Blancpain endurance series round 5- Silverstone

[alexkiller8]

because if in fia gt example (i mean the 2009 style) there was a gt1 and gt2 class, the difference of performance between the 2 classes was not so abysall like the gt3 cars and gt4 cars!
gt3 and gt4 classes are too much different between each other! first.

Second, usually in races there aren't more than 5 gt4 cars with at least minimum other 25 cars that are gt3! i really dubt that these cars create some big interest! and a so limited grid for a singular class reminds me the shamefull 2009-2010 of GT1 cars at le mans.

Example pratical:
in super GT there is the GT500 class and the GT300! the gt300 cars run 10 and more seconds slower but there are so many and so different that a lot of time gt300 create more interest than the gt500 competition.

[CATMAN]

Blancpain even had an open invite to super car owners at the Monza round, there was a good show of Ferrari Lambo's etc but it was still clearly lacking in attendance and support.
It was nice though to be able to wander freely around the circuit and paddocks

[Jameson]

I think this first season was a great success for BES. From the word go, the grid was good and not only in quantity but quality as well. It didn't get much media attention but I heard only positive things from the teams and drivers. Obviously Spa 24h was the main even with the biggest grid, but all the 3h races were pretty good as well.

There was clearly need for another international GT3 series as many teams chose two race in two championships, which makes sense if each series has 5-8 weekends only.

I was pretty impressed by the racing it offered. Although it is an endurance series, there were quite a few fierce battles but not bumper car racing in GT1 style.

I was also impressed by the quality of teams and drivers and the mix of cars battling for wins. Yes, it's still GT3, but with lot of top-line drivers and the best teams Europe can offer.

In my opinion, the BoP was done much better by the Blancpain officials than FIA GT3.

I have to say that I'm not sure about GT4s either. Those few cars hovering around were more annoying than anything else. Either they should have at least 10 cars in the class and some decent battles or let the GT3 cars race without these moving chicanes. We don't need them to add more classes - we already have the Pro Cup, Pro-Am Cup and Gentleman Trophy for that.

[jase]

Was there on Sunday, there was some good racing but i found that the overall Blancpain package needed something extra, perhaps a midsummer slot? As the October chill really didn't suit the event.

It was described to me as BritCar for Millionaires, and I could see it.

It has good cars, good teams and tracks, a steady season this year and i hope it picks up and can improve on this for 2012.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Jameson

In my opinion, the BoP was done much better by the Blancpain officials than FIA GT3.

Aren´t they the same: SRO?

[jo1998sh]

I think maybe next year they could combine the british gt grid with the Blancpain grid for Silverstone next year and give it an earlier spot on the calendar to give it more publicity to the event. a 30 car field was quite spaced out around the new silverstone.

[Jameson]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Aren´t they the same: SRO?

I don't think so. I believe FIA GT3 is done by FIA and Blancpain is done by themselves. At least during the BoP tests they had different test drivers (and tyres) for the different series. And there have been differences in the BoP decisions.

[jase]

Originally Posted by Jameson

I don't think so. I believe FIA GT3 is done by FIA and Blancpain is done by themselves. At least during the BoP tests they had different test drivers (and tyres) for the different series. And there have been differences in the BoP decisions.

SRO run FIA GT, Blancpain, BGT to name but 3.

[alexkiller8]

sro directly and indirectly runs the fia gt1, fia gt3, fia gt4, adac gt master, aitapava gt, ffsa gt, blancpain and some other competition that now i don't remember. These competition use the fia gt bop as reference, but are free to do some changes! ex. in fia gt3 the callaway corvette according to the fia bop has really restrictive values, while in adac gt master has less restrictive values.

[Jameson]

Originally Posted by jase

SRO run FIA GT, Blancpain, BGT to name but 3.

Yes, thank you, I and everyone else know that. But I was not talking about who is the organiser of these different series. I was talking about the Balance of Performance, which for the FIA GT3 European Championship is done by the FIA (nothing to do with SRO, who is the organiser). For Blancpain, they do it themselves as do the national GT series, who either decide to follow the FIA or the Blancpain or to do a something else. For example Belcar chose to be somewhere between FIA GT3 and Blancpain, but closer to Blancpain (similar race distance, same tyres). Most follow Blancpain as they run with the same tyre, not the softer one used in FIA GT3.

[kober]

Originally Posted by Jameson

For Blancpain, they do it themselves as do the national GT series, who either decide to follow the FIA or the Blancpain or to do a something else. For example Belcar chose to be somewhere between FIA GT3 and Blancpain, but closer to Blancpain (similar race distance, same tyres). Most follow Blancpain as they run with the same tyre, not the softer one used in FIA GT3.

Isn't the opposite? Since BES has just completed it's first season, I'd say that the series' BoP had been following the others.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

That's what they said about GT90s.
I remember watching a McLaren GTR being packed away, as Michelin had 'forgotten' to bring any tyres to fit it???
It needs TLC for folk to race stuff that is still a monumental cash value.
Yet hard to find spares for, and nobody around to fix it, if you did find anything remaining made from Unobtanium...
There seems to be a 20 year gap, from Obsolete, to Historic. I wonder what the equivalent to VSCC will be for late 20th century race cars?

...and yet, we've got a fairly successful historic racing presence for Group C cars, which can't be much cheaper to run...I suspect it needs some kind of owners' association for 90's GT cars to get involved and give it some impetus. An established historic race organiser being involved will help though.

Originally Posted by jase

Was there on Sunday, there was some good racing but i found that the overall Blancpain package needed something extra, perhaps a midsummer slot? As the October chill really didn't suit the event.

It was described to me as BritCar for Millionaires, and I could see it.

It has good cars, good teams and tracks, a steady season this year and i hope it picks up and can improve on this for 2012.

I wasn't at Silverstone, but that sounds a bit like the early BPRO races in 1994/5- a mix of quality teams with pro drivers, and little-known gentlemen amateurs in badly-driven 911RSRs and Carrera Cup cars...