ALMS 2012 Discussion

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

More shots from Sebring courtesy of Epoch Times. We've got a full view of the wide-body Corvette, looking hot! Also got a rear shot of the Demspey LMP-C (?) and a shot of the Core Autosport LMP-C

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/spor...st-188180.html

Oh wow, the vette livery and bodywork looks so much better from those angles! Definitely the slickest looking since the GT2 era started.

[Deleted]

30 minutes gone and the third ESM Ferrari is just 0,9 seconds away from last year's GT2 pole time... #3 Corvette currently second

[Deleted]

Red flag due to Level 5 stopping on the track.

Fastest GT now under 0,1s away from AF Corse's pole last year... Most of the entered cars have already done their installation laps and some have done good amount of mileage, but the P1 field aka Cytosport likely won't run today.

[911targa]

Rob Bell test as Paul Miller's 3rd driver, that's quite unusual for a Ferrari GT2 regular ,before he had only drive GT3 Cup for the team in the last two Daytona'24.

[alexkiller8]

michelotto test car almost one tenth under 2011 gte pole

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by 911targa

Rob Bell test as Paul Miller's 3rd driver, that's quite unusual for a Ferrari GT2 regular ,before he had only drive GT3 Cup for the team in the last two Daytona'24.

My guess would be that this was linked to the fact that AFAIK Paul Miller's Porsche is on Dunlops this year

[DeathOrGlory]

Hmmm... Black Swan taking the HPD engine eh? Sure they can pick any chassis they want but if they're going HPD then the ARX-03b is looking real tasty. Though I wonder how that HPD engine will work in an OAK/Pescarolo. Or an ORECA 03.

Nissan engine ain't too popular here in the ALMS, while they're making a killin' in the WEC and the ELMS.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Cytosport's new HPD which apparently won't run tomorrow (probably):
edit - well at least the 50% of that sentence was true...

It will not be out today, hopefully tomorrow.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by DeathOrGlory

Hmmm... Black Swan taking the HPD engine eh? Sure they can pick any chassis they want but if they're going HPD then the ARX-03b is looking real tasty. Though I wonder how that HPD engine will work in an OAK/Pescarolo. Or an ORECA 03.

Nissan engine ain't too popular here in the ALMS, while they're making a killin' in the WEC and the ELMS.

You're right and after Signatech's performance last year I have no idea why. Cost is my assumption?


There is usually a WDWT thread... what gives?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

You're right and after Signatech's performance last year I have no idea why. Cost is my assumption?

Most likely, if they use a HPD engine they can have it rebuilt in California at HPD's HQ or in Europe down at Wirth perhaps if they do WEC races; if they pick a Nissan engine, I suppose their only option for maintenance/rebuilds is Zytek, and they don't have a presence over there.

[Coach Ep]

I expect to see Black Swan racing a Lola-HPD, bought or leased from Level 5. Could be a coupe or a spyder.

[pach233]

almsnotes ALMS Racing
Elkins - Expecting 35-36 cars for the full #ALMS season. Possibility of as many as 10-11 #LMPC cars by season's end. #Sebring12 @ORECA

Ughhhh

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by pach233

almsnotes ALMS Racing
Elkins - Expecting 35-36 cars for the full #ALMS season. Possibility of as many as 10-11 #LMPC cars by season's end. #Sebring12 @ORECA

Ughhhh

Elkins said the exact same number (not LMPC but overall numbers) last year at the SWT but it didn't happen. Any realistic list right now will give you 29-33, Hopefully the LMPC numbers are about as legit as their LMP1 count last year and we get more GTE cars instead. LMPC was a joke last year and ruined other classes quite a bit, and if not was usually just boring.

[Deleted]

All of the race meetings had 30 or more entrants last year so I don't think those figures are that far off.

Krohn is also considering of doing a few ALMS rounds in addition to their WEC programme.

[lms]

Originally Posted by pach233

10-11 #LMPC cars by season's end. #Sebring12 @ORECA

thats just disgusting

[Matt]

Originally Posted by lms

thats just disgusting

I see nothing wrong with that.

[NightStalk3r]

Paul Miller stepping up their program with a 2012 spec RSR, Dunlop tires and Rob Bell for the Enduros.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

It will not be out today, hopefully tomorrow.

I stand corrected. MM car is running and might be out today for a little shakedown time.

[TF110]

Any pictures of the Vette yet? That previous link won't work for me

[Canada ALMS fan]

Black Swan running a Lola B10/80 with HPD power.
Ex Level 5 car?

[cmk]

Depends on how readily the new 2012 P2 Lola bodywork, which is quite different, adapts to an old chassis?

I saw the announcement that BSR would be HPD-powered, but I missed the Lola confirmation.

[Canada ALMS fan]

http://www.americanlemans.com/primar...cat=news|16482

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Most likely, if they use a HPD engine they can have it rebuilt in California at HPD's HQ or in Europe down at Wirth perhaps if they do WEC races; if they pick a Nissan engine, I suppose their only option for maintenance/rebuilds is Zytek, and they don't have a presence over there.

There is that. Perhaps Nissan Europe, who is behind the P2 project I think, throws in a little support here and there to European teams? That may not be legal, but things that aren't legal end up being legal in P2 it seems. Also, perhaps ALMS teams are a little more confident that the HPD engines will get fair rules especially given what happened last year. Having said that, I don't know if there will be two different sets of rules for ALMS and WEC P2 cars at Sebring. I would not think so, but I don't know.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by AGD

There is that. Perhaps Nissan Europe, who is behind the P2 project I think, throws in a little support here and there to European teams? That may not be legal, but things that aren't legal end up being legal in P2 it seems. Also, perhaps ALMS teams are a little more confident that the HPD engines will get fair rules especially given what happened last year. Having said that, I don't know if there will be two different sets of rules for ALMS and WEC P2 cars at Sebring. I would not think so, but I don't know.

Also, Nissan USA just recently signed a promotional deal with Grand Am and is supposedly looking at stepping up their game there, so politics might also play into that as well.

[FstrthnU]

The ALMS is apparently going to make a video series talking about Sebring, here is the first video talking about the 50s http://www.americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=news|16483

here's a BUNCH of pictures of the Sebring test http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...g-winter-test/
Notably, Pickett doesn't have their HPD-ARX out yet, but we got great shots of the Corvettes, Porsches, BMW M3s, Ferrari 458s, the Level 5 HPD ARX, and some LMP-Cs. Can definitely notice the new wide-body work on the Vettes and Porsches, but the BMWs look largely the same as last year. I'm liking the ESM Ferrari livery (is Tequila Patron still sponsoring them?), but Krohn Racing green doesn't do it for me with the 458. Looks like neither Falken nor Flying Lizards have painted their liveries yet. As for the Level 5, I don't really see the fin when it's coming head-on and it's probably not going to stick out THAT much when they finish the liveries.


Here's another story on the testing. So Level 5 is 0.8 seconds faster than last year's LMP2 pole already. Extreme-Speed Motorsports is also topping time-testing in GT. Risi drivers are in a test-car and finished 2nd in GT, but I have no idea how relevant that is to a full ALMS effort. http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...st-at-sebring/