GT Racing - GT1, GT3, Blancpain Endurance Series & National GT SeriesSports Cars

[twitcher]

I just finished as well. Great for the Nismo crew to bring home the drivers championship, and Kudos to the Jaguar for finally winning a race. Nice to see their hard work pay off.

On another note, manufacture based team orders at the end there were really quite ridiculous. That lapped Audi (#4?) holding up the Bentley and Nissan, which just looked like an idiot driver at first not getting out of the way, once they got by and he just moved out of the way for the #1 Audi who had caught them it was clear what he was doing. Then the lapped Ferrari at the end that was also clearly taking orders to help the 2nd place AM Ferrari. This is not racing.

I'm talking about the #4 Audi I believe it was that held up the Nissan and the Bentley for several laps so that the #1 Audi could catch up to them. When the two of them finally got a nose in to get by, it saw the #1 Audi there and just moved right on over like "here you go mate". Typical of Audi really, nothing new with them. Ferrari is no different.

Ya I just watched a replay of the race, and that blocking crap was some of the most BS driving I've ever seen.

What blew my mind the most was that the commentators had no clue as to the significance of the blocking (ie that the #1 was catching up). It makes me think, do the race directors catch on to this kind of stuff? Doesn't seem the offending car and/or team got a penalty.

To me, that's where the whole "gentleman's aspect" of racing pisses me off. If someone drives like that, and the officials take no action, it should be completely legel to jump the offending driver in the paddock after the race. Either that, or give him a deliberate tap on track and send him into a barrier...the faster the better.



On a seperate topic....how the hell did that Orange McLearen manage to punk the entire field that badly??? I fully understand that they undercut everyone, and used clean track to make time...but how did no one else see it coming? How come no one else responded to their early pit stop? Reason I'm so confused, this isn't the first time I've seen a blatant undercut like this work, and catch everyone including other team bosses and commentators by surprise (in other series as well). I thought making an early first stop, being the first to make your final stop, and doing a long final stint was sort of the blueprint to medium distance races??

 

[TDZdave]

On a seperate topic....how the hell did that Orange McLearen manage to punk the entire field that badly??? I fully understand that they undercut everyone, and used clean track to make time...but how did no one else see it coming? How come no one else responded to their early pit stop? Reason I'm so confused, this isn't the first time I've seen a blatant undercut like this work, and catch everyone including other team bosses and commentators by surprise (in other series as well). I thought making an early first stop, being the first to make your final stop, and doing a long final stint was sort of the blueprint to medium distance races??

It was their second pit stop, it was just before the second safety car was declared but well within driver times, and with all of the confusion that happened with the safety car,

 

[twitcher]

It was their second pit stop, it was just before the second safety car was declared but well within driver times, and with all of the confusion that happened with the safety car,

Ahh ok. That makes more sense. I thought it had to be more than just the early first stop. If they gained that much through the first stop, I couldn't believe they would be the only team to try that strategy.

Between the Super GT race and this, safety cars have certainly had a weekend to forget

 

[SagarisGTB]

It was their second pit stop, it was just before the second safety car was declared but well within driver times, and with all of the confusion that happened with the safety car,

This is incorrect. The race winning #58 McLaren pitted under the safety car just like (almost) everybody else, but since they were well behind in the queue, they had the opportunity to pit a lap earlier and then run at near race pace to catch the safety car train from behind, while at the same time the leaders were stuck behind the safety car for another lap before it was viable to pit. The McLaren gained a heap of time through the circumstances of where they were on track when the clock hit 1:10:00.

The confusion with the safety car releasing the #23 GT-R didn't affect the situation much; the safety car was traveling at it's normal speed after it released the GT-R and realized it's mistake.

 

[TDZdave]

Ahh ok. That makes more sense. I thought it had to be more than just the early first stop. If they gained that much through the first stop, I couldn't believe they would be the only team to try that strategy.

Between the Super GT race and this, safety cars have certainly had a weekend to forget

What got me was when the title winning GTR made its stop and the rest of the competitive front runners they seemed to just poodle about, when the race went green again the GTR had the gap over the Bentley by around 4 seconds, I'm not sure if there is a maximum speed you can do under a safety car period without being directly behind it,

 

[twitcher]

What got me was when the title winning GTR made its stop and the rest of the competitive front runners they seemed to just poodle about, when the race went green again the GTR had the gap over the Bentley by around 4 seconds, I'm not sure if there is a maximum speed you can do under a safety car period without being directly behind it,

Ya I saw that too and found it odd. The main pack was half way around the lap when the safety car entered the pits and the race went green. My guess is the GTR's pitwall told him the race was going green sooner than the other teams new what was up.

The safety car turned it's lights off just as the main field entered the pits, so it's understandable that many teams may have missed that cue. I think everyone thought there would be one more lap under the safety car.

 

[trustjab]

Sneak peek of the Callaway C7 GT3

 

[catamount39]

Sneak peek of the Callaway C7 GT3

OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH **** YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! Bring them to America!

 

[RACECAR]

Lawd, yeeesh.

 

[05XR8]

Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

 

[k12power]

Any news about 2016 spec GT-R???

 

[IforceV8]

Any news about 2016 spec GT-R???

http://www.jrm-group.com/nissan-gt_...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Any news about 2016 spec GT-R???

Still hugely overly powered like a newbie playing GT and they've fitted a ram to help take out their championship contenders.

 

[Clark]

Anybody else bored of GT3 yet?

 

[CodeRedR51]

Still hugely overly powered like a newbie playing GT and they've fitted a ram to help take out their championship contenders.

 

[Bo]

Anybody else bored of GT3 yet?

Me. Still waiting for everyone to descend into mass panic when it inevitably collapses.

 

[trustjab]

As long as theres a market for the cars, it will stay healthy. Just look how many manufacturers are jumping on. 4-5 years ago you didnt have Bentley, Factory Lamborghinis, McLarens etc. They have more of a market oversaturation issue than a colapse.

 

[Snaeper]

Im still amused that people are expecting turn key racecars to collapse based on historical experiences with vehicles that are not turn key racecars.

Its like saying "I cant wait to see the Porsche GT3 Cup fail". The only thing that will stop GT3 is a global recession or mass disinterest in racing in general. Until then, rich guys will want to race and manufacturers will still make cars to sell to them.

On another note; that Corvette reminds me to the HSV-010. Which is a very good thing.

 

[catamount39]

Exactly, this time is a completely different situation and a different world. GT3 is far different from the past customer car GT series.

Anybody else bored of GT3 yet?

**** no. GT3 and GTE are getting better by the year!

 

[Bo]

Its like saying "I cant wait to see the Porsche GT3 Cup fail".

No it's not. That's a one-make series. GT3 is a manufacturer war, plain and simple, with increasing aerodynamic and engineering complexity year after year, and increasing costs.

The ADAC series is already suffering massively. New GT3 cars are getting delayed and pushed back because they're not meeting the grade. The gentleman teams that GT3 was specifically constructed for are cutting back their programmes because they simply can't afford it. Cracks are showing. Some of the most respected motorsport journalists have long predicted it.

They have more of a market oversaturation issue than a colapse.

Market saturation can very easily lead to a collapse. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened.

 

[catamount39]

No it's not. That's a one-make series. GT3 is a manufacturer war, plain and simple, with increasing aerodynamic and engineering complexity year after year, and increasing costs.

The ADAC series is already suffering massively. New GT3 cars are getting delayed and pushed back because they're not meeting the grade. The gentleman teams that GT3 was specifically constructed for are cutting back their programmes because they simply can't afford it. Cracks are showing. Some of the most respected motorsport journalists have long predicted it.

Market saturation can very easily lead to a collapse. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened.

Certain series will always have issues. The TUSCC is going to be hitting the limit for GTD. The PWC GT and GT-A classes combine for around 40-50 cars and in the SCCA in the gentlemen categories there are GT3 cars as well. British GT entries in GT3 have been consistently high also. In the early 80's we had an oil crisis. Teams from the late 70's to the 90's were caught in a weird transition to an era without tobacco sponsorship, a huge loss in money. And those were SERIOUS aero wars. Some of the GT3's are no crazier than the road car. The Ferrari 458, Audi R8, Bentley Continental, and Mclaren 650's are not all that different than the road cars. Lexus has made a complete hash of their car, and Callaway had been delayed by the failed 2013-14 (around then) talks of combined GT regs. Also, some are just regional. The Cadillac GT3 is mainly for PWC I'm starting to think, and the Ginetta is forever going to be limited to England.

 

[Bo]

The Ferrari 458, Audi R8, Bentley Continental, and Mclaren 650's are not all that different than the road cars.

The 458 is on its way out, the new R8 looks like a silhouette, the 650S is acceptable and the Bentley shares virtually nothing with the road car. Even the drivers say it's like a single seater.

Of course, different series peak at different points. Blancpain is riding its high point, so it has a couple of years left in the tank as it is. British GT GT3 numbers halved from last year, ADAC numbers have more than halved, and the series which experienced the early GT3 boom are feeling the effects.

 

[catamount39]

The 458 is on its way out, the new R8 looks like a silhouette, the 650S is acceptable and the Bentley shares virtually nothing with the road car. Even the drivers say it's like a single seater.

Of course, different series peak at different points. Blancpain is riding its high point, so it has a couple of years left in the tank as it is. British GT GT3 numbers halved from last year, ADAC numbers have more than halved, and the series which experienced the early GT3 boom are feeling the effects.

Just to throw something out there but...it feels like North America is more suited to GT and Europe is more suited to prototypes? I only say that because we at the moment have really awful prototype numbers but GT's are overflowing (course there aren't a whole lot of series). PWC has almost 100 cars between GT/GT-A (GT3) and GTS (GT4).

 

[Northstar]

I think GT3 is at a very delicate part of it's lifespan currently and I think the next year or two will determine how long it has to live. One of the biggest issues is the growth of either full or "factory supported" teams that have really increased the cost in recent years for teams and drivers that pay for seats.

 

[catamount39]

I think GT3 is at a very delicate part of it's lifespan currently and I think the next year or two will determine how long it has to live. One of the biggest issues is the growth of either full or "factory supported" teams that have really increased the cost in recent years for teams and drivers that pay for seats.

If the FIA could stop the full blown factory teams that'd be great. I'm okay with it for the 1st year of the car's life, but after that it's just being ridiculous.

 

[mister dog]

To come back to last weekends finale, i found it a bit of a bummer when the Bentley had to give back the position to the GTR. Didn't think he made contact on purpose and it would have made the last laps a whole lot more exciting.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Just watched the reply myself found it funny when Chiyo was laughing when the 123 Nissan took out the 2 Audi then he realised the camera was on him and quickly tried to look disappointed.

 

[Bo]

You could get a job with the Daily Mail writing libelous scandal stories about Nissan if you keep this up.

 

[trustjab]

Come on, @hsv You said the new R8 GT3 looks like a sihlouette? Looks like a widebodied race version of the road car imo

 

[Bo]

None of this:

Says "production based". Even John Hindhaugh called it a prototype at the N24, you can't deny it's a bespoke race car.