2019 Rolex 24hrs of Daytona !

Some kind of live streaming on the IMSA website in about 35 minutes' time. Proto Challenge race or live stream of a Roar session?

Edited by Joseki, 05 January 2019 - 16:48.

OMFG an actual race

I am healed.

Barbosa & Albuquerque, robbed from victory in 2017 and winners in 2018, I just hope you win again!

Hey, there's an actual IRL winner in the LMP3 race (Alex Barron)! 

Times falling yet again in DPi, VDZ in the 34.5 in his first fast lap.

I'm beginning to think we may see some adjustments before the 24...

Edited by Joseki, 05 January 2019 - 21:47.

Edited by jonpollak, 05 January 2019 - 22:25.

Should I say it again, the ROAR is awesome. It’s a live race experience for minimal to no cost and minimal crowds. Lots of Scouts, but they don’t take up much space.

Drivers I met were Pags, Rossi, Legge, Nielsen, Sellers, and Zanardi. Montoya and Alonso were too elusive, particularly Alonso. Had extended conversations with principals at Joest and PR1. Pics are incoming.

Edited by paulb, 06 January 2019 - 15:13.

Definitely jealous, Paul. Especially as you got to meet the closest thing I have to a hometown driver (Kathy)... and as much as I say I don't do hero worship, Alex Zanardi is my hero. Access sounds fantastic.

Edited by paulb, 06 January 2019 - 00:45.

I’d be amazed if Fernando’s car doesn’t win given how IMSA races are often a bit... um... manipulated. No doubt there will be a four car shoot out for the lead from a yellow with four laps to go like there is every year.

*ducks*

LMP2 has no chances of fighting for the overall win so they won't be in IMSA this year.

Ahh. Thank you for that   

I just hope the Mazdas can complete the race this time, without spending hours in the garages.

Lanky Turtle Video from test sessions 2,3&4 and some night testing.

I'll just put the links up instead of embedding them...for those of you on old phones etc.

Session 2

https://youtu.be/Et6xh3QIvbA

Sessions 3&4

https://youtu.be/JAKyvsKokK4

Night session

https://youtu.be/mekFAcOK4p8

Jp

Great interviews now on IMSA Radio, https://www.imsa.com...imsa-radio.html

Juncos has a bunch of their Indycar folks supporting their Daytona effort.

Edited by paulb, 06 January 2019 - 15:11.

Edited by Joseki, 06 January 2019 - 15:45.

Weathertech qualifying in about 30 minutes.

GTLM team pit qualifying starts now.

Result: Chevy, Ford, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW.

Edited by paulb, 06 January 2019 - 17:07.

DPi, LMP2 pit qualifying allocation starts now. Penskes are on their own.

Corvette towed to pole.

Other teams were not as good at it.

Jarvis just did a 1:33:4 !

Beating PJ Jones track record.

Edited by paulb, 06 January 2019 - 17:30.

Actual video of today from lanky turtle
https://youtu.be/aHK-RWmqO8A

It's not January without waiting for the first videos to come back from the Roar from lanky turtle 

I just hope the Mazdas can complete the race this time, without spending hours in the garages.

That wasn't really their problem by the end of last year, but bad strategy calls etc definitely were, its good to see Leena Gade has been hired by Multimatic and is working on the #77 Mazda as a race engineer, so hopefully things can be done better on that side.

This track will always suit the torque curve of the big GM V8 Caddys, especially during the course of a race, but if the Mazda has that kind of pace in it you've got to hope they can compete too.

I'd say one thing



BoP

And much better tyres.

Even so, it's still something to beat a lap record set by a GTP car such as the Eagle Toyota with what underneath is still basically an LMP2 chassis (and what is, or maybe should be was considered the weakest of the 4 chassis). The downforce and power those things had...

Edited by DanardiF1, 06 January 2019 - 18:04.

And much better tyres.

 

 

Even so, it's still something to beat a lap record set by a GTP car such as the Eagle Toyota with what underneath is still basically an LMP2 chassis (and what is, or maybe should be was considered the weakest of the 4 chassis). The downforce and power those things had...

It's definitely largely a product of the tires. Would love to see what an Eagle MKIII could do with modern Michelins fitted...

It'll be interesting to see how the track rubbers up now that everyone is on the same(ish) rubber. I gather the tracks would stay quite 'green' with Conti vs Mich as each tyre would scrub each other's rubber away. 

Sort of on-topic: I remember when CART came to Brands Hatch in '03. A mate was racing in the supporting FRenault race. CART were on the Firestone/Bridgestones, Frenaults on Michelin. The Renault drivers were unanimous in that driving on the 'rubbered in' CART lines were like driving on ice but just off the line was littered with marbles. Indeed, Lewis Hamilton ended up having a very clumsy looking crash at Paddock Hill while leading. 

It'll be interesting to see how the track rubbers up now that everyone is on the same(ish) rubber. I gather the tracks would stay quite 'green' with Conti vs Mich as each tyre would scrub each other's rubber away.

Bourdais was talking about this here:

Anyone have any laptimes for Zanardi's stints in the Bimmer? Saw an article on Motorsport.com that he is much more comfortable with the steering wheel braking system rather than the prosthetic leg attachment he used on a pedal previously, he also said he was "within a second" of his teammates but I can't find any specific times.

I hope he's competitive, I love the dude and am in awe of his attitude and physical fitness, but it would make me sad if his pace drops their car out of contention in what will surely be an insanely close GTLM field.

Edited by paulb, 08 January 2019 - 00:42.

Beauty !!!
You did that to make me jelly.
It worked.
Jp

Anyone have any laptimes for Zanardi's stints in the Bimmer? Saw an article on Motorsport.com that he is much more comfortable with the steering wheel braking system rather than the prosthetic leg attachment he used on a pedal previously, he also said he was "within a second" of his teammates but I can't find any specific times.

 

I hope he's competitive, I love the dude and am in awe of his attitude and physical fitness, but it would make me sad if his pace drops their car out of contention in what will surely be an insanely close GTLM field.

I think his system now is with the throttle behind the steering wheel, and the brake is on a rally/drift handbrake-type lever that he can also blip down the gears with using a button on it too

It's definitely largely a product of the tires. Would love to see what an Eagle MKIII could do with modern Michelins fitted...

Same. I think tyre performance is probably the biggest differentiator in the last 30 years of racing. 30 years ago, designers and engineers knew how to make big downforce, they knew how to make big power, they knew how to make light cars and even knew about things like carbon brakes etc. Tyres were always the limiting factor, and all these years down the line companies like Michelin, who can make slick intermediate/rain tyres for god's sake, can make a prototype tyre that allows a car with on the face of it less performance than the Eagle in the LMP2-based Mazda (that's not discounting modern advancements in all engineering fields, but it won't produce as much downforce or be as powerful as the GTP car) to beat it on laptime.

I think its already clear to see the jump in performance Michelin has been able to provide. Not wanting to disparage Continental entirely, but even in their mid-race statement last year when lots of the prototype cars were puncturing right rears, they admitted they were running the same design of tyre for 5 years as if that consistency showed they were not in the wrong (I don't think they fully were, teams were running the tyres on the edge too). The cars had massively changed in 5 years, from the lazier Grand-AM DPs to effectively LMP1 cars of the same vintage, and to provide the same tyre for them was indicative of Continental's technogical position.

Edited by DanardiF1, 09 January 2019 - 16:04.

The LMPC class + Conti rubber + a cold snap stopped being funny quite quickly.

The LMPC class + Conti rubber + a cold snap stopped being funny quite quickly.

As did the Pirelli-shod PWC cars being seconds quicker than their GTD counterparts...

Edited by DanardiF1, 09 January 2019 - 21:39.

Ford's retro liveries for the Rolex... both are great

Same. I think tyre performance is probably the biggest differentiator in the last 30 years of racing. 30 years ago, designers and engineers knew how to make big downforce, they knew how to make big power, they knew how to make light cars and even knew about things like carbon brakes etc. Tyres were always the limiting factor, and all these years down the line companies like Michelin, who can make slick intermediate/rain tyres for god's sake, can make a prototype tyre that allows a car with on the face of it less performance than the Eagle in the LMP2-based Mazda (that's not discounting modern advancements in all engineering fields, but it won't produce as much downforce or be as powerful as the GTP car) to beat it on laptime.

 

I think its already clear to see the jump in performance Michelin has been able to provide. Not wanting to disparage Continental entirely, but even in their mid-race statement last year when lots of the prototype cars were puncturing right rears, they admitted they were running the same design of tyre for 5 years as if that consistency showed they were not in the wrong (I don't think they fully were, teams were running the tyres on the edge too). The cars had massively changed in 5 years, from the lazier Grand-AM DPs to effectively LMP1 cars of the same vintage, and to provide the same tyre for them was indicative of Continental's technogical position.

I think even the Avons that historic Group C/GTP cars run are probably grippier than what they were running for race tires back in period. I recall one of the Nissans (the From A car from the Japanese Grp C series) setting a lap record at Watkins Glen a few years ago during a historic event.

I think even the Avons that historic Group C/GTP cars run are probably grippier than what they were running for race tires back in period. I recall one of the Nissans (the From A car from the Japanese Grp C series) setting a lap record at Watkins Glen a few years ago during a historic event.

That makes sense, even from improvements in the rubber production there's got to be gains, plus from Cooper-Avon's perspective, the tyres they make for the historic cars are going to driven by lots of amateur drivers as well as pros, so providing grippier tyres than were available in period makes sense from a safety point... if it helps the cars go faster so be it!

Edited by DanardiF1, 10 January 2019 - 18:29.