Category: Rolex24

And now for a little Glastnost

2016 Rolex 24 qualifying is a product of glasnost! Really! If you don’t know what that is, you needed to pay more attention in school! Michael Aleshin, the Russian ace of IndyCar, took the pole in the Russian team SMP’s BR01 LMP2 car, built by BR Engineering outside of Moscow!

I am a child of the 80’s. I lived through the atomic bomb drills in school. Russia was the enemy. Then Ronald Reagan told Mikhail Gorbachev to “Tear Down This Wall!”, and suddenly, very suddenly, we had peace. Glastnost!  What is unfortunate is that it took over 30 years for a Russian driver, with a Russian team AND car, to race in The US.1JCC0666

Congratulations, Mikhail! And good luck. We’ll all be watching. I, in fact, will be on turn 5!

Driving Ratings Explained

Over this past season, there has been a great deal angst surrounding the FIA’s Driver Categorizations, otherwise known as the driver ratings.  It is an international system, the intent of which  is to better define who is a professional and who is an amateur.  This system is used primarily for the Pro/Am classes in IMSA (PC and GTD), and ALMS/ELMS/WEC (GTE-Am).

What the FIA has done is a noble attempt to create order in an otherwise chaotic system.  However, it’s execution has been flawed for several reasons, some of which I will address later.  Much of what I have recently read has discussed the issues involved in the use of the system, rather than how these ratings are derived.  I will now attempt to pull that rabbit out of the hat in an effort to explain what data is used and how they assign a driver their rating.

General Information

Drivers are required to provide the FIA with an application for rating, along with an application fee of 150€, a list of accomplishments and achievements in FIA recognized racing series.  Keep in mind that there are over two thousand drivers who have official ratings.

For this system to work, all of the FIA member series must provide standardized data to the FIA’s Panel of Stewards of the Competition (yes, that is the real name) for every recognized event.  This data will include all of the drivers finishing positions, their 10 faster lap times, and the gap between them and the class winners.  Using this information, the series will list the time ranges for each class for that event.  Also included in this data are the weather conditions and any other factors that would influence the outcome of the race (such as red flag events or extended follows).

Using all this information from the driver and racing series, the Panel of Stewards of the Competition will then review and rate the drivers.  Drivers may request a a revision if the driver feels they have been wrongly catagorized.  It is up to the driver to provide any information pertinent to this review as well as pay a fee of 250€ for revision.  The driver may be have their rating adjusted by the FIA, should their results differ greatly from those used in the initial review.

We all know the break down; professionals are Platinum and Gold and Aamateurs are Silver and Bronze.   When I refer to a Professional Series or Professional Championship, I am referring to the following classes:  WEC GTE-Pro, ELMS and ALMS (Asian) GTE-Pro and IMSA GTLM classes.

Professional

To be a Platinum rated driver, a person must meet two of the following criteria:

  • Have an F1 Super License
  • Have a full time ride as a factory or works driver
  • Won LeMans in a professional class
  • Won a Professional Series championship (WEC, IMSA, ELMS or ALMS)
  • Won the Porsche SuperCup
  • Finish top 5 in Indycar, F3000, WEC Championship, IMSA (DP only)
  • Top 3 major single seater championship
  • American LeMans Series P1 or GT Champion
  • any 3 criteria of the Gold rating

To be a Gold rated driver, they must meet only one of the following criteria:

  • Any single Platinum criteria requirement
  • Top 3 in any secondary single seater championship
  • Won a major GT or Sportswear championship with drivers of the same rating or lower.
  • Raced in a major international championship with wins, possums and poles
  • Won regional or national single seater championship
  • Finished top 3 in Porsche SuperCup, DTM, BTCC or Carrera Cup

Amateur

To be a Silver rated driver, a person must meet one of the following requirements:

  • 30 years of age or younger while not meeting any Gold or Platinum criteria.
  • Won a regional or mMajor National championship or series (Skip Barber, Ect.)
  • Won a major Endurance Race (LeMans or Daytona)
  • Won a non-professional drivers series (Ferrari Challenge, Lamborghini SuperTrofeo, GT3 Cup, Etc)

To be a Bronze rated driver, a person must meet the following criteria:

  • 30 years of age or older when first racing license is issues with little or no single seater experience.
  • No significant racing results
  • 30 years of age or younger with less than 1 year and experience and/or fewer than 5 races participated.

Adjustments

The following following apply to all categories.

  • Any driver over the age of 50 will behave their category reduced by 1 level.
  • Any driver over the age of 55 will have their category reduced by 2 levels.
  • Any driver over the age of 60 will be a Bronze.

Uses

Many writers have discussed how and why the system is being used.  I won’t beat that dead horse for too long.

As we know, IMSA, ALMS (Asia), ELMS and the WEC use the rating system in an effort to equalize the competition in their respective Pro/Am classes.  In WEC LMP2, there must be at least 1 Silver or Bronze rated driver.  In GTE-AM, there must be at least 1 Silver and 1 Bronze rated driver.  In IMSA GTD and PC, there must be at least 1 Silver or Bronze rated driver.  If there are 5 or more drivers listed (as in the Rolex24, for Example), there must be 2 Amateur drivers.

LeMans uses the rating for the same purpose.  However, LeMans is such a big international race, it does use the rating for an additional reason.  LeMans rookies, regardless of racing experience or pedigree, are required to show the race stewards that they are qualified to participate.  All rookies must participate in one of several simulations prior to doing their on-track test.  This is done at the Aotech Simulator, located in St Pierre du Perray, just south of Paris  Platinum drivers, though required to do the simulation, are not required to do the on track test.  This helps Platinum rated LeMans rookies like Scott Dixon and (potentially) Tony Kannan, who have Indycar obligations the same weekend as the test.

So there we have it!  This is the how, and why, the drivers are rated the way they are!  Soon, I will get in to some of the issues the ratings have caused.

Welcome 2016! A Look Towards the Upcoming Season

Welcome 2016!  As a fan, I have been waiting all year for this!  (I know, it’s only 10 day in, but I do go there!)  The next two years are going to be interesting, and with the Roar Before Daytona finishing today, I see we’ve come a long way.

What’s New

The most obviously new thing here is Daytona International Speedway’s new grandstands.  I was up at the top of the turn 1 stands last year and was amazed by the view!  At the very top, you’re almost too far from the track.  I did have to have a friend help me because my vertigo kicked in and I was shaking my beer flat….  Oops! The aluminum stands have that stadium seating where you get a great view sitting while the guy in front of you stands up.  It’s almost like floating in the air, 15 stories high!!!  It is truly awesome.  This year I aim to get pictures from the start/finish line from as high up as I can get.  The fan concourses inside are big and roomy.  While I can’t speak for the Daytona 500, the Rolex will be fun to watch from up there!

But the action is always in the infield!!! The Speedway enlarged the Sprint Fan Zone, almost doubling it’s size.  They also will have 2 giant Jumbotrons  being built for the main grandstands, however I doubt they will be ready for the Rolex!

Infrastructure aside,the important thing for IMSA is the new for this year GT3 cars in GTD!  My quick count has 7 makes: Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Ferrari, Lamborhgini and Porsche.  Mercedes-Benz came to the November test with both their AMG-SLS and AMG-GT, but the AMG-GT won’t be ready until Sebring in 3 months.  Also, the 3 pointed star won’t pay the $1 million IMSA buy-in, which will be used to market the sport and pay for the television coverage.  (The IMSA coverage is a point for a future blog)

That said, looking at the times from the Roar and the times between all the marques, in all the classes, they are very competitive.  Lamborghini consistently topped the practice times in GTD, with Ferrari and Dodge just off the pace set by the brand of the bull.  The race should be exciting.

What’s Improved

Again, looking at the overall lap times, the Prototype class will be a battle!  The Michael Shank Racing Honda/Ligier topped 3 of 5 practices.  The other two were Wayne Taylor’s Corvette DP and the DeltaWing!  And that’s not all!  Throughout the test, I saw both the DeltaWing and the re-engined Mazda prototyped sons instantly towards the top of the scoring pylon.  Also, the Russian built (and driven) BR Engineering BR01/Nissan was quick at times.

I also welcome Mazda back after 3 years in the doldrums of racing.  While they tried mightly with their diesel motor, the new LMP2 rules required a change.  It’s amazing what their new AER built, direct injection, 2.0T motor can do!  It was near the top of the scoring pylon all weekend.

That brings the list of prototype motors to 7; Chevy, Ford, BMW (yes, them too!), Honda, Nissan, Mazda and the Elan motor in the DeltaWing. More interestingly is the 7 different chassis running; Coyote (Action Express/SDR Racing), Dallara (WTR), Riley (Starworks/Ganassi), Ligier (Shank/ESM), Lola (Mazda), DeltaWing and the BR01(SMP).

I can’t leave out GTLM.  It seems like all the cars are new this year, with little carryover from last season, leaving the Corvette team with what is essentially the same car as last year.  However they did have to heavily modify the car to meet new FIA requirements including, among other things, a roof mounted escape hatch which allows for a back board to be used in driver extraction.  (I hope NOT to see that in use, ever!)

Rahal/Letterman/Lannigan Racing has the new M6 GTLM replacing their Z4. CORE motor sports has the new Porsche 911RS as well.  GTLM stalwart Risi Ferrari is waiting (as patiently as possible) for Michelotto to finish their new 488 Turbo in time for Daytona.  The plan is to have it flown to Orlando in time for qualifying.  Talk about cutting it close.  In the meantime they are working with GTD Scuderia Corsa with their new Ferrari 488 Turbo in order to get a feel for it.

But the big news is the ALL new Ford GT!  OMG, it is beautiful!  Team Ganassi has 2 of the new cars and a Ford factory effort to back it up.  This is the high profile roll out for an effort in both IMSA and the WEC!   Ganassi is running a total of 4 cars at the Rolex, 2 Ford EcoBooste DP’s and 2 new Ford GT’s.  After Sebring, Ganassi will have the 2 Ford GT’s here in the US and, in conjunction with Multimatic Racing, will run 2 additional cars in the European series!  WOW!  Talk about busy!

The Golden Age Of Racing Returns

I really feel that we are entering the next Golden Age of sports car racing!!  People are excited.  I am excited!  With all the teams and the close times I saw in testing, I see a great year ahead!  I feel much better about the future.  Seeing the LMP2 cars from Ligier and BR, knowing that the Riley/Multimatic effort is well along the way, 2017 looks to be good for the prototypes.

The numbers look like this: 7 cars and 7 different engines in prototype, 5 different cars in GTLM, and 7 different cars in GTD!  That is variety, and variety is the spice of life!  So it goes for sportswear racing in the US!!!  Good stuff!

Now What Really Stinks

I am totally disappointed and disheartened to see defending GTD Rolex24 and NEAC Championship winning drivers unable to defend their titles!  Cameron Lawrence and Al Carter are without rides, as of the Roar.  There are many good to great drivers who are unable to get good rides this year, and that always happens.  However, it is very rare to see drivers unable to defend their titles due to a lack of a ride.

Scott Pruett, after a 2 race guest spot with Action Express to beat Hurley Haywoods record 5 Rolex 24 wins, will be moving to the new Lexus Factory GTD effort, run by Paul Gentilozzi’s Rocketsport Racing (RSR) group and under the Lexus F-Sport banner.  Scott Pruett will be the team’s AMATEUR driver, with former Ganassi Indycar driver (FIA Gold rated) Sage Karam as the teams professional driver.   You heard that right, Pruett is the Amateur on the only GTD FACTORY team!  So the team actually has two professional drivers.  That, as a whole, simply sucks!

The factory efforts should be in GTLM and a driver like Scott Pruett should never have been labeled a Silver by the FIA!  With GTD as the Gentlemens class, Paul Gentilozzi should have been THE gentleman himself and not hired Scott Pruett as the amateur, but should have recognized that Pruett is the consummate professional and built his team that way, hiring a true amateur to work with Scott Pruett.  That sucks!  I want to see Lexus race, but not like this!  I feel the whole thing is a cheat.  But that’s just me!

I mean, REALLY?!?!  This is the reason that there is so much angst with the driver ratings and this is why championship winning drivers will be watching from the sidelines, unable to defend last years efforts!  When a 5 time Rolex winner and 4 time series champion is listed as an amateur, how do true amateurs expect to get rides?!?  Winning the Rolex and a Championship is SUPPOSED to be the springboard for an amateur to get a good ride, maybe becoming the professional.  But instead they get a seat in the stands.  So Jim France and Scott Atherton, YOU have some work to do!!!  I hope you actually see this problem with this and work on a solution! There is the appearance of impropriety here, which you can never win.  So, step to it!

Looking Ahead

The US sportswear racing season is over. It is during this downtime between seasons, I enjoy looking to what’s going to be different for the upcoming 2016 season.  There is a lot.

What’s in a Name?

The IMSA series has its 3rd name change in as many years.  I loved the change to the Tudor!  Its easy to say and exudes the class of the Swiss made watches it represents.  But it is gone.  In its place comes WeatherTech.

WeatherTech, however, doesn’t roll off the tongue quite the same way.  They have a strong history in racing, sponsoring the Alex Job team for several years and almost everybody knows who they are.

That said, WeatherTech is a bit of a hero company for me.  My background is in manufacturing and WeatherTech is an ALL-American company!  A family company too. They use Toyota’s lean manufacturing philosophy to make great products for cars and trucks.  They represent what is good about American businesses and they have a DIRECT connection to racing.  I like that!  No, I mean I LOVE THAT!

Welcome WeatherTech.

The More Things Change, The More They Remain The Same

The prototypes generally get top billing, and this year is no exception.  The new international rules for LMP2 coming in 2017 will have a number of teams looking at changes now so to be competitive by then.

I think IMSA did the right thing by keeping the engine and bodywork options open.  Unlike the WEC, IMSA is manufacturer driven. If our manufacturers were interested in the F1 budgets of LMP1’s high tech hybrids, they would be there.  Mazda is a perfect example, running their diesel LMP2 to develop the concept.  The did get caught out with the rules change outlawing diesels and are now working on the gas version.  The story for Prototypes, though =, is still being written.

The change from GTD to GT3 this season will transform the series.  The influx of new cars already listed and the potential for cross over from Pirelli World Challenge has me just giddy with optimism.

Last year’s GT mix (GTLM and GTD) was a great mix with Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, Dodge (Viper), Chevy, Aston Martin and BMW all fighting for wins!  So far, we have Lamborghini committed to running, with Cadillac testing at Sebring with the Pratt&Miller team.  Flying Lizard?K-Pax are discussing a possible McLaren for at least the NEAC.  I also want to believe that Dyson Racing won’t completely turn its back on IMSA with the brutish but beautiful Bentley!

The field is full of opportunity!

History Returns

Saving the best for last, the Historic 24 is in November.  IMSA has heroically added its name to the race and it should be somethings see.  I for one will be there with my boys.  Camping in the infield old-school style.  I will post pictures.

Here is how it works.  There are 6 classes ranging from 50’s cars to more modern cars from the 2000’s.  Starting with class A and going through F, each class runs for 1 hour.  Once all classes have run, they start over and repeat the process for 24v hours.  Each class runs 4 hours total over the 24.

There will be some great old, and not so old, cars there!  This may be IMSA’s next hidden treasure.

A Brief Look Back At 2014

I sit here on the last day of 2014 looking back at at the year.  Overall, it was interesting and enjoyable.

The Good

GrandAm merged with ALMS and created the IMSA/Tudor Series and the North American Endurance Cup (NEAC).  It brought together the widest range of machinery we haven seen since the days of the GTP Uber-Prototypes.  To unify endurance racing in the US was necessary for both to survive.

While there were areas of concern, especially after Sebring (See “An Open Letter To IMSA“), it ended where it should have started, with P2’s being competitive with the DP’s.  The new P2 Coupes look great and can run with the DP’s, even win against them.  I want to believe there will be a better balance of power (BoP) going into the 2015 Rolex and Sebring races.

Having P2’s race in both the World Endurance Cup (WEC) and the NEAC puts some well known American Teams on the world stage.  In particular, Scott Sharps ESM and Patrick Dempsey’s efforts will show how racing in the US stacks up against the European ands Asian LeMans Series’.  For years, I have felt that our lack of representation internationally was bad for our domestic racing scene.  I look back at the days where the same teams racing at LeMans were at Daytona and Sebring, and our drivers had a yardstick which to compare to themselves to those across the pond.  This is a big plus!!  The dream of having an American winning LeMans, even a class win, now has traction!

Ford has become involved in the series with what I believe is the sweetest jewel of an American built engine.  The 3.5Ltr twin turbo-charged V6 is simply the best small(er) displacement motor around.  I have it in my Lincoln MKT and love it.  Any new manufacturer in the series is good for the series.

Porsche is back in the prototype classes with Mark Webber and the 919!  I simply love it!

WEC/Tudor double header at COTA.  Now we can compare the DP’s to the LMP1’s on the same track on the same day!  We can compare the GTLM’s to the GTE’s too!  Simply awesome.

The Bad

The initial officiating at both Daytona and Sebring was horrendous!  I figured Alex Job Racing would have left for the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC).  They didn’t, but several did, notably Flying Lizard, Turner Motorsport and Bob Stallings/Gainsco.  The officiating was the start, the costly changes to all the BoP changes and, well, the general cost increases for the “low budget” GTDaytona made the PWC’s format very appealing.  While GTD and PWC comparisons are generally apples and oranges, money is money and GTD is costly.

With that said, we have lost at least 7 teams: the 5 mentioned above, Level 5 motorsport (due in part to owner Scott Tuckers pending legal issues) and Pickett/Muscle Milk Motorsport (I have no idea why they left after Sebring).

The Ugly

The wreck of the Red Dragon at Daytona!  It was violent and a near death experience for all involved.  That anyone survived surprises me.  I Wish the best for Memo Gedley and Matteo Malucelli’s recovery and hope to see them both in race cars soon!.

The soap opera that is F1.  Need I say more…

 

 

Looking Towards 2015

the 2015 season kicks off in 3 weeks and I start fidgeting with excitement just before Christmas….  So, what do we have to look for?

What We Lost

Well, we are losing 3 teams to the Pirelli World Challenge!  GTD Champion Turner Motorsport, for one.  Flying Lizard and Bob Stallings/Gainsco have also left IMSA for 2015.  That’s 3 teams with 5 cars, 4 of them in GTD alone.  With them goes 10 drivers. (Anyone who argues that GTD has not gotten too expensive, remember this!  They left due to the costs of the series.)

We lost the Dodge/SRT Viper team in GTLM.  Thats a shame, right after winning the GTLM championship and screwing Jonathan Bomarito out of a championship that he rightfully won WITH Kumo Wittmer.  They both ran the same car throughout the season.  To put them in separate cars, though…  I understand the strategy but after all the work to get there only to split the drivers for the last year is an insult to the drivers.  It’s like pulling your best wide receiver for the Super Bowl!  No sir, I don’t like it!

Scott Sharp’s Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) and Patrick Dempsey Motorsports leaves full time Tudor for the WEC.  Both intend to do all 4 of the Patron North American Endurance Cup (NAEC) races.  OK, ESM kinda has to as driver Ed Brown is Patrons CEO.  However, I think that’s a good sign.  They are moving up from Tudor’s regional series to the World Cup of Endurance racing.  If they are competitive, and I see no reason for them not to be, it speaks volumes to the quality of the racing in the IMSA/Tudor series on the world stage!

What We Gained

We have a new prototype team and the return of two former stalwarts.  RG Motorsports is fielding a Riley/BMW for Ohio neurosurgeon Richard Gewirtz.  While they have yet to name drivers, its a start.

Starworks Motorsports is back, this year with a Riley-BMW in cool Martini colors!  After last year’s debacle with the Riley-Honda that struggled at both Daytona and Sebring, they bring a solid, competitive, package for 2015.  Its a package that will work, something they couldn’t do with the Honda in the DP chassis.

Krohn Motorsports returns with a Ligier-Judd for the full season!  The solid green cars return with the state of the art P2 package.  With the speed that OAK Racing showed with their coupes last year, this should be very competitive.

What’s Changed

Michael Shank losses Ford but gains Honda!  Not only that, they go to the Ligier-Honda P2 package. They should be fast!

Chip Ganassi (Ok, I AM NOT Spelling out the entire name…) drops Memo Rojas and his TelCel sponsorship and gains American Ace Joey Hand and Ford as primary sponsor.  This is a very interesting story to follow for 2015.  Ford IS releasing a new GT car at next months Detroit Auto Show with plans to attack LeMans in 2016.  That year is the 50th anniversary of Fords first win with the GT40.  Ford is teaming with Chip Ganassi to make this happen.  Ironically, Chip has both Chevy NASCAR and Indycar teams.  Though Roger Penske (a hero of mine) splits Ford in NASCAR and Chevy in Indycar, I see a big change in the future on the other side as neither manufacturer usually tolerates this kind of conflict of interest.

The FIA drivers ratings are kind of screwy.  ( I can use that word, my blog).  How is it Jordan Taylor goes to Platinum with only a win this season and Joao Barbosa drops to Gold after winning the championship?  Why are there so many top line drivers NOT able to get rides and so many people who, frankly, I don’t care to know, getting (or paying for) rides.  I mean, REALLY!  Ryan Eversley, Guy Cosmo, Spencer Pumpelly and others are not going to be here.  I think GTD should be broken up to a GTD-Pro and a GTD-Am (or Pro/Am).  But, maybe if the purses were bigger…  A story for another day!

What I Expect

I expect there to be another year of GREAT racing, with fewer controversies.  I think the P2 Coupes will be even more competitive with the DP’s.  I feel the Depth in the Prototype class is better than in many years, including 2014.  I think fewer cars in GTLM and GTD will actually improve the racing throughout.  2015 is going to be a great year.

Something to look forward to will be 2016, which is just out of sight.  With GTD going GT3, I feel many PWC teams, many who have wanted some endurance races, will come over.  Maybe only for the NAEC.  But the depth of machinery will be very exciting.

Ford’s Return

Ford is back!  I am excited because the car Henry built is making another concerted effort to win the big one, LeMans! One of my favorite books is “Go Like Hell” by A.J. Baime.  It is the story of Ford, Ferrari and LeMans.  To be able to watch Fords attempt glory is too cool to ignore.

I have to back up a moment here.  I have a Lincoln MKT.  Old man car, I know. (REALLY, I know…)  My friends make fun of me.  BUT, tt has what I believe  is Fords VERY BEST motor!  The 3.5 lire twin turbo is a jewel of an engine and needs to be in a sports car.  Fords Q-car.  I can drive past the local gendarmerie without them bothering to consider whats happening.  (That said, I NEED to be careful now…) The best motor NOT in a Mustang.  The F150 IS NOT A SPORTS CAR!!!  REALLY!  That said…

I saw it in a Michael Shank Racing Riley chassis 2 years ago at the Rolex and had hoped, one day, it would race.  It did last year.  After Michael Shank’s awesome closed course speed record, Chip Ganassi saw the potential and joined MSR as the Ford team.  Chip Ganassi is such a huge operation, with IndyCar, NASCAR and Tudor, Ford seemed to drop MSR for a better opportunity. (MSR did win for Ford with A.J. Allmindinger, though.)  It may be the best opportunity for them to win!  (MSR’s switch to Honda power  in the P2 Ligier is too cool, but a story for another time.)

It is official, Ford is a title sponsor for Ganassi’s #1 car with Scott Pruett and Joey Hand.  I grew up watching Scott Pruett driving Jack Roush’s killer SCCA and GTO Mustangs in the 80’s and 90’s!  A sort of homecoming…  It all seems to be coming together for a mid-life revival!

Next month, Ford appears to be ready to announce its plan to attack LeMans with a new car to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show.  Chip Ganassi Racing seems to be in the drivers seat as Fords designated team.  I have no idea if it is going to be an LMP2 design, using a version of their EcoBoost engine, or a GT3 based on a very secret GT40-esque design.  I am leaning towards something that can go for the overall win.

The trickle down effect is simple.  Ford is going to have a huge presence at the Rolex24 at Daytona.  And with that, I am excited!!!

 

Pictures from the Roar Before Daytona

Here are some of the pictures I took at the Roar Before the Rolex.  It is a great way to start my own tune up for the season; hunting good viewing angles and getting to know the teams and cars.

Yes, the cars!  There are a bunch of new ones, the P2’s and PC’s in particular are great to watch.  The Delta Wing, WOW!  This race is gonna be fun to watch.  Hopefully the Fords get their exhaust header issues worked out!

The Corvette DP’s were, again, on the top of the timing charts. With a good 2 years of development under them, they may win the race. Ford, however, has work to do. MSR and, importantly, CGFS has the resources in house to help develop the new engine. If it didn’t have great potential, Ganassi wouldn’t have dropped the powerful Dinan BMW’s for it.

The P2’s are close in speed, though. Close enough to challenge for a win! They will need to utilize superior pit work and reliability to do it. I feel that over 24 hours, P2’s will bring it to the DP’s for an overall win.

Now we have a number of TRUE factory Teams in GT with Aston Martin, GM, Chrysler, BMW and Porsche. And this is now in both GTLM and GTD and it is good. Good to have them run along side the many privateers out on the track.

One thing I did notice is who was NOT there; Dyson Racing, BGB Motorsport, and Sahlens Racing (I know, their in the Continental, but I’ll miss them come Saturday). Level 5 is there, but may be in too diverse a position this year to make a difference.

But the race will go on and we will start the season with a blast!