2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar ChampionshipSports Cars

[Northstar]

I was at turn 5 towards the end of the race.

I started there before doing my usual wandering. Love sitting on the hill bleachers, it's probably my second favorite place to watch after Canada Corner.

On a side note, I'm still in the carousel, it's eerily quiet with 99% of the campers gone.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

On a side note, I'm still in the carousel, it's eerily quiet with 99% of the campers gone.

Did they not close the track?

 

[Northstar]

Did they not close the track?

They let you stay until noon the next day. Most of the other campers left, but there are still a couple dozen here.

 

[JackRyanWMU]

They let you stay until noon the next day. Most of the other campers left, but there are still a couple dozen here.

Had a somewhat similar experience when I stayed at a motel in Bucyrus when I went to IMSA at Mid-Ohio. Friday and Saturday Night the parking lot was packed. Sunday Night the lot was half-full. Monday Morning at 8 AM I was one of about a half-dozen cars that hadn't left for home yet.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Enjoy the sights and sounds of shaky camera footage from Road America. I couldn't make the embed work so the below 2 pictures are linked to the respective video pages on flickr.

Here is the link to the album for August 3rd and 4th at Road America: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmFQX7AS

 

[Jezza819]

IMSA still hasn't uploaded the Michelin Pilot Challenge race from Road America to their Youtube channel yet. I've seen the ending but I would like to see the entire race. Are they waiting until it airs on NBCSports Network?

 

[David]

IMSA still hasn't uploaded the Michelin Pilot Challenge race from Road America to their Youtube channel yet. I've seen the ending but I would like to see the entire race. Are they waiting until it airs on NBCSports Network?

I assume it aired on cable at some point this weekend so I'd expect it will be on the YT channel in the next few days.

 

[Northstar]

Enjoy the sights and sounds of shaky camera footage from Road America. I couldn't make the embed work so the below 2 pictures are linked to the respective video pages on flickr.

Here is the link to the album for August 3rd and 4th at Road America: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmFQX7AS

The silver Jeep in the background may or may not be mine.

DSC00654 by Marcin J, on Flickr

 

[raven214]

Nice to see more women involved in motorsports:

W Series race winner Alice Powell will make her IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut later this month at Virginia International Raceway with Meyer Shank Racing.

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/powell-msr-acura-legge-virginia/4513180/amp/

 

[raven214]

Sorry for the double post, but it's been a few days...

Core may be leaving DPi. Perhaps not a complete surprise, but some of the comments on the article hit on the DPi/LMP2 split, and while that may not factor into this particular decision, I still say, as a whole, splitting prototypes into 2 classes was a stupid, short-sighted decision on IMSA's part:

CORE’s DPi Future in Jeopardy
CORE autosport rumored to end its DPi program, Bennett to retire from full-time driving

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/cores-dpi-future-in-jeopardy/

 

[TheHun99]

splitting prototypes into 2 classes was a stupid, short-sighted decision on IMSA's part

Didn’t IMSA do it because the teams asked for it? I remember reading that when it was announced.

 

[AMPMROCKETFANN]

Didn’t IMSA do it because the teams asked for it? I remember reading that when it was announced.

Indeed they did

 

[Northstar]

I don't think you can blame CORE leaving DPi on anything IMSA did. It's simply the reality of owner-driver teams. Eventually the owner will want to retire from driving and when that happens they likely won't want to sink money into the car any longer.

As for the DPi-LMP2 split, I still think it's the right idea, they just need to divide it into overall,sprint and endurance championships like they've done with GTD.

 

[raven214]

Didn’t IMSA do it because the teams asked for it? I remember reading that when it was announced.

I wasn't aware the teams had asked for it. Well they better hurry and find some more teams for LMP2 because right now it's a 2-car waste of space. I still maintain it was better last year with everything combined.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I picked out some photos from the race in this post (first 2 are non-Weathertech championship related).
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/amateur-photo-thread.289035/page-41#post-12836719

Only 3 more days until the Michelin GT Challenge comes to VIR.

 

[Northstar]

It sounds like Magnus may also be falling victim to a retiring owner-driver.

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/magnus-future-uncertain-team-shut-down-possible/

At least it sounds like a endurance program is in the cards.

 

[raven214]

Jon Bennett officially to retire after the season:

http://coreautosport.com/2019/08/22/letter-from-jon-bennett-to-imsa-paddock/

 

[AnthonyD1993]

Mazda is reportedly considering running a customer DPi next year.

https://racer.com/2019/08/22/mazda-...e=smg&utm_medium=wasabi&utm_content=home-hero

 

[TheElbows]

A lot of these pending retirements make sense. I've been following IMSA/support since...maybe 2002(ish)? A lot of the teams and drivers are still the same, so a 15-20 year stretch has been pretty solid. I'm curious what the road ahead for LMP2 is. It's pointless now, but I also feel bad for IMSA which was trying to make it work - then three or four LMP2 teams jumped to DPI and left the class in shambles.

I'd honestly rather see the class discontinued if it's just the joke 2-car field.

 

[Northstar]

In a break from teams leaving, we have confirmation that we will have an AMG on the grid next year.

https://racer.com/2019/08/23/robins...e=smg&utm_medium=wasabi&utm_content=home-hero

 

[TheElbows]

Nice, Aschenbach is always a quality driver, and the AMGs seem incredibly popular in GT3 and GT4 at the moment. Also, I think it's worth noting that while we've had some announcements of teams closing shop, it's incredibly likely most of them will sell on to another team - so hope we don't actually lose much. The grids for IMSA and its support series have been superb this year (discounting LMP2). I hope we see health stay or even increase for next season.

PS: I do hope they find a way to keep the Cadillac teams interested.

EDIT: That article says Bleekemolen/Keating taking off for WEC (since we don't have a PRO/AM GTLM option here I'm guessing?) is definitely sour news.

 

[Ether]

To anyone watching the live stream of the Michelin Challenge race...Watkins Glen 2004 flashback there

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

NBC sure likes to put on a lot of commercials. That's been a frequent problem with the coverage of this series.

 

[Ether]

NBC sure likes to put on a lot of commercials. That's been a frequent problem with the coverage of this series.

Agree with that for sure. I'll pile on with complaining about NBC and say that every time an exciting on track battle picks up, they feel the need to interview a driver off track...

 

[Northstar]

NBC is what made me pull the trigger on a VPN prior to the season. It's been worth every penny since I can also watch all the BGT races that get geoblocked.

 

[AnthonyD1993]

NBC is what made me pull the trigger on a VPN prior to the season. It's been worth every penny since I can also watch all the BGT races that get geoblocked.

Opera's VPN has saved me for a while since I discovered it. It's really saved me when Fox/NBC decide to not show parts of the endurance races.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

That's quite the mess. Not very fair by Garcia

 

[Michelin Man]

Yup, a rare Garcia mistake, very scruffy by the #3...

 

[AnthonyD1993]

Big crash for Legge.

 

[Northstar]

That must have been a nasty hit, thankfully Legge is already out and walking.