IMSA 2023

Cadillac lineups confirmed as Scott Dixon (CGR) and Jack Aitken (AXR) will be the third drivers for the enduros. The CGR WEC entry will also be making a one-off at Daytona.

 
Doc Austin said:
I'm disappointed Porsche didn't have their customer cars ready, because we all want a big field at the Rolex. I also can't figure out why they are not making more cars available. Porsche has tons more to gain with more cars, not to mention they could make some money. Right now, they are only talking a customer car here or there, which is a big departure from how many 956/962 they built. Porsche funded their own program off the back of customer 956/962s car and parts sales, so why hold back now?

Maybe all these companies will loosen up once all the cars are tested and homologated. I believe every LMDH should be available to any team that wants to race it. We want more cars, right?
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Step 1 is to get the car sorted and homologated. There’s a mandatory test for the manufacturers at Daytona next week and shortly after everyone’s car should be locked in. The supply chain is still nowhere close to ideal and there’s a lot of inventory that needs to be built up between primary chassis and adequate spares, plus developing the car-specific technical know-how to run it and work on it. All things considered I think four total customer cars next year is a pretty significant commitment, as they’ll also be providing a level of support to all of those teams too.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Step 1 is to get the car sorted and homologated. There’s a mandatory test for the manufacturers at Daytona next week and shortly after everyone’s car should be locked in. The supply chain is still nowhere close to ideal and there’s a lot of inventory that needs to be built up between primary chassis and adequate spares, plus developing the car-specific technical know-how to run it and work on it. All things considered I think four total customer cars next year is a pretty significant commitment, as they’ll also be providing a level of support to all of those teams too.
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I was expecting as much from Porsche, but always hoping for more. If they required all the manufacturers to sell four cars imagine the grid we would have.
 
I'm kind of disappointed they painted the splitter. It looked a lot cooler in white. The black splitter hides a lot of the detail. Here it looks kind of like an Eagle or something.

Acura-ARX-06-Road-Atlanta-1.jpg
 
Penske Porsche have a second IMSA chassis up and running at Homestead ahead of a mandatory Tuesday-Wednesday Daytona test for GTP and new GT3 models/evos.



 
I just sent IMSA an Email:

I participated on the old Grand American and ALMS forums and we had a nice little community going. Then the forums went away and now there's not really a good place to discuss sportscar racing.

I suggest you contact these people and maybe send them some traffic: Sports Car Racing | Racing Forums (racing-forums.com) I've been on a lot of forums, but this one is very chill with a lot of good guys.
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Charlie Spencer said:
:fixed:
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I asked a friend to join us here and he went to the Nascar forum. He was not pleased. I think you just have to be careful what you say there whereas here we'll all still pretty chilled.

Just for the hell of it.....................

30 minutes with Bob Wolleck
A few years ago, I went to Sebring the day before the 12 hour race to do some model business with the vendors and some of the drivers I build for. Generally, all the drivers are approachable no matter how famous they are. They are just guys and I have something they want anyway, so they are happy to see me. Hey, somebody has to do it.

After I got done with business, it was late and we needed to head back. I stumbled across French racing driver Bob Wolleck, who was chatting with some journalists and packing his gear. Very famous guy. Had won just about everything except LeMans, but had raced there something like 28 consecutive years. Multiple Porsche Cup champion and three Daytona 24 hours wins.

He was known for being a mad cycling enthusiast. He would travel to most of the the European auto races on his bicycle, sometimes hundreds of miles, and then race the car for 1000k. And then ride home. He even kept a bike in the states for when he would fly over here for a car race. So I had to have a quick word with him about bicycles.

I wandered up and just asked him if he liked a steel or titanium frame. He immediately waved everyone else away, "Go! Go away!" and we sat on a stack of tires for about a half hour, just two guys talking about bicycles. We were at one of the most important events of the year and it was like auto racing didn't even exist for us.

It was getting dark and he was desperate to get out of there so he could get a ride in. Tomorrow was the car race and he wouldn't get to ride. It was almost like he didn't enjoy motor acing because he couldn't cycle every day. He made me promise to meet him and some friends at the airport on Sunday morning and join them for a ride. So, I couldn't say no.

I was pretty excited to get home (two hours by car) and tell my friends about my latest adventure. I was on the phone and taking my shoes off, waiting for the computer to boot when my home page, Speedvison, came up "Bob Wollek killed in traffic accident." It was a drunk in a motorhome.

He was 56. I was probably one of the last people he ever spoke to.

I like to remember him and share the story of when we met. He was an interesting guy with a big cycling heart.
 
Doc Austin said:
Any word on if the ROAR will be broadcast or streamed?
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I think qualifying should be streamed, the practices usually aren’t.

Fwiw, the series announced last week they dropped the 100-minute qualifying race they’ve doing at the Roar the last couple of seasons. It’ll be a normal qualifying session again.
 
Doc Austin said:
I asked a friend to join us here and he went to the Nascar forum. He was not pleased. I think you just have to be careful what you say there whereas here we'll all still pretty chilled.

Just for the hell of it.....................

30 minutes with Bob Wolleck
A few years ago, I went to Sebring the day before the 12 hour race to do some model business with the vendors and some of the drivers I build for. Generally, all the drivers are approachable no matter how famous they are. They are just guys and I have something they want anyway, so they are happy to see me. Hey, somebody has to do it.

After I got done with business, it was late and we needed to head back. I stumbled across French racing driver Bob Wolleck, who was chatting with some journalists and packing his gear. Very famous guy. Had won just about everything except LeMans, but had raced there something like 28 consecutive years. Multiple Porsche Cup champion and three Daytona 24 hours wins.

He was known for being a mad cycling enthusiast. He would travel to most of the the European auto races on his bicycle, sometimes hundreds of miles, and then race the car for 1000k. And then ride home. He even kept a bike in the states for when he would fly over here for a car race. So I had to have a quick word with him about bicycles.

I wandered up and just asked him if he liked a steel or titanium frame. He immediately waved everyone else away, "Go! Go away!" and we sat on a stack of tires for about a half hour, just two guys talking about bicycles. We were at one of the most important events of the year and it was like auto racing didn't even exist for us.

It was getting dark and he was desperate to get out of there so he could get a ride in. Tomorrow was the car race and he wouldn't get to ride. It was almost like he didn't enjoy motor acing because he couldn't cycle every day. He made me promise to meet him and some friends at the airport on Sunday morning and join them for a ride. So, I couldn't say no.

I was pretty excited to get home (two hours by car) and tell my friends about my latest adventure. I was on the phone and taking my shoes off, waiting for the computer to boot when my home page, Speedvison, came up "Bob Wollek killed in traffic accident." It was a drunk in a motorhome.

He was 56. I was probably one of the last people he ever spoke to.

I like to remember him and share the story of when we met. He was an interesting guy with a big cycling heart.
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Wollek was mostly before my time but the story of how he died always bothered me. Just so unnecessary. For a Porsche legend it never seemed to me he gets the proper remembrances he deserved.

Pretty incredible story, thanks for sharing.
 
Pfaff’s GTD Pro title defense lineup - Pat Pilet and Klaus Bachler + Laurens Vanthoor for the enduros. Good to see Pilet in the series after being a staple of Porsche’s factory GTLM teams.

 
Farano has one of IMSA’s Le Mans auto bids via being the top Am in LMP2 in 2022 and has committed to running the race next year so it appears that Newgarden and/or Scottie will also be doing that with him as rumored earlier.

There’ll be 19 total hours of testing Tuesday and Wednesday at Daytona so hopefully we get a lot of content. All nine GTP cars entered for Daytona plus three LMP2s for comparative purposes, and the three new GT3 models from Porsche, Ferrari, and Lambo.

IMSA Test Paddock Notes, GTD & LMP2

IMSA Test Paddock Notes, GTD & LMP2
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com

Monday Evening Paddock Notes From Daytona

Monday Evening Paddock Notes From Daytona
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com

IMSA Daytona Test, Garage Gallery

IMSA Daytona Test, Garage Gallery
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com
 
FLRacingFan said:
Farano has one of IMSA’s Le Mans auto bids via being the top Am in LMP2 in 2022 and has committed to running the race next year so it appears that Newgarden and/or Scottie will also be doing that with him as rumored earlier.

There’ll be 19 total hours of testing Tuesday and Wednesday at Daytona so hopefully we get a lot of content. All nine GTP cars entered for Daytona plus three LMP2s for comparative purposes, and the three new GT3 models from Porsche, Ferrari, and Lambo.

IMSA Test Paddock Notes, GTD & LMP2

IMSA Test Paddock Notes, GTD & LMP2
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com

Monday Evening Paddock Notes From Daytona

Monday Evening Paddock Notes From Daytona
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com

IMSA Daytona Test, Garage Gallery

IMSA Daytona Test, Garage Gallery
www.dailysportscar.com www.dailysportscar.com
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Motorsports does not have an offseason, the offseason is a lie.
 
Kiante said:
Motorsports does not have an offseason, the offseason is a lie.
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It’s pretty fascinating to read about the development of these cars. 16,000+ miles for Porsche and 12,000+ for Cadillac racked up so far and that’s still not enough for these guys yet. Acura and BMW are still quite a bit behind I take it.
 
Doc Austin said:
I don't know how Grosjean can tear up so much equipment and still land a gig.
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Popular pro open wheel driver with good pace. He’s won GT races before so it’ll be cool to see him running GT3 races with Iron Lynx, he can get even more elbows out.
 
Rook question but I was thumbing thru the IMSA Sporting Regulations and I didn’t see a section where it specified the use of ABS TCS STM, is that team driver discretion to use or not use? is everyone using those or only certain classes allowed? car dependent? adjustable? I read somewhere that having traction control on helps preserve tire life on the long run as you’re not lighting them up nearly as often.
 
Kiante said:
Interesting considering they are not having the qualifying race this time around.
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I liked the Q races. This year it would be especially useful in weeding out a few of the 70 entitles, as well as giving us a good look at the new cars. I'm never happy when we lose a race.

Anyone have a link to the ROAR stream?
 
Turtle84 said:
Rook question but I was thumbing thru the IMSA Sporting Regulations and I didn’t see a section where it specified the use of ABS TCS STM, is that team driver discretion to use or not use? is everyone using those or only certain classes allowed? car dependent? adjustable? I read somewhere that having traction control on helps preserve tire life on the long run as you’re not lighting them up nearly as often.
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I believe all of GTP/LMP2/LMP3 prototypes have TC and no ABS, while GT3 cars have both ABS and TC (GTE cars have TC/no ABS but they were discontinued in IMSA after 2021 and only exist in the WEC for one more year). All driver-adjustable, since the aids are mostly there for the amateur drivers and the pros can feel hamstrung by them depending on setting.

Some manufacturers put the knobs and dials on the center console but mostly I see them straight on the steering wheel.
 
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