Sportski prototipovi - WEC, IMSA i tome slicno

[Radoye]

Arhivirana tema sa starog foruma:

https://web.archive.org/save/https://forum.b92.net/topic/75529-imsa-i-wec-201819-sportski-prototipovi/page-21

[Radoye]

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INSIGHT: Ginetta's quest for a second LMP1 chance

By: Stephen Kilbey | 18 hours ago

Despite CEFC TRSM missing almost the entire 2018/19 FIA WEC ‘Super Season’ due to commercial difficulties, Ginetta has been hard at work to ensure its G60-LT-P1 LMP1 cars are back in action next season.

The Yorkshire, UK-based manufacturer, which launched its new ‘Akula’ supercar at last month’s Geneva International Motor Show, was out testing this past week in Spain, continuing to develop its LMP1 challenger, showing off its potential and making up for lost time.

Ginetta’s LMP1 contingent took the car out at Motorland Aragon, a regular venue for testing in Europe, and completed three days of running. Works drivers Charlie Robertson and Mike Simpson were behind the wheel, joined by former IndyCar podium sitter James Jakes, ByKolles LMP1 driver Oliver Webb and ELMS regular Anders Fjordbach.

The car ran with the turbo-V6 P60B AER engine, replacing the original Mecachrome engine that was campaigned at Le Mans last year and was found to be lacking performance.

Despite the car’s lack of development work and testing compared to rival LMP1 privateer chassis from BR Engineering, ByKolles and SMP Racing, it fared extremely well in the changeable conditions in Spain – not least because the running at Motorland gave Ginetta a chance to compare its car directly to some of its competitors, as SMP Racing and Rebellion Racing both had cars present lapping the circuit. For all three it was a chance to test developmental Michelin tires, and in the case of Rebellion, a new low-drag aero kit bound for Le Mans this year too.

Ginetta’s car ran on all three days under the watchful eyes of Ginetta’s Technical Director Pete Smith and the car’s designer Andy Lewis, and used the No. 5 chassis that raced at Le Mans last year.

Also on hand were veteran race engineer Alan Mugglestone, engineers from AER, Bosch data engineers and a Michelin tire engineer.

The car’s very first laps came in greasy conditions; Simpson entrusted with systems checks and some fine-tuning to tee up a trouble-free first day.

The program for the opening day was not about raw speed, but rather was about a catalogue of systems and installation checks, data calibration and the gathering of tire data. It also was a chance to develop a baseline set up, which was built on throughout, with a raft of set-up changes made by Mugglestone that Simpson later observed as “extreme, but absolutely transformational.”

By Tuesday afternoon it was clear that the third day could be used as an opportunity to push for speed, and with Charlie Robertson aboard, the cars times tumbled. The car was faster on the opening day than the Rebellions and close to the SMP BR1, and that was with the boost dialed down by 10% and without the Michelin developmental rubber.

In contrast to the car’s struggles at Le Mans, its straight-line speed proved to be excellent, too. The G60 was effectively restricted to 345 km/h (214mph), grazing that mark regularly with all three drivers aboard just before the brakes were applied at the end of the lengthy back straight.

Unfortunately, some of the running was cut short due to unseasonable rain, but the car’s performance in the wet was encouraging too; faster in those conditions than the other LMP1s, which were driven by their regular WEC drivers during the test.

The only real stumbling block mechanically for the car came when the conditions were changeable: a gearbox gremlin at the end of Webb’s stint limiting Fjordbach to a single lap on Wednesday.

That issue was solved for the third day, however, leaving Charlie Robertson, Mike Simpson and James Jakes to undertake the performance running on Thursday. After yet more showers, it was Robertson, the 2015 ELMS LMP3 champion, who tasked with pushing for lap times.

The SMP and Rebellion teams had completed their programs after Wednesday, but their times had left a benchmark for the Ginetta. At that point, the G60 sat third-quickest of the LMP1s; one of the Rebellions bettering its best time on Wednesday afternoon.

The very first Thursday run-though ended with the Rebellion’s time being eclipsed; the Ginetta dipping into the 1m18s range twice in a five-lap run, still on the older-spec front Michelins.

Robertson then edged even closer to the SMP BR1’s best time, a 1m18.605s, with a 1m18.626s on a lap compromised by a slower LMP2 car.

In the end that would prove to be the car’s best effort, but despite the G60 not ending with the fastest time, it felt like a victory of sorts for those in the Ginetta camp whose hard work had produced a car capable of going toe-to-toe with tried and tested cars almost a year into their racing life.

Not only was the car fast but it was reliable too, managing well over 170 laps, and almost 1000km of running, with only one minor setback on the mechanical front.

“That was hard work, but the performance as always there,” said Robertson after his third and final run of the day.

“We were very happy with where the car was straight out of the truck but the changes that Alan made were excellent and from there the tweaks always took us forward.”

Mike Simpson and James Jakes were equally effusive.

“The whole test has been a real buzz,” said Simpson. “Not just because we have had the results, but because everyone involved has such positivity about what is clearly an exceptional car. There’s no doubt whatsoever there is a lot more to come, what this car needs now is a team to get hold of it and prove that on track.”

“There is a frustration after a test like that,” Jakes, who is keen to stay involved with the Ginetta LMP1 project, said to RACER.

“But the frustration comes from knowing that even more time here would bring real results. That is an excellent race car, predictable, progressive, with excellent balance. The mark of any race car is how you feel about it when you get out and I can’t wait to get back in! It’s clear that this is a really strong package.”

After the test, Ginetta’s chairman, Lawrence Tomlinson, was also extremely positive.

“It’s been a really successful test,” he told RACER. “Of course, we have confidence in the car but it is fantastic to see that confirmed not only by its own performance on the track but also by our performance against our peers.

“Not only has the car proved to have the pace that would put it amongst the fastest in the class, but it has also proved too that the performance is repeatable, our stints throughout the test, in the dry and in the wet, were consistent as well as quick.

“It’s already clear that the car is eligible for the next two seasons in the WEC, and as things stand that might well be longer.”

The next step is more running for the car, but beyond that, with the 2019/20 WEC season looming, getting one or more G60s on the grid is the top priority for Ginetta. And the interest in the car is there, from more than one potential customer. There are deals to be done, and more testing to be planned.

But crucially, with the car now proving its worth, there’s a palpable sense of optimism coming from Ginetta’s headquarters in Garforth. And a real determination to hand its LMP1 project a second life.

 

[DASUBO]

Ali na koju foru može Ginetta da se nada bilo čemu u LMP1. Da ne grešim dušu, ali mi ovde dismr na pranje love...

[Radoye]

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Brendon Hartley will replace Fernando Alonso at Toyota Gazoo Racing for the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

 

[Radoye]

 

[Radoye]

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Toyota Gazoo Racing will start from pole in tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, after a record-breaking performance. The team’s No. 7 TS050 HYBRID broke the WEC qualifying lap record at the Belgian circuit, on an afternoon where all four WEC class qualifying lap records fell. Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi set a remarkable 1m53.747s combined average time en route to pole position ahead of tomorrow’s six-hour race.

 

Rezultati:

 

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/07_fastestlapbydriverafterbyclass_qualifying-lmp1-lmp2.pdf

 

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/03_classificationqp_qualifying-lmgte-pro-lmgte-am.pdf

[Radoye]

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Rain, hail and snow can’t stop No. 8 Toyota at Spa

 

By: Stephen Kilbey | 6 hours ago

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s No. 8 TS050 HYBRID of Fernando Alonso, Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi outlasted weather chaos at Spa-Francorchamps to earn its fourth victory of the 2018/19 FIA WEC ‘Super Season’.
 

What turned out to be one of the more remarkable and memorable contests in WEC history, ran without a red flag stoppage until the final 8 minutes despite the constant change in weather conditions.
 

The six hours of racing featured bouts of sunshine, broken up by heavy snow, hail and rain, which shook up the running order continuously as teams took risks on strategy.
 

Tire choice was key here, with all four classes featuring tight battles for podium spots right until the end. The driving standards were outstanding, with no major incidents, and the cars all held up. As a result, there were no retirements.
 

Behind the winning Toyota, the podium was completed by two privateer LMP1s. The No. 3 Rebellion Racing R-13 of Gustavo Menezes, Thomas Laurent and Nathanael Berthon beat the No. 11 SMP Racing BR1 of Mikhail Aleshin, Vitaly Petrov and WEC debutant Stoffel Vandoorne to second.
 

Both cars were close throughout the race, and finished just six seconds apart, despite Aleshin telling RACER after the podium ceremony that the No. 11 had just four gears for the final two hours.
 

Both driver crews all performed masterfully through traffic in the tricky conditions, with Vandoorne, in particular, standing out, the ex-McLaren F1 driver in his LMP1 debut, leading the race early on in the confusion caused by the first ‘blizzard’.
 

The sister No. 7 Toyota was unable to challenge and convert pole into a win. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez ended up finishing sixth overall, after losing four laps to an electrical sensor issue at the halfway mark while it was leading.

“It was a crazy day, with crazy weather. We didn’t expect snow in May! It was lucky for us, we feel sorry for the sister car. We secured the Team’s Title, so it’s an important result. Now we head to Le Mans,” said race winner Nakajima.
 

The only titles settled this afternoon was the LMP1 team’s title, which went the way of Toyota, and the GT Manufacturers’ FIA World Endurance Championship, which went to Porsche.
 

Porsche’s two 911 RSRs scored enough points in Pro to make it mathematically impossible for Ferrari to stay in the fight at Le Mans week. All the other titles across the four classes though are going down to the wire.
 

Winning the Pro class though, was Aston Martin Racing, with its No. 97 Vantage AMR of Maxime Martin and Alex Lynn, who both took their first ever class wins in the process.

GTE Pro was spectacular in the changing conditions, and again provided viewers trackside and at home with an unpredictable race, full of drama and door-to-door action. 

No manufacturer really took control, as the safety cars and full-course yellows throughout kept the field bunched up and on the same lap. 

With each car performing wildly different as the conditions changed, it was near-impossible to see which way the race was going until the final hour, when the final weather front caused one last flurry of pit stops under the safety car and set the order for one final dash before the red flag.

The No. 97 led the way at the final restart, Maxime Martin aboard after an ironman-like stint from Alex Lynn, who thrived in the middle portion of the race in the tough conditions. The Belgian, on home turf, had to defend hard until the race was called against James Calado in the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari. The two battled hard, with Calado unable to get through.

“It was a crazy race,” Lynn, whose only other sports car victory came at Sebring in 2017, told RACER. “It was far worse being in the garage and watching Max than it was being out there in that weather. 

“The team was awesome, every strategy call was spot on, but it was a mentally tough race, probably worse because we knew we could be strong here and the conditions just kept throwing more pressure to deal with, at us. 

“Every team was in with a chance at some point, and I’m just delighted that we’ll got to Le Mans with a win in the bag for Max and I and can focus now on getting the next one.”

Third in the classification was originally the No. 91 Porsche. However, the car dropped to eighth after it was handed a penalty for causing a collision just before the red flag came out. With the team unable to react to it before the field was neutralized, the organizers handed it a post-race time penalty.

That promoted the No. 92 Porsche to third, and the No. 82 MTEK BMW to fourth, putting Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen on the brink of the World Drivers’ title.

It was a strange race for BMW, and Ford. The MTEK M8 GTEs spent the race rising and falling down the order, clawing their way back into contention in the final hour. With the future of BMW’s WEC program believed to be in question, will MTEK’s determination in Belgium, fighting hard with a car that often wasn’t quickest, make a difference in the final decision from the board?

Ford, which is also going through a similar situation with its future in the WEC believed to be in doubt, was the only brand that really was unable to stay in the fight. After taking pole yesterday, the GTs didn’t have the raw pace in the poor conditions. A drive-through for the No. 67 and a gamble on tires for the No. 66 also proved costly, with the former finishing fifth, and the latter 10th. 

Nicki Thiim, who along with Marco Sorensen had a wild race, battling for podium spots on multiple occasions, surviving multiple collisions, finished a disappointing seventh in the No. 95 Aston Martin. The Dane summarized the race perfectly: “It was goddamn rock and roll out there!”

LMP2 was also a real lottery. US-flagged team DragonSpeed, which now shifts its focus to its maiden Indy 500 run, won the class for the first time this season.
 

Pastor Maldonado, Anthony Davidson and Roberto Gonzalez had to beat out G-Drive Racing’s Aurus and Signatech’s Alpine A470 to win, after the car vaulted to the lead in the final hour. Despite a late question mark hanging over the team’s win, as Gonzalez was just over a minute short on drive time, the red flag saved it from having to pit right at the end. G-Drive Racing also looked to have to pit at the end too, for fuel, but was ‘saved by the bell’.
 

For much of the second half of the race, it looked like LMP2 points leaders Nicolas Lapierre, Pierre Thiriet and Andre Negrao would be fighting their rivals in the standings in the No. 38 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA for the win. But a third-place finish was all they could muster.
 

Crucially though, by finishing ahead of Stephane Richelmi, Ho Pin Tung and Gabriel Aubry in the No. 38 (who came home fourth), they extend their points lead marginally ahead of Le Mans.
 

Dempsey Proton’s habit of coming out of nowhere to win GTE Am convincingly continued in the hotly-contested Am class.
 

The No. 77 Porsche, which surely would have romped its way to the title had it not had its all points taken away by the organisers halfway through the season, won again. Christian Ried, Matt Campbell and Riccardo Pera finished five seconds clear of the TF Sport Aston Martin.
 

Once again TF Sport came close to winning the class at Spa, but not close enough. However, Euan Hankey, Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood did all have a superb run and will be confident in their chances of a strong result at Le Mans.
 

The big story from the class though came from two cars that finished behind Clearwater’s Ferrari which completed the podium.
 

Spirit of Race and Project 1, who are locked in a battle at the top of the GTE Am title race, finished up fourth and fifth respectively, after drama in the closing stages. The Spirit of Race Ferrari, which is the chaser in the points, was spun at the Bus Stop by the No. 91 Porsche, dropping Giancarlo Fisichella behind the Project 1 machine.
 

Moments later though, Egidio Perfetti in Project 1’s 911 came into contact with the Clearwater Ferrari at Piff Paff, sending the Norwegian into the barriers. He did continue but finished behind the Ferrari, closing the points gap ahead of the finale to 23 points!
 

The top five cars are still mathematically in with a shout too, the TF Sport Aston, the No. 77 Proton Porsche and No. 98 Aston Martin all still in the hunt.

Next up on the calendar is the final race of the 2018/19 ‘Super Season’, at Le Mans, next month. And there’s still so much to play for.
 

RESULTS

 

[Radoye]

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PRUETT: A global future for DPi?

Image by Barry Cantrell/LAT

By: Marshall Pruett | 9 hours ago

 

Could IMSA and the ACO be headed for a return of the direct relationship that served both sides for three decades?
 

And could IMSA’s next-generation DPis, commonly referred to as “DPi 2.0”, become a global solution as the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to complement IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship?
 

Those two topics have been making the rounds in American and European sports car circles in recent weeks, and the chatter has only increased this weekend at IMSA’s stop in Mid-Ohio and the FIA World Endurance Championship’s round in Belgium. A rumored meeting in Miami, Florida last month is said to have contained leadership from both organizations where the topics were discussed.
 

The two initiatives, if they prove to be true, would transform global endurance racing overnight. The former could also be the tonic needed to break down the systematic dysfunction that has plagued the ACO, FIA, and IMSA on the subject of shared rulemaking.
 

The ACO — the French sanctioning body that controls the Le Mans circuit — and IMSA, in its original guise, worked together in an uncomplicated manner from the 1970s through the 1990s where cars conforming to unique classes were allowed to compete in both series. In the most enduring example, the ACO created a GTP class for the great 24-hour race, allowing IMSA’s bespoke Grand Touring Prototypes to cross the Atlantic and vie for GTP class victory in France.
 

Cooperation between the ACO and IMSA in the GTP era enabled the likes of Group 44’s Jaguars to race at Le Mans, like this XJR-5 in 1985. Image by LAT

The ACO also worked directly with the former American Le Mans Series, which merged with NASCAR’s Grand-Am series to reconstitute IMSA, where the relationship led the ALMS to base most of its classes off those created by the ACO. Minus the FIA, a long and healthy connection between the ACO and IMSA made for positive and unified decision making where both parties found numerous ways to work together.
 

Under the combined ACO/FIA WEC relationship, IMSA has routinely been cast aside and its interests disregarded as planning for LMP1’s replacement, the vastly troubled 2020 “Hypercar” formula, has been developed without IMSA’s needs being heeded. The same was true leading into the launch of IMSA’s DPi formula in 2017. Despite initially welcoming DPis to compete in Europe, the ACO/FIA gradually walked those overtures back until IMSA’s top class was not allowed to compete outside of North America.
 

In imagining a reunion between the ACO and IMSA, shared goodwill and the best intentions of both organizations could have incredibly positive outcomes. Reopening collaborative efforts on shared rules, classes, and entries can only benefit the Le Mans- and Daytona Beach-based sanctioning bodies.
 

Where that might leave the FIA WEC — which relies on Le Mans as the centerpiece of its existence — is unknown.
 

And if the ACO and IMSA were to come together, where might DPi 2.0 factor into the equation? Even better, could DPi 2.0 be the thing that brought both sides together?
 

Due to arrive in 2022, DPi 2.0 represents an interesting take on the original formula that has drawn Acura, Cadillac, Mazda, and Nissan — as a contracted supplier — to IMSA’s custom prototype class. Derived from the ACO’s LMP2 class, DPi was an instant hit where auto manufacturers found they could play at IMSA’s top level for a relatively minor annual investment, at least in comparison to the ACO/FIA’s moribund LMP1-Hybrid category.
 

With heavy costs causing the decline of LMP1-H, and auto manufacturers disallowed from fielding full-fledged factory programs in the WEC’s LMP2 class, the grand idea to pull the FIA WEC out of a tailspin has been 2020’s Hypercar concept. For more than a year, current and prospective entrants have been patiently waiting for a final set of rules.
 

With 2020 fast approaching, the FIA WEC’s Hypercar concept remains more virtual than real.

Set for a September 2020 racing debut, time has almost expired for auto manufacturers to request and receive budgets to participate. Complicating matters, a frequently evolving set of basic rules have gained and lost a number of core technologies, making it difficult for manufacturers to define exactly what they’re asking for from their marketing and R&D departments, or what the marketing team will have to promote.
 

Beset with a lack of buy-in from most manufacturers, paddock intel suggests Hypercar 2020 could be shelved in favor of DPi 2.0 in 2022. Nine manufacturers are said to have attended Thursday’s DPi steering committee meeting at Mid-Ohio, meaning five brands that aren’t currently taking part in the class are at the table as the finer points of the 2022 rules, which are likely to include a spec hybrid-electric kinetic energy recovery system to provide a modest horsepower boost, are finalized.
 

If nine manufacturers are engaged with IMSA on its cost-effective future DPis, how many from Asia, Europe, and elsewhere, would engage with the ACO if DPi-at-Le Mans was an option?
 

With Hypercar looking like it might fail to launch, maybe the thought of the ACO and IMSA joining forces again, and making DPi 2.0 the next global standard for prototypes as their first major move together, isn’t such a crazy idea.

 

[Radoye]

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Home sweet home for Acura at Mid-Ohio IMSA SportsCar Challenge

Image by Galstad/LAT

By: J.J. O'Malley | 2 hours ago

 

Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron gave locally based Acura employees plenty of reasons to smile on Sunday at Mid-Ohio, cruising to victory in the Acura SportsCar Challenge.
 

The lone caution flag of the race set up a 24-minute dash to the checkered flag, and Montoya was not to be denied. The No. 6 Team Penske Acura ARX-05 DPi pulled to a three-second lead on the lap following the restart, and then took the checkered flag 2.022s ahead of the No. 77 Team Joest Mazda RT-24P of Tristan Nunez.
 

The majority of the race was run in cool but sunny conditions, a major turnaround after Friday’s practice was a virtual washout, and teams struggled in damp and chilly conditions on both Saturday and in Sunday’s warm-up.
 

“I think we just executed well,” said Montoya, who led three times for 66 laps — including the final 60. “We had been very unlucky with mechanical issues and stuff — there were silly things that happened. And I think we made some not-very-great calls on strategy. But [we] executed today the way it needed to be.”
 

Montoya wasn’t worried when he saw the caution late in the race.
 

“I think we were managing the traffic really well,” he said. “I think the big difference was I did a good job on the restart with cold tires and I did a good opening lap. Today I could match what they were doing, no problem. It was good. I felt I was doing a really good job on cold tires.”
 

A year ago, Acura Team Penske scored a 1-2 in its home race claiming its first IMSA triumph, with Montoya and Dane Cameron finishing second behind Ricky Taylor and Helio Castroneves. Sunday marked Acura Team Penske’s first trip to the top step of the podium since then.
 

“It’s really nice to have a really close to perfect race today,” said Cameron, who joined Montoya in winning for the first time with Team Penske in DPi. “The guys were excellent on pit lane. The strategy was really, really strong. Juan did a great job on his stints. I was able to get up to the lead and turn it over to him. It really couldn’t have gone any better.
 

“It’s really satisfying to get the monkey off our back a little bit,” Cameron added. “Hopefully we can get a bunch more wins down from here now that we’ve reminded ourselves we do know how to do it.”
 

Once again, Mazda came up short in its bid for its first victory in the Prototype class but it showed strongly placing two cars on the podium. Tristan Nunez and Oliver Jarvis finished second in the pole-winning No. 77 Mazda DPi, followed home by Jonathan Bomarito and Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No. 55.

The lone full-course caution waved at the 33-minute mark, when Colin Braun was trapped in the Turn 4 China Beach gravel. That left only four cars on the lead lap — the No. 6 Acura; both Mazdas; and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R of Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani.
 

Nasr battled Bomarito for third in the closing laps, but then the red Cadillac started by Derani was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for passing under a local yellow. Nasr recovered to finish fourth, the last car on the lead lap.
 

Unofficially, the Whelen Engineering team managed to retain the lead in the DPi standings, now holding a four-point advantage over Taylor and Castroneves, drivers of the No. 7 Team Penske Acura.
 

IndyCar regular Hunter-Reay made a heroic save when his Mazda was tapped from behind by Castroneves’ Acura moments after taking the green flag, not only saving the car but then running competitively throughout his double stint.
 

“It definitely has been a baptism by fire, trying to get to grips with the car,” Hunter-Reay said. “The car’s a blast to driver. I was run over by a Penske after I had a fantastic start. I had passed the Action Express cars, and then had to do it all over again after getting hit. I just had to put my head down and go for it. Mid-Ohio is a great race track — they don’t make them like this anymore.”

 

GTLM
 

Fast work on the final pit stop was the key to victory for Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor in taking their second consecutive GTLM triumph at Mid-Ohio in the No. 912 Porsche 911 RSR. Pitting one lap after the No. 3 Corvette C7.R of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen with an hour remaining, the Porsche team was five seconds quicker in the pits. Bamber came out ahead of Garcia after the stop and led the rest of the way, winning by 2.340 seconds.
 

It marked the second-straight victory for the No. 912 (which won in Long Beach two weeks ago) and third in a row for the Porsche GT Team.
 

A fast final pit stop was key to the Bamber/Vanthoor victory in GTLM. Image by Galstad/LAT

 

“Every race, we’ve been getting stronger and stronger as a crew,” Bamber said. “Last year was a tough year. So we had to get ourselves into the game. This year we’ve been executing well. I think here it’s all about not making mistakes. There’s a lot of cars out there, and you follow them around, and it’s not like we blaze off into the distance by 30 seconds or something; we’re all right there doing qualifying times.”
 

Nick Tandy passed Tom Blomqvist in the closing laps to put the No. 912 Porsche on the third step of the podium. Patrick Pilet was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the initial green flag, resulting in a long charge back through the field for the No. 912. Blomqvist and Connor De Phillippi held on for fourth in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE.

 

GTD
 

The final restart led to a come-from-behind victory in GT Daytona: Jack Hawksworth passed Mario Farnbacher for the lead in Turn 2, and went on to win in the No. 14 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 started by Richard Heistand.
 

It was the first GTD triumph for both drivers.
 

Up until that point, Farnbacher and Trent Hindman had dominated the event in the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3.

“Obviously, the yellow was what we needed, and once I got a sniff of Mario I wasn’t going to let him go,” Hawksworth said. “Up until then, it was cat and mouse, because we were faster at different parts of the circuit.
 

“Mario is a fantastic driver,” the Englishman continued, “and I knew I had to do it on the restart. I went for it in Turn 2, and got the job done. It might have been my only chance, and that was all she wrote.”
 

Farnbacher held on for second, 0.598s back, while Bryan Sellers completed the podium, finishing one lap down in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan started by Ryan Hardwick.
 

Canadians Scott Hargrove and Zach Robichon seemed headed for a podium finish in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3.R before a spin in the closing laps left Hargrove stranded in the Turn 1 gravel trap. They finished 12th.
 

Prior to late restart, Hindman and Farnbacher dominated the class, Hindman taking the lead on lap 9 and building up a large enough advantage for Farnbacher to stay ahead at their driver change.
 

“It was all about staying calm, cool and patient,” said Hindman following his stint. “This was my first time in a WeatherTech car at Mid-Ohio, but I have plenty of experience in other cars here. My biggest challenge was the speed differential among the classes, and I think the key was staying patient in the traffic.”

 

LMP2
 

The LMP2 race failed to materialize. Performance Tech Motorsports’ pole-winning ORECA was caught up in the opening-lap incident between Hunter-Reay and Castroneves, and that opened the door for the only other car in the class. The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA Gibson of Matt McMurry and Eric Lux led every lap in the class and finished 11th overall.
 

Performance Tech Motorsport’s Kyle Masson captured the pole on Saturday, but the team gave up the position by opting to start Cameron Cassels in its No. 38 Centinel Spine ORECA Gibson. The Lap 1 incident resulted in a long pit stop and later a visit to the garage to work on suspension damage, with the team finishing 80 laps down.
 

RESULTS

 

[Radoye]

Preliminarna startna lista za ovogodisnji Leman:

 

http://www.dailysportscar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/entry-list-24-heures-du-mans-2019.pdf

[Radoye]

 

[Radoye]

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BMW will withdraw from the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2019/20, ending its program with Team MTEK after just a single season racing in GTE Pro.

 

The German manufacturer’s last FIA WEC race in GTE Pro with the M8 GTE will therefore be next month’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

During the ‘Super Season’, the team has thus far failed to win a race, though it has finished on the podium twice, at Fuji and Sebring.

 

“We will not compete in WEC going forward,” said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Therefore, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June will be another highlight for us in drawing to a close – just like in 2018, when we celebrated the successful world premiere of the BMW 8 Series Coupe there.

 

 

[Radoye]

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Ford confirms end to factory GTE program

Image by Bloxham/LAT

 

By: Stephen Kilbey | 13 hours ago

 

 

Ford has confirmed that the 2019 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours will be the final time it competes as a factory in the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Pro class.

 

Ford began racing the GT back in 2016, winning its class at Le Mans on debut, and has since taken six additional WEC class wins.

 

“In 2016, Ford returned to Le Mans to mark the 50th anniversary of our incredible 1966 win, and we celebrated in the best way possible by winning the race,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company.

 

“To stand on that podium on behalf of the employees was a proud moment for me, and I look forward returning to Le Mans this year to support the team as we approach our final race in this chapter.”

 

Beyond Le Mans, Ford will continue racing the GTs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship through to the end of 2019 with Chip Ganassi Racing, although the IMSA program, too, appears to be in serious doubt beyond that point.

 

“The Ford GT was created to take Ford back to the world of GT endurance racing,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “This factory Ford GT program has been a great success for our brand, and we have enjoyed the many challenges that have come our way during this four-year program. Le Mans is not quite the end of the factory program as we still have many more IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races to go in 2019.”

 

This news comes shortly after BMW confirmed that its FIA WEC factory commitments will also end next month after just one season with its MTEK-run M8 GTEs. That, as expected, brings the likely number of factory-backed FIA WEC GTE Pro cars for the 2019/20 season to just six, with only a pair apiece from Aston Martin Racing, Porsche GT Team and AF Corse now expected.

 

 

At Le Mans, Ford plans to bow out with retro liveries. The No. 66 (WEC) Ford GT, which will be driven by Stefan Mucke, Olivier Pla and Billy Johnson, will sport a black livery as a nod to the Ford GT40 of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon that won Le Mans with back in 1966.

 

The sister WEC GT, the No. 67 of Andy Priaulx, Harry Tincknell and Jonathan Bomarito will run the colors of the Ford GT40 that Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt drove to victory at Le Mans in 1967.

 

Ganassi USA’s No. 68 Ford GT, meanwhile, will run in the same livery that the No. 68 won the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours in. That will be driven by Dirk Muller, Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais.

 

The other IMSA-crewed GT – the No. 69 of Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook – will be painted in the famous Gulf scheme that Pedro Rodriguez and Lucian Bianchi carried to victory in 1968.

 

The four factory cars will also be joined by a fifth GT from Keating Motorsports in the GTE Am class, running in previously-confirmed Wynns colors. Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Felipe Fraga will race the purple and orange example.

 

The GTs will be seen running in public in their new colors for the first time this Sunday at the Le Mans Test Day.

 

 

[Radoye]

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23 Cars Set For IMSA’s Detroit Grand Prix

A look at the entry list for this weekend's street race in Michigan

29 May 2019, 3:30 PM

 

IMSA has released the entry list for the Detroit Grand Prix this upcoming weekend. A total of 23 cars feature on the list, with 11 of them in DPi and 12 in GT Daytona.

 

LMP2 will skip this round as part of the series’ efforts to reduce the budget for the struggling class. GT Le Mans teams, meanwhile, will have their attention on preparations for the Le Mans 24. Specifically, the Le Mans Test Day, which is also set to take place this weekend.

 

There are two things of note in DPi, one of them being that Harry Tincknell will rejoin the Mazda Team Joest squad. Tincknell missed out on the Mid-Ohio round due to a scheduling conflict with the WEC and their Spa round where he ran with Ford.

 

Ryan Hunter-Reay filled in for Tincknell in the #55 Mazda RT-24P at Mid-Ohio, he and Jonathon Bomarito ended that race in third.

 

The second point of note in DPi is the empty seat in the #50 Juncos Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R has been filled. Will Owen was initially currently the only driver listed to drive the car, but his teammate has now been confirmed. It’s not Kyle Kaiser, who filled the seat at Mid-Ohio and Long Beach, instead, it’s Victor Franzoni.

 

Franzoni is currently running in Indy Lights with Juncos. The race at Detroit will be his first start in the top rung of the IMSA WeatherTech series.

 

“I’m super excited to be back with Juncos Racing and be a part of their Cadillac DPi-V.R programme,” Franzoni said.

 

“I’ve been racing with the team for a few years now, we have built a great chemistry and produced great results. I am looking forward to working with Will Owen since he has a lot of experience with this type of car, and this will be my first time in this type of car. We will work hard and look for a great result in Detroit.”

 

The Le Mans test weekend has also claimed one entry from the GTD class, that being the #33 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. Drivers, Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen will be preoccupied in France as they, along with Felipe Fraga, prepare to be the first customer crew to run the Ford GT in the GTE Am class.

 

Other notable entries include the #57 Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 of Katherine Legge and Christina Nielsen. The entry of the #57 Acura comes as a part of the IMSA Sprint Cup mini-championship.

 

“I really love the track. It’s a cool circuit with lots of close racing, but it’s also an event that is always well executed and gives back to the community.” Said Nielsen. “I had three podiums in 2015-2017 so I hope to add another one to the books. The team has been really impressive there the last couple of years so I feel like I am in good hands.”

 

Also continuing its commitment to the Sprint Cup is Compass Racing and its #76 McLaren 720S GT3 of Paul Holton and Matt Plumb, which made its IMSA debut at Mid-Ohio.

 

IMSA will be sharing the Detroit street-circuit with IndyCar this weekend with the race set for Saturday, June 1 at 12:30 PM EDT or 16:30 GMT.

 

ENTRY LIST >>

 

 

[Radoye]

Montoja na polu u Detroitu za IMSA trku

 

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/03_results_qualifying-1.pdf

[Radoye]

Penski Akura #6 sa Montojom i Kameronom su uzeli pobedu u Detroitu.

 

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/03_results_race_unofficial.pdf

[Radoye]

Kompletan snimak IMSA trke iz Detroita:

 

 

[Radoye]

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As expected, the FIA WEC’s forthcoming ‘Hypercar’ top-class formula was a key talking point during the Le Mans Test Day last week. And it appears that it is close to being confirmed as the option for the ACO and FIA WEC after the 2019/20 season, with plans to use DPi as a ‘Plan B’ now understood to have been shelved.

 

While there are still very few facts publically available, RACER strongly believes that the ‘GTE +’ concept and DPi are off the table, meaning that decisions from prospective manufacturers will be made very soon. Hypercar, it seems, still has potential, and the ACO press conference next Friday at Le Mans may provide more news on the situation.

 

As a result, decisions about the existing non-hybrid LMP1s have been deferred until a Hypercar solution has been finalized. And there’s still plenty to be set in stone, including what will be permitted on the powertrain and aero front.

 

Of the major OEMS in the running for Hypercar programs, it appears that the only prospects in with a chance of racing in the first season of the regulations are Toyota (unsurprisingly) and Aston Martin (with Red Bull).

 

Outside of that, any decisions made right now will be crucial for the other parties that are in the room. These potential marques are Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren and Ford. A number of them have told RACER via senior sources that they have a variety of possible programs all reliant on Hypercar regulations, and Balance of Performance being deliverable for the promised budget levels. None of those programs, however, could come together for Year 1.

 

The real-world costs of developing Hypercar packages, along with the expense of actually racing them, are of primary importance to all of the above. The initial figures touted are believed to be optimistic at best.

 

While many observers are talking about a potential delay to the introduction of the new regulations (due for the 2020/21 FIA WEC, beginning in September 2020), there is little or no sign yet that active consideration is being given to delay the introduction of the new ruleset.

 

Toyota is understood by RACER to have a car that is close to hitting the track for testing. However, the status of Aston Martin’s concept is unknown.

Talks were believed to have taken place over the Test Day weekend and have continued into this week with senior staff from the interested parties.

 

A solution appears to finally be on the horizon after years of speculation and waiting. But will it be one that attracts manufacturers and pulls the WEC’s top class back from the brink?

 

 

[Radoye]

Porodila se Georgina:

 

 

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ACO confirms Hypercar regulations for 2020/2021 season

 

 

By: Stephen Kilbey | 5 hours ago

The ACO has confirmed that the newly-dubbed “Le Mans Hypercar Prototype” formula will be used for the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship from the 2020/21 season.

This means that the current LMP1 class will be replaced with this revamped ruleset for the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours, as forecast by RACER in recent weeks.

Now gone from reckoning are both the GTE Plus and DPi ‘Plan B’ options, with both Toyota and Aston Martin due to announce Hypercar Prototype programs as early as today. RACER believes that other major manufacturers are close to committing after privately expressing their interest in the new formula should the regulations prove capable of applying effective BoP and cost control.

Under the new rules, the cars will have a minimum weight of 1100 kilos, with around 750hp engines. Both hybrid and non-hybrid cars are allowed, with the hybrid systems capable of producing 250hp.

 

In order to help equalize performance between hybrids and non-hybrids, hybrid vehicles will not be permitted to deploy their boost below 120 kph (75 mph) on slick tires, with a speed between 140-160 kph (87-100 mph) set to be defined for deployment in wet weather.

 

In addition, there will be BoP (based on GTE’s auto BoP) for road car vs prototype chassis, as well as the various drivetrains. Underfloor aero is open. 

There will be strict safety parameters, too. Safety standards for the road car-based chassis for this formula will be “similar to LMP1,” according to the ACO.

To be eligible for competition, manufacturers of a Hypercar based on a road-going model must produce a minimum of 20 road-going versions over a two-year period.

There will be a single tire supplier.

RACER also believes that the initial rule provision that OEM hybrid systems must be provided for sale to other competitors has not made it into the final draft of the regulations.

 

 

[Radoye]

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SMP Racing has withdrawn its pair of AER-powered BR1 LMP1 cars from the 2019/20 FIA WEC season.

 

In a surprise statement issued on Monday, the Russian team, which finished third overall in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, said that it had achieved the best results possible in “the given circumstances” racing as part of the privateer LMP1 pack, and will therefore bow out.

 

This news reduces the LMP1 field to six full-season cars for next season. As it stands a pair of Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050 HYBRIDs, Rebellion Racing R-13s and Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1s remain.