ALMS 2011 Discussion

[smcorolla]

Wow, thanks for posting that!
13 P1's and an incredible GT field.

Wouldn't be shocked if there are some withdrawls, but maybe some additions too
Can't wait!

Glad I got my hotel early!

Rick

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

http://imsaracing.net/2011/events/pe...20Schedule.pdf

Scrutineering list for PLM, in effect the entry list.

Concerning numbers:
912 = Autocon
963 = Genoa (I)
962 = Risi



Level 5 has 055 which corresponds with Sebring where all the ALMS runners run with a zero in front of their regular seasonal numbers. Mistype then?

[Speed-King]

962 on a Ferrari.... that's just wrong!

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by smcorolla

Wow, thanks for posting that!
13 P1's and an incredible GT field.

Wouldn't be shocked if there are some withdrawls, but maybe some additions too
Can't wait!

Glad I got my hotel early!

Rick

There will not be any additions. This is the 60 "invited" list, from which 53 will make the race.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by AndrewF31

It's amazing how Monaco is grade 1 and then you have so many tracks I'd consider better and safer behind it, like:

- Road America - 2
- Jerez - 2+1T
- Portimão - 2+1T
- Navarra - 2+1T
- Lagune Seca - 2 (minus the 'minor' jump of the corkscrew, but if monaco is 1, the jump ain't anything!)

I don't know I'd want to put an F1 car around Road America as it is today. Those things are bloody quick. But in principle I agree.

[gregtummer]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

I don't know I'd want to put an F1 car around Road America as it is today. Those things are bloody quick. But in principle I agree.

The question always has been, can an F1 car lap Road America under 1:30?

It would be very close.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Concerning numbers:
912 = Autocon
963 = Genoa (I)
962 = Risi



Level 5 has 055 which corresponds with Sebring where all the ALMS runners run with a zero in front of their regular seasonal numbers. Mistype then?

Autocon has 9 in front of their regular 12 because Rebellion uses #12 in ILMC. #62 is for CRS and #63 for Proton, so Genoa and Risi had to change numbers too. ILMC takes priority apparently...

However it would've indeed been less confusing if the just added "0" instead of 9 like at Sebring

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgRS

As much as I can understand the motivation behind wanting the Challenge classes removed from the ALMS proper, as they are spec, I would seriously disagree that the 'right' move by the ALMS would be to boot out season-long, regular series entries in exchange for more ILMC entries.

This sounds like the asinine style of moves that caused screwed Big Bill France, making him decided to give John Bishop seed money to start the IMSA.

In that case it was removing the SCCA championships from Daytona without even bothering to tell Bill.

As they say, what goes around, comes around.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

I don't know I'd want to put an F1 car around Road America as it is today. Those things are bloody quick. But in principle I agree.

I thought racing was about getting the most out of a vehicle regardless of the circumstances.

It is sad when racing becomes dumbing down to the lowest common denominator rather than make the drivers rise to the highest standards.

I loved it back when Talledega was deemed to fast for the tires and Bill France said: "The gas pedal goes both ways."

Oh well, I guess Formula One now determines the world metro-sexual world championship.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Autocon has 9 in front of their regular 12 because Rebellion uses #12 in ILMC. #62 is for CRS and #63 for Proton, so Genoa and Risi had to change numbers too. ILMC takes priority apparently...

However it would've indeed been less confusing if the just added "0" instead of 9 like at Sebring

Bizarre...I understand the problem of there being a few number conflicts between the full-season ALMS and ILMC entries, but as we'd got a workable solution at Sebring, why take the trouble of inventing another different one for PLM....?

[AGD]

Originally Posted by KA

Bizarre...I understand the problem of there being a few number conflicts between the full-season ALMS and ILMC entries, but as we'd got a workable solution at Sebring, why take the trouble of inventing another different one for PLM....?

Maybe it would have been confusing with the Aston being there? Aston should have been at Sebring even though they were not so maybe not. Who knows. Of course, I think all ALMS teams had to add the 0 at Sebring, but only the conflicting teams have the 9 so far at Petit. Who knows.

[KA]

Originally Posted by AGD

Maybe it would have been confusing with the Aston being there? Aston should have been at Sebring even though they were not so maybe not. Who knows. Of course, I think all ALMS teams had to add the 0 at Sebring, but only the conflicting teams have the 9 so far at Petit. Who knows.

Had Aston been at Sebring they'd have run as #'007', as they were listed on the ILMC season entry list (and IIRC the Sebring entry list before they scratched). From memory, at Sebring, the Extreme Speed/Patron Ferraris, #01 & #02 became #001 and #002, and the #08 Lambo an Aston-esque #008...

It surely wouldn't have been that difficult for the powers-that-be in the three series to put together a non-clashing set of race numbers for the ILMC season...

[JAG]

Following the story about Dyson looking into running three Lola's, here's an article about Musckle Milks plans.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...owards-future/

[Deleted]

Just listening MWM and apparently there's a chance/rumour of WEC sharing zero rounds with ALMS in 2013. What, so they're just gonna steal Sebring to themselves, or just ignore it altogether and run on some boring tilkering over at Austin?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Just listening MWM and apparently there's a chance/rumour of WEC sharing zero rounds with ALMS in 2013. What, so they're just gonna steal Sebring to themselves, or just ignore it altogether and run on some boring tilkering over at Austin?

No way Sebring will me missing from WEC!
But if the WEC grid is too large to have the ALMS grid too, it could be possible that it will be WEC only.

[chernaudi]

Or they can each have a round to themselves--Sebring has had multiple races before in a season.

But if that's the case, would both races be 12 Hours? The ALMS has the IMSA tradition of the Sebring 12 Hours, but Sebring was a WEC round in the past (most recently 1972?), so both series can claim history to it. Scheduling may be an issue, but at the same time, the race still has to have some prestige to it for it to be a separate WEC round distinct from the ALMS round, and will likely be 12 Hours as well. I wonder if there my be an issue under the terms of the lease agreement that allows Don Panoz to claim ownership with the racetrack section of Sebring Airport?

Currently, I don't see this scenario happening soon, but for PLM this year, some ALMS LMPC and GTC teams will be turned away and put on a reserve list, so if the WEC gets to be big enough, we may have to worry about that. And of course, Todt and co can throw money at ISC to allow the WEC to run at Watkins Glen, and NASCAR may not be back to Montreal next year, so that can open up a slot as well.

However, I do think that Sebring and/or PLM will have a spot on the WEC calendar for a while, as Sebring is Sebring, and PLM, as far as I know, still is a race where class winners can still lock in an auto-invite to Le Mans.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Just listening MWM and apparently there's a chance/rumour of WEC sharing zero rounds with ALMS in 2013. What, so they're just gonna steal Sebring to themselves, or just ignore it altogether and run on some boring tilkering over at Austin?

Or, who knows whats happening next month nevermind 2013.

[Speed-King]

If the WEC takes over Sebring, this opens up some interesting possibilities.

There's also rumors of the ALMS being no longer a part of the Long Beach GP and this might actually be a blessing in disguise: Start the season two weeks after LM and have a nicely packed and paced schedule all the way through summer with no more long gaps.

[Fogelhund]

Sebring's future really depends on what the holders of the Lease (Panoz inc.) want out of it. This of course changes if they sell the Leasehold. Would Panoz inc. get more revenue out of a WEC standalone, or an ALMS standalone?

WEC, nor anyone else can "steal" the event.

I for one would be quite happy if Panoz Inc. told the ACO to stuff it, and sent them packing from their events and went their own way.

[CTD]

A thing we must also accept as a possibility is that in 2013, the ALMS wont exist!?

[chernaudi]

As Fogelhund said, PMSG still owns the lease to the track, and unless they sell the lease, no one can "steal" the date.

Problem is that with the ALMS, they'll likely be around for a while, but in what form? Unless the business picks up in the LMP section, the ALMS risks becoming a GT only series if Dyson and Cytosport back out, which thankfully doesn't seem to be in the cards for '12.

The WEC has the upper hand as far as having the big factory teams, but in the LMP ranks, there's only really two right now that have a chance of winning every time out, and of course, they're Audi and Peugeot. And the LMP decline in the ALMS coincided with Audi leaving the series, and the same happened to the LMS with Peugeot leaving.

I think that the WEC and the LMS are big enough in Europe to survive separately right now, but in America, sportscar racing is a niche sport and I think that the WEC need to built an audience before ditching joint ALMS dates completely, considering that the ALMS has recently released some actual TV numbers that seem to be encouraging.

The WEC maybe can survive in the NA market eventually, but I do think that they need the ALMS to get their foot in the door for a couple of years before they try and stand on their own.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by CTD

A thing we must also accept as a possibility is that in 2013, the ALMS wont exist!?

Which is basically what I've said. Tell the ACO to ... you know, and run the IMSA series...

The whole thing isn't going to just fold, even in a diminished state there is value in selling this to an interested party, who will continue it in some form. The sooner that IMSA dumps the ACO relationship, the better at this point.

[The Badger]

Whatever happens , I hope that they keep the rules simlar across the pond . We didnt have so much interest in Le Mans from the US side , until things were ironed out , and no wonder .

Let IMSA run it , and I wish them well but , keep the rules simlar FFS .

[Jonerz]

I'd like to see IMSA maintain some semblence of a relationship, at least friendly and perhaps sharing events with WEC (with or without both series on the track at the same time) and mandate that they have 1 LMP class based on an ACO tub with more freedom in tires and engines. Perhaps a return of the 6.0+ litre American V8s and fair performance balancing would draw interest back.

Chris

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

If the WEC takes over Sebring, this opens up some interesting possibilities.

There's also rumors of the ALMS being no longer a part of the Long Beach GP and this might actually be a blessing in disguise: Start the season two weeks after LM and have a nicely packed and paced schedule all the way through summer with no more long gaps.

That's an interesting take on things, my interest is the grids a particular race draws, not what series they are part of.

I must admit the WEC is having a greater effect on other series than I envisaged and can no longer be seen as the ILMC with new branding. I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing as the WEC needs to amount to more than a token effort.

The LMS and ALMS needed to address long standing issues, the LMS has made their move, now the ALMS' decisions could fundamentally change their series.