ALMS & Grand-Am to Merge, Hooray Options

[bcheney]

I kinda Disagree, Jim France is a Sports Car Guy unlike others in AssCar.

It has great possibilities, But they they have One Chance to do it right , & many chances to Fuch it Up. Let's hope they do it right

As Lee Diffey said "negativity breeds mistakes, optimisim brings hope & good results" or something like that

Ok that is good to now about Jim France. I just think Atherton and Panoz have more personality about them and were more inspirational during the press conference. Any partnership is difficult to manage. They did refer to a "brain trust" that the two groups have. I do believe that exists and I will be pulling for them to succeed every step of the way! I love the enthusiasm Lee Diffey has...he may be the "best ever" at race broadcasting "live" and making you feel like you're a part of the action.

[carr914]

Press Conference today to outline the Classes for 2014 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

Press Conference today to outline the Classes for 2014 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/gra...ture-announced/

So, a quick breakdown, we'll have:

DP/LMP2
LMPC
GTE
GT/GTC

Not how I would have done it, but I assume money plays a big role here. Why they're continuing to support a "spec" prototype category (thought thats basically what DPs were?) in the form the the LMPC class is a bad move. It stifles innovation and that chassis is aging. But Chevy, Michelin and ORECA have their hands in there and I expect they put up some money to keep that class by itself. As much as I hate DPs, I would have traded DPs as the premier prototype class and combined the LMPC cars with LMP2. The GX class is a joke - GTE cars already use alternative fuels/technology. But since Grand Am will be running it this season (only 6 entries for Daytona so far) I guess they will need to find a way to get it into 2014, which will be in the GT class.

We'll see what happens, but I'm only cautiously optimistic at this point.

[carr914]

The LMP2/DP was a forgone conclusion - the surprise to me in the inclusion of the DeltaWing

LMPC - ?, I guess if they keep getting people into it & can update the cars. It would be nice to have 2 or 3 different Tubs/Engines

GTE - (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) this is this shiznit

GT/GTC - Forgone Conclusion

GTX - I don't see it happening. I think Grand-Am created it this year for Mazda in recoginition for the money they pour into the sport and since they couldn't race the RX-8 anymore. I see Mazda getting into DP in a year

[naro914]

I posted this over on Rennlist:

What I was hoping for (class names are for example purposes):

P1 - Some version of ALMS P cars. Most likely not current P1 since there really isn't any racing here anyway, so lets say they are current P2 cars.
P2 - Grand Am DP cars
GT1 - ALMS GT cars
GT2 - combined Grand Am GT and ALMS GTC cars

Some think 4 classes is too much because it's too confusing to keep track of, but in this scenario, it would be easy to follow (ALMS P cars look nothing like DP cars, and ALMS GT cars are not the same as GA GT cars)

Unfortunately, this classing would not happen - GA took over ALMS. In what I laid out, all ALMS classes are ABOVE GA glasses....France family would never let that happen...

Combining DP and LMP cars is stupid. LMP cars are fragile high performance machines. DP cars are medium performance tanks that can run over other cars without getting a scratch. To match speeds, you'll either have to develop the DP cars or handicap the LMP2 cars. And if you dumb down the LMP2 cars....well...why bother running them?

ALMS was all about advancing technology - if you can't compete, step UP your game and make your car better!

Grand Am was all about parity - if you can't compete, the faster cars will be handicapped to bring everyone DOWN to the lowest common denominator.

The series is now in the hands of Grand Am people....

[mr914]

DP cars made me stop my annual pilgrimage to the rollex in daytona (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

I enjoyed the true prototypes and the GTO/GTU much better

Now the hybrids/delta wing cars intrigue me.


Now what shelf did I put my flux-capacitor. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

[carr914]

Combining DP and LMP cars is stupid. LMP cars are fragile high performance machines. DP cars are medium performance tanks that can run over other cars without getting a scratch. To match speeds, you'll either have to develop the DP cars or handicap the LMP2 cars. And if you dumb down the LMP2 cars....well...why bother running them?

I'm alright with it. They will be making the DPs faster so they can compete with LMP2. DPs already have more HP, but as you said are Tanks and are heavier. Plus the DeltaWing can compete head to head

They can't handicap or dumb-down the LMP2 Cars as then they would not be LeMans eligible. So the LMP2 and GTE cars are still within the rules to go to LeMans, that keeps the Manufacturers happy as they don't have to create different cars.

Unfortunately Porsche's LMP1 car coming in 2014 will not be within the Rules

[naro914]

Unfortunately Porsche's LMP1 car coming in 2014 will not be within the Rules

Which is why we're going to LeMans in 2014! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

[carr914]

Group Road Trip!

[Zimms]

Unfortunately Porsche's LMP1 car coming in 2014 will not be within the Rules

Which is why we're going to LeMans in 2014! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

COOL! Same here. Have you started to make plans? We are possibly going to Stuttgart to see the museums as well. Club Arnage has a good going to Le Mans guide.