2014 United Sports Car Racing Season

Congrats IRT Gillard (Louis Saterlee) to naming the new Series!

Classes:

Prototype: LMP2/DP/DW
Prototype Challenge: LMPC
GT Le Mans: LM GT
GT Daytona: Grand-Am GT/LMGTC
GX: GX

yea still a lot faster than a crappy DP lol

agreed

Here is the planned class structure for the series:

• GRAND-AM’s DP and the ALMS’ P2 classes will combine into one, headlining prototype class that also will include the revolutionary DeltaWing prototype, with performance of the cars balanced to maintain close competition.
• The ALMS’ Prototype Challenge (PC) class for spec prototypes will continue to run as a separate class.
• Both of the organizations’ production-based GT classes will continue as separate, distinct categories based on performance, preserving each class’ proud history and loyal fan following. As part of this plan, the ALMS’ GTC cars will join the GRAND-AM GTs.
• GRAND-AM’s new GX class, which is debuting at this year’s Rolex 24 later this month, is being explored as a possible addition to the GRAND-AM half of the GT mix in 2014-15. There also is the possibility that GX will run separately as a fifth class.

http://www.alms.com/articles/grand-am-alms-announce-class-structure-unified-series

I still don't see how they are going to get the DP/P2/DeltaWing class faster than the PC class with any sort of DP DNA but w.e. I still feel that the DeltaWing was a good idea but not a good idea for racing in a series like GA/ALMS

DP and LMP combined is really [Censored] gay what the actual [Censored] were they thinking and then if balanced the [Censored] [Censored] box delta wing , please just [Censored] kill me now before we see stock cars added to the big fat amerifag lineup.

The ALMS GT cars qualified 1 second slower then the DP quickest qualifying time at Laguna Seca this year. Fastest LMP2 time was a 15.8 in qualifying.

I don't see how they will make dp/lmp2 work together or even make the dp cars quick enough to stay ahead of the ALMS GT's. The PC cars where faster as well.

Conquest Racing says their test at Daytona showed that they can balance P2 and DP effectively. They haven't said how, but they're looking at ways to speed up the DP. Recent races for both at Rd Am shows up to a 7 sec/lap diff between P2 and DP. PC was faster than the DP and the best ALMS GT cars were only 2 sec slower. Bottom line it will be a real cluster the first couple of years and after that it should improve.

You take two series that had separated over a decade ago, tell them that they're going to develop two COMPLETELY opposite directions (mostly), and then out of absolutely nowhere tell them all that "oh, yeah, the two are going to be the same now" and expect it to be seamless? It's not possible.

DP engines are highly restricted, and the tires are crap. Add to that some extra downforce limitations and you're going to get cars that are slower than possible. Once you take these limiting factors of the DP cars, they should be close to closed-cockpit LMP2 cars in terms of performance and possibly even appearance.

Delta Wing is probably just in there as another PR stunt, I doubt anything (good or bad) will come from it for racing as we know it. I mean, hell, almost all sane governments banned 3-wheeled ATVs back in the late 1980s. 3-wheeled prototypes are just as stupid (see: Le Mans, Road Atlanta).

I think that NASCAR Stock Cars would be quicker around LaSarthe than the Delta Wang, DP and 2/3 of the LMP2 cars... and are safer for the occupants when some rich bozo in a Ferrari fails to control his car when getting lapped.

While some people think that there is some magic money tree from which manufacturers can fund LMP1, there just isn't. And even mfgs like Peugeot and Audi can't find reason to race those cars in North America. Yes, Pug is out of P1 worldwide, leaving just Audi and Toyota to battle it out with some relatively underfinanced privateers, meaning that Peugeot couldn't justify the expense of running P1 in Europe where there are multiple sports car fans at each track.

Im sorry, but no way the sotck cars could run faster at La Sarte then the p2 cars. They are lighter, accelerate faster, and the aero difference is way to much, and the tires are much better on p2 cars.

If you read the fine print, 2/3 of the P2 class, as most years that is how many DNFs are in P2.

Sorry mate, I tend to put a loophole into my posts on this subject

Just for reference, when the busch series ran at Road America this year, pole time was a 2:13:066.

Fastest p2 car ran a 1:54:218 in qualfiying.

I know the sprint cars are faster then the busch cars, but not fast enought to make up 20 seconds around road america.

I think even the ALMS GTE Cars could run faster then the Sprint cup cars around Le Mans and Road America.

Flyin Mikey J wrote:If you read the fine print, 2/3 of the P2 class, as most years that is how many DNFs are in P2.

Sorry mate, I tend to put a loophole into my posts on this subject

Doesn't mean the stock car is quicker though, they may beat the P2 cars, but that in no way makes them faster.

F4H Bullet wrote:Just for reference, when the busch series ran at Road America this year, pole time was a 2:13:066.

Fastest p2 car ran a 1:54:218 in qualfiying.

Nice use of facts to back up your argument. But it does not overcome my opinion is that all 3 full season ALMS P2 teams are so f'king inept that at the end of the day 2/3 are behind the entire GTC class as well, despite having equipment that is 20 secs a lap quicker.

I recall Level 5 and Conquest having close races more then half season and finishing on the same lap.

I mean when is the last time NASCAR had a race where there where no crashes or all the cars finished the race?

F4H Bullet wrote:I recall Level 5 and Conquest having close races more then half season and finishing on the same lap.

I mean when is the last time NASCAR had a race where there where no crashes or all the cars finished the race?

When was the last time ALMS drew interest from over 43 entries in an event?

This past year at petit Le Mans. Or the opening round of Sebring.

That would be WEC, correct?

Sebring yes, Petit was not part of the WEC.

Yeah but the winner of petit got the automatic invite to Le Mans 2013

I don't see your point? The winner of petit has gotten an invite to Le Mans for years. Its not like this was the first time.

Other than the WEC, and sometimes Petit, when is there a "healthy" car count in ALMS P1/P2?

And as I referred to last night, when all but 6 cars parked at the USGP, most fans also left. So, by all accounts, 6 is less than a healthy field for any class of competition. Heck, when 6 people show up for a FM4 event, most leagues cancel the series.

anyway moving along DP and P2 combined = SUPER GAY .... my work is done.

IRT Trash wrote:anyway moving along DP and P2 combined = SUPER GAY .... my work is done.

Super-gay