The Realistic Photo Thread (READ OP BEFORE POSTING)

NBDESIGNZ · Feb 28, 2014

LJ12
Beautiful and jawdropping pictures as always, NB! But what color did you use on the ONE-77? Would love to paint mine in that colour.

Thanks buddy! The paint is "METALLIC Brown" but I didn't remember where it's from.

LJ12 · Feb 28, 2014

NBDESIGNZ
Thanks buddy! The paint is "METALLIC Brown" but I didn't remember where it's from.

Ok, I'll check it out. Thanks for the tip!

StrayShadow · Feb 28, 2014

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strayshadow_racing/12786808313/

}:^{>

bxlunltd · Feb 28, 2014

Thanks for watching

Metalsun · Feb 28, 2014

Ferrari 458 GT3 2014 24 Hours of Daytona by Metalsun1, on Flickr

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is an effort to unify various series and its inaugural event was at the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona a few weeks ago. Wow, did it work! The cars were well balanced and there was great racing. Usually in endurance races, there is a mad dash for position for the first few hours, a long “don’t screw-up, break or hit anything” stint and the final push for the podium the last few hours. Winners usually win by laps. Not here, of the 4 racing categories, 3 were fighting it out on the final lap! Through the great effort of the Level 5 Motorsports drivers, the #555 Ferrari 458 GT3 got to the flag first. Only to be time-penalized and striped of the win because of a controversial move with the #45 Flying Lizards Motorsports Audi R8 LMS at turn 4 in the final lap. Eventually, racing trumped controversy and Level 5 Motorsports was awarded the win three hours later in the GTD category. The first Ferrari win at Daytona in 16 years.
UPDATE: After Level 5 retired from the Tudor Championship, drivers Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell moved to and raced the 555 for AIM Autosport. So, this past weekend in the 2014 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, they got a 2nd place podium finish. This time, 6 cars in the lead lap for GTD!
Update 2: After 8 races into the series the #555 AIM Autosport (now with a modified livery) still leads in in the GTD championship by 2 points.

Amac500 · Feb 28, 2014

Metalsun
Ferrari 458 GT3 2014 24 Hours of Daytona by Metalsun1, on Flickr

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is an effort to unify various series and its inaugural event was at the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona a few weeks ago. Wow, did it work! The cars were well balanced and there was great racing. Usually in endurance races, there is a mad dash for position for the first few hours, a long “don’t screw-up, break or hit anything” stint and the final push for the podium the last few hours. Winners usually win by laps. Not here, of the 4 racing categories, 3 were fighting it out on the final lap! Through the great effort of the Level 5 Motorsports drivers, the #555 Ferrari 458 GT3 got to the flag first. Only to be time-penalized and striped of the win because of a controversial move with the #45 Flying Lizards Motorsports Audi R8 LMS at turn 4 in the final lap. Eventually, racing trumped controversy and Level 5 Motorsports was awarded the win a few days later in the GTD category. The first Ferrari win at Daytona in 16 years.

Well I would argue that the cars were not at all well balanced as LMP2 cars didn't have a prayer to keep up with the DP's and the GTD cars were quicker than the LMPC cars in a straight line, yet LMPC cars turned quicker lap times, so closing rates were a bit of a mess. The situation to create the finish was upsetting to because they invented a full-course caution for a car that left no debris on track, was never in the way, and never stopped moving, while all race long they wouldn't throw cautions for far worse, like cars parked in the racing line of the bus stop. :confused:

Also, it didn't take days to reverse the call, they gave the win to the 555 just a couple hours after the race and on the same day. The whole situation made my skin crawl though because everything about it screamed publicity stunt and it was a huge black eye on an otherwise great race. But the edit is really nice, lol! :cheers:

Metalsun · Mar 1, 2014

Amac500
...so closing rates were a bit of a mess. ...it didn't take days to reverse the call, they gave the win to the 555 just a couple hours

Amac500, that's true, but closing rates are always like that in mixed-class racing. The BMW Z4 GTE looked like it didn't have a chance, even before the race. It was no contest in straight line speed yet it finished 2nd in GTLM, racing the Porsche 911 RSR to the same final lap. Something was balanced, some are good at one thing others at something else.
I stand corrected, IMSA released the statement 3 hours later.

rywar40 · Mar 1, 2014

Amac500 · Mar 1, 2014

Metalsun
Amac500, that's true, but closing rates are always like that in mixed-class racing. The BMW Z4 GTE looked like it didn't have a chance, even before the race. It was no contest in straight line speed yet it finished 2nd in GTLM, racing the Porsche 911 RSR to the same final lap. Something was balanced, some are good at one thing others at something else.
I stand corrected, IMSA released the statement 3 hours later.

Well the Z4 ended up on podium from their reliability mostly. As cars dropped out and had problems during the race, like the fast Vipers and Corvettes and 911s, the Z4 had a very clean race and ended up getting a shot at the 911 in the traffic after that fake full course caution, that was just the most bizarre inconsistent yellow. But yeah, the Z4's were impressive and they are expected to be better on the twisty tracks, so they gotta be a big favorite going forward. The imbalance I do think is a bit of an issue, just because of who's catching who where. The PC cars are suppose to be the 2nd tier class, and the 4th tier class was quicker than them in the straights and such, I think they got it as close as they could but its definitely something they'll be trying to level in the coming years, because it can be a safety hazard, and if I've learned one thing from watch the DeltaWing in at Petit Le Mans, it's that.

A major factor of the close finishes at the end of 24 hours though is also the problematic free-pass rule, where under the safety car periods cars are able to make up a lap based on their position relative to their class leader, which has just caused a mess at the Rolex 24 since it's conception in 2012 I think it was. One of the RocketSport PC cars got majorly hosed early in the race because it happened to have a 1 lap lead in class because of how a safety car fell, and race control said they took a free pass when they shouldn't have, which was incorrect but they penalized them anyways. There was controversy in 2012 because some thought the GT winning Magnus Racing car had taken free passes it shouldn't have. I think that rule has to go frankly, it's just doesn't have a place, too much confusion in officiating. But yeah, probably getting outside of photomode forum domain now, but anyways, your edit was nice! I only wish PD would get a contract for the new unified series!