IMSA Race 2017 - Rolex Daytona 24

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

They have new ways of collecting data this year and probably found things they wanted to adjust. Not to mention they also need to mix all the new cars into the class and you can't always make every car faster or slower in the same way. The new cars are faster than the older cars, so it creates a new middle.

-mike

It is indeed a job I don't envy.

[Dyson Mazda]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Seems really weird to look at a Daytona 24 Hour entry list that contains only five Porsches! So, that said, I'm pullin' for y'all! I won't be there, got a grits contest going on.

We are looking at 14 different manufacturers competing in the 24. I am having a hard time coming up with major endurance races that have had more than that.

Acura (GTD)
Aston Martin (GTD)
Audi (GTD)
BMW (GTLM, GTD)
Cadillac (P)
Chevrolet (GTLM)
Ferrari (GTLM, GTD)
Ford (GTLM)
Lamborghini (GTD)
Lexus (GTD)
Mazda (P)
Mercedes (GTD)
Nissan (P)
Porsche (GTLM, GTD)

[fjn356]

I was surprised that the Cadillac gurney was kept at 30mm. And pleased, if this was an indication of a BoP strategy to equalize the class and not reward a particular entrant as often appears to be the case.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I know the Prototypes are new, so the BoP needs finalised, but the majority of the GT3 and GTLM grids are old cars. Why are they being balanced again?

Because the designs are not stagnant - they're still being developed year after year, changing the needs of the balancing. Even the older cars often get some upgrades from one year to the next, and it only takes ONE upgraded car to need to change things for everyone.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

I kinda like it, especially the 911, as that makes more sense than "Beetle".

I also don't mind the "1X" on dirt track cars either.

Yep.

I'll be getting to the track Thursday afternoon.

[TzeiTzei]

Originally Posted by DeezPutz

Pretty sure the race goes green on Saturday.

The race starts after a 20 hour parade.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by TzeiTzei

The race starts after a 20 hour parade.

I do miss the days when cars won by 10 laps or more because it makes the entire race meaningful in someway. Something that happens at 3 am used to matter to the outcome of the race. Now it does not. The FCY wave around procedure and the frequency of them is to thank for that.

Also you can have 3 average drivers who are not the quickest but keep the car on the track and 1 real good fast driver and still win the race.

Driver depth really is not very important in an IMSA endurance race.

[BullMan]

Disappointed I wasn't able to make it this year. Maybe next year! I'll be camped out in front of the computer screen for all 24 hours though.

[fergus_r]

Originally Posted by BullMan

Disappointed I wasn't able to make it this year. Maybe next year! I'll be camped out in front of the computer screen for all 24 hours though.

Same for me- no repeat of last year's trip but I'll be at Sebring

[MaskedRacer]

A good Daytona 24 preview article I found:

http://autoweek.com/article/imsa/201...ionhip-preview

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

I do miss the days when cars won by 10 laps or more because it makes the entire race meaningful in someway. Something that happens at 3 am used to matter to the outcome of the race. Now it does not. The FCY wave around procedure and the frequency of them is to thank for that.

Also you can have 3 average drivers who are not the quickest but keep the car on the track and 1 real good fast driver and still win the race.

Driver depth really is not very important in an IMSA endurance race.

Driver depth wasn't particularly important in the good old days. You didn't need knife's-edge-quick guys to remain in the fight every stint. You needed shoes that would keep the car together at 90% push. Wins like ESM's double-triumph at Daytona and Sebring (with a true Pro-Am crew) are very rare, and probably had to due with the BoP advantage P2 cars had last year. They were much more probable when all you needed was for the Am to simply not bin it, and drive time regulations were less harsh.

The fact that the cars are under-stressed nowadays at 100% commitment helps bring attrition rates down, thereby making it harder to win because more cars stay in with a shout. Mike Hull says the 24 Hours of Daytona is 24 distinct one hour sprint races held over the course of each fuel stint.

More cautions come from more racing incidents. Yes - the FCY rules help keep cars on the lead lap, but that means you must have ace drivers who can keep you ahead and out of the scrums, to win. Until, of course, alternate strategies can come into play towards the end of a race, that is where the FCY procedure can really help a team that might not be quickest on the day (whether that's due to BoP, slow drivers, or simply the car isn't a pace-setter.)

So in a very real way, driver depth is far more important (24 one-hour sprint races are won for the most part by the fastest guy that hour).

But yeah, unless you're involved in a serious wreck, or have a very rare 3am long-term garage visit... what happens at 3am usually doesn't effect the ultimate outcome of a race. Most often 3am features two, three, or four of the fastest cars battling, and simply enduring the clock. That's why I'll try to be up and watching next week, wife permitting. Ha!

Chris

[gert]

Originally Posted by joeb

Schedule

-> page not found

Does anyone know the exact start time of the race, if possible relative to GMT
(as in 14:00 GMT-6 or similar)

I still have an appointment to make on either Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening (European time) and would like to make sure I can get back before the start of the race, or postpone in until after the finish.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by gert

-> page not found

Does anyone know the exact start time of the race, if possible relative to GMT
(as in 14:00 GMT-6 or similar)

I still have an appointment to make on either Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening (European time) and would like to make sure I can get back before the start of the race, or postpone in until after the finish.

Thanks for the notice, I'll update the link tonight

[gert]

If my information is correct, then the race starts at 2:30 PM EST

EST = UTC -5 I think.
Belgium = UTC +1

Which makes the race start 20:30 Belgian time.

I hope I got my maths right ...

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by gert

If my information is correct, then the race starts at 2:30 PM EST

EST = UTC -5 I think.
Belgium = UTC +1

Which makes the race start 20:30 Belgian time.

I hope I got my maths right ...

Seems right.

Here's the TV coverage, unless it's already been posted. Times are EST.

Jan. 28-29

Rolex 24 at Daytona

Saturday, Jan. 28

Fox TV, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.

FS1, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

FS2, 11 p.m.-midnight

Sunday, Jan. 29

FS2, midnight-12:30 p.m.

FS1, 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m.

25 hours worth of coverage, from 2 p.m., Jan. 28 until 3 p.m., Jan. 29, will be available on the Fox Sports Go app

Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/imsa/tv-...#ixzz4WWrftJtd

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by gert

If my information is correct, then the race starts at 2:30 PM EST

EST = UTC -5 I think.
Belgium = UTC +1

Which makes the race start 20:30 Belgian time.

I hope I got my maths right ...

Yep. 20:30 = 8.30pm (2+6).

Here's the most recent schedule: http://competitors.imsa.com/sites/de...24h_011917.pdf

lots more good info as well: http://competitors.imsa.com

I'll have to set the dvd-r for this one, heading south to Cresson, TX for the drivers school event but hope to have this view for Sebring!

[fieldodreams79]

Race week!!!!

https://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:32114.1.99999
Looks like decent weather with some rain chances highest on Thursday, but certainly doesn't look out of the question through the weekend.

Floridians, what are your thoughts?

[Maelochs]

If a cold front pushes out the warmth and moisture after qualifying ... I wouldn't expect more rain ... but with the global changes in climate ... shoot, Florida had a rash of tornadoes last night. No one knows any more.

Hopefully if it rains Thursday it will either be early, or best, after quali, then gone by noon Friday and then cool all weekend ... sort of like the Roar ---that was pretty typical seasonal weather, as far as I understand it. Could be worse.

Dry and warm would be best, no doubt.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

If a cold front pushes out the warmth and moisture after qualifying ... I wouldn't expect more rain ... but with the global changes in climate ... shoot, Florida had a rash of tornadoes last night. No one knows any more.

Hopefully if it rains Thursday it will either be early, or best, after quali, then gone by noon Friday and then cool all weekend ... sort of like the Roar ---that was pretty typical seasonal weather, as far as I understand it. Could be worse.

Dry and warm would be best, no doubt.

I hope there is no rain on Thurs aft, so we can see legit qualifying lap times. The best time to rain I think is at the start of the race because that could shake up the field a bit. We saw during one of the sessions during the Roar where there was rain the Porsche 911 RSR led overall on the time sheets for a brief period.

[Maelochs]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

I hope there is no rain on Thurs aft, so we can see legit qualifying lap times. The best time to rain I think is at the start of the race because that could shake up the field a bit. We saw during one of the sessions during the Roar where there was rain the Porsche 911 RSR led overall on the time sheets for a brief period.

yeah,. so it rains Saturday afternoon, everyone gets wet, then the sun goes down, the cold air blows in, temps drop 20 degrees, the ground is wet, your shoes are wet, you are miserable .... and in the end it doesn't matter because the track dries overnight and the only thing changed was that a bunch of Am drivers wrecked, taking out some good pros and causing excessive yellow flag periods.

I loved the outcome of Petit 2015 ... but I cannot say I loved any minute of that whole multi-day event. I loved getting home and getting warm and dry ... was it worth it to see a Porsche GT win?

Not for me.

On the other hand, I was camping at Petit and won't be at Daytona .....

[RWill2073]

The start of the race is on Fox. Don't want rain then and and up with the network time getting a lot of caution laps. The best time would be sunday morning. Something about fatigue setting in, cars getting a little ragged, then possible rain to throw another monkey wrench in things seems like the best time for it.

I am incredibly excited for the race this year. Couldn't say that last few years.

[Matt]

No rain pls.

Want to see the sunrise from the stands again.

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

The start of the race is on Fox. Don't want rain then and and up with the network time getting a lot of caution laps. The best time would be sunday morning. Something about fatigue setting in, cars getting a little ragged, then possible rain to throw another monkey wrench in things seems like the best time for it.

I am incredibly excited for the race this year. Couldn't say that last few years.

Been excited about it every year since 2014. Before that...err not so much.

[GT-Eins]

Some further Data on the GTLM-Cars from the roar:
http://cms3.gt-eins.at/imsa/11377-gt...fore-the-rolex

[Maelochs]

Thanks again for crunching the numbers. Big shock to me is that Risi, with three good drivers and car they all know, should be slower than the rest.

I can see it taking a little time to sort out the new Porsche, but Risi ....

Oh well, A Ford/Corvette fight is always enjoyable.