Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[Bob Baldwin]

When will the P-2 Spec FIA-ASCO finally be settled ?

[Pandamasque]

This summer, I assume. Perhaps around Le Mans time?

Originally Posted by Chiana

Kairos is Ukrainian so who knows how that ends up working out - kinda similarly to SMP...

I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to imply by that comparison, but let's look at the facts.

"BR" in the name of SMP's new P2 car stands for Boris Rotenberg, who is a prominent Russian oligarch and Vladimir Putin's close friend. Oligarchs by definition earn their wealth through corrupt connections to the state and unlawful practices, and once they gain their wealth and power they then utilize it to support the corrupt system in order to continue making profits. So by definition there's always a chance of their assets getting arrested. In the case of Rotenberg nobody in the EU or the U.S. seemed to care about SMP's practices in Russia, until it got involved in Russia's war and terrorist activity in Ukraine. Hence the sanctions against Rotenberg, which, by the way, didn't prevent BR from designing and building his own LMP2 car using non-domestic technology and expertise! Go figure...

Similarly, there was an entity called Ferrari Team Ukraine, which ran (via AF Corse) some cars in Ferrari Challenge and later expanded to GT3. Last year they won a round of ELMS on their first try and... disappeared. Back then I asked one of the team's Ukrainian drivers if he brought any money to the team and received a very resounding "no". Rumours suggest that the team had connections to Yanukovych family (who's on international wanted list and is currently "hiding" in Russia). 2+2=...

In contrast, from what I can tell Kairos Tech. (of which I've never heard before) is a company that doesn't seem to be involved in anything that could potentially get it in terrible legal trouble more than, say, Adobe. Oligarchs usually engage in extracting natural resources, energy, oil/gas transportation, airlines... areas where one can make huge profits by lobbying a monopoly or near-monopoly within a given country. To me "data encryption" sound like too much intellectual effort and competition if you're going to go international. Not the kind of profit margin that oligarchs would be interested in.

PS: Googling the name of the company, I found not a single mention of it being Ukrainian anywhere. The website says that HQs are in Dallas, TX and India. None of the names, including Kairos itself, sound remotely Ukrainian.
The whole thing could be a mistake. There's some firm called Kairos-Ukraine, which is a logistics company, probably completely unrelated. Perhaps John Dagys should recheck his info.

[mariantic]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

In contrast, from what I can tell Kairos Tech. (of which I've never heard before) is a company that doesn't seem to be involved in anything that could potentially get it in terrible legal trouble more than, say, Adobe. ....
PS: Googling the name of the company, I found not a single mention of it being Ukrainian anywhere. The website says that HQs are in Dallas, TX and India. None of the names, including Kairos itself, sound remotely Ukrainian.
The whole thing could be a mistake. There's some firm called Kairos-Ukraine, which is a logistics company, probably completely unrelated. Perhaps John Dagys should recheck his info.

Try this link: https://kairosplanet.com

Note this one has the same logo as the Greaves & SARD cars - the other is quite different

(Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right time or opportunity - lots of unrelated companies use it as a name)

Look very closely at this web site and see what you think...

Mariantic

[Rodger Davies]

Well it looks completely British (at least from the mobile site), but when you Google the URL it suggests kairosplanet.com.ua first, and when you google the MD named in the press release, all of the top links are in cyrillics.

This has 'classic sportscar racing investment' written all over it!

[Pandamasque]

Their old site is still online and the contacts page has a bunch of UA vkontakte (social network) profiles based in Kyiv.
http://kairosplanet.com.ua/contacts/ (same logo)

My apologies to Dagys.

Originally Posted by mariantic

Look very closely at this web site and see what you think...

I don't speak Entrepreneur, so you'll have to help me out here

[Japanese Samurai]

Sorry for multi post. But this topic is suitable also for this thread.

GTA Sunday press conference (Masaaki Bandoh) report by Autosport web
http://as-web.jp/news/info.php?c_id=2&no=64344#page3

**About VLN accident (speed restriction of FIA-GT3 car)
GTA discusses speed restriction of FIA-GT3 car with SRO.
GTA doesn't have a mind to change the current regulations.
However, there is an idea that slick tires will be banned and to introduce grooved tires.
This is a discussion including Europe and WEC GTE cars.

[MitchZ06]

Oh crap.....

Grooved tyres won't cut top speeds....

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

Oh crap.....

Grooved tyres won't cut top speeds....

They would cut cornering speeds and increase braking distances, therefore decreasing top speed.

Slightly.

And temporarily, as we've seen in F1 1998-2008.

[Starfish Primer]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

Oh crap.....

Grooved tyres won't cut top speeds....

Perhaps they are looking for street tyres. It could be a cost cutting and PR measure for Am teams.

[TF110]

I think this is an overreaction. Within a couple years the grooved tires will be just as fast as the slicks anyway. Not a solution imo.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

Oh crap.....

Grooved tyres won't cut top speeds....

And what is the point in reducing top speeds? It's not like they're high in GTE. They're way slower than street-going equivalents are capable... on grooved tires, funnily enough.

This is about as idiotic as sharpening the pencil to have a better chance at stabbing the fly, instead of just picking a fly swatter!

Credible sources suggest the cars don't fly level because of aero and some teams have made changes to fix that during a race weekend and succeeded. That's one thing. The other thing is flipping when air gets under the car. I don't think the tires can solve that one, unless they're airfoil-shaped and don't rotate.

How about COMPLETELY changing the approach to underfloor regulations in all classes?! Heck, that may allow getting rid of BHFs and BHHs.

Enough with the band-aid solutions. They don't fully solve problems and create new ones. Does nobody watch F1?

[broadrun96]

Except a Bandaid solution is EXACTLY what has to be implemented to get the GT3 cars running at the 24 hour. A temporary change to reduce speeds does not HAVE to exclude a deeper change after investigation. But given the car has not yet been released by the authorities, last I read at least, means no real data could be analyzed to decide if something actually broke or something bigger in the rules has to change. If they can't get GT3s running for the 24 hour, and without some change for safety (real or imagined) no one will touch covering insurance costs. And insurance guys are the least likely people to take someone's word for it being a one time thing without reasonable proof.

Course that being said, how many times have temporary Bandaid solutions been left in place too long and another problem was found? A grooved or shaved street tire like PWC used for years could be a workable solution given the times restraints but there should be a clause about it being a temporary 2015 patch while further investigation is carried out. Real changes could be tough since most of the cars, with the big teams, they are looking to slow are FIA GT3 cars, correct? Do they run with any VLN mods or as a straight GT3 car?

[rich07]

What does JAF have to do with this? I can understand the German authorities looking at the GT cars that run in the VLN for obvious reasons but it makes no sense for the Japanese authorities to be looking at similar measures if they are not having the same problems of cars getting airborne. This makes no sense at all.

[MitchZ06]

Thing is, cars will still get air over Flugplatz, best solution imo is the slow down chicane before the crest that's been suggested earlier.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

Thing is, cars will still get air over Flugplatz, best solution imo is the slow down chicane before the crest that's been suggested earlier.

The track isn't wide enough to do that on the existing tarmac surface, and extending it might be tricky since the land around the track is in many places privately owned and/or under environmental protection. So I doubt that's something that could be done quickly/ before the 24.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by rich07

What does JAF have to do with this? I can understand the German authorities looking at the GT cars that run in the VLN for obvious reasons but it makes no sense for the Japanese authorities to be looking at similar measures if they are not having the same problems of cars getting airborne. This makes no sense at all.

It makes perfect sense for one simple reason: Super GT's GT300 class allows GT3 cars. There are several of the exact same Nissan in the class as the one that got airborne in Germany.

This is an issue of concern to EVERY series that runs GT3 machinery or is looking to run such in the future.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by rich07

What does JAF have to do with this? I can understand the German authorities looking at the GT cars that run in the VLN for obvious reasons but it makes no sense for the Japanese authorities to be looking at similar measures if they are not having the same problems of cars getting airborne. This makes no sense at all.

Unfortunately, just because they don't have the same issue now doesn't mean they never will. It makes sense that a series with a lot of GT3 entrants (particularly the GT-R) would be invited to offer their experiences and opinions.

I suppose if you were ultra-hyper-cynical you could say that it is in JAF's interest to slow GT3 down to make MC more attractive but I think in this case it's obvious that safety comes first.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by J Jay

Unfortunately, just because they don't have the same issue now doesn't mean they never will. It makes sense that a series with a lot of GT3 entrants (particularly the GT-R) would be invited to offer their experiences and opinions.

Fair enough. Personally I see it more as a Nurburgring centric issue so far but you do make a good point.

I suppose if you were ultra-hyper-cynical you could say that it is in JAF's interest to slow GT3 down to make MC more attractive but I think in this case it's obvious that safety comes first.

Yes I was actually thinking this myself but I don't think it's the main reason moreso a side benefit.

[TF110]

Mother chassis is in its first season. They dont need artificial help. Thats not a reason for the gt3 being slowed. Why even slow them?

[Speed-King]

Another one of those "I-think-I am-going-insane-did-I-really-read-this-or-did-I-make-it-up"-things:

"If Audi did join another series (which is not particularly likely), it would be a hypothetical German LMP series."

For some reason I seem to remember someone (presumably knowledgeable) saying something like this either on here, the MWM facebook page or MWM itself. Did I just imagine or misremember this, or can anyone else here remember a similar statement?

Sounds totally bonkers, so I am kinda tempted to think that I only dreamed it or something, but at the same time I am really quite sure that I really read or heard that somewhere.

[deggis]

Umm. I'd place my bet on the dream explanation.

[Adrian005]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

The track isn't wide enough to do that on the existing tarmac surface, and extending it might be tricky since the land around the track is in many places privately owned and/or under environmental protection. So I doubt that's something that could be done quickly/ before the 24.

Would putting down a chicane made out of the curbs that they were putting down at spa work? something that would allow them to run over it at the start of the race but have repeated hitting of it lead to suspension damage?

[DS"]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Another one of those "I-think-I am-going-insane-did-I-really-read-this-or-did-I-make-it-up"-things:

"If Audi did join another series (which is not particularly likely), it would be a hypothetical German LMP series."

Maybe a revival of the Sat1-Supercup?

But one could argue that the DTM is already a sort-of German LMP series. The lap times shouldn't be too far away .

[Bobby_status]

Originally Posted by DS"

Maybe a revival of the Sat1-Supercup?

But one could argue that the DTM is already a sort-of German LMP series. The lap times shouldn't be too far away .

How is DTM sort of a German LMP series? Aren't they a sprint only series? Lap time of GT500 are close to LMP not sure about DTM though.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Bobby_status

How is DTM sort of a German LMP series? Aren't they a sprint only series? Lap time of GT500 are close to LMP not sure about DTM though.

Roughly LMP2 pace (at least around the Red Bull Ring, which is the only track I believe DTM and LMP cars have both raced around recently).