Let’s make the SPA 24 a bicycle race!

That was predictable. Meanwhile almost all the teams running GT2 cars over the world are works-supported, and these teams want to go for winning the GT2 class in Le Mans or in Sebring, and don’t want to waste their time with racing in a championship where there is no public attendance. The private teams have all moved to GT3, which is much more cost-effective, or to GT1 if they can afford it.

@kw. No public attendance??? Have you ever been at an “SRO-meeting”? I think you never did… ( Comparison Algarve last year : more attendance during FIA GT-weekend >< LMS ). In my opinion, series WITHOUT works-support are healthier then series WITH ( look at ALMS, almost as death as you can be ( you may not count LMP3-Formula Le Mans and the GT3’s )).

I don’t want the FIA GT2 to return with any funky Ratel rules. I understand the hypocracy of what I am saying, but I don’t want GT2 to become GT1-lite. If it does go down that route, I hope the ACO doesn’t make that mistake.

HD, don’t get me started on the ALMS. Sufficed to say the series was short sighted at its peak. They thought the good times could never end, but with a downturn in the economy all the growth through major manufacturers they were experiencing in the P class was shut down. Not to mention they are pigeon-holed by the ACO for rules making… Also note 7 P1’s + 3 P2’s = 10 cars. Ten is a larger number than 6, which is the number of LMPC cars, therefore there are more “proper” prototypes than LMPCs. 14 GT2 cars is also a larger number than six GTC cars. Therefore “proper” race cars, most of which factory supported GT2 cars, make up the Sebring grid.

@HD
Agree with you that the SRO events do have a lot of public attendance. But take a look at how the GT2 was planned: On the weekends where GT1, GT2 and GT3 were planned to take place on the same circuit, everybody would have watched the GT1 and GT3 races and taken a coffee break during the GT2 race, and the rest of the GT2 races would have taken place on circuits where you at first have to wipe 10-year-old dust from the track…

@Chris. What the f**** did Ratel wrong? He’s one of the few promotors who brings in new ideas.. Surprise : he’s member of the board of ACO and was hosting their guest ( di Montezemolo – Ferrari ) last year during the 24 hrs Le Mans.
7 P1’s + 3 P2’s + 14 GT2’s makes a total of 24 “proper Le Mans cars” at Sebring, Ratel has got 24 GT1’s every race + more then 40 GT3’s !!!
@kw. The problem didn’t have anything to do with a coffee-break. A GT3-season is 150.000 euro’s cheaper all over the season just for 1 car ( two cars = 300.000 ). The rules are the same in GT3 and GT2 ( and in my opinion this was the biggest problem ( pro-am formula )). And, finally, GT1 is as expensive as GT2. That’s why they are choosing GT1 or GT3. Ratel proposed the manufacturers in 2007 rules to make GT2 cheaper, they refused, so now GT2 can’t be run anymore without factory-support.
Finally, only Enna Pergusa would have been a “dust-track”, but do you know this track? It’s awesome !!!!

Ratel’s GT1’s are a joke. 2 one hour races in a weekend with cars that are barely quicker, if that, than GT2 cars? The manufacturers are clearly interested in GT2. The only “good” idea of Ratels, and it has its downsides, is the forcing teams to enter two cars. But look at the GT1 grid, a bunch of dumbed down, grandfathered in OLD GT1 cars, when he could have had shining examples of brand-new GT1 cars. Shortsightedness in the name of a World Championship – more ego than sense. Ratel had the foresight (or tripped into making) GT2 but now he has perhaps the greatest class of race cars and not a championship to support them. The GT2 in LMS and ALMS will be epic this year and Ratel’s World Championship will be touring car racing with predominantly 5 and 6 year old cars!

On the American Le Mans Series, it hinges on factory efforts, and I daren’t go into comparing the American racing scene with that of Europe. The ALMS also bases its rules on those of the ACO – believe it or not, the rules for a single race in Europe don’t necessarilly translate well to America, and in recent years it’s only been getting worse. The ALMS is hamstrung in its relationship with Le Mans, while access to that rule book is beneficial, the ALMS is working with one arm behind its back because the ACO will make them fall in line with certain rules. The ALMS strong point was combined prototype class racing that had the likes of Audi, Porsche, Acura, and Mazda with the occasional appearance of Peugeot (whose drivers and crews lauded the American Le Mans Series) and those are factory efforts won first by the ALMS – not the ACO. Then, for the 2009 season Porsche didn’t re-up because they saw their chance to win races overall taken away by bullying and strong arming on the part of the ACO that brought the classes further apart and killed the strength of the ALMS, all in the name of keeping good ground with the ACO. If you ask me, the ACO was jealous of the ALMS’ success, but saying that could make me look like a conspiracy theorist!

Also HD, where did you get your figures for the costs of racing GT3 vs. GT2 in Europe? I’d be interested to see them, because all the numbers and stories I’ve seen and heard indicate GT3 is getting too expensive and what is saving it is the fact that pro drivers are regulated out so the amateurs can have a shot at winning on any given day.

What a load of rubbish. I’m sticking with the LMS from here on in…

@ Chris. You are American, i suppose… The whole ALMS defense is, in my opinion, rubbish. Most of all articles in Europe agree that GT2 is in danger because it needs backing from manufacturers to survive, not so considering GT1, GT3 and GT4. On the other hand, “Le Mans racing” IS ACO, not some bunch of kids of the ALMS toy. That’s why the Porsche P2 project didn’t work out, it wasn’t by the rules of ACO ( and FIA ) ans it’s not the job of the ALMS to rule Le Mans. Did you know that the ALMS-BMW GT2 is NOT homoligated yet by ACO and FIA, it’s not a proper GT2, so you don’t even have 24 “proper Le Mans cars” at Sebring. Referring to Tommy, LMS is a lot more succesfull then it’s American brother/sister !!

@ Chtis. More then 40 GT3’s expected in Silversone beginning of may. Too expensive????

Hey guys, don’t sweat it… remember, F1 starts this weekend, haha!

No, I am not American, nice try though. Second of all, the Porsche P2 project was dominant, fully rules compliant, and won LMP2 at Le Mans in 2008 and 2009. And yes, the BMW is ACO legal – hence why it has an entry to Le Mans, and the LMS, and has been testing at Paul Ricard with the LMS.

Nice try though.

GT3’s popularity is based on its Pro-Am nature, the fact that no Pro-Pro lineups can win the race, gentlemen drivers are more encouraged to enter – they can win races – the point of racing!

Also, you must be new to sports car racing. The ALMS has been around longer than the LMS, it isn’t a toy – not understanding your reference there. It is an immensely professional racing series, sanctioned by a professional racing sanctioning body that has existed since 1969. The LMS is a six year old product of a bunch of promoters, Ratel included, with assistance from the ACO. Since when does GT2 require manufacturer backing? And what do you think is happening with GT3? Porsche GT3R, Audi R8 LMS etc?

Chris – it has to be said, you sound immenseley defensive over the ALMS. Sure, there’s no problem with that if that’s what floats your boat but apart from Sebring and Road Atlanta I know what series I and many others will get more enjoyment from this year (LMS if you havent guessed).

I suppose I am awefully defensive of the ALMS, but it is because it is coming under attack. Were it the LMS that was being slandered I would defend it.

@ Chris. Nice try about Porsche P2, but at Le Mans in 2008 and 2009, it was won by privateers, not a factory ( backed-up ) team at all. In ALMS thz factory team was at first accepted ( Penske ) and second the Audi’s ( and other P1’s )were given a “handicap by the rules”, so they could compete each other ( no Le Mans rules like ). BMW has an entry, right, but aren’t FIA legal yet and since ACO is back working together with FIA concerning GT-rules… something is not right yet !!! ALMS is not a toy, you said, but FIA GT2 should race on dusty tracks… Cfr. Tommy, how many of the tracks they race on or better then those on which LMS/FIA GT race on??? Not a lot….

But great cars like the RS Spyder, GT1, 962, 956 are the products of direct factory involvement in motorsport, and the desire of those manufacturers to win the world’s biggest races. The ACO rules that Porsche interpreted in the creation of their original RS Spyder and RS Spyder EVO allowed them to compete with the P1 cars regularly. The ACO did not want this, so they changed the rules in response. IMSA essentially kept the rules be, and that allowed for a fantastic battle. All-in-all I certainly can agree that manufacturer involvement in motorsports is a mixed blessing for sure. But it is certainly a blessing I count!

To reiterate. The RS Spyder, a product of direct factory involvement was superior to the cottage-builder produced cars it was competing against, and with assistance from the fantastic motorsports firm that is Porsche, they won Le Mans two years on the trot.

So just wondering while on the topic of Porsche. Will they go to LMP1 in the near future? Or what about GT1? Sence there is a new chamionship for that class.

on Pitlane-Vision.com (French) an intresting interview of Stephan Ratel, about GT2, he said that both Corvette C6.R and BMW E92 M3 aren’t FIA legals ! he said also that Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche are pushing the FIA to not accept them ! so at the moment, the Vette and Bimmer are ACO legal only…Schnitzer and BMW are planing to do Spa 24 Hours so ???

Christopher – on the Porsche/LMP1 front yes, I remember reading an article in Autosport not so long ago about their ambitions for 2011 at Le Mans with the new regs – just don’t expect to see Audi there as we know it!

I thought Porsche was looking at Le Mans 2012… anyways, not sure what they could run in GT1, maybe the big Panamerica estate. There are rumors saying there is a Panamerica being tested in Europe by Grand-Am ace Joao Barbosa.

You mean Panamera…

Porsche really doesn’t have to do anything. They can just keep things the way they are. They have the best selling GT2 car, the best selling GT3 car, the most non factory expert porsche drivers. Money is really no object, they have the resources and knowledge to build any type of car.