2017 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship - General Season Discussion ThreadSports Cars

[mwoodski]

You're making it worse.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

I was hoping they would have made a prank involving either Saab coming back or Toyota doing a Prius as a GTLM entry. That would have been a good one.

 

[TheElbows]

I'd just like the see the lovely blue and yellow of a Volvo on a DPi car. Such a class livery (i.e....flag)

 

[Northstar]

Maybe they will see that article and think it's a good idea, the monster truck program that is.

 

[mwoodski]

I'm gonna make a new avatar that's gonna be that DPi in the same style as the S60 I've currently got.

Added a new design to the GTE/GTLM store in my signature.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

Maybe they will see that article and think it's a good idea, the monster truck program that is.

You have to admit that a monster truck program would be a far cry from the boring and safe Volvo philosophy.

 

[Suzumiya]

Gonna be doing the Aston and Viper GTE cars next, then moving on to DPi and IMSA P cars, then some other stuff, but who knows what at this point, hah.

I'm open for commissions.

If it doesn't bother you, you could do some of the GT500 cars this year

 

[Mike458]

Gotta love the first day of April. http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/04/01/volvo-dpi-project-breaks-cover.html

WHY IS THIS NOT REAL

PLEASE VOLVO

 

[RACECAR]

Intersport blew up turbos like every single race lol. That was kinda the thing it did. Ran like a bat outta hell for the first stint, then broke.

2002-2003 (discounting other years because they went to a judd, which I do remember not always being reliable for them) or 2005-2007? Could've sworn when they ran the EX-257, they crashed a lot. If it did happen a lot, why didn't it happen with Dyson?

(also, dyson never ran a diesel mazda)

Could've sworn that for some reason (in the middle of the season) while fighting for the LMP2 championship against the lone Acura, They actually ran "Bio-diesel" or something. Not sure it really matters since like every other prototype with a Mazda badged engine, the same thing happens: Poof.

 

[Northstar]

Could've sworn that for some reason (in the middle of the season) while fighting for the LMP2 championship against the lone Acura, They actually ran "Bio-diesel" or something. Not sure it really matters since like every other prototype with a Mazda badged engine, the same thing happens: Poof.

You're probably thinking of Isobutanol, which they ran in 2010. Also, they managed to win the title in 2011, so one car managed to have a Mazda branded engine last a whole season!.

I'm starting to wonder if it's a similar situation that we've seen elsewhere when a company hires an outside firm to do something but doesn't give enough backing to get anything approaching competitiveness. It could also have to do with how Mazda sets up the engines I guess.

 

[zechariah]

IMSA Michelin GT Challenge 2016

 

[TheElbows]

I see the picture, what's the significance?

 

[AnthonyD1993]

Racer had an interesting piece giving some technical insight into the DPis. I'll link that article here.

 

[mwoodski]

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gass-audi-evaluating-dpi-program/

 

[Snaeper]

Racer had an interesting piece giving some technical insight into the DPis. I'll link that article here.

It seems then, that the advantage goes to whoever comes in after the cars are locked down.

I would assume that a brand like Bentley, Audi, Alfa Romeo or Honda would also want the same grace period, but they would likely have access to any newer innovations that the Mazda, Cadillac and Nissan would not.

 

[catamount39]

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gass-audi-evaluating-dpi-program/

Oh my God yes! Hoping their "evaluating" turns into Honda's "evaluating".

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Doesn't seem all that promising, unless they're doing a good job of denying it. I want to believe that they're working with Dallara on the chassis as rumors suggest but this could just be a research into what it would take to be competitive with the others (mainly GM).

 

[catamount39]

It seems then, that the advantage goes to whoever comes in after the cars are locked down.

I would assume that a brand like Bentley, Audi, Alfa Romeo or Honda would also want the same grace period, but they would likely have access to any newer innovations that the Mazda, Cadillac and Nissan would not.

Honda's coming in next year with Penske remember? They ain't waiting.

 

[Snaeper]

Honda's coming in next year with Penske remember? They ain't waiting.

I fear you've missed the point entirely.

 

[catamount39]

I fear you've missed the point entirely.

What was the point exactly? What innovations could they possibly run upon while waiting? It's a straightforward formula. Pick a chassis, build some aero, shove an engine in the back. Honda clearly feel the best time is to enter now. The chassis are all fairly similar, the key is simply getting aero right as well as the engine. Why on Earth would you wait other than seeing how the class pans out? Simply watching and observing isn't going to make a faster car.

Audi are the only mark interested (shown interest even if only a skosh) whom haven't entered, Bentley isn't interested (and VAG wouldn't allow both), and neither are Alfa Romeo.

 

[Snaeper]

What was the point exactly? What innovations could they possibly run upon while waiting? It's a straightforward formula. Pick a chassis, build some aero, shove an engine in the back. Honda clearly feel the best time is to enter now. The chassis are all fairly similar, the key is simply getting aero right as well as the engine. Why on Earth would you wait other than seeing how the class pans out? Simply watching and observing isn't going to make a faster car.

Audi are the only mark interested (shown interest even if only a skosh) whom haven't entered, Bentley isn't interested (and VAG wouldn't allow both), and neither are Alfa Romeo.

The confusion here is that you have added the word "wait".

I did not imply that anyone should wait. The point was that anyone who comes in later will have the advantage of being able to develop their cars alongside competition who's development will be frozen at that point (hopefully, anyways). When the Cadillac, Mazda and Nissan have their homologation set, Honda (who IS coming in later than the other three) and any other brands (the three I mentioned previously as merely examples) would expect to be given the same amount of grace period that Cadillac, Mazda and Nissan got.

Thus I suggested that anyone who joins later would have an advantage. Even if technological innovations don't advance by leaps and bounds in a year, simply being able to test and tweak your car before final homologation against opponents who are not permitted to do the same is beneficial in and of itself.

 

[TDZdave]

Is there a rule that requires Ed Brown to qualify the car at all? That was the weirdest thing ever....

 

[Scuderia Paul]

I just finished watching Qualifying and was a great session it was. GTLM was comically close! Nice to see a Mazda in P3 and hopefully they have a strong race and result.

 

[IforceV8]

Is there a rule that requires Ed Brown to qualify the car at all? That was the weirdest thing ever....

By rule he only has to drive for 5 minutes so they can hope for a early yellow and bring him put in JVO.

 

[Yakup]

By rule he only has to drive for 5 minutes so they can hope for a early yellow and bring him put in JVO.

Exactly. That's how they won Laguna seca 2014.

 

[IforceV8]

Exactly. That's how they won Laguna seca 2014.

It sounds like that that will need to be atleast 20 min to get to the 1st fuel window since the race will be 2 stops.

 

[TDZdave]

By rule he only has to drive for 5 minutes so they can hope for a early yellow and bring him put in JVO.

Does him qualifying mean he's starting the car?

 

[IforceV8]

Does him qualifying mean he's starting the car?

Yep, the driver that qualifies-starts.

 

[catamount39]

Race is now available!

 

[Organ-Donor]

I just finished watching the tape delayed broadcast on FS1, what a cluster roadblock of an ending.