2015 TUDOR United Sportscar Championship

[IforceV8]

Ligier chassis OR02-03 is no more. http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/122414-imsa-shank-orders-new-tub

 

[catamount39]

Ligier chassis OR02-03 is no more. http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/122414-imsa-shank-orders-new-tub

It's uh, probably for the best. That chassis was beaten to a pulp.

 

[Panoz]

 

[JohnBM01]

That new Ford GT is killer. If this thing doesn't scare you or intimidate you, something's wrong with you. I actually will admit- this car looks great in all black or matte black. Normally, I'm not someone excited about a car in all black or in unpainted carbon fiber; but I'll make the exception here with the newer Ford GT. I usually think of Black Swan Racing in the former American Le Mans Series when I think of the Ford GT being raced. It will be great to see the different teams who'll use the newer Ford GT racing.

The only cars that look more bonkers than this Ford GT are the recently-unveiled Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo car and that Citroen by GT concept car we've seen since GT5 Prologue.

 

[IforceV8]

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/122601-imsa-hpd-arx-04b-p2-closing-in-on-return

 

[catamount39]

Oh dear God. Well another LMP2 car in Prototype is nice. 👍 PR1/Mathiasen would be an interesting choice to run the car if that ends up being true.

 

[Brutaka]

I love the design aspects of the HPD, I don't know why, so I do hope it returns for the following two seasons.

 

[catamount39]

I love the design aspects of the HPD, I don't know why, so I do hope it returns for the following two seasons.

Maybe even more if Honda put the bodywork or evolution of it on top of another chassis in the future.

 

[TDZdave]

Maybe even more if Honda put the bodywork or evolution of it on top of another chassis in the future.

Potential for a a LMP2 with a Civic nose???

 

[catamount39]

Potential for a a LMP2 with a Civic nose???

Uh...well....uh.....

 

[RACECAR]

Potential for a a LMP2 with a Civic nose???

Welllllll, I don't know about that....

 

[IforceV8]

I think the future for that car is as the replacement for the PC chassis if Honda can get the production costs low enough. They can keep the 2.8L engine for the PC spec car and it is still eligible to run the ELMS and AsLMS series thru 2018 so if they can prove the problems have been fixed they might be able to sell a few to P2 teams.

 

[catamount39]

I think the future for that car is as the replacement for the PC chassis if Honda can get the production costs low enough. They can keep the 2.8L engine for the PC spec car and it is still eligible to run the ELMS and AsLMS series thru 2018 so if they can prove the problems have been fixed they might be able to sell a few to P2 teams.

So in short an LMP3?

 

[IforceV8]

So in short an LMP3?

No, unlike HPD, Ginetta and Adess have yet to prove they an build a competitive car. The Ligier JSP3 managed to finish at Fuji but it was lapping 3 sec behind the top P2 car and 8 sec slower than it's WEC P2 G-Drive cousin. I know it is not a apples to apples comparison but the best LMP3 car to date is running lap times comparable to the GT3 cars in the AsLMS which would be chaos in IMSA.

The bottom line is IMSA needs all of the factory support it can get and the PC owners and drivers want a upgrade over the FLM09 so the HPD 04xb would be a good choice.

 

[catamount39]

No, unlike HPD, Ginetta and Adess have yet to prove they an build a competitive car. The Ligier JSP3 managed to finish at Fuji but it was lapping 3 sec behind the top P2 car and 8 sec slower than it's WEC P2 G-Drive cousin. I know it is not a apples to apples comparison but the best LMP3 car to date is running lap times comparable to the GT3 cars in the AsLMS which would be chaos in IMSA.

The bottom line is IMSA needs all of the factory support it can get and the PC owners and drivers want a upgrade over the FLM09 so the HPD 04xb would be a good choice.

Oh okay. Well...I guess.

Honestly I think the idea of the PC or LMP3 class in America is a joke. North America is NOT Prototype territory anymore. LMP2 is only favorable because there's a chance of going to Le Mans, or at least being in the top dog class. But Prototype in general doesn't work here. This region is best suited to GT cars, plane and simple. IMSA needs to get rid of PC and increase the grid sizes for GTD. America is the home of some of the best GT racing in the world, Europe is home to the best Prototype racing in the world.

On the side...I can't believe IMSA thought it was a smart idea in the first place to put businessman who can't drive in powerful/light LMP style cars...WITH NO ABS OR TC?! It took them 2 years to realize that that was stupid. Probably more, I forget if they had TCS and ABS in the ALMS days.

 

[IforceV8]

Ford and Briscoe, Bourdais, Westy, and maybe w/o Pruett. http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/122630-pruett-more-ford-gt-driver-rumors

 

[RACECAR]

Would seem like a kick in the head to not have Pruett after literally having him in the very first promos for the Ford GT. That and he's basically a longtime CGR driver.

 

[Snaeper]

Not having Pruett seems to be Pruett's choice, as he wants to have the most overall wins at the D24 and he can't do that if he ends his career racing a GTLM.

 

[RACECAR]

Not having Pruett seems to be Pruett's choice, as he wants to have the most overall wins at the D24 and he can't do that if he ends his career racing a GTLM.

Goodness, I completely forgot about that. Guess that is an opportunity that he can't say no to.

Buuuuuut, what's stopping him from entering in two cars? Obviously the DP is the none-points paying car so by default, no worries on that end of the deal AND he could still have a full time GTLM ride whilst trying to collect overall win number 7.

 

[catamount39]

The article does say there is a chance that he enters in a CGR DP for Daytona, then rejoins the GTLM team at Sebring.

 

[IforceV8]

Will the Ford people really want to risk splitting the P.R. value of the return of the GT with a chance of the overall win for Pruett in a DP?

 

[TDZdave]

Will the Ford people really want to risk splitting the P.R. value of the return of the GT with a chance of the overall win for Pruett in a DP?

Whose to say that the Ford GT is capable of finishing let alone winning straight away?

Do we know what the GTLM yard stick is in regards to BoP next year? I cant remember if they are filling FIA 600bhp or if that's a 2017 thing,

 

[catamount39]

Whose to say that the Ford GT is capable of finishing let alone winning straight away?

Do we know what the GTLM yard stick is in regards to BoP next year? I cant remember if they are filling FIA 600bhp or if that's a 2017 thing,

The yard stick will probably be the Ferrari and Porsche. Next year GTLM will be using the new GTE regulations (since everybody in GTLM is factory teams upgrading to the new regulations). It'll be necessary since the GTD cars will be stock FIA GT3 and not fake GT3.

 

[TDZdave]

The yard stick will probably be the Ferrari and Porsche. Next year GTLM will be using the new GTE regulations (since everybody in GTLM is factory teams upgrading to the new regulations). It'll be necessary since the GTD cars will be stock FIA GT3 and not fake GT3.

Well if there is a bit of rain and they run Michelin tires on the Ford GT then that could win overall lol

 

[RACECAR]

The yard stick will probably be the Ferrari and Porsche. Next year GTLM will be using the new GTE regulations (since everybody in GTLM is factory teams upgrading to the new regulations). It'll be necessary since the GTD cars will be stock FIA GT3 and not fake GT3.

Pretty sure the Ford is since its literally the first car built specifically to the new regulations.

 

[catamount39]

Well if there is a bit of rain and they run Michelin tires on the Ford GT then that could win overall lol

Obviously Pruett forgot that bit.

Pretty sure the Ford is since its literally the first car built specifically to the new regulations.

Yup...but I'd bet money IMSA screws the BoP up somehow.

Corvette...PLEASE WIN! FOR THE NA V8 BROTHERHOOD!

 

[IforceV8]

Whose to say that the Ford GT is capable of finishing let alone winning straight away?

Do we know what the GTLM yard stick is in regards to BoP next year? I cant remember if they are filling FIA 600bhp or if that's a 2017 thing,

-10kg and +15kw/20HP are the goals for next year for GTE. Based on the current difference in air restrictors between the GTLM and WEC GTE the GTLM cars could already be at that power level. Imsa is planning to give the PC cars a bump in HP which should help get them out of the GTLM battles but the new GT3 cars will throw a complete unknown into the field. The November test at Daytona will be important to get a baseline of data on how the GT3 cars will compared to the rest of the field and if the BOP needs to be tweaked.

The Ford of course has the potential to have issues during a race just like any other car but with people like Multimatic and Ganassi behind it and 5+ months of testing I would put my money on them to be fighting for the GTLM lead when the sun comes up Sunday morning at the Rolex 24.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

I think the transmissions (depending what is used) would be the biggest worry for the GT if there are issues since the engine is a proven commodity.

 

[IforceV8]

PC changes,and if the comments from driver Mike Hedlund at tentenths are correct the changes should help the car not drive like a 911 prototype.
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/imsa-outlines-pc-upgrades-set-to-extend-class-to-2017/


Also the current testing list has Mazda endurance testing at Sebring Oct. 20-22,Turner testing the new M6 Oct. 27-29 at Sebring and Mazda has a test at Daytona on Nov.4-5.

 

[catamount39]

And the new C7.R is being tested. 👍

Still desperately want to see one of these in blue. Or in the last livery run on the GT1 cars.