IMSA 2023

Ok, I’ll expose my ignorance of all the background issues and ask: If other manufacturers can compete in the top class in IMSA, why can’t/don’t Ferrari? Are there subtle differences in regulations of technical specs that make running in the two series (WEC and IMSA) beyond what Ferrari wants to commit to? There must be a reason they aren’t racing in their biggest market. AF Corse has a major base in the U.S., does it not? Thanks.

 

I think the WEC was intended for LMH factory teams (Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot), + private teams LMDhs as grid fillers.
All 7 races are 6 hours minimum + Le Mans 24 hours.

IMSA is a US national championship for private teams entering LMDhs.
The 11 races vary from 2h40mins to 24 hours for Daytona, so a mixture of sprints and endurance

Some of the calendar dates clash anyway, so only a few teams commited to both series, like Penske (Porsche) and Cadillac.
The problem is that you cannot pick and chose; teams are coerced to sign for the whole series.

 

Thanks, William. It seems Ferrari could have made the commitment. Or perhaps it would have stretched AF Corse too much.

 

Correct. The WEC needs some LMDH cars to fill its grid (worldwide championship remember) more than IMSA needs LMH teams.
The pity, from my point of view, is that Daytona 24h and Sebring 12h are out of reach for WEC participants.
They are star events, like Le Mans.

 

You are probably right. At least I followed in the past Daytona and Sebring on the same calendar with Le Mans, and the big Ford-Ferrari battles, then Ferrari-Porsche, etc ... Epic it was.

 

Does WEC have 20 minute full course cautions(like IMSA)?

 

Lamborghini coming in 2024 in WEC and IMSA Endurance Cup events at Daytona, Sebring
and Petite.

The car, SC63 is making its public debut at Goodwood this week.

I'm told the first tests will be happening in August.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/07/13/lamborghini-reveal-sc63-hypercar-and-gtp-contender-at-goodwood.html

BHW
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

GT3 Cup is missing. odd they wouldn't run in Porsche's US hometown.

a long time ago they had IMSA, Koni challenge (whatever it was called), GT3 Cup, PWC, and Trans Am on one weekend. it was amazing.

 

Along those lines, I was the official photographer of a series many years ago, and I'd get
pissed when the 'Big Boys' would only show up at the high-paying events at the more
well-known tracks, screwing the 'normal' guys that traveled to ALL of the events.
(16-18 race series in the midwest, 3 or 4 where MUCH higher paying than all the others)

I was an advocate of a rule that said the point fund paid out only to those that followed (supported)
the entire series. You would get special permissions if you missed a race due to injury/ilness,
or if you crashed big or blew up at the previous nights' event or in practice/qualifying.
But I really disliked 'ringers' coming in.
The rule was never enacted, and I can understand why not, that doesn't mean I agreed with it.

And as much as I dislike nascar, I think they did the right thing in NOT allowing the drivers
in the Cup series to get points when they would race in the lesser series.
It made a difference in the season-ending point fund payout.

 

GM ain't that selective if they're going with a team that has never run a GTD program before (AWA was in Pilot GT4 before LMP3, I think)

 

Everyone with an auto-everything camera that runs out and buys a long lense thinks they can do it. Most can't.
Consequently, some people are doing it for free, so it's not worth it.

On-track pro stuff - guys shoot for several different entities - if they didn't they could not afford to do it, travel, etc.

I did the Detroit Grand Prix back in the turbo years, stopped when they dumped F1 from Detroit.
What I did the most was a dirt late/model series around here from the late 80's to about 2005,
have not shot a race sinse then. I was also the track photog at our local track, and did work for a
few stock car racing mags... that's about it.
I decided to hang it up and not spend the $$$ to go digital - and am glad I did!

 

24 schedule is a mess. no line rock, expanded NAEC, multiple conflicts with WEC, Spa/N24, all the factory drivers are going to miss out on stuff. kinda sucks.

I do like the 6 hour at Indy, but timing and expanded NAEC sucks for teams that only do that sub series.

 

Honda $$$ is my guess