Cuban being related to Miami before but it may have been invented there!

edit: just looked it up, it was invented in Tampa Florida, not Miami

Tampa and Miami are still arguing about the sandwich. Key West factors in also.

For me Daytona 24 food is grilled italian sausages with onions and peppers. There is always at least one stand doing that.

[canaglia]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

Maybe won't be faster in qualifying as bronze drivers are mandated to the qualifying driver.

Thought LMP2 cars were going to be slower this year than last. Maybe not.

even if likely gtlm and lmp3 have a comparable top speed (infact we should expect a lot of risky diving bomb overtakes at the end of straights) lmp3 have however a better cornering speed than gtlm, infact as easily expected in FP2 best lmp3 is 1.43.5, best gtlm is 1.44... slightly faster in qualifying but race pace will be a whole different story.
About lmp2, the "standard" revlimit is 9000rpm where gibson engine reaches 600hp, last year in IMSA (and likely from this year in WEC) was tuned down to 8250rpm with a power of 560hp. Guess now should be in the range of 580hp