The future of the WEC

[Kiante]

You have got to be kidding me, c'mon ACO and FIA:

FIA, ACO Confirm Single Pro-Am GT3-Based Class for 2024 – Sportscar365

FIA, ACO confirms details of new GT3-based category set to debut in 2024...

sportscar365.com

Lower cost, but charge 100,000 Euros for some slight changes to the aero kit? I do not like this move man. Trying to re-invent the wheel for what? Just follow IMSA's formula, it works.

 

[FLRacingFan]

There might be a possibility of Audi coming after all.

Larry Holt (from Multimatic) says “We’ve just made Audi’s first chassis." Go to the last line of the article.

Maybe they ordered a chassis before they decided not to race, or maybe maybe they changed their minds. I guess we will know if/when they show us the thing.

OK, this is a little better than a rumor, but it's not bad news. Maybe if they do run, hopefully they will at least come over here for the enduros.

Catching Up With Larry Holt: Multimatic Founder, On Mustangs & LMDhs | dailysportscar.com

Multimatic's excellently characterful founder Larry Holt was on hand to support Ford Performance's Mustang GT3 launch at Daytona and took time out to chat about a range of his company's programmes in this its 30th anniversary year. As with any conversation with Larry this interview is edited to...

www.dailysportscar.com

Old article from February I think.

Dries Vanthoor said something about how how the whole thing went down on Instagram recently. He and the rest of their drivers had their stuff packed to fly out to the unveil presentation, the next day they were told the program was canned. That short of a notice.

Whatever stuff they had built up has been repurposed to the Porsche program I think.

 

[FLRacingFan]

You have got to be kidding me, c'mon ACO and FIA:

FIA, ACO Confirm Single Pro-Am GT3-Based Class for 2024 – Sportscar365

FIA, ACO confirms details of new GT3-based category set to debut in 2024...

sportscar365.com

Lower cost, but charge 100,000 Euros for some slight changes to the aero kit? I do not like this move man. Trying to re-invent the wheel for what? Just follow IMSA's formula, it works.

Totally pointless and unnecessary. It’s not even supposed to be faster, just “different”. Lol

Porsche have already asked “do we really need this?” and they field like half the Am entries. Those costs just get passed down to the teams. Obviously they talked to neither the manufacturers nor the teams about this. It’ll probably be canned eventually.

Porsche on GT3 Premium: “Do We Really Need It?” – Sportscar365

Head of Porsche Motorsport ponders whether 'GT3 Premium Kit' is necessary in WEC...

sportscar365.com

 

[Doc Austin]

Old article from February I think.

I'm sorry. I forgot the link, but it was on Racer yesterday. Now I can't find it.

I sure hope that's a recent article because that would just mean more cars. All he said was that they just finished Audi's chassis, which could mean almost anything. If they don't run it, the chassis will probably land in Porsche's hands.

 

[Doc Austin]

More Porsche LMDh testing footage.

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[Doc Austin]

Porsche have already asked “do we really need this?” and they field like half the Am entries.

Once again, the FIA does not look after the privateers.

Those costs just get passed down to the teams.

Are they trying to run the privateers off?

 

[Doc Austin]

More Porsche LMDh testing.........

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[FLRacingFan]

Once again, the FIA does not look after the privateers.

Are they trying to run the privateers off?

GT3 is them taking another concept they didn’t conceive, so of course they have to change it up somehow. No performance difference, just has to look different. What a waste. I’m sure they’ll be talked out of it eventually though, as they’ve at least been more receptive to evolving ideas the last few years.

 

[Doc Austin]

Not much of a view, but at least we know it runs...........

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[Doc Austin]

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[Doc Austin]

Probably belongs on the WEC forum too, but here's the Penske Porsche. It's simplicity is beautiful.

Porsche Penske Motorsport Presents 963: Bahrain beckons

Porsche unveils 963 Hypercar and driver line-up at Goodwood Festival of Speed and with debut presence at the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship season-culminating 8 hours of Bahrain.

www.fiawec.com

 

[FLRacingFan]

Rumors are that the Porsche customers on the WEC side are Jota moving up from LMP2, and Proton moving up from GTE. It’d be great to see immediate customer uptake confirmed soon if it’s true.

 

[Kiante]

Only if the Puegeot was at Goodwood as well. The Porsche and Glickenhaus are some lookers:

 

[FLRacingFan]

Wow! Hertz and Singer Group confirm a Jota-run customer Porsche program from 2023-2025.

 

[Kiante]

Remember, Puegeot will debut the new 9X8 this weekend:

 

[FLRacingFan]

Can’t wait to see the wingless freak in action.

Glick turned French over the break.



Seriously, it’s good to see teams get away from the red/black/white everyone’s been running since 2016 or so.

 

[Doc Austin]

Now it looks like an Alpine!

 

[FLRacingFan]

We’ve got a good amount of Ferrari spy shots for the first time

 

[Doc Austin]

Now I am a little bit less skeptical now that we have seen the car. It looks like an Acura with humongous fins added. These are so ridiculous I doubt this is the final version. Maybe we are being played.

 

[Kiante]

 

[Doc Austin]

Can't wait to see how it runs.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Well this is certainly something…hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be vaporware and is a nice surprise. Williams Advanced Engineering, Michelloto, and an six-cylinder engine from a major German OEM.

 

[Kiante]

I'd like to see more privateers or smaller marques given the chance over in IMSA...

 

[Doc Austin]

First Paddock Notes From Monza: BoP, Spotters Guide, Newcomers & New Colours

First Paddock Notes From Monza: BoP, Spotters Guide, Newcomers & New Colours

www.dailysportscar.com

Look closely at the rear of the 9X8 and you can see it's sprouted little winglets outside of the fins. My guess is these are more for tuning than downforce.

 

[Doc Austin]

Glickenhaus Top FP1 As Peugeot Debut 9X8

Glickenhaus Top FP1 As Peugeot Debut 9X8

www.dailysportscar.com

 

[FLRacingFan]

I'd like to see more privateers or smaller marques given the chance over in IMSA...

It’d be cool, but I see why they can’t.

Maybe the engine brand would be good enough as long as the automotive partner fee is paid.

 

[Doc Austin]

It’d be cool, but I see why they can’t.

Maybe the engine brand would be good enough as long as the automotive partner fee is paid.

I believe any manufacturer in IMSA must sell a minimum number of production cars in the US. Glickenhaus doesn't, and he's pretty bitter that he can't run here. There's a video on Youtube, and I'll try to find it.

As far as privateers, I don't think there's anyone in the world besides Glick that would be silly enough to spend $35 million on a hypercar. The big hope for the privateers is going to be the Porsche and Lambo customer car programs.


Looks like Glick could make a race out of it ...... https://racer.com/2022/07/09/glickenhaus-back-on-top-in-final-monza-wec-practice/

 

[Doc Austin]

 

[Doc Austin]

Damm. Glickenhaus gets the hyperpole.

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[FLRacingFan]

I believe any manufacturer in IMSA must sell a minimum number of production cars in the US. Glickenhaus doesn't, and he's pretty bitter that he can't run here. There's a video on Youtube, and I'll try to find it.

As far as privateers, I don't think there's anyone in the world besides Glick that would be silly enough to spend $35 million on a hypercar. The big hope for the privateers is going to be the Porsche and Lambo customer car programs.

Yep, 2,500 production cars annually. Rules out many of the low-volume/boutiques, but they’ve been consistent for several years when this came up with Panoz, Ginetta, KTM, SIN, and Putin’s limo manufacturer.

Agreed that the customer cars are a great offering, and they should only open up even more as programs get established and supply chains (hopefully) improve.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Looks pretty close in race pace among Hypercars, should genuinely be an interesting race. Hopefully Peugeot have the reliability and can contend tomorrow.

Also congratulations to Sarah Bovy to be the first woman to earn a WEC pole with topping GTE-Am.

First hour and last hour are on Motor Trend tomorrow, 6 AM and 11 AM ET.

 

[Kiante]

About to start... This is exciting, very exciting!

 

[Kiante]

Sausage kerbs have to go:


This cannot continue to happen.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Sausage kerbs have to go:


This cannot continue to happen.

Won’t happen until someone dies, I’m certain. Somehow we decided lining race tracks with ramps is a safe way to police track limits. Too many near-death instances of this have happened already and nothing changed.

 

[FLRacingFan]

What a finish after six hours of racing as Alpine beat the 8 Toyota by a mere two or three seconds. Glickenhaus had the fastest car this weekend, but blew an engine midway through. I wonder if they had almost too much power this weekend.

Corvette take GTE-Pro victory with a super fuel save by Nick Tandy, as the lead 52 Ferrari pitted for fuel with 2:30 to go.

Some nasty driving in GTE-Pro between Porsche and Ferrari again today. That rivalry needs to cool down before they jump to Hypercar together next season.

 

[Kiante]

What a finish after six hours of racing as Alpine beat the 8 Toyota by a mere two or three seconds. Glickenhaus had the fastest car this weekend, but blew an engine midway through. I wonder if they had almost too much power this weekend.

Corvette take GTE-Pro victory with a super fuel save by Nick Tandy, as the lead 52 Ferrari pitted for fuel with 2:30 to go.

Some nasty driving in GTE-Pro between Porsche and Ferrari again today. That rivalry needs to cool down before they jump to Hypercar together next season.

Got to give Glickenhaus credit though, they were not joking around. That SCG007 was really hooked up, but I'm like you for them to have an engine issue like that makes me raise questions of just how much boost were they running? If they were legitimately running max power to that 680 threshold... Whew.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Got to give Glickenhaus credit though, they were not joking around. That SCG007 was really hooked up, but I'm like you for them to have an engine issue like that makes me raise questions of just how much boost were they running? If they were legitimately running max power to that 680 threshold... Whew.

Part of it is that the Glick is fundamentally not a great car, and has been running at both minimum weight and maximum power (520 kW) to try to be competitive. For Monza the organizers seemingly ditched the limit written into the rules, giving Glickenhaus 533 kW to run. Running at excessive power levels for a whole weekend definitely could’ve cooked the engine.

 

[Hotrod]

Man I am digging the fins on this philly:

 

[Kiante]

Part of it is that the Glick is fundamentally not a great car, and has been running at both minimum weight and maximum power (520 kW) to try to be competitive. For Monza the organizers seemingly ditched the limit written into the rules, giving Glickenhaus 533 kW to run. Running at excessive power levels for a whole weekend definitely could’ve cooked the engine.

Pipo Derani confirmed it was a turbo issue:

Speaking of which, AXR better be careful. Derani has been sublime with Glickenhaus, I wonder if Jim has any intentions of signing him on next season?

 

[Doc Austin]

This is a surprising result considering how badly the Alpine ran at LeMans.

Tough break for Glick, but they are a team America can be proud of.