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

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

Author
Discussion

ArnageWRC

Original Poster:

2,065 posts

159 months

Sunday 22nd January 2023
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LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

46 months

Sunday 22nd January 2023
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Lol shock horror red flag when you put rich men with average talent in prototypes in a qualifying session at Daytona, someone explain to me why this is a hood idea?

freedman

5,416 posts

207 months

Monday 23rd January 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
Lol shock horror red flag when you put rich men with average talent in prototypes in a qualifying session at Daytona, someone explain to me why this is a hood idea?
Someone has to pay the bills

Sportscars wouldn't exist without those funding teams and driving themselves, its nothing new.

And half an hour later Nick Tandy did exactly the same thing, in the factory 963, so its hardly the prerogative of pay drivers

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

46 months

Monday 23rd January 2023
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My issue would be this, why red flag a session and then not stop the damn clock?

So you have been waiting for this for hours and you leave the clock running while they clean up debris?

Dumb as what is what that is. It is only 20 minutes for goodness sake!

Sandpit Steve

10,050 posts

74 months

Monday 23rd January 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
My issue would be this, why red flag a session and then not stop the damn clock?

So you have been waiting for this for hours and you leave the clock running while they clean up debris?

Dumb as what is what that is. It is only 20 minutes for goodness sake!
They let the clock run through a red flag, in the qualifying session? That makes no sense.

Fine in a practice session, where the event timetable needs to be kept to, even if it’s annoying for everyone - but when it matters, there should be time allowed for the competition.

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

46 months

Monday 23rd January 2023
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Exactly that was my thought, it happened in LMP2 aswell, a crash, two incidents and the red flag comes out, timer just runs out! Sessions are so brief, if you had not put a time in, done.

I get it, it's a 24 hour race, but they put a bit of a show on for qualifying than basically force the end of the session under a red flag by not stopping the clock!

Weird IMSA deal I guess

Sandpit Steve

10,050 posts

74 months

Monday 23rd January 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
Exactly that was my thought, it happened in LMP2 aswell, a crash, two incidents and the red flag comes out, timer just runs out! Sessions are so brief, if you had not put a time in, done.

I get it, it's a 24 hour race, but they put a bit of a show on for qualifying than basically force the end of the session under a red flag by not stopping the clock!

Weird IMSA deal I guess
Thinking about it a little more, the answer is probably the American TV slot. They pay the big money and call the shots, and they’d rather have their programme end on time with an anticlimax, than run over into the next live event such as the NFL playoff game.

FredericRobinson

3,698 posts

232 months

Monday 23rd January 2023
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Wasn’t on telly though, just streaming, and they didn’t mind altering the schedule to put an extra practice session in, and there was nothing running afterwards, so it was all a bit odd.
I’m guessing they want to run consistent rules throughout the season and on a normal weekend they’d be running to a tighter schedule.
All things said, if them’s the rules, not going out straight away and getting a time in early is a bit daft unless you’re not bothered about grid position.

Ahonen

5,016 posts

279 months

Tuesday 24th January 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
I think also the fact that DTM came in using GT3 cars made it pretty awful, the sprint series was woeful at times, but even in the endurance races, some silver drivers were almost as quick as platinum, so were clearly driving to laptimes and tyre limits, this is a common Pirelli theme it seems.
I'll answer this one as I have a bit of experience in GT3. The reason some of the Silvers are as fast as Golds and Platinums is because they're good drivers. In many cases these are youngsters straight out of single seaters and are classed as Silver initially only because they don't have any results in endurance racing yet - this doesn't mean they're not quick. As Mario Andretti said, 'if you can drive you can drive'.

There isn't really any driving to a target lap time these days unless you're at a really hot track - but then any tyre will need management on a 1.3 tonne car at a 40 degree track temp. The new tyres in SRO GT3 racing in '22 were generally faster than the old ones and lap times have improved in decent steps at most tracks - up to 2 seconds at Imola and 1.5 at Valencia, for example. The pace has been faster in both qualifying and racing, with lower degradation in the races.

Ahonen

5,016 posts

279 months

Tuesday 24th January 2023
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LukeBrown66 said:
Exactly that was my thought, it happened in LMP2 aswell, a crash, two incidents and the red flag comes out, timer just runs out! Sessions are so brief, if you had not put a time in, done.

I get it, it's a 24 hour race, but they put a bit of a show on for qualifying than basically force the end of the session under a red flag by not stopping the clock!

Weird IMSA deal I guess
It's more of an American racing thing. The same thing happened in qualifying at the Indy 8 Hours, which wasn't IMSA sanctioned. There was a Red Flag in Q1, before many of the quick cars had set times, but the timer ticked down to zero while the crashed cars were recovered.

ArnageWRC

Original Poster:

2,065 posts

159 months

Tuesday 24th January 2023
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freedman said:
LukeBrown66 said:
Lol shock horror red flag when you put rich men with average talent in prototypes in a qualifying session at Daytona, someone explain to me why this is a hood idea?
Someone has to pay the bills

Sportscars wouldn't exist without those funding teams and driving themselves, its nothing new.

And half an hour later Nick Tandy did exactly the same thing, in the factory 963, so its hardly the prerogative of pay drivers
I think both were at the same place - the chicane, and were attributed on the coverage to strong tailwinds affecting the downforce. As soon as Tandy turned in, it swapped ends.....

However, it looks like it's going to be a great race, and season...bring it on.

freedman

5,416 posts

207 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
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No BOP break for the 911s

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/no-adjustment-t...

I know they have the data, but this seems very odd

Unless every Porsche team is sandbagging, IMSA have just consigned the hem all to an endurance test hoping their rivals break.

Porsche not normally known for that tactic, unlike some of their rivals

FredericRobinson

3,698 posts

232 months

Thursday 26th January 2023
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1st race of the weekend, MX5s goes at 22.20 this evening, IMSA.tv or Radio le Mans

N0ddie

380 posts

165 months

Friday 27th January 2023
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FredericRobinson said:
1st race of the weekend, MX5s goes at 22.20 this evening, IMSA.tv or Radio le Mans
The MX-5s didn't disappoint. Absolute fantastic race as usual.

FredericRobinson

3,698 posts

232 months

Friday 27th January 2023
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N0ddie said:
The MX-5s didn't disappoint. Absolute fantastic race as usual.
Yup, single model racing normally does absolutely nothing for me but the MX5s are always excellent, they go again at 3.05, the Pilot Challenge Race is at 6.15

Vette_1978

3,239 posts

222 months

Friday 27th January 2023
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Has the IMSA site crashed?

ArnageWRC

Original Poster:

2,065 posts

159 months

Friday 27th January 2023
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Vette_1978 said:
Has the IMSA site crashed?
All okay at the moment; make sure any ad blocker is turned off.

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

46 months

Friday 27th January 2023
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Some of the most frustrating coverage I have seen by whoever films this crap, they are NASCAR yes?

End of the race, Pumpelly flying through the field, and we are made to watch, clearly as some sort of decision made for the benefit of Hyundai a three car TCR race. How much are they paying for this I wonder, works car, herta running it, you bet they demand coverage late race.

yes its good, but you have two screens, we get a car being towed off. and 4 laps in a row of TCR garbage.

Also that Mustang is a joke, cmon America we all know you like your own winning, but it was pulling out of slipstream and still passing easily, those two Ford works cars were SOOO much faster than anything

end of race footage totally ruined this race for me obsessing with TCR, they are a bit part in this race. sorry



Edited by LukeBrown66 on Friday 27th January 22:33

confucuis

1,303 posts

124 months

Saturday 28th January 2023
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150k to run a season in the MX5 race, with 250k prize fund for the champion!!! That's according to the commentators, there was me thinking it would be a good addition to the BTCC package, Ginetta Juniors it is not!

df76

3,630 posts

278 months

Saturday 28th January 2023
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confucuis said:
150k to run a season in the MX5 race, with 250k prize fund for the champion!!! That's according to the commentators, there was me thinking it would be a good addition to the BTCC package, Ginetta Juniors it is not!
And it’s $6k for a race win. Unfortunately I can’t see Mazda uk stumping up that sort of cash!

I guess a large part of the US season costs are travel and logistics. They use standard engines and you’d hope that the trick gearbox doesn’t need much work each year.