20 replies to this topic

[SonnyViceR]

I've been very critical of the FIA WEC championship, especially the calendar. You might have read about them on other forums so I don't intend to bore you with them now, instead here's few polls for you (surprise...)

Btw I still hate the title. It should go back to being World Sportscar Championship, most of the people have no idea what WEC is.

Edited by SonnyViceR, 11 November 2012 - 16:12.

[SonnyViceR]

And just to add a bit of comedy: I immediately forgot my OWN question on poll 1 and actually went for the ones I wanted to say Noticed my error immediately after pushing submit -button but it was too late.

Oh well

Edited by SonnyViceR, 11 November 2012 - 17:11.

[pingu666]

I much prefer viable length, both time and distance, makes the races much less harmogenous, but the fia love harmogenous

[jcbc3]

Voted:

All deserve, because it reflects a true World Championship

Le Mans as a stand alone event, because it just is.

1000 km because it will give different time depending on track, and it will never be a tv-sport anyway (in this day and age).
Except Le Mans of course that has blanket coverage on Eurosport and Danish tv.

[ayali]

All deserve to be there, I thinks it's quite a good calendar actually

Le Mans is stand-alone, once you've attended that race you'll realize it's unique

6h is fine, don't like shorter races like in ALMS

[SonnyViceR]

Le Mans is stand-alone, once you've attended that race you'll realize it's unique

Of course it is, and in fact that's just what is it to me (the most important and most anticipated sporting event of the year), but the point of poll 2 is literally whether it should be part of the FIA WEC, however you see it yourself.

Personally speaking, no. The mess it causes with the auto entries is horrifying, and denies possibilities from many great private teams as well as regional series participants. It also means that almost 75% of the grid is about the same as every other weekend, which is not so entertaining for me.

[SonnyViceR]

I think my dream WSC calendar would be something like

1) Sebring 12h *
2) San Luis 500km
3) Kyalami 500km
4) Spa 1000km
*LM break*
5) Paul Ricard 1000km
6) Nurburgring 1000km
7) Laguna Seca 500km // or Mosport
8) Petit Le Mans 1000mil *
9) Okayama 500km
10) Adelaide 8h *

= double points

Obviously, never gonna happen. The 2011 ILMC calendar is still the best since the 1992 WSC one

Edited by SonnyViceR, 11 November 2012 - 18:03.

[polaris]

I think my dream WSC calendar would be something like

1) Sebring 12h *
2) San Luis 500km
3) Kyalami 500km
4) Spa 1000km
*LM break*
5) Paul Ricard 1000km
6) Nurburgring 1000km
7) Laguna Seca 500km // or Mosport
8) Petit Le Mans 1000mil *
9) Okayama 500km
10) Adelaide 8h *

= double points

Obviously, never gonna happen. The 2011 ILMC calendar is still the best since the 1992 WSC one

I think it would be really interesting if there were a handfull of 24 hour races around the world in select places. those races should remain exceptionally special for that reason that they are 24 hrs like le mans. its a bit like monaco will always be special in F1 and all the other races support that notion

[Ross Stonefeld]

Unless they started racing at the Nordschleiffe or something, the calendar isn't what's going to make me watch or not.

[SonnyViceR]

I think it would be really interesting if there were a handfull of 24 hour races around the world in select places. those races should remain exceptionally special for that reason that they are 24 hrs like le mans. its a bit like monaco will always be special in F1 and all the other races support that notion

There are handful of 24 hour races around the world. Just because they're not part of ACO rulebook does not make them less spectacular (thou obviously Le Mans can't be topped by anything)

If you're looking for a "series" that actually connects some of these events, there is one for the fans of GT3 racing (yuk) and smaller production car categories
http://www.24hseries.com/

Nurburgring 24 is my fav after Le Mans

[BetaVersion]

I think my dream WSC calendar would be something like

1) Sebring 12h *
2) San Luis 500km
3) Kyalami 500km
4) Spa 1000km
*LM break*
5) Paul Ricard 1000km
6) Nurburgring 1000km
7) Laguna Seca 500km // or Mosport
8) Petit Le Mans 1000mil *
9) Okayama 500km
10) Adelaide 8h *

= double points

Obviously, never gonna happen. The 2011 ILMC calendar is still the best since the 1992 WSC one

ditch Okayama, Laguna Seca/Mosport and Nurburgring because they are crappy circuits, then include Suzuka, Silverstone and Turkey(because I think it could provide great racing there and T8 would be mega on LMP1s)

[SonnyViceR]

Suzuka has never done anything special for me, though I appreciate the challenge it gives
New Silverstone bores me greatly, also the cars (especially the GTs) go past the white line into those asphalt run-offs all the time to gain advantage
I hate Turkey with passion (and so does the ACO, the LMS races in mid-2000's weren't exactly a hit)

> I chose Nurburgring because of it's history and heritage with the 1000km as well as the World Sportscar Championship, also the chance of rain is always quite high here (and these are cars that actually DO race on wet weather)
> Okayama may not please everybody, I know, but the Super GT races there are entertaining - as was the 2009 AsLMS race. Also not filled with ridiculously wide asphalt parking lots as Fuji (and some parts of Suzuka)
> Anyone who calls Laguna Seca and Mosport "crappy circuits" is just out of his mind, sorry

Edited by SonnyViceR, 11 November 2012 - 21:17.

[Victor_RO]

I hate Turkey with passion (and so does the ACO, the LMS races in mid-2000's weren't exactly a hit)

And so do the teams, one of the LMS races had to be cut short because the local organizers brought in too little fuel.

[SonnyViceR]

Now, while the above is just daydreaming and filled up with my own preferences, this is actually my semi-realistic view from last August of what the WSC calendar should/could look like, to suit the needs of everyone
http://www.ten-tenth...;postcount=1896

1) Fuji 500km (integrated with Asian Le Mans Series)
2) Monza 500km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
3) Spa 1000km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
*LM break*
4) Paul Ricard 500km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
5) Silverstone 500km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
6) Nurburgring 1000km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
7) Montreal 500km
8) Laguna Seca 500km
9) Mil Milhas Interlagos 1000 miles

If logistics were an issue then move Fuji before or after Interlgos, would make shipping easier if the season started at Europe (as ACO has actually done with the real 2013 WEC calendar). Fuji's presence is there solely because of Toyota anyway

so what does calendar like this do
1) Ensures that the series hits core markets - primaly USA, UK, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan (most of the teams and manufacturers come from here!!)
2) Four continents, but instead of racing in front of... nothing as in places like Bahrain and Shanghai, the strategic placing of these venues is actually relevant
3) Ensure the survival of European LMP2 racing with my Euro LMP -idea - sorry to say but the ELMS in it's current form will die next year (as if 2012 wasn't horrible enough)
4) No Le Mans = no auto entry issues, no need to limit grid sizes
5) Mil Milhas (my replacement for PLM which atm is overcrowded) is an actual event with history, fitting way to end the season... instead of Six Hours of Something in some desert
6) Shorter races may sell better in places like Canada and US where pretty much only domestic series attract paying customers, I mean if I had kids and wanted to bring my family to a fun motorsport event, I'd go for a 500km race (taking less than 3 hours) in either Canada or west coast of USA, than a 6 hour marathon in the heat of Texas

Edited by SonnyViceR, 11 November 2012 - 21:53.

[BetaVersion]

> Anyone who calls Laguna Seca and Mosport "crappy circuits" is just out of his mind, sorry

they are good for bikes and GTs, but I always hated them for formulas and prototypes

I'll look for the races in Turkey that you mentioned, as I missed them and I'm eager to see the prototypes there

PS: and please never Montreal as that track is **** and only tarnish a great name

Edited by BetaVersion, 11 November 2012 - 22:51.

[ArnageWRC]

Leaving Sebring and Petit LeMans off the calendar is a mistake. Having CoTA is no consolation. When building up a new series you should use your best events to show it in the best light – Bahrain?? Really?? If they must have a Middle East race, why not AbuDhabi?
No German or Italian race....I think that needs sorting. And while I understand people leaving LeMans off – I think in this day and age it simply has to be in a World Championship. It’s the only race the average sports/Motorsport fan will have heard of – the 1000km of Anywhere.....

All non-F1 Motorsports are fighting to get coverage – leaving your best events off isn’t going to help this. It’s no longer the 1980’s...the world of Motorsport has moved on – and not for the better.

[SonnyViceR]

Dropping Sebring and PLM was a mistake, but now that the ALMS and Grand-Am are merging and taking up both of those events there really are no chances for those events to re-appear on this championship anymore.

In fact, the new merger series will/should have the most "historic" and "prestigious" sportscar calendar of any series in 2014. Daytona 24h, Sebring 12h, Long Beach GP (in 95% probablity) Watkins Glen 6h, PLM/ Road Atlanta 1000m etc etc... 6 Hours of China doesn't really have the same ring to it

Edited by SonnyViceR, 12 November 2012 - 10:21.

[ArnageWRC]

Exactly!!

[pacificquay]

I think my dream WSC calendar would be something like

1) Sebring 12h *
2) San Luis 500km
3) Kyalami 500km
4) Spa 1000km
*LM break*
5) Paul Ricard 1000km
6) Nurburgring 1000km
7) Laguna Seca 500km // or Mosport
8) Petit Le Mans 1000mil *
9) Okayama 500km
10) Adelaide 8h *

= double points

Obviously, never gonna happen. The 2011 ILMC calendar is still the best since the 1992 WSC one

A World Championship with no round in the UK and no round in Italy would not be worthy of the name.

Particularly since many of the teams hail from here.

[SonnyViceR]

A World Championship with no round in the UK and no round in Italy would not be worthy of the name.

Particularly since many of the teams hail from here.

It's my dream calendar, it doesn't have to make sense . realistic view of mine is on post #14

Italy and Germany are absent from the actual 2013 calendar too

[SonnyViceR]

e: wrong thread

Edited by SonnyViceR, 12 November 2012 - 19:24.