Sebring

They did, but they disguised it as a Maserati to save face.

 

Actually they did it as a marketing ploy to fool potential Maerati Buyers into thinking Maserati is a car company that races their cars when in fact in races Enzo's dressed up like Maserati's. The hole thing is SAD!

The pit crew was all Ferrari people (in Blue) including the Ferrari NA Boss in his RED Ferrari Race suit.....in a sea of Maserati Blue.

 

I've been somewhat critical of ALMS the past year or so. To me the race was quite boring. Only three LMP cars were running at the end and by the mid point of the race only about 20 cars were running. It was yet another forgone conclusion that the Audi team (Champion) would plaster the lone competition (Dyon's two four bangers). The other LMP cars are all "budget" run privateers with an odd assortment of chassis manufacturers and engines.

Only real treat of the entire 12 hours was watching McNish try to chase down the lead Audi and watching the Aston Martin v12's.

The cars are great but there aren't enough of them and the racing is watered down to the two Audi's fighting with each other and a Corvette and a Aston Martin. It was certainly better than last year but not very exciting to watch.

Only 37 cars present and if you take out the Porsche Cup ......ughhh excuse me the GT2 class there weren't many exciting cars to watch or much exciting racing to watch.

I miss the heyday of sports car racing from the 80's with all the IMSA cars.

If some manufacturers don't step up next year it will get even more boring with the Audi R8 replacement coming out.

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

Would have liked to see the MC12 do better.

The Aston is gorgeous and, wow, first in class. Too bad the road version is more GT than sports car. I want to love the DB9.

 

The Maranello which raced was a 550. Now how old is the 550?

Why cannot Ferrari think about road races and support them?

NUTS!

 

Jon, I have to agree on both counts. There has been plenty of discussion here for and against both Grand AM and ALMS but six P1 cars ten GT1 cars in a field of 38 for 12 hours was boooorrrrriiiinnnngggg. Thank goodness for the Aston Martins for adding some interest and stopping the Vette juggernaut.

It's odd that the IMSA name is now owned by the organization that is the furthest from the initial intent of IMSA. Grand Am is much more like the IMSA of old.

400iGuy

 

Could not agree more!

 

Agreed, lack of entry hurt Sebring this year but good fights for overall and class victories added some spice. Tom Kristensen's presence alone makes the event as his records attest.

The announcements of the new Mazda LMP-2 entry, new Audi R-10, and potential of Porsche coming in this year with P-2 and then P-1 entries next year are interesting.

Anthony Lazarro told me on the grid Saturday morning that a second MC-12 will be entered by the end of the season. We should have had two Maseratis and more 550 GT Maranellos in the mix as we were told by the Care Racing/Labre Competition team that they will have three 550's at Le Mans
which have already gained entry by virtue of their FIA GT and LMES participation.

BMW are said to also be in the frame to come back to the GT class so the future isnt as bleak as many would lead us to believe.

BHW

 

I don't want to keep making this a bash the "ALMS" topic. I do watch the ALMS races and I love the cars (LMP's, 550's, Maseratis, Astons, and even the RSR's) it just that there is little racing goin on.

Grand Am is the exact opposite. I don't really care much for the cars (Daytona prototypes or the legion of Porsche Cup cars) but the racing is close.

The best of both worlds is of course the ALMS cars with fields the size of the GA Rolex series. Until that happens we have watered down racing in one series and watered down cars in the other.

I do however have some resentment, as a long time Porsche fan, the all the hype about the Audi's. Yes the car is amazing and they have had some of the best drivers but they haven't beat any of the true giants of sportscar racing. While this is not ALMS's fault, nor Audi's, it gets me in a tiff when Audi uses lack of competition to market their products.

I really hope that Porsche gets back into the top tear of racing in ALMS.

In the end I am a race fan and watch all racing. I fail to understand those who are totally against one or the other (CART vs. IRL or GA vs. ALMS).

Racin' is racin' !!!

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

The sad truth is it doesn't look like either of the racing series are ready to kiss and make-up just yet or if ever. Hopefully, maybe one day they will reform and give us the best of both worlds.

 

That will only happen when Lake Lloyd freezes over.

BHW

 

Photos are posted on my site:

http://forza.cc/gallery

Enjoy

Bruce

 

Bruce,

Thanks for the pictures.

I really like the one of the Maserati at night in the rain with all of the glare of the lights.

Very very nice.

Bob S.