2014 SCCA World Challenge

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Blancpain Sprint Series or even the FIA GT series are exactly the mark PWC should shoot at. Both have been successful for a while (though GT1-GT3 has had to search for a format some--they seem to have it down now,) everyone who likes road-racing knows them and respects them, they gets good teams, drivers and crowds which means also sponsors ... They have excellent entertainment value (Hear that Mr. Atherton--Real Racing with high entertainment value.)

A race photographer I know said a while ago that this continent is ripe for a GT3 series, and I couldn't agree more. The cars are plentiful, all the balancing BS is already done so the series doesn't have to mess with it, the cars are inherently exciting to auto enthusiasts, and the competition is moribund.

PWC really can't follow the BES format because TUSC still offers too much competition/talent drain, but it can go crazy with its sprint format--maybe look for some headline deals for 2015, or maybe try to get a race or two televised live ....

Who knows? I think road-racing fans will be surprised to see that a North American series can do it right.

They need to dump the GTS cars from the GT race. Pair the GTS cars with the TC cars, and let the TCB's have their own race.

[FstrthnU]

Originally Posted by Breitling24

Actually I am a F1 fan, tell me which cars in F1 was the tire specifically designed for, and which ones are specifically hindered?

Designed for: Bernie
Hindered: All the teams

[Dyson Mazda]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

Designed for: Bernie
Hindered: All the teams

More or less. F1 has been terrible tires for everyone for a few years now. The conti tires were designed for the 3 classes that run them. The series had to do a lot of things to balance very different cars and we all know this. I am flat out getting tried of people complaining about contradicting things. There were too many cautions at Sebring, then there was not enough excitement at Long Beach because there were not any, and then we go back to the tires even though the P2s were running spec Michelin club tires last year that were slower. The P2's lost their chance at that race win because Ed Brown is a gentleman driver, the #1 broke in qualifying and had to start back on the grid, the #42 had a bad pit stop, and the Mazda's are in their developmental year. Those are the cold hard facts. There is no NASCAR conspiracy.

[Christian Mogami]

Originally Posted by Dyson Mazda

More or less. F1 has been terrible tires for everyone for a few years now. The conti tires were designed for the 3 classes that run them. The series had to do a lot of things to balance very different cars and we all know this. I am flat out getting tried of people complaining about contradicting things. There were too many cautions at Sebring, then there was not enough excitement at Long Beach because there were not any, and then we go back to the tires even though the P2s were running spec Michelin club tires last year that were slower. The P2's lost their chance at that race win because Ed Brown is a gentleman driver, the #1 broke in qualifying and had to start back on the grid, the #42 had a bad pit stop, and the Mazda's are in their developmental year. Those are the cold hard facts. There is no NASCAR conspiracy.

That is true but the P2 in a sprint race will not beat a DP and put that ARX-03 on Michelin P2 spec tires and they would of been 2 seconds faster at LBGP or the Dunlop P2 spec tire..3 seconds faster.

At LBGP...you could put the best driver in the World in the P2 and he would pass the DP going into the passing corner every lap to be re-passed down the strait or in traffic and restarts and most likely one of those passes in the corner will not go well.....pushed into the wall by the heavier DP.

[joeb]

I have had to clean-up multiple posts here in this thread. Let's get back to the topic on hand. no more warnings.

[ttdriver2009]

In P2 last year, there were club tire Michelins? You got to be kidding me. A club tire for a pro series? I was under the impression that they designed a specific tire for each car. Doesn't Oak require a completely different tire over an HPD? It almost sounds like Michelin was making a generic P2 tire and that's what they got in the states.

Does Pirelli design a specific tire for each car in PWC? I find it hard to believe that a AWD Volvo can use the same exact tire as an R8 Ultra. The tire has to fit one car better than the other.

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by ttdriver2009

Does Pirelli design a specific tire for each car in PWC? I find it hard to believe that a AWD Volvo can use the same exact tire as an R8 Ultra. The tire has to fit one car better than the other.

No, each car doesn't get a specific tire in PWC. However, different cars do use different sizes. The construction and compound of them is all the same for GT. I'm not sure about GTS (I'm sure they're all the same in GTS, but don't know if they're the same as GT).

-mike

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by ttdriver2009

In P2 last year, there were club tire Michelins? You got to be kidding me. A club tire for a pro series? I was under the impression that they designed a specific tire for each car. Doesn't Oak require a completely different tire over an HPD? It almost sounds like Michelin was making a generic P2 tire and that's what they got in the states.

Does Pirelli design a specific tire for each car in PWC? I find it hard to believe that a AWD Volvo can use the same exact tire as an R8 Ultra. The tire has to fit one car better than the other.

You can say it's a "club tire" in all reality it's an off the shelf customer tire. While it might be semantics, there are so many engineers and resources they can commit to a worldwide company.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Matt

They need to dump the GTS cars from the GT race. Pair the GTS cars with the TC cars, and let the TCB's have their own race.

I'd prefer the Kias, Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers to fight for GT wins.

[NaBUru38]

And Nissans and Toyotas, of course.

[ttdriver2009]

It sounds like that Pirelli is building a tire like Continental and Michelin. A basic off the shelf customer tire. Not specific to anyone, just one that is mediocre for everyone.

It would be nice if SCCA would open up their tire rules.

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by ttdriver2009

It sounds like that Pirelli is building a tire like Continental and Michelin. A basic off the shelf customer tire. Not specific to anyone, just one that is mediocre for everyone.

It would be nice if SCCA would open up their tire rules.

The Pirelli tire is VERY good. They didn't build it based on SCCA requirements. It's the same construction and compound that they run on the GT3 cars in Europe. I'll actually go so far as to say it's by far the best racing tire I've driven on so far (yet to drive on confidential Michelins).

There's no reason for SCCA to open up the tire rules in World Challenge if Pirelli can continue to make a tire that all the teams like and keeps the cost down.

Do you have any idea how expensive confidential Michelins are?

-mike

[jasonjessica09]

The full circuit at Miller in Utah is almost 4.5 miles. Will the PWC use that or an abbreviated lap? Kinda like COTA last year.

[jasonjessica09]

Questions for Mr. Hedlund:

1. Do drivers and team members watch the races on tv/youtube and read the news articles (sportscar365, racer, etc) after the races end?

2. I think you drive car #16 right now. Will your team give that up for the incoming Dyson team?

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by jasonjessica09

Questions for Mr. Hedlund:

1. Do drivers and team members watch the races on tv/youtube and read the news articles (sportscar365, racer, etc) after the races end?

Most of us do, yes. There are a few of the older school guys who don't pay attention to anything online or after the fact.. but the rest of us do. Most of us are fans too!

2. I think you drive car #16 right now. Will your team give that up for the incoming Dyson team?

I drive the #64. I doubt anyone will be giving up numbers for everyone else. I tried to switch to #7 (since Kimi is my favorite driver) after I picked #64 and they wouldn't let me. :-)

-mike

[Hendrix]

Here is the announcement of the Dyson, Bentley deal.

Can't wait to see it on track.

[rich07]

Fantastic to see it's been officially announced. Factory livery looks nice and clean

[PointDSM]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhGNIfTgqZA

PWC seriously has something here! Take what NASCAR can't offer (real car racing), grow on the building of the European influence of America (see: Soccer, Road Racing), and get professional teams and drivers.

2015 I expect to see the GT class on their own, headlining events. Can't wait for Road America!

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Hendrix

Here is the announcement of the Dyson, Bentley deal.

Can't wait to see it on track.

That thing is completely ridiculous and stupid cool. I really want to see it.

[Coach Ep]

PWC is going from strength to strengh! And they don't seem deaf to criticism and fan response either. That said, they really should improve their tv production - LB's coverage was far from great and won't do anything good to keep the momentum going. I'm willing to give them a break or two and I'm positive they sort this before Barber in just over a week - another nice event to look forward to!

Might we see Pickett later in the year joining the fun with a Nissan too....?

Edit: also I believe PWC should really start thinking about an endurance race try out at the end of the season, maybe Mike Hedlund could give us an idea if this prospect/dream/illusion* is starting to grow in some of the driver mind's as well???

*please mark your appropriate choice Mike!

[WolfsburgRS]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

The Pirelli tire is VERY good. They didn't build it based on SCCA requirements. It's the same construction and compound that they run on the GT3 cars in Europe. I'll actually go so far as to say it's by far the best racing tire I've driven on so far (yet to drive on confidential Michelins).

There's no reason for SCCA to open up the tire rules in World Challenge if Pirelli can continue to make a tire that all the teams like and keeps the cost down.

Do you have any idea how expensive confidential Michelins are?

-mike

That's pretty enlightening to hear. Sometimes when you see the interviews where a driver says how great the tires are you can never tell if it's the truth or just marketing speak i.e. "Yeah these [insert brand name] tires were great all day on the [insert brand x sponsor or make] car"

Cool though! You got some good mentions from Jeremy Shaw in the race broadcast.

[Nick Woodbury]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgRS

"Yeah these [insert brand name] tires were great all day on the [insert brand x sponsor or make] car"

That, in a nutshell, is pretty much every nascar interview....ever.

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Edit: also I believe PWC should really start thinking about an endurance race try out at the end of the season, maybe Mike Hedlund could give us an idea if this prospect/dream/illusion* is starting to grow in some of the driver mind's as well???

*please mark your appropriate choice Mike!

I don't think it'll happen. We had an hour long meeting at St. Pete when we were all (officials, drivers, and teams) trying to come up with safe and fair pit stop procedures for during the race if it started raining and we had to switch to rain tires. The series nor the teams are setup for pit stops during the race. There are no rules in place for safety of the people in the pit lane. I know it sounds stupid, but that's what happens for a pure sprint racing series.

Cars can come in one-off into the pits as much as they like, but nothing in the series is setup for all 40-60 cars in both classes to come in at the same time. In most cases, pit boxes are shared between teams as well (since we normally don't get free run of the pit lane because of other series).

There's no chance of endurance races being added to PWC any time soon. I *do* think there will be a pure FIA GT3 ONLY endurance race (6+ Hours) promoted and ran in the US within the next 12 months...but I don't think it'll be sanctioned by SCCA or IMSA........

-mike

[FstrthnU]

http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-cha...lenge-program/
8Star looking at Ferrari 458 GT3 program

I do have to say that, as much as I enjoy the success PWC is getting, I am a bit worried things are expanding too quickly with the series. Will it be able to keep costs under control?

[Maelochs]

So long as the series keeps the current format there is no reason costs should increase. GT3 is an homologated category so teaks aren't going to be making wild mods, and the sprint-race format allows for a minimum of crew and gear.

With a sped tire (and a good one) and homologated chassis, body, and engines, there isn't a lot ot be gained by spending mega-bucks.

I hope.