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QUESTION ABOUT NASCAR'S ROLEX SPORTS CARS

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by RP, May 18, 2008.

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  1. RP

    RP F1 World Champ

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    #1 RP, May 18, 2008
    Watched the race from Laguna, just like the stock division, very competitive and fun to watch. At least the Lola looks decent, the rest are just ugly cars.

    But my question, they all seem to use V-8's, why not a Ferrari powered car to join the Dinan BMW, the Lexus, the Pontiac and the Fords? Would not an engine say from the F430GT used in ALMS work for the Rolex series prototypes or whatever they are called?

    Anyone?
     
  2. maxorido

    maxorido Formula 3

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    #2 maxorido, May 18, 2008
    Honestly I wouldn't want to see a Ferrari engine in one of those ugly cars. I was at Laguna yesterday, and these cars look just as ugly in person as they do on tv. I would love to see a proper ALMS/ELMS Ferrari prototype, however.
     
  3. brian.s

    brian.s F1 Rookie
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    #3 brian.s, May 18, 2008
    The cars are butt ugly in terms of looks and engineering. plus don't forget who is controlling it, they adjust with weight and air restrictors to control performance. Any series that mimics NASCAR is a joke, ALMS anytime!!
     
  4. RP

    RP F1 World Champ

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    #4 RP, May 18, 2008
    But my question, would it be possible for a Ferrari V8 to do well in this sorta spec series?
     
  5. brian.s

    brian.s F1 Rookie
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    #5 brian.s, May 18, 2008
    If someone applied to the ruling party for permission, they could run any engine approved subject to the control criteria ($?). They are not about to let a "Toyota/nascar" thing happen if they can help it. See how the Porsche goes from competitive to also ran? And they were the first to commit along with Fabcar in the beginning.
     
  6. RP

    RP F1 World Champ

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    #6 RP, May 18, 2008
    BMW power won this weekend. German from North Carolina last time I looked. Lexus is Toyota, so I think if someone had the $$$, they could run a Ferrari engine. So why hasn't anyone done so?
     
  7. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    #7 GuyIncognito, May 18, 2008
    Supposedly France family (owners of NASCAR and Grand Am) use Daytona Prototypes as a springboard into and out of Sprint Cup. Pontiac leaves NASCAR, and low and behold all of a sudden they have a competitve car in Grand Am. Toyota wants to go NASCAR racing, and next thing ya know there's a Lexus engine in DP. Funny how that works.

    I believe the Ferrari V8 is approved for DP, but Ferrari is already supporting the 430GT in ALMS and no privateers have stepped up to develop the engine on their own dime.
     
  8. yzee

    yzee F1 Veteran
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    #8 yzee, May 19, 2008

    There is a 430 in Rolex GT. Is that the tube frame from the Daytona 24 Hrs?
     
  9. Blocktrader

    Blocktrader Karting

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    #9 Blocktrader, May 19, 2008
    The engine is not approved right now. However there's no reason someone couldn't submit one. The Porsche V8 is a private effort. Only the 6 is a factory motor. The problem is money. Why spend the money on the Ferrari motor when the others will be the same speed? All the motors over 4 liters have specific requirements to keep them equal. Under 4 liters is where theres some leeway. The motor I wonder about is the 360 gt motor. If you could make enough power out of it you could take advantage of the rule breaks for being under 4 liters.
     
  10. ejpoulsen

    ejpoulsen Karting

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    #10 ejpoulsen, May 23, 2008
    I too have watched the Rolex cars at Laguna Seca--UGLY UGLY UGLY! Please don't disgrace a Ferrari engine by putting it in one of those things. It's hard enough to see Porsche engines... Sure, the racing was tight and fast, but I'm much more a fan of the ALMS concept and cars. 'Dem Rolex cars just don't look right!
     

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