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16 Jun 2011, 21:50 (Ref:2900589) | #501 | |||
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16 Jun 2011, 22:05 (Ref:2900600) | #502 | |
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16 Jun 2011, 22:17 (Ref:2900607) | #503 | ||
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16 Jun 2011, 22:35 (Ref:2900620) | #504 | ||
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Oh wait, you're talking about the railroad crossing jumping competition. Awesome stuff! |
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21 Jun 2011, 13:15 (Ref:2902872) | #505 | ||
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Grand-Am is at Road America this weekend for the first time in 10 years, but you wouldn't know if from the name of the event:
"Rolex Sports Car Series 250 Driven by Visit Florida" It is an interesting race name. |
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21 Jun 2011, 14:09 (Ref:2902895) | #506 | |||
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If they had tried to do a stand alone it would have been an attendance disaster, just look at the (lack) of people in attendance for Road America recently for the ALMS. |
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21 Jun 2011, 14:51 (Ref:2902916) | #507 | ||
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I'm not sure where you're getting the ALMS having bad attendance at Road America from.
As for GA, I'm not sure how good it will be, since they're only running Thursday and Friday. And yes, I'm not sure how excited some in Wisconsin are going to be having the race sponsored by Florida tourism. |
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21 Jun 2011, 15:02 (Ref:2902919) | #508 | |||
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Sorry to inform you but from 2007 to 2008 weekend attendance was almost halfed, and Im not sure about 2010 but in 2009 everybody said attendance looked way down. |
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21 Jun 2011, 16:36 (Ref:2902950) | #509 | |||
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On an unrelated note, let's hope that the (potential) Mazda pull-out doesn't mean the end of RX-8s in GT. Certainly there would remain tons of chassis and Speedsource does the engines, I realize Mazda money subsidizes the whole thing, but they aren't needed for anything technical (other than playing the political game with Grand-Am in the ever on-going rules battle) but surely there are plenty of whiners left in the Mazda teams that could be loud enough to sway the opinions of the entrant-friendly Grand-Am... Chris Last edited by Jonerz; 21 Jun 2011 at 16:43. |
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22 Jun 2011, 04:16 (Ref:2903250) | #510 | ||
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The date thing was my bad. I thought I read June 23-24 earlier, not June 23-25.
As for attendance at Road America, I wonder how much of that drop in 2008 was simply because people who showed up in 2007 on both Saturday (ALMS) AND Sunday (Champ Car) were actually counted twice. |
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22 Jun 2011, 14:16 (Ref:2904267) | #511 | |||
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22 Jun 2011, 17:03 (Ref:2904321) | #512 | ||
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Yeah, you'd have to think that teams and sponsors would still remain, particularly Team Sahlens and Speedsource, if for some reason (and I don't think this is likely) there aren't Mazdas on the grid next year (factory supported or not) I reckon there will be Sahlens Camaros or Speedsource Porsches out there.
Chris |
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22 Jun 2011, 20:04 (Ref:2904416) | #513 | ||
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Isn't Speedsource specifically a Mazda shop? If so, and Mazda pulls out, in any official capacity, I should think that that team will be gone.
And I can't even think of what Sahlens used to run before the RX-8s, at least not at the moment, so I don't know what direction they might go in. |
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22 Jun 2011, 20:09 (Ref:2904419) | #514 | ||
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22 Jun 2011, 20:17 (Ref:2904422) | #515 | |||
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The big question is that as cars such as the RX 8 come to the end of their life in Grand Am, will there be enough money to go around for the new European GT cars to fill the grid? For the Rolex 24 I certainly expect yes but for the rest of the season Im not sure. |
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22 Jun 2011, 21:14 (Ref:2904448) | #516 | ||
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Didn't Speedsource used to do Porsche prep?
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22 Jun 2011, 22:00 (Ref:2904472) | #517 | ||
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22 Jun 2011, 22:06 (Ref:2904479) | #518 | ||
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Great, thanks, that is what I thought.
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23 Jun 2011, 20:11 (Ref:2904909) | #519 | ||
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Yeah, I believe they've prepped and run a Daytona Prototype as well. I think they are around for the long haul, but if Mazda so chooses they will stay on as a development arm... particularly if no one steps up to keep them in Grand-Am with RX-8s or what-have-you.
The GT3-type cars I worry about. Who will run Lotus, if they show? We haven't heard about Ferrari teams... Will Audi buy in? The 50th anniversary 24h would look much better with the GT3-type cars, but even Grand-Am is airing on the side of caution in their press-releases (which is refreshingly honest, *cough*Atherton'swelcomeof"thenewmanufacturer"RoushFordP2cars*cough*) saying effectively, if they show that's cool. Chris |
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24 Jun 2011, 00:43 (Ref:2905011) | #520 | |||
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I think there is plenty of interest from GT3 teams to come to Daytona, but the big question is will any of the American teams running a full schedule bother to purchase them. |
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24 Jun 2011, 18:05 (Ref:2905391) | #521 | ||
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I hadn't thought of that. There are tons of GT3 cars running worldwide, and having some of them come stateside for the Daytona 24 would definitely be a way to increase the world exposure of the race.
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24 Jun 2011, 18:28 (Ref:2905400) | #522 | |||
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I know the 8 remaining full time Daytona Prototype teams and the 9 people plus the goat that show up to attend Homestead would ridicule me for this but I think Grand Am should dump the DPs, run FIA GT3 with their current GT rules (through BoP) and run the Continental Tire Challenge classes in the Rolex Series. Remember when almost 80 cars took the green flag for the Rolex 24 not long ago???? Well, with that class structure I think it could happen, perhaps even over 100 cars. And dont tell me a major international 24 Hour Race needs prototypes to be successful, utter rubbish. Just look at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. P.S. dont know what the drink icon is for, accidentally pressed it and wish I could remove it. |
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24 Jun 2011, 19:29 (Ref:2905441) | #523 | ||
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Sorry, FCP, but the only GT-only series that get me going are GT1 and SuperGT. Not even the GT3s pop enough to really do it for me. And GT2s are alright, but they still don't draw me in enough that a series of them, even combined with some other, lower GT classes, would be something I would watch all that keenly. So the prospect of a GT-only Grand-Am, or ALMS, or whatever, just does NOT appeal to me.
Last edited by Purist; 24 Jun 2011 at 19:53. |
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24 Jun 2011, 19:54 (Ref:2905450) | #524 | |||
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Dyson vs Muscle Milk for the overall win???? Seriously, what about BMW vs Corvette vs Porsche vs Ferrari? Notice on facebook and other websites after ALMS and Grand Am races? The comments are usually always regarding BMW, Corvette, Porsche, Mazda, Camaro, Ferrari ect and not Dyson, Muscle Milk, Ganassi and the NASCAR Bankers. People can go to their local Porsche, BMW, or Mazda dealer but I dont think they can go to a Riley or Lola dealer. |
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24 Jun 2011, 20:17 (Ref:2905461) | #525 | ||
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A Pro GT series isn't going to appeal to some people, that is a reality.
An amateur/Pro-Am Prototype series isn't going to appeal to a lot of people either. It really depends on what the series pretends to strive for. |
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