2017 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship - General Season Discussion ThreadSports Cars 

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That move, if it does happen, would totally make sense as well. Ricky tested an Indycar for Penske and has expressed an interest in running in that series, and he also had tested the Caddy during its development stages (which all of us are aware that it's the strongest car in the series right now). Combine that with the fact that he could always race for his dad again as a fall back option if Honda cuts the funding to the DPi project, and Ricky Taylor to Penske looks like a no brainer.
 
I think that's ideal. The brothers are both talented, but it's time to leave the mothership and start running outside of the father's team for sure.

It's tough to argue with a Penske seat - and I'm excited for the doggedly determined Mazda drivers who've put up with awful cars for 4-5 years who may get something done if they can stay in the driver's seat with the new Mazda Team Joest (finally some damn comeuppance!).

Also, supremely glad to see COTA out and Mid-Ohio back in. Wonderful change. I don't think there's a driver in the world who'd turn down the chance to run some of the very best tracks in the world - all in one series.
 
MustangManiac
Go back and watch him nearly destroy a DP car for the Chipster in the 24 hours of Daytona awhile back and tell me how naturally talented he his. I am surprised even NASCAR put up with his crap, that was before "boys have at it" after all.
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What are you talking about, they've have the woman version of Pastor Maldonado...

JPM was a pretty good driver just never had much luck on ovals consistently. I've seen more wrecks out of some of the top tier in NASCAR than JPM
 
I'll go ahead and put my support behind Mazda Team Joest for the moment. Love the cars, love the team, like the drivers...and I feel they're still the underdog at the moment. I wonder what some of the smaller DPi teams are thinking seeing names like "Joest", "Penske", etc. coming into the fray. Going to be a little intimidated or will they show the newcomers a thing or two? Exciting times.

PS: Do you think Penske will go for LeMans as well in the first year - or wait a bit?
 
TheElbows
I'll go ahead and put my support behind Mazda Team Joest for the moment. Love the cars, love the team, like the drivers...and I feel they're still the underdog at the moment. I wonder what some of the smaller DPi teams are thinking seeing names like "Joest", "Penske", etc. coming into the fray. Going to be a little intimidated or will they show the newcomers a thing or two? Exciting times.

PS: Do you think Penske will go for LeMans as well in the first year - or wait a bit?
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Well the driver line up isn't going to stay the same at Mazda, that is in limbo just like the car itself, which will either remain much the same eternally or be quite different after Multimatic and Joest massage it. Also Penske probably won't go to Le Mans, don't think HPD would want to bother with a generic LMP2 since this is an HPD/Penske effort.
 
I thought Penske's car was supposed to be the actual international version (i.e. LeMans-able), no? That's a shame. I figured that was the actual end goal for them.
 
TheElbows
I thought Penske's car was supposed to be the actual international version (i.e. LeMans-able), no? That's a shame. I figured that was the actual end goal for them.
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No it's a DPi, using a HPD's own engine and aero (and electronics of their choosing). The only P cars which are international are the WEC spec LMP2's (#90, #85, #52) in the class. For Penske to go to Le Mans they'd have to completely redo the car and electronics back to stock Oreca WEC LMP2 specifications. And Acura wouldn't be wanting to remove all their hard development for one race to be in the secondary class.
 
catamount39
For Penske to go to Le Mans they'd have to completely redo the car and electronics back to stock Oreca WEC LMP2 specifications.
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And hire some fake Silver drivers.

Wait, sorry they would have to make the seat available to some lucky Am driver that can provide financing for the team.;)
 
TheElbows
I thought Penske's car was supposed to be the actual international version (i.e. LeMans-able), no? That's a shame. I figured that was the actual end goal for them.
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...kinda.

I dunno how much I'm allowed to say, but kinda. All I'll say right now, is that they're building 5 cars. 2 full-time, 2 full-time backups, and a fifth, just in case.
 
mwoodski
...kinda.

I dunno how much I'm allowed to say, but kinda. All I'll say right now, is that they're building 5 cars. 2 full-time, 2 full-time backups, and a fifth, just in case.
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Are you saying that Acura actually wants the car to be Le Mans compliment? :odd: How the heck can they do that?
 
mwoodski
If P1 implodes, they'll be ready.

Even if just for the test day.
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Which would probably happen if Toyota quits now that the VAG brands are out and P1L is iffy at this point as well. I also distinctly recall an SC365 article where Bart Hayden said that he was skeptical of the actual number of P1Ls that will be on the grid because he thought there was way more hype than actual interest in the class for 2018. The only real question would be what the ACO is planning as a fallback since Penske wants to go there to win overall.
 
AnthonyD1993
Which would probably happen if Toyota quits now that the VAG brands are out and P1L is iffy at this point as well. I also distinctly recall an SC365 article where Bart Hayden said that he was skeptical of the actual number of P1Ls that will be on the grid because he thought there was way more hype than actual interest in the class for 2018. The only real question would be what the ACO is planning as a fallback since Penske wants to go there to win overall.
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It'll all be up in the air until the FIA/ACO grab some common sense unfortunately.
 
ozz0sK7.jpg

Those headlights are...yeesh.
 
I was right, it's just a piece over the nose to try and make it look like a hood. Without that it's just an LMP2 looking car. Mazda got it right with added curves on the whole body and doing something unique with the nose
 
Those whole nose is very different.

Also, this is just the presentation pictures, there very well will be differences by the time it hits the track in January.

Standard Oreca
Roar-1-am_0026-13-Rebellion.jpg
 
So they've definitely gone for a Fittipaldi-style solution (though maybe that's just the press car until they nail down a finalized, actual working aero design).

-Fred-
I don't get Penske these days and just how all over the place they are... They're doing Acura in IMSA, Chevy in Indycars and Ford in NASCAR and Supercars... :confused:
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Its Penske. As long as it works, it doesn't matter who he's with.
 
The red car sitting next to it.

2018-acura-rlx-inline4-photo-688388-s-original.jpg


Make it pretty like Mazda did and quit halfway thru the season because the car is junk, or stick a fake hood on it and try not to ruin the aero balance and focus on the important stuff- horsepower and torque.
 
As someone who's disliked almost every Acura product ever produced (and yes, I understand this isn't really an Acura product) I say it looks okay - I actually like the livery. If they ditched the red on the front slats and put gold wheels on it, I'd be on board.

It is a pretty weak attempt at changing the car for the branding though (very Nissan-esque effort rather than Mazda/Cadillac).
 

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