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 Miscellaneous Racing Series 2021: Finally, Finally Putting it in H This is the Misc. Racing Thread, home for discussion of all kinds of racing that aren't Formula 1, IndyCar, or NASCAR. Feel free to post about sports car racing, touring cars, rallying, off-road racing, motocross, and anything else you can think of. So much good racing is available to watch (especially online officially) that we can share and discuss while enjoying speedy race cars.  So what kind of racing are you talking about here, then? We talk a lot about sports-car racing. It’s the racing, primarily on road and street courses, of cars which come closest in design and spirit to street cars. And at the top of sports cars are what’s called prototypes -- single-seat racers with closed tops and fenders. The Grand Prix cars of long-distance racing. But this is a place for all sorts of series: Australian Supercars, Japanese Super GT and Super Formula, the World Rally Championship, Supercross (I will get murdered if I don't mention or watch Supercross), and more. Why should I care about sports car racing?  There’s a wide variety -- of cars, drivers, locations, and of race distances. It’s where your favorite drivers from Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR past will wind up. Races are often long (6-, 12- and 24-hour races are not uncommon), and feature multiple types (classes) of car racing on the same track but in individual class battles alongside the overall ranking. The world of sports car racing tends to be friendlier and more approachable than other parts, while still attracting many colorful characters. Okay. So what's new for 2021? One word: H Y P E R C A R. Our long, international nightmare is over. The new ruleset for the top category of the World Endurance Championship (and by extension, the 24 Hours of Le Mans) is FINALLY active this year.  So who's joining in? Let's recount some of the changes for the WEC and IMSA:
 As well, longer-term we already have four announcements for factories joining the Hypercar class from IMSA or WEC in coming years:
So, what are the series I should know?  The FIA World Endurance Championship is the highest level of sports-car racing. It’s an FIA World Championship, same as Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship, which means a lot. The WEC schedule includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which means almost as much, if not more, as Le Mans remains a hugely popular event and a major marketing point for all these big manufacturers. The WEC features LM Hypercar cars, LMP2 cars, and two GT classes, and is pretty fun to watch. Its season is back to running during the calendar year, and though the first race is moved from Sebring to Portugal, it will continue on as a global championship this year.  Alongside the WEC is another series that is based mainly in one country but almost equal to the WEC in terms of longevity and prestige: IMSA in the United States. Its a US and Canadian-based series, but many teams and drivers will also compete at Le Mans on an annual basis. IMSA also has a number of high-profile races: endurance epics include the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, the Sebring 12 Hours in March, and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in October, plus marquee shorter races at Long Beach, Road America, and more. Other regional series which are directly under the WEC and ACO (who co-organize the WEC along with the FIA) include the European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series, which both act as feeders of a sort to the World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans. There's no direct relegation/promotion, but teams gain experience in the regional series and sometimes step up to the WEC; also, all of IMSA, Asian Le Mans and European Le Mans all receive invites to the 24 Hours of Le Mans annually.  But there are other series in this sports car world! Many of them fall under a sports car rulebook called GT3. These are cars made by big companies (Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Audi) which are sold to customers. GT3 cars are expected to be balanced to achieve a similar level of performance -- in theory, a driver could take each of those cars around a track and get roughly the same lap time. This has led to a boom in series aimed to customers, as the cars are relatively affordable, well-built, fairly easy to drive (especially compared to customer cars from the 1970s and ‘80s) and eligible to race in a lot of exciting events. The 24 Hours races at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nurburgring in Germany are highlights for GT3-type racing worldwide. Great! So how/when do I watch? First, you need to know when a race is! Custard Undies recommended this link to Motorsport.com's schedule for racing series. Use it, learn it, love it. Because the sports-car world is so diverse, there’s a lot to watch. Happily, much of it is readily available online or even via YouTube.
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Other questions? Reach out and ask! Recommendations? Please suggest and we'll try to add them in. Come join us on Discord! https://discord.gg/kg3d2Uu Misc Threads of the Past Misc Racing Thread 2020: Put it in H! Misc Racing Thread 2019: I woke up to a smoking hulk Misc Auto Racing 2018: Mazda gonna Mazda Misc Auto Racing 2017: gently caress off Whincup Misc Auto Racing 2016 : Downgraded From Silver Posters to Bronze Misc Auto Racing 2015: At least our criminals are non-violent Misc Auto Racing 2014: So long and thanks for all the McNish Misc Auto Racing 2013: Beware: Ferrari Ahead Misc. Auto Racing 2012: No War But Class War Sportscars 2011: Racing with Class (ILMC/ALMS/GrandAm) 2011 Daytona 24 Hours 2010 Daytona 24 Hours harperdc fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Jan 21, 2022 |
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Jan 30, 2021 11:26
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Other Wonderful Misfit Series of Note Sports car racing is a lot, but it's not all of what we cover/discuss in here. Here are some primers for other big series that fall under our umbrella. Formula E  The electric racing series Formula E was really impacted by COVID-19 last year, having to run a series of races in Berlin to make the championship whole. It's becoming a better and better series to watch, and hopefully they can get more of the international races in this year. So far for 2021, the season has only been tentatively set and is likely to change further still.
Super GT  Anime GT remains the absolute hipster choice for those who are into motorsports. Three manufacturers battling in the top class, active tire development by multiple manufacturers, and an incredibly varied GT3 and local class, the battles in Super GT are often spectacular. Do yourself a favor and find the championship finale from last year and just watch how it ended. Amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4hfJ3_x8Ig
World Rally Championship  Unfortunately, I am unhappy to report that Sébastien Ogier is once more the reigning champion. (but winning with three different makes? wow. dang) But that doesn't mean the WRC will be bad. Far from it! And the season has already got underway, even if the Monte Carlo rally was a bit of a dull one due to COVID restrictions in France. The series should be interesting, particularly because of the switch to Pirelli tires, and also to see if anyone can challenge Ogier. And if COVID allows, we'll have the Safari Rally back for the first time since 2002!! The WRC has plenty of events in reserve in case the calendar has to change.
harperdc fucked around with this message at 07:20 on Jan 21, 2022 |
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Jan 30, 2021 11:27
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[August 18 edit] This coming weekend is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the biggest races in the world and an annual highlight.harperdc posted:The first broadcast practice session is later today (the WEC App coverage is apparently using FP1 as their dry run so it's not being broadcast). The full event schedule is available on the FIA WEC website, with a 'convert to local time' button. harperdc fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Aug 18, 2021 |
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Jan 30, 2021 11:35
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Also respect to Americans who had the weird idea in the 2000s of "What if Le Mans... but series?"
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Jan 30, 2021 12:37
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algebra testes posted:Also respect to Americans who had the weird idea in the 2000s of "What if Le Mans... but series?" the ACO stubs out their Gauloises and looks over the glass of wine "what, we should do this more than once a year? and in other places?" really glad I grew up in the era of ALMS and came back once the Grand Am/IMSA re-marriage happened, sports car racing is the wonderful phoenix that will burn brightly but also die out quickly. I didn't watch the first season but the WEC has also done a good job of re-establishing and stabilizing the World Championship.
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Jan 30, 2021 12:42
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Great work again harperdc  Cannot wait to watch some endurance racing again!
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Jan 30, 2021 12:44
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Nice new op OP. Daytooooonnaaaaaa
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Jan 30, 2021 14:28
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IMSA Trackpass in the US will last through the end of 2021 if the signup page is to be believed. Also, Roborace continues to trundle along based on the Twitch notification I got yesterday.
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Jan 30, 2021 16:51
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WATCH MORE SUPERCROSS OR I WILL MURDER YOU  No, seriously. I think the only reason why you're not watching Supercross at this point is because you're racist against dirt bikes or something. Every drat race there are thrills, spills, full-contact passing, unpredictable racing, manufacturer parity (new in 2021: GasGas and it's already won!!) and a competitive championship. To pique your interest, I will direct you to the highlights from Arlington 2019, one of the two closest finishes in the history of Supercross that happened that year, where the winner overcame a 13 second gap to steal it at the line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbxhLJAQan4 Supercross is both the AMA and FIM championships for the discipline, so you've literally got the best riders in the world doing this every week. It's unique in that the track layout is different every time the circuit comes to a venue or returns to the same venue, so track knowledge can only be built up in one day. In Covidtimes most venues are pulling double or triple duty with 2 or 3 races in a week, including mid-week races, but they still manage to mix up the track very well. They're also racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the first time? So that's cool. The season runs from January to May before switching to the outdoor Motocross season for the summer. (Pro Motocross is OK but not as good as Supercross!) There are two bike classes (450cc and 250cc) split up into three divisions (450SX, 250SX West, 250SX East), with every race day featuring the 450 class and (usually) one of the regional 250 classes. Many, many bikes participate in qualifying practice, but only the top 40 bikes qualify for the night program (what you see on TV) with the heat races and LCQs. From those, the top 22 make it to the main event. Some 450 events are Triple Crown races that have a special 3-heat overall format, and some 250 events are crossover races where both regions compete with and against each other. If that sounds confusing, the easy way to put it is that there's a lot of variety in the competition! The racing really is unpredictable. You could get a 10+ second butt-kicking win by the leader, but you could also see the leader blow a 10-second lead by self-crashing in a corner, on a jump, in the sand section, or over the whoops. The track degrades through a race and through the race night overall, so riders really have to stay on their toes just to stay upright, let alone go bar-to-bar with one another. Aggressive block passing is allowed and expected (but you can be penalized for 1st degree bike murder) and revenge re-passing is totally a thing that happens and is very entertaining when it doesn't go well! It is still a very good time to jump in to Supercross. The younger 450 veterans and many up-and-comers from the 250 class are all competing to make a name for themselves—literally half the field is capable of winning any given race now. From 2010 to 2017 only two riders won the championship. In the last three years there have been three different champions, and 5 or 6 others that could legitimately compete for it. Without a single currently-dominating rider, and with at least four or five of the seven manufacturers good for several race wins through the season, I have absolutely no idea how this season is going to play out. Which makes it exciting to watch! If you want to watch, there's good news! All live streaming coverage of Supercross has moved to Peacock this season, so the $5 a month you're already paying for Indycar practice and The Office will get you live Supercross practice, qualifying, and yes! Every race session. Every race will be on NBCSN as well, though not all of them live. 2021 Season & TV Schedule 2021 Track Maps WindyMan fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Jan 30, 2021 |
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Jan 30, 2021 18:16
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Daytona last year was the race that got me into sports car racing so I'm excited to watch it again.
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Jan 30, 2021 20:30
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Daytona starting, prolly gonna be some fellers in discord! Already Mazda problems, lol
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Jan 30, 2021 21:41
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Lol at the Porsche. Bye bye bodywork!
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Jan 30, 2021 21:54
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Clown show starting early this year
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Jan 30, 2021 21:59
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Jesus how long are they going to keep interviewing a single NASCAR driver
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Jan 30, 2021 22:11
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So have they actually interveiwed a non-Nascar driver yet?
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Jan 30, 2021 23:17
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wtf was the 62 thinking
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Jan 31, 2021 00:04
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P3's have either all died or have their pros in, they're being far too calm
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Jan 31, 2021 04:01
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Rolex24 has been great. Was about to post about KMag leading, but he just got a penalty that I’ve not heard of before? “Wheel rotation on the jack stand” - What’s that mean?
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Jan 31, 2021 16:45
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Nybble posted:Rolex24 has been great. Was about to post about KMag leading, but he just got a penalty that I’ve not heard of before? “Wheel rotation on the jack stand” - What’s that mean? You’re not supposed to have the car in gear while up on the jacks for a tire change for reasons of safety. If you do put the car in gear early and you’re not sufficiently pressing the clutch, the drive wheels will turn and that alerts the stewards that you’re not following the safety rules and you’ll incur a penalty.
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Jan 31, 2021 17:36
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Gettin spicy at the front
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Jan 31, 2021 19:33
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Sucks for the DPi Cadillac. 9 mins left and the rear tire blows sending it back to 5th. All in all a fun race.
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Jan 31, 2021 21:52
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Nybble posted:Rolex24 has been great. Was about to post about KMag leading, but he just got a penalty that I’ve not heard of before? “Wheel rotation on the jack stand” - What’s that mean? Picture a mechanic trying to remove a rear wheel and suddenly it starts turning at the idle of a 600hp engine. Hands don't much appreciate that sort of thing. It's to protect pit crew.
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Jan 31, 2021 23:50
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Bloopsy posted:Sucks for the DPi Cadillac. 9 mins left and the rear tire blows sending it back to 5th. 9 minutes left and the top five are still that close? Yikes 
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Feb 1, 2021 00:32
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Appreciate the explanations! And yeah, it was a super tight race for even a short endurance race, let alone a 24 hour one. Shame that tire blew again, must have been something wrong either in the setup or the wheelwell for them to lose another tire. Feel like we were robbed of a last lap thriller, but overall a fantastic race and glad so many of the classes were close for most of the race.
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Feb 1, 2021 00:49
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Yeah DPis and GTLM were absurdly close most of the race. Gt3s it became clear about half way that the Mercs had it.
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Feb 1, 2021 00:56
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harperdc posted:9 minutes left and the top five are still that close? Yikes To be fair that's what happens when you BoP the same cars for years and if anyone does lose a lap you give it back for free every time a crisp packet blows across the track. Still though, it was fun.
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Feb 1, 2021 12:49
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Dudley posted:To be fair that's what happens when you BoP the same cars for years and if anyone does lose a lap you give it back for free every time a crisp packet blows across the track. partially it was a "they've still got five cars running that close?" because DPi only had seven cars total, so that many had survived that late was amazing. but yeah BOP, getting laps back under the cautions, and really reliable cars adds up to 24-hour sprint races.
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Feb 1, 2021 14:43
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It was a good race at the front for sure.
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Feb 1, 2021 14:58
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Dudley posted:To be fair that's what happens when you BoP the same cars for years and if anyone does lose a lap you give it back for free every time a crisp packet blows across the track. To be fair, the drivers are also (generally) very good in DPi...the LMP3 class is pretty dire aside from like 1 cars. Like in LMP3 it was clear Pigot and Askew were way above anybody else's level.
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Feb 1, 2021 15:03
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Is lmp3 a season long class or was it just for daytona?
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Feb 1, 2021 16:10
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Do drivers have contracts with teams? Nick Tandy drove a Porsche but now drives for Corvette Racing. Can they just switch teams whenever they want?
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Feb 1, 2021 18:01
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Bloopsy posted:Do drivers have contracts with teams? Nick Tandy drove a Porsche but now drives for Corvette Racing. Can they just switch teams whenever they want? They usually have contracts with either the team or the motorsport branch of the manufacturer behind the team. Often this gives them leeway to drive with other teams/in other series unless it’s in direct competition with the main contract.
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Feb 1, 2021 18:14
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Bloopsy posted:Do drivers have contracts with teams? Nick Tandy drove a Porsche but now drives for Corvette Racing. Can they just switch teams whenever they want? Usually, but it’s mostly shorter term than other sports. Tandy was a factory-supported Porsche driver, but because Porsche decided to close their IMSA GTLM team after the 2020 season, he jumped to Corvette Racing for this year. For sports car racing it’ll look a lot more chaotic and flexible - oftentimes drivers are contracted to an OEM, meaning they will drive for that brand in multiple areas (eg in IMSA and at Le Mans and the Nurburgring 24 Hours as an example). Or it’ll be a “gentleman driver” (see: rich dude) who contracts with a team or multiple teams in multiple series.
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Feb 2, 2021 08:44
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Eg there were a bunch of Porsche factory drivers at this race spread among 3 teams. Those guys will probably be the back bone of the factory effort at Le Mans, then drive with private teams at the Nurburgring 24 hr, and Spa 24.
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Feb 2, 2021 10:59
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net work error posted:Is lmp3 a season long class or was it just for daytona? The class is there but only 5 of the 7 cars are entered for the season, basically just the Ligiers. Which is at least better than LMP2 where only 3 of the 10 will be full season cars and GTE where only 3 of the 6 will be.
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Feb 2, 2021 12:41
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To be fair some of those LMP2s are racing in Europe. Unlike the BMWs that just get parked in RLL's garage or whatever.
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Feb 2, 2021 13:45
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algebra testes posted:To be fair some of those LMP2s are racing in Europe. The drivers/teams/paint schemes are driving in Europe, but not all the chassis go back and forth. The engines certainly do though, I think there’s a pool of engines all the P2s get allocated from. The BMWs are a bit of a shame, but hopefully this is just the low year - BMW is actively developing the M4 GT3, and you’d imagine that‘ll both be better suited to road racing and also be a shoo-in for the GTD Pro class. Plus, a big key for the IMSA makes has been activation (marketing efforts at events - like car corrals for local car clubs for the brands), and that’ll be much easier in 2022. Hopefully. Endurance only is a weird compromise but hey, BMW is suffering a bit now for cash.
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Feb 2, 2021 16:03
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If there’s one thing that BMW loves more than motorsports, it’s pulling out of motorsports
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Feb 2, 2021 22:20
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BMW drivers should pull out more often
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Feb 2, 2021 22:22
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Only hitting me now that there is no Bathurst 12h this year. 
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Feb 2, 2021 23:09
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