[WEC Race] WEC 2013 Round 2: Spa-Francorchamps

[FordCosworthPanoz]

The Indy 500 has 250,000 people yet the series that surrounds it is one of the most obscurely popular series both in it's home country and around the world that is a niche sport to the 10th degree and isn't a household name series outside of Southern and Central Indiana.

Le Mans has 250,000 people yet the race itself even does not live up to it's full potential due to a lack of effective marketing, promotion and general disinterest in sportscar racing.

F1 is a global sport that is hugely popular especially in Europe even though it's television viewing figures have generally been in decline since 2008. It is a classic championship that like NASCAR in the US has been around for 50 plus years with roots that date back to the pre-war days however has essentially been organized by the same or similar groups of people since it's official inception, just like NASCAR in the US.


If Sports car racing wants to get anywhere near F1, then some consistency in the sport in it's future might help. The same applies for many forms of motorsport



Now, back to the race weekend at Spa...

[Dario911]

Audi is clearly faster than Toyota. But japanese may play in strategy. Anyway, looking at the laptimes, no match for TS-030.
In GTE, from the 1st to the 6th all the cars are within 0.5"! This means there's a great balancing, and the race is open!

[rich07]

How long until the start of the race?

Never mind. I just managed to access the official site and it has a countdown. So roughly nine hours or so which will make it approx 10pm or so. Looking forward to it

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Rennen

I ran a young driver in Karting who actually made it to F1, as did some of our fellow junior Kart competitors...but I never recall them dreaming or even aspiring to be in Formula One...Karting was their focus and their racing.
The reality is F1 is popular because the Media has focused on the Celebrity of the drivers...Not the cars, proof of that is the low circulation of the F1 Magazines for the real enthusiasts of the machines, compared to the TV coverage serving the cult of celebrity.

You only have to glance at the number of real enthusiasts here on 10 Tenths following Sports Cars compared to Formula One to see which has the largest following. Formula One is about Celebrity...Sports Cars are for REAL enthusiasts who understand Racing, the Cars in astonising detail and little interest in the pilots!

+1

[TF110]

Computer stopped working. Looking for an alternate stream, one that will work on ps3 or android phone.

[Mal]

I ran a young driver in Karting who actually made it to F1, as did some of our fellow junior Kart competitors...but I never recall them dreaming or even aspiring to be in Formula One...Karting was their focus and their racing.
The reality is F1 is popular because the Media has focused on the Celebrity of the drivers...Not the cars, proof of that is the low circulation of the F1 Magazines for the real enthusiasts of the machines, compared to the TV coverage serving the cult of celebrity.

You only have to glance at the number of real enthusiasts here on 10 Tenths following Sports Cars compared to Formula One to see which has the largest following. Formula One is about Celebrity...Sports Cars are for REAL enthusiasts who understand Racing, the Cars in astonising detail and little interest in the pilots!

+ 2

And also who remembers F1 cars from 40 years ago? - and yet Le Mans cars from 40 years ago are some of the most iconic works of art you can buy - just think GT40, 917, GTO.

At Le Mans the car is the star. Manufacturers can build history at Le Mans that they can use in marketing for decades.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Rennen

You only have to glance at the number of real enthusiasts here on 10 Tenths following Sports Cars compared to Formula One to see which has the largest following. Formula One is about Celebrity...Sports Cars are for REAL enthusiasts who understand Racing, the Cars in astonising detail and little interest in the pilots!

+ however many we're up to by now! The stats here speak for themselves - and have done for some years.

[chernaudi]

Greaves Zytek is a DNS--it was pulled from the race following it's accident yesterday.

[GT6]

Originally Posted by Mal

+ 2

And also who remembers F1 cars from 40 years ago? - and yet Le Mans cars from 40 years ago are some of the most iconic works of art you can buy - just think GT40, 917, GTO.

At Le Mans the car is the star. Manufacturers can build history at Le Mans that they can use in marketing for decades.

I would agree that iconic cars give a company history that is priceless, but outside of the close motor racing fans the 917 is no well known whilst the GT40 and GTO;s are because they are seen on the road and at events, modern race cars like LMP's and F1 cars are forgotten quickly because they look nothing like the cars on the road and no one dreams of owning one or driving to the shops in one

[rich07]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Greaves Zytek is a DNS--it was pulled from the race following it's accident yesterday.

Missed that, what happened to it?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by rich07

Missed that, what happened to it?

Chris Dyson binned it at the tight downhill left-hander before Pouhon during qualifying.

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Chris Dyson binned it at the tight downhill left-hander before Pouhon during qualifying.

It happened on the exit of Rivage according to DSC and the front right is too damaged to repair at the circuit.

Also the #28 Lola will start from the back after battery failure in Qualifying.

[Eryk03]

Originally Posted by GT6

I would agree that iconic cars give a company history that is priceless, but outside of the close motor racing fans the 917 is no well known whilst the GT40 and GTO;s are because they are seen on the road and at events, modern race cars like LMP's and F1 cars are forgotten quickly because they look nothing like the cars on the road and no one dreams of owning one or driving to the shops in one

Not true.

For example Audi R8 was created because R8 LMP1 from 2000.
And now Audi wants create hypercar above to R8 and the image of R18, because already R18 is a legend.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by GTfour

You state that no one cares for Sportscars? Ever been to the Le Mans 24 hours? I'll challenge you to find any F1 race where there are a solid 250.000 spectators.
F1 is popular because of the gigantic marketingcircus around it. That's all.

Let me guess: every sport that doesn't fall under "motorsport/sportscars" category is only popular because of huge marketing around it?

If sportscars were so obviously the pinnacle of motorsport, this topic wouldn't pop up in every other thread and especially not in an otherwise completely unrelated race thread. The F1 bashing and glorification of everyone's favourite category here is some sort of virtual group masturbation.

I'll challenge you to find a better attended regular WEC race than the average of the 10 worst attended F1 races.

[ger80]

Can you please discuss this "off topic" in another thread? Thanks in advance

[Mal]

Originally Posted by deggis

Let me guess: every sport that doesn't fall under "motorsport/sportscars" category is only popular because of huge marketing around it?

If sportscars were so obviously the pinnacle of motorsport, this topic wouldn't pop up in every other thread and especially not in an otherwise completely unrelated race thread. The F1 bashing and glorification of everyone's favourite category here is some sort of virtual group masturbation.

I'll challenge you to find a better attended regular WEC race than the average of the 10 worst attended F1 races.

I have responded to this is the general chat thread ...

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

I'll be away from home during the race, is there a place to view replays? Tape the race, anything like that?

Originally Posted by Ginaro Zukovsky

It's usually uploaded by someone in parts onto youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/rollipol...ew=0&flow=grid

[deggis]

Stream is on.

[airbusA346]

They recorded Qualifying, so why didn't they put it on the website.

[prototype]

Originally Posted by deggis

Stream is on.

Where? I can't find it.

[Velociraptor]

Originally Posted by prototype

Where? I can't find it.

http://live.fiawec.com/

[jsTrecu]

Originally Posted by prototype

Where? I can't find it.

http://live.fiawec.com/

[prototype]

Thanks!

[deggis]

or: http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xpg7wv

[Acid09]

I really hope Toyota can do something here but I feel they're just holding their cards close to their chest until Le Mans.