[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Salamus

You're right, nobody knows what will really benefit until they try. But I don't think shorter races will work for two reasons: 1) WEC is all about endurance, 6+ hour races, 2) I don't think teams want to travel the world and do 3 hour races.

Like I said before, I agree that it would be interesting if they had an 8, 10, or 12 hour race. Depending on what track they do it on, it would be a great addition to the schedule.

WTCC teams travel around the world - in a way more extensively too - for double 60km races...

WEC (should be called WSC) is all about endurance because it's constructed as so. Anyway, let's just say that the 6h distance for regular races was retained, fine - but you could still have a couple of races that were "sprints" (2 to 4h) there in between somewhere. Like the suggested Norisring sprint here. You could have the 24h, 12 or 10 mini enduro, pack of 6 hours plus one or two shorter events. Variety, something.

Yes. Having the same races and building on these events will strengthen the entire championship. And if they can expand the schedule and add a couple more races, then we can have a solid schedule. Montreal, if it happens, would be a great addition.

But if we're talking of stability and keeping the costs at bay, surely it's more important to retain the number of races around 8 even if it means different venues/countries, rather than expand it beyond that number?

Also how much can you build on Bahrain 6 Hours? I mean I know that one is there literally because of the cash being offered (someone's been reading Uncle Bernard's Business Secrets 101) but is there not a better alternative anywhere?

I guess with China it's an important market place (for the factories, not privateers though) and Shanghai is the only Grade 1 track in there - knowing their obsession - so no secret why it's chosen.

Interlagos is the only Grade 1 track in South America so it's understandable - again if they can only race on those for some reason - but there is no reason whatsoever why Cota should remain on the most important market places of them all, particularly if they get crap crowd again. The people ain't magically gonna come there even if you keep on "building the event" for the next five years.

I guess I'm fine with the European ones and Fuji, even if I don't like the tracks...

Pre-qualifying eliminations are even scarier. You allow teams to come to the event and then don't let them race...this isn't 1985 anymore.

Not fast enough = no race. Up until the turn of the century Le Mans itself had the same exact ideology with the Test Day - you weren't fast enough, get out! And frankly, that might've been harsh but it ensured quality.

Even Marshall Pruett was suggesting these eliminations for USCC last year.

In principle it's the same thing as with the (pro am element of) P2, GTE-AM and P1-L today - everybody is given trophies for turning up today.

Anyway, again, that was just aimed for the actual filler class of ELMS, not the ACO categories.

I don't think auto invites are that important. The best teams are going to Le Mans anyway.

If such statement was true anybody couldn't be able to buy themselves a grid position at Le Mans like you are right now with WEC, in the expense of someone else good not getting in. In the past years we've had many great teams, factory or near factories left out to the reserves.

The overwhelming majority of racing from the 60's, 70's, and 80's were 6 Hours or 1000 km. The big events (Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans) were longer.

From 1968 to 1988, only 27 races were less than 1000 km or 6 hours. That's only 12% of the races (27/225). You refer to 1989 and the seasons afterwards but fail to mention that those were standardized distances as well! The distances were just shorter.

The standardization of the current schedule isn't a big deal. It's been like this since the beginning of the LMS.

BTW the first year with sole 6H/1000 km races was 1974.

During the history of WSC most of them were 1000km/6h, yes I never disagreed with that, however not all of them.

Another point is that even though Daytona and Sebring etc bigger events were not part of the World Sportscar Championship every single year and certainly not in the final years, your primary categories were still able to participate for those races. Even during those 89-92 years which had standardized 480km distances (which I'd prefer anyway). Now not only are none of them present, but LMP1s can't even race on them!

You are right of the standardization of the modern day ACO races. With the exception of few (Mil Milhas 2007, Okayama 500+500km, Paul Ricard 8h 2010) it was pretty much 1000km every season for the European and Asian races. However with the ILMC they did break the chain and incorporate different distances.

I've said it before but in my mind the 2011 ILMC season is closer to real world sportscar championship than any of the WEC ones. Not only did you have the "classics" and races held on right market areas with heavy focus on Europe and North America, there was also the grid integration with the regional series to make big fantastic grids that helped both the world and regional series. ILMC was fabulous.

You've mentioned championships that don't have standard distances. If I wanted, I could list a ton of championships that do have standard distances.

Didn't you say before "every championship in the world has a standard distance outside of its big events."? So please tell me again what did I do wrong in listing those few series

Sure you could list a ton of series with standard distances, but so could I with non standard distances. And in the history of sportscar racing there are more cases of non-standardization than standardization.

A 20 year gap between seasons is very unhealthy for a championship. Almost nobody today besides sportscar fans know of the WSC. The point you are trying to make here has no merit. The WEC started in 2012, it's going into its 4th season and it's a very young championship.

Again, I didn't say it was the same championship, but it is still the 43rd season of world championship for sportscars, not the 3rd. So Le Mans isn't 80+ years ahead as you said.

Besides, if nobody but diehard fans remember the old WSC in 2014, doesn't that just further prove the previous point of mine that events have always been more important than championships in sportsar racing? Let's say this series continues to run with Le Mans and the "some other rounds" for the next five years and then suddenly dies (let's just say it does). Then for years there are zillions of other series going around while the big events like LM and Petit and Sebring and N24 and others keep going. By 2040, how many are going to remember this series ever existed? Nobody but the diehard fans. They will remember the big events though - which the series is again lacking.

If LMP1 hadn't been banned from literally every event in the world except these 8 races, I could be more lenient on this. But if in 2040 someone wants to remember those epic Audi vs Porsche vs Toyota vs Nissan battles, all they are gonna remember is Le Mans and maybe some other things somewhere that were used as preparation for Le Mans.