ALMS Rnd 10: Belle Isle 31 Aug-1 Sep 2007

[The359]

Originally Posted by Zurbert82

Blown engine in practice but they didn't have a spare. They were 15 seconds off the pace and didn't break 1:40 all weekend, but it would have been nice to see them out there.

They could have had a nice fight with the Bondo-looking Viper.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by 1969MGCGTdriver

so exactly how much did Porche pay for this years championship?

Speculating on factory budgets is somewhat hazardous. I would guess that Porsche has spent somewhere between $10 and $25 million on this years car though, including running budget. Suggestions that money is being spent in less honourable places is baseless, and tasteless.

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Speculating on factory budgets is somewhat hazardous. I would guess that Porsche has spent somewhere between $10 and $25 million on this years car though, including running budget. Suggestions that money is being spent in less honourable places is baseless, and tasteless.

Couldn't have put it better myself. They spent enough to come up with a winning car, arguably the best in the series this year. That's clearly enough. They don't have to do anything underhanded in such a case.

[1969MGCGTdriver]

i wasn't suggesting anything underhanded, they are merely benefitting from a crap rules decision by IMSA. I thought this was LMP2 not LMP675. But anyway I was just curious as to how much they threw at the racing budget. Hopefully this is Audi's wake-up call and they come out next season ready to play ball. Any idea what Acura is spending?

[Zurbert82]

Originally Posted by 1969MGCGTdriver

i wasn't suggesting anything underhanded, they are merely benefitting from a crap rules decision by IMSA. I thought this was LMP2 not LMP675. But anyway I was just curious as to how much they threw at the racing budget. Hopefully this is Audi's wake-up call and they come out next season ready to play ball. Any idea what Acura is spending?

The ACO came up with the new LMP2 rules, not IMSA. The only rule break provided by IMSA was the reluctancy to adapt the 5% restricor increase this year for the first 6 races. http://www.imsaracing.net/2007/alms/...in%2007-15.pdf Now that the non turbo LMP2's have the restrictor increase they are still very competitive and proof of the fact that Porsche and to some extent Acura have built an exceptional rules conforming car. Keep in mind that these LMP2s would be blown away at Le Mans..

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by Zurbert82

The ACO came up with the new LMP2 rules, not IMSA. The only rule break provided by IMSA was the reluctancy to adapt the 5% restricor increase this year for the first 6 races. http://www.imsaracing.net/2007/alms/...in%2007-15.pdf Now that the non turbo LMP2's have the restrictor increase they are still very competitive and proof of the fact that Porsche and to some extent Acura have built an exceptional rules conforming car. Keep in mind that these LMP2s would be blown away at Le Mans..

Precisely. It's easy to forget that the Audi R10 was ruthlessly built with only one particular circuit in mind, and whilst the Porsche and Acura cars are likely to beat fellow P2 outfits such as RML without too much fuss, neither of them has yet tried their luck against a diesel at La Sarthe. I don't know about the P2's, but I'd generally say with confidence that the R10 doesn't get near it's full potential on any of the ALMS circuits.

[barumba]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Precisely. It's easy to forget that the Audi R10 was ruthlessly built with only one particular circuit in mind, and whilst the Porsche and Acura cars are likely to beat fellow P2 outfits such as RML without too much fuss, neither of them has yet tried their luck against a diesel at La Sarthe. I don't know about the P2's, but I'd generally say with confidence that the R10 doesn't get near it's full potential on any of the ALMS circuits.

Mosport is one ALMS track that the R10 should run in front, and have proven as such two years running. This year's result was a matter of bad luck, not bad design (for the track).

[dj4monie]

The race was very good and entertaining, so's the Champ Car race from Assen... which is what I recorded this morning...

LMES would love to have a cracker of a season like this, victory is doubt until the checker waves. Audi has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory for sure. Save for triumphs at Sebring and Le Mans and proving the car win on a street course, they have been blundered by yellow flags, making contact with GT2 cars and the ultra rare mechanical gremlin@Mosport.

Here they just got flat BEAT. That's why Pirro wasn't too upset, he was beat fair and square and I wouldn't be so sure Dumas couldn't have passed McNish you guys tend to give him a bit too much credit. He is fast, but with equal cars I bet Dumas could keep contact with him...

GT2 was its usual self, good racing for 2nd cause Salo/Melo set sail and are never to be caught unless they pitch it off the road or Enge punts them. Petrerson will be better when they have a stable driver line up next season and they will challenge. They are fast, the drivers don't have enough ALMS experience.

I really hope we get a full effort from Dodge in GT2 with the Viper. Its already approved for FIA GT2 competition and I'm sure its okay for ACO GT2 as well.

2 races to go, several weeks until Petit... I'm sure we'll have plenty to report come race weekend as the push for next season has already started.

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by dj4monie

Its already approved for FIA GT2 competition and I'm sure its okay for ACO GT2 as well.

erm... When did that happen, then? Or have I been asleep? (let's face it, if it's the latter then it won't be the first time hehe )

[dj4monie]

You've been asleep...

After a few one-off entries in the Spa 24 Hours, from 2006, the Viper Competition Coupe raced in Europe fulltime for the first time, joining the new FIA GT3 European Championship with the Italian team Racing Box. At the end of the year, Oreca announced the development of a package transforming the car to GT2 regulations in national championships.

There enough of them out there, you make them run a big restrictor for limiting output but torque would still be huge. They were some 10 seconds off the pace at Mid Ohio and Bele Isle, but I wouldn't read too much into that.

The Panoz was dead slow when Hypersports was doing the early R&D work...

[The359]

That just says eligible for national series. It doesn't say FIA GT2 approved.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

erm... When did that happen, then? Or have I been asleep? (let's face it, if it's the latter then it won't be the first time hehe )

No I don't think you've been asleep. There is still not a Viper Comp Coupe homologated in FIA GT-2 or GT-1 nor is there one in the ACO. There is the FIA GT-3 Viper which may/will move up with the rules/class changes that are proposed. There is the Oreca built Racing Box GT-2 Viper in Intl GT Open.

L.P.