Quote:
Originally Posted by Danathar
Yup, totally agree.
The freaking HUGE bill they forced on the DP field really hurt..bad. All in the name of making sure DP's could fight for overall wins...and also because they had to keep them significantly in front of GTLM.
In retrospect it WOULD of been a MUCH better thing to have the DP's fight it out with LMPC or even be their own class but politically that was not going to happen given the whole reason why GM made a DP corvette was so they could fight for overall wins.
It's rather funny really. GM And Ford want a manufacturer supported prototype class but are unwilling to play in LMP1, so they are keen on changing the lower prototype classes to accommodate them (DP and now P2 probably based on what team corvette said recently).
Really, they need to suck it up and step up to LMP1. GM can make a branded looking Corvette prototype in P1, Ford can do a TRUE ecoboost car in P1 if they want. And with those two committed to P1 you could have a P1 class in Tudor in addition to opportunities for WEC races.
|
GM and Ford are CAPABLE of fielding a legitimate P1 effort, but both of them are spending most of their money on NASCAR. I read an article a few years ago about a big closed door meeting between Ford, GM, Toyota and perhaps Dodge with NASCAR. An un-named executive from one of the manufacturer's reported said that the huge amount of money spent on their NASCAR program was essentially an expensive promotional campaign for PERSONALITIES rather than for anything that was relevant in any way to their street cars. This meeting did result in more brand-unique bodywork and incorporating fuel injection (I think), but there's still nothing in NASCAR that Ford or GM can point to as an example of their engineering prowess. About all they can say is Driver X drives a Ford or Chevy.
I get the impression that it's a case of "that's the way we've always done it" mentality with Ford and GM's management. Ford and GM are both global companies. My uneducated guess is that the ROI would be higher for a Ford or GM overall win at Le Mans, particularly if it showcased a technology made it's way to their street cars. No one outside of the US really cares about the Sprint Cup champion and even NASCAR fans are, for the most part, more excited that their DRIVER won as opposed to Ford, Chevy, or Toyota's engineering excellence. (I'm not sure the old Ford vs. Chevy rivalry is as strong as it once was with NASCAR fans.) My fervent wish is for Ford or GM to get involved with P1 before they decide that racing of any sort isn't worth the money invested. I doubt that will actually happen, though.