Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMightyM
Random thoughts:
1. Cost containment matters a lot if the series is going to expand to nine or even 10 races. The WEC needs P2 and GTE-Am entries to keep the grid large enough. Yet P2 and GTE-Am teams have two options of getting to Le Mans: The WEC or ELMS. The longer the WEC schedule becomes (and thus more costly and time consuming for the amateur drivers cover a big portion of the costs), the greater the tendency for some teams to go to the ELMS instead
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But as long as you can buy yourself garage spots at Le Mans with WEC participation, it automatically means that it's the preferred option over regionals
If LMP1 Non Hybrid was allowed in ELMS and those teams would choose it instead of WEC, that'd be different because ACO would still 100% grant them LM entries in this day and age, but alas, that's not the case. LMP2 team running in regionals has like 75-90% chance of getting in (with one car, second lower), and non-factory/non-AFCorse GTE 50-75% I'd say (--).
This year the amateur Oak entry seems to have given up immediately post-LM, which tells where their priorities are just like with many teams folding after June, but obviously ACO isn't going to punish them because of the connections and being the future $$$ supplier