2023 Sportscar Thread (WEC, IMSA, NLS, GT World Challenge)
Discussion
Oh dear start of Spa 24
Some truly abysmal driving by rich dentists who clearly are way out of their depth delay the start and ruin the race for lots of team mates. Had not even gone green for goodness sake, I know it was damp, but blimey that is a joke.
I personally think Bronze needs some work, you see it continually, when you see a guy like Ben Keating, and then you see some of the garbage that GTWC call Bronze, it really is not looking at.
Some truly abysmal driving by rich dentists who clearly are way out of their depth delay the start and ruin the race for lots of team mates. Had not even gone green for goodness sake, I know it was damp, but blimey that is a joke.
I personally think Bronze needs some work, you see it continually, when you see a guy like Ben Keating, and then you see some of the garbage that GTWC call Bronze, it really is not looking at.
Maybe a good shout as you do not seem to see the poor driving errors at the Ring as you do in IMSA WEC, ELMS or GTWC, imagine the team, all that time, money three drivers who do nothing, all because mister money wants to do the start, how gormless##
I know they pay their way and if not for them some of these teams would not be around, but there has to be a limit as that was embarrassing for all, promoter, manufacturer, sponsors and team
I know they pay their way and if not for them some of these teams would not be around, but there has to be a limit as that was embarrassing for all, promoter, manufacturer, sponsors and team
LukeBrown66 said:
Oh dear start of Spa 24
Some truly abysmal driving by rich dentists who clearly are way out of their depth delay the start and ruin the race for lots of team mates. Had not even gone green for goodness sake, I know it was damp, but blimey that is a joke.
I personally think Bronze needs some work, you see it continually, when you see a guy like Ben Keating, and then you see some of the garbage that GTWC call Bronze, it really is not looking at.
Unfortunately, those rich dentists are usually the one funding the whole car for the weekend... which is a shame. Some truly abysmal driving by rich dentists who clearly are way out of their depth delay the start and ruin the race for lots of team mates. Had not even gone green for goodness sake, I know it was damp, but blimey that is a joke.
I personally think Bronze needs some work, you see it continually, when you see a guy like Ben Keating, and then you see some of the garbage that GTWC call Bronze, it really is not looking at.
Yes I think by far the most professional Spa24 in recent years, no doubt helped by the weather, apart form the pathetic rubbish early on which is not only drivers, why a team would trigger an amateur and ask him to star a race like that on slicks is beyond stupid aswell, so not just drivers.
Attempto racing punished post Spa
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europ...
Now they were miles away from a result so it makes no difference but I don't understand why they were not excluded once it was established this was deliberate
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europ...
Now they were miles away from a result so it makes no difference but I don't understand why they were not excluded once it was established this was deliberate
LukeBrown66 said:
...why a team would trigger an amateur and ask him to start a race like that ....
You never know what sort of deal the gentlemen drivers have done with the team in exchange for their funding, someone might have paid extra to have the honour of starting and/or finishing the race - leaving the pros to do the legwork for the other 22-odd hours.Or perhaps the AM wants to start so they definitely get some seat time.
freedman said:
Attempto racing punished post Spa
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europ...
Now they were miles away from a result so it makes no difference but I don't understand why they were not excluded once it was established this was deliberate
The organisers really really don't like to exclude cars as the next step is potentially a knee jerk reaction from the team with regards to the rest of the season. Plus, as you say, they were P Nowhere. If they'd have podiumed or even been in the mix, then I think there may have been more noise from the other competitors as well.https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europ...
Now they were miles away from a result so it makes no difference but I don't understand why they were not excluded once it was established this was deliberate
It's worth remembering as well that the full Le Mans result isn't official yet. That has the potential to get very messy.
I am aware that all sorts of deals are put in place by Ams to drive as I loosely know a couple of pro drivers who have to deal with it.
But let's be honest putting an amateur out, in a 911 on a wet but drying track, on slicks is and was a recipe for disaster. If it was his decision to do it and he was paying, fair enough, let's just hope he sticks to what he is good at, spending money and driving in the right conditions.
Some Ams are great they know their place and will drive in waved yellows, it is not so much about the driving for them, it is about winning, Boguslavsy being the perfect example. Did his time at night and during a few yellows, then Gounon and Marciello do the rest, no way would a team surely ever suggest an Am goes out at Spa on a wet track on slicks!!
But let's be honest putting an amateur out, in a 911 on a wet but drying track, on slicks is and was a recipe for disaster. If it was his decision to do it and he was paying, fair enough, let's just hope he sticks to what he is good at, spending money and driving in the right conditions.
Some Ams are great they know their place and will drive in waved yellows, it is not so much about the driving for them, it is about winning, Boguslavsy being the perfect example. Did his time at night and during a few yellows, then Gounon and Marciello do the rest, no way would a team surely ever suggest an Am goes out at Spa on a wet track on slicks!!
Kyle Washington, the driver who crashed under the pace car is a Billionaire, so no doubt he was funding the team!
Hes got a fair amount of experience over the last 4-5 years, In GT4 and GT3Rs, but was a Spa debutant
Biggest shame was his accident meant we lost Patrick Long from the race
Hes got a fair amount of experience over the last 4-5 years, In GT4 and GT3Rs, but was a Spa debutant
Biggest shame was his accident meant we lost Patrick Long from the race
LukeBrown66 said:
I am aware that all sorts of deals are put in place by Ams to drive as I loosely know a couple of pro drivers who have to deal with it.
But let's be honest putting an amateur out, in a 911 on a wet but drying track, on slicks is and was a recipe for disaster. If it was his decision to do it and he was paying, fair enough, let's just hope he sticks to what he is good at, spending money and driving in the right conditions.
Some Ams are great they know their place and will drive in waved yellows, it is not so much about the driving for them, it is about winning, Boguslavsy being the perfect example. Did his time at night and during a few yellows, then Gounon and Marciello do the rest, no way would a team surely ever suggest an Am goes out at Spa on a wet track on slicks!!
He who pays the piper, and all that, but a sensible team manager should know the right way of suggesting “an alternative strategy given the variable conditions” - ie changing the tyres or the driver. But let's be honest putting an amateur out, in a 911 on a wet but drying track, on slicks is and was a recipe for disaster. If it was his decision to do it and he was paying, fair enough, let's just hope he sticks to what he is good at, spending money and driving in the right conditions.
Some Ams are great they know their place and will drive in waved yellows, it is not so much about the driving for them, it is about winning, Boguslavsy being the perfect example. Did his time at night and during a few yellows, then Gounon and Marciello do the rest, no way would a team surely ever suggest an Am goes out at Spa on a wet track on slicks!!
Yes, a spendy Am in a team with two genuine pros, who really wants to go home with the trophy, will happpily spend an hour driving behind the safety car clocking up his regulation minimum hours.
I would imagine there are some people who are simply paying so much money they can effectively do what they want. But there comes a point when things have to be said.
This was embarrassing for him, his sponsors, even Porsche to be honest.
It is the worst aspect of endurance racing, these "dentists" who are allowed to even compete in Le Mans who are not really capable of properly doing it justice
Some of them are truly excellent, obviously Ben Keating being the leading light, Brendan Iribe maybe although perhaps not on Ben's level.
I guess when you have been a success in every other part of life you presume you can make a success of a ridiculous decision in a tricky car, it is almost laughable were it not such a shame for his team mates, who I hope also got paid exactly what they were promised regardless
This was embarrassing for him, his sponsors, even Porsche to be honest.
It is the worst aspect of endurance racing, these "dentists" who are allowed to even compete in Le Mans who are not really capable of properly doing it justice
Some of them are truly excellent, obviously Ben Keating being the leading light, Brendan Iribe maybe although perhaps not on Ben's level.
I guess when you have been a success in every other part of life you presume you can make a success of a ridiculous decision in a tricky car, it is almost laughable were it not such a shame for his team mates, who I hope also got paid exactly what they were promised regardless
freedman said:
Kyle Washington, the driver who crashed under the pace car is a Billionaire, so no doubt he was funding the team!
Hes got a fair amount of experience over the last 4-5 years, In GT4 and GT3Rs, but was a Spa debutant
Biggest shame was his accident meant we lost Patrick Long from the race
Yeah he was paying for the whole thing. If he's paying and wants to start then that's what he's going to do. Starting drivers have to be nominated many hours before the race start so it's a risk you take with the weather. I would say it's not the choice of driver that was the issue, necessarily, but it may have been better to start him on wets in such tricky circumstances. Almost cold slicks (after the long grid procedure) and a damp track aren't happy bedfellows. Even a few of the Pro cars took a wet gamble in case it rained again, which looked possible given the speed the dark clouds were approaching.Hes got a fair amount of experience over the last 4-5 years, In GT4 and GT3Rs, but was a Spa debutant
Biggest shame was his accident meant we lost Patrick Long from the race
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