[WEC] FIA World Endurance Championship

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Chiana

As expected, Oak will return to P1 in time for Fuji and Shanghai - the Judd will be replaced by HPD powerplant(!).

There was a rumour about this floating around beforehand. And obviously when I asked the team on Twitter earlier this afternoon, they denied it... up until the announcement.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

There was a rumour about this floating around beforehand.

Yes I know

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Yes I know

Thanks for making me look smart to OAK's Twitter PR person.

[kober]

I was under impression that HPD engines are out of one's reach unless they run HPD chassis. And now OAK had secured such a deal. I just wonder, why Pescarolo weren't able to acquire the engine for their 03, earlier in the year.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by kober

I was under impression that HPD engines are out of one's reach unless they run HPD chassis. And now OAK had secured such a deal. I just wonder, why Pescarolo weren't able to acquire the engine for their 03, earlier in the year.

Henri Pescarolo has said earlier that the HPD engine is way too expensive for him to run.

[The Badger]

I was always under the impression they were available , as they said they would be available from the beginning .

This doesnt surprise me at all . In fact , I was miffed that nobody did it sooner ............

[Simmi]

Anyone think that OAK are emerging as the prime candidates for a manufacturer link-up if a new one were to come along?

[DS"]

Originally Posted by kober

I was under impression that HPD engines are out of one's reach unless they run HPD chassis. And now OAK had secured such a deal. I just wonder, why Pescarolo weren't able to acquire the engine for their 03, earlier in the year.

The chassis are just modified Courages anyway, so I guess that HPD doesn't care that much about the chassis, as long as they can sell engines.

[ep16]

Originally Posted by DS"

The chassis are just modified Courages anyway, so I guess that HPD doesn't care that much about the chassis, as long as they can sell engines.

...and the servicing and rebuilds that goes with them

[CTD]

Originally Posted by DS"

The chassis are just modified Courages anyway, so I guess that HPD doesn't care that much about the chassis, as long as they can sell engines.

This is an often mistaken opinion.
The Pescarolo 01 is a new chassis. Which is clearly visible on the double roll hoops. But Pescarolo used design elements from the Courage chassis in the 01 design.

[KA]

Originally Posted by kober

I was under impression that HPD engines are out of one's reach unless they run HPD chassis. And now OAK had secured such a deal. I just wonder, why Pescarolo weren't able to acquire the engine for their 03, earlier in the year.

The LMP2 engines were certainly never exclusively available as a package with the ARX chassis- RML & Mike Newton ran a Lola-HPD in Europe back in 2010:
http://www.racingsportscars.com/phot...-09-12-025.jpg


As The Badger said though, it's surprising that no-one (as far as we know!) has tried to obtain the P1 HPD motor to put into an alternative chassis until now- maybe that's what's given rise to the idea it was only available as a complete car+engine package....

[Purist]

DS, the Acura/HPD hasn't been a modified Courage/Lola since the first generation(s) of the ARX-01. For 2008, the Acuras, at best, had about as much to do with those other chasses as the Reynards Penske ran in CART by the time he was finished modifying them. The Acura ARX-02a and HPD ARX-03 are clean-sheet designs in their own right. (I just can't remember at exactly what stage Wirth got involved in the project.)

[Speed-King]

Possible expansion to ten rounds for next year (as per John Dagys on Speed.com) - not sure if that's a smart idea, adding more costs to an already not terribly well subscribed and crazy expensive series.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Possible expansion to ten rounds for next year (as per John Dagys on Speed.com) - not sure if that's a smart idea, adding more costs to an already not terribly well subscribed and crazy expensive series.

What you're not thrilled by the "exciting new venues" coming next year?

[deggis]

As per copy-paste

2013 SCHEDULE UPDATE — SPEED.com has learned that FIA WEC organizers are aiming to release the 2013 calendar next month during the Six Hours of Sao Paulo round. Word in the paddock is that Brazil could kick off next year's schedule, which may see as many as 10 rounds, with the possible inclusions of Russia’s Moscow Raceway and Buddh International Circuit in India.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...tone-notebook/

[FordCosworthPanoz]

What I find more interesting is the rumour that Brazil will kick-off the schedule in 2013, if so then bye-bye Sebring.

Buddh IMHO is a fantastic circuit, but Moscow Raceway is Hermann Tilke's answer to the Hungaroring.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by SPEED TV / John Dagys

Word in the paddock is that Brazil could kick off next year's schedule, which may see as many as 10 rounds, with the possible inclusions of Russia’s Moscow Raceway and Buddh International Circuit in India.

Unneeded... and as expected possibly to circuits with least amount of soul yet plenty of cash offerings. What they really should do is get rid of Le Mans as a championship round, not only would that decrease the costs (though admittely majority of the entrans would still request an entry) but also eliminate the stupid auto-entry / cash-in crap and give bigger full season championship grid as the entry limit wouldn't have to be around that idiotic 30 any longer. Also less flyaway races in Asia and oil countries, more on places with actual relevance - ie Europe and NA. Current climate isn't sustainable enough for the current format

Also change the regular race format to 500km, there is no real need for anything else. Couple of longer enduros on top of those.

e - Mr Chandhok is probably filling FIA's pockets with cash right now as we speak. At least that's what he happens to mention on every interview he does, ie that we really need to race in India

[MagVanisher]

If they're aiming for new venues like Russia and India, they should race there for 3 Hours since there's no one who will stay there and watch the race for 6 hours.

Let the established venues like Spa, Silverstone, or Sebring (if that one is included for next year) should race for 6 hours and above.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Also change the regular race format to 500km, there is no real need for anything else. Couple of longer enduros on top of those

I agree with this, but we better run and hide now...

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Without Sebring the WEC would start to look a bit like Indycar, one epic, International event with over 200,000 spectators and worldwide television interest, a couple of decent events ie Long Beach/Texas and Spa/Fuji and then a bunch of races that hardly anybody attends and has even worse television interest.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Without Sebring the WEC would start to look a bit like Indycar, one epic, International event with over 200,000 spectators and worldwide television interest, a couple of decent events ie Long Beach/Texas and Spa/Fuji and then a bunch of races that hardly anybody attends and has even worse television interest.

I agree, the EVENTS are always more important for me than any championship (Le Mans, Sebring, PLM, Daytona, Long Beach etc). But unfortunately I think the Sebring separation will happen nevertheless what we hope... and the rest are too far reach, as much as I'd love PLM to be there, ALMS needs space too and frankly it is their event. And Le Mans, well, I stated my opinion about that in regard to the world championship.

Semi sensible calendar
World Sportscar Championship
Apr Fuji 500km (integrated with Asian Le Mans Series)
Apr Monza 500km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
May Spa 1000km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
*LM break*
Jul Paul Ricard 500km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
Jul Silverstone 500km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
Aug Nurburgring 1000km (// Euro LMP Trophy)
Sep Montreal 500km
Sep Laguna Seca 500km
Nov Mil Milhas 1000 miles

* Euro LMP Trophy would be an internal mini-champ for European LMP2 teams, because they need some place to run. This would replace ELMS entirely and boost European grids

Ricard round could be cut off if needed. It wouldn't be my dream schedule by a long shot, but rather more effective

[Purist]

As hard as it is to say, I think Sebring was more of a limiting factor on championship entries than Le Mans. They could now, realistically, set the full-season WEC entry limit at 35 or 40, and still have a decent number of slots for the ALMS teams that come over for Le Mans. I have my doubts of there actually being a separate ELMS in 2013, and AsLMS is a non-factor in my mind at this stage.

I have to agree about the Hungaroring parallel with Moscow Raceway, though maybe they wouldn't run the extra little chicane at the end of the one "straight", unlike the formula cars that have run there already.

I'll take India over Bahrain, and perhaps Abu Dhabi and Shanghai as well. I don't care for those ugly, unnecessary, and useless wide entries to Turns 3, 4, 16, but Buddh Int'l Circuit has a decent lap length (not terribly short or ultra long), nice elevation changes, some tricky corners, and that Turn 10/11 sequence is a real signature and memorable corner at that track.

If I had free reign the schedule, it would be something like this:
1. Monza 1000km (WEC/ELMS)
2. Spa 1000km (WEC/ELMS)
3. Le Mans 24 Hours (WEC/ELMS)
4. Silverstone 6 Hours (WEC/ELMS)
5. Road America 500 Miles (WEC/ALMS)
6. Montreal 800km (WEC/ALMS)
7. Interlagos 800km (WEC with open invites for Brazilian GT3)
8. Fuji 1000km (WEC/SuperGT GT300)
9. Buddh 800km (WEC with open invites for Asian GT3)
10. Shanghai 6 Hours (WEC with open invites for Asian GT3)

[Salamus]

Too bad none of us control the ACO, WEC, or Le Mans. Unfortunately, they are going where the money is but I have a question. Wouldn't they get more money from TV contracts if they raced in NA, EU, and Japan?

[Purist]

IF they can get major TV contracts.

[Deleted]

Now, this is is how I actually see the 2013 calendar to turn up

6 Hours of Interlagos
6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas
6 Hours of Spa
24 Hours of Le Mans
6 hours of Silverstone
6 hours of Bahrain
6 hours of Moscow (or TBA until one week before the event)
6 hours of Fuji
6 hours of Shanghai / Zhuhai / whatever steril venue
6 hours of Buddh