IMSA: 2020

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

Mike, bookmark this page - https://competitors.imsa.com/ Once the Roar concludes on the 5th, keep a sharp eye out for an update to the page when IMSA posts their "Provisional/Official Schedule" that contains, quite literally, everything that happens at the speedway over the week-end....from T&S wiring setups, to Transporter Load in, and everything in between.

If you are so inclined, follow this link - https://competitors.imsa.com/sites/d...oar_121819.pdf to view the ROAR schedule.

Again, thanks for the help. Those official schedules are works of art. It’s an eye opener for someone used to event ‘free for alls’ to see that the trucks for different race series have specific load in times!

I’d love to attend the event, but for me all the build up is as interesting as the weekend racing. Will see if can make it work.......

[Deleted]

Wasn't LMP2 supposed to be free of bop changes as per agreement with the ACO, you know glocal spec? And I don't mean class wide adjustments, which they have had before too, but individual chassis tweak waivers like one for Riley here... It's very disappointing, as even if it may seem like a little thing, it sets precedent for the future of this one becoming bop class too.

[S griffin]

I would rather they left LMP2 as it is, there’s no need for BoP changes. Why change it? Just keep stable rules in place and let the teams work round it

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

The Michelin guys are running GT4 cars in GS and TCR cars in TC. From things I've seen claimed by teams, the GT4 cars just can't run well with the GT3(D) and the rest of the field. We've all seen GT3 and GT4 run together but I'm guessing GTLM and DPi would not be ok with that mix.

I think the top classes would be fine to be racing with GT4s as they have a much better power to weight ratio and could easily power past the GT4s on the straights. The guys that have a problem are indeed the GT3s, as they don't have much more power than the more slippery GT4s and hence would have to do all their passing in the corners - which is normally what you don't want in multiclass racing, but which has been shown to be working in British GT as long as everybody doesn't take off their thinking hat.

But there really aren't those guys on a trailer running in Michelin Pilot Challenge. They may be smaller but it's proper race teams.

I can't speak for teams in the US, but there definitely are teams in Euro GT4 that do run their cars from an -admittedly enclosed - trailer.

From articles I've seen it's the cost of racing going up across the board unless you want all spec sameness like TransAm TA2. There's nothing wrong with that and it's a great show. But it's definitely NOT what most people think of when thinking about sportscar racing.

Right, but even there there's expensive and GT3 expensive.

[MaskedRacer]

In the end lets see how the race plays out. I think before adding gt4, maybe imsa should consider doing away with the roar before the 24. It could be scaring euro based teams off and increases costs for the race program budget.

[seanyb505]

A winter pre race test will happen whether it's sanctioned or not. Organizations that want to win will show up for races they want to win. If they're serious about winning, they'll test and practice for the race. The roar isn't scaring anyone away from running.

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

A winter pre race test will happen whether it's sanctioned or not. Organizations that want to win will show up for races they want to win. If they're serious about winning, they'll test and practice for the race. The roar isn't scaring anyone away from running.

Fine, but why does it have to be mandatory then? Let the shoestring budget teams race anyway, if there are any that are wanting to but can't do the roar. They can't win if they're not in, so a team that can't do the roar not being competitive doesn't matter anyway. But imagine the story if a team like that stayed out of trouble and podiumed... Would be quite the story.

[Deleted]

They force everyone to enter it not only to collect the extra 5000-7500 dollar entry fees + take media shoots, but more importantly so that they can issue second round of bop adjustments according to results. For which they require every chassis present it seems. Third round will come after practice/qualifying

ACO forces exactly the same with Test Day now. Both of these used to be voluntary just few years ago

[seanyb505]

I was referring to European teams specifically, as those were the ones 'being scared off.'

For example I doubt Land is skipping Daytona because gosh dangit the roar pushes them right out of budget range. Eyeroll.

As for little guys with shoestring budgets, this isn't the series for you. It may have been at one point, those may have been the glory days, it's no longer that. Maybe if the economy implodes and the whole thing goes down the drain.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

I was referring to European teams specifically, as those were the ones 'being scared off.'

For example I doubt Land is skipping Daytona because gosh dangit the roar pushes them right out of budget range. Eyeroll.

As for little guys with shoestring budgets, this isn't the series for you. It may have been at one point, those may have been the glory days, it's no longer that. Maybe if the economy implodes and the whole thing goes down the drain.

Does any series do that any more? The idea of the garagistas winning anything is rose-colored glasses at best and delusional most of the time. Maybe a great story but rarely anything outside of a movie

[seanyb505]

LeMons, AER, SCCA Pro, SVRA, HSR. Thunderhill maybe?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Does any series do that any more? The idea of the garagistas winning anything is rose-colored glasses at best and delusional most of the time. Maybe a great story but rarely anything outside of a movie

It wasn't so long ago that some proper giant killing was still possible, (e.g. with a BMW 120d coming home in 5th in front of LOTS of Porsches in the Nürburgring 24h in 2006 and a Golf (with a very young Rene Rast) almost repeating the feat one year later), but the arrival of factory-built and ultra-relibale GT3s has admittedly pretty much put an end to that.

[MaskedRacer]

I do see benefits from the Roar. Such as how the boy scouts have used it as a big event for them to convene now. I think this should be embraced big time. After thinking about it. Maybe the best thing is for IMSA to mandate it as optional for full season teams for sure. Maybe NAEC as well. The one offs should be exempt though.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

I do see benefits from the Roar. Such as how the boy scouts have used it as a big event for them to convene now. I think this should be embraced big time. After thinking about it. Maybe the best thing is for IMSA to mandate it as optional for full season teams for sure. Maybe NAEC as well. The one offs should be exempt though.

IPC is racing there regardless of Roar so the scouts can have that as backdrop

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Chiana

IPC is racing there regardless of Roar so the scouts can have that as backdrop

Yes because you always tell us how spec cars will build fans. So yes, let's limit it to a small amount of track time for the Ligier Cup, guest starring a few Normas. That will for sure build those tech curious minds to follow the non-spec intricacies of sportscar racing. Could you at least hold one position for more than a day?

[MaskedRacer]

Originally Posted by Chiana

IPC is racing there regardless of Roar so the scouts can have that as backdrop

Uhhh….riiighhht. Suggestion noted.

[MaskedRacer]

I made a mistake with terminology in a previous post...suggest full season entries be required to race in the Roar. Maybe NAEC too, but not sure about that yet. For sure suggest that one off entries don't have to come if they don't want to. Still keep the garage and pit space time trials. One offs can opt to stay but they will have to accept having the furthest garage and pit spot.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by MaskedRacer

I made a mistake with terminology in a previous post...suggest full season entries be required to race in the Roar. Maybe NAEC too, but not sure about that yet. For sure suggest that one off entries don't have to come if they don't want to. Still keep the garage and pit space time trials. One offs can opt to stay but they will have to accept having the furthest garage and pit spot.

I think one-offs with previous running experience should be allowed with their desire to run entered prior to the week of event. Teams like Land, Grasser, AF Corse and others have run so know what they need for the distinct parts of the track, namely the banking and transition. I think if Andretti's 'average joe's with a trailer" show up they should be required to run the Roar, and all full season cars. Yes, another team showing up with an Oreca could find the data needed and likely would not have a problem but there's a difference between the notes and the actual on-track running.

The tough exception would be a one-off program AND one-off car. An Audi would be tough for the BOP and would be tough to tell full season entrants sorry, they weren't balanced right and ran away with it. And also would be hard, but not unprecedented, to drop kilos in the car and a new restrictor on Friday evening.

That said, would I want to turn away another car at this time? No, but I can definitely understand limiting the entry to protect the interest of the full-time entrants, and yes, the cash involved with sponsorships that takes time to develop.

[chernaudi]

With Daytona, I don't see the issue. To me, it's the same as the ACO insisting that most teams run the LM test day. Granted, you can ring up ISC and test at Daytona on any open day, while the LM test day is the only realistic option to run the full LM track.

But LM how LM is LM, Daytona is Daytona. Why wouldn't you want to test there and probably get useful data, outside of IMSA insisting that most teams test?

[Bcarr6]

Anyone know what happened to the Compass or MIA McLarens for Pilot Challenge this year?

[GUnit]

This is really not related to the 2020 season but Sebring. Going to head down for the first time and looking for general suggestions/advice. My big question, if I get in line Tuesday will there still be a decent selection of unreserved RV lots ? I'll be driving a class C. I'm a Road Atlanta veteran and know what it's like but I hear Sebring is really special ! ! Another question is a good area that is at least semi-tame. Again I hear the Sebring stories but am getting a little too old to keep up with the "Active" crowds. Again any info for a first timer is appreciated.

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Originally Posted by GUnit

This is really not related to the 2020 season but Sebring. Going to head down for the first time and looking for general suggestions/advice. My big question, if I get in line Tuesday will there still be a decent selection of unreserved RV lots ? I'll be driving a class C. I'm a Road Atlanta veteran and know what it's like but I hear Sebring is really special ! ! Another question is a good area that is at least semi-tame. Again I hear the Sebring stories but am getting a little too old to keep up with the "Active" crowds. Again any info for a first timer is appreciated.

In my experience of going to Sebring for the past ten years you’ll be fine getting in line the night before. Don’t expect to get a spot where you’ll see the track from your campsite, but you’ll still have plenty of real estate available. Actually, due to the wide open spaces of Sebring you’ll have more spots available than you would at Road Atlanta.

As for wanting something more tame, I’d suggest the North Paddock area (I think they recently changed the name to something else, but I can’t recall what it is). You pay a bit more, but that keeps some of the riff-raff out. Just stay on the other side of the bridge from Green Park and you’ll be fine.

Also you can check out the trackside section of the forum as advice on this and other Sebring related things has been given out before. Here’s a link to last year’s thread: https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153544

Best advice for a newbie is to stake your claim and then as soon as you determine who your neighbors are crack open a beer or two and walk over and offer them one. Being in good with your neighbors makes a huge difference in your camping experience.

[GUnit]

Thanks AtlFalconsFan, I appreciate your insight. I'm not worried about seeing the track so that info puts me at ease, I just want to make sure I can find a spot where I'm not wedged in. I live right down the road from Road Atl....sorry Michelin Raceway Road Atl and I'm sure you've been there and know what it's been like especially the last handful of years....it's getting more crowded each year. I'll size up my neighbors and take them an appropriate drink ! !

[seanyb505]

He's just hoping you park next to him, and bring him a cold one. Hoegaarden will work. But I'd recommend something local, like a cigar city. I don't think he'll refuse

[broadrun96]

As posted before Mazda is not joining Michelin Pilot Challenge for 2020 sadly. No homologation at the present and development work still to do without a mention of who was to build the cars.

Bright spot is potential temp homologation possibly:
"Cosgrove hasn’t ruled out an end-of-year debut for the car, potentially in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition, should they feel confident enough in its development at that time.

“Certain cars have run on temporary homologations,” he explained. “It’s possible to do it.

“If everything went great and we decided to fund an activity at the end of the year, it would be awesome. But that’s not really in the plan right now.”