2013 GrandAM Championship

kick things off with a concept for Mazda's entry into the new diesel class for GT



very cool what they are doing there!
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-mazda-unveils-mazda6-diesel-gx-rolex-series-concept/

oh god why

Looks like a volvo...

...so hang on, is this INSTEAD of the Diesel LMP2 cars they were going to run in ALMS?

lets face it if this was vln would be cool but not its grand am of which is god awful

no no, its gonna be another class "semi-experimental" for green-oriented cars.

So this season will have DP, GT and GX (the latter of which is the above mentioned)

on the other hand....

AMR will have the GT3 Vantage in the series for GT as of round 2 at COTA

http://www.grand-am.com/News/GA_News/tabid/141/Article/52922/aston-martin-trg-combine-to-broaden-iconic-brands-footprint-in-north-american-s.aspx

TRG...Aston? Odd...

ya, what I thought

While TRG is famous for its fleet of Porsches, they did a year of NASCAR Cup after a couple years in NASCAR's Truck Series. But IMO the coolest car TRG ever fielded was a Benz:

Audi DP!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105349

YES!!

SUCTION.

Utter Utter, suction.

Additional (because ^^^ isn't exactly constructive): If they enter Grand-Am with a DP, it goes against EVERYTHING that Audi have stood for. Totall bullshit. (ok that wasn't constructive either)

AMR Garage wrote:SUCTION.

Utter Utter, suction.

This I totally "endorse the above statement"

Why? Because instead of blowing approximately way-too-much-money into a dying LMP1 class or doing the same with an LMP2 chassis/engine, they've decided to take the sensible route of DP?

I think they meant the DP/LMP2/DW class.

Well, look at the options. Expensive-per-car LMP2-frame, DeltaWing (lol), or not-as-expensive-per-car DP.

According to RileyTech, it costs $445,000 to buy a Daytona Prototype.
According to the Le Mans rulebook, an LMP2 car is cost-capped at roughly €430,000, or $585,000.

Provided both cars are the same performance, why not go the cheaper route?

sensible route really shakes haead you do realise it will be a VAG engine with a customer tube frame and you see I have highlighted the tube frame

why would any 1 outside of North America give 3 monkeys if they do

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2013) – GRAND-AM Road Racing has issued monetary and point penalties to the No. 60 Ford/Riley Daytona Prototype entry that competes in the Rolex Sports Car Series, as a result of a rule infraction discovered following the 24-hour season-opening Jan. 26-27 event at Daytona International Speedway.

The No. 60 was found in violation of Section 4-1.1 (“GRAND-AM will specify components and performance levels in the Specific Car Regulations that must be adhered to”) of the GRAND-AM Rule Book. The engine was found with mechanical adjustments resulting in performance levels outside the documented maximums.

As a result:

• The team, Michael Shank Racing, will forfeit third-place prize money of $35,000 and has been penalized with the loss of 30 team championship points;

• Drivers Ozz Negri, John Pew, Justin Wilson, Marcos Ambrose and AJ Allmendinger have each been penalized 30 driver championship points;

• Ford has been penalized 30 manufacturer championship points;

• The team has been penalized one point in the North American Endurance Championship standings;

The team has been fined $15,000, payable to Camp Boggy Creek, the official charity of GRAND-AM.

http://www.grand-am.com/News/GA_News/tabid/141/Article/53192/no-60-team-in-grand-am-rolex-sports-car-series-fined-penalized.aspx?cid=6383&sid=1

The only thing new about that mazda 6 is the engine and the body it has, all the chassis for those cars are the old RX8 chassis which have been stretched by 3 inches. so why didn't they finish daytona? P.O.S. Mazda Diesel

Hailfire97x wrote:Why? Because instead of blowing approximately way-too-much-money into a dying LMP1 class or doing the same with an LMP2 chassis/engine, they've decided to take the sensible route of DP?

I'd love for you to present a convincing case that LMP1 is a dying formula. Please, enlighten us.

a dying competitive formula at the moment which is what the new 2014 regs are going to change!

Exactly my point.

nickyf1 wrote:

Hailfire97x wrote:Why? Because instead of blowing approximately way-too-much-money into a dying LMP1 class or doing the same with an LMP2 chassis/engine, they've decided to take the sensible route of DP?

I'd love for you to present a convincing case that LMP1 is a dying formula. Please, enlighten us.

I believe he was referring to ALMS

XPR Roadrunner wrote:

nickyf1 wrote:

Hailfire97x wrote:Why? Because instead of blowing approximately way-too-much-money into a dying LMP1 class or doing the same with an LMP2 chassis/engine, they've decided to take the sensible route of DP?

I'd love for you to present a convincing case that LMP1 is a dying formula. Please, enlighten us.

I believe he was referring to ALMS

I was. ALMS is apparently doing away with the LMP1 class, and in ALMS the 2014 regs encourage other options. Audi is either forced to go away from the series entirely, or develop cars that will fit into the new class. The two options are clearly LMP2 or Daytona Prototype, unless they got REALLY inventive (God would only know why) and made a DeltaWing.

This entry specifically stated that Wolfgang Ulrich is viewing the options that Audi could take to be in the top-class of the premier American sports car series. LMP1 is not that class in America right now (well, it is, but hardly), and LMP2/DP will be that class within one calendar year. As long as the new class makes DPs equal to LMP2s, they are likely to be the cheaper option for the new class.

And a lot cheaper than the R10/15/18 has been for them the past few years here.

Exactly and didn't be say he doesn't want class championships unless it in the premier class... Or some thing like that?

They said they'd like to enter the top class, if they could race with relevant technology, which DP racing does not endorse.

If anything, all this is is Audi hinting at the new series, or the signs of manufacturers negotiating rules with the series.