[WEC] FIA World Endurance Championship

[deggis]

If HPD are looking for pseudo-factory teams for 2014, they should probably drop Strakka from the list... or this (prep for 2014) the reason?

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by helgi

I don't know if it was already mentioned but Strakka halt their racing program in FIA WEC http://www.lemanslive.com/News/WEC-S...car-for-Toyota .

...and that's how the WEC went bust.

Very disappointing... a huge blow for the WEC, as well. Only 5 LMP1 cars for the rest of the season, and who knows, Rebellion may drop a car.

I'm glad we've got Porsche, Lotus, OAK, etc. coming next year...

Also, with no disrespect or insensitivity meant to Allan Simonsen's death, what is the news with AMR? Is the #95 carrying on the season? And if so, who (if there is one) will be the replacement driver? Jonny Adam, Daniel McKenzie, and Richie Stanaway come to mind...

Again, I mean this in a COMPLETELY practical way... I'm not trying to be insensitive.

[Simmi]

Bad news. The only thing you can say is that it is a big under taking to get brand new cars ready for 2014. It would be good to see Strakka come out and confirm this with a commitment to racing next year.

The whole thing just sets a bad precedent though.

[Mal]

If they are going to stick to Le Mans being mid season then they really need to look at creating a blue riband event at the end of the season - perhaps in the USA like PLM or maybe Japan - 12 hours of Fuji or Suzuka anyone?? What is the weather like in Japan in October?

[Gingers4Justice]

This could mean that June 23rd would be the last time an open cockpit car races in the top class of the WEC for a very long time.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Mal

If they are going to stick to Le Mans being mid season then they really need to look at creating a blue riband event at the end of the season - perhaps in the USA like PLM or maybe Japan - 12 hours of Fuji or Suzuka anyone?? What is the weather like in Japan in October?

Have your 12 hour opener in October and finish with Le Mans. Make it a winter series, racing in the southern hemisphere during the winter and starting the European season at its usual date, but half way through the WEC calendar.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Have your 12 hour opener in October and finish with Le Mans. Make it a winter series, racing in the southern hemisphere during the winter and starting the European season at its usual date, but half way through the WEC calendar.

I tend to agree with that - but I cant see it happening somehow - hence why I started with 'if they are going to stick to Le Mans being mid season'

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Mal

If they are going to stick to Le Mans being mid season then they really need to look at creating a blue riband event at the end of the season - perhaps in the USA like PLM or maybe Japan - 12 hours of Fuji or Suzuka anyone?? What is the weather like in Japan in October?

Once again, Google is your friend!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo#Climate

Although, I'd expect it to be a bit cooler up towards the mountains, and perhaps a bit drier. But that gives you an idea.

I think a 12 Hours of Fuji would become a bit dull - it's not exactly an interesting, organic track. Suzuka is far more interesting, fast, flowing, and organic... a 12 Hours of Suzuka would be nice and cool as well as a sort of "dessert" for teams finishing out the season.

Road Atlanta is too old and behind the times compared to other tracks in the WEC, especially ones like Shanghai, Bahrain, Fuji, Silverstone, and COTA. I'd say a 12 Hours of Austin, but that could be brutal if a heat wave came through in September.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Have your 12 hour opener in October and finish with Le Mans. Make it a winter series, racing in the southern hemisphere during the winter and starting the European season at its usual date, but half way through the WEC calendar.

I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but that would be too big of a shakeup for a major series like the WEC to undertake. Maybe if it was just beginning, but three years into it isn't exactly the time to try something radically different - it's new enough that it is still on a bit of shaky ground, but old enough that a radical change would shake the series to its core.

Formula 1 is essentially doing that - having the hot, tropical, Asian rounds in the beginning and the end.

Here's a mockup WEC calendar if they ended up making it a winter series...

1. 12 Hours of Suzuka - October
2. 6 Hours of Shanghai - November
3. 6 Hours of Bahrain - December
Break for significant relocation
4. 6 Hours of Sao Paulo - February
5. 6 Hours of COTA - Early March
6. 6 Hours of Silverstone - Late April
7. 6 Hours of Spa - May
8. 24 Hours of Le Mans - June

[Starfish Primer]

Very dissapointed with Strakka withdrawal Definitely LMP1 is too complex and expensive for a privateer team.

[Fogelhund]

It is convenient to blame this on the calendar and LM, but I don't agree. We've got Strakka racing as a privateer in an uncompetitive car, that won't be eligible to run next year. There is no benefit to them to continue to throw good money after bad. I hope they are back next year with a new car, and if so, it makes a great deal of sense to begin to concentrate on that car.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

It is convenient to blame this on the calendar and LM, but I don't agree. We've got Strakka racing as a privateer in an uncompetitive car, that won't be eligible to run next year. There is no benefit to them to continue to throw good money after bad. I hope they are back next year with a new car, and if so, it makes a great deal of sense to begin to concentrate on that car.

Whilst I agree with that for this year the situation of entrants pulling out after Le mans is not new and therefore the discussion is relevant. With the loss of PLM and Sebring, the WEC desperately needs at least one more headline event.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Mal

Whilst I agree with that for this year the situation of entrants pulling out after Le mans is not new and therefore the discussion is relevant. With the loss of PLM and Sebring, the WEC desperately needs at least one more headline event.

Some people were suggesting that the WEC should try and hook up with the Merdeka 12h race at Sepang, and if they still want to finish the season in Asia (or just get a stronger event in the area), it's probably a perfect event for that purpose.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Mal

the WEC desperately needs at least one more headline event.

I can agree with this.

In looking at the USCR schedule... it has a lot of hours to put on the cars. I almost wished that USCR would run a spring date at Road Atlanta, and have the fall date as a WEC event.

PLM (and Sebring for that matter) as a USCR only event is simply another jewel losing it's lustre. Run as a part of WEC, and keep the value going.

[deggis]

With the "more is more" logic being applied here, extending Bahrain to 48 hours will immediately make it a blue-riband event.

[deggis]

http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....postcount=2735

Originally Posted by Christian Mogami

Just got a email fro Strakka.

They're done racing this year to save money to buy the 2014 HPD P1.

Last outing for the Arx-03c(strakka colors) will be the hill climb at goodwood.

[Mt. Lynx]

Why not San Luis? I could easily watch 12hrs at that track.

[supermario21]

Would love to see the WEC align with more traditional/historical races rather than leave their 6 hr generic imprint all over. Suzuka 1000km, Kyalami 9 Hours, and the true Mil Milhas (1000 miles) are just a few examples. Have a few sprintish races as well. How about a Gold Coast 600 km for the WEC? Or even do 300k if you want. There were lots of sprint races even before the 3.5 era kicked in.

I'd also relax the full-season entry rules. Wildcards have always been part of the sport, and some teams struggle to generate full season funding. Look at Starworks this year.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Some people were suggesting that the WEC should try and hook up with the Merdeka 12h race at Sepang, and if they still want to finish the season in Asia (or just get a stronger event in the area), it's probably a perfect event for that purpose.

Yes, if the WEC does indeed stay on a spring to autumn schedule, then a 12h race in Sepang would be the ultimate way to end the season, especially if they want it to end in Asia. I think an exchange between Shanghai and Sepang would be good for the series. Shanghai is just an eyesore and a headliner event in Sepang would undoubtedly attract a lot more attention than just some 6h snooze-fest around a track in some industrial wasteland.

Believe it or not, aesthetics actually makes a difference in racing!







On that note, the WEC has only one major problem: entries. It can barely make 30 entries a race in the non-Le Mans rounds, and with the dropouts we're seeing, we probably won't even see 30 at Interlagos. Bad management, in my opinion: why separate ALMS and WEC at COTA? Why separate Super GT and WEC at Fuji? Those would turn from races with 25-30 cars to 55-60. And that makes all the difference.

Just because it adds classes and provides a minor scoring headache for the FIA doesn't mean it isn't worth it. For example, in Austin, combine the races, where Pickett Racing and Dyson aren't running for WEC points and Audi, Toyota, and Rebellion aren't running for ALMS points. We could transform a GTE field of 13 to 24, and an LMP1 WEC field from 5 to 8.

It just doesn't make sense to me...

Also, do you think we'll be seeing the #98 Aston Martin at Interlagos?

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by supermario21

Would love to see the WEC align with more traditional/historical races rather than leave their 6 hr generic imprint all over. Suzuka 1000km, Kyalami 9 Hours, and the true Mil Milhas (1000 miles) are just a few examples. Have a few sprintish races as well. How about a Gold Coast 600 km for the WEC? Or even do 300k if you want. There were lots of sprint races even before the 3.5 era kicked in.

I'd also relax the full-season entry rules. Wildcards have always been part of the sport, and some teams struggle to generate full season funding. Look at Starworks this year.

^^ THIS ^^

I don't even want to know how many teams were dissuaded from joining the WEC because of this.

[pach233]

4 P1s for the rest of the year. Not good.

[Purist]

Well, and if Rebellion is leading the LMP1 Privateer points, might they just shift their remaining car to ALMS?

[TF110]

The FIA could do more to help teams or entice them to partake. A simple thing could be some reduction of costs to compete. Favorable regs are another thing. 2014 looks a lot more appealing on the 2nd part, so teams are concentrating on then, so its not unreasonable to see teams do this. Even Toyota which looks to be running one car the rest of the year. Not everyone (or is it besides just one) wants to spend and spend to field their cars. And for what? To get dominated by laps and get nothing in return but a relatively small second tier "privateers trophy" they probably dont care much for? I'd be thinking the same as Strakka.

[Richard117]

Originally Posted by Beetle

On that note, the WEC has only one major problem: entries. It can barely make 30 entries a race in the non-Le Mans rounds, and with the dropouts we're seeing, we probably won't even see 30 at Interlagos. Bad management, in my opinion: why separate ALMS and WEC at COTA? Why separate Super GT and WEC at Fuji? Those would turn from races with 25-30 cars to 55-60. And that makes all the difference.

Just because it adds classes and provides a minor scoring headache for the FIA doesn't mean it isn't worth it. For example, in Austin, combine the races, where Pickett Racing and Dyson aren't running for WEC points and Audi, Toyota, and Rebellion aren't running for ALMS points. We could transform a GTE field of 13 to 24, and an LMP1 WEC field from 5 to 8.

It just doesn't make sense to me...

Also, do you think we'll be seeing the #98 Aston Martin at Interlagos?

Don't forget the seperate ELMS and WEC race at Silverstone.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Richard117

Don't forget the seperate ELMS and WEC race at Silverstone.

Yes, separating those races... so pointless!!