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

[CodeRedR51]

True, but with WC-GT moving more towards the GT-3 direction they'd be looking to get those NSXs in the series. This is a lot of me hoping...

Didn't Honda say they were going to participate in GT3 or some other class (LeMans too?) with a factory effort?

 

[Snaeper]

Didn't Honda say they were going to participate in GT3 or some other class (LeMans too?) with a factory effort?

They were evaluating the NSX for GT racing, that was about all I recall hearing on the topic.

They were most likely looking for which series would allow hybrid drives, since they'll likely wanna keep that as part of the car to promote it.

I could see the NSX entering the Nurburgring 24 Hours in a similar fashion to the Lexus LFA, Porsche GT3-R Hybrid and Glickenhaus P4/5 Hybrid did.

Then, if it works out, they could adapt that car to GT3 if the regulations open up to allow hybrid drivetrains. Though I don't think that will ever happen, since GT3 is primarily a customer formula, and a hybrid drive would be incredibly complex to a small team.

 

[Jav]

Didn't Honda say they were going to participate in GT3 or some other class (LeMans too?) with a factory effort?

I recall hearing something on an interview back in 2013, but you know how that goes their coorporate priorities change all the time. I can definitely see a GT-3 NSX as it flits perfectly on Honda's motorsports structure with a couple of customer teams around the globe, but with them coming back to F1 I just don't see a full on factory team running at LeMans any time soon.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I recall hearing something on an interview back in 2013, but you know how that goes their coorporate priorities change all the time. I can definitely see a GT-3 NSX as it flits perfectly on Honda's motorsports structure with a couple of customer teams around the globe, but with them coming back to F1 I just don't see a full on factory team running at LeMans any time soon.

F1 is just the engine program right? Probably cheaper to run than a full team or two.

 

[Brutaka]

PWC GTS entry update and oh my god I can't believe it!!!!!

GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing – Jon Fogarty and Bob Stallings are back with a new Hyundai Genesis coupe. Fogarty may miss one PWC round due to his FIA World Endurance Championship commitments. (1 car)

 

[05XR8]

F1 is just the engine program right? Probably cheaper to run than a full team or two.

Which makes me think. If McLaren come out better than RB next year, Williams-Honda 2016 maybe?
Specualting is fun

PWC GTS entry update and oh my god I can't believe it!!!!!

Its also good to have a GT only field.

 

[Snaeper]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2014/12/27/whats-new-in-2015-part-two-gt3-gte.html

I do recall getting into an argument with people about whether or not the German Callaway Corvette's would race here in the US. I hate to say that I was right. But I was right.

GT3 News:

• Mclaren's 650S has seen most of it's sales come from non-European markets, with the European customers opting to upgrade their 12C's instead.
• Lexus has resolved the previously reported issues and will be on track sometime this year, not clear on whether that will be in Japan or Europe as well.
• Audi's new GT3 will debut sometime this year.
• Porsche's new GT3R will debut sometime this year.
• Jaguar is still waiting for approval on the F-Type GT3, and even if it gets it, it wont be on track until late 2015 at the earliest.
• Callaway will not be permitted to market the C7 Corvette GT3 in the United States as it would compete with the Cadillac ATS-V.R for sales. This implies that customer ATS-V.R's are likely for 2016.
• Nissan will be debuting their updated GT-R with an Andretti program for World Challenge GT, as well as an all-pro lineup in BSS.
• Cadillac is rumored to be taking the ATS-V.R to the Nurburgring for the 24 Hour race.
• The next Ferrari, Mercedes and BMW will not be seen until 2016 in racing form. Concepts may debut though.
• 2016 may also bring an evolution to the Aston Martin Vantage.

GTE News:

• Another year of the same for the most part.
• Ford is the only program set to join GTE, but that wont be until 2016.
• Other programs won't be likely to announce until after the 2016 rules package is announced.
• Mclaren and Jaguar are potential candidates for joining if those rules suit their needs.
• Honda's NSX program is dead regardless.

 

[CodeRedR51]

NSX program dead? Do they have a source, or are they just guessing?

 

[Snaeper]

NSX program dead? Do they have a source, or are they just guessing?

I'm not sure, I'm guessing they do, since the DSC seems to be well-informed usually.

 

[05XR8]

Good news about the ATS-V.R and Lexus.
Not so good about the NSX. Just have to wait and see.

 

[catamount39]

Glad to hear that the Cadillac will be taking on "The Green Hell". And REALLY excited about the Jaguar F-Type GT3.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Perhaps I've been mistaken and correct me if I'm wrong but I thought manufacturers were outlawed from homologating "evolution" models? I'm Referring to the GT3 counterpart of the GT-R NISMO, which debuted this year and is now getting an update for 2015.

EDIT: Nevermind. Just realised it was only testing this year. And while I'm on the topic, it's not the prettiest looking GT3 car. The current gen. doesn't look great either but it's still pretty cool.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Perhaps I've been mistaken and correct me if I'm wrong but I thought manufacturers were outlawed from homologating "evolution" models? I'm Referring to the GT3 counterpart of the GT-R NISMO, which debuted this year and is now getting an update for 2015.

EDIT: Nevermind. Just realised it was only testing this year. And while I'm on the topic, it's not the prettiest looking GT3 car. The current gen. doesn't look great either but it's still pretty cool.

It just means an update.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Yeah, that's what I meant. Either way my point is completely moot now that I've realised the current GT3 car is not based off of the NISMO. I only just woke up half an hour ago, after all.

 

[Jav]

NSX program dead? Do they have a source, or are they just guessing?

Not surprised one bit... Honda has become such female cats! No soul left in that company, not a single car I'd own in their entire line up and the saddest part is that I sell the dam things for a living!!!

 

[Snaeper]

Aye, the current GT-R has always included NISMO in it's name. Unclear if they'll change the name now that it's based off of the actual Nismo GT-R.

 

[05XR8]

Not surprised one bit... Honda has become such female cats! No soul left in that company, not a single car I'd own in their entire line up and the saddest part is that I sell the dam things for a living!!!

Hopefully F1, Super GT and the NSX road car are the right sparks for a few driver focused road cars.

 

[Jav]

Hopefully F1, Super GT and the NSX road car are the right sparks for a few driver focused road cars.

Lane Departure Warning, Front Collision Warning, Lane Watch, Pandora Radio Interface, Hondalink Touch Screens(apple Carplay), Frontal Collision Mitigation System, Earth Dreams Technology CVTs, blah blah blah... Yeah, I can definitely see the kind of driver focus they are going after!
The Honda I love so much, the Honda from the 80s, 90s and early 00s is long gone, dead and buried deep in the ground!
Thank you Subaru for stepping up in the US and giving us decent cars to love!

 

[05XR8]

Lane Departure Warning, Front Collision Warning, Lane Watch, Pandora Radio Interface, Hondalink Touch Screens(apple Carplay), Frontal Collision Mitigation System, Earth Dreams Technology CVTs, blah blah blah... Yeah, I can definitely see the kind of driver focus they are going after!
The Honda I love so much, the Honda from the 80s, 90s and early 00s is long gone, dead and buried deep in the ground!
Thank you Subaru for stepping up in the US and giving us decent cars to love!

"Where no one will ever, ever, ever, ever fiiiiind them..." I see. I owned an '01 Accord LX 5-speed, '04 EP3 Si and '05 Odyssey EX-L(holding down the unlock button and watching all the windows and sunroof open, were about as hi-tech as it got for me). I loved my Hondas. I made sure I had my fun with them. Hindsight, keeping my '88 GLi 16V w/VR6 Conversion and buying the S2000 would have been the better plan.

Well, the last Type-Rs were sold here in Australia. I haven't heard word of the new one coming here just yet.

Truth, I'm working for Ford now, after a year with Subaru/STi. I kind of paid them no mind once McLaren, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, BMW and Land Rover service set up shop in the building.

Baaaaaaack on topic So, are Calloway going to race their own C7 GT3? Are Corvette Racing still in the GT3 program? The CTS V ran in World Challenge with other Corvettes. Do GM see the ATS-V.R as still developing in its first year in GT3 versus the C7?

 

[Mt. Lynx]

The C6 gen GT3:s were also Callaway built. Don't think any of'em raced stateside.

 

[Jav]

Callaway could race their Vettes here if they wanted, they just can't sell them here. I wish Pratt & Miller would sell a GT-3 variant of the C7.R to customer teams...

 

[Snaeper]

Baaaaaaack on topic So, are Calloway going to race their own C7 GT3? Are Corvette Racing still in the GT3 program? The CTS V ran in World Challenge with other Corvettes. Do GM see the ATS-V.R as still developing in its first year in GT3 versus the C7?

Corvette Racing was never planning on GT3. Pratt & Miller will be, though, with the Cadillac ATS-V.R, and the CTS-V ran as a Manufacturer-only program against privately built, ran and sold Corvette's.

The ATS-V.R will be much farther along or as far along as the C7 will be in terms of development.

Callaway could race their Vettes here if they wanted, they just can't sell them here. I wish Pratt & Miller would sell a GT-3 variant of the C7.R to customer teams...

Most often, the only reason European teams come over here to race is due to a sponsor commitment or to show teams their cars so they can sell them. Reiter Engineering in PWC and OAK's LMP2 in TUSC are examples of this. They wanted to sell cars here, so they came and raced them to show off what they could do. If Callaway isn't able to sell cars, then the only thing that they'd do by racing over here is piss off GM if they came and beat the Cadillac. Poking the bear with a stick isn't always a good idea when your business requires their approval to continue operating. As Mt. Lynx stated, the C6 Callaway's existed and raced for years over in Europe and never came stateside, I don't see that changing.

And while I wont say it'll never happen, the chances of a Pratt & Miller Corvette GT3 are pretty much zero for now as long as the Cadillac program is alive.

 

[Snaeper]

Different topic:

Was browsing YouTube and found a pair of videos uploaded by the same user only two months ago.





The most fascinating clue was the Red White and Black GranTurismo on the lift in the background of the Rollout video. Looks like Swiss Team is planning on making a return with a new Maserati to GT3 racing having been fairly quiet the last year or two after it's debut season. You can also see Swiss Team's current Maserati Trofeo driver getting behind the wheel, which would further verify how recent these videos are.

 

[05XR8]

The C6 gen GT3:s were also Callaway built. Don't think any of'em raced stateside.

Yes, now I remember this from a Top Gear magazine write up of the GT3 Series back when GT3 started.

Pratt & Miller running the ATS-V.R smells like a championship on debut. The car has to come to the 2016 Bathurst 12H. Get Ollie Gavin, Craig Lowndes(if the V8SC test day doesn't clash) and they need an unranked driver to fill the last slot. Maybe Russell Ingall, as he just retired.

 

[Brutaka]

The top PWC teams of 2015 may be invited to the BSS Baku race: http://www.motorsport.com/pwc/news/pwc-teams-will-get-chance-to-compete-in-bss-finale-in-baku

 

[Snaeper]

That's awesome, I really hope that Baku World Challenge grows into a GT World Cup of sorts.

I really hope Cadillac does a good job to show up and represent the US with more than just drivers and teams.

 

[05XR8]

Australian GT driver Tony Alford has purchased a MARC Focus V8 for the new season.

The Queensland-based businessman is a keen racer having contested the last three Bathurst 12 Hour endurance races alongside campaigns in the Australian GT Championship.

Initially the Ryan McLeod built car will stay in Australia and see domestic competition while Alford will join MARC’s driver line-up in one of three European based cars in the Creventic International Endurance Series.

Alford will join up with MARC squad for next week’s season opening Dubai 24 Hour endurance race held at the Dubai Autodrome.

The managing director of Retail Food Group Limited is no stranger to the event having tasted an A1 class victory in 2007.

“I have maintained a watching brief on the MARC Cars project since Ryan (McLeod) started it mid last year,” said Alford.

“I’ve been impressed with the performance and reliability of the vehicles initial outing in the 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour and subsequently throughout the entire European long distance racing program

“Ryan has developed a very competent and robust package, even during the initial shakedown the car was faultless, rewarding to drive and clearly very capable of long distance reliability.

“We are very pleased to be part of the national and international MARC team and to make a long term commitment to the endurance program.”

Alford’s Focus V8 could see action in the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series this season following the creation of a new bespoke class for the MARC built V8 touring cars.

 

[05XR8]

http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/01/02/vanthoor-bathurst-ideal-fia-gt3-world-cup/2014

Blancpain Endurance Series champion Laurens Vanthoor says the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour has grown enough to host the proposed FIA GT3 World Cup.

The FIA first discussed plans to introduce an FIA GT3 World Cup race in 2013 with the world motorsport governing body now seeking candidates to organise and promote the series at December’s World MotorSport Council meeting in Doha.

Blancpain boss Stephane Ratel confirmed earlier last year that he would be keen to promote a GT3 World Cup alongside his popular European series. Early indications suggest the race would likely take place between December and February.

While the new series and its format are far from confirmed, Vanthoor, regarded as one of the best GT3 drivers in the world, believes the Bathurst 12 Hour event and the challenging Mount Panorama circuit would be a perfect fit for the FIA GT3 World Cup.

The 23-year-old Belgian has been a long time admirer of the 6.2km circuit before making his debut at last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, where he helped Phoenix Racing to fifth overall.

Vanthoor is set to return to the event on February 7-8 as part of a two car Phoenix Racing Audi R8 assault on the race.

“For sure if you could put the Bathurst 12 Hour in as part of a championship, that would be really nice,” Vanthoor told Speedcafe.com.

“I know SRO are planning to do some sort of World Finals race next year or the year after and it would be pretty cool for that to happen at Bathurst.

“I think the guys that are quick at this track would easily prove that they are the best in the world.”

With 30 GT3 cars from across the world set to take part in this year’s edition, Vanthoor feels the event could attract even more international teams and marques if the race reverted to a 24 hour format.

Mount Panorama hosted a 24 hour race in 2002 and 2003 with both events won by Garry Rogers Motorsport’s Holden Monaros.

“If you make it a 24 hour I think the race would grow to become even bigger than it already is,” added Vanthoor.

“I reckon more works teams would join in. It would make the race even more interesting for the teams and the manufacturers.”

Despite the race’s recent growth, Bathurst 12 Hour organisers have downplayed the prospect of the event joining an international series.

However, event director James O’Brien has not completely ruled out the possibility of a format change in the future.

“Right now it’s not on the agenda. Who knows what could happen in the future, but it’s not an objective or even a goal to move to 24 Hours,” he told Speedcafe.com.

 

[05XR8]

Former Formula 1 driver Andrea Montermini will join Tony Defelice and Renato Loberto at Vicious Rumour Racing for February’s Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

The 50-year-old veteran will bring a wealth of experience to the Australian Ferrari 458 squad having contested 20 grands prix with Simtek, Forti and Pacific teams, before enjoying a successful career in sportscars.

Since switching to sportcars, the Italian has competed at the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours, while claiming titles in the Italian GT Championship and the International GT Open Series, behind the wheel of Ferrari machinery.

Montermini is also no stranger to Mount Panorama having contested the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour alongside David Brabham in BE Racing’s Ferrari 360GT.

However, his arrival at Vicious Rumour Racing has scuppered V8 Supercar driver Dean Canto’s Bathurst 12 Hour plans as the South Australian had been hoping to retain his seat at the team after last year’s shortened Bathurst 12 Hour assault.

As a result of the late shuffle, the two-time V8 Supercars Development Series winner is again facing another year with limited miles before racing in the Pirtek Enduro Cup with David Reynolds.

“Last year we didn’t get to participate but the three practice laps I did were pretty exhilarating and I was looking forward to returning,” Canto told Speedcafe.com of the 12 Hour.

“I was pretty pumped to be doing it again but after a few late changes in the team it’s not to be now.

“Unfortunately at this late stage it’s getting tight for available drives in a competitive car.”

After witnessing the team’s retirement after first practice at last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, regular driver Loberto is hoping for a much more positive run on February 7-8.

“It will be great to return to this event after an unfortunate accident in Practice 1 ruled us out of the event before I even sat in the car this year,” said Loberto.

“It has been a lot of fun campaigning the Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO with great success in selected rounds of the Australian GT Championship, and working on the various GT test & development programmes throughout 2014; and once again joining the VRR team for B12Hr is going to start 2015 off on a high.

“I believe the Bathurst 12 Hour is the best race in Australia, and the ever-growing field of high quality cars and drivers from abroad is evidence of this.”

 

[Snaeper]

While I'm not an author that does a great deal of posting on the internet, I can't say that resposting an entire story without even linking to the article is a good idea.

In the future, I'd just quote a few select points and leave a link to the page you got it from so that the website gets a click for something they posted.