[WEC] 2015 WEC Discussion

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by J Jay

Sorry for coming over all killjoy, but the budget impact of introducing much longer races has to be taken into account as well. Works teams could handle a varied schedule (i.e. 4 to 12 hour races) but even the better funded privateers may struggle if the overall impact is a significant increase in hours on track.

Then keep them all at 6h except for Le Mans.

[Artur]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Given that I always was a fan of "shorter" races for regular WSC races, like say 500km instead of 6 hour, no I don't know how it makes sense, but it can make even less sense for some events than others. 6 hours at Nurburgring isn't weird, 6 hours at some parkland island raceway in the middle of city doesn't really bring a bell.

I like the scenery too, but if I were to use that as basis for liking circuit certain posters here would hang me for saying that and shouting it's the track itself that matters, not surroundings

I never understood the hype around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Yes, the scenery is fantastic but is that the final criteria for defining whether we should race there?! The layout is sooooo lame, full of slow dull corners and hairpins.

What I would like to see is a race on the great Tilke track of Istanbul. That's a great race track which offers lot's of possibility for close racing and has one of the best corners ever(T8. Imagine seeing LMP1s through there)

COTA is not that bad, I only like Road America(even though the poor grip concrete surface makes them corner slower) and NOLA more in the USA(maybe Mid-Ohio). I don't see anything special in Road Atlanta. Sebring has 3 corners that I like(the first, the last and an intermediate one) but isn't that great either, imho.

About Germany's round, Nurburgring is quite a "so-so" track to me. I would prefer Hockenheim but even that is far from being great.

The only WEC tracks I really like are the first 3 of the calendar

About 6h being bad at a place like Montreal as opposed to other places, I think that makes sense because you will easily get bored of seeing them taking those crappy corners while at Silverstone/Spa you always enjoy seeing them through Pouhon, Copse etc

[morningview66]

Sorry for coming over all killjoy, but the budget impact of introducing much longer races has to be taken into account as well. Works teams could handle a varied schedule (i.e. 4 to 12 hour races) but even the better funded privateers may struggle if the overall impact is a significant increase in hours on track.

Originally Posted by Spyderman

Then keep them all at 6h except for Le Mans.

The proposed schedule I put forward would limit the bulk (8/12) races to 3hrs, and personally i do prefer the 6hr+ races, but hey we could call it the World Sportscar Championship, the latter years of Group C were all run to shorter race lengths.

It would work better for TV coverage and visiting more tracks. And in response to the first quote, the current schedule is 66hrs, my proposed schedule would be 72 hrs. The equivalent of adding I 6hr race (which is likely to happen anyway)

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Artur

COTA is not that bad, I only like Road America(even though the poor grip concrete surface makes them corner slower) and NOLA more in the USA(maybe Mid-Ohio). I don't see anything special in Road Atlanta. Sebring has 3 corners that I like(the first, the last and an intermediate one) but isn't that great either, imho.

I would recommend visiting both venues (assuming you haven't done so already), lots of character, great atmosphere at their biggest events (Petit and 12H respectively) and lots of elevation*!

(*Sebring is the most elevated track in the world if you accumulate all the bumps!

[Coach Ep]

We might see an extra KMCG LMP2 Oreca for the Lone Star Le Mans @ CotA (and the rest of the season):

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/s...debut-at-cota/

Still hoping to see other guest entries announced (Krohn? Corvette Racing?? Scuderia Corse??? Keating Viper???) but this doesn't sound promising however:

In terms of additional entries for this year’s Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas beyond the full-season WEC grid, Craig didn’t entirely rule any out, but doesn’t expect there to be many if at all.

from http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/w...merican-races/

Provisional schedule is here btw.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by morningview66

The proposed schedule I put forward would limit the bulk (8/12) races to 3hrs, and personally i do prefer the 6hr+ races, but hey we could call it the World Sportscar Championship, the latter years of Group C were all run to shorter race lengths.

It would work better for TV coverage and visiting more tracks. And in response to the first quote, the current schedule is 66hrs, my proposed schedule would be 72 hrs. The equivalent of adding I 6hr race (which is likely to happen anyway)

As far as I know, it is more expensive to travel to more venues and race less (3 hours) than it is to travel to less venues and race more (6 hours).

If I remember correctly, even USCC teams said they preferred going to less venues and extending the lengths to 4+ hours.

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Still hoping to see other guest entries announced (Krohn? Corvette Racing?? Scuderia Corse??? Keating Viper???) but this doesn't sound promising however:

I'm in talks w/ 2 different groups to run a car (that doesn't normally run) in the WEC event. Fingers crossed....

-mike

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

I'm in talks w/ 2 different groups to run a car (that doesn't normally run) in the WEC event. Fingers crossed....

-mike

Thx for the update.

Would love to see a Viper!

Anyway, good luck!

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

I'm in talks w/ 2 different groups to run a car (that doesn't normally run) in the WEC event. Fingers crossed....

-mike

Good luck!

[YorkshireLad]

Panoz......

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Thx for the update.

Would love to see a Viper!

Anyway, good luck!

Agreed on that!

[chernaudi]

Only new LMP1 entry I can think of running at all in the rest of the season is the #9 Audi in selected post LM races.

However, that's just a rumor right now.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by Artur

I don't see anything special in Road Atlanta.

This better be a joke. Road Atlanta is like someone tried to build Suzuka on the Mount Panorama. I don't think a track could possibly be any more special.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Only new LMP1 entry I can think of running at all in the rest of the season is the #9 Audi in selected post LM races.

However, that's just a rumor right now.

One you just made?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

This better be a joke. Road Atlanta is like someone tried to build Suzuka on the Mount Panorama. I don't think a track could possibly be any more special.

I was just going to ignore the track talk, but you summed it up pretty good right there!

[seanyb505]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

This better be a joke. Road Atlanta is like someone tried to build Suzuka on the Mount Panorama. I don't think a track could possibly be any more special.

I've never thought it was that special. I tried to formulate an argument for why I thought that. I mean sure it's got big elevation changes, natural road course, fast and slow corners, huge down hill braking and acceleration zones, and it tries to throw you off in places....wait this is a pretty good track!

I completely understand why WEC won't come. It just doesn't have that Ritz Carlton feel anywhere on the grounds. Camping? Lanier across the road? Not very good for corporate showing off.

[Gingers4Justice]

I don't like Silverstone. In fact I think I actively hate it. But for 6 hours, even while trying to fight the cold, vile wind with a luke-warm coffee I had to get a loan from Scott Tucker to afford, I forget all about how I wish it was at Brands Hatch and lose myself in the fantastic racing.

We all have our dream calendars, and I'm really not sure about some of the tracks the WEC visits. But while I'm not saying you shouldn't complain, be careful that you don't sit through a golden era protesting about the things it's lacking, rather than enjoying what you already have.

[Ephaeton]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

One you just made?

Wow, all this hatred. Read first, insinuate later: rumor mill begins round about here

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Ephaeton

Wow, all this hatred. Read first, insinuate later: rumor mill begins round about here

No need to be sensitive, I was just curious where the rumor came from so thank you for providing the 'info' I was missing. I do not keep track of all the different topics here and when Chernaudi put up his one liner I took the bait.

All is good.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

I don't like Silverstone. In fact I think I actively hate it. But for 6 hours, even while trying to fight the cold, vile wind with a luke-warm coffee I had to get a loan from Scott Tucker to afford, I forget all about how I wish it was at Brands Hatch and lose myself in the fantastic racing.

We all have our dream calendars, and I'm really not sure about some of the tracks the WEC visits. But while I'm not saying you shouldn't complain, be careful that you don't sit through a golden era protesting about the things it's lacking, rather than enjoying what you already have.

That's rather similar to how I feel about CotA (with the weather being sort of inversed to Silverstone!)

Thanks for a great reminder though!

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

One you just made?

http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....postcount=8817

[Artur]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

This better be a joke. Road Atlanta is like someone tried to build Suzuka on the Mount Panorama. I don't think a track could possibly be any more special.

Well, thinking again, it is better than COTA but I don't put it anywhere near the levels of Suzuka. That has T1, the Esses, Dunlop, Degner, Spoon and old 130R which are all daunting corners.

Road Atlanta has lots of flat out bends. Maybe even T1 is flat out for everybody. T5,T6-7 are good but how can you compare it to Suzuka when ,aside from the hairpin and the last chicane, everything is great?! Road Atlanta would need 4 or more additional challenging corners to be on par with Suzuka.

Yeah, would be better if WEC raced there instead of COTA but, unfortunately, I fear that will not happen anytime soon

[Coach Ep]

I agree, Road Atlanta is really a mediocre track, can't wait for the bulldozers to tear it down and have it turned into a nice real estate development area.

Too bad it will never receive a Tilke update to bring it up to par with all the nowadays F1 tracks...

[/sarcastic mode]

[Snips1]

Road atlanta is just a bad maintained go kart level track. It's a local club level facility safety wise, and I must appreciate WEC for not racing there.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I agree, Road Atlanta is really a mediocre track, can't wait for the bulldozers to tear it down and have it turned into a nice real estate development area.

Too bad it will never receive a Tilke update to bring it up to par with all the nowadays F1 tracks...

[/sarcastic mode]

Nowhere close to what the previous poster was insinuating. Its a cool place and track, but it wont take COTA's place.