Way to go! :alright:alright:alright

And the Mazdaspeed RX-8 wins the GT series! :alright:alright:alright

Course sucked and cars sucked. One boring ass event.

Tuned in just in time to see the DINAN car go off.

Oh and seeing the Mazda lap the Ferrari over and over was amusing too.

I was rooting for Bill & Joey, and they were doing very well until they dropped for mechanical. My finace' was going for the 01 all the way. She picked them last year too.

With 5 hours to go there were 5 cars on the lead lap. I was hoping for a nailbiter.

dammit I fell asleep for the last 2 hours

What a fun looking weekend. Endurance Racing is the tits

Course sucked and cars sucked. One boring ass event.

Endurance racing is never especially fun to watch, still a classic though.

I too just cannot get excited about the Daytona Prototypes, they are just SO ugly looking, they look like army helmets on wheels to me.

Cool to see the RX8 beat the porsches.

Endurance racing is never especially fun to watch

At Daytona.

I enjoyed it thoroughly

I was really impressed with the rx8. Does anyone know the specs on that damm rx8??????????? I know there piss slow on the street.

I too just cannot get excited about the Daytona Prototypes, they are just SO ugly looking, they look like army helmets on wheels to me.

The new DPs look much much better. Wait until Krohn rolls out the Lola that they tested earlier this month but didn't feel confident enough to use in the 24 hours. Dallara is prepping a chassis right now that Kevin Doran will run and I can only imagine that it will look more like a noraml proto given their history. I like you hate the look of a lot of the DPs, but I think that the new ones look pretty good since these big names are getting involved.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/dhabes/3375_15.jpg

I was really impressed with the rx8. Does anyone know the specs on that damm rx8??????????? I know there piss slow on the street.

Yes I do. It would be easier for me to list the parts the car shares with a street RX8. Ready?

Headlights
Taillights
Hood hinges
Trunk hinges

The new DPs look much much better. Wait until Krohn rolls out the Lola that they tested earlier this month but didn't feel confident enough to use in the 24 hours. Dallara is prepping a chassis right now that Kevin Doran will run and I can only imagine that it will look more like a noraml proto given their history. I like you hate the look of a lot of the DPs, but I think that the new ones look pretty good since these big names are getting involved.


I agree. I like Lola's stuff a lot, and Dallara tends to make pretty cars. We'll see what they can do with the DP rules.

Endurance racing is never especially fun to watch, still a classic though.

I too just cannot get excited about the Daytona Prototypes, they are just SO ugly looking, they look like army helmets on wheels to me.

Cool to see the RX8 beat the porsches.I watched 16 hours of Le Mans last year and that was much better. The cars here weren't diverse enough and the track sucked.

Mad Max, in the 333SP, chasing down Wayne Taylor in 1996 was pretty exciting.

To me, though, GA is a series that doesn't need to exist, and DP cars are nothing to get excited about, but I'm old school, weaned on Camel GT, and the glorious Porsches, BMWs, Nissans, and Toyotas.

Applying NASCAR-style spec/cost rules, and guest star drivers is antithetic to what sports car racing is to me -- the cars are the lead stars, and the drivers play supporting roles.

Mad Max, in the 333SP, chasing down Wayne Taylor in 1996 was pretty exciting.

To me, though, GA is a series that doesn't need to exist, and DP cars are nothing to get excited about, but I'm old school, weaned on Camel GT, and the glorious Porsches, BMWs, Nissans, and Toyotas.

Applying NASCAR-style spec/cost rules, and guest star drivers is antithetic to what sports car racing is to me -- the cars are the lead stars, and the drivers play supporting roles.

I am with you on this... been to Daytona a few times, Sebring a few times and Road Atlanta alot. I stopped paying attention to Daytona when they split from the ACO. I am eagerly awaiting the closed roof LMP-1s that will be rolling out soonish. Bring back the 956/962, Nissan GTP, Jaguar GTP, Toyota GTP!

All in all, the split (and some of the wacky rules) has really hurt endurance racing (for the fans).

Did watch a good portion of this year's race. Wasn't supremely excited by it, but I hadn't watched since the first year of Grand Am....

How could I forget about the Jaguars. Never having been to an F1 race, the XJR-14 was my first chance to hear the NA 3.5l motors.

Being able to see all the Group C prototypes, GTP/GTOs, thru to the R8/LMP battles was a treat. Some seriously cool machinery. Haven't been to a race since.

Endurance racing is never especially fun to watch, still a classic though.

I too just cannot get excited about the Daytona Prototypes, they are just SO ugly looking, they look like army helmets on wheels to me.

Cool to see the RX8 beat the porsches.

I found it pretty fun. I spent a little time in the hot pits watching some excitement. I also enjoyed sitting down near the horseshoe when it would start to drizzle and every time car would start to get out of shape, or touch another, I would hop on their frequency and listen in.

At one point I heard a driver yell out (and I don't remember who) "I just turned the horsepower knob to 11!!"

I was really impressed with the rx8. Does anyone know the specs on that damm rx8??????????? I know there piss slow on the street.

I beleive the RX8 has a three rotor engine and weighs 200-250 LBS less than the GT3 Cup Car. While they are fast, I don't think it fair. Porsche has spent 40+ years perfecting their RR flat six formula. Mazda wants to play so GA lets them change their engine and cut their weight. A slap in the face if you ask me.

I beleive the RX8 has a three rotor engine and weighs 200-250 LBS less than the GT3 Cup Car. While they are fast, I don't think it fair. Porsche has spent 40+ years perfecting their RR flat six formula. Mazda wants to play so GA lets them change their engine and cut their weight. A slap in the face if you ask me.

I don't think it has a 3 rotor... I think it's a heavily modified version of the Renesis. Although it seems to be a very stout motor being able to go 50 hours of racing before a rebuild. And only costing about $8k to rebuild (at least that's what the commentators said). I don't think the RX8 had the hugest advantage over the 911's. The Rotary is most likely down on torque as well.

Yes I do. It would be easier for me to list the parts the car shares with a street RX8. Ready?

Headlights
Taillights
Hood hinges
Trunk hinges

I lol'd

I beleive the RX8 has a three rotor engine and weighs 200-250 LBS less than the GT3 Cup Car. While they are fast, I don't think it fair. Porsche has spent 40+ years perfecting their RR flat six formula. Mazda wants to play so GA lets them change their engine and cut their weight. A slap in the face if you ask me.

Sigh. I grew up a P car fan but come on, the rules are available on Grand Am's website for anyone who actually wants to know what they are. Last season they had three chassis, three motors and quite a few teams win races in the GT class. If you don't want to follow those rules it's pretty easy to race elsewhere. Also GA ADDED weight to the Mazda's this year. The Mazda's also run smaller tires and make a ton less torque than the Porsche's do. Porsche finished 2 3 4 if I recall correctly. What part of this isn't fair?


I don't think it has a 3 rotor... I think it's a heavily modified version of the Renesis. Although it seems to be a very stout motor being able to go 50 hours of racing before a rebuild. And only costing about $8k to rebuild (at least that's what the commentators said). I don't think the RX8 had the hugest advantage over the 911's. The Rotary is most likely down on torque as well.

It's a 20B 3 rotor. The rebuild costs are close to right, but I'd budget a bit more. The rotary is way down on torque. It's the lightest car in the class. GA keeps all the cars pretty close. Sylvain and Ham can drive a bit too.

I lol'd

Why thank you. But I was srs. :D

6 Mazdas ran.

In the top 5 there was 1 Mazda and 4 Porsches. If the advantage was that noticeable they would have run away with it, and they didn't, nor did they last year.

When I was talking to one of the Farnbacher drivers, he asked who was winning (he was in the garage trying to help fix a car), and when I told him the Mazda, he said "that's good, maybe a little more weight for next race".

There are several different styles of cars in the GT class and they shine on different courses. I kinda like it that way.

Dave - did you not end up going? I was trolling around looking for something that said Mundy on it, but never saw anything.

It was a fun weekend. My highlights were:

-The ST car was fastest in the morning warmup (we would have qualified 2nd with that time) and we cranked out a 2.09 without a problem.
-The ST car finished 8th in the race. We had a drive thru penalty early on and it was nice to see Sam go from dead last to 15th in ST during his stint (there were 50 cars in ST). Then, we were running out of gas at the end and had to give up three positions (we would have given up five if we would have pitted). At least we were the top finishing BMW.
-The team I worked for in GT, won. I was helping out with the pit strategy on both of their cars.
-My flight home seemed to only last 5 minutes because I fell asleep. Seems like if you stay awake for 36 hrs (24 of that was behind a computer), you get sleepy.

As for the RX-8, they did everything perfect and the only problem was when the tail lights fell out after slight contact with the wall (you need lights at night). Other than that, the #70 car led just over 48% of the race and 5 laps up on 2nd place. I'm really a Porsche guy but I was happy to see them get beat by running a slightly more perfect race than they did. (It was a TRG Porsche sandwich with the #69 finishing 5th).

The only reason I don't see the the #70 winning a championship this year, is if a hurricane blows their shop away.

Sigh. I grew up a P car fan but come on, the rules are available on Grand Am's website for anyone who actually wants to know what they are. Last season they had three chassis, three motors and quite a few teams win races in the GT class. If you don't want to follow those rules it's pretty easy to race elsewhere. Also GA ADDED weight to the Mazda's this year. The Mazda's also run smaller tires and make a ton less torque than the Porsche's do. Porsche finished 2 3 4 if I recall correctly. What part of this isn't fair?




It's a 20B 3 rotor. The rebuild costs are close to right, but I'd budget a bit more. The rotary is way down on torque. It's the lightest car in the class. GA keeps all the cars pretty close. Sylvain and Ham can drive a bit too.



Wow I didn't know it was a 20B... that's pretty nuts. And I never implied that the Mazda didn't win fair... I was defending it saying that it didn't have a HUGE advantage over the Porsches. Maybe they will add more weight to it for the next race. Either way that RX8 was very cool.

what happened to sigalsport DP car ?

what happened to sigalsport DP car ?

I saw it kissing the guardrail Saturday evening and it finished way down the order. Probably spent a lot of time in the garage.

I saw it kissing the guardrail Saturday evening and it finished way down the order. Probably spent a lot of time in the garage.

I think they had a couple of offs and to their credit they continued to put it back together. It was fast in the right hands. I hope they can find some success. The 24 hour races are tough though.

I was also rooting for Bill and Joey too. They were going good for a while. I'm sure they've got some wins in there this year.

I was interested in the Automatic Racing M6. I didn't hear them talk about the car at all during the broadcast. I didn't watch every minute though. It's built along the same lines as the Mazda in that it's a tube frame, carbon fiber bodied car. This is the car that GA wants them to have. There's nothing illegal about the Mazda or the BMW, they are both built to the rules. I hope Automatic can take advantage of the rules just as Mazda has.

This time of year, it's always an exciting weekend. The DPs aren't so attractive it's true, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

It was definitely a fun event. I was glad to see a ferrari still out there in the morning when i woke up. First time a ferrari finished the 24 in who knows how long lol
It was way too cold though. I left new jersey thinkin I'd be goin to sunny 75 degree florida but no it was a cool 50 degrees and windy

Dave - did you not end up going? I was trolling around looking for something that said Mundy on it, but never saw anything.

:(
We decided not to go. We sold our car to Racers Edge who finished 10th in class.

Basically we have one driver who we think can contend for a title in Star Mazda and a second one from Brazil that we think will be pretty strong just signed with us. We will have at least 4 cars at Sebring, and maybe more. We want to make a title run, and not just show up so we decided to concentrate on where we are stong now. It was a tough decision, and I hope it will turn out to be the right one. We'll see.

as much as I wanted a Porsche to win, I think it was a great race. Brumos ran very well, but I was crushed when the 59 crashed into the wall, then the 23 dropped out soon afterwards. great thing to wake up in the morning to...
the best car to watch was the 87, because in the horseshoes, it was lifting the inside front every lap.:buttrock
Jake

Course sucked and cars sucked. One boring ass event.

cars sucked?

I worked for a dp team last year and I've got to say, these car's do not suck one bit. Sure they might not be as cool as say an F1 car, but how many other cars out there are built to race for 24 hours straight. The car's are not super light, but they are built super tough. Seeing and working on them in person is a lot different then watching them on tv. They sound great and do wicked burnouts. Plus they are also stupid easy to work on. We found out we needed to swap a motor 3 hours before the race and we did it and had enough time to have lunch before the race. We didn't even do a nut and bolt on them in between practice sessions because they are built to stay tight. So you must be into semi's or something if you think they suck, maybe tractors?

Like I said in my second post. The cars were not diverse enough, the track is incredibly boring, the show went to commercial so much because there was simply was nothing to cover. I want to see Aston, Panoz, Corvettes, Vipers, BMWs, Mercs and w/e else. Something besides half the field being Porsches, I think they had around 28 cars in the race. Say what ever you want, I want to see racing. Last years Sebring was 100x better even without the awesome finish.

Like I said in my second post. The cars were not diverse enough, the track is incredibly boring, the show went to commercial so much because there was simply was nothing to cover. I want to see Aston, Panoz, Corvettes, Vipers, BMWs, Mercs and w/e else. Something besides half the field being Porsches, I think they had around 28 cars in the race. Say what ever you want, I want to see racing. Last years Sebring was 100x better even without the awesome finish.
Good luck if you think there will be less commercials for Sebring. It has nothing to do with "nothing to cover". As a matter of fact a simple look at the car numbers would show that there was probably 3 times more to cover than there will be at Sebring. Not to mention the cars were a lot closer to each other than a LMP1, LMP2, GT1, GT2 breakdown.

Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for Sebring. I just never understand why people like you waste your time in this thread. If you don't like GA, good for you but I don't see why you need to be Debbie Downer in this thread.

My .02

A debbie downer? This thread is about the race. Read through this thread and others and you'll see my opinion is shared by many others. The announcers made no attempt at even trying to make any drama out of the race because there wasn't any. Who the hell goes to commercial with 6 minutes left in a 24 hour race? Oh boy you disagree. If you can't take my opinion thats your problem, not mine.

I also worked on a world challenge team that was at sebring last year and the alms cars are really quite amazing. The problem is tv doesn't give the real aspect of the cars, and never will. for those who haven't seen these cars race in person, get out there and see them. It's very impressive. Specially the tdi's so quiet yet so amazingly fast.

Like I said in my second post. The cars were not diverse enough, the track is incredibly boring, the show went to commercial so much because there was simply was nothing to cover. I want to see Aston, Panoz, Corvettes, Vipers, BMWs, Mercs and w/e else. Something besides half the field being Porsches, I think they had around 28 cars in the race. Say what ever you want, I want to see racing. Last years Sebring was 100x better even without the awesome finish.
I sat there and watched and wasn't bored, but I was watching at the track, not TV. I listened to the TV comentators some on the scanner and also listened to drivers and teams talking pit strategy.

ALMS:
P1 - Audi blowout
P2 - good 2-mfr battle near top
GT1 - Chevy blowout
GT2 - good 2-mfr battle near top

GA:
DP: good battle with many different configurations of chassis/motors
GT: good 3-mfr battle near top
GS: race with ST, rarely aired
ST: race with GS rarely aired

Only difference is 2 more classes at the same race where there is no competition :confused

At Sebring last year, 10 out of 19 cars in GT2 were Porsches. There were 5 different car models in the GT2 entry list.

At Daytona this year, 26 out of 42 cars in GT were Porsches. There were 8 different car models in the GT entry list.

Its really not so different.

You could say Sebring makes for better TV than Daytona, and I would probably agree, but thats about as far I go.

yeah! montoya and pruett are my boys.

mundy, i am sure you guys will have great success this year in star mazda. can't wait to meat you and alex at miller.

ty

yeah! montoya and pruett are my boys.

mundy, i am sure you guys will have great success this year in star mazda. can't wait to meat you and alex at miller.

ty

As in you do their helmets or you just like them...

yeah! montoya and pruett are my boys.

mundy, i am sure you guys will have great success this year in star mazda. can't wait to meat you and alex at miller.

ty

Can't wait! We'll see you there. :redspot

Ok here is my feedback on the race and its cars.

I dont really agree that the track is boring because you have a mix between very high speeds and low speeds, which makes it a track where only the smartest drivers will succeed. This applies mostly to the GT and DP drivers which were out there for the 24...however the same principle applies to ST and GS drivers. Daytona is a very tricky race track to drive in. It seems boring because not everyone can handle the track (drivers get carried away).

As for the 28 Porsches involved in the race. Yeah its true that TRG and Farnbacher had an army of them out there but can you imagine HOW much more incredible Sebring would be with those 28 MORE CARS in it? ALMS doesnt HAVE that many cars in the field. Not to mention the Canadian team who ran an old 996 GT3 and FINISHED the race. That to me alone makes it a great event...a new team playing balls to the walls with the big guys.

Its true, we dont see Astons and more glamorous cars but the 24 DID have a diverse field. Rx8s, Mustangs, 996/997 GT3, GTOs, GXps, M6s, Vettes, Ferraris...christ, that is a lot of different cars with a ton of different drivers with different skill levels.

The 24 at Daytona is a very different race than Sebring or the 24 at Le Mans. All of them are great races and events but I dont think I would trade a Daytona 24 for a 12 Hours at Sebring...no sir, id rather see a massive field of cars divided into 2 classes than a tiny field of class divided in 4 classes.

As in you do their helmets or you just like them...

montoya and pruett i just like, they are under troy lee's banner. montoya was the one who got me hooked on auto racing his rookie year in champ car and i have been a die hard fan of his ever since. pruett's tide winstin cup car was on display at a local grocery store in my nieghborhood some years ago and the name stuck with me and i have been following him since then. pruett seems like a stand up guy, maybe a little weird on camera! but still a good guy.

dave and alex though are censport guys and i wish them the best of luck. ardoin will go far in the sport.

I had a good time, took my son and we camped out on turn 3. I enjoy having paddock access and the display of historical race cars was cool, got to see a widebody E36 up close for the first time. Cooked a couple of killer steaks for dinner and woke up to find Auberlin's team in the lead after a great early morning run. Shame it broke down shortly after. Would I rather attend a F1 race or LeMans, sure. But for a January weekend and $270 bucks for tickets and a reserved spot it was a good deal. Think I'll take a little time off and go back bay fishing and arrive Friday to see the Koni Cup race next year. Might drive the wifes Cayenne so I can hang out in the PCA corral and spend the nite in a hotel. Zoom Zoom all night in turn three got a little old!

I had a good time, took my son and we camped out on turn 3. I enjoy having paddock access and the display of historical race cars was cool, got to see a widebody E36 up close for the first time. Cooked a couple of killer steaks for dinner and woke up to find Auberlin's team in the lead after a great early morning run. Shame it broke down shortly after. Would I rather attend a F1 race or LeMans, sure. But for a January weekend and $270 bucks for tickets and a reserved spot it was a good deal. Think I'll take a little time off and go back bay fishing and arrive Friday to see the Koni Cup race next year. Might drive the wifes Cayenne so I can hang out in the PCA corral and spend the nite in a hotel. Zoom Zoom all night in turn three got a little old!

I parked right outside behind turn 1 banking. I had the 4Runner, and had everything laid out flat with blankets, pillows, and such and slept in the back of the 4Runner like it was a bed. I could hear the cars a little, but not enough to bother me.

I went down again from Seattle and spotted for one of the Team Seattle car's being run out of the Farnbacher stable. Did two 4-hour spotting stints on the roof, the second being the final 4 hours to the checkered flag. Our car came in with 3 laps to go to get a splash of fuel, then while going out, lost the clutch and parked it on the pit-out access road. So no checkered flag though it did finish something like 12th in the GT class.

I missed my ride back to the hotel Saturday night, so I just slept in the back of a rental car in the midfield.

Good times... the Rolex 24 has a lot of history to it, and that's one reason I love it. It may not televise very well some years, but at least there is a Speed Channel willing to show it at all.