Spa 24 Hours

[Paul 8v]

Anyone else watching it? It's on Motors TV live at the moment but they're not showing the whole race, doesn't look like anyting too exciting has happened yet...

[Mark_Karting]

I've got it on in the background. Any idea what the classes are? I'm confused regarding whats GT2 and GT3 etc

[Richard-G]

bmw 1 and 2 in gt2. Audi leading gt3 at present. Aston leading gt4, but gt4 is virtually a class of 1 car

[boycieboy]

Live timing and results - HERE

Dusk with a splash of rain...GT racing is great

[E36Rob]

Random question, the track is partially wet (more drying than wet) but no one in the field is using "Inters". Does GT racing allow the Inter tyres, the commentators just said all the cars was on Wets or Slicks. None inbetween.

Edited by E36Rob on Saturday 31st July 19:33

[eastlmark]

Michael Waltrip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTG Mikey!

[StuartMcKay]

Has anyone got a live link?

[skeggysteve]

StuartMcKay said:

Has anyone got a live link?

This one comes and goes, but when it's on it's very good:

http://www.total24hours.com/24h-spa/fr/videolive2....

This is about he only way of keeping up to date:

http://www.gt2europe.com/racefacts2.php

[Truckosaurus]

Mark_Karting said:

I've got it on in the background. Any idea what the classes are? I'm confused regarding whats GT2 and GT3 etc

As ever the Sportscar Racing makes itself unfathomable for the viewing public.

It seems some of the cars (eg. the BMW Motorsport cars) are ACO GT2 spec not FIA GT2 so run as "GTN". The hierarchy of classes is even more confusing as GTN, GT2 and GT3 all have similar race performance with GT4 pottering along at the back.

Edit to Add: also, cars like the Mosler are "National GT3" homologated and also run in GTN.

Edited by Truckosaurus on Sunday 1st August 09:00

[rlw]

Fantastic event and I plan to go again next year but why are there so few people there - its a mystery

[Paul 8v]

rlw said:

Fantastic event and I plan to go again next year but why are there so few people there - its a mystery

I didn't even know it was on to be fair, maybe it's not so high profile as it's not got the LMP1 and LMP2 cars racing like le mans

[eastlmark]

The GT1 cars had their race on Friday....
it seems mr Ratels vision for GT1 has had a negative effect here. As the new GT1 series is based around much shorter races the cars are no longer suitable for what was the blue riband event of the series, the Spa 24 hours. The GT2/3 and 4 (not that I saw any GT4 cars racing?) therefore step up from the supporting race slot at take the top billing. only 40 cars take the start and aside from the odd Nissan,Ford, Mustang and a Mosler there was not a great deal of variety racing. Thankfully the BMW's and Audi's supplied a bit of interest between the Porshes and Ferrari's.
Where it has worked though is the TV coverage. With the GT1 contract gone to a subscription channel, it left Motors free to cover the main event itself, a big backfire for the subscription channel.
I guess the Spa 24 has never been a high profile event although always an important one for those competing. (its history is for being saloon/touring car race)
Why Michael Waltrip was tempted to come over I will never know....hang on though, NASCAR are at Pocono this weekend so maybe it was more attractive than I first thought. Well done on the 3rd place in class Michael and great to see you racing in Europe.

[djone101]

I've just got back from this - what an event. We were running a Ford GT - one of 3 entered. Started 25th finished 14th overall and 6th in Class. The class system was no more complex than Le Mans in previous years.

If you have the time and enthusiasm you can read my blog of the event here
actual race updates start on Page 2 of the thread.

As a long time Le Mans attender I would say that this event has a nice feel to it - a lot like Le Mans used to have in the late 80s or early 90s (I know - I'm getting old) and the circuit is spectacular too.

Worth the trip if you get the chance.

[bordseye]

Truckosaurus said:

Mark_Karting said:

I've got it on in the background. Any idea what the classes are? I'm confused regarding whats GT2 and GT3 etc

As ever the Sportscar Racing makes itself unfathomable for the viewing public.

Exactly. If you can modify a BMW family saloon to keep up with the exotic sports cars in the race, are the classes about anything more than prototypes? I can't imagine that the BMWs are anything more than an F1/F3 type chassis clothed in some carbon fibre panels meant to convince the gullible that a 3 series coupe is a race winning car.

Maybe there should be a rule that all the cars are road legal and all major components should be for sale at the dealers at normal price levels.

[dougc]

bordseye said:

Truckosaurus said:

Mark_Karting said:

I've got it on in the background. Any idea what the classes are? I'm confused regarding whats GT2 and GT3 etc

As ever the Sportscar Racing makes itself unfathomable for the viewing public.

Exactly. If you can modify a BMW family saloon to keep up with the exotic sports cars in the race, are the classes about anything more than prototypes? I can't imagine that the BMWs are anything more than an F1/F3 type chassis clothed in some carbon fibre panels meant to convince the gullible that a 3 series coupe is a race winning car.

Maybe there should be a rule that all the cars are road legal and all major components should be for sale at the dealers at normal price levels.

No GT cars are spaceframes with panels.

GT4 in particular is simply road cars with a cage. GT3 allows for a little more modification, GT2 more so again.

Perversely, some GT category cars have to be restricted compared to their road-going equivalents to fit with the regulations.

[slivka]

dougc said:

bordseye said:

Truckosaurus said:

Mark_Karting said:

I've got it on in the background. Any idea what the classes are? I'm confused regarding whats GT2 and GT3 etc

As ever the Sportscar Racing makes itself unfathomable for the viewing public.

Exactly. If you can modify a BMW family saloon to keep up with the exotic sports cars in the race, are the classes about anything more than prototypes? I can't imagine that the BMWs are anything more than an F1/F3 type chassis clothed in some carbon fibre panels meant to convince the gullible that a 3 series coupe is a race winning car.

Maybe there should be a rule that all the cars are road legal and all major components should be for sale at the dealers at normal price levels.

No GT cars are spaceframes with panels.

No, but the BMW's have something like 43 "waivers" on the ACO GT2 Regulations. Some of these waivers cover things like the engine being allowed to be moved back in order to provide 50/50 weight distribution.

Edited by slivka on Monday 2nd August 14:45

[Rude-boy]

An M3 CSL road car is not far off the pace, if anything, off a 996 Prorsche of the same vintage IIRC...

[Redlake27]

[/quote]



Maybe there should be a rule that all the cars are road legal and all major components should be for sale at the dealers at normal price levels.
[/quote]

There is that rule. That is Group N - or production car racing (like the Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup), or even GT4.


But some people want faster cars, hence S2000 (WTCC/BTCC) and GT3, GT2, GT1

[hunter 66]

Having raced and won at SPA I thought the racing was great and as a new convertee to endurance enjoyed the tactical and phylosophical approach to it. Shame a bout the BMW breakage but good to see the smaller team (BMS ) who was relagated to the old pits win.... and the older, fat, balding blokes who won in GT3 through consistency...
Looking forward to Britcar 24 where we will be running a Porsche

[bordseye]

dougc said:

No GT cars are spaceframes with panels.

I'm sure you are correct but then how do you make an M3 competitive with a Porker weighing 400kg less and with a more powerful engine. Maybe it just seems odd to me to have a family saloon in there in a GT field. It will be Range Rover Sports in there next. ;-)