The sad moment when a 1999 Le Mans prototype

"El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!" (lightningzone)
06/08/2014 at 16:49 • Filed to: None

...is more advanced than a current Daytona prototype...

DISCUSSION (7)

RacinBob > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/08/2014 at 18:29

Having watched motorsports for 40 years, I think you will someday realize LeMans endurance is specialized and impractical in the us. There simply are not the corporate $ in US motorsports to have F1 or LeMans technology for more than a short period. There never will.

The closest we came was in the 80's when we saw a gaggle of Porsche 962's in IMSA. Sure it worked for a while, but that was when the German mark was 30 cents to the dollar, the world was flush with tobacco sponsorship, the baby boom was 20 something, and at least some of the entrants were funded by imports from Columbia.... but those days are over.

What NASCAR/IMSA has today is something that is affordable for this side of the pond and sustainable. If you want LeMans/F1 technology, go to Europe. The only reason LMP1 exists is because Audi, Porsche, and Toyota feel it fits their EU marketing strategy. However, what they do there doesn't sell here to current American team Owners, Sponsors or Promoters.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > RacinBob
06/08/2014 at 18:58

You'd say that a 15 year gap is decent, but I see the gap is even bigger.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
06/08/2014 at 21:52

Supposedly... **supposedly** IMSA and FIA and ACO will be merging requirements for the major parts of the tub and the possibility of future cross over would be a little easier, the possibility of changing only the aero and engines to go join a different field would be cheaper. Tell you what, I'll hold my breath and tell me when I can stop.

I hope it's true. If you want to make your comment to Racinbob even sadder, the 'tub' the tube frame backbone of the DPs dates back to the 1970s Trans Am days. How's them apples? As long as the France family is doing this, I fear for NASCAR with mid engine and right turns. I hope I'm wrong.

RacinBob > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
06/08/2014 at 22:45

It all comes down to who is paying the bills. Once upon a time, it was rich privateers, (Cunningham) and those backed with corporate (Shelby) were the players in the endurance business. Who's doing it today?

Today, how many rich guys can afford to go up against Toyota, Acura, Audi and Porsche? Clearly its not enough. Bless IMSA for coming up with a formula that at least there is a field and a race.

The customer (10,000 to 20,000 race fans that show up at mid ohio or watkins glen) doesn't really care if its steel tube or carbon fiber or cast iron or carbon rotors. They care if there is a real race with 5 or more cars that could win. Like it or not, the IMSA formula gives the that to the US market .

I have been to Elkart lake on a LeMans weekend and it felt like a regional. Perhaps it was the $100 cost to get in, whatever. High tech or not, the LeMans high tech class system does not pay the bills in the US.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > RacinBob
06/08/2014 at 22:59

So the BOP bitchslap that ISMA gave the P2 cars means people who show up don't care about racing tech? If it was all about cost to run, why is the organization so scared of cars from someplace else? Why do the DP cars get 100hp and aero, and the P2 cars get a formula that ensures they cannot win at more than 2-3 tracks on the whole calendar? Why as the formula decided already which 8-10 cars have a shot and which are SOL?

What's the harm in running 2014 on 'your current regs' and we will observe the season to discuss the BOP for 2015? Expect the fact that P2 would dominate with lighter, superior cars and much smaller engines and the incumbent DP teams would be embarrassed?

As it is, the P2 cars are supposedly racing for the same title with zero chance to achieve it. As it is, we will watch the P2 class dwindle and dwindle and then old school 1970-80s 'Not From Here!' IMSA officials will say, gee guys, that's too bad. It looks like the Euro teams don't want to compete here after all.

By design.

Thank God for the internet and if N-IMSA-CAR wants inexpensive boring cars that finish every race, bump and bash and keep on driving and never move the tech needle another inch forward for the rest of time.... I have broadband.

RacinBob > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
06/09/2014 at 08:16

I guess it comes down to who acquired who.... IMSA and ALMS was not as far as I know a merger of equals. It was instead as far as I understand a liquidation of ALMS with a negotiated way to keep the most viable classes running the car count improved the "product" going forward. I am on real thin ice because I don't track either series except for LeMans or when I happen to be at Mid Ohio running in a support series and ALMS used to be there but as far as I know, P2 was down to the old P1 Acura cars.

Now IMSA has 10+ cars bought into its prototype formula, mostly with privateer money, why would they ever set up a deal where their teams would be racing for 2nd.

Were it Don Panoz who acquired IMSA, sure, I would expect technology to rule and LMP cars to win. But at the end of the day, very few LMP cars showed up at anything other than Sebring because who in their right mind (including Acura) really has the resources or reason to go up against a $100m program by Audi?

I want to say at this point, I don't really know the numbers so don't diss me if I am not perfectly accurate, I am only describing the big picture. The big picture is this; Don Panoz who is one of the wealthiest guys in the world could not make a go at promoting LMP cars in the US. What that means is however desirable those cars are, they are not and will not be the future for US sports car racing. IMSA might be.

This is not a choice of IMSA vs LMP in US endurance racing. IMSA won, the ALMS prototype experiment is over. As I see it, their P2 cars are welcome to attend but they can't expect a BOP that threatens what IMSA is trying to build.

RacinBob > RacinBob
06/09/2014 at 13:15

PS, I do like LMP cars!

Kinja'd!!!