IMSA 2020

Kiante said:


Woooooo... Das hot. So MSR is out of GTD now or will they still field a car in the class? I do not see any info regarding that. Probably depends on sponsorship availability.
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This sounds to me like MSR will have at least one NSX out there this year. Could be just the NSX in general but it sounds like MSR-run with how it’s worded.

Acura Motorsports also campaigns the Acura NSX GT3 Evo in the IMSA GTD category, with defending GTD champion Meyer Shank Racing and the Gradient Racing organizations. Winner of the IMSA GTD driver and team titles in 2019 – and the current GTD championship leader – the NSX program is expected to continue in IMSA competition in 2021.
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Acura Confirm 2021 DPi Programmes With Wayne Taylor Racing & Meyer Shank Racing | dailysportscar.com

Acura Motorsports has confirmed it will partner with Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing to campaign a pair of Acura ARX-05 Daytona Prototype International entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, beginning in 2021, both teams in receipt of multi-year Acura contracts. “It...
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com

What is maybe the best part of this is Acura coming right out and saying they want to develop an LMDh with these guys. As it stands now you could already probably safely bet on Acura, Porsche, and Alpine running a program which is encouraging.
 
FLRacingFan said:
This sounds to me like MSR will have at least one NSX out there this year. Could be just the NSX in general but it sounds like MSR-run with how it’s worded.



Acura Confirm 2021 DPi Programmes With Wayne Taylor Racing & Meyer Shank Racing | dailysportscar.com

Acura Motorsports has confirmed it will partner with Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing to campaign a pair of Acura ARX-05 Daytona Prototype International entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, beginning in 2021, both teams in receipt of multi-year Acura contracts. “It...
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com

What is maybe the best part of this is Acura coming right out and saying they want to develop an LMDh with these guys. As it stands now you could already probably safely bet on Acura, Porsche, and Alpine running a program which is encouraging.
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With full-support from MSR and Acura continuing the program, I see those two entries easily being sold to another privateer for use. No way it stays off of the track for too long.

Practically a turn key operation for someone interested.
 
Kiante said:
With full-support from MSR and Acura continuing the program, I see those two entries easily being sold to another privateer for use. No way it stays off of the track for too long.

Practically a turn key operation for someone interested.
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They’ll “help” whoever wants to run a car next year and asks. Not a bad deal at all, between MSR and HPD you have plenty of support and the cars themselves are very proven. As you said, I don’t think those cars will be collecting dust next year.

sportscar365.com

MSR to End Acura NSX GT3 Evo Program – Sportscar365

MSR to offer technical support to new Acura NSX GT3 customer teams in GTD next year...
sportscar365.com sportscar365.com
 


BMW are still working out plans, but more than likely they will stay in IMSA for 2021. This section is also interesting:
Marquardt has suggested possibilities of other GTE-spec cars, such as the Ferrari 488 GTE and Aston Martin Vantage GTE, joining, or potentially even GT Daytona class teams with upgraded GT3 machinery.
Sportscar365 understands there had been dialogue between IMSA and Ferrari at one stage on a potential full-season factory GTLM program although those talks are understood to have died down in recent months due to sponsorship issues.
“Is it only those two [manufacturers]?” Marquardt said in relation to GTLM potentially only featuring BMW and Corvette in 2021.
“IMSA was talking to some GT manufacturers in GT3 whether they could do an upgrade or something.
“I think there’s talks of Ferrari, maybe Aston Martin as well because they run the WEC program. Maybe they are interested.
“It’s the discussion IMSA is having with the other manufacturers.
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So other manufacturers are looking at IMSA, but it's all up in the air as of right now.
 
Kiante said:


BMW are still working out plans, but more than likely they will stay in IMSA for 2021. This section is also interesting:

So other manufacturers are looking at IMSA, but it's all up in the air as of right now.
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BMW committing to the class is good, but I'd be surprised if they ever got Aston or Ferrari to ever join full-time. It's always the same thing with Ferrari, they wouldn't help support Risi much, they couldn't agree on a budget with Ganassi for a two-car program after the Ford project ended, now a sponsor fell through. I just don't see it. And Aston haven't exactly been thriving financially.

I still think the next generation of GT regulations needs to lead to GT convergence, but in the interim uprated GT3 cars could make sense. Lexus and Acura have essentially been acting as factory programs for several years now; if Lexus make a move next year you wind up with six in GTLM which keeps things as they are for one year at least.

Ultimately IMSA, FIA, ACO all need to realize that separate GTE and GT3 categories probably aren't sustainable much longer. Now that prototypes are mostly sorted out that needs to be a priority discussion.
 
Pretty close competition between the Penske Acuras and Action Express Cadillac all day. Three separate incidents for JPM, including one off-track excursion that lost the lead and a late spin that lost a podium.

Pretty bush league stuff from Paul Holton, a McLaren factory driver, against one of the MSR entries.



 
My boy Helio wins!! He has been on fire lately. Also, he has some Indy rides until the end of the season.

Townsend Bell alas finished waaaay behind. Oh well, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
 

Doonan comes out and says the same thing Jens Marquardt said last week. Aston and Ferrari are the favorites, however I just don't see it unless Risi all of a sudden has a new sponsor for Ferrari. Also, with the rumors of the IndyCar team and the loss of Porsche... Possibly Ferrari can commit to both IndyCar and IMSA to maintain it's workforce size like they want to?

GTLM is not cheap at all and it seems like Doonan wants to converge the GT classes at this point like with the new agreement between the ACO and FIA for the LMDh class. Would be the most logical move at this point and creating a more cost efficient method for possible manufacturers and privateers to stay interested.


This would be a good idea IMO.

With more semi-pro drivers in the LMP3 cars, maybe capping that part of the grid will not create more headaches for more experienced drivers/professional drivers.
 
Kiante said:

Doonan comes out and says the same thing Jens Marquardt said last week. Aston and Ferrari are the favorites, however I just don't see it unless Risi all of a sudden has a new sponsor for Ferrari. Also, with the rumors of the IndyCar team and the loss of Porsche... Possibly Ferrari can commit to both IndyCar and IMSA to maintain it's workforce size like they want to?

GTLM is not cheap at all and it seems like Doonan wants to converge the GT classes at this point like with the new agreement between the ACO and FIA for the LMDh class. Would be the most logical move at this point and creating a more cost efficient method for possible manufacturers and privateers to stay interested.


This would be a good idea IMO.

With more semi-pro drivers in the LMP3 cars, maybe capping that part of the grid will not create more headaches for more experienced drivers/professional drivers.
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I’ll believe it when I see it when it comes to AM and Ferrari. Although the way they described it I could see it being something like an effort funded partially by Paul Dalla Lana for AMR, for instance. As far as I know for Ferrari it sounds like anything they may add on beyond F1 is a WEC Hypercar program.

I do find it interesting GT3 manufacturers have inquired about GTLM before though. I think Lexus are a good fit for that and I’m positive one of those who would’ve asked in the past is Lamborghini.
 
Kind of a bad news/good news deal here. Mazda drops to one car next year but “resources will focus on evaluating the LMDh category”.

 




Mazda could easily sell the car off to a privateer, but its understandable to get things ready for the transition. I hope they stick around and increase back to two cars.
 
Kiante said:




Mazda could easily sell the car off to a privateer, but its understandable to get things ready for the transition. I hope they stick around and increase back to two cars.
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I’d be stoked if RealTime came over. They were always great in World Challenge, and maybe Eversley could have a seat.

Also United Autosports are bringing a two-car LMP3 effort to Daytona next year so there’s already probably six or seven spots filled in that class for the Rolex. I’m still not sure how the full season will look like but giving those cars a blue ribbon international event is generating a lot of interest so far.
 
18 cars for the GT-only race at the ROVAL this Saturday night.

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Going to have to DVR this at a football game tonight, but by all accounts it should be interesting in some fashion. The track has gotten rave reviews from drivers and there were numerous incidents in qualifying just now.

sportscar365.com

Drivers Expecting “Elbows Up Street Fight” at Charlotte Roval – Sportscar365

Drivers share their first impressions of Charlotte Roval ahead of Saturday's GT-only shootout...
sportscar365.com sportscar365.com
 
Hotrod said:
My jaw is still hung open. Both cars gone in 25 mins. !
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I think the mid-engined cars are stuggling in heartburn turn through the infield section.

They are struggling in there, just look at the C8 screaming for traction in that area. I have not seen either of them go through there cleanly yet.
 
Factory Porsche team sure is going out with a whimper this year. After that, still good racing between Corvette and BMW in GTLM. Hawksworth dumping Farnbacher on the final restart let the Wright Porsche they were chasing much of the race quietly catch them in GTD points.

 
Did all day Friday at the track. I come to like that day during Petit weekend.
Got to see all the other support classes race plus the weathertech quali.
Did the 6 hr at the track last month so will take a break and yield my time to college football
, nascar Kansas, and Braves today. Petit will be online all day though.
 
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