2014 United Sports Car Championship

[Snaeper]

Bye Bye IMS!
View attachment 201918

EDIT Have a double blow - possibly no live coverage of CoTA or Petit Le Mans ?!
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/final-two-2014-tudor-races-to-air-on-fox/

Honestly, I could care less that the races won't be live, since they'll be on network television, which is a huge win for IMSA. Although Petit being chopped to bits isn't great news.

And I'm kinda okay with them not racing at Indy. Especially if it opens the door for a return to a proper road course. Kansas needs to be dropped, too.

EDIT: Look at that, they both got dropped.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/2015-tusc-ctsc-schedules-released/

 

[GTPorsche]

"2-hour, next-day telecasts"



007 and 70 have been withdrawn following a crash during warmup.

Edit#2: 2015 schedule released. Indy and Kansas are off the calendar.

2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Schedule

- Jan 24-25: Daytona International Speedway*
- Mar 21: Sebring International Raceway*
- Apr 18: Long Beach Street Circuit (P/GTLM Only)
- May 3: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Split P/GTLM and PC/GTD Events)
- May 30: Detroit Belle Isle (P/GTD Only)
- Jun 28: Watkins Glen International*
- Jul 12: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (P/PC/GTLM Only)
- Jul 25: Lime Rock Park (PC/GTD Only)
- Aug 9: Road America
- Aug 23: Virginia International Raceway (Split PC and GTLM/GTD Events)
- Sep 19: Circuit of The Americas
- Oct 3: Road Atlanta*

*Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup events

2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Schedule

- Jan 23: Daytona International Speedway
- Mar 20: Sebring International Raceway
- May 2: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
- Jun 27: Watkins Glen International
- Jul 11: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
- Jul 24-25: Lime Rock Park
- Aug 8: Road America
- Aug 22: Virginia International Raceway
- Sep 18: Circuit of The Americas
- Oct 2: Road Atlanta

 

[RACECAR]

Both Kansas AND Indy gone. Briliant 👍

Still bummed that Mid-Ohio isn't back on the schedule, but that's the best decision they've made with the schedule since removing that god awful Baltimore event.

 

[Chikane_GTR]

Checkered flag. Your #CTRRS race winners.

Spoiler: race winners

P: @AX_Racing
GTLM: @risicomp
GTD: @Turnermotrsport
PC: @starworksmotor

 

[Organ-Donor]

Thanks for spoiling it with the Viper comment If I really wanted spoilers I could just go to imsa.com

 

[Chikane_GTR]

Thanks for spoiling it with the Viper comment If I really wanted spoilers I could just go to imsa.com

 

[Organ-Donor]

Thanks for editing the post, just a little late there. Not sure why you think its funny though?

 

[RACECAR]

So your basically telling I'm looking at a tape Delayed event. Just great, Fox being Fox as usual

 

[Organ-Donor]

So your basically telling I'm looking at a tape Delayed event. Just great, Fox being Fox as usual

Yep. I think something else and then horse racing was on before the race started airing. Priorities lol.

 

[ranhammerR34]

While I'm to see Indy event gone (I had a blast all three years of the series especially this year and meeting some of the stars too! ), glad they are running on pure road courses.

 

[Organ-Donor]

I'm glad to see Kansas gone, that track was a snorfest but at least it was PC only so I didn't even care to watch. I wouldn't mind keeping Indy though.

 

[Organ-Donor]

Jordan Taylors steering broke under caution lap while scrubbing his tires putting him into the wall, ending his day. Was running 2nd with ~20min left

 

[FoolKiller]

ending his day. Was running 2nd with ~20min left

And this is what makes automotive racing great. Until you cross that line for the last lap it is not over and requires 100% to win. Even then, fate can throw a big crap on your day before you finish.

In (American) football it is; Any Given Sunday.

In racing it is; Any Given Lap.

 

[Silent Drifter]

Jordan Taylors steering broke under caution lap while scrubbing his tires putting him into the wall, ending his day. Was running 2nd with ~20min left

So that's what it was. I was right after the Speedville Bridge, when I saw them putting it on the flatbed.

Anyways, it was a good race, but the cautions sucked, and they were long too.

 

[martton]

A few shots from Road America yesterday.













Lots more:
http://imgur.com/a/c3u5h

 

[RACECAR]

Maybe its just me, but are we sure the Bop is leaning towards DP in general and not towards just the Corvette DPs? Think about it: The majority of DP wins have been Corvettes and even before the merger in Grand-Am, the Riley teams were complaining about how the Corvette DPs have an unfair advantage. Fast forward to now and what does the majority of DPs consist of? Corvettes. Action Express, Wayne Taylor Racing, Spirit Of Daytona and Marsh Racing all of Corvettes while the only Rileys in the field are Ganassi and Micheal Shank Racing. Honestly, I think that its actually the Vettes that need to be slowed down because after watching the race a second time (thanks to FS1 reairing it earlier), the Rileys and their Ecoboost V6 don't shoot by the LMP2 cars nearly as quick as the Corvettes DPs do. If anything, I think this is an issue that Grand-Am never solved and now with IMSA, it continues to be a problem.

 

[aarror]

Haha, Pruett got beat by 2 PCs and the Deltawing!

Don't see why PC and P can't pit on the same lap, would help shorten the caution period. Still too many cautions, for far too long. Racing was really good, although between the cautions and the commercials we didn't get to see much.

The Fords are off the pace because their engine isn't as good. The 'Vette's are visibly quicker on the straights, they blow past the P2s while the Fords have a much tougher time. Once Ford gets that engine u to snuff they should be up front more often.

 

[Snaeper]

Maybe its just me, but are we sure the Bop is leaning towards DP in general and not towards just the Corvette DPs? Think about it: The majority of DP wins have been Corvettes and even before the merger in Grand-Am, the Riley teams were complaining about how the Corvette DPs have an unfair advantage. Fast forward to now and what does the majority of DPs consist of? Corvettes. Action Express, Wayne Taylor Racing, Spirit Of Daytona and Marsh Racing all of Corvettes while the only Rileys in the field are Ganassi and Micheal Shank Racing. Honestly, I think that its actually the Vettes that need to be slowed down because after watching the race a second time (thanks to FS1 reairing it earlier), the Rileys and their Ecoboost V6 don't shoot by the LMP2 cars nearly as quick as the Corvettes DPs do. If anything, I think this is an issue that Grand-Am never solved and now with IMSA, it continues to be a problem.

That sounds like a big honking naturally aspirated V8 issue. Pretty much every other car in the class minus the Morgan is powered by turbo motor.

Does anyone really see Chevy in the Prototype class for much longer anyways? Would they even consider powering the future prototypes?

 

[RACECAR]

That sounds like a big honking naturally aspirated V8 issue. Pretty much every other car in the class minus the Morgan is powered by turbo motor.

Which is interesting considering the Nissan Powerplant is also a Naturally Aspirated V8 (admittingly of a slightly different kind). Both the Ford and Honda Powerplants are Twin Turbo V6s (which explains why they sound alot alike) and watching how they raced together, the advantage the Ford has is barely that significant in comparison to the V8s in the Corvette.

Does anyone really see Chevy in the Prototype class for much longer anyways? Would they even consider powering the future prototypes?

That's one thing that's been boggling my mind since the season began. Where does Chevy feel their money is best spent, with four teams and a car that's essentially a huge Trans-Am body shaped like a Corvette or with the factory team that they've been funding since 1999 that makes an actual racing Corvette? Part of me thinks they like the idea of having an overall win but at the same time, I can't help but look at the Taylor brothers link to Chevy Via their Le Mans trip the last two years and think that there might be a chance that their longtime GT program will end up taking priority over the DP class.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

That sounds like a big honking naturally aspirated V8 issue. Pretty much every other car in the class minus the Morgan is powered by turbo motor.

Does anyone really see Chevy in the Prototype class for much longer anyways? Would they even consider powering the future prototypes?

Aren't the turbo motors quite under powered though like around 450-480 compared to the V8s which supposedly have more power? I don't remember exactly since GTLM and GTD are my main concern. I think though that the power is given more to the V8s because they don't have the down force and grip capabilities even with the new aero work like the P2 cars.

EDIT: @RACECAR I think it has more to do with the first point you make and just being able to have the bragging rights to say we have overall victory. Sad part is that is what their racing side uses as a point of success when they talk about Indy and NASCAR "look we won manufacture titles"

Which doesn't mean anything when half the field is Chevy in NASCAR and when Indy only runs two engine makes which Chevy is also about half the field of if not a little more. (correct me on the Indy part)

This is what their Director of Racing used in a slide show on GM Racing at an SAE presentation last year. Of course no one bothered to say anything against those victories...

 

[Müle]

However, the balance between the DPs and the Le Mans-spec prototype, whether it’s ESM’s HPD ARX-03b cars or OAK Racing’s Morgan-Nissan, has been hit-or-miss all season, with the more powerful DPs having scored wins in seven of the nine races to date.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/brown-esm-were-definitely-going-to-le-mans/

It's like John Dagys actually believes there's a conspiracy.

 

[cnd01]

Great Road America race. The Delta wing had it's 15 minutes again. CTSCC was really good again. Sucks Hinch didn't get a chance to give it a go in the HPD DP. AX may or may not have clinched the championship here with another win.

Neat to see Corvette and ESM run the WEC race. Seems like none of the WEC teams are running Tudor which is to be expected considering they could've ran the ALMS race last year and didn't.

and to IMSA for GT3

 

[Furinkazen]

Bleugh.
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/andretti-autosport-calls-off-tusc-p2-ambitions/

 

[cnd01]

Bleugh.
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/andretti-autosport-calls-off-tusc-p2-ambitions/

Bummer

Funding must not be there for many of those LMP2 programs; however, I'll bet there's at least 1 of the Ligier cars for 8Star as they're pulling out of the GTE-am category. ESM looks like they're going to a place where Ed Brown can race only a handful at most teams and he won't be so disadvantaged with no mandatory pro-am in Tudor

The article was spot on about Onroak here only to sell cars. With the negativity and BoP concerns, it's no surprise cars aren't selling. If the Gus Bus still has funding, they'll probably still be there though.

I still think we'll see 15 full season Prototype entries in 2015 with the less hours of run time and more emphasis put on cost containment which should help full season entries across the board.

 

[Furinkazen]

Bummer

Funding must not be there for many of those LMP2 programs; however, I'll bet there's at least 1 of the Ligier cars for 8Star as they're pulling out of the GTE-am category. ESM looks like they're going to a place where Ed Brown can race only a handful at most teams and he won't be so disadvantaged with no mandatory pro-am in Tudor

The article was spot on about Onroak here only to sell cars. With the negativity and BoP concerns, it's no surprise cars aren't selling. If the Gus Bus still has funding, they'll probably still be there though.

I still think we'll see 15 full season Prototype entries in 2015 with the less hours of run time and more emphasis put on cost containment which should help full season entries across the board.

The Ligier is a new program - they have only run at La Sarthe (and done extremely well). HPD and Dome have had finance issues - HPD canned the P1 engine project due to costs.

 

[cnd01]

The Ligier is a new program - they have only run at La Sarthe (and done extremely well). HPD and Dome have had finance issues - HPD canned the P1 engine project due to costs.

Indeed so. I think that car will be good right away and if run by a good team, they should be right with the DPs. Heck, if not for wrecks and part failures, the current LMP2s would be right in the championship hunt

 

[catamount39]

Honestly IMSA is actually on the right track with TUSCC. With season 1 of this new championship on the home stretch, I can already say that I'm overall impressed. IMSA, keep up the good progress.

Hey is Brumos coming back? North America needs the famous white with red and blue stripes Porsches back.

 

[cnd01]

Honestly IMSA is actually on the right track with TUSCC. With season 1 of this new championship on the home stretch, I can already say that I'm overall impressed. IMSA, keep up the progress.

Hey is Brumos coming back?

Brumos(or at least some of their former investors) is still here. They're a Prototype team by the name of Action Express racing.

Brumos as a team had said something a long time ago in regards to wanting to race GTLM. The only way I could see that happening is if Continental Tire wants to throw their hat in the GTLM Tire competition like Falken and fund Brumos that way

 

[catamount39]

Brumos(or at least some of their former investors) is still here. They're a Prototype team by the name of Action Express racing.

Brumos as a team had said something a long time ago in regards to wanting to race GTLM. The only way I could see that happening is if Continental Tire wants to throw their hat in the GTLM Tire competition like Falken and fund Brumos that way

I had meant as a team...investing, meh.

Maybe with a new GT3 911 coming in 2016(?), and FIA GT3 going to be in GTD, maybe they might choose GTD and come back 2016. However if they chose GTLM I would be surprised if Michelin didn't offer a tire deal.

 

[cnd01]

I had meant as a team...investing, meh.

Maybe with a new GT3 911 coming in 2016(?), and FIA GT3 going to be in GTD, maybe they might choose GTD and come back 2016. However if they chose GTLM I would be surprised if Michelin didn't offer a tire deal.

I believe Hurley said that he didn't want to race GTD some time ago because of the pro-am driver rule.

They'd need a briefcase full of Benjamins and then some to get into GTLM and have a hope of being competitive