2014 United Sports Car Championship

[Furinkazen]

http://scoring.imsa.com/

Sebring live timing.

EDIT: BMW pull out.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/bmw-ends-daytona-prototype-support/

 

[Snaeper]

"Pickett Racing’s PC car mysteriously features a pair of Nissan GT Academy drivers, Bryan Heitkotter and Steve Doherty" - Sportscar365

Very interesting tid bit there

And here I was thinking that Mercedes and Bentley were the front runners for the GTLM Muscle Milk Pickett project...

If this means what I think it means, it might be a bit of a homecoming for Lucas Luhr, given his experience with the GT1 GT-R's.

There you go @Jav it also has the link too, in the image.

I always thought the DP's appearance would be improved with a single-piece wheel and I believe I was right. That car looks a lot less like a NASCAR prototype now and more like a proper sports car.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

@Furinkazen Good, with RLL and others it'ss better for them I'd say. Though the strange thing is they didn't do crap as far as support went.

Also were any other teams planning to use the engines this upcoming year?

 

[RACECAR]

Corvette DP looks excellent with the new aero package. Its not even a lot and its really improved the look of the DP, like as if it was missing something.

As for the BMW dropout, not surprised with all their teams basically gone to new cars/engines or gone from the series.

 

[Sam48]

The only thing that bothers me about the new DP look is the one piece wheel in the front and three piece in the rear. I think they should mandate both front and rear need to be one piece wheels like in the first regulation draft stated. It would look much better and less awkward.

 

[Snaeper]

The only thing that bothers me about the new DP look is the one piece wheel in the front and three piece in the rear. I think they should mandate both front and rear need to be one piece wheels like in the first regulation draft stated. It would look much better and less awkward.

While I agree, it might be difficult to source a one-piece wheel given unique offset of the DP rear wheel's, don't you think? What one-piece wheels are available that can given the width without requiring a change to the entire rear axle?

And Heitkotter seems to be happy with the PC car.

Now I know the suit says Graf, but.... is this Doherty?

Given Pickett's keeping this whole GTLM thing under wraps, it's not like the two can show up wearing GT Academy suits. I'm not terribly familiar with what Graf looks like, but if this is, indeed, Graf, then him and Doherty should get along splendidly given their similar taste in eyewear.

EDIT: Lastly, is this the first news of Scuderia Corsa potentially running a GTLM entry? I haven't heard anything about this, but that's a brand new GTE 458 on the right there.

 

[Sam48]

Lastly, is this the first news of Scuderia Corsa potentially running a GTLM entry? I haven't heard anything about this, but that's a brand new GTE 458 on the right there.

Wait what? That makes no sense. This whole time I thought that car was Risi machinery parked next to Scuderia Corsa, but after closer examination it clearly says "Ferrari of Vancouver" on the door. I have no idea how or why. I can't find a single source claiming Corsa's going GT-LM racing.

 

[Jav]

I believe that's Risi's car...

 

[Furinkazen]

63 is not a GTE spec car.

 

[Jav]

It's not we know, we're talking about the one next to it...

 

[Sam48]

I believe that's Risi's car...

Maybe you're right. Didn't know they were from Vancouver.

 

[Earth]

Wow, the Daytona Prototype ended up almost 9 seconds faster then the quickest GTLM car. Remember when they were only a couple of seconds faster then GTLM at Road America etc?

 

[cnd01]

The only thing that bothers me about the new DP look is the one piece wheel in the front and three piece in the rear. I think they should mandate both front and rear need to be one piece wheels like in the first regulation draft stated. It would look much better and less awkward.

That's mighty expensive and would've taken more modifications to re-route brakes, ducts, etc. They ran out of time on that one

Only thing I'm not too to fond of on the new Corvette DP is the number plate. Looks uninspired to me

 

[Snaeper]

I believe that's Risi's car...

You're right, the Microsoft logo and the "Ferrari of Vancouver" logo threw me for a loop. I always thought that Risi ran a "Ferrari of Houston" sticker on the door. But it appears they changed the dealership a few times as there are pictures of them running "Ferrari of Ontario" and "Ferrari of Silicon Valley" as well.

My apologies.

 

[RACECAR]

You're right, the Microsoft logo and the "Ferrari of Vancouver" logo threw me for a loop. I always thought that Risi ran a "Ferrari of Houston" sticker on the door. But it appears they changed the dealership a few times as there are pictures of them running "Ferrari of Ontario" and "Ferrari of Silicon Valley" as well.

My apologies.

Risi has a close connection with Ferrari in North America so they advertise dealerships across the various venues the series goes to (like for instance, "Ferrari Of Ontario" when they visit Mosport).

 

[01GTP]

The 63 is in the GTD class.
There is a real difference in the nose of these cars.
Here is the 63 at Lime Rock this year.

The other (Risi's) appears to be the same as last years but what is it doing on Hoosiers?
Here it is at Lime Rock this year.
Certainly better looking then the GTD class car.

 

[cnd01]

DP is 2 seconds faster than LMP2 as per HPD twitter. This is after 2 days of testing...

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

DP is 2 seconds faster than LMP2 as per HPD twitter. This is after 2 days of testing...

Do you have the full time charts?

 

[cnd01]

Do you have the full time charts?

http://scoring.imsa.com/

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

http://scoring.imsa.com/

Thanks, I thought it was a different one I've seen that already. It's testing however so you shouldn't read too much into it also I'd wait until all the cars have tested. I want to see how the eco boost and the other GTLM cars do.

 

[cnd01]

Thanks, I thought it was a different one I've seen that already. It's testing however so you shouldn't read too much into it also I'd wait until all the cars have tested. I want to see how the eco boost and the other GTLM cars do.

Testing isn't very accurate though like you're saying. ESM isn't exactly the fastest LMP2 team and inexperienced on the conti tires. I'm betting sandbagging is playing a pretty large part as well. Grand am teams are sandbagging pros especially Chip Ganassi

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Testing isn't very accurate though like you're saying. ESM isn't exactly the fastest LMP2 team and inexperienced on the conti tires. I'm betting sandbagging is playing a pretty large part as well. Grand am teams are sandbagging pros especially Chip Ganassi

It wouldn't be racing if someone wasn't sandbagging it during the testing. Oh well, Daytona can't come soon enough.

 

[hawkeye122]

They need to do it the same way the FIA did BOP for GT3. Pay someone like David Brabham or Ryan Daziel to drive ALL of the cars, and set the BOP from tgat

 

[cnd01]

We have a BIG 40 car entry list for the Daytona test
http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/races/entry_lists/Daytona Test Entry List_1.pdf

We get to see the EcoBoost with the side exhaust for the first time. Also, I'm glad to see Starworks in a DP again even though Mayer is driving. Look out tire wall

BMW Z4 GT3 via Turner is there. Guys like Beniot Treluyer are driving GTD.

 

[Snaeper]

We have a BIG 40 car entry list for the Daytona test
http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/races/entry_lists/Daytona Test Entry List_1.pdf

We get to see the EcoBoost with the side exhaust for the first time. Also, I'm glad to see Starworks in a DP again even though Mayer is driving. Look out tire wall

BMW Z4 GT3 via Turner is there. Guys like Beniot Treluyer are driving GTD.

Interesting to see the ESM Ferrari returning, hadn't heard about that. And it's good to see 8Star and Starworks in DP's, too.

 

[cnd01]

With 10 minutes to go in the morning Daytona test session, AXR finally broke the 1:40 mark. Fastest LMP2 is slower than the fastest PC, and they're 4 seconds off the best lap. Delta wing sits as a backmarker in the PC class. It took the GTLM cars all session to finally post a lap time faster than the GAGT pole time last year. The GTD cars are testing at about the same pace GAGT ran race laps at last season.

 

[Mac K]

I thought the Daytona test wasn't until the beginning of December?

 

[cnd01]

I thought the Daytona test wasn't until the beginning of December?

There's multiple ones. I know the ROAR is early January, but this test is today and tomorrow. Full data here http://scoring.imsa.com/

 

[IforceV8]

Marshall Pruett reporting DP's @ 195 mph and P2 @ 175 mph top speeds

Edit:Spirit of Daytona car lost a tire and flipped and rolled turn 1,Westbrook OK

 

[hawkeye122]

Not a huge surprise that the P2 cars are slower, hopefully they'll get a bit of power back for the rovals...