ALMS 2012 Discussion

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

That's a whole lot of theory... without much behind it.

Herr Ullrich has said publicly and has been quoted publicly on the record as saying that any ALMS or LMS deals for the R18 or any other LMP1 program would have to be paid for mostly by Audi's regional importers.

Audi of America ,as it stand now, would seemingly rather spend their advertising budget and motorsports budget (which it seems that both budgets are one and the same at AoA) on anything other than an ALMS program.

And it's well known that money--or rather who'd pay for what--is what killed the 2011 ALMS plans for Audi in the 11th hour, and caused their pull-out after '08, because Audi AG wanted to focus on LM and what would become the ILMC/WEC, and Audi of America was unable--or unwilling--to fill the gap for the ALMS, and it seems that nothing has changed on that front, or will change any time soon.

Thankfully, Audi is the only ALMS LMP1 program that the WEC has poached, but the loss of Audi killed off a ton of the credibility that the LMP1 class had, which was already suffering for numbers of entries outside of Audi and a few dedicated privateers since '06 and even earlier than that if I'm honest.

[Audi Racer]

Originally Posted by Félix

The R10 and 908 were trucks (relatively speaking) and only had trick engines. The RS Spyder was arguably much more advanced and it was made available to numerous privateers because it was intented this way from the start.

And i suppose this "truck" of a 908 kept getting covered by blue blankets in 2007/2008/2009 because they wanted to keep it warm?

[AGD]

So here are the details of the Unlimited Racing Championship: http://www.americanlemans.com/primar...cat=news|16255

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by AGD

So here are the details of the Unlimited Racing Championship: http://www.americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=news|16255

I've been saying a support series of old bad ass replicas like Cobras would be great too see. This looks really REALLY cool, but not sure about the marketability of it. Honestly, I don't give a damn about the marketability because I will probably thoroughly enjoy seeing these types of cars driven in out right anger.

[Jonerz]

Yeah, and it is arrive and drive. Easier to get in and run than the Ferrari Challenge.

Chris

[skycafe]

well, I am understanding fogelhund's mention of M8F's....and this sounds cool, but what in the world does it do for ALMS/IMSA? Is it fan retention (in the face of a status quo for the main event in 2012)?

[MitchZ06]

You're telling me you wouldn't want to have this series with 700-800hp Can-Am style race cars as part of your race weekend? Damnit I want to drive one of those cars!

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Another spec series, hooray! The petrol vs diesel Forum whiners will love this. Certainly sounds more interesting than Patron *GT3* Cup or IMSA Lites though.

[WolfsburgRS]

Originally Posted by Audi Racer

Its hard to try to make the R18 a customer car when your still making wholesale changes to it. Its downright inconveneient to have to make al lthe spare parts for all the teams like Muscle Milk and Penske for any updates you make to the R18(Especially if you later decided to scrap the update).....Its really inconvenient to sell an unfinished product and still be developing it. thinking back to the penske porsches and dyson porsches, Dyson wasnt happy with the support they where getting from Porsche which was nonexistent. They got their DFI engines the latest of everyone. when the rs spyder was stopped being developed then it was a customer purchase frenzy(navi team goh, essex, van merksteijn, cytosport etc.)

Same migth be said of acura. The fernandez team got the short end of the stick in the acura camp. They where the last oget any of the upgrades. Highcroft was often the first and considered the factory acura team....

While I agree on the one hand, since costs are so high these days, too many changes or even worse unsuccessful ones would be the detriment of any program. However, one of the most successful and longest-lived customer prototypes of all time, the 962, had various teams that were first tier, second, etc. Al Holbert did all the development on his own car for IMSA, often beating his own customers, before selling them on to them and moving forward with the next, newest, latest and greatest.

At some point it has to be 'good enough' to sell to customers, if that is ever a plan.

[chernaudi]

And it's been said that IMSA/FIA/ACO homologation has been a source of restricted development, along with the factories being reluctant to allow teams to do a lot of R&D work on those cars--Audi offered Rob and Chris Dyson a couple of R8s circa 2004 or '05, but Rob and Chris got put off because Audi Sport wouldn't give them the free reign to develop the cars like they could the old R&S Mk III and their Lolas. I'll bet you that they also had similar issues with the RS Spyder in '07 and '08.

[Nick6]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Another spec series, hooray! The petrol vs diesel Forum whiners will love this. Certainly sounds more interesting than Patron *GT3* Cup or IMSA Lites though.

Ironic considering the name isn't it. I thought it would at least be unlimited in body designs or such, but I guess I was wrong.

[Mal]

I guess the significant thing about that article if the numerous reference to the 2012 American 'Le Mans' series.

They would be saying that if they were about to split

[Carsandmotorracing]

Originally Posted by AGD

So here are the details of the Unlimited Racing Championship: http://www.americanlemans.com/primar...cat=news|16255

Yes yes yes

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

You're telling me you wouldn't want to have this series with 700-800hp Can-Am style race cars as part of your race weekend? Damnit I want to drive one of those cars!

Don't get me wrong, the M8F was always my childhood wet dream of a race car. Honking thunder and speed and flash. Scary to think that was forty years ago.... Anyway...in the uber competitive chase for media mention, let alone coverage it seems like it competes for that media coverage.

It also doesn't 'fix' the ALMS does it? How does it turn around the grid for the ALMS?

[seanyb505]

I agree it does nothing for the ALMS grids and races, more for the weekend as a whole. I do think that in time these will draw a crowd on their own if the execution isn't sissified. This could be a good thing, I wonder how long before it's screwed up.

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

I wonder how long before it's screwed up.

The compass does seem to have issues. Well, I hope for the best, these things are going to be cool to see and I am going to go check the piggy bank to see if I can play ---

It is weird to think a big announcement in US road racing is about a spec series for a modern reproduction of a four decade old car --- but they did pick the right car.....

[MitchZ06]

M6GT would've been cooler

[courageous]

Unlimited & Spec are pretty much opposite ends of the scale.
Aside from the innapropriate name, as cool as the cars might look, WHY?
LMPC, IMSA lites, URC (& in europe SPEED/VdeV) - again, why are they all in their own little world when their basic formula could be mixed in & give us some diversity

[Nick6]

I don't think it will go far. They might be lucky to hold a season next year but I don't see anything else after that. Who the hell is this "Southwestern Performance" anyways? I've been following this sport for sometime now and have never heard of this company until now.

[Fogelhund]

Twice as much as an actual Historic Can Am car with history....

I wonder who will buy into this. It would be great to watch 20 of these cars from trackside, but it might just be one of those circumstances that is an answer to a question nobody asked.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Herr Ullrich has said publicly and has been quoted publicly on the record as saying that any ALMS or LMS deals for the R18 or any other LMP1 program would have to be paid for mostly by Audi's regional importers.

What he is saying, is Audi AG won't pay. If a qualified independent, with enough money came along..... You don't know whether Pickett has the budget or not, or wishes to spend what it costs.

Regarding two vs. one car... there isn't any evidence to choose either way. Goh, Champion, Johannson all ran with one car.....

[Danske]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Twice as much as an actual Historic Can Am car with history....

Yes, but would an actual Can-Am car be as safe, easy, fun and comfortable as these are advertised to be?

[NaBUru38]

What does Unlimited help ALMS? It can give IMSA some fresh cash to reinvest in ALMS. It can help individual ALMS drivers run a sprint race and get some credit on their own. It can attract more fans to the racetrack.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

cash to reinvest in ALMS.

I really hope they invest it in the ALMS.

Chris

[MitchZ06]

I've been wondering, why can't GT3 cars be adjusted to perform at the same level as the GTE cars? Surely on pace they can be equalised? That'd open the way for the SLS, R8 LMS, MP4, etc to be entered in the US series helping to boost the grid numbers (maybe?).