IMSA 2021

[broadrun96]

Well there was a race yesterday, some guys won in the car that always wins here, others thought going slower would get you there faster, LMP2s tried to ruin the end and the trackside signage, McVette was quick, and GTD cars played bumper cars far too often. Overall solid meh, but likely a good listen on RLM if you're working and need the radio

[joeb]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Well there was a race yesterday, some guys won in the car that always wins here, others thought going slower would get you there faster, LMP2s tried to ruin the end and the trackside signage, McVette was quick, and GTD cars played bumper cars far too often. Overall solid meh, but likely a good listen on RLM if you're working and need the radio

I recorded it, and started watching but got distracted last night by football. the WTR car looks like it is starting to get the wraps on the championship. Had Whelen been able to win things would be a lot different.

[Simmi]

Yeah I fairly quickly glazed over watching that. Seemed like the top cars were in their performance windows and that was that. Some shonky driving standards to start the race - but ultimately I ended up paying more attention to the NFL.

'23 can't come soon enough across the board.

[broadrun96]

I watched with some skipping forward, more interest in the Indy race than IMSA. Skipped forward a few times and got it in within 90 minutes, 30 seconds of coverage and another 5 min of commercials multiple times helped as well.

[Pandamasque]

I don't know how long this has been the case, but I keep noticing more and more that the focus of the broadcast director serves some kind of sponsorship obligations rather than the viewer. Multiple times I've seen gaps well under a second in the top class, while the focus of the broadcast was glued to an LMP2 or a GTD car trundling around in complete solitude for lap after lap, as commentators go on and on how good of a job so and so is doing today in the <sponsor name> <sponsor name> <sponsor name> <team name> <sponsor name> <car>.

[broadrun96]

I think some of that is NBC/Nascar production and their sponsored deals. But most of them aren't really associated with the production it appears so maybe just clueless

[WyldStallion]

This year has been the least amount of IMSA I have been watched since the merger. None of the prototype categories are interesting. DPI feels like a dinosaur class despite just being in the 5th year. GTLM pretty much died after the 2019 season. GTD is cool but I can get that watching SRO and DTM without having to worry about protos filling up my TV screen. And as such, I have watched far more SRO and DTM than IMSA this year.

With that said. The last 3 races on the 2021 IMSA sked will be interesting in its own ways. So it will get better for sure. But the summer portion of the IMSA season was kind of a dud.

[WyldStallion]

And with that...we got 17 GTD cars on the Long Beach entry list. Ferrari is back. Good stuff. Even better we got no LMP2 or LMP3 field fillers. Looking forward to this.

[joeb]

Some cars are circulating around the streets of long beach right now. A caddilac is winning and will win.

[broadrun96]

And Cadillac was attempting to demo or test their wingless design with Ganassi. It worked and poorly attached wing works fine

Long Beach is the only track that Madison Snow AND Bryan Sellers have never been on the podium for in current IMSA competition. No longer

[chernaudi]

Long Beach GTD results remain provisional after IMSA impounded several parts from several cars to be eval'd at NASCAR's R&D Center in Charlotte. No word on the nature of the components or what cars they were obtained from.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

This year has been the least amount of IMSA I have been watched since the merger. None of the prototype categories are interesting. DPI feels like a dinosaur class despite just being in the 5th year. GTLM pretty much died after the 2019 season. GTD is cool but I can get that watching SRO and DTM without having to worry about protos filling up my TV screen. And as such, I have watched far more SRO and DTM than IMSA this year.

With that said. The last 3 races on the 2021 IMSA sked will be interesting in its own ways. So it will get better for sure. But the summer portion of the IMSA season was kind of a dud.

Hopefully with the 2023 cars, there is more to be interested in. That, and us in Canada might hope to actually see these cars in person next year. It's been too long, with no racing in person here in Canada. I skipped the 2019 CTMP races... IMSA was a schedule conflict, and WC had a terrible entry, so haven't been to a race there since 2018 now... that's far too long.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Hopefully with the 2023 cars, there is more to be interested in. That, and us in Canada might hope to actually see these cars in person next year. It's been too long, with no racing in person here in Canada. I skipped the 2019 CTMP races... IMSA was a schedule conflict, and WC had a terrible entry, so haven't been to a race there since 2018 now... that's far too long.

I agree, 2023 has the potential to be great. Next season may not be that much fun at the front end, but the inclusion of GT3 pro cars could make for some exciting racing in GT again.

[joeb]

This story about the Radical Cup races at Road Atlanta this past weekend made me smile because Jon Field was doing his thing.

Race 14 saw Field find another level. He drove off into the distance, winning by a staggering 47 seconds over Judd Miller and Louis Schriber.

Reportedly Field was clocked at 1:18 laps, which matched Riley Dickinson’s unofficial laps during testing, but a fault with Field’s transponder meant he would start the third race of the weekend from the back of the grid.

https://sportscar365.com/other-serie...lanta-weekend/

[broadrun96]

Yeah, he did not hang about and once he dove up the inside at T1 he checked out from the second place car. And no, not a Field car having legality/compliance issues?

[broadrun96]

A few up and a couple down leads to 18 cars at VIR, gonna be an empty track and still traffic complaints for quali.

Compass skipping for 8Hr Indy prep, Alegra and Gilbert/Korthoff MB added.

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

A few up and a couple down leads to 18 cars at VIR, gonna be an empty track and still traffic complaints for quali.

Compass skipping for 8Hr Indy prep, Alegra and Gilbert/Korthoff MB added.

Glad we reached 18 at least. Bare minimum for VIR. I love all GT races so I got nervous there for a while we would not reach that number. Don't want to give IMSA any reason to drop them.

Indy 8H does look like it could be the best ICGT USA grid ever to this point. Compass, Wright, Turner will be there. Wonder about if other GTD teams will go as well. Magnus and Hardpoint have done the ICGT USA race before.

[broadrun96]

If you believe Ryan over at S365 it will be a massive grid and heavy on the pro cars. It's still the Indy road course, there has to be a better venue to build on for it. But hard with Petit within a short window for GTD teams without a couple crews to do both. Even for GT4 teams from MPCC since their Petit race is a 4 hour I believe

[NaBUru38]

There's a four-week gap between Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

There's a four-week gap between Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans.

And after an 8 hour race there is PLENTY of work to be done working on the cars. There's a reason they don't run right after enduros

[WyldStallion]

Looks like Meyer-Shank has just fired Olivier Pla for poor performance

[S griffin]

What's everyone's take on that? Was it justified or was there something else going on or something? Seems an odd time to do it, but maybe that's just me

[Hawkwood]

While firing a driver just before the last race of the season is odd, the driver pairing is 2nd last in thepoints, and if they're not keeping Pla for 2022, why not replace him with the teams new IndyCar star who also happened to win the Daytona 24 Hours earlier this year?
Seems a perfect time for an audition?

[WyldStallion]

I'm cool with it. Pla is overratted.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

I'm cool with it. Pla is overratted.

Not sure I'd go that far.

However, it has been apparent that Pla's DPi drives have not been up to the standard he set with LMP2 (chiefly with Oak Racing).

It is ruthless, but for an outfit that really has to count its pennies (compare and contrast to WTR), it makes sense to cut loose early.

Especially when your replacement driver is this year's Indy 500 & Daytona 24 winner!