rotarygod

This is a bit of interesting news. Keep in mind I really like this car so don't think I am biased against it. Audi isn't happy about the LMP2 cars getting faster and faster while their car is being handicapped. The ACO rules in Europe are calling for power to be pulled back on LMP2 cars to keep them slower than LMP1 cars. Over here however, they have decided to not implement that rule. Audi isn't happy. Last year Porsche was basically as fast as the LMP1 cars were and this year they are faster than last years cars. Acura is also just as fast as they are. Audi is worried that they aren't going to get any outright victories and that their LMP1 car will be slower. They've been handicapped due to their dominance last year and now have to carry less fuel than last year which means more pitstops and slower times. I do see their point in that they'd like to be able to win outright and that LMP2 cars shouldn't be faster but let's face it, they don't really have much competition in their class. They should easily win their class. I think Audi has gotten so used to winning every race that they forgot what it's like to get anything else. Should they pull out of ALMS just because they may not win every race outright? Compare this attitude to Mazda's.

http://www.planetlemans.com/cmsv2/in...k=view&id=2308

Spin9k

Sounds like I case of "If I can't win for just showing up... sniff..sniff.. then I'm taking my marbles and going home. Damn the competition!"

rotarygod

God forbid someone else actually win a race! Who does Audi think they are, Ferrari? I really like the R10. It is probably my favorite LeMans car right now. I don't agree with their attitude though. It's childish. If I can't always be the best, I'm taking my toys and going home. It sounds more like a challenge to me. They may as well accept it and do their best. That's what they did when the rules favored a diesel advantage. Now that the advantage is gone, they aren't happy. A level playing field isn't what they want. Maybe they are Ferrari?

Clavius

Part of me undestands their fret with LMP2 cars being as fast as the LMP1 cars but if their primary concern is not winning each race then screw 'em. Sounds like what Speed Channel was saying at the last race of the year with how Maserati may or may not come back and how a commentator said ".. which translates into if the rules favor us enough to win." I hate that attitude its called a Race not "Here is your trophy for showing up". If Audi just wishes to make sure there is a definate difference between the two classes fine but if their main concern is losing a race outright f'em.

Ike

LMP2 cars should NEVER win races outright over LMP1 cars unless there are serious mechanical issues. To go even further they should never be close to as fast as the LMP2 cars. This is a mistake by the AOC and it should be fixed. Then again, who really gives a damn about ALMS racing <yawn>

Clavius

^I personaly never pay attention to the LMP classes myself since I can't asociate any cars with 'em. That and both classes kinda look the same only real difference I can see to a certain extent is the LMP1 class is a bigger car size than LMP2.

rotarygod

I agree that LMP2 cars shouldn't be as fast as LMP1 cars. That's not in dispute. I don't agree with Audi saying that if they can't win then maybe they shouldn't race. That's a crap attitude.

I like ALMS. Right now it is my favorite race series to watch. I'm not into drag racing, Nascar sucks, and IRL is open wheel Nascar. Champ Car is OK but not as exciting as it used to be. F1 is awesome to watch but sadly there isn't a ton of actual racing going on. Those courses are just so tight it's hard to pass. It's not uncommon to see cars finishing in almost the exact same positions as they qualified in. I still like the series and still watch it. I like LeMans cars because you have different technology on the track at the same time trying to compete with each other. That's what racing originally was. You challenged another guy with a different vehicle and tried to outdo him with what you have. F1 is this on a really high level but ALMS spreads this out a bit. You have a broader range of development than other series. I think it's exciting and fun to follow. It's always the racing bodies such as ACO that mess things up. If they'd just put a power cap on each class and a weight minimum and then base each class on power to weight ratio, we wouldn't have this issue.

AggieLuke

I'd like to throw in my .02 cents.

First, the ACO are the ones adding the power restriction to the LMP2 class to keep those cars roughly 1.5% slower per lap than the P1s at Le Mans. Bear in mind that Le Mans is the ONLY race that the ACO cares about, or makes rules for. Both the ALMS (through IMSA) and the LMS in Europe follow the ACO rules so that their respective winners receive automatic invitations to run at Le Mans.

It is IMSA that is rescinding this restrictor for P2 in the ALMS to try and have more than 2 cars on the lead lap. With Dyson leaving P1, the only confirmed P1 entry is Autocon running a VERY old and SLOW chassis, one that is slower than the P2s. Without a move like this, the R10 would just walk away with every overall victory.

With that being said, I don't buy that Audi is even remotely threatened by this. They just finished their testing at Sebring and ran 2 seconds faster than the fastest P2 (Dyson Spyder) and I promise they weren't even breaking a sweat. The fact is nobody has seen close to what the R10 is capable of, Audi just doesn't want to have to try before facing the Puegot later this year.

Ike

I used to watch any kind of racing I could when I was younger. There was a time when F1 and american open wheel racing was exciting, but those days seem long gone. Now the only type of racing I really care about is damn tough to watch because Americans just don't get it.

rotarygod

What's that, rally racing? If it is, that's cool too but sadly this country never embraced it.

astro

Try the Australian V8 Supercar series. I reckon it is one of the best touring car races around. I only watch the start of F1 races these days.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

Audi put a ton of money into the project and have built maybe one of the best racing cars ever in existance. Nobody in their class can compete with that car. They then watch the ACO let a lower and cheaper class continue to get advantages because of the ACO's desire to bolster the series with more manufacturers.

its cheap and Audi is calling the ACO out... and they deserve it

Umbra

Personally I love ALMS because of the way the treat the fans at the track, and because you have so many different cars and types of cars on the track at the same time. I couldn't care less about drag racing or nascar or champs or F1.

I'd hate to see Audi pull out, the R10's are just badass and so quiet.

Race Shooter

Two trains of thought here for me.

First off, I say to Audi, dont let the door hit you on the way out. I dont think the ALMS needs Audi anymore, they have proven that they will stomp on anyone that takes them on and have scared off the entire P1 class. I truly believe if they were to leave, we would see several additional P1 entries in the class. Same for GM and Corvette in GT1.

That being said, I also do not agree at all with what IMSA is doing. The ACO laid out the rules and have stated they want P2 to be a slower class. When we had the LMP900 and LMP675 rules, it was stated that they were two different means to an overall victory. The 675 cars were supposed to compete with the 900 cars, but they proved to be unreliable and never really challenged. However, with P1 and P2 it was stated right from the start that P2 cars were NOT supposed to race for overall victories and I agree with that mentality.

But IMSA has for some reason wanted to bring back the other theory and are going against the ACO restrictor rule and I think its a mistake. All its going to do is create this exact problem we are having. Audi will still win and will still be able to win overall, the R10 is so far above everything else right now its not even funny and we havent even begun to see what the car is actually capable of. I truly believe that.

If IMSA just went with the ACO rules, it would actually bunch up the whole P2 class better since at the speeds they are going, it will only separate the haves and have nots even more in that class. Why are P2 cars running faster around Sebring now than an R8 was two years ago? Why do they need to be that fast?

Since the restrictor rule is an across the board rule for the entire class it only makes sense to do it and slow them all down. Then if one car or type of car needs an adjustment, they can do one of their competition adjustments to bring the entire field together again. That is what will make good racing within the class. Allowing Porsche and Acura to just scream out ahead at former P1 speeds to try to challenge a P1 car for no reason just doesnt make sense.

The only thing this serves is driving Audi away...unless that is really what they are after (see my first point).