278 replies to this topic

[JHSingo]

Could be just me, but it is quite obvious Per Guidi did everything he could do to give Winkelhock space - by hopping over the previous kerb. To suggest he did anything wrong, when there wasn't even contact, is quite frankly ridiculous. He gave the Audi room, but there's one line through that corner, and he held it. If he hadn't given him any space at all, and moved over, fair enough. But otherwise, it's just hard racing on the last lap and it is a terrible call.

 

Quite ironic really. Clear the last yellow was designed to set up excitement - a dash for the cash if you will - then they penalise a driver for creating that excitement. Bizarre.

[Ross Stonefeld]

There's one ideal line, if you're the only car on the track. There's multiple arcs through the corner and enough room to fit two cars easily. Maybe Winkelhock's steering issues contributed but the Ferrari didn't leave him enough room. Which is an R8's width +1 inch.

[Sheepmachine]

I think it was hard but fair move. To me it looked like the Audi tried to hang on round the outside and ran out of grip (marbles worn tyres etc). There was plenty of room for the Audi, where was the Ferrari supposed to go on the grass on the inside? Seeing perfectly clean racing like this penalised is frustrating because it could lead to drivers not trying to overtake because they could get penalised. :/

[PayasYouRace]

Worst penalty I've seen in a while. He'd claimed the corner and there was no contact.

[GSiebert]

Per Guidi should have lifted if the Audi was in front. It was not. He did the right thing, he had the best line. 

[Andrew Hope]

It looks to me like the Audi tried a desperate move in a desperate time and got burned for it.

[DanardiF1]

There's one ideal line, if you're the only car on the track. There's multiple arcs through the corner and enough room to fit two cars easily. Maybe Winkelhock's steering issues contributed but the Ferrari didn't leave him enough room. Which is an R8's width +1 inch.

 

+1.

 

Also, even if it is the last lap, it is still just as important to stick to the rules as any other in the 24 hours. The Audi was ahead going into the corner, albeit on the outside, but still had more than enough of the car alongside to be given more room on the exit, which the Ferrari had no intention of doing. Desperation may set in on the last lap of a hard 24 hour race, but rulez is rulez.

[SKL]

Even though I was going for the Audi, that was a terrible call-  gotta agree with Townsend Bell in the post race interview...

[Ross Stonefeld]

Apparently it's been reversed now.

[JHSingo]

+1.

 

Also, even if it is the last lap, it is still just as important to stick to the rules as any other in the 24 hours. The Audi was ahead going into the corner, albeit on the outside, but still had more than enough of the car alongside to be given more room on the exit, which the Ferrari had no intention of doing. Desperation may set in on the last lap of a hard 24 hour race, but rulez is rulez.

 

Looks like the rules have changed.

 

Decision reversed, Level 5 credited with the win.

[DanardiF1]

Only because they called the penalty wrong... they claimed it was avoidable contact which there was none of, however, if they had called it right the first time, forcing a driver off track, then it wouldn't have been reversed.

[l8apex]

Good call on reversing the penalty.

 

They should have pulled an F1 and did an after race investigation instead of giving them a penalty a few seconds after the incident ... without taking anytime to actually review things in detail.

[llarson]

Basically a good race to watch, but the last caution and the bad call made it rather frustrating, even tho the call is now apparently reversed.
I'm wondering what is happening to racing in general, NASCAR, watching the no. 1 & 2 cars in the Dakar sit and wait for the "chosen" winner to come by, and now the business at Daytona.

[MaxisOne]

I'm glad that crap got reversed. Better late than never. Ferrari deserved that win .. 

[PayasYouRace]

Everything is all right again.

[B Squared]

Gordon Kirby talks to Ganassi's sports car team manager Tim Keene and Extreme Speed's director of operations Rob Hill about NASCAR sports cars direction.

 

http://www.gordonkir...t_is_no418.html

[Risil]

Very strong words in the Kirby article, from the P2 and the DP sides.

 

Extreme Speed HPD P2:

 

 

"I don't think the series has a longterm plan," he declared. "I can honestly see sometime next year we'll be running some kind of restrictor plate and they're just going to continue messing with the cars trying to equalize everyone. I think that's going to be their MO for trying to bring a fan base to this series.

"A DP is nothing more than a late seventies Trans-Am car with more bodywork. They're an antique, tube-frame car and the mentality of the people we have to deal with is equally antique. They don't want change, they don't want technology. They're not interested in selling technology and I think it's going to kill them in the long run. They're just hurtling toward the cliff and they don't seem to realize it."

 

Team Ganassi:

 

 

"When they deal with teams, especially with us, they always act like we're trying to pull something over on them," Keene remarked. "Whenever we do anything to the car they want to know why we would want to do that.

[...]

"They need to understand that if a guy is talking to you candidly he's telling you the truth. If you know what you're talking about, you know how to make that judgement. But if you don't know what you're talking about you're not going to understand that this guy is telling the truth and not messing with you. And they don't understand enough to know whether you're messing with them or not."

 

Tough political job for IMSA. Rob Hill (P2)'s suggestion to run the opening 3 races (Daytona, Sebring and Long Beach -- very "diverse" circuits no doubt but also arguably the three prestige events on the calendar) with no performance balancing at all is a little bit mischievous, given the fact that in 2013 P2s lapped the same circuits 8 seconds quicker than DPs.

 

Both sides are united in the criticism that the leadership doesn't appear to have a long-term vision for the series. Is the introduction of Le Mans spec cars a sign that they're embracing higher technology or is it just a temporary concession to bring in the ALMS teams? Is the friendliness between the ACO and Daytona Beach part of a plan to bring the regulations closer together or just a bit of mutual appreciation? Is DTM USA really happening? Is the Corvette DP an exception to the rule or a new technical/marketing direction for the series? We keep hearing about TUSC that "There is no Plan B" but sometimes you think it's just "There is no plan".

Edited by Risil, 27 January 2014 - 16:07.

[Ross Stonefeld]

You could like, ditch prototypes. And turn it into an amazing GT series. 

[427MkIV]

I liked this quote from Keene as well, for all racing series: "The sanctioning body is trying to do our jobs for us, which is frustrating. It's up to us to balance performance, not them. There's got be some rules but we have too many. You've got to open up the box or window so it's not too small to get through."

 

In Felix Sabates' divorce case last fall, documents came to light about NASCAR subsidizing his and Ganassi's DP team.

[Risil]

In Felix Sabates' divorce case last fall, documents came to light about NASCAR subsidizing his and Ganassi's DP team.

 

Must be a drop in the ocean, or indeed a toe in the water, for an organization with revenues as big as NASCAR's.

 

Hopefully they've learnt some lessons from the "rescue" of AMA Superbikes.

Edited by Risil, 27 January 2014 - 16:37.

[paulb]

Must be a drop in the ocean, or indeed a toe in the water, for an organization with revenues as big as NASCAR's.

 

Hopefully they've learnt some lessons from the "rescue" of AMA Superbikes.

That went very well didn't it?

[paulb]

As for the race, I am happy that Bourdais won and happy that the Ferrari penalty was overturned.  Its sad for the Level 5 team as they were robbed of the euphoria of victory.

 

The latest I heard on Memo (from a Porsche forum yesterday ) was "he's in surgery has a broken collar bone , arm , leg, chin and back. also a concussion".  Hope he recovers well.

[Sheepmachine]

Thought people might be interested in this peice of news for this years 24 hours.
http://www.autosport...t.php/id/117280
Rubens is doing the 24 hours! Should be good.

[Afterburner]

Saw the thread and was like, 'WTF 6 pages already? That's better than F1!'

 

Then realised it was last year's thread.

[Prost1997T]

Thought people might be interested in this peice of news for this years 24 hours.
http://www.autosport...t.php/id/117280
Rubens is doing the 24 hours! Should be good.

He already made a start in 2013 with Doran Racing.

Hopefully there's plenty of international talent in the race like last year...

[huisne]

Entry list for the Roar. 

 

http://www.imsa.com/... Entry List.pdf

 

Seems to be a pretty strong field.

[Imateria]

Entry list for the Roar. 

 

http://www.imsa.com/... Entry List.pdf

 

Seems to be a pretty strong field.

Lol, thats last years entry list!

[Prost1997T]

http://www.imsa.com/...try List-NS.pdf

Hmm, still quite a few TBAs although this is just the open test. We should make a new thread for that don't you think?

Edited by Prost1997T, 07 January 2015 - 12:27.

[Sheepmachine]

http://www.imsa.com/...try List-NS.pdf

Hmm, still quite a few TBAs although this is just the open test. We should make a new thread for that don't you think?

I presumed that a 2015 one was in the works which is why I used last years to post the Rubens news.
Also I see it's going to be on motors tv if the signal holds out.