Rolex Series/Continental Tire SCC 2012 Discussion

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by joeb

John Dagys at Speed had an article
Nobody has bought one yet,

I imagine there is some waiting for any sort of announcement that may take place at the other series that has a season finale coming up really soon....

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by skycafe

I imagine there is some waiting for any sort of announcement that may take place at the other series that has a season finale coming up really soon....

I doubt it, no chance ALMS would announce something as exciting as the R8 LMS coming to the series at the Petit Le Mans during State of the Series, instead Im sure we will hear things like what we heard about last year, Riley LMP2, West Racing and Live SPEEDTV coverage, all of which Atherton praised at SotS in 2010.

Waiting for Signature Motorsports, Lotus Sport USA and the ALMS Roku channel to be announced at State of the Series this year. Or perhaps some more useless Patron sponsor demos.

[rdt012237]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

I doubt it, no chance ALMS would announce something as exciting as the R8 LMS coming to the series at the Petit Le Mans during State of the Series, instead Im sure we will hear things like what we heard about last year, Riley LMP2, West Racing and Live SPEEDTV coverage, all of which Atherton praised at SotS in 2010.

Waiting for Signature Motorsports, Lotus Sport USA and the ALMS Roku channel to be announced at State of the Series this year. Or perhaps some more useless Patron sponsor demos.

Well, if Patron supplies enough free samples those present will have an easier time going nodding to what he's saying

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by rdt012237

Well, if Patron supplies enough free samples those present will have an easier time going nodding to what he's saying

Hehehe, but I would think it would take the entire press room drinking medical rubbing alchohol to nod to what Atherton will be rambling on about this year. Perhaps Scott's seperated at birth twin Tony Cochrane will be there as well.

[NaBUru38]

American DTM: single-driver entries, short races (under 1:30)

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

American DTM: single-driver entries, short races (under 1:30)

Good, just like in Europe, hopefully they get some world class drivers in the series.

[Jonerz]

It looks like the 2012 season will see three different chassis and potentially four different bodywork options. On top of that at Daytona you might have a DPG2 ProtoAuto Lola entered. And potentially a couple more DPG2 Rileys

How many constructors licences are available for purchase then? Because Lola, Crawford, Picchio and Chase likely haven't submitted designs for the DPG3 car (some for more obvious reasons than others). We can assume Chase and Picchio have let their licences expire and I imagine Lola is trying to sell theirs. Crawford I'm not sure about...

In 2004 for example, the second year of DPG1 we saw new cars from Crawford and Riley make pretty significant debuts in the championship. What manufacturers are likely to buy a licence - purely from a speculative perspective? (Or if you know better, do tell!) Pratt & Miller builds GT tube frames for GM and has helped get the Coyote up to speed for SoD, doesn't a Corvette-bodied P&M chassis just make sense? (Frustratingly it would be yet another Corvette-looking thing.)

Also, on turbo motors for the DP class (2013+?), has anyone heard what the displacement and configuration will be? How much engine freedom is in the DP's future? I'm excited by the prospect of 5.0L naturally aspirated Ford V8s thumping alongside 2.0L turbocharged Mazdas and perhaps ~4.0L turbocharged BMWs. Grand-Am (learning partly from throwing out SRPI in 2003) don't want to throw out what exists purely to attract something new, they prefer integration and I hope that rings true in this case.

Chris

[joeb]

Sorry jonerz, but I just don't care about dp constructers. The fact that GA limits the number of constructers licenses is a ridiculous rule. Plus it looks like there will be Corvette bodywork and Riley bodywork next year that's it.

[WolfsburgRS]

Originally Posted by joeb

John Dagys at Speed had an article with lots of details on the Grand Am Audi.

Some interesting points from the article:
Nobody has bought one yet,
They are only making 4 (unless there is a larger than expected demand),
It costs $438,000 (which I assume is much more than a tuber Mazda, and for reference you can buy a DPG3 Riley for $405,000 with no engine),
You cant convert a GT3 to GA spec, but you can go the other way.

I have a source saying otherwise on that point, but I'm sure that will come out sooner rather than later.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

With news that Ganassi may be looking at Chevrolet engine power for next year and Cytosport going the ALMS LMP1 (HPD) route for 2012, it appears we could see something like this in terms of engine choices for the full season DP field next year. Please note this is Homestead and after, not the Rolex 24.

Ganassi: Chevy, BMW?, anything else? (Generic Riley? Corvette Riley?)
Gainsco: Chevy (Corvette Riley)
Action Express: Chevy (Corvette Coyote)
Suntrust: Chevy (Corvette Dallara?, Old Dallara?)
Spirit of Daytona: Chevy (Corvette Coyote)
Shank: Ford?, BMW?, Chevy? (Old Dallara?)
Doran: Ford?, BMW?, Chevy? (Old Riley?, Generic Riley?, Corvette Riley?
Starworks: Ford? BMW (rumoured)? Porsche? (Generic Riley)
AIM: ?

I would expect quite a few one offs for the Rolex 24 but it looks like a large majority of the full season grid will be Chevy powered. With Action Express likely going to Chevy power, will anybody run the Porsche V8s?? What about Starworks engine choice? Ive heard Ford, Porsche (not V8) and now BMW all mentioned.

Will Shank and Doran be back? Other than Shanks Indycar plans I have not heard much from these guys for 2012. I really wish Dallara and Coyote had produced *generic* versions of their chassis like Riley did, because it seems GM is the only manufacturer interested in building DP bodywork for now. Corvette vs Generic Riley may get a little boring, so hopefully we see some of the older cars back like the Doran Dallara Ford. Any possible full season new teams?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Corvette vs Generic Riley may get a little boring, so hopefully we see some of the older cars back like the Doran Dallara Ford. Any possible full season new teams?

I think in one of the press releases GA said that within 2-3 races all cars will be DPG3 spec. So does that mean the teams with old cars are dropping out or are they upgrading kit? I guess we just wait for the announcements and next season to find out.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by joeb

It costs $438,000 (which I assume is much more than a tuber Mazda, and for reference you can buy a DPG3 Riley for $405,000 with no engine),

The Mazda RX8 was just shy of $300k when first introduced in 2005. Not sure what the price has gone up to seven years later.. but probably $350k, which really isn't that much cheaper than the R8. The R8 will also likely have a much better resale value, likely meaning the real cost, of ownership is not really any different.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by joeb

I think in one of the press releases GA said that within 2-3 races all cars will be DPG3 spec. So does that mean the teams with old cars are dropping out or are they upgrading kit? I guess we just wait for the announcements and next season to find out.

I know of at least 1, possibly two teams that intend to do the full season with an older car...

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

I know of at least 1, possibly two teams that intend to do the full season with an older car...

My mistake, I went back and looked at the quote from Bledsoe and it said "It is our intent that the DP category will transition completely to the new G3 architecture by the end of 2012."

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

The Mazda RX8 was just shy of $300k when first introduced in 2005. Not sure what the price has gone up to seven years later.. but probably $350k, which really isn't that much cheaper than the R8. The R8 will also likely have a much better resale value, likely meaning the real cost, of ownership is not really any different.

Thanks, that seems to be a bit more than a standard Porsche cup car costs too. A 2012 Cup car costs $231,000, but is the GA version significantly different?

[Fogelhund]

The tube frame Pontiac GXP.R new from P&M was about $480k, if my memory serves me correctly.

[Speed-King]

Mazda will have a two day tunnel test later this month at Windshear according to the Rolex Serie testing list - I supposse that pretty much confirms that they are pretty serious about their 2012 GA-program... (and might complicate the whole Ferrari situation).

[TF110]

Would be nice to see an updated RX8.

[joeb]

It looks like the GA series will be gracing the streets of Detroit next season.

Edit, Article on Speed.

Best quote from article:

"...this is another great addition to our schedule as we continue to move forward as North America’s leading sports car sanctioning body.”

Leading sanctioning body, not leading series?

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by joeb

It looks like the GA series will be gracing the streets of Detroit next season.

Edit, Article on Speed.

Best quote from article:


Leading sanctioning body, not leading series?

1. So the DPs are graceful?

2. I dont see whats odd about that quote because its 100% correct and you answer your own question.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

2. I dont see whats odd about that quote because its 100% correct and you answer your own question.

Exactly, I guess in PR you need to hit your high points and gloss over the rest!

[thebear]

Originally Posted by TF110

Would be nice to see an updated RX8.

I am not sure what GA's rulebook states about a car's `current producion status' but Mazda has announced that there are 1,000 `Sunset' editions of the RX-8 planned. That will be the end of rotary engines in street cars. They have run up against diminishing returns attempting to meet smog/CO2 regulations. The car is also not competitively priced here in the US.

[Purist]

On the Detroit font, I just don't think there's enough speed differential between the DPs and GTs, especially with all those slower corners you have clumped together on the 2.1-mile layout. It just seems like a recipe for a parade, or a mess. I am REALLY hoping that we do NOT see any sort of a repeat of the Long Beach smash-up on either the front or back stretches at Detroit. However, with the GTs there too (they weren't on the slate back at Long Beach in 2006), I'm not holding my breath.

If it rains much, a GT overall win wouldn't surprise me.

Finally, also going back to the Long Beach wreck, I'm NOT keen on any of the GA cars surviving well in a heavy incident in the concrete canyons, whether at Belle Isle, or anywhere else.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by Purist

On the Detroit font, I just don't think there's enough speed differential between the DPs and GTs, especially with all those slower corners you have clumped together on the 2.1-mile layout. It just seems like a recipe for a parade, or a mess. I am REALLY hoping that we do NOT see any sort of a repeat of the Long Beach smash-up on either the front or back stretches at Detroit. However, with the GTs there too (they weren't on the slate back at Long Beach in 2006), I'm not holding my breath.

If it rains much, a GT overall win wouldn't surprise me.

Finally, also going back to the Long Beach wreck, I'm NOT keen on any of the GA cars surviving well in a heavy incident in the concrete canyons, whether at Belle Isle, or anywhere else.

Doubt it, but it could easily happen with LMPC if the ALMS guys raced there.

You bring up a good point about the Long Beach crash, and the straight from turn 7 to 8, 13 and 14 are a *good* place for history to repeat itself. Doubt anything major will happen on the short pitstraight, although Im betting my house Indiotcar will have at least one massive turn 1 pile up on a restart.

But, I honestly think its a more likely recipe for a parade than a mess just like the Indycar race will be. More about who has the best pitstops (cough, Ganassi, cough) than who has the fastest car and best driver, although that describes the ALMS Baltimore LMP1 race perfectly. Problem is, what about all those ALMS fans who usually come? Heard on Indycar forums that many of the people in the grandstands on Sunday at Baltimore had ALMS/Le Mans/IMSA merchandise on, not just from the weekend either. I doubt Grand Am will bring any sort of a crowd for Saturday.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by joeb

Leading sanctioning body, not leading series?

Perhaps they meant "misleading"... oh, that wouldn't be true either