2014 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

[Rob]

2014/07/19 18:28
Christian Klien mark out his territory!

At 15h00 this afternoon, the 33 cars entered in the ELMS came took to the track for the second free practice session of the day. The 90 minutes of testing gave all the drivers and their teams the chance to round out their knowledge of the track and to set up their cars ready for qualifying tomorrow morning (09h30).

In the NewBlood by Morand Racing camp, the team was delighted to have set the fastest time of the day with a lap of 1:24.145, just 0.008s better than that of Race Performance which put its No.34 ORECA03 in second place this afternoon with a lap of 1:24.153. Christian Klien, Gary Hirsch and Pierre Ragues were determined to make their mark on the Austrian event and set about doing so admirably this afternoon.

The new Ligier JS P2 of Thiriet by TDS Racing has begun to find its feet on its debut in the ELMS (the set-up of the car being very different compared to that used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans). Tristan Gommendy, Pierre Thiriet and Ludovic Badey put their new beauty in third spot this afternoon, albeit only 0.056s from the only ORECA 03 on track this weekend. At JOTA Sport (No.38 Zytek Z11SN Nissan), Filipe Albuquerque, Simon Dolan and Harry Tincknell took 4th place ahead of the No.36 Signatech Alpine A450b (Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin Oliver Webb).

The Nos.41 and 28 Zytek Nissan Z11SNs of Greaves Motorsport are respectively in 6th and 7th places overall at the end of the day with best laps of 1:25.281 and 1:25.294, both significantly improving their best times compared to this morning's first session. Several new drivers have joined the British squad, such as American Mark Patterson alongside Matt McMurry and Tom Kimber-Smith (No. 41) and the British-Russian pairing of Luciano Bacheta and Mark Shulzhitskiy (No.28). The No.29 Pegasus Racing Morgan Nissan has retained its Imola line up of Julien Schell, Nicki Leutwiler and Jonathan Coleman, setting their best lap of the day at 1:25.727.

Free practice was also a chance for the LMGTEs to work on their cars' set up. The Ferraris are in great form but Porsche and Aston Martin are not far off. SMP Racing set the overall best time of the category this afternoon with a lap of 1:29.746, 0.3s better than this morning. Viktor Shaitar, Andrea Bertolini and Sergey Zlobin headed the No.55 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia of Duncan Cameron, Matt Griffin and Michele Rugolo by 0.49s.



The No. 56 Ferrari of AT Racing claimed the 3rd fastest time today, ahead of the No. 77 Proton Competition Porsche which is being driven by three Austrians: Horst Felbermayr Sr and Jr and Richard Lietz. They are in fact just 0.76s off the best time, and will be determined to shine at their home race. The Gulf Racing UK Aston Martin Vantage V8 was 5th in LMGTE with a lap which was just 0.85s from the fastest of the day. The free practice times certainly signal some great qualifying battles ahead.

Next up were the Ferrari Italias: No.58 of Sofrev-ASP, the AF Corse No.70 and the No.66 of JMW Motorsport and the No.54 AF Corse entry. IMSA Performance Matmut set the 10th and 12th best times of the session, while Kessel Racing and Gulf Racing's Porsche were 11th and 13th.



The GTC class has seen some new faces at the top of the time sheets today. While the No.71 SMP Racing Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 remains the fastest overall with a time of 1:31.665, it was Team Russia by Barwell which clinched the class' second fastest time at the end of the day, 0.223 seconds from the leaders. Leo Machitski, Timur Sardarov and Jonathan Cocker put the only BMW Z4 GT3 on the grid in second place with a lap of 1:31.888. They headed the No.59 Ferrari 458 GT3 of Team Sofrev-ASP by nearly 0.2s in which the French trio of Christophe Bourret, Jean Luc Beaubelique and Jean Philippe Belloc posted a best lap of 1:32.082. The Porsche GT3 R of Prospeed Competition was 4th in this session, with a time of 1:32.114 (Max van Splunteren, Gilles Vannelet and Mike Parisy, who has just joined the team).

Ferraris occupy the four following places with the No.57 of SMP Racing in 5th position, No.60 of Formula Racing 6th, the No.73 of SMP Racing 7th and the No.95 of AF Corse in 8th position. ART Grand Prix placed its two McLaren MP4 12C GT3 in 9th and 11th places, with Pro GT by Almeras in 10th and AF Corse closing out the class with the No.63 F458.

[Rob]

Scuderia Corsa Presses on to Indianapolis.

Balzan, Westphal, and no. 63 looking for success at the Brickyard

July 22, 2014 (Los Angeles, California) - It's safe to say the previous pair of TUDOR United SportsCar Championship races have been difficult for the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia and drivers Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal. However, both of them are entering this weekend's Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway upbeat and aiming for a second win of the year.

Balzan finished fourth in the Rolex Series race at IMS in the GT class driving the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia. After narrowly missing the podium then, he is hoping for a clean race and a chance to compete for the podium this time.

"To race at such a famous circuit in a Ferrari is an honor," said Balzan. "We have had some bad luck recently, and everyone at Scuderia Corsa is motivated to get another really good result not only for our team, but for Ferrari. Right now we have a car that maybe isn't the fastest in a straight line, but has good balance and that will be important this weekend. And as we saw in Detroit, we can count on a good strategy from the team!"

Westphal will be competing at the world-famous Brickyard for the first time this weekend, and is excited to race at the historic venue for the first time.

"The last couple of races have been difficult, but everyone at Scuderia Corsa is very motivated," said Westphal. "Considering our position in the championship, our goal is to be aggressive and win races and to also help secure the manufacturer championship for Ferrari. I think we have a car that will be good on long runs and will be good in the infield, and the team will do everything it can to maximize the performance."

While Scuderia Corsa competed at IMS last season, this year will present a new challenge as the road course layout has changed substantially creating a world of unknowns for the drivers and the engineers. The TUDOR Championship will be also sharing the weekend with the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, putting the track time for the TUDOR Championship at a premium.

Keeping the challenges of the schedule and the new layout in mind, Scuderia Corsa engineer Joe La Joie will be tasked with getting the most out of the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia.

"In previous years, the Indianapolis road course presented a couple challenges - long straights, a big brake zone, and the rather abrupt transition onto the short shoot between the oval turns one and two," said La Joie. "This has changed this year since we will run the new IndyCar circuit. It appears that we could have two significant brake zones and it is unclear as to how severe the transitions will be, if at all. The track has also been resurfaced. One of the challenges of running Indy is the logistics - NASCAR and IMSA run the oval and the road course on the same day which does not leave us much track time."

The Brickyard Grand Prix will be shown live on Friday, July 25th 5:30 ET on FOX Sports 1. Qualifying will be streamed live on Thursday, July 24th beginning at 4:00 PM ET on IMSA.com.

[Rob]

Press Release
July 21, 2014
McMurry’s Summer School Class in Close Combat

It may be school vacation time for most of Matt McMurry’s high-school classmates back in Phoenix, but for the 16-year-old Dyson Racing Junior Development Program driver summer school continues, most recently this past weekend with the running of the European Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring. McMurry, who last month became the youngest driver ever to start the 24 Hours of Le Mans, racked up more valuable seat time as he and his teammates, Tom Kimber-Smith and Mark Patterson took their Greaves Motorsports Caterham Zytek Z11SN – Nissan LMP2 entry to a sixth-place overall finish.

“This was a really hard-fought race for us and for just all the teams,” McMurry said, following a final-hour battle to the checker between two-time Le Mans winner Kimber-Smith and ex-F1 driver Christian Klien in the Newblood by Morand Racing Morgan Judd, with Kimber-Smith coming up less than two seconds shy.

The race for first place went to the Signatech Alpine Nissan with Paul Loup Chatin behind the wheel over the Jota Sport Zytek Nissan of Harry Tincknell.
“It felt like I was racing hard against someone or another every lap I was in the car,” McMurry continued. “In the end we finished where we started, which in other circumstances would be disappointing. But in this case I’d say it was a fair result.”

McMurry noted that his Greaves team was one of the five still in the hunt for the season championship and predicted the title would come down to the final race of the season at Estoril, Spain in October. “In the meantime, I’m really looking forward to the next race at Paul Ricard (Le Castellet, France). It’s the only track I’ve driven on before, and that will be an advantage. The ELMS has turned out to be an unbelievably competitive and great place to learn, so I'm grateful to Chris Dyson and Dyson Racing for making this all possible.”

Kimber-Smith admitted a bit of disappointment at the final result of his 40-minute late-race duel with Klein, but said he still enjoyed their close battle.
“You always want to win,” Kimber-Smith said, “but it was fun racing with Christian. We both fought fair and it couldn’t have been much closer. I just came up a bit short today.
“And I think this was a good day for Matt as well. I’ve been quite impressed with how he’s come along over the season so far. He’s been quick from the start and his judgment and maturity have increased every race.”

The team’s next outing is September 13-14 at Paul Ricard. According to Chris Dyson, McMurry’s teammates for the final two races of the season have yet to be determined. “We’re grateful to Mark (Patterson) for standing in for me in Austria. But Tom has conflicts for the these final two races and we’re evaluating qualified drivers to team with Matt.”

[Rob]

TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP.

Round 8 – BRICKYARD GRAND PRIX
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 24-25 July 2014
07.21.2014 - OAK Racing – Preview Press Release

OAK Racing is out to consolidate its position in the Tudor USCC

OAK Racing arrives at the legendary Indianapolis circuit, which is hosting the eighth round of the 2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship on 24-25 July, boosted by its victory at Mosport on 13th July and its third place overall in the Tudor USCC. The French squad will be gunning for a repeat performance on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ho-Pin Tung will be back to share the no. 42 Morgan-Nissan LM P2 with Gustavo Yacaman in the Brickyard Grand Prix scheduled to last 2h 45m.


Race after race, OAK Racing has carved out a place for itself at the head of the field in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship crowned by victory in the last round at Mosport.

Gustavo Yacaman set pole and he and his team-mate Olivier Pla drove a fault-free race. Helped by the team’s perfect pit strategy orchestrated by Philippe Dumas, they scored their maiden win in the 2014 season.

Thanks to its Canadian victory OAK Racing will arrive at Indianapolis in third place in the overall classification. With four rounds left to run another success at the Brickyard Grand Prix would help OAK Racing to consolidate its position among the leaders and title contenders.

Gustavo Yacaman will share the no. 42 Morgan-Nissan LM P2 built by Onroak Automotive with Ho-Pin Tung. The Chinese driver who, a few days earlier raced in the opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series with the no. 1 OAK Racing Team Total Morgan-Judd LM P2, will be making his comeback to the Tudor USCC after his brilliant performance at Watkins Glen at the end of June rewarded by second place.


Philippe Dumas, Team Principal OAK Racing : “We’re arriving at Indianapolis boosted by a magnificent victory in Canada and we’re in a purple patch at the moment. Let’s make sure we continue in the same vein by doing the best job we can. Balance of performance, circuits adapted to our car, none of this really matters; we’re here to concentrate totally on the cohesion of the team and the drivers to obtain the best possible result whatever the circumstances.”

Ho-Pin Tung : “After my successful debut at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen finishing in 2nd place, I am happy to return to the TUSCC. The layout of the circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might not suit our P2 car as well as the previous tracks in comparison with the DP's, but I am confident we will still be able to bring home a good result. Gustavo and Olivier scored a great maiden win for OAK Racing in Mosport, so we have definitely got the momentum with the team!”

Gustavo Yacaman : “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the most important track in the world. Just walking into the track it gives you chills, its a very special place. I was very fortunate to run on the oval and put the car on pole position when I was racing in Indy lights, but what ever you learn on the oval there is nothing you can apply on the road course. We have a lot of momentum from the past three races and the team have been doing an amazing job. We are now in the middle of the championship fight and we need to keep working harder and harder to stay on it! ”
Tudor USCC classification after Mosport /round 8:


1- # 10 – Wayne Taylor Racing / Corvette DP : 218 pts (1 victoire)
2- # 5 – Action Express Racing / Corvette DP : 213 pts (1 victoire)
3- # 42 – OAK Racing / Morgan-Nissan LM P2 : 208 pts (1 victoire)
4- # 90 – Spirit of Daytona / Corvette DP : 207 pts (1 victoire)
5- # 01 – Chip Ganassi Racing / Riley DP : 192 pts (2 victoires)

[Rob]

News Release July 21, 2014
No 52/14

Porsche Motorsports Event Notes. Brickyard Grand Prix
Dateline. Indianapolis, Indiana
Circuit. Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Track Length/Turns. 2.439-mile, 14-turn Road Course
Round. TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Round 7 of 12
Next Round. TUDOR Championship. Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 8-10

Porsche Events.
TUDOR United SportsCar Championship
Date. Friday, July 25, 5:45 p.m. ET/ 2:45 p.m. PT
Race Duration. Two-Hours, 45-minutes
Classes. GT Le Mans (Porsche 911 RSR), GT Daytona class (Porsche 911 GT America)


Porsche Profile. Event Story Lines
Porsche Performs on the Biggest Stages
Since the introduction of the Porsche 911 RSR in 2013, the most advanced version of the iconic German sportscar has performed on the racing’s biggest stages. A one-two finish in the GTE-Pro class at the car’s inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans in June of 2013 was the car’s first victory. When Porsche North America, the official factory GT Le Mans (GTLM) class team, debuted in 2014, it did so with a maiden victory in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. That was followed by a victory in their class at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway.

Now, a trio of Porsche 911 RSRs come to perhaps, arguably, the most famous race course in the all of world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

At two-hours and 45-minutes, the Brickyard Grand Prix is not in the long-distance test of endurance race like at the stages of the sports’ other top courses.

However, when the curtain lifts for show time, the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR shared by Richard Lietz (Austria) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and the No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR of Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Patrick Long (Playa del Rey, California) will all be fighting for the top step of the podium in GTLM. Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Bryan Sellers (Braselton, Georgia) share the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR.


Grinders. Magnus Racing
Ever since winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2012, Magnus Racing team owner John Potter, from Salt Lake City, Utah, has been in the spotlight - first in the Rolex GRAND-AM series and now in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Potter, a successful real estate developer from St. Louis, moved to Salt Lake City because Miller Motorsports Park was being built at the same time he became interested in motorsports. He developed a business relationship with the Miller family, and found the new motorsports complex west of town to be a perfect place to set up his race shop. Along with co-driver Andy Lally (Dacula, Georgia) and help from Austrian Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz, Potter not only won Daytona in 2012, but won GRAND-AM's initial race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the same year. In the process, Magnus Racing clinched the first North America Endurance Championship.

Potter is proud of the fact that his Magnus team is known as "grinders." They are not always the fastest in qualifying, not always fastest in the race, but are typically high in the final results. They seem to come through with mistake-free driving, good strategy, pit work, and a staunch work ethic to keep going no matter what. Perhaps the greatest improvement over the last several years has been the driving skill of Potter himself, usually driving the first stint and handing off to Lally in a competitive position. So far in 2014 in their GT Daytona class No. 44 Porsche 911 GT America, Lally/Potter (with German Marco Seefried) won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and have accumulated two other podium finishes to put the veteran Porsche team in second place in the drivers' standings, only three points from first. With five races left, the Magnus "grinders" will push until the last checkered flag to compete for the championship.

More than 911. Porsche History at Indianapolis
Porsche first officially came to the Brickyard in 1988 with a turbocharged, 2.65-liter V8 Indy car engine designed and built in Germany and housed in a March chassis. The open wheel cars would never have the good fortune on the 2.5-mile oval they would in other series and the marque would set aside the Indy cars after the 1990 season having brought multiple innovations to the sport still used today.

The traditional Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car has met with a great deal more success on the Indianapolis road course. From 2000-2006, Porsche Supercup traveled from Europe to support the United States Grand Prix. Racing twice during the Formula One weekends, Porsche’s top-level support series was a launching pad for many great Porsche driving careers. Jörg Bergmeister won here twice (2000, 2001) while Sascha Maassen claimed the second 2001 victory. Alex Davison won in 2002. The most successful Supercup driver at Indianapolis was Wolf Henzler who claimed four victories in three years (2002, 2003 and twice in 2004). Porsche Supercup always has a “guest” drivers invited to compete and Indianapolis brought several big names to the USGP weekend including Travis Pastrana and Indianapolis 500 winners Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr.

In 2012, Porsche made a triumphant return to Circle City for the Brickyard Grand Prix. The Rolex Series race was won by Magnus Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Grand-Am against heated competition that included fellow Porsche customer team Brumos Racing and TRG. Last season, the GRAND-AM-specific Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars of Park Place Motorsports and Snow Racing with Wright Motorsports contended for class honors before falling from podium positions in the late going.


Porsche History. Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Key Victories
2012 – John Potter/Andy Lally – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – Rolex Grand-Am GT win – propelled drivers to North American Endurance Championship

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Events – 2000 – 2006 (supported F1 event)
2000 Race 1 – Bernd Mylander – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner
2000 Race 2 – Joerg Bergmeister – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – winner
2001 Race 1 – Sascha Maassen – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – winner
2001 Race 2 – Joerg Bergmeister – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner
2002 Race 1 – Alex Davison – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner
2002 Race 2 – Wolf Henzler – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – winner
2003 Race 1 – Patrick Huisman – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner
2003 Race 2 – Wolf Henzler – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – winner
2004 Race 1 – Wolf Henzler – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner
2004 Race 2 – Wolf Henzler – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – winner
2005 Race 1 – David Saelens – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner
2005 Race 2 – David Saelens – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – winner
2006 Race 1 – Richard Westbrook – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner
2006 Race 2 – Richard Westbrook – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - winner


Porsche Point of View.
Jens Walther, President/CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America
“Porsche has had the opportunity to compete on the world’s greatest race tracks over the years. That includes the honor of racing here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in both open wheel and sportscars. However, this weekend will be the first time we race here with a works Porsche 911, the two Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSRs. We also return with customer teams in both the GT Le Mans and the GT Daytona classes. Since the years Supercup raced here with Formula One, we have enjoyed a successful relationship with Indy including a victory by Magnus Racing in 2012. It builds confidence in the midst of the most intense GT competition in the world to have this history. The knowledge and enthusiasm of the fans here at Indianapolis, like at Le Mans, places a high level of importance on the event and adds to the reward if you can be successful here."

Bryan Sellers, Driver, No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR – Tudor United SportsCar Championship, GTLM Class
“Falken Tire really has begun to hit its stride, we have had the opportunity to do some tire development and it seems to be paying dividends. We had a strong showing in Mosport and we need to be able to carry that forward into Indy. Team Falken Tire is in a positive place right now and it will be a great time for us to pounce and hopefully take a podium position. Porsche has not been sleeping through the season either. We are all working together very closely to maximize the performance of the 911 RSR and the tire together. Everyone at Porsche is pushing to the same level as Falken.

I have been fortunate enough to win at Indy before and it is a feeling like no other. As an American driver you dream of being at the podium at Indy, albeit for the 500, but when you’re on the podium it doesn’t matter which race it is that you have won. There is a special feeling that comes from standing on the stage and looking over the crowd. I would be honored to be able to do that with Falken tire, and in a Porsche RSR.”

Andrew Davis, No. 27 Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 GT America – Tudor United SportsCar Championship, GTD Class
“We have been working extremely hard to improve the competitiveness our Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 GT Americas. The last several events have shown great promise with our best finishing result at Watkins Glen, and a general increase in our pace in comparison to our competitors. With the addition of our teammates in the No. 58 car, and engineering help from Wright Motorsports, I'm feeling very confident in the momentum that we are bringing into the next TUDOR Championship round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The schedule is quick and compact for this event, so the teams that show up best prepared will be sure to have the best results.”

“Indy is certainly a special place for all racers, especially American drivers that grew up watching the Indy 500. I was lucky enough find myself spraying some champagne at the inaugural event at the circuit back in 2012. Having the opportunity to represent both Dempsey Racing and Porsche on that hallowed podium again would mean a tremendous amount for everyone involved. Patrick [Dempsey, co-driver/owner] has really stepped up his game this season and we are coming off a really successful test at the circuit last month. I don't think it's unreasonable to aim for having both Dempsey Racing Porsches hoisting up some trophies at the end of this year's event. It's such a special place, and I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to push our No. 27 Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 GT America to the limit around the circuit!"

[Aussie]

Hey Rob is craig lowndes driving the AF corse ferrari at spa 24h

[Rob]

At Spa to write another piece of history.

SPA, July 24th – To reaffirm their winning ways and looking to repeat the great performances of 2013, six AF Corse Ferrari 458’s are ready for battle of the “24 Hours of Spa.” This is fourth and penultimate round in the Blancpain Endurance Series 2014, starting this Saturday afternoon, 26th July and ending Sunday afternoon.

Pro Am Cup category Duncan Cameron, Matt Griffin and Alex Mortimer – winners in the classic Belgian last year – race their Ferrari 458 Italia #54.

At the wheel of the 458 Italia #50, Andrea Sonvico, Simon Knap, Andrew Danyliw and Alessandro Pier Guidi. Steve Wyatt, Michele Rugolo, Craig Lowndes and Andrea Piccini fight at Spa in the Ferrari 458 Italia #52. Niek Hommerson, Louis Machiels, Andrea Bertolini and Marco Cioci are racing in their Ferrari 458 Italia #53. Gentleman Trophy category Howard Blank, Yannick Mallegol, Jean Marc Bachelier and François Perrodo are protagonists of the 24 hour race in their Ferrari 458 Italia #49 for the fourth year running. In the Ferrari 458 Italia #51, Peter Mann, Francisco Guedes, Alexander Talkanitsa and Cedric Mezard. Every car lined up this year by the Italian team – winners in the GT class for the 2014 “24 Hours of Le Mans” – has real chances to aim for a podium finish.

The green light for the race flashes at 4.30 p.m. (CET) on Saturday, July 26th.

[Rob]

2014 TUDOR UNITED SPORTS CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
BRICKYARD GRAND PRIX, INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT no. 62: Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Pierre Kaffer (GER)

RISI LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING DEBUT AT THE BRICKYARD
New Balance of Performance should favor the Ferrari

Houston, TX, July 23 2014. With the most recent round of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship firmly behind it, the privately-owned Risi Competizione team which is fielding the only Ferrari in the manufacturer-led GTLM category now heads to new and hallowed ground, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), home of the famous yard of bricks, the Indy 500 and this weekend’s Brickyard 400.

While teams from the Rolex Grand-Am Championship are perhaps familiar with racing on the Indianapolis Road Course, this Thursday/Friday’s visit for the 2h45 Brickyard Grand Prix will be new for many in the 49-strong field which includes all four classes – P, LMPC, GTLM and GTD.

Risi Competizione’s two drivers, Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) and Pierre Kaffer (GER) have both competed at IMS before – the Italian twice in Formula One, and the German last year in a Daytona Prototype. However, this year’s 14-turn, 2.435 mile layout is the same as that used this year for the Indycar road course race in May so will be new to virtually everyone on the entry list.

As well as some local knowledge, the No.62 Ferrari 458 Italia also goes to Indiana with what the Houston-based team hopes will be a significant performance improvement following a recent change by IMSA to the Balance of Performance (BoP). This is aimed at equalizing as much as possible the different marques within the class to ensure fair and close competition and, until now, the Ferrari has been trailing in performance compared to its rivals. The Ferrari has now been given a slightly larger air restrictor (+.6mm), less weight (-30 kg) and an allowance for a higher wing placement, but Porsche and BMW have also been given performance breaks so the challenge remains considerable.

Pierre Kaffer, who was racing a Ferrari last week in Austria, commented: “I drove at Indy last year in a DP and, although the track layout has changed a little, it’s a good to have some knowledge to start with. I think the recent change to the GTLM BoP is definitely in the right direction because in Mosport especially we struggled a lot to be on the pace. Hopefully we will be back in the mix at Indy.”

The German who, with Fisichella, finished on the podium at Laguna Seca earlier this year, continued, “We saw at Watkins Glen that it’s quite difficult for GTLM to overtake LMPC cars and I think that, with nearly 50 cars here and less practice track time, it will be a ‘special’ event...you will arrive and, before you know it, you will have the race. It’s going to be very unique and we’ll see how it works out but it won’t be easy.”

Giancarlo Fisichella has happy memories of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, having qualified third and finished on the podium on his last visit there with Formula One (2006), and is very much looking forward to returning. “It’s going to be another new circuit but this time it will be new for almost everyone there. It’s a historic circuit, very well-known internationally for the Indy 500, and I’m looking forward to the United Sportscar Championship making its own history there at the end of this week.”

The Roman with 229 F1 Grand Prix starts, and two 24 Hours of Le Mans GT victories to his name, continued: “I hope and think the new BoP will be much better for us, as it’s been quite clear at the last couple of races that it was unbalanced instead of balanced. We have a good chance to do well, and I really hope we get a good result because we need it for everyone at Ferrari and on the Risi team. Yes, the traffic will be difficult, but it’s been like that for quite a few of our races now, and there is a very long straight which should help us.”

The next round of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship will be the Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IN, on 24-25 July. The 2h45 minute race will begin at 5:45 pm EDT and will be broadcast LIVE FROM 5:30 pm on FOXSports1.

[Rob]

ELMS..

Jota Sport remains second in European Le Mans Series
Team Info

Dolan, Tincknell & Albuquerque place second in Austria

JOTA Sport remains second in the European Le Mans Series after placing second in the third round at the Red Bull Ring in Austria today (20 July).

A little over a month after the British team won the LM P2 class in the Le Mans 24 Hours, JOTA recorded its second top-three LM P2 finish of the season.

Simon Dolan, Harry Tincknell and Filipe Albuquerque (pictured above left to right) finished 12.385 seconds behind the winning car in the four-hour Austrian race staged on the fast and undulating 2.688-mile circuit and in hot and humid weather conditions.

The Dunlop-shod Zytek clocked up 160-laps at an average speed of 107.31mph leaving Dolan/Tincknell/Albuquerque and JOTA Sport just four-points adrift of the lead in the Driver's and Teams' standings.

Albuquerque started the race from pole-position on the 33-car grid – eight cars contesting the LM P2 category – after Tincknell had set the fastest qualifying time earlier in the day, eclipsing the opposition by a significant 0.483secs, to keep JOTA Sport's 100% 2014 ELMS “pole” record intact and bettering the team's 2013 pole time by 0.793secs.

The Portuguese led throughout his near 50mins stint and despite a brief Safety Car period and losing further time behind a LMP2 backmarker, Albuquerque handed over the JOTA Zytek to Dolan with an 8.168secs lead.

Simon resumed in second place behind the #34 Oreca after the opening pit-stop phase – the Oreca having only taken on fuel at its pit-stop – but the Monaco-based British businessman impressively hunted down the Oreca and swept into the lead with 80mins gone.

Leader Dolan stopped for fuel on 100mins resuming second, on the tail of the now leading #36 Alpine, Simon remaining in its wheel tracks until the #36 pitted three laps before Dolan himself stopped with 92mins remaining.

Tincknell resumed second, seven seconds behind the leading #36, Harry setting a series of personal fastest laps before the young Briton swept ahead with just less than an hour to run.

Dolan was back in the Zytek with 44mins to go, heading back on track just ahead of the #36 Oreca but lost the lead on the next lap – Dolan making contact with his rival and losing a front aerodynamic “winglet” in an attempt to re-take the lead.

The penultimate round of the ELMS is staged at Paul Ricard in Southern France on 14 September.

[Rob]

ELMS...


Top Six Performance for Greaves Motorsport in 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring
Team Info

The scenic Red Bull Ring, set in the Styrian region of Austria, was the venue for the third round of the 2014 European Le Mans Series. The Peterborough based Greaves Motorsport had 'a good day in the office' with both of their Nissan powered Zytek prototypes finishing in the top six, one just missing out on a podium place.

Luciano Bacheta, the 2012 FIA Formula Two Champion, made his début for the team starting the #28 car. He soon proved his talent, bringing the car from seventh on the grid to lead the race just before the first hour. He completed a double stint displaying front running pace before handing over to his team mate, Mark Schulzhitskiy. Mark, a recent graduate of the Nissan GT Academy, drove a marathon 2 hours 25 minutes stint displaying good pace and racecraft to bring the car home in fourth place.

Car #41 was also started by a driver racing for the first time with Greaves Motorsport, the experienced Mark Patterson. He ran a strong opening spell despite making an unscheduled pitstop to repair damage caused early in the race by another competitor. Mark handed over the team's young star, Matt McMurry, fresh from his exploits at Le Mans last month.

Matt showed his customary assured speed behind the wheel to hand over to the team's long time professional, Tom Kimber-Smith. Tom put in a very strong performance, his duel with ex Formula One driver, Christian Klein, being one of the highlights of the race. Unfortunately with the Chequered Flag in sight, Tom was baulked by a slower car and lost the contest. Sixth place was the final result.

Team Principal Tim Greaves: “Another good race performance from both our cars. Luciano did all that we expected of him, given his record and Mark was one of the revelations of the race. He was on course for a podium but had a spark plug failure that curtailed his charge. We are really pleased to have both Luciano and Mark racing with us for the balance of the season and they will be certainly be challenging for podiums and wins. Car #41 struggled after the early unscheduled pitstop after Mark was hit on the opening lap. Then he did not get the breaks early on in the traffic but all three drivers made a significant contribution to the strong finish.”

Team Manager Jacob Greaves: “A good result for the team and some great performances from all the drivers. Our partners, Zytek, Nissan and Dunlop all made significant contributions and the guys in the team did their usual polished job. We are looking forward to the next race at Le Castellet in September.”

[Rob]

ELMS...

The Thiriet by TDS Racing slowed down in Austria!
Team Info

On the Red Bull Ring track, the Thiriet by TDS Racing team behaved well with its brand new car. However, a brake disc and a stub axle spoiled the team's good start which had to retire!

For the first time in its history, the European Le Mans Series welcomed a closed LM P2 with the arrival of the Thiriet by TDS Racing Ligier JS P2! After great debuts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a second place in the category, the 2012 champion arrived in Austria as a leader of the championship.

After having run the two first rounds of the season with a Morgan Nissan, the team discovered its new car on a very different track. After the free practices devoted to the setting of the car, Tristan Gommendy set the third fastest time of the qualifying practice session after having the virtual pole position several times...

Pierre Thiriet took a safe start and just lost one place at the first corner. Throughout his stint, he fought with two other cars but secured his 4th place thanks to great manoeuvres “My first stint went well even if the battles were sometimes tough. I succeeded in keeping a place that allowed us to target the victory, knowing I am the least experienced driver of the team and that I managed to fight with Gold drivers”. After his amazing stint, he handed over to Ludovic Badey after 50 minutes of race.

Unfortunately, after few laps, a brake disc broke at one of the fastest places of the track! Thanks to its dexterity, the driver from Lyon did not hit anything and came back to the pit. “I handed over to Pierre and, very quickly, I broke a brake disc in the second corner of the circuit, one of the quickest places of the circuit and one of the biggest breakings. I went straight on and had a spin. I succeeded in bringing the car back to the pit and the mechanics changed the brake disc. Unfortunately, we lost time. ”

After a very quick intervention of the mechanics, he went back on the track but shortly after, he had a new technical problem. At the same place, a stub axle broke. Ludovic was not able to go back to the pits and had to retire after only more than one hour of race. « Then, the rear left stub axlebroke and I lost the wheel as well as the disc. It was impossible to bring the car back, we retired! »

Once again, the team has shown its efficiency and the drivers their skills behind the wheel. Technical problems came to fade the good result that seemed to come. Now, the team is going to enjoy the summer break to come back even stronger for the fourth round which will take place in France, on Paul Ricard track, next 13th and 14th September!

Ludovic Badey:«These issues are part of the race but it is a shame to lose a race due to supposed reliable parts! Moreover, these breakages are very occasional. We lost valuable points. But what happened to us can happen to the others. Two races are still to be run, the championship is not over! “

Pierre Thiriet :« Unfortunately, we had two serious technical issues. We broke a disc and the rear left stub axle. We have not scored any points. Two races have to be run, we are going to show the potential of the car which is very important, as well as the one of the team and the drivers...! »

Tristan Gommendy: «We are still discovering the car and there are still things we have to understand. There is work to do in collaboration with Onroak Automotive for the end of the season. Regarding the team itself, it did a great job. We got the most from the car this weekend. In the qualifying practice session, I could have improved a bit more but to be as fast as the Zytek was not possible. Regarding the race, Pierre did a great stints, he managed to be in the same pace than the leading drivers. He was aggressive without taking too many risks. However, manoeuvres from some drivers can be deplored!

We are happy with our work, we gave our best. We now have to focus on the next race in Le Castellet and not to think too much to the problems we had here. We have to go ahead and prepare to win the last races if we want to be champions. We were hunted, we have become hunters. That is the kind of position I like! »

[fratelliferrari]

At Spa to write another piece of history.

SPA, July 24th – To reaffirm their winning ways and looking to repeat the great performances of 2013, six AF Corse Ferrari 458’s are ready for battle of the “24 Hours of Spa.” This is fourth and penultimate round in the Blancpain Endurance Series 2014, starting this Saturday afternoon, 26th July and ending Sunday afternoon.

Pro Am Cup category Duncan Cameron, Matt Griffin and Alex Mortimer – winners in the classic Belgian last year – race their Ferrari 458 Italia #54.

At the wheel of the 458 Italia #50, Andrea Sonvico, Simon Knap, Andrew Danyliw and Alessandro Pier Guidi. Steve Wyatt, Michele Rugolo, Craig Lowndes and Andrea Piccini fight at Spa in the Ferrari 458 Italia #52. Niek Hommerson, Louis Machiels, Andrea Bertolini and Marco Cioci are racing in their Ferrari 458 Italia #53. Gentleman Trophy category Howard Blank, Yannick Mallegol, Jean Marc Bachelier and François Perrodo are protagonists of the 24 hour race in their Ferrari 458 Italia #49 for the fourth year running. In the Ferrari 458 Italia #51, Peter Mann, Francisco Guedes, Alexander Talkanitsa and Cedric Mezard. Every car lined up this year by the Italian team – winners in the GT class for the 2014 “24 Hours of Le Mans” – has real chances to aim for a podium finish.

The green light for the race flashes at 4.30 p.m. (CET) on Saturday, July 26th.

Didn't know AF Corse would drive in Spa too I really wanted to see AF Corse in Spa but sadly I got no one to go with All my friends that might like it are on holiday.

[Rob]

Ferrari on pole in legendary Indianapolis.

Indianapolis, 24 July – Another milestone in Ferrari’s racing history in North America was created when Giancarlo Fisichella scored the first pole position for the Prancing Horse at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during qualifying for tomorrow’s United SportsCar Championship race.

By the narrow advantage of 0.064 seconds, Fisichella’s lap time of 1:22.378 also established the GT-LeMans lap record at the Speedway as this weekend marks the first time that the class competes at the world-famous facility. Fisichella will share the no. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia with Pierre Kaffer in tomorrow’s Brickyard Grand Prix.

“It’s a fantastic start to the weekend” - said Fisichella - “From the first practice, we were competitive. The Ferrari is very good under braking here and in turn in. We were very comfortable and confident in the car and I had a perfect lap in qualifying. Thanks to the guys at Risi Competizione, who did a fantastic job. We have done half of the job but the important part is tomorrow.”

In the GT-Daytona class, where Ferrari is currently second in the GT-D manufacturer’s championship, Townsend Bell drove to third-place starting position in the no. 555 AIM Autosport Ferrari 458 Italia. Bell, his teammate Bill Sweedler, and the AIM Autosport team are currently atop the GT-D driver and team championship standings. The no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia of Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal will start from the ninth position in GT-D in tomorrow’s Brickyard Grand Prix while pole position went to Turner Motorsport’s BMW driven by Dane Cameron and Paul Dalla Lana. The overall pole position was grabbed by the Extreme Speed Motorsports’ HPD of Scott Sharp and Ryan Dalziel.

[Nova]

Blancpain Endurance Series: Ferrari triumphs in the Spa 24 Hours

Spa-Francorchamps, 27 July - After an exhausting 24 hours of racing, in front of a crowd that went wild with excitement at the thrills of the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours, one of the most important historical races in the world, Ferrari took a triumphant win in the Pro Am Cup category and also in the Gentlemen class.

The Pro Am Cup victory came courtesy of the AF Corse 53 car driven by Andrea Bertolini, Niek Hommerson and Louis Machiels. Second was the Ecurie Ecosse BMW. Third was the 52 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 driven by Wyatt, Rugolo, Lowndes and Piccini.

AF Corse also won the Gentlemen Trophoy with their 51 car driven by Alexander Talkanitsa, Cedric Mezard, Peter Mann and Francisco José Burnay Erera Lobo Guedes. Runner-up was the Team Parker Audi, while the third step of the podium was occupied by the crew of another AF Corse Ferrari driven by Jean-Marc Bachelier, Yannick Mallegol, da Howard Blank and Francois Perrodo.

[fratelliferrari]

Blancpain Endurance Series: Ferrari triumphs in the Spa 24 Hours

Spa-Francorchamps, 27 July - After an exhausting 24 hours of racing, in front of a crowd that went wild with excitement at the thrills of the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours, one of the most important historical races in the world, Ferrari took a triumphant win in the Pro Am Cup category and also in the Gentlemen class.

The Pro Am Cup victory came courtesy of the AF Corse 53 car driven by Andrea Bertolini, Niek Hommerson and Louis Machiels. Second was the Ecurie Ecosse BMW. Third was the 52 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 driven by Wyatt, Rugolo, Lowndes and Piccini.

AF Corse also won the Gentlemen Trophoy with their 51 car driven by Alexander Talkanitsa, Cedric Mezard, Peter Mann and Francisco José Burnay Erera Lobo Guedes. Runner-up was the Team Parker Audi, while the third step of the podium was occupied by the crew of another AF Corse Ferrari driven by Jean-Marc Bachelier, Yannick Mallegol, da Howard Blank and Francois Perrodo.

A very good friend of mine knows Niek Hommerson! He sees him in the bar sometimes when he comes there with his 599 GTO Next time he sees him again he will call me and I come by to speak with him a bit about racing with Ferrari! Should be interesting I guess

[Rob]

sorry couple days late...



Scuderia Corsa Kisses the Bricks at Indianapolis
Balzan and Westphal Score Second Win of the Year at Brickyard Grand Prix

July 25, 2014 (Los Angeles, California) - Scuderia Corsa took its second TUDOR United SportsCar Championship victory of the year on Friday at the racing capital of the world - Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In winning the Brickyard Grand Prix in the GT-Daytona class, Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal scored their second win of the season and the third in North American endurance racing for the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia.

Starting from the ninth position, Westphal moved the Ferrari through the field during the opening stages of the race. When an extended caution came out, the Scuderia Corsa team elected to stop at near the end of the caution period - giving up their leading position, but satisfying the minimum drive time requirement for Westphal. The strategy call would enable Balzan to challenge for the lead with an hour remaining. After executing a pass on the leading Porsche, Balzan had enough fuel to make it to the finish with a healthy advantage over the rest of the GT-Daytona field.

"Yesterday we had a hard day with some problems in qualifying," said Balzan. "But I knew the car could be really fast over a stint. And today, Scuderia Corsa gave me the perfect car, and it was a perfect race. The team strategy worked perfectly, and the car worked perfectly on the Continental tires. Jeff from ninth position, got up to first positon, and he did an incredible job. Coming from Italy, when I was a little baby I understood that Indianapolis is a very historic circuit. Now, I'm a little man, and I've won here. I think I will realize tomorrow where I won today."

The victory was Balzan's third, and Westphal's second, with Scuderia Corsa.
"First and foremost, a big thank you to the Scuderia Corsa team," said Westphal. "It is the 60th Anniversary of Ferrari racing in North America and we worked so hard to come back from a rough race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Everybody in the team, Alessandro included, did a great job and we just tried to make our way up the field when we could. It was a really, really nice feeling to kiss the bricks."

The victory was especially satisfying for Scuderia Corsa team owner, Giacomo Mattioli. At last year's Brickyard Grand Prix, Mattioli's no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia led but would ultimately finish in fourth position as another Ferrari won the race.

"When you lead the race, it stings when you don't win," said Mattioli. "But certainly, I remember the picture of another Ferrari team kissing the bricks last year, and I thought 'that is on the bucket list!' So, this victory today is really amazing. This is the racing capital of the world, and I wouldn't pick any other place to win. The team did an amazing job. We had some issues yesterday, but we worked through them and everything worked out great. Jeff did a very good job in his stint, as he's been doing all year long. Alessandro did a fantastic job - he pushed hard lap after lap and dealt with a lot of traffic and a lot of pressure. To win again this season is unbelievable."

Scuderia Corsa will next compete at the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 8-10.

[Rob]

TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 8 – BRICKYARD GRAND PRIX
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 24-25 July 2014
07.26.2014 - OAK Racing – Race


OAK Racing finishes eighth at Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 25, 2014) – OAK Racing took to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard Grand Prix, where they brought home an eighth-place finish following the two hour and 45 minute race. Ho-Pin Tung and Gustavo Yacaman started the race on the 2.605-mile road course from the third position in the No. 42 Morgan-Nissan LM P2.


Coming into the eighth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the French team was third in the point standings. The bump from fourth to third in points was due to the team’s win in the previous round at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

“There were too many things against us to be at the front of the race today,” said Philippe Dumas, Team Principal. “Sometimes, you don’t have the best race and this was an example of that. We need to stay focused as a team and keep our spirits high because the championship is not finished. We have more good tracks ahead of us. We will continue to push and do the same work as usual. When we arrived in Indianapolis, we felt it was going to be very difficult. After practice and qualifying, we thought we might have a good chance. The crew did a fantastic job with the first pit stop during the race. This is racing, so we need to look forward and continue to fight for the championship.”

Gustavo Yacaman is no stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has raced on the famous oval four times while in the Indy Lights Series and even won pole there in 2012. However, this was his second time competing on the road course, having raced there in 2013 as part of the Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series.

Yacaman was the first driver behind the wheel of the Onroak Automotive designed and built machine. On the first lap of the race, in the first corner, he was spun from behind. That put him in the ninth position in-class, so he continued to fight for positions throughout his stint. He was able to battle back to fourth and ran as high as second, before coming in for the driver change.

“I am very disappointed,” said Yacaman. “The start of the race was very good for us until Fittipaldi in the N°5 Corvette DP hit us and took us out of the race. From there, it was just trying to get back some time. We did a great job in the pits putting us back in P2. The car wasn’t quite what we thought it was, especially once we got some damage to it. We couldn’t keep up pace and the car was tough to drive at the end. We have to keep working and fighting for the championship. There is still a lot of running to be done.”

Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung is coming off of the opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series in the No. 1 OAK Racing Team Total Morgan-Judd LM P2, where he won the race. This was his second race on US soil, having finished second at Watkins Glen with Gustavo Yacaman and Alex Brundle.

Tung took over the No. 42 machine with 58 minutes remaining in the race. He maintained his sixth-place position for the majority of his stint, but came in for fuel with nine minutes remaining in the race, which brought him to eighth.

“This was a very difficult race,” said Tung. “During Gustavo’s (Yacaman) stint, he had contact a few times. Also, the rear brakes were getting really hot during his stint. Because of that, we had to really compromise on the braking and were struggling throughout the whole race.”

The winners of today’s race were Barbosa/Fittipaldi in the No. 5 Corvette DP, followed by Pruett/Karam in the No. 01 Riley DP in second and Westbrook/Valiante in the No. 90 Corvette DP in third.

Next up for OAK Racing from August 8-10 is Elkhart Lake’s Road America; the 4-mile, 14-turn road circuit located in Wisconsin. Olivier Pla will be back at the wheel with Gustavo Yacaman, after winning together at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

[Rob]

News Release July 25, 2014
No 54/14

Tudor United SportsCar Championship, Round 7, Indianapolis, Indiana

Porsche podiums at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis. Porsche North America took advantage of the high-speed layout of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to capture a podium finish in the Brickyard Grand Prix today. The No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR finished in third-place in the highly competitive GT Le Mans class of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The team used all of its assets, including several early caution periods and expert pit work, to earn the its highest finish since winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

Porsche 911 RSR
The long, high-speed straightaways which have become so ingrained in the consciousness of the public through the Indianapolis 500, proved an equally good match to the Porsche 911 RSR. With an aerodynamic setup developed for the faster tracks of the World Endurance Championship, which leaves the cars at a disadvantage on racecourses requiring high downforce – such as the most recent rounds of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen International and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park – The Brickyard’s mixture of oval and infield road course provided the Porsche a respite under its current aero setup. All three of the Porsche 911 RSRs entered in the race took full advantage of this, challenging for top-five positions during the race.

The No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR shared by American Patrick Long (Playa del Rey, California) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) maximized the potential of the car finishing third behind the race-winning No. 93 Dodge Viper SRT. The team played its pit strategy to precision using early race caution periods to move the production car-based racer into striking distance of second-place late in the event.

The race was the most bittersweet for the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR. The entry driven by Richard Lietz (Austria) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain) suffered an engine failure when in the lead of the GTLM class. Tandy had two strong restarts to move from sixth to second, and then into the lead early in the second hour of the race. However, telemetry recognized an engine issue and the team retired the car with 55 minutes remaining in the two-hour, 45-minute race.

The No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR of Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Bryan Sellers (Braselton, Georgia) ran well before an extended stop to make repairs. After running in the top-five, the only customer team in North America to race Porsche’s most advanced 911 finished ninth.

Porsche 911 GT America
The two Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America racecars, the No. 22 entry driven by Leh Keen (Atlanta) and Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, Illinois) and the No. 23 Porsche of Mario Farnbacher (Germany) and Ian James (Phoenix) were fifth and sixth respectively. The No. 22 WeatherTech machine was the highest finishing Porsche in the field. Patrick Dempsey (Malibu, California) and Andrew Davis (Athens, Georgia) finished ninth in GTD in their Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 GT America. Dempsey drove the first stint, and brought the car into the pits in a top five position, one of his best stints of the year.

From one iconic American racecourse to another, the Porsche factory and customer teams now travel to Road America for round eight of the 12-race championship. The Road Race Showcase in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin will take place on August 10.

Owen Hayes, Director of Operations, Porsche Motorsport North America: “We are very happy to be back on the podium. We would like to be higher but we will keep on fighting. It is very bittersweet. We had a high-speed, low downforce track and, on those types of track, we tend to find our legs. We had a lot of luck today. The misfortune of others was our luck. There was a lot of damage to other cars and who would have thought that we could have gone from sixth to second on the second restart? That’s incredible. The Indy gods were smiling on us a little there.”

Patrick Long, No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR: “The last few races have been ones to forget and this is the best way to do that. I’ve had wins that didn’t feel this good. It is a short celebration and then heads down for Road America. The team showed tremendous persistence and they had great pit stops. We executed today. We made no mistakes and that is reminiscent of Sebring which was the last time we were up on the podium. I hope we build off of this.”

Michael Christensen, No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR: “The car was quite good. The first stint was mostly to get around the track with no damage. The restarts were taking place quite early on the straights so we had to stay tight but the biggest challenge was traffic. It is a relief to get back on the podium for the first time since Sebring. We have been working very hard so to be back on the podium is the only thing I think of.”

Nick Tandy, No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR: “The first start the car was very good. It was consistently fast and predictable over the course of a stint. We made a lot of ground in traffic and on the start, and restarts. The race was going perfectly. We had a great pit stop, we gained positions and time. Then we recognized an engine issue and we could not continue.”

Richard Lietz, No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR: “This track suits our car perfectly. So, it was known early we would have a good car here. We do not have enough downforce, which means we do not have a lot of drag so we are quick on the straight. Because we do not have big downforce we are not so good on quick corners. This track only has slow corners apart from the last corner which is easy flat. So, this track is very good for our car. We showed in the race that we had the pace to be on the podium here. It is a little frustrating for us but at least one Porsche is on the podium.”

Leh Keen, No. 22 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America: “It was a wild race, and we had a good race car today. We ended up being the highest finishing Porsche in GTD, but the brakes were totally gone there at the end. I was pushing the pedal all the way down to the floor. I feel like we accomplished a lot today because it was a struggle to bring the car home. The crew did an awesome job in the pits. The strategy was right on point to get us to the front. We had a pretty good day considering what we had at the end. Cooper had a really good opening stint and we got another top five today.”

Cooper MacNeil, No. 22 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America: “At the start everyone was driving like it was the last lap of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was pretty crazy. We had a mechanical issue at the end with the brakes. Leh did a great job to keep it in the top five at the finish and kept some fast drivers behind him, it was a good points day. We came here third in points and are leaving in second, so not too bad. I am really looking forward to Road America.”


GT Le Mans Results
1. No. 93 Jonathan Bomarito (USA)/Kuno Wittmer (Canada), Dodge SRT Viper – 105 laps
2. No. 62 Pierre Kaffer (Germany)/Guid Fisichella (Italy), Ferrari 458 Italia – 105 laps
3. No. 912 Patrick Long (USA)/Michael Christensen (Denmark), Porsche 911 RSR – 105 laps
4. No. 3 Jan Magnussen (Denmark)/Antonio Garcia (Spain), Corvette C-7R – 105 laps
5. No. 4 Oliver Gavin (UK)/Tommy Milner (USA), Corvette C-7R – 105 laps
6. No. 55 Bill Auberlen (USA)/Andy Priaulx (United Kingdom), BMW Z4 GTE – 105 laps
9. No. 17 Wolf Henzler (Germany)/Bryan Sellers (USA), Porsche 911 RSR – 101 laps
10. No. 911 Nick Tandy (Great Britain)/Richard Lietz (Austria), Porsche 911 RSR – 65 laps

GT Daytona Results
1. No. 63 Allesandro Balzan (Italy)/Jeff Westphal (San Francisco, Calif.), Ferrari F458 Italia – 102 laps
2. No. 48 Christopher Haase (Germany)/Bryce Miller (USA) Audi R8 L M – 101 laps
3. No. 33 Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands)/Ben Keating (USA), SRT Viper GT3-R – 101 laps
4. No. 555 Townsend Bell (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)/Bill Sweedler (Westport, Conn.), Ferrari 458 Italia – 101 laps
5. No. 22 Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, Ill.)/Leh Keen (USA), Porsche 911 GT America – 101 laps
6. No. 23 Ian James (USA), Mario Farnbacher (Germany), Porsche 911 GT America – 101 laps
9. No. 27 Patrick Dempsey (Malibu, Calif.)/Andrew Davis (Athens, Ga.), Joe Foster (Suwanee, Geo.) Porsche 911 GT America – 101 laps
10.No. 73 Patrick Lindsey (USA)/ Mike Skeen (USA), Porsche 911 GT America – 101 laps
11. No. 58 Jan Heylen (Tampa, Fla.)/Madison Snow (Lehi, Utah), Porsche 911 GT America -101 laps
12. No. 44 John Potter (Salt Lake City, Utah)/Andy Lally (Dacula, Ga.), Porsche 911 GT America – 101 laps
16. No. 81 Damien Faulkner (Ireland)/Matt Bell (USA), Porsche 911 GT America – 85 laps
17.No. 19 Mark Kvamme (USA)/Randy Pobst (USA), Porsche 911 GT America – 19 laps

[Rob]

Audi set to stick with single hybrid system for 2015 WEC

Audi looks certain to continue racing its Le Mans 24 Hours-winning R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 with only one hybrid system in next year's World Endurance Championship.

Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich told AUTOSPORT that no major changes to the concept of the R18 turbodiesel were planned in the development drive to increase the LMP1 car's level of energy retrieval for 2015.

Asked if that meant there would be no second system to supplement the 2014 R18's front-axle braking retrieval system, he said: "We will try to do what is possible in a short period of time.

"We must be more competitive, but we must be reliable. There will not be big concept steps.

"We will try to have a little bit more hybrid power: we have talked ideas of what we can do on the basis of this car."

The R18 runs in the two-megajoule P1 sub-class, whereas rivals Toyota and Porsche, which respectively have second rear-axle and exhaust-driven systems, are entered in the 6MJ division.

Ullrich's comments suggest that Audi is trying to at least move up one class to the 4MJ category.

Audi abandoned a second, Formula 1-style turbo-driven retrieval system ahead of the start of the season.

Ullrich said that the sale of Williams Hybrid Power, which developed its flywheel energy-storage system, to global engineering group GKN in April would not affect its LMP1 programme.

"We will get support at least at the level we had before, so we are not concerned," he explained.

"The existing flywheel technology is not at its limit."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115209

[Rob]

NEW EOT RULES TO INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS OF LMP1-L ENTRIES AT COTA

A recently issued Equivalence of Technology decision by the FIA Endurance Committee is aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the LMP-L entries at the 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas, the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship due to take place on 20th September.

The light weight class is now eligible to run at a minimum weight of 800kg and with a 15% increase in petrol energy per lap and 4% increase in maximum fuel flow rate compared to the original Equivalence of Technology tables issued at the start of the season. The Rebellion Racing and – from CoTA onwards – Lotus teams will also have a larger fuel capacity of 73.5 litres available to them, with the aim of closing the gap to the manufacturer-entered LMP1 Hybrids.

The changes in LMP1-L should make the cars more competitive, as Rebellion’s R-One Toyotas ran in last month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans at 810kg minimum weight and with a 72 litre fuel tank capacity (significantly larger than their hybrid rivals).

[Rob]

MIKE CONWAY SET FOR TOYOTA RACING DEBUT
Friday 1 August 2014

TOYOTA Racing test and reserve driver Mike Conway will make his race debut for the team in the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, in Austin on 20 September.

The Englishman, already a two-time race winner this season in the IndyCar Series, will drive the #7 TS040 HYBRID in place of Kazuki Nakajima, who has conflicting Super Formula duties in Japan.

Mike has already gained experience of the TS040 HYBRID during winter testing and raced on the Circuit of the Americas in 2013, when he won the LMP2 class on his way to fifth overall.

He will drive the #7 alongside Alex Wurz and Stéphane Sarrazin in Austin, before Kazuki returns to the cockpit for the Fuji Speedway race on 12 October.

TOYOTA Racing leads the Manufacturers’ World Championship going into the Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas, the fourth of eight rounds, while Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi lead the drivers’ standings.

Mike Conway, TS040 HYBRID #7: “I’m really pleased to be given the chance to race a TS040 HYBRID at the Circuit of the Americas and I cannot wait to get started. The car is phenomenal, especially with the 1000PS of four-wheel drive hybrid boost, and it should be great fun to race at the front in Austin. I’d like to thank the team for giving me this opportunity; we are fighting for the World Championship and I will do everything I can to contribute to that. I’m ready for this challenge and looking forward to showing what I can do.”

Mike Conway
Born 19 August 1983, Sevenoaks, England
Lives Sevenoaks, England
Status Single
Height 1.73m
Weight 64kg

Le Mans debut 2013
Le Mans starts 1
Le Mans best result n/a
WEC starts 8
WEC wins 0 (4 in LMP2 category)

Hobbies Mountain biking, road cycling, fitness
Favourite track Le Mans
Pets 2 dogs
Favourite food Japanese
Best achievement Winning on the great street circuits, Monaco, Macau, Long Beach

1998 British Junior Kart Championship: 1st
2000 British Formula A Kart Championship: 1st
2001 British Junior Formula Ford Championship (Martin Donnelly): 6th
2002 British Formula Ford Championship (Duckhams): 4th
2003 Formula Renault UK Championship (Fortec): 4th
Formula Renault UK Winter Series (Fortec): 8th
2004 British Formula Renault Championship (Fortec): 1st
2005 British Formula 3 Championship (Fortec): 3rd
2006 British Formula 3 Championship (Raikkonen Robertson): 1st
GP2 Series (DPR): 29th (2 races)
Macau Grand Prix (Raikkonen-Robertson): 1st
2007 GP2 Series (Super Nova): 14th
Formula 1 (Honda): Young driver programme
2008 GP2 Series (Trident): 12th
Formula 1 (Honda): Young driver programme
2009 IndyCar Series (Dreyer & Reinbold): 17th
2010 IndyCar Series (Dreyer & Reinbold): 25th
2011 IndyCar Series (Andretti): 17th
2012 IndyCar Series (Foyt): 21st
2013 IndyCar Series (Rahal Letterman Lanigan & Coyne): 23rd (1 win)
World Endurance Championship (G-Drive): 7th (3rd in LMP2 class)
Le Mans 24 Hours (G-Drive): DQ
2014 IndyCar Series (Ed Carpenter Racing): 2 wins (Long Beach, Toronto)

French and German versions of this press release are available on www.toyotahybridracing.com.

About TOYOTA Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship:
TOYOTA first competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 1983, marking the start of a long period of participation in endurance racing. TOYOTA cars have raced in 16 Le Mans 24 Hours races, achieving a best result of second place on four occasions (1992, 1994, 1999 & 2013). TOYOTA entered the revived WEC in 2012, as TOYOTA Racing, with its first hybrid LMP1 car, the TS030 HYBRID. That car competed for two seasons, winning five races. It was designed and built by TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG), where the race team is based. TMG is the former home of TOYOTA's World Rally and Formula 1 works teams, and was responsible for design and operation of TOYOTA's TS020 Le Mans car in 1998-99. TMG now combines motorsport participation with work as a high-performance engineering services provider to third party companies, as well as the TOYOTA family.

[Rob]

INTERVIEW WITH PIERRE FILLON: ATTRACTING MORE MANUFACTURERS.


While FIA World Endurance Championship teams are on their summer break, the FIA and ACO continue to work towards the future, with new and evolving prototype classes, as well as continued talks on the proposed new-for-2016 GTE regulations.

ACO President Pierre Fillon, who was on hand at the recent European Le Mans Series round at the Red Bull Ring for the launch of the LMP3 class, has taken a keen interest on the growth of LMP1, particularly on ensuring its long-term success in both the hybrid (LMP1-H) and lightweight (LMP1-H) categories.

“We’re putting everything in place to attract more manufacturers,” Fillon told Endurance-Info in an exclusive interview with Laurent Mercier. “I also prefer that we speak about non-hybrid LMP1 rather than LMP1-L.

“The ACO and FIA want different technologies. There’s the LMP1-H category with petrol-powered Porsche and Toyotas and the diesel-powered Audi. The non-hybrid class is also made for manufacturers. We currently have Rebellion and we will have Lotus [beginning in] Austin.

“The goal is to keep the two classes as close [in performance] as possible. If LMP1-H should be in trouble, it must benefit from the cars in the ‘Light’ class. We will ensure this balance.

“Rebellion must wait a little bit because the car is only at the beginning of its development. We hope to see an OAK LMP1-L, while other manufacturers are also interested.”

While there’s a clear-cut formula moving forward in LMP1, the story is a bit different in LMP2, with the debate continuing on whether or not to drop the P2 driver categorization rules in the FIA WEC next year. The cost-capped class has struggled for entries in 2014, with only four P2 cars expected again for the next round at COTA.

“We raised the question of what to do with LMP2,” Fillon said. “We are seeing a re-balancing of the category with more cars in the ELMS but less in the FIA WEC. “The category is open to gentlemen drivers but it’s difficult for them to take off an entire week [from work] and travel to the other end of the world. Most gentlemen drivers have businesses to support.

“We need to reduce the costs of LMP2 in the FIA WEC and also attract young drivers coming from GP2 or World Series by Renault. However, we are not determined to abolish the driver categorization system or set up LMP2-Pro and LMP2-Am, which would be too complicated to understand.”

The ACO, FIA and IMSA, meanwhile, continue their talks for a common set of P2-style regulations for 2017, which would be embraced in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship as well as the other ACO-backed series.

It’s understood that the class will be based around the current LMP1-grade tub and safety structures, with the possibility of engine manufacturer-specific bodywork, similar to what’s been seen with Daytona Prototypes in the U.S.

“The technical teams are especially working closely for 2017,” Fillon said. “The idea is to focus on the new LMP2 cars. this will attract more U.S. teams to Le Mans.

“We should also [better] coordinate the schedules. Of course, there’s concern as Detroit falls on the same weekend as the [Le Mans] Test Day but this is difficult for them to change.”

[Rob]

noooo dont go down the DP route, dont like the look of them.

[budaman]

CoTA updated their page for the USSC/WEC races in September. Nice WEC teaser & interview with Webber.

http://circuitoftheamericas.com/wectudor/

[Rob]

CoTA updated their page for the USSC/WEC races in September. Nice WEC teaser & interview with Webber.

http://circuitoftheamericas.com/wectudor/

cheers for the link. The tickets are really good price. Cannt wait for this race(s). Just catching up with Indy race, good one, nice to see #62 Risi running at the front. And nice that we got a performance break.

[Rob]

INTERLAGOS GETS A MAKE-OVER!

05/08/2014 - 13h45



Since July 15th the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, located in the outskirts of São Paulo, has been welcoming some unusual vehicles such as trucks, cranes and bulldozers. They are busy resurfacing the track and pit lane before starting on new pit garages.

While drivers enjoy the layout of the circuit known as Interlagos, cars don't as much because of the bumpy surface. This feature of the Brazilian circuit may well disappear after the resurfacing of the track and pit lane which should be completed before the F1 Grand Prix takes place early November, followed by the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of São Paolo, on November 30th.



The new asphalt is only the first stage of a modernisation project in full swing at a cost of US$160 million, agreed upon by the city of São Paulo who manage the venue. They want to attract more visitors because motorsports generates significant revenues for the local economy. The construction of new garages is also planned but, in the meantime, the current pits are to be upgraded.

[Rob]

TOM KRISTENSEN IS KNIGHTED


In Copenhagen today, Denmark's Queen Margarethe II has presented Audi factory driver Tom Kristensen with the Order of the Dannebrog for his contribution and achievements in sport. This means that the record winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours has been knighted.

“I am very proud,” said Kristensen. “It is a great honour to know that the Royal Family has been following my career and recognises me as a sportsman and ambassador of Denmark.” In addition to the nine victories at Le Mans and his title in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), winning the Drivers' World Championship title in the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship numbers among his greatest achievements.

[Rob]

LMGTE PRO POINTS STANDINGS PRECEDING THE 6 HOURS OF COTA


The fight for the LMGTE Manufacturers World Cup went down to the wire at the end of the 2013 season and there’s every chance this could happen again. Winning at the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship gives a significant advantage, but there is a maximum of 130 points available to the GTE manufacturers and points are scored in both the Pro and Am categories.

LMGTE Manufacturers World Cup

Ferrari won’t be resting on its heels as both Porsche and Aston Martin will be more determined than ever to close the gap in the standings. Ferrari’s single point advantage going into the 24 Hours of Le Mans is now extended to 12 after a 71 point haul at the jewel in the crown of the FIA WEC. The Italian manufacturer now has 135 points to Porsche’s 123, with Aston Martin trailing on 85 points.


World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers

The picture is better still for the No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia pairing of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander – the 51 points they scored at Le Mans now giving them a total of 90 points. This extends their advantage to 27 points over the nearest Porsche pairing of Fred Makowiecki and Marco Holzer from the No.92 Porsche 911 RSR.

In third and fourth places are Porsche’s Richard Lietz and Ferrari’s Giancarlo Fisichella, the two being endurance driving partners and therefore holding fewer points than their team mates, 61 and 51 points respectively (Lietz having also participated in, and won, the 6 Hours of Silverstone).



In fifth place are the first of the Aston Martin Racing drivers, Kristian Poulsen and David Heinemeier Hansson and their No.95 Vantage V8 actually representing the LMGTE Am category (team mate Nicki Thiim missed Spa) on 40 points. The second Porsche crew of Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet from the No.91 is in sixth place on 37 points and, following Thiim, is the Aston Martin Racing pairing of Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke on 29 points.

Just half a point behind the British-German duo is the AF Corse Ferrari line up of Luiz Perez-Companc, Marco Cioci and Mirko Venturi, the LMGTE Am crew having scored at every round so far.

FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Pro Teams

AF Corse’s No.51 car crew leads here too, currently on course for a strong defence of all three of its 2013 titles. The Italian team’s 90 points gives it a 21 point edge over the No.92 Porsche crew with the No.91 911 RSR nine points further back in third place. The No.97 Aston Martin Racing team is only three points away and fourth in the standings with 57 points but there are bigger gaps after this for the No.71 Ferrari and No.99 Aston Martin to catch up on.

[Rob]

2014 TUDOR UNITED SPORTS CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
CONTINENTAL TIRE ROAD RACE SHOWCASE, ROAD AMERICA
ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN

Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT no. 62: Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Pierre Kaffer (GER)
RISI ON A ROLL TO ROAD AMERICA

Houston, TX, August 6, 2014. Fresh from its best result of the season to date, second place in the hotly contested GTLM category, achieved at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Risi Competizione now heads to Road America at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin. The Houston-based, privately-owned Ferrari team is in a buoyant mood as it approaches its eighth round of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship, and is looking to back up its Indy performance with another podium finish.

Road America’s 4.05 mile, European-style layout is popular with almost everyone in the field, and features a series of single corners without tricky or technical combinations, including the notorious “Kink”, with useable curbs which can help to reduce lap time. This is a high speed track and speeds of around 160mph (260kph) are reached three times a lap.

With an expected GT lap time of around 2m06s, track time will be at a premium in the practice sessions leading up to the race so the team will be working hard to optimize their set up as quickly as possible. Pierre Kaffer can’t wait to return to Road America and says, “It’s a fantastic track, one of the very best in North America and I hope that, now the Ferrari 458 Italia has received a better Balance of Performance, we will be able to challenge again for a podium finish. It will for sure be very competitive again in the GTLM class…just like the last races have been.

“It’s quite a difficult track to set up a car for. It’s long and you need to have a good set up for both slow and high speed corners, bumps and kerbs as well. We have good data from here in the past so we should have a good base from which to start. I’m really looking forward to racing here again, and am sure that Giancarlo will really like the track.”

The next two rounds – Road America and VIR – are the final ones this season that will be new to Italian Giancarlo Fisichella.

The next round of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship will be the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI on Sunday, August 10 beginning at 1:15 pm. The 2h45 minute race will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1, same day delay, at 6:30 pm ET. The FOX Sports 1 telecast is available to viewers in Europe, Asia and Africa on IMSA.com and in the U.S. for users of the FOX Sports GO mobile app. On-board cameras are also available on IMSA.com throughout the event for both international and domestic viewers.

[Rob]

VISION FOR TUDOR CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURE CLASS STRUCTURE REVEALED.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 8, 2014) – Officials from the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today confirmed the structure and specifications for all four of its current TUDOR United SportsCar Championship classes through the 2016 season.

“It is important to all of our stakeholders to have a clear understanding of where the TUDOR Championship is headed from a technical standpoint, which we now have established through 2016,” said IMSA Vice President of Competition and Technical Regulations, Scot Elkins. “This will enable our manufacturers to build race cars with these specifications and timelines in mind, and allow our competitors to make fully informed investment decisions for the future.”

A breakdown of each class is as follows:

Prototype (P)
The Prototype class will continue to consist of Daytona Prototypes, race cars built to LM P2 specifications per rules established by the Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO), which governs the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the DeltaWing through 2016. Last fall, officials from IMSA, the ACO and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) World Endurance Championship (WEC) jointly announced these Prototype regulations would remain in place for three seasons. A new, globally unified Prototype format for all three organizations will be introduced in 2017, with a planned vehicle life of at least three years (through 2019). The Prototype class will continue to feature predominantly professional driver lineups while also allowing pro/am driver combinations.

GT Le Mans (GTLM)
The GTLM class adheres to GTE specifications established by the ACO. New GTE technical specifications will be introduced for the 2016 season, with a planned vehicle life of at least three years (through 2018). The class, which includes factory-backed teams from many of the most iconic automotive brands in the world, will continue to feature professional driver lineups while continuing to allow pro/am driver combinations.

Prototype Challenge (PC)
The Prototype Challenge class will maintain its current format through 2016, with every team using ORECA FLM09 chassis and 6.2-liter Chevrolet engines. Driver lineups will continue to require a mix of professional and amateur drivers. Beyond 2016, the class will be further evaluated once the vehicle design, performance levels and cost is finalized for LMP3 and the new Prototype referenced above.

GT Daytona (GTD)
The GT Daytona class will utilize its current race cars through 2015. In 2016, the class will adopt full FIA GT3 specifications for all of its cars. Traction control, Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) and the full FIA GT3 aerodynamic specification will be allowed beginning in 2016. An Adjustment of Performance process will be managed through restrictors and weight. Driver lineups in GTD will continue to require a mix of professional and amateur drivers.


- See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/vision-....NoUpuuhm.dpuf