2014 Sportscar Thread

[nickyf1]

2013 is basically over (all the ALMS is on Youtube to fight the winter blues...), and 2014 brings around some interesting changes.

The USCC will be in it's maiden season. Grand-Am and the ALMS have combinamergafused into one entity, and this means their schedule is pretty killer, bringing the Daytona 24 Hours back into the international calendar in the context of Le Mans entrants... Anyway, bold means AWESOME. Gutted that Lime Rock is missing though.

Daytona
Sebring
Long Beach
Laguna Seca
Detroit
Kansas
Watkins Glen
Mosport
Indy
Road America
VIR
COTA
Road Atlanta

USCC will hopefully be great for the US Road Racing scene. ALMS GT is awesome, and now we have a bigger Prototype field at the front, which is great news.

Another big story is Porsche. They will take on the other two factory efforts from Audi and Toyota, who are both also building brand new cars for the 2014 LMP1 regulations. WEC is going to be very interesting this year.

Anyway, thought I'd kick start the speculation, intrigue and news news news for the off-season.

[theboomeranga]

I can't wait, should be able to watch more races, and both series are shaping up very nicely for next year, hopefully the racing is still great, and still think USCR ( ) should come back to Australia, sports cars on Bathurst, or GC, or back on Adelaide like the 90s

[nickyf1]

TUSCC Testing at Daytona on 19-20th November - http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/races/entry_lists/2014%20TUDOR%20Daytona%20Test%20Entry%20List.pdf

ESM bringing their HPD ARX-03b alongside two DPs. Should be interesting to see P2 machinery on the high banks and to see what aero configuration the DPs will have.

[GLR mar B ond]

By means of a entry form IMSA has allready started up a big confusion. It states that no other Watch company then Tudor will be allowed on the cars. This will probably affect 2 or 3 Teams. So, lots of uncertainties at some Teams.

[nickyf1]

 The DPs look like proper machines now.  All they need is proper LMP style wheel rims and tyres.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.199918536860176.1073741829.105365519648812&type=1



Flying Lizard's assault with Audi


USCC is going to be fan-smegging-tastic, just the refresh that US road racing needed. Daytona now has some relevance again!

[Ax4x Mikey J]

I hope it all works out. Still some pace discrepancies to work out between DP/LMP2. I've seen some lap time sheets that show LM GTE to be quicker than DP at some venues, that seems to require BoP of epic proportions.

[Ax4x Bandit]

THEM PICTURES!  

[XPR Roadrunner]

Mazda gonna field a factory DIESEL LMP2 in TUSC: http://msn.foxsports.com/speed/sports-cars/sportscars-mazda-to-enter-factory-p2-program-in-tusc-series-2014/

[Ax4x Mikey J]

^ Because they showed so much reliability and performance in the GTX class in 2013?

[CQR Rogue]

to enter P2 or P1 desiel 2015 for le mans win.

Love new DP look.

[nickyf1]

They should really just switch to LMP2 only

[Biggsy tv]

Reports from the Daytona International Raceway say that the 90 Spirit of Daytona car, being driven at the time by Richard Westbrook became airborne and rolled at the track this morning during testing.
Due to the test session not being recorded, and no monitors at the track, reports are sketchy.
The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship tweeted that the driver is ok, and more reports are coming through slowly.
"Richard Westbrook, driver of the No. 90 Corvette DP, has been evaluated & released from infield care center following late session incident."
UPDATE: Word is that he had a tire go down, which caused the air to get under the car lifting it off the ground and causing the roll over.

[F4H bandicoot]

[nickyf1]

Jesus.

Speed estimates for the LMP2 cars were 182mph for Daytona, the DPs were probably going even faster than that.

[F4H bandicoot]

DP's are doing 195mph

[Biggsy tv]

 good to hear he's ok then!

[ShrinkingSteven]

*Lets out breath.* Thank god hes okay.

[nickyf1]

This amazing photo came out of it.  Darren Turner stopped on track in the aftermath to check if his pal was allright.



195, that's impressive. These DPs really have went up a notch. Close to 700hp with lots more aero, now by far the fastest things around Daytona.

[XPR Roadrunner]

Holy shhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeet thats nuts!

[XPR Roadrunner]

BREAKING: Level 5 enters LMPC

http://t.co/AXcUS4izL0

[Turbo Power 77]

Prototypes withdrawn from test after crashes.

[Beanz]

So what exactly is the dealio with this, tyre problems, aero problems, what?

It's only the DP's with the problems and no the P2's right?

[CQR Rogue]

Why DP fly

Why DP fly another excellent piece of Motorsport journalism cheers Sam

[Turbo Power 77]

So what exactly is the dealio with this, tyre problems, aero problems, what?

It's only the DP's with the problems and no the P2's right?

On both occasions it was tyre failure and both on DP's.

[CQR Rogue]

Why DP fly

Why DP fly another excellent piece of Motorsport journalism cheers Sam

Darren ^^^

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