2017 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship - General Season Discussion ThreadSports Cars 

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Well, this is great news. Wonder if this (along with the Caddy DPi Program) is the reason why GM pulled the plug on the PWC program. Kinda makes abit of sense, keep the Corvette Brand an exclusively GT Brand while Cadillac is the Main one for Prototype.

Curious if now Callaway will be able to build AND sell their cars in the US as they initially wanted.
 
There are likely numerous factors involved in the decision, some theories being:

  • The ATS and CTS are both on the chopping block as SUV's explode in popularity.
  • Likely pressure from offering customer cars when they did not have a plan to do so, especially with Ratel's increased presence in PWC.
  • The DPi programs success and looming threat of Joest and Penske.
 
speaking of the callaway corvette, theres actually one or two cars heading to COTA near the end of the year to do the creventic race
 
Snaeper
There are likely numerous factors involved in the decision, some theories being:

  • The ATS and CTS are both on the chopping block as SUV's explode in popularity.
  • Likely pressure from offering customer cars when they did not have a plan to do so, especially with Ratel's increased presence in PWC.
  • The DPi programs success and looming threat of Joest and Penske.
Click to expand...

I'd say the easiest reasoning is that the DPi is a representation of no one car from Cadillac, but rather the brand. So why would you run an ATS or CTS when you could run a single car that defines Cadillac performance and endurance. Also sales are down all around for Cadi, SUV as well, only the CT6 is doing well when comparing the sales from last year to this year so far. I'd say either they feel the program isn't helping or wasn't popular enough to sell more cars, or sold enough and had nothing more to gain.

Mainly I'd say a singular program which DPi offers on a larger platform is the best thing, and so cutting excess was necessary. It's sad but I'm sure Corvettes from Callaway will show up sooner or later
 
Snaeper
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/lamborghini-manager-proposes-florida-36h-spinoff-season/

Honestly makes some valid points with this.
Click to expand...
It is a good idea. Would allow GTD teams to just run everything post Sebring if they chose, save money, and still have the championship. The GTLM and P teams are either factory or large privateer and money is a less issue for them so they could run everything to an extent. And if a GTD team wants they could still run Daytona and Sebring.

I hope IMSA implements a version of this for 2019, would help out the GTD teams a lot.
 
I think it's a solid idea - mainly in that it won't penalize newer, smaller teams for skipping the two massive endurance races. It also wouldn't take much to make the change. If it opened up spots for the 24H/12H races to some European competitors, cool. I've never really seen much traction in the NAEC thing, personally.
 
I think IMSA should hold station on the current schedule format. Something to consider is that over the 12 race season using the max budget number thrown out teams spend an average of about $291k per race. A top NASCAR team competing for wins each week spends average of about $555k for 36 races using my last known budget number of $20M per season. No GTD isn't the top class but it provides fantastic racing and garners a good chunk of screen time.

Seeing the organized test at Sebring now makes me wonder what the point is seeing as it tends to get used for testing a lot anyway. A nice chunk of cash could get freed up by IMSA not holding that test. The Roar could probably be shortened a day too in all honesty. There are other ways to free up time and money than to split the schedule in a wonky way
 
Eh Team
I think IMSA should hold station on the current schedule format. Something to consider is that over the 12 race season using the max budget number thrown out teams spend an average of about $291k per race. A top NASCAR team competing for wins each week spends average of about $555k for 36 races using my last known budget number of $20M per season. No GTD isn't the top class but it provides fantastic racing and garners a good chunk of screen time.

Seeing the organized test at Sebring now makes me wonder what the point is seeing as it tends to get used for testing a lot anyway. A nice chunk of cash could get freed up by IMSA not holding that test. The Roar could probably be shortened a day too in all honesty. There are other ways to free up time and money than to split the schedule in a wonky way
Click to expand...
But the teams are far smaller than Nascar teams, have far less sponsorship than Nascar teams, and while they get exposure its on Fox Sports not . The idiotic teams who left because they were salty aside (Magnus for example :P ), GTD has lost a number of entrants due to the cost. And it is cost, because where do they end up? The Pirelli World Challenge (though its like half the cost so it could be said that the teams that left the WSCC were beginning to run on really low budgets). Am drivers can only fork up so much money. Best example is Turner having struggled recently with the financials.
 
And let's be honest...that's his job - you always have the one professional commentator whose job it is to reign in the subject matter experts and deliver the company lines and present the show to a wide audience.

Sure it's seems silly to veteran viewers, but they have to start somewhere. At some point a new viewer is going to stumble across a series and think "what the hell are they talking about?". I do prefer IMSA's YouTube for that reason --- Hindaugh isn't beholden to large network practices, but it's hardly fair to complain about someone doing the job they were hired to do.
 
The problem isn't that they bring up the basic stuff to get started, they talk to a viewer that decided to start watching the middle a race they never heard of
 
Is Ricky still onboard? Or did I mix that up and he's going somewhere else? I had actually thought Helio would end up being a "third" for endurance races. It'd be cool to see him in a full-season seat if he's got the speed.
 
TheElbows
Is Ricky still onboard? Or did I mix that up and he's going somewhere else? I had actually thought Helio would end up being a "third" for endurance races. It'd be cool to see him in a full-season seat if he's got the speed.
Click to expand...
This lineup isn't indicative of next year for either car. Ricky will be full-time, Helio just the 3rd enduro man as you say.

Edit: Nevermind, the 2nd driver for the 2nd Acura and Ricky's teammate will indeed be Helio. :odd:
http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/144735-castroneves-moves-to-penske-s-imsa-program-will-race-indy-500
 
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