2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar ChampionshipSports Cars 

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This is my view for the next few days. :D
 
I’m not going to lie, as much as I tend to not care about how the cars sound, both the GT3 and GT4 Mercedes sound underwhelming. :(

Also, I’m already planning on renewing my camp site for next year.

Also also, there is a KTM booth with a Xbow GT4, they are just teasing us though.
 
State of the series highlights:
  • Series calendars largely unchanged. No circuits added or removed for Weathertech & Michelin series.
  • Most of the races will be aired on NBCSN. NBC and CNBC will also have race coverage at some point in the year.
  • Single make series: Super Trofeo, Porsche GT3 Cup, and Ferrari Challenge will remain the same.
  • Prototype Challenge will go down to 1 vehicle class: LMP3 only. The calendar swaps Barber for Mid - Ohio, and the series will now feature two 3-hour races: Daytona and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
  • Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will be renamed the Michelin Pilot Challenge, and will go back to a 2 class format, GS and TCR (RIP Street Tuner, you will be missed)
  • Weathertech will return to 4 classes, splitting DPi and LMP2. LMP2 will be run as a Pro-Am category, much like GTD.
  • Michelin will now be the title sponsor of the Endurance Cup with the departure of Tequila Patron.
  • Introduction of the GT Daytona Sprint Cup in 2019. This will be a GTD only championship for the shorter races not included in the Endurance Cup. This appears to be an effort to help cut costs for teams who can't run the full season. So there will be 3 championships within GTD: The Overall Championship, the Endurance Cup, and now the Sprint Cup. Also, the race at Detroit will only count towards Sprint Cup points, not the overall championship. So a team running for the overall does not have to go to Detroit if they so choose.
  • IMSA will also change its process for driver rating, and do it's own evaluation of drivers along side the FIA ratings. I'll admit this went a bit over my head, but I believe what IMSA will do is continue to use the FIA driver ratings, but make changes when they feel it is necessary.
Check IMSA for news updates: https://www.imsa.com/news
A lot of positives here, IMHO. Prototype split seemed to be inevitable. Looks to be largely manufacturer driven, so I understand the move. I've sort of warmed up to the idea the more I've thought about it. Might actually help P2 numbers since they have their own class win to go for, and won't have to worry about BOP whinging with the DPis. Or it might not because they're not going for overall wins anymore, unless we get a weird race.
I would like to know what is going to change for the DPi cars to separate them from LMP2. ...I mean, aside from the obvious 'turn-the-engines-up-to-eleven' method.
 
flip55
I would like to know what is going to change for the DPi cars to separate them from LMP2. ...I mean, aside from the obvious 'turn-the-engines-up-to-eleven' method.
Click to expand...

Maybe they'll allow more freedoms, like power, and costs, and hybrids, and... wait a minute...
 
@AMPMROCKETFANN The hyper car class is way too expensive for IMSA.

I don't think the split is necessarily bad, if there will more more manufacturer interest as a result. But right now 2019 looks to have a weaker DPi field, with Nissan/ESM thought to be leaving (though they are trying to stay, maybe with a single car). And then with LMP2 being separate, it's hard to say what the numbers will be for that class. Most speculate it will reduce international involvement for the endurance events, and it may. Having 2 weaker classes is a bit of a step back, but we shall see how it works out.
 
AMPMROCKETFANN
Uh oh. DPI has been compromised. Good thing is, the "Hyper-car" class will be waiting in the wings to be brought over.
Click to expand...
The rumors from commentators on both Racer and SC365 is that a lot of the P2 teams pushed for it and the split was either unanimous or damn near unanimous from those teams in particular. Given the disparity between the DPis and the WEC P2s, IMSA just took the option that was the best of a bunch of not super good options.
 
LongbowX
@AMPMROCKETFANN Most speculate it will reduce international involvement for the endurance events, and it may. Having 2 weaker classes is a bit of a step back, but we shall see how it works out.
Click to expand...

Not being able to race for the overall win hasn’t stopped them from going to Le Mans. If anything affects the international numbers I’m guessing it will be the WEC super season (granted that may help Daytona at least since they will be shipping everything to Florida anyways for Sebring).
 
@Northstar That's true, but I don't think Daytona (or even Sebring) have the prestige of Le Mans. You could be right about the Super Season though, it actually might help the numbers for LMP2 in IMSA for the opening endurance events at least.
 
I think it will be interesting to see the DPi's get unleashed against each other. Right now it's 3 Cadillacs, 2 Acuras, 2 Mazdas. I don't really count Nissan as a manufacturer since the engine is in a LMP2 chassis. Hopefully 2020 will bring another DPi or two and get the count up near 10 for every race. Maybe Ford depending on what Gnassi does with the Ford GT GTLM program.
 
@Jezza819 All of the DPis are LMP2 chassis'. Acura: Oreca, Cadillac: Dallara, Mazda: Riley/Multimatic. Although I do agree that the Nissan involvement in the ESM is pretty much nonexistent. It's just they simply tendered someone to make it look like a Nissan, with little to no input from Nissan itself. So in essence, I do agree with what you're saying. And Patron is pulling their sponsorship next year, so I would say the ESM/Nissan program may end completely next year.

I do think it's possible for Ford to do a DPi program once the GT program ends. Although I guess that depends on how well Ford as a company is doing then.
 
LongbowX
@Jezza819 All of the DPis are LMP2 chassis'. Acura: Oreca, Cadillac: Dallara, Mazda: Riley/Multimatic. Although I do agree that the Nissan involvement in the ESM is pretty much nonexistent. It's just they simply tendered someone to make it look like a Nissan, with little to no input from Nissan itself. So in essence, I do agree with what you're saying. And Patron is pulling their sponsorship next year, so I would say the ESM/Nissan program may end completely next year.

I do think it's possible for Ford to do a DPi program once the GT program ends. Although I guess that depends on how well Ford as a company is doing then.
Click to expand...

Yeah you're right I forgot the DPi's are made by the approved chassis suppliers.
 
AnthonyD1993
66 Ford GT has an issue.
Click to expand...

Yup unfortunately so, bent suspension A-arm, looked like as a result of running wide over the curb at turn 1 :(. Dropped a few laps down now, though to be fair they did a quick job to replace the A-arm in the pits, though that means a penalty for them. Not that it matters now. With them being the championship leader coming into this, it'll shake thinks up with it being so close at the top of GTLM, that's for sure.

Otherwise, all steady so far (relatively), great battle for the lead in GTD earlier too.
 
What a bonkers last 10mins to that race :eek:. Also, why Mazda why...so close yet so far, such was the margins of fuel. Speaking of which, I really feel for Phillippi and BMW, but it id wonders for the #67 :P. #3 'Vette looked to be a bit too close on fuel there at the end, dropped back behind the #4. Crazy end in GTD there too, and 'grats to the #54 and the CORE guys, from the back of the grid. What a race...
 
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flip55
State of the series highlights:
  • Series calendars largely unchanged. No circuits added or removed for Weathertech & Michelin series.
  • Most of the races will be aired on NBCSN. NBC and CNBC will also have race coverage at some point in the year.
  • Single make series: Super Trofeo, Porsche GT3 Cup, and Ferrari Challenge will remain the same.
  • Prototype Challenge will go down to 1 vehicle class: LMP3 only. The calendar swaps Barber for Mid - Ohio, and the series will now feature two 3-hour races: Daytona and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
  • Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will be renamed the Michelin Pilot Challenge, and will go back to a 2 class format, GS and TCR (RIP Street Tuner, you will be missed)
  • Weathertech will return to 4 classes, splitting DPi and LMP2. LMP2 will be run as a Pro-Am category, much like GTD.
  • Michelin will now be the title sponsor of the Endurance Cup with the departure of Tequila Patron.
  • Introduction of the GT Daytona Sprint Cup in 2019. This will be a GTD only championship for the shorter races not included in the Endurance Cup. This appears to be an effort to help cut costs for teams who can't run the full season. So there will be 3 championships within GTD: The Overall Championship, the Endurance Cup, and now the Sprint Cup. Also, the race at Detroit will only count towards Sprint Cup points, not the overall championship. So a team running for the overall does not have to go to Detroit if they so choose.
  • IMSA will also change its process for driver rating, and do it's own evaluation of drivers along side the FIA ratings. I'll admit this went a bit over my head, but I believe what IMSA will do is continue to use the FIA driver ratings, but make changes when they feel it is necessary.
Check IMSA for news updates: https://www.imsa.com/news
A lot of positives here, IMHO. Prototype split seemed to be inevitable. Looks to be largely manufacturer driven, so I understand the move. I've sort of warmed up to the idea the more I've thought about it. Might actually help P2 numbers since they have their own class win to go for, and won't have to worry about BOP whinging with the DPis. Or it might not because they're not going for overall wins anymore, unless we get a weird race.
I would like to know what is going to change for the DPi cars to separate them from LMP2. ...I mean, aside from the obvious 'turn-the-engines-up-to-eleven' method.
Click to expand...
As great as the schedule already is, I wish Baltimore could make a comeback, if for no other reason than I would love to see a full weekend race ticket like Belle Isle or Long Beach. Sadly, only way this works is if some other series ends up being the headliner. Bummer.
 
Had an amazing time there this weekend. It was fun to once again chat with some of my favorite teams and drivers.
Of all the races I've seen there, the last 20 min of this one was by far the craziest. As a BMW fan, I was devastated. But that's racing for you.
I got a ton of great shots and videos, did some different stuff this year like test drive some Mazdas, and brought a friend and his father, introducing them to IMSA weekends. They're hooked already.
 
Jamesways
Had an amazing time there this weekend. It was fun to once again chat with some of my favorite teams and drivers.
Of all the races I've seen there, the last 20 min of this one was by far the craziest. As a BMW fan, I was devastated. But that's racing for you.
I got a ton of great shots and videos, did some different stuff this year like test drive some Mazdas, and brought a friend and his father, introducing them to IMSA weekends. They're hooked already.
Click to expand...

Did you guys camp there? I was in the carousel (orange PT Cruiser).

Also, couldn’t have asked for nicer weather all weekend. Although Thursday night got a tad chilly.

Edit: Did you happen to see the Camry mixed in with the
 
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