The reduced calendar: not a surprise. The decisión of ending the season at Le Mans: about time. Teams used the pre-Le Mans races as a test for Le Mans, and nobody cared about what happened after, so unless they moved Le Mans to autumn this was the only solution.
The teams that register to enter the WEC sign a contract to attend all the races, so dropping off after Le Mans isn't an option, since missing one or several event incurs a fine.
So Sebring is getting WEC back in 2019. Why on earth are they running them in two separate 12 hour races? That is dumb. I would think it was April fools, but it's not April. COTA is almost dead after 2018 and so is WEC unless something happens fast. Funny if Ferrari is the one to save WEC. Maybe COTA can hold a Formula E race in the heart of Texas
IRL moved the season finale to the Indy 500 (run 3 weeks before LM24).....for one season. trying to account for budgets, sponsorship, etc over two calendar years, plus general fan confusion, brought it to a quick end. I suspect that happens here too.
Damn, talk about a track highlighting how slow they really are. They would look like they're crawling down that back straight. BTW there's a group trying to bring FE to Austin in the form of a downtown street race.
It wasn't too long ago many on here were banging the drum for WEC's set up and suggesting others series could learn a thing or two from it... No new sponsors in sight, its top class destroyed and now reducing its calendar.
The ACO went too far in writing the rules. LMPS 1 is too expensive to attract private teams, and LMP2 has become a specs series for amateur drivers. It seems the ACO doesn't look for support and interest when making the regulations, but at the same time it eliminates many potential participants preferring to favour French lobbies (Oreca & Ligier). As for the GT class, it's almost exclusive for Le Mans and very costly compared to GT3.
On first reading about this proposal, I could hardly believe my eyes. Had to read it again (and again). The Sebring aspect is certainly (uhm...) interesting. The main question is how will this work? The Sebring paddock is already stretched to overflowing with the current IMSA 12 Hour cars and all the support races over the course of the weekend. Logistically, this is going to be a huge challenge. Asking the Sebring fans to stay for a second race, one which by then, may not have a front running prototype division seems like a stretch. Starting the race at midnight? It has been done before of course when they ran the "Paul Revere 250" at Daytona the night before the "Firecracker 400". But, that was a sprint race, this will be yet another 12-hour event. Call me skeptical but, honestly, I don't see how this can possibly work. It smacks of gimmickry until the ACO and FIA can come up with something workable that will satisfy participants, sponsors, media and fans alike. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out... BHW
I assume they'll run the second 12 hours of Sebring (good luck marketing that!) on Sunday. Had the same thoughts about paddock space-WEC likes to spread out too, so it will be difficult. Also, Sebring support test days start on Tuesday....campers move in on Monday...that would be a long week for a lot of people. I think it's ridiculous, just run with the rest of the 12 hours crowd on Saturday, they did that in 2010-12 or thereabouts.
If (and its a big if) this Sebring plan somehow comes off... It makes infinitely more sense to 1) Run the 12 Hours of Sebring as per usual on the Saturday and 2) Run the WEC standard format 6 hour race on the Sunday. The last time a top tier twin bill ran at Sebring was the FIA GT/World Sports Car weekend in 1997. These were sprint races in comparison, both three hours IIRC, and other than the monsoon that came during the FIA GT race, it was a huge success. BHW
I was at that 1997 FIA GT race, very nice crowd if not to large. Then in 1998 they tried at Homestead and the place was a ghost town. This race should run as one 12 hour. They run for 24 hours at Lemans so whats the big deal. Maybe have to lift the amount of cars so maybe traffic issues for the WEC cars??
Yeah, I was working with the Andy Evans group in 1997. To make the FIA GT event at Sebring a success they needed to have 40,000 in attendance and they got just that. Then, the rain came and half of them left. The next year, of course, Andy Evans was out and the scene switched to Homestead which was a disaster. Honestly, I just don't see how this all pans out. BHW
I took these at Sebring in 1997 and the CLK at Laguna the next weekend. I have tons of slides from Homestead in 1998 also. Nice airshow from the AFB at Homestead also going on all during the weekend, but only about 10 people watching, give or take. Just a few years after the big hurricane destroyed everything. I loved FIA GT!!! I really hope they rethink the Sebring 2019 format.. They should run them together. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Reactions from teams and drivers. Neveu & The WEC Teams Respond To New Proposals ? dailysportscar.com BHW
Yes, they attend the races after Le Mans, but is anyone watching? If they make Le Mans the "grand finale" of a championship, then that championship has more relevance. Mmmm... I hadn´t thought about the accountants. That´s indeed a problem. But the public could get used to it: it has been made in soccer since the beginning of times and people keeps watching. I have to admit that personally I don´t like the idea, but Endurance racing always had a problem with the excessive relevance of Le Mans, that obliterates the rest of the championship. Manufacturers are not so willing to expend huge ammounts of money in a car that it´s only raced a day per year.
.@Toyota_Hybrid claims pole; @AMR_Official double pole in both LMGTE-Pro and LMGTE-Am at #6hShanghai. final day at quali Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
