The Provisional 2014 WEC calendar...

[Dyson Mazda]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

No question that these races in Bahrain etc. don't have the history, nor the status that events such as PLM, Daytona or Sebring have. Nor will they ever have such status, no matter how it gets built. These events have nothing to set them apart, except for being in the WEC, as their length is the same as all of the other races. They are just another race. Having said that, the status standing of PLM, Daytona and Sebring will be eroded for being part of a National championship, instead of being part of the International sport.

A national series that is going to feature drivers and manufacturers from all over the world.

Next year we are going to have (or at least there is a decent chance of having) the following manufacturers represented on the grid

Chevy/GM (P, PC, GTLM)
Ford (P)
Nissan (P)
Honda (P)
BMW (P, GTLM)
SRT (GTLM, GTD)
Ferrari (GTLM, GTD)
Porsche (GTLM, GTD)
Aston Martin (GTLM, GTD)
Audi (GTD)
Mazda (GTD)
Mercedes-Benz (GTD)

I would also be willing to bet that Daytona and Sebring alone outdraw the 7 non-Le Mans rounds of the WEC.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Dyson Mazda

A national series that is going to feature drivers and manufacturers from all over the world.....

... and yet, still a National Series.

[Mr Pink]

I still don't think it would be such a bad idea to run the championship from fall to spring, ending with Le Mans as the culmination.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mr Pink

I still don't think it would be such a bad idea to run the championship from fall to spring, ending with Le Mans as the culmination.

I like that idea too, but how feasible is it logistically and weather wise?

[carsten66]

Originally Posted by joeb

I like that idea too, but how feasible is it logistically and weather wise?

Weather wise : No chance

[Mr Pink]

Originally Posted by joeb

I like that idea too, but how feasible is it logistically and weather wise?

I don't have the knowledge to answer how feasible it is logistically but weather wise it should be fine. Keep the European rounds as is, maybe start with Silverstone instead of the easter date, push back Austin and Interlagos to after Fuji and Shanghai and I think it should work. Maybe even put Austin after the christmas break and Fuji in the spring to avoid F1-clashes.

[TimRTC]

Originally Posted by Mr Pink

I still don't think it would be such a bad idea to run the championship from fall to spring, ending with Le Mans as the culmination.

The risk here is that if the championship titles are already wrapped up, it could diminish from the Le Mans race somewhat.

Better to have it as either the first race, or early on when everything is still wide open (as in fact they do now). Afterall, events like the Indy 500, Aarons' 499, Monaco F1 race etc. are run in the middle of a championship season.

[Mr Pink]

Originally Posted by TimRTC

The risk here is that if the championship titles are already wrapped up, it could diminish from the Le Mans race somewhat.

Better to have it as either the first race, or early on when everything is still wide open (as in fact they do now). Afterall, events like the Indy 500, Aarons' 499, Monaco F1 race etc. are run in the middle of a championship season.

I think that's one of the good things though, Le Mans is more than strong enough in it self to attract entries and we wouldn't get the situation as it is now when very few people care about the end of the season.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Salamus

Algarve

That would be excellent... the first and last turns are absolutely terrific.

[Mal]

I think COTA should be the last race of the year .... 10 hours USCC on Saturday, 10 hours WEC on Sunday

[seanyb505]

Originally Posted by TimRTC

The risk here is that if the championship titles are already wrapped up, it could diminish from the Le Mans race somewhat.

Now imagine the same effect on Bahrain! I agree that Le Mans could hold it's own if it was the last race. How many times has Audi lost a championship only to lay claim to the Le Mans victory and elevate it over winning the whole thing anyway? Maybe give Le Mans more points weight than it already has to keep championships alive to the last race.

I think the 24 has always been about more than a motor race. I see it as a celebration, a clashing of international competitors. Moving it to the end to "sign off" or look back on a season could be delightful and emotionally charged. Long season, long race, and a sigh of relief and relaxation that it's all over.

And teams would have plenty of recoup time until the next race!

[TimRTC]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

Now imagine the same effect on Bahrain! I agree that Le Mans could hold it's own if it was the last race. How many times has Audi lost a championship only to lay claim to the Le Mans victory and elevate it over winning the whole thing anyway? Maybe give Le Mans more points weight than it already has to keep championships alive to the last race.

Perhaps I got it the wrong way round - the winner of Le Mans will overshadow any WEC championship win, be rather anticlimactic if a Toyota takes a magnificent win but the McNish Audi takes the championship, 16 laps down in 5th place.

[Drinking_wigga]

Originally Posted by Salamus

Because they get a lot of money.

But why do Bahrain feel the need to pay big money to have them race in front of empty stands? I guess I just want to know what benefits do Bahrain get in having WEC race there?
Cheers

[Starfish Primer]

Originally Posted by Drinking_wigga

But why do Bahrain feel the need to pay big money to have them race in front of empty stands? I guess I just want to know what benefits do Bahrain get in having WEC race there?
Cheers

We'll most of the Dubai sckyscrapers are empty, no businesses or people living there. Same for the Qatar football league, they pay a lot to players just to play with empty grandstands.

This happens when you have a lot of money and you don't know how to spend it.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Starfish Primer

We'll most of the Dubai sckyscrapers are empty, no businesses or people living there. Same for the Qatar football league, they pay a lot to players just to play with empty grandstands.

This happens when you have a lot of money and you don't know how to spend it.

Thats not spending wisely? I disagree. The country(ies) needs to grow and their population needs to gain interest in 'western' activities. It will take time but what makes them unworthy of having a race?

[trickyd]

Originally Posted by TF110

Thats not spending wisely? I disagree. The country(ies) needs to grow and their population needs to gain interest in 'western' activities. It will take time but what makes them unworthy of having a race?

Turn that question around and ask what makes them worthy? With all those circuits with at least some fans, relevance and history, and not many races to go around, are they worthy?

USCC/TUSC has shown what a farce the WEC calendar is. We are told the WEC has such a small calendar because it is a new series establishing itself, and you can't have a race for 3 months after a 24 hour race because nobody could possibly afford it or handle it logistically. Well USCC/TUSC has a full calendar, and a 24 hour race swiftly followed by a 12 hour race.

[NelisB]

Originally Posted by trickyd

Turn that question around and ask what makes them worthy? With all those circuits with at least some fans, relevance and history, and not many races to go around, are they worthy?

USCC/TUSC has shown what a farce the WEC calendar is. We are told the WEC has such a small calendar because it is a new series establishing itself, and you can't have a race for 3 months after a 24 hour race because nobody could possibly afford it or handle it logistically. Well USCC/TUSC has a full calendar, and a 24 hour race swiftly followed by a 12 hour race.

The WEC calender a farce? Not really there's just one questionable race and that's Bahrain. I and most others can live with that. If you want to talk farce and then say we should look at the USCC series for a example how it should be done.

I do admit that a more consistent calendar would be nice, without the big holes in it.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by trickyd

Well USCC/TUSC has a full calendar, and a 24 hour race swiftly followed by a 12 hour race.

I wouldn't call 7 weeks particularly swift!

[BudLightJaguar]

Personally, I don't think that the WEC calendar as a whole is a farce. It's just far from perfect. I agree with many earlier opinions, that the biggest flaws are the three month gap between LM and CoTA and the race in Bahrain.

Last season the CoTA race was a bit of a farce and it made the WEC look quite unpopular compared to the ALMS when only 8,000 fans stayed there till Sunday and the track looked like a ghost town just like Bahrain. But I think the problem then wasn't the WEC series itself (or at least I'd like to believe so) rather than the fact it had too similar grid with ALMS.

And six-hour day race in Texas...um...I haven't been in Austin but I can imagine. This year I suppose it won't be an issue since they moved the race to Saturday and it will be an evening race. And the grid differs from TUSCC since IMSA has a new class structure.

But what comes to Bahrain...I'm totally an anti-Tilkedrome motorsports fan, but when Bahrain wants western activities and they can afford it, then they'll get it and that's it.

[chernaudi]

And TUSCC races only in North America--staying mostly in one country (only one TUSCC race is in Canada, and that's Mosport) makes traveling and dealing with customs officials a lot easier. After LM, all WEC events are flyaways.

[BudLightJaguar]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

And TUSCC races only in North America--staying mostly in one country (only one TUSCC race is in Canada, and that's Mosport) makes traveling and dealing with customs officials a lot easier. After LM, all WEC events are flyaways.

And to be even more excact the first two race of TUSCC are held in Florida. Can't remember which teams are based on the East Coast, but I think there's a couple of them.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by trickyd

Turn that question around and ask what makes them worthy? With all those circuits with at least some fans, relevance and history, and not many races to go around, are they worthy?

USCC/TUSC has shown what a farce the WEC calendar is. We are told the WEC has such a small calendar because it is a new series establishing itself, and you can't have a race for 3 months after a 24 hour race because nobody could possibly afford it or handle it logistically. Well USCC/TUSC has a full calendar, and a 24 hour race swiftly followed by a 12 hour race.

Bahrain has nothing to do with the gap between races after Le Mans. Not many here like it either. Nurburgring or Monza or Spain or Imola etc. could be done in August, but thats got nothing to do with bahrain. At least they put up the money to have a race, thats my take. Ethics aside I like the event and its run into darkness. The track aint too bad, it at least has some elevation changes.