Risi Fuming About Pit Lane Incident

I hate to say it, but if that was the Ferrari running into the back of a Porsche or Corvette (both multi-million dollar factory programs, doing a lot to promote the sport and fans love them), you'd have seen the penalty issued to Risi.

that's the problem with NASCARIMSA.....they're operating under the old, and IMVHO corrupt, NASCAR style of sanctioning....bend the rules for people writing the biggest checks.

 

excellent example.

 

Don't blame them. They were completely screwed by that.

Teams are leaving, Daytona Prototype still destroying the competition, TV coverage is appalling. NASCAR is doing their best to kill road racing in America and I think it's working.

 

I hope PWC is able to fill the void created by Tudor.

 

you forgot AIM, and most importantly, Dempsey: Changes in the Works at Dempsey Racing - Sportscar365

The Dempsey one is particularly bad news, as they are pretty much the only connection between endurance sports car racing in the US and the "mainstream" media, sports or otherwise. they lose millions in publicity if Dempsey goes to WEC.

 

Whoa. One million dollars MORE per car than the GTC budget.......for a GT America?

If I was spending that kind of cash while in the cluster than is TUSC, I'd jump ship, too.

 

yeah, crazy. I haven't seen a breakdown on those cost overruns, but I wonder how much of it was parts & testing due to endless BoP changes.

 

Man, I wonder what that is over their estimated budget going into the season? No matter how large the budget is, a million dollars is still a ton of money.

 

good question.

I also wonder if that overrun includes amortizing the cost of the GTD car over just two seasons (14 and 15), as since I understand it the GT-America is obsolete in TUSC after next year.

 

How laughable is it that when Dave Sims went to protest he was denied entry to Race Control?
Can't blame Mr. Risi one bit if he decides to play in WEC (or PWC) instead of the clearly biased "not invented here" mess that is Tudor.
As far as PWC going to a more endurance format let's not forget that one of the big attractions in that series is short races with no pit stops. Fewer crew, lower budgets for tires, etc.
Let's also not forget to rail on Tudor for the disaster that is P2 cars on crap tires, a merger that forced DP owners to spend $400,000 on upgrades for obsolete crapwagens and a BoP that still has P2 cars being 6.x seconds a lap off the pace. Not to mention the oft-repeated charge that the DP drivers know they can withstand some contact and drive accordingly.

 

It is truly sad what has happened to road racing in this country. I'm sure glad my life has spanned the golden age, from world manufacturers (Sebring, Watkins Glen and others) to the original CanAm and TransAm, to the glory days of IMSA prototypes. I wouldn't drive more than 30 minutes to watch a current IMSA race. The only hope for US road racing is more Indy car races at tracks like Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta and Road America.

 

^^^ meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

 

Unfortunately, you're right. If it was anyone here, nobody would care or know the difference, but an A-list actor is the only thing that lets people know.

My opinion-Motor racing will die in the next 20 years and the make a comeback after the costs drop

 

some Dempsey anecdotes:

- my gf's family knows nothing of racing. they live in metro ATL, and hadn't heard of Road Atlanta...but they knew that Patrick Dempsey owned a racing team, and in their opinion "he's really good at it".

- there are only two teams that get any lines at IMSA autograph sessions: Corvette, who draws a crowd of baby boomer white men, and Dempsey, who attracts women, minorities, and people under 30.

IMSA needs Dempsey, badly.

 

Agree. Even the fans joke about it when they go to the other teams/tables for autographs about the big line around Dempsey's trailer but no lines elsewhere. It's all in good fun though, and all the teams love having Dempsey there because he's always interacting with the fans and bringing a lot of new people to the track.

I actually feel sorry for him at the races... there's always people waiting outside his trailer for a picture or an autograph and I've never once seen him be anything other than a perfect professional and always smiling/talking with them.

However, that's how he gets the official support from Porsche in a "customer racing class" unlike the other teams... so I don't feel too sorry for him!

-mike

 

agree, he's a great ambassador for the sport, not just with media but fans, and gives a far greater ROI to sponsors than most (any?) other teams. he'd be a big loss to IMSA.

 

Did you see the crowd around him at LeMans? It was massive

 

Porsche and Corvette are true factory 2 car teams and TUSCC seems intent on showing them favoritism. POOR POOR management IMO

 

Wasn't the Viper team favored with continuing 'balance of performance' changes this year?

More than a few years ago, ALMS allowed themselves 2 BOP changes/year..at least that what an ALMS guy told me. Are there any such restrictions in Tudor?