[FIA GT] 2009 FIA GT Calendar Released

[airbusA346]

From Planet Le Mans:

"The FIA announces the 2009 FIA GT Calendars

The 2009 calendars for both the FIA GT Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship have been released during today’s session of the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

The FIA GT Championship calendar will include nine rounds in total, including two rounds outside Europe. Eight rounds were announced today, with a further overseas race, which will start the season, due to be confirmed during the December meeting of the World Motor Sport Council. ....

• March - TBA **
• May 3- Silverstone, Great Britain
• May 23- Adria, Italy
• June 28 - Oschersleben, Germany
• July 26 - Spa, Belgium
• August 30 - Bucharest, Romania
• September 13 - Portimão, Portugal*
• October 11- Zolder, Belgium
• November 22 - San Luis, Argentina*

2009 FIA GT3 European Championship

• May 2/3 - Silverstone, Great Britain
• May 23/24 - Adria, Italy
• June 27/28 - Oschersleben, Germany
• September 12/13 - Portimão, Portugal*
• October 3/4 - Paul Ricard HTTT, France **
• November 14/15 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2009 GT4 European Cup

• May 2/3 - Silverstone, Great Britain
• May 23/24 - Adria, Italy
• June 27/28 - Oschersleben, Germany
• August 22/23 - Zolder, Belgium
• September 12/13 - Portimão, Portugal*
• October 3/4 - Paul Ricard HTTT, France **

* Subject to the homologation of the circuit
** To be confirmed by the FIA WMSC in December"

http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/11/...a-gt-calendar/

I wonder where this other "overseas" race will be?

No Monza, Brno or Nogaro.

Bucharest and the 1000 km of Nürburgring clash on the 30th August as well as Portimão and the 1000 km of Silverstone on the 13th September.

Tom.

[Marcel ten Caat]

Minor update:

FIA GT3 European Championship: Dubai is on December 4/5, not November 14/15...

[deggis]

"The FIA World Motor Sport Council also announced that Magneti Marelli had won the tender to be the single ECU supplier to the FIA GT Championship in 2010, 2011 and 2012."

Traction control ban? It was mentioned as a possibility, together with standard ECU, in one of the press releases last year.

[mattcat]

Originally Posted by airbusA346

I wonder where this other "overseas" race will be?

It will never happen but they should bring the series to the US. That would be a fantastic way to begin the season.

Originally Posted by airbusA346

No Monza, Brno or Nogaro.

I agree about Monza, strange that they should choose to do away with that race. With the Le Mans Series not returning in 2009, there will sadly be no major sports car races at one of my favorite circuits .

[Speed-King]

I agree about Monza, strange that they should choose to do away with that race. With the Le Mans Series not returning in 2009, there will sadly be no major sports car races at one of my favorite circuits .

WTCC won't be there, either... Looks like there will be nothing major apart from F1

[Dead-Eye]

It has been said that F1 is the only thing the audience there cares about...

[The359]

Could FIA GT be going back to China to start the year?

[HORNDAWG]

09 Combined Series Schedule

Blue = ALMS
Orange = LMS
Black = LeMans
Purple = FIA GT
* Subject to the homologation of the circuit
** To be confirmed by the FIA WMSC in December
C = conflict

January 26-28 : ALMS : Wheels Down Winter Test - Sebring
March 8-9 : LMS : Paul Ricard Test- 1st time open to public
March 21 : ALMS : 12 Hours of Sebring
March : FIA : TBA **
April 4 : ALMS : St. Petersburg C
April 5 : LMS : 1000km of Catalunya, Spain C
April 18 : ALMS : Long Beach
April 22-23 ACO/LMS test @ Bugatti Circuit Le Mans, France
May 3 : FIA : Silverstone, U.K.
May 10 : LMS : 1000km of Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
May 17 : ALMS : Salt Lake City
May 23 : FIA : Adria, Italy
May 31 : ACO : Le Mans Test Day
June 13-14 : ACO : 24 Hours of Le Mans
June 28 : FIA : Oschersleben, Germany
July 18 : ALMS : Lime Rock
July 26 : FIA : Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
August 2 1000km of Algarve, Portugal - NIGHT RACE *
August 8 : ALMS : Mid-Ohio
August 16 : ALMS : Road America
August 30 : LMS : 1000km of Nurburgring, Germany C
August 30 : ALMS : Mosport, Canada C
August 30 : FIA : Bucharest, RomaniaC
September 5 : ALMS : Detroit
September 13 : LMS : 1000km of Silverstone C
September 13 : FIA : Algarve, Portugal*C
September 26 : ALMS : Petit Le Mans
October 10 : ALMS : Laguna Seca C
October 11 : FIA : Zolder, Belgium C
November 1 : Asian Lemans Series (ACO) 2 races: Mt. Fuji, Japan
November 8 : Asian Lemans Series (ACO) 2 races: Shanghai, China
November 22 : FIA : San Luis, Argentina*


L.P.

[Dead-Eye]

Looks pretty good actually...I don't think it's realistic to expect fewer clashes, and certainly better than the horror stories of LMS and Spa on the same weekend.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

a good calendar, even I dont konw why going to the new portuguese circuit ! Adria still with its night race, but 2 clashes with the LMS, only 8 rounds vs 5 and still we have clashes !!!

[TWK]

I wonder where this other "overseas" race will be?

If Le Rat had any sense, it would be in Florida. And of course it won't.

[The359]

The FIA GT Adria race will be a night race again as well.

[Stefvh]

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

Looks pretty good actually...I don't think it's realistic to expect fewer clashes, and certainly better than the horror stories of LMS and Spa on the same weekend.

one week is still too short, i think.

[mattcat]

Originally Posted by TWK

If Le Rat had any sense, it would be in Florida. And of course it won't.

I was thinking the same thing myself. Isn't there some big event in March in Florida which FIA GT would pair up with nicely? Some sports car deal. Sea Breeze raceway, or something like that.

If Ratel had any sense, he'd read this forum and maybe a light bulb or two would go on...

::Waits for the inevitable comments on how this is not feasible::

Originally Posted by Stefvh

one week is still too short, i think.

I agree, especially with the LMS race being in Portugal.

[Asa]

Originally Posted by The359

Could FIA GT be going back to China to start the year?

If you are talking about Zhuhai, China, then it is very unlikely. I doubt that it will go to Shanghai either since the F1 race is now in April.

I suspect it is North America but this is a pure guess.

[rich07]

No Monza!! ?? massive shame. As for the overseas race, I doubt it will be in North America, ALMS would have something to say about that! My first guess was Zuhai but where else could it be?

Africa?? not likely
Australia? not likely but if it happens I will be there with bells on!
Another race in South America? Brazil??
Somewhere in Asia, possibly?
Middle East?

[The359]

I think Middle East or Japan is more likely than America.

[old man]

I just think it is a shame there are two FIA/LMS clashes

[panoz.lmp1]

Middle east: http://www.projectlemans.de/rennseri...tart-2009.html

[johntt]

Bahrain or Qatar.

I'd say Bahrain was the better of the two.

[mattcat]

Originally Posted by panoz.lmp1

Middle east: http://www.projectlemans.de/rennseri...tart-2009.html

Oh fantastic, a choice between two boring desert tracks. That's a rather foolish fly-away, if you ask me. The series would be better off heading west, where people actually care about motorsport and would attend the race.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by mattcat

Oh fantastic, a choice between two boring desert tracks. That's a rather foolish fly-away, if you ask me. The series would be better off heading west, where people actually care about motorsport and would attend the race.

I guess they'd do, if the western promoter paid for their travel expenses...

Sebring as a joined FIA-GT/ALMS race would be fantastic, but without Dr.Panoz/IMSA paying teams to come over, it's probably not viable for the European teams.

[rich07]

That's it, if the promotors in other parts of the world had the money (and the willingness to part with it) which is in the middle east at the moment then the FIA GT would go to Japan, America or Australia or anywhere else that would want them racing.

[Asa]

It will likely cost 2million Euros for a promoter to do a flyaway FIA GT event. That's Euros 200 per ticket if you get a 10,000 crowd without profit. For that price, you can actually go for a nice 3/4 days holiday over here in Asia.

Of course, if you get a 1 million euros title sponsor you do offset the costs. But it is very, very , very very very very hard to find. And even if you sell the ticket at 100 Euros, it still isn't the bargain of the year.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

hard times now, and Ratel wanting a World Championship !!! FIA GT concentrate on Europe, there are a lot of good tracks, and its strange to have no race in France, Nogaro was a positive event the last 2 years