ALMS 2011 Discussion

[Aysedasi]

Looks terrific!

[The Badger]

Doesnt work for me at all . Any idea are they looking for a LM entry ?

[trahsub]

Double post, pls delete.

[trahsub]

First pic of MM GT3:

[davehenrie]

Originally Posted by KA

That's a surprise- I was expecting an Aston factory driver to get the third seat...

Didn't Lucas race with them last year in the long events? Don't think of this as a factory effort, clearly Cytosport picks it's own drivers, not making way for a factory face.

dh

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by trahsub

First pic of MM GT3:

I wish they were running GTC and not IMSA GT3 Cup.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

The Lola-Aston Martin in Cytosport colors...

That is gorgeous! That muscle milk livery really lends itself well to the various cars they've raced.

[The Badger]

Now , that looks good on the Porker .

[Accident]

Originally Posted by davehenrie

Didn't Lucas race with them last year in the long events? Don't think of this as a factory effort, clearly Cytosport picks it's own drivers, not making way for a factory face.

dh

Sascha Maassen was their third driver for the endurance races, but after Pickett was injured Luhr joined for Petit.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Lebanza

Sascha Maassen was their third driver for the endurance races, but after Pickett was injured Luhr joined for Petit.

Dumas also drove the car.

[cmk]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Dumas also drove the car.

As did Timo Bernhard. No factory drivers?!

Most Aston factory drivers seem to need to bring their own budget these days, to be quite honest. Still hopeful that we see Mucke/Enge/Turner out in P1s this year, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case at Sebring, does it?

[vancecooley]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Correct, to sum it all up things aren't looking good for both top prototype categories in 2011. The sad part is for the Long Beach round there's a large possibility that Lola will be the only chassis manufacture represented in P1/P2.

It's definitely a down year, but I don't want the plug pulled on Prototypes. I've always liked the prototypes and love watching them weave through the slower cars. I'm hoping that six to eight non LMPC prototypes per race. What are we looking at for LMPC this year?

[davehenrie]

Originally Posted by cmk

As did Timo Bernhard. No factory drivers?!

No Aston Drivers Besides, Timo and Saascha and Lucas almost seem more like Mercs than true factory shoes. They keep showing up in other company's cars. I don't recall the Wee Scot showing up to drive another brand lately.
dh

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by cmk

Still hopeful that we see Mucke/Enge/Turner out in P1s this year, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case at Sebring, does it?

If the car makes the start , I can see them in it .

Whats the word from DR about a Sebring start . Last I heard , he was saying that it was possible , at a push ..... but if it did happen , there would only be one car .

[Spyderman]

sorry wrong quote.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by davehenrie

No Aston Drivers Besides, Timo and Saascha and Lucas almost seem more like Mercs than true factory shoes. They keep showing up in other company's cars. I don't recall the Wee Scot showing up to drive another brand lately.
dh

.....do mean like Audi? Same parent company.

[arakis]

why are there so few ALMS non ILMC race entries? Is there a plan to return manufacturer intrest in ALMS or what?

[cmk]

Originally Posted by davehenrie

No Aston Drivers Besides, Timo and Saascha and Lucas almost seem more like Mercs than true factory shoes. They keep showing up in other company's cars. I don't recall the Wee Scot showing up to drive another brand lately.
dh

Sascha is no longer a Porsche driver if I remember correctly. I know Lucas was connected to Audi last year, but I'm not sure if that is still the case. I believe he is driving for Manthey in VLN this year instead of Abt. Pirro was allowed to drive a Drayson P1 while still being an Audi emissary, but obviously that is a little different from a highly active driver.

Audi have typically let their drivers show up in non-competing events like the Rolex. Lucas drove for Level 5 last year, and Allan McNish drove a Crawfod a couple of times some years back if memory serves, but I cannot remember if that was during his Audi sabattical.

Romain and Timo are obviously separate cases, since they're swapping between brands under a common ownership umbrella.

[CTD]

Looking at the Muscle Milk Lola AMR, you can see Lucas being listed as one of the drivers.
So he is apparently free to drive what he wants.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by arakis

why are there so few ALMS non ILMC race entries? Is there a plan to return manufacturer intrest in ALMS or what?

ILMC pretty much eliminated the need for manufacturers in the P categories to enter the ALMS, not that the ALMS didn't have some issues already. It would appear as though reliance on the Challenge classes is the future for now.

[Speed-King]

I still hope that there is a GT-only plan stacked away in some drawer in Braselburg... at least for next year.

[arakis]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

ILMC pretty much eliminated the need for manufacturers in the P categories to enter the ALMS, not that the ALMS didn't have some issues already. It would appear as though reliance on the Challenge classes is the future for now.

If that is so they should have added at Least Laguna Seca to the ILMC calendar, I mean 3 out of 5 races of the LMS calendar have been chosen and the LMS is much less interesting, less watched, then ALMS races! it seems the aco is trying to ruin the ALMS, I hope they figure something out and survieve the hardships of the comming season

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by arakis

If that is so they should have added at Least Laguna Seca to the ILMC calendar, I mean 3 out of 5 races of the LMS calendar have been chosen and the LMS is much less interesting, less watched, then ALMS races! it seems the aco is trying to ruin the ALMS, I hope they figure something out and survieve the hardships of the comming season

It could also have to do with travel. It's a lot harder to get cars from Europe to California than it is to get them from Europe to Florida or Atlanta.

[JAG]

I see no reason why the privateer field in the ALMS would not follow what is happening in the LMS.

Regulation anomalies and circumstances may dictate ALMS teams are a season or two behind their European equivalents but it isn't going to be lost on them or their sponsors Cytosport will dominate media and fan interest or the folly of anyone but a team of ESM's funding to attempt to take on Corvette.

This has been debated how many times this winter and we are still a month away from Sebring, the only certainty is things will be much clearer come the latter half of 2011. As of now most teams seem to be in a holding pattern from 2010 and haven't given any indication what their longer term plans are, the only indicator is what European teams chose when faced with similar cost, class, car options.

Factory participation in the ALMS is another question entirely, you can only look at how the series has faired since the economy crashed and ask whether manufacturers view the ALMS differently if they compete in LMP or GT as both classes are part of the ILMC.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by WMUCarGuy

It could also have to do with travel. It's a lot harder to get cars from Europe to California than it is to get them from Europe to Florida or Atlanta.

Not if ya put them on the correct flight it aint !!!