2010 Le Mans Intercontinental Cup

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

And how about replacing Interlagos with the Sao Paulo Indy street circuit?

You couldn't even fit a couple of Indycars on that track side-by-side. To be honest, a 1000-mile race at Interlagos would be perfect.

[NaBUru38]

If the ALMS can race at Long Beach and Lime Rock, they can race pretty much anywhere. Not a 1000km race, I agree, but yes a sprint one.

The Mil Milhas Brasil is held with Brazilian drivers. Being raced with North American cars is more viable than with Europeans.

[6157]

Originally Posted by KA

...and what happens if they did? Do you tear the rulebook up and start from scratch, bearing in mind that you could probably end up with classes of car that can't race at Le Mans, and no international presence from Audi, Peugeot etc at Sebring or Petit.
Alternatively, if you use the ACO classes and regs as a basis, then how much does it change things?

Breaking the ACO link could leave ALMS as nothing more than a more expensive alternative to Grand-Am...

You don't need to revamp anything, the base procedures and rules they have now are decent. Getting rid of the ACO, would mean IMSA is free to make series saving rule changes like combining the prototype classes without having to make all kinds of waivers and silly requests to the ACO. It could change a lot: Engine rules, development freezes, and regular performance balancing could cut costs to a manageable level as it pertains to racing here.

If Audi wants to run in the U.S., they will. They sell cars here, they need a presence. Who cares if Peugeot comes? They provide nothing to the series and competition within the series. Of course, if they wanted to run a full season, that's another story.

Originally Posted by JAG

The ALMS hosts such exotic machines because the cars have primarily been developed for Le mans.

The ALMS is only lacking half a dozen P1/P2's and all could potentially be sourced from North America. This could be achieved by teams expanding or moving up in class and new entrants attracted by cost cutting measure and announcements such as HPD supplying customer engines.

IMO the ILMC can only have a positive effect on the ALMS as it will attract manufactuers to the sport, most of whom will also want a presence in the LMS/ALMS, and by guaranteeing Sebring and PLM remain world class events.

Name one current ALMS team that would stop running the ALMS without the ACO connection. Drayson? Maybe. Corvette, RISI, Flying Lizard, Dyson, Highcroft, they're all based here, they're going to run. Unless the ACO wants to act like a petulant child, all the top ALMS teams would still receive at-large invites for Le Mans.

I believe the ILMC will have a positive effect as well: On two races. There's 7 other races on the ALMS schedule, what about those? One more reason the ACO connection needs to be severed is the ALMS sorely needs to focus on rebuilding the series, as a whole, not just maintaining the "international presence" for the two major races.

Of course, the ties wouldn't have to completely be severed if the ACO would understand the racing economy is and always will be different in the U.S. than in Europe. Letting the ALMS run the series with that in mind would go a long way to preserving the relationship. At the current rate the ACO is going, I don't see that happening.

[broadrun96]

Sorry but the logic of the teams wouldn't stop racing is kinda bs if you listen to what the teams say. Especially Corvette, they race in the ALMS to prepare for LM every year and that sells cars over there for GM. Also, we have a non-ACO series, it's called Grand Am and other than a few races is pretty boring a lot of the time, I don't know about you but I want to see advanced cars racing. Not tube frame, swap the body work cars that the Prep 2 cars are becoming. Without the ALMS's success, LM would be hurting for larger professional teams, and the connection helps both the ACO and the ALMS. As it stands they run mostly independently and consult with each other on what's best for both of them and endurance racing.

[KA]

Originally Posted by 6157

You don't need to revamp anything, the base procedures and rules they have now are decent. Getting rid of the ACO, would mean IMSA is free to make series saving rule changes like combining the prototype classes without having to make all kinds of waivers and silly requests to the ACO. It could change a lot: Engine rules, development freezes, and regular performance balancing could cut costs to a manageable level as it pertains to racing here.

If Audi wants to run in the U.S., they will. They sell cars here, they need a presence. Who cares if Peugeot comes? They provide nothing to the series and competition within the series. Of course, if they wanted to run a full season, that's another story.

The ALMS already seems perfectly capable of making rule changes to suit itself without breaking the ACO link- over the last few years we've seen waivers given for GT cars that weren't strictly to ACO rules, the Maserati MC12 accepted when the ACO in Europe wouldn't touch it, the combined prototype class for this year, the LMPC and GTC classes, and ACO rule changes deferred until a later date.

If you break the link totally, and allow different engine rules etc you do run the risk of losing the likes of Audi- remember how much they complained about being beaten by the LMP2 Porsche? Just imagine what would happen if they knew that at Sebring next year they'd have to face up to a whole bunch of cars that might look like LMPs, but were running to different engine rules, different weight limits etc

Yes, Audi might need a presence in the US, but worst case scenario, if you broke the ACO link tomorrow, and they were suddenly faced with a choice of running their car in very different specs for Europe and the US, or even having to build totally different cars for each, you might push them into the situation of having to choose whether they race ALMS or LMS/ILMC/Le Mans

....and the worst outcome of that might be that they decide to do neither....

Equally if the ALMS teams end up running in a very different spec to how equivalent cars are running in Europe, it might not matter whether the ACO behaved like a petulant child over offering LM entries to American teams or not- if you're running a Lola or a Porsche RSR in the ALMS, maybe with development frozen to 2010 spec, or a different weight and engine and you know that if you accept that LM entry you're offered, you'll have to either pay out for a whole stack of 2011 updates you can't use at home, or face being off the pace compared to equivalent European Lolas or Porsches, are you going to accept that entry?

I'll admit the ALMS has got a lot of problems right now, and that clearly the racing economy is different in the US (I can't think of any other reason that we have plenty of privateer LMP teams in Europe even when they have to run against dominant factory opposition, while there are very few in the US), but I'm not sure whether totally breaking the ACO link is the answer...

[JAG]

Autosport say Audi and Peugeot have both already commited to the 2011 ILMC with Peugeot also pushing for World Championship status.

[Tim the Grey]

Mr 6157 seems to want to beat Audi for peanuts. This seems to be a familiar tune from across the water. Sorry Mr USA. but top class racing costs top class money. It really IS that simple.

As said earlier. You cut domestic budgets, make life easier in the ALMS, and then get a VERY expensive invite for a European budget busting trip, on top... THAT scenario is a Lose/Lose all round!

[The Badger]

Farnbacher said of the LMIC , while at Le Mans to some journalists that I know , that it is a mad idea in the currant climate , as the cost will be so much . A 24 hour race , a 12 hour race and a 10 hour race , as well as 1000KMS races . He reckons on between 2.5 and 3 million Euro for his one car Ferrari team .

Thats a bit over the top in my opinion , or not ?

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by JAG

Autosport say Audi and Peugeot have both already commited to the 2011 ILMC with Peugeot also pushing for World Championship status.

They cant have "world championship" status unless they want the Fia involved . Once you use the term "World Championship" , thats the Fia's territory .

Call it something differant , like BPR and your away , but it doesnt have the same ring , does it .

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Farnbacher said of the LMIC , while at Le Mans to some journalists that I know , that it is a mad idea in the currant climate , as the cost will be so much . A 24 hour race , a 12 hour race and a 10 hour race , as well as 1000KMS races . He reckons on between 2.5 and 3 million Euro for his one car Ferrari team .

Thats a bit over the top in my opinion , or not ?

Seems it might be.



L.P.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by The Badger

They cant have "world championship" status unless they want the Fia involved . Once you use the term "World Championship" , thats the Fia's territory .

Call it something differant , like BPR and your away , but it doesnt have the same ring , does it .

Intercontinental Championship works.





L.P.

[The Badger]

Yes , that would work , but it doesnt have quite the same ring as "world" ..... which I hope doesnt and wont come into it . Cuz then we will have Jelly Todt stomping all over it , and we all know what happens when the Fia get their dirty little mits on Le mans !!!

Pug can certainly want a world championship , and so do I but , its way too expensive the way things stand at the minute . remember Pug is a massive company , and can easily afford this kinda effort .

But also remember , the 300,000 Euro that Henri had to pay Pug for last years crashed Pug , broke Henri's back . So , that has to be taken into account , the little fella has money issues too .

[CTD]

Originally Posted by The Badger

But also remember , the 300,000 Euro that Henri had to pay Pug for last years crashed Pug , broke Henri's back . So , that has to be taken into account , the little fella has money issues too .

It costed Henri money yes. But that was NOT what broke him.
When he speaks of what happened with Pescarolo Sport, he NEVER mentions this as one of the reasons!
What broke Henri was Jean Py!

[The Badger]

The straw that broke the camels back .

[Jonerz]

They could call it a World Series, like CART did. But, what involvement does the FIA have to have when they call it a World Championship? They have to sign off on it yes, but must they sanction it?

Chris

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

They could call it a World Series, like CART did. But, what involvement does the FIA have to have when they call it a World Championship? They have to sign off on it yes, but must they sanction it?

Chris

If the FIA is going to sign off on it, they wont to run it as-well. Unfortunately.

[deggis]

International Sporting Code (here, starting from page 5) never mentions "World Championship". It only says using "World" word in the name requires authorisation from FIA and some requirements needs to be fulfilled (e.g. races on three continents).

But if you look at the current (excluding kart series, I am not sure about those) World Championships, they're all under FIA.

Since "World Championship" has certainly a very special status, I guess authorisation for other names would be easier (mainly "World Series") especially now that the GT1 World Championship was just set up. A1GP was "World Cup of Motorsport" and Champ Car was "Champ Car World Series".

Le Mans World Series, World Endurance Series, World Sportscar Series... anything is better than "Intercontinental Cup". I also dislike putting "Le Mans" in the name. It makes the connection, but the 24 Hours is already in the schedule so there is already a connection. Foreign words in the name are distracting. What I mean is that imagine if ALMS was just called "American Sportscar Series" - that would be so much more simple and understandable ("ASS" would not be so great though).

[HORNDAWG]

Looks like the 3rd round for 2010 ILMC will be at the Zhuhai Circuit in China.







L.P.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by deggis

International Sporting Code (here, starting from page 5) never mentions "World Championship". It only says using "World" word in the name requires authorisation from FIA and some requirements needs to be fulfilled (e.g. races on three continents).

But if you look at the current (excluding kart series, I am not sure about those) World Championships, they're all under FIA.

Since "World Championship" has certainly a very special status, I guess authorisation for other names would be easier (mainly "World Series") especially now that the GT1 World Championship was just set up. A1GP was "World Cup of Motorsport" and Champ Car was "Champ Car World Series".

Le Mans World Series, World Endurance Series, World Sportscar Series... anything is better than "Intercontinental Cup". I also dislike putting "Le Mans" in the name. It makes the connection, but the 24 Hours is already in the schedule so there is already a connection. Foreign words in the name are distracting. What I mean is that imagine if ALMS was just called "American Sportscar Series" - that would be so much more simple and understandable ("ASS" would not be so great though).

Ewww... no FIA please.

How bout Global Sportcar Domination?

[pederb]

I have a question regarding 24hr Le Mans being part of the LMIC? I thought Le Mans was by invitation only? How can it be part of a series if it is by invitation only? Or is that no longer the case, if so can anybody now race at the 24hrs (no invitation needed) ?

Can anybody explain this to me

Cheers

[Graham Goodwin]

A question from the floor following the ACO press conference

How will you balance the objectives of the ILMC which is a Championship where any team may enter, with the inclusion in the competition of the Le Mans 24 Hours which is an invitational race?


“We always receive a large number of entries for the 24 Hours (80 this year).

“We have to think about those who enter our Championships through the year and those who would choose to only enter the Le Mans 24 Hours.”

In other words - teams entering ILMC (or other full championships) will be favoured over one-off LM24 entries

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by pederb

I have a question regarding 24hr Le Mans being part of the LMIC? I thought Le Mans was by invitation only? How can it be part of a series if it is by invitation only? Or is that no longer the case, if so can anybody now race at the 24hrs (no invitation needed) ?

Can anybody explain this to me

Cheers

Oh I am sure it will be by invite only still!
I think you will find that most of the teams that will participate in the ILMC are teams that already run in ACO sanctioned series and are regular participants at Le Mans. Also that the #s participating in the ILMC will be small enough to actually not upset the applecart as mostly it will be the same teams involved.




L.P.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Ewww... no FIA please.

Every ACO race is already organized according to International Sporting Code.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by deggis

Every ACO race is already organized according to International Sporting Code.

Under the umbrella of, but not BY.






L.P.

[deggis]

I was about to edit the wording, but too late now.