2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship - motoring|underground

Drew · #1 01-25-2014, 10:40 PM

I'm watching the 24 Hours of Daytona and thinking about how I feel about the new combined series. It's a little odd, but not too bad so far. Maybe it's the commentators, but I feel like it's missing some of the ALMS feel that I preferred. With that said, holy shit the new Porsche 911 RSR is sexy! The Vette and Viper are fun to watch from the Domestic side, and hopefully Mazda can finally sort out diesel racing.

professor · #2 01-26-2014, 05:47 PM

Been watching all night and morning. Some great racing and some strange new rules.

Drew · #3 01-27-2014, 02:20 PM

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...crash/4898591/

This was terrible to watch happen live. Sounds like he broke his back and there aren't any more updates.

Nothing he could do because he was completely blinded by the sun and the car he was passing.

maxmini · #4 01-28-2014, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...crash/4898591/

This was terrible to watch happen live. Sounds like he broke his back and there aren't any more updates.

Nothing he could do because he was completely blinded by the sun and the car he was passing.

I was watching as well and when they finally got him onto the stretcher they had a blanket over his head. I thought for sure he was gone . Between the fire and the sudden impact of the crash is so lucky to be alive.

Randy

Rally · #5 01-28-2014, 03:01 PM

Just got back from Daytona....what a crazy experience. It was my first 24 hour race and it was intense shooting for that long. Today is photo editing day...we should have the article up shortly.

So far I loved the feel of the USCC. It has some organization issues that it needs to work out behind the scenes and some of the rules need some tweaking...but that's to be expected from a new series. I was pleasantly surprised if I'm being honest.

I'm curious what the race will be like with that many cars on tighter tracks like Long Beach. Daytona is a big, wide track and even then they were getting bunched up when cars ran off the track or spun out. Should be interesting.

iDiaz · #6 01-29-2014, 06:52 PM

It looks like Long Beach is going to be only P and GTLM. No PC or GTD.

All I've got to say after watching the Daytona 24 is that I would be furious if I were a sponsor of a formerly-ALMS team. I think I saw the Muscle Milk LMP2 car twice in the entire time I was watching. Several times, I saw them cut away from GTLM and GTD battles to show the lead DP car running all by itself. It was basically like watching Grand Am. If you didn't know any better, you probably wouldn't have even noticed the ALMS presence in watching the TV coverage.

Rally · #7 01-29-2014, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iDiaz

It looks like Long Beach is going to be only P and GTLM. No PC or GTD.

Oh, well that solves that. That wouldve been one seriously crowded paddock if they added PC and GTD to the already packed Indy/ALMS paddock space.

iDiaz · #8 01-29-2014, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rally

Oh, well that solves that. That wouldve been one seriously crowded paddock if they added PC and GTD to the already packed Indy/ALMS paddock space.

Hahah yeah, I don't even think it'd be possible. Maybe if they got rid of one of the support series' and put PC/GTD in one of the halls.

Drew · #9 01-29-2014, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iDiaz

It looks like Long Beach is going to be only P and GTLM. No PC or GTD.

All I've got to say after watching the Daytona 24 is that I would be furious if I were a sponsor of a formerly-ALMS team. I think I saw the Muscle Milk LMP2 car twice in the entire time I was watching. Several times, I saw them cut away from GTLM and GTD battles to show the lead DP car running all by itself. It was basically like watching Grand Am. If you didn't know any better, you probably wouldn't have even noticed the ALMS presence in watching the TV coverage.

Interesting observation. I really felt like I was watching a GrandAm race the whole time, but hadn't figured out why. I get that you've got to give some time to the overall leader, but the open prototype cars were pretty much ignored. I think if Mazda hadn't had so many breakdowns they would've been completely ignored.

iDiaz · #10 01-29-2014, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew

Interesting observation. I really felt like I was watching a GrandAm race the whole time, but hadn't figured out why. I get that you've got to give some time to the overall leader, but the open prototype cars were pretty much ignored. I think if Mazda hadn't had so many breakdowns they would've been completely ignored.

...especially when that overall leader was essentially fabricated using the rulebook. A tube-frame prototype with crude 1970s aerodynamics crushing the lap times of a modern, CFD- and wind-tunnel-honed, carbon-fiber, monocoque prototype? Get outta here with that. I'd almost go so far as to say it's disrespectful to the history of endurance racing.

They better fix the balance of performance quick or they're going to lose the ALMS audience.

Rally · #11 01-29-2014, 10:23 PM

I just can't get into modern-day prototypes, though the ALMS ones are far better than the GrandAM ones.

As usual our coverage will focus mainly on GTLM with a dash of GTD

iDiaz · #12 01-29-2014, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rally

I just can't get into modern-day prototypes, though the ALMS ones are far better than the GrandAM ones.

As usual our coverage will focus mainly on GTLM with a dash of GTD

GTLM and GTD is where the good racing is happening, for sure. Unfortunately, on TV, they'd rather air commercials and footage of a lone DP. Killin' me.

Rally · #13 01-30-2014, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iDiaz

GTLM and GTD is where the good racing is happening, for sure. Unfortunately, on TV, they'd rather air commercials and footage of a lone DP. Killin' me.

That sounds lame.....Nascar

I feel like a lot of the OEM Manufacturer funding (which is huge) is focused on GTLM so hopefully some of that money leverage will give them a bit more power to change the coverage. Ford and Chevy did throw a lot of money at prototypes though.....'Merica.

maxmini · #14 01-30-2014, 06:34 PM

The new series left Lime Rock off the schedule which was a highlight of the north east racing schedule . That's not going to help with growing the fan base .

Randy

Rally · #15 01-31-2014, 11:00 PM

Here's out coverage from the first USCC event of the year at the Rolex24

http://www.stanceworks.com/2014/01/d...rs-of-daytona/