2023 Sportscar Thread (WEC, IMSA, NLS, GT World Challenge)

2023 Sportscar Thread (WEC, IMSA, NLS, GT World Challenge)

Author
Discussion

FredericRobinson

3,800 posts

234 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2023
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Looks like Aston Martin will announce their return to top class sportscar racing tomorrow

Red Firecracker

5,279 posts

229 months

Wednesday 4th October 2023
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Will be interesting if Jim Glickenhaus comments publically if that is the case.

freedman

5,487 posts

209 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
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Petit Le mans on Saturday

5 crews can win the title I believe


df76

3,657 posts

280 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
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freedman said:
Petit Le mans on Saturday

5 crews can win the title I believe

Coverage of the weekend starts this evening, and seems to be a 21:30 BST start time for the first Sportscar Challenge race, then followed by the MX5s about an hour later. All weekend coverage can be viewed here (if you're in the UK). https://www.imsa.com/tvlive/#/

Looks like the Petit Le Mans coverage starts at 16:35 BST on Saturday, with some interesting additions to the driver line ups.


FredericRobinson

3,800 posts

234 months

Saturday 14th October 2023
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Abysmal driving standards at the start of Petit Le Mans, could be in for a lot of full course yellows

Altrezia

8,521 posts

213 months

Saturday 14th October 2023
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It's still terrible driving standards. Awful race so far.

FredericRobinson

3,800 posts

234 months

Saturday 14th October 2023
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Altrezia said:
It's still terrible driving standards. Awful race so far.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen worse driving standards, and it’s pro’s at least as much as amateurs, was intending to stay up for the duration, doubt I’ll bother

df76

3,657 posts

280 months

Saturday 14th October 2023
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First couple of hours was total garbage and an embarrassment. Only positive was the driving of Doriane Pin, who looks properly talented.

Better racing now

Altrezia

8,521 posts

213 months

Sunday 15th October 2023
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Can't believe I stayed up to see the championship decided like that. What a waste of a race.

The terrible driving continues.

ajprice

27,787 posts

198 months

Tuesday 17th October 2023
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Some Gump

12,736 posts

188 months

Tuesday 17th October 2023
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ajprice said:
A shame, I liked having them there as the underdogs.

Makes sense though. Once Porsche arrived with privateer 963's, who would look at the Glickenhaus running around off the pace and think "That's the thing I need to take the factories on!" ?

I always wonder with these sort of things if e.g. Jim Glickenhaus took the wrong path - if he'd just rebodied an Oreca, things might have been different. At the same time, you've got to respect that he's gone and got a podium with his own car - not just a DPi. There's a lot to be said for that!

df76

3,657 posts

280 months

Tuesday 17th October 2023
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Some Gump said:
ajprice said:
A shame, I liked having them there as the underdogs.

Makes sense though. Once Porsche arrived with privateer 963's, who would look at the Glickenhaus running around off the pace and think "That's the thing I need to take the factories on!" ?

I always wonder with these sort of things if e.g. Jim Glickenhaus took the wrong path - if he'd just rebodied an Oreca, things might have been different. At the same time, you've got to respect that he's gone and got a podium with his own car - not just a DPi. There's a lot to be said for that!
Sad news, but the series has moved on. Love their cars, but other customer HyperCars will be way more competitive. Suspect there’d be a preference for more GT cars as an alternative.

flatlandsman

764 posts

9 months

Tuesday 17th October 2023
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Glick has said he would need to spend a fortune just to stay where he is, let alone make a jump, so prefers to concentrate on his road car stuff.

The sport is not now for amateurs, even Vanwall have proved that sadly, not when for slightly more wedge you can get a 963 or praps Alpine BMW in the future,m yes dearer but you stand a better chance.

I do feel he has been slightly let down by the ACO, as he basically helped fill the gap for a few years, he could have been given some dispensation, but manufacturers rule and ACO have a hardon for them as do most organisers, imagine Glick getting some sort of bump up and winning Le Mans, great story but Peugeot, Toyota, Ferrari BMW and Porsche would be furious, and we can't have that can we.

Damn shame, but I expect he knew this was going to happen anyway.

Some Gump

12,736 posts

188 months

Wednesday 18th October 2023
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Yes and no to the above. On one hand yes he kept cars on the grid etc, on the other, their decision to make a full fat hypercar vs dpi's was somewhat ambitious - when Porsche decide that making a hyoercar can't be done on their budget (and so go lmdh instead), who was advising Glickenhaus that they could do better with a far lesser budget?
I can see that some people will say "well the situation changed", bur from minute one he was up against the might of Toyota, ther ex-f1 infastructure etc etc.

Imagine you're entering. You do a good job. Could be due to more spend or more genius. However, flatsandman made the best car within the rulebook.

Sadly, this makes other competitors upset. In order to keep them happy, some of your competitors are allowed to play to a different rule set, that gives them a better chance. Would you be happy?

Imo everyone needs to be on the same rulebook, otherwise it'd be like saying that Macclesfield United have a much lower budget than Chelsea so get to play with 13 men for the FA cup to sort of even it out.

Red Firecracker

5,279 posts

229 months

Wednesday 18th October 2023
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Glickenhaus couldn't really enter a LMDh in the 2021 WEC though, it didn't exist as a WEC category until 2022 (in non championship status).

Their hope was customer cars (and not to be screwed over by Aston), neither of which happened, unfortunately. Lovely team, lovely cars, they'll be missed.

eastlmark

1,654 posts

209 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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Some Gump said:
- when Porsche decide that making a hyoercar can't be done on their budget (and so go lmdh instead), who was advising Glickenhaus that they could do better with a far lesser budget?


Porsche may live to regret that decision though, Ferrari quick and winners almost out of the box with a hypercar while Porsche have struggled with LMDh.

Leithen

11,095 posts

269 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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eastlmark said:
Some Gump said:
- when Porsche decide that making a hyoercar can't be done on their budget (and so go lmdh instead), who was advising Glickenhaus that they could do better with a far lesser budget?


Porsche may live to regret that decision though, Ferrari quick and winners almost out of the box with a hypercar while Porsche have struggled with LMDh.
Decisions made when Porsche still had F1 ambitions?

flatlandsman

764 posts

9 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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I dont know if you have been watching recently bit the 963 has now become a very good car, they have clearly found something as at most venues now it is a clear challenger, it was very close to the top two at Fuji and has dominated a few IMSA rounds, so the ya re getting there.

moffspeed

2,718 posts

209 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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Great ELMS race at Portimao double-header yesterday. In LMP2 Olly Jarvis in the United Autosports car chased down Alex Lynn in the Algarve car over the final few laps, his final winning margin 0.8 secs. In GTE the Proton Porsches swapped door handles with a winning margin of 0.5 secs.

The 2nd race - 4 hours of Portimao - is tomorrow (Sunday). Weather will be wet Algarve rather than warm Algarve so could be entertaining.

I can’t go tomorrow so I have a free single VIP weekend ticket available if any of you PH’ers are in the area and fancy a day out. Ticket gives you full circuit access, main stand, paddock, pits walkabout & the wonderful panoramic tower. Le Mans with 350,000 less spectators so great access to everything.

Let me know if interested - local collection in Lagoa (not Lagos) - about 10 miles from circuit.

Edited by moffspeed on Saturday 21st October 10:17

FredericRobinson

3,800 posts

234 months

Sunday 22nd October 2023
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Looking grim at Portimao, think I’ve picked the right year to miss