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2 Dec 2013, 13:48 (Ref:3339254) | #3826 | |
Racer
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 312
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Sebring? Have you seen how it looks? chernobyl´s asphalt is better. No accidents doesn´t mean safety. Its all concrete walls and very little run off area. The FIA coudl´t care less of traditional american circuits. Except for the F1 circuits they all are a bunch of crappy asphalt and leveled grass. You know how to tell you are watching regional soccer on tv? It´s easy they are playing on a crappy field with almost no grandstands. You are calling shanghai or Cota not beautifull? No way they are amazingly pretty just because of their edge design and amazing buildings and colors not just grey and green. Haven´t you heard of Hindy talking about how much the drivers loved the esses at COTA???. We are no longer talking about a poor organised championship sir we are talkign about the FIA.
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2 Dec 2013, 14:07 (Ref:3339263) | #3827 | |
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,434
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I have been to Sebring several times---not for the scenery, but for the racing.
I only pointed out that not every Grade One circuit was necessarily beautiful. Furthermore, what does the beauty of a circuit matter, when WEC can race in front of a crowd of .... thousands? More people show up on Wedenesday for Sebrign than on race day at Shanghail, CotA, and Bahrain combined. Of course, at Shanghai they can't see the circuit because of the toxic smog ... but that has nothing to do with racing, that is a separate issue. I did point out, and will again, that the oh-so-precious FIA (widely denounced as a hotbed of corruption, by the way, in the Balestre-Mosley eras in particular) was completely happy to race at Daytona and Sebring for forty and sixty years. Apparently the scenery was not so important. Let us also acknowledge that there are only two Grade-One track in the U.S. ... and yeah, Indy is a really beautiful track with a rich racing history. If CotA can't work out its problems, WEC can race at a lot of other tracks which offer good scenery (which seems to matter more than racing or tradition to some of you) and also tradition and good layouts---I mentioned Road America and Watkins Glen specifically. Further, FIA is apparently considering Road America. Please tell them how stupid they are not to respect FIA. |
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2 Dec 2013, 15:21 (Ref:3339305) | #3828 | |||
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Posts: 4,512
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Quote:
We're overall on the same page... they have to have the support of USCC to make it. |
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2 Dec 2013, 15:33 (Ref:3339311) | #3829 | |||
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,512
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Quote:
Also, grandstands suck. |
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2 Dec 2013, 15:36 (Ref:3339314) | #3830 | |||
Racer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 243
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Quote:
To me the Tilke designed tracks are boring and uninspired. I would rather see the WEC race on the classic tracks even of they have (in your words) crappy asphalt and leveled grass rather than the sanitized F1 tracks. Perfect asphalt with huuuge paved run-offs provide no penalty for stupid or careless driving. |
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2 Dec 2013, 17:49 (Ref:3339375) | #3831 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,569
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http://sportscar365.com/wec/greaves-...-season-entry/
Greaves only gives a 50/50 chance of staying in the WEC, will concentrate on ELMS next year |
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2 Dec 2013, 18:07 (Ref:3339387) | #3832 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,491
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I’m an economist by training, and the John Dagys article on Greaves’ plans highlights an important point: TUSC, WEC, ELMS, and other sports car series are all competing against each other for the limited supply of gentlemen driver dollars out there. Now obviously, each series proves a distinct (unique) set of features (number of races, location, dates, race length, various regulations etc.) but that does not mean that they aren’t to a degree substitutes.
Drivers I’m talking about would include Chris Dyson, Tracy Krohn, Paul Dalla Lana, and David Heinemeier Hansson. And a quote from the Dagys article: Quote:
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2 Dec 2013, 19:35 (Ref:3339415) | #3833 | ||
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Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 2,143
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I think some of us sports car fans are in love with the WEC because it's trying to recreate the wsc.it isn't what it once was, it doesn't represent nothing right now but audis playground.it has the potential to get better,but right now it's not all that great.
to me it doesn't carry any prestige, just because it's a "world championship" doesn't cut it.only two manufactures in the top class with only three cars and one privateer the majority of the season isn't prestigious, Le Mans? That's prestigious. Yes some of the the tracks look nice and have beautiful painted run offs and buildings.but the cars race on the track not under the fancy grand stands or in the pretty run offs.also some of the most beautiful iconic sports car pictures have been taken at sebring and Daytona as the sun is setting not at silverstone or Shanghai. Since the WEC is following the F1 circus and it's tracks, and want spectators in the U.S. Why not race at long beach. f1 runs on street circuits, why not wec?cant boast a world championship prestige without a street race like F1 |
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2 Dec 2013, 20:17 (Ref:3339435) | #3834 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,419
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I think Toyota has come closer than anyone bar Peugeot at taking Audi down (at LeMans). Theyre obviously way down on power and rely on their hybrid to catch a break. We were robbed of a mostly clean LeMans this year with the rain bringing caution after caution. And the untimely death of Simonsen. They at least challenged Audi and have won races against them. Now new rules come in and hopefully makers like Nissan will follow.
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2 Dec 2013, 21:56 (Ref:3339495) | #3835 | ||
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Join Date: May 2013
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I sure hope Nissan can come in full force like Toyota and Porsche.and not trying to over extend the garage 56 program and publicity.
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2 Dec 2013, 23:34 (Ref:3339532) | #3836 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,296
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There are rumours that in exchange for their second G56 entry in 3 years that the ACO asked for a 2015 LMP1 commitment from Nissan. The one that baffles me is Honda. If their two main Japanese rivals are there surely they'll have to come out and play? Apparently their 2014 LMP1 engine solution was based in England and not from HPD in Santa Clarita. Could be nothing or are there things going on behind the scenes?
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3 Dec 2013, 02:46 (Ref:3339571) | #3837 | ||
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Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 1,250
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Quote:
I for one, would find the WEC a lot more interesting if the series ran at circuits with more character and historic significance. One of the things that made the ALMS great, was the tracks that they raced on. |
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3 Dec 2013, 06:39 (Ref:3339620) | #3838 | ||
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Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 770
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I think COTA is the best of the newer F1 tracks and I'd like to see the WEC return there. But I'd also be happy with any of the classic U.S. roadcourses. VIR would be magnificent. Laguna, Rd.Am, Rd. Atl, the Glen.
And I hope they can work things out and have a weekend with IMSA because for me personally, I would pay to travel to see a WEC/IMSA double header anywhere in the U.S. but probably would not go see WEC or IMSA alone (other than Daytona, Sebring, Rd. Atlanta). Maybe WEC could run Lime Rock since they usually have pretty small fields. Or maybe the parking lot of the Moreno Valley Mall. |
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3 Dec 2013, 07:17 (Ref:3339622) | #3839 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,419
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COTA has a cool layout, but the (lack of) scenery is my gripe.
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3 Dec 2013, 07:49 (Ref:3339633) | #3840 | ||
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,484
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I think most would tbh. But FIA just cant understand that. Luckily ACO does and thats why (I hope) LeMans will never be turned into a tilkedrome.
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3 Dec 2013, 08:21 (Ref:3339642) | #3841 | |
Racer
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 495
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If ACO cares about WEC popularity in the USA, may be, first, they should cut some kind of deal for a reasonable TV coverage of all WEC races. Right now we get something like a month delayed one-hour summary of each race. Why would anyone care? At very least, the COTA race should have been broadcasted live and without editing.
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3 Dec 2013, 08:41 (Ref:3339646) | #3842 | ||
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,353
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Make COTA the last race of the season, turn it into a festival and make it an 18 hour race for double points, invite the P and GTE class from TUSCC to join in and let the PC and GT-AM have a support race in the morning, you almost guarantee that most titles will be decided there. you could run the race from 6pm on Saturday until midday on Sunday - give people a reason to bring their RV and camp for the weekend call it the Texan Le Mans or some other catchy brand. ALMS proved you can create a classic from scratch with PLM so why not do it again
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3 Dec 2013, 11:41 (Ref:3339690) | #3843 | |
Racer
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 239
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I still believe 8 races on the calendar are too few. Hard to gain interest when the casual fan forgets about a series. WEC needs a race earlier in the year and another race in Europe after Le Mans. They need to find a good support race to share the weekend with as well. Maybe touring cars?
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3 Dec 2013, 12:36 (Ref:3339699) | #3844 | |||
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 798
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Quote:
Please note I don't think the race lenght is very important in it self but it's an easy and clear way of making the event stand out from the "gray mass" that's the calender ATM. |
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3 Dec 2013, 13:00 (Ref:3339712) | #3845 | ||
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,396
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Ye gods! €800,000 for a customer 991. But at least there could be a few more out there.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111700 |
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3 Dec 2013, 16:45 (Ref:3339790) | #3846 | ||
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,042
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And that's why we call GT3 'cheap'! Everything's relative...
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Eat Sportscars Sleep Sportscars Drink Gulf |
3 Dec 2013, 18:22 (Ref:3339814) | #3847 | |||
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,946
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Quote:
Right now the ENTIRE calendar (except Le Mans) is six-hour races. It sort of feels like watching the same race over and over, even if the outcome is different. |
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3 Dec 2013, 18:28 (Ref:3339819) | #3848 | |||
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,296
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Quote:
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3 Dec 2013, 18:46 (Ref:3339827) | #3849 | |
Racer
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 312
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The series needs more causal fans (coming soon). The public from F1 is used to racing in these prestine tracks. If these formula one guys, or Moto GP guys catch a bit of WEC racing in the conditions that Road America might provide, (little grandstands, old asphalt) they will not want to know what is this that they are watching. It is hard to get this in the head of mostly americans in this thread (no offense intended, God bless the USA). If you go over to the F1 threads it is mostly europeans. They couldn´t care less about...hmmm... say Corvette Racing for example. There are many drivers in the WEC right know that are ex formula one drivers. They raced covered in cotton and will definetly not enjoy bumpy tracks. Remember while the ACO might enjoy these american tracks the FIA is now in control and their partnership with the ACO is mostly due to the fact that they own La Sarthe. I am sure Montreal is in their head prior to these tracks.
Remember that even though mulsanne´s straight asphalt was not that bad, it got new paviment last year. Plus if the series eventually seriously grows circuits like Road America would need more grandstands. |
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3 Dec 2013, 20:08 (Ref:3339859) | #3850 | ||
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,873
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That's an interesting point of view to say the least. I'm not sure there's much of a correlation between bumpiness of circuits and the participation of ex-Formula One drivers and the attention of casual viewers.
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