2014 SCCA World Challenge

[nasportscar]

Originally Posted by PointDSM

I don't think anybody wants the series to add LMP's or endurance races anymore. What they do want is the series to sanction 1-2 key endurance races in North America.

12 Hours of Road America with a 40 car GT (or 80 car GT/GTS) field would be insane!

I proposed a similar idea. Would love to see a non-points GT3 endurance race in the US http://nasportscar.com/is-world-chal...s-my-proposal/

[NaBUru38]

If SCCA World Challenge adds an endurance race, it should aim at European pro entries from Blancpain and VLN.

Road America has an issue: it's only available from June to September because of weather, and that's the thick of the European season. I would rather pick October-November at Austin or Laguna Seca.

[nasportscar]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

If SCCA World Challenge adds an endurance race, it should aim at European pro entries from Blancpain and VLN.

Road America has an issue: it's only available from June to September because of weather, and that's the thick of the European season. I would rather pick October-November at Austin or Laguna Seca.

You can still race at Road America in October (Aston Martin GT4 will be there this year in October), but I see your point. I think Laguna Seca would be great, I'm just biased towards RA!

[Rodger Davies]

I think this rampant dreaming really needs its own thread, but aiming for a non-championship GT3-only race is highly unrealistic.

Aside from the fact that any new race is late to the party, take a look at the 'winter' non-championship events that have been successful in recent years;

Dubai 24H
Bathurst 12H
Gulf 12H

Any of those had more than 15-20 GT3s? Even if you include other non championship events where they're eligible, such as the N24 and all Creventic races, there are no more than that. No, they're all multi-class races with a bit of a 'rung-what-you-brung (as long as it's not quicker than a GT3)' spirit. So expecting any such event to not be open to SCCA regulars, inviting CTSC regulars and anyone that has any sort of eligible car, is not only unrealistic but shooting yourself (as the organiser) in the foot.

You can't instantly make an event without a lot of things being in your favour. With Dubai and Yas Marinas (the latter of which has struggled anyway), both out-of-season weather and local subsidies contribute to making a field of completely mixed cars. The US advantage is that it has a lot of competitors and cars locally, but would have little sponsor or regional backing to reduce entry costs. So you're banking on attracting X competitors to cover the event costs to something with no precedent as an event and no history to it, not subsidising European teams' travel.

Remember that not one of the successful non-championship events being used as a reference began as a GT3 event. The successful ones (Spa, N24, Bathurst, Dubai) were all something else first. In fact, I'd argue that the mixture of fields in the latter three of those is part of what has made them great.

Sorry, took my off topic rant on a tangent there. Any mod fancy making a new 'dreams of a North American off-season GT(3) enduro' thread?

[HighParker]

On Friday in Toronto, when the schedule is showing two WC practices and one qualifying session (presumably all with GT, GT-A, and GTS), you can get in free and sit in any of the grandstands around the track. There's one WC race each on Saturday and Sunday, but you have to pay to sit in the same seat all day, or be stuck with paying for general admission and its limited amount of poor viewing locations.

[Jolliffe]

Just announced that Kuno is going to race in both races in Toronto with an all new Riley prepared SRT Viper. The free Friday is going to be fantastic.

[ttdriver2009]

For those races across the pond, there are plenty of other oddball cars running around at the same time. You get everything from some old BMW to a full blown GT3 car that probably is not even close to the actual GT3 rules. It is a run what you brung type of race.

For the Europeans to come to the US, they like races like Daytona and Sebring. Starting with a brand new 24hr race is a bit difficult because it would probably not get any attention at all.

SCCA Pro could probably do a few races that are as long as a Continental race. I know that the GT3 cars are built for endurance racing but I doubt the GTS cars are. Then the Pirelli tire. Is it designed for endurance racing or for 50 minute sprints? Maybe SCCA Pro could just copy the GS and ST rules from IMSA. Those teams in Continental are set up for pit stops and that would allow for a pretty large field for longer events. In Europe it's not uncommon to see a GT3 car running on the track with some 120d or a mid 90's 3 series BMW. If they can do it there, it should be able to be done in the states.

[Breitling24]

Originally Posted by Jolliffe

Just announced that Kuno is going to race in both races in Toronto with an all new Riley prepared SRT Viper. The free Friday is going to be fantastic.

Yeah, yesterday, see previous page. Welcome to the forum.

[Lagunaseca_4life]

I think those figure been thrown around for endurance are way to high for PWC,if any thing a 2-4 hour race would be considered endurance to the scca.and I would have no problem watching that.

[hondafan37]

There is already a 25 hours race in USA.
This is the 25 hours of Thunderhill
http://www.nasa25hour.com/
This race is racing since 1993
I dont know which is the relationship between NASA and SCCA, but Maybe they could allow the GT3 cars here.

[Lagunaseca_4life]

Gmg ran two of their r8 lms last year and I think it was in gt3 spec.

A few more legit cars and I might may have to go check it out.the bad part is it's held in the winter time and can get really cold,well atleast for us Californians it's considered cold.

[pederb]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

There is already a 25 hours race in USA.
This is the 25 hours of Thunderhill
http://www.nasa25hour.com/
This race is racing since 1993
I dont know which is the relationship between NASA and SCCA, but Maybe they could allow the GT3 cars here.

Actually its more like 2003 it started and NASA and SCCA do not play well together, they do not even allow each others stickers on the race cars.

[ttdriver2009]

One of my customers runs a Mustang in NASA. He's told me that NASA competes against the SCCA, so I doubt that SCCA would have anything to do with NASA and vice versa.

A few 2-1/2 hour races would be nice but I wonder how many GT teams would actually do it. I can see Dyson, Turner, Cadillac and GMG doing it but as for the rest, do they actually want to run endurance races? If you budget for sprint races and as Mike Hedlund has mentioned that running endurance races is pretty expensive. How many teams would commit to that? I wouldn't want to go watch a race with 10 or so cars in it. There is already a series that has cars that are close to GT3 spec right now. Do we need another one?

[ttdriver2009]

If I play my cards right, I might be able to make it to the PWC race at Miller. Has anyone been out there? What are the best places to watch from? The place looks like a huge track so I suspect plenty of walking from corner to corner.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

There is already a 25 hours race in USA.
This is the 25 hours of Thunderhill
http://www.nasa25hour.com/
This race is racing since 1993
I dont know which is the relationship between NASA and SCCA, but Maybe they could allow the GT3 cars here.

There's also the SCCA organized Bob Huff Memorial Charge of the Headlight Brigade 13 hours enduro at VIR at the end of October but it's very much a club event [just like the Thunderhill 25H is] and doesn't count for any championship. With the inclusion of GT3 cars into the SCCA rulebook we'll probably see one or more of those machines on the grid. Usually the race attracts 50-60 cars, the majority being Miatas.

This year's race will be held on Sat. October 25th.

[TF110]

Kuno Wittmer and his Viper just missed out on pole! P2 behind Tandy's Porsche. Not bad for him in his first WC race since 2010.

[Breitling24]

Originally Posted by TF110

Kuno Wittmer and his Viper just missed out on pole! P2 behind Tandy's Porsche. Not bad for him in his first WC race since 2010.

Good for Mr. Tandy, as well.

[nasportscar]

jonsson promoted to GTS pole after Wilkins DQ'd

[Deleted]

Question for those who started following SCCA WC after the series joined the GT3 bandwagon: how much do you actually care of GTS and TC? And the non-GT3 part of the GT class

As in would you actually watch a race without GT3s in it if that was to happen next weekend... is it the series you love or the fact they managed to lure in those cars used in billion other series around the globe

Or is it that since IMSA has obviously lost it's taste for some fans, World Challenge as alternative just feels better anyway?

[Rodger Davies]

I watched a few races over the last few years (actually, I got confused by it being 'Pirelli' and not 'Speed' World Challenge), especially the Long Beach and St Petersburg rounds, partially because they're early in the season when I need a motorsport fix!

Last year and this I started watching more, because of those GT3s that are used in 'a billion other series', but that's because they are a fantastic 'set' of cars and I've wanted to see for years sonething akin to the Blancpain series run on the classic US tracks and street courses. Interestingly, I'd point to this when someone says 'US sportscars don't need global relevance' in the P2/DP debate.

PWC is different from the SRO series, it's more akin to the GT Asia series that has also recently taken off, but these idiosyncrasies are what make it interesting. For instance, since BES dropped the GT4 class I believe it has been poorer for it, but PWC still has a class that is everything GT4 should be.

So to answer your base question, I'm massively interested in the GTS class and really enjoy its racing. I haven't watched the TC races because that's a step below the speed/power that I find entertaining. Similarly though, I have only started watching Conti Challenge races this year and have been fascinated by them; they have the demi-endurance aspect and another 'GT4-esque' class and also race on another selection of great North American circuits.

In summary, I enjoy the global relevance of the GT3 class; in particular, the knowledge that the car I watch at Oulton Park in British GT is also eligible for PWC at Road America, at Sepang in Asian GT, in Interlagos in Brazilian GT, at Bathurst 12 Hours and the BES race at Baku. Meanwhile, I appreciate each of those series' unique factors, such as the tracks they race on but also 'national' cars such as GT Masters' Camaros, PWC's Cadillacs and British GT's Ginettas.

So do I love the series? No, but I'm thoroughly capable of enjoying it, and by having my own benchmarks for it, such as Enge in a Reiter Lambo or Nick Tandy in a Porsche GT3R, it makes me more and more interested to watch everything else that is a part of it.

Does that make some sense? Would like to hear your opinion too.

[TRspitfirefan]

For me, It has always been about the cars.
The awesome list of cars competing in the GT class this year has completely changed my perspective about the series. That being said, I also really enjoy the cars in the GTS class as well. The TC races are also very enjoyable, but I wish there were more cars along the lines of the Mazda MX5 or even the Minis. Unfortunately, there are not enough traditional sports cars on the market anymore. In a perfect world, the small capacity TC classes would be filled with modern examples of MG,s Triumphs, Alphas, Austin Healeys etc.

[J Jay]

I really should have put some money on a first lap SC ...

[TRspitfirefan]

Wow!! Another great PWC race!

Looking forward to tomorrows round.

[pederb]

No broadcast of todays race?

[Cheyne]

Originally Posted by pederb

No broadcast of todays race?

The web broadcast was on at 11:10a Eastern this morning. Tomorrows is 11:55a. They will be on NBC Sport on August 10th.

Cheyne