https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/40-entries-for-roar-before-rolex-24/ Only 40 cars will attend the Roar Before the 24 meaning, at the most, 40 cars in the Rolex 24. DPi, GTLM, GTD participation are all down with LMP2 participation up. Not a promising start to the season given that attendance at most races will not be as high.
Part of the problem is the expense to run a Weathertech program. Even the lowest class, GT3 cars are really quite expensive to run, the costs have kept skyrocketing. You are looking at $3MM a year for 10 races. $600k+ just for this one race the 24 Hours of Daytona. Think about that. But hey that is why GS (gt4) is growing. 6-9 cars in 2016, then when they switched to GT4 format 13 in 2017, ~20 in 2018, ~24-28 in 2019.
That would certainly be true for Daytona 2018. Beyond that, there have been a number of times where they have screwed themselves.
I haven’t been to one of these races, but seems to me that with such a low number of cars in each class, will there be much action except trying to pass slower class cars later in the race? Forza Ferrari, F1’s most successful team
IMSA is the series I follow the closest so most of my responses are coming from that perspective. There is tons of action in the IMSA races. Some of it is due to the differing lap times of the different classes, but overall all the cars seem to be pretty evenly matched. IMSA's safety car procedures where they wave around cars between the safety car and the class leader and bunch everyone up also ensures you will have close racing through the race and not a 3 lap victory for someone. Many races come down to the last lap, or last couple of laps.
Cool, I’ll watch that video this evening, I’m conferring with lawyers shortly about an issue, but it would be good to see some real racing!
There were a couple of years there in the mid-naughties when the entry at Sebring was less than thirty cars. Other than there not being many cars on the track to photograph, the racing action itself was still good with battles right down to the last lap for overall and class wins. Drivers were happier with less traffic to negotiate and fewer yellow flags but there were times when the gaps between cars seemed really long. On the other side of the coin, there were years at Sebring when it was in the original 5.2 mile configuration back around 1977 or 78 where 80+ cars took the green flag. The quality of these cars was seriously questionable at best and memorably there were so many cars entered that they figured out that they'd run out of gas in the paddock. So, they had to throw a caution in order for a tanker truck to come in and make a delivery. It's all perspective. BHW
That is the thing to consider now, IMSA may have a smaller grid now, but almost every team that is there is top notch. Not many teams or drivers you can look at and say..."why are they here?"
Questionable cars ? Considering the technology of that time, the amount of private non factory sponsored racers and the actual dedication to the sport....we had much better racing than today. If you do not bring boatloads of $$$$$$ today, then you are given the most difficult time. The sport as a whole is cooking its own goose. You want young people to enter the sport? You had better find a way to get them interested. I have seen a 21 year old yet with a trust fund that big. And that is the problem.
what a lap, that was awesome..... the Scot in the end just flew through, how he made his pass fourth to second was amazing in those conditions, everyone else spinning off. What was the guy doing on the final straight slowing for the line!
Edit: I don't recall if they ever really covered it. I wonder if it dealt with confusion regarding the start/finish line?
wow, big mistake! Remember, that happened in Brazil (I think) 2007 to Elton during the F1 race, also for McLaren
Anyone else going to the Daytona 24 this year? Just booked everything tonight. Can't wait. Photo from last year just for the hell of it. Image Unavailable, Please Login _DSC5531 by Alex Eichmiller, on Flickr
I did go once upon a time, back in the late 90’s I think, but I don’t remember much about it except the Florida Hooters waitresses I went with were hot as....., and I spent the rest of the next month or so travelling around the coastline, loved it!
January 24 to January 26. But it is better to go since Thursday 23, so you can see all the cars and teams in detail.
This year will be my 4th. Sadly I just changed jobs so I can't really take off. Coming in Friday night.