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IMSA announced great news earlier this week regarding the IMSA WeatherTech GTLM series next year. All the races will be at the same venues on basically the same weekends, with the exception of moving Belle Isle a couple of weeks earlier so all the GTLM teams who participate at the 24 Hours of LeMans can participate. In the last two years, there has been no GTLM at Belle Isle because everyone except BMW was practicing at LeMans.
Even better news is that NBC will be broadcasting ALL the races next year either on the main network, NBCSN or CNBC. I suspect this will be an upgrade from FS1, which only occasionally broadcast the races, and many could only be streamed from the FoxGo app, which was unreliable.
Below are the updated manufacturer standings going into the last three races. You can see the order of finish in all the races. Points are awarded to the best finishing car for each manufacturer in each race. 35 for 1st, 32 for 2nd, 30 for 3rd, 28 for 4th, and so on. For the manufacturer's title, there is no benefit to finishing 1-2, because only the top finishing car gets points.
it’s interesting to read your post. Historically, GM has been the company that always took their marbles and went home and Ford has always been the company that went racing—at Le Mans, in F1 with Cosworth, with Shelby, etc.
If there’s one real problem with Corvette Racing and GM in general, it’s how little they leverage their racing success. If you watched the Road America race, you saw an Audi commercial where they directly compare their Audi GTD car with the Audi street car. Where are those commercials for Corvette? And, these commercials need to be on other than racing broadcasts. Corvette has more cachet internationally than any other brand GM has. They really need to leverage it to get the most out of their racing investment. GM seems to miss this.
As far as losing other competitors, IMSA is the only game in town (best tv coverage of any road racing) in the United States. If the US market means anything to these manufacturers, I think they will keep racing. The German manufacturers, in particular, really like to leverage their racing success into their street car marketing.
The Germans have been competitive this year (and always will with BoP) and I don’t think Corvette is going to win that much with this older car. The new mid engine 911 should be winning at least as much as the Fords.
Of course my comments were limited to ALMS and now IMSA GTLM only and as you can surmise entirely exclude the prototypes. Ford is a Johnny come lately as all well know and their commitment to the long run is highly suspect. I mean, how many $600,000 GTs will they sell? Porsche is Porsche and we know of their commitment to the racing community but they have a well documented history of changing classes when Corvette Racing seemed to dominate the ALMS. Ford sells less than 100 sports cars a year IF you count the incredible GT as a real commercial entity. Everybody in the business knows that. Talk about leverage, Corvette (GM) sells every one of their real sports cars to the tune of about 40,000 highly profitable vehicles. You are absolutely right that they could and probably should leverage their incredible success on the IMSA Circuit. I for one would love to see GM trumpet this incredible machine as a halo car but sadly GM has become a truck company and has lost their way with cars. Remember when GM had a performance model in every line wth their SS Branding? Funny how they forgot that. Let’s see how VIR and the rest of the year for IMSA pans out. Wanna bet what happens to the other brands if Corvette Racing wins a third championship in a row with their “old cars”? Especially with the mid engine C8 around the corner. I know all Doug Fehan wants is a level playing field.
I for one would love to see GM trumpet this incredible machine as a halo car but sadly GM has become a truck company and has lost their way with cars. Remember when GM had a performance model in every line with their SS Branding? Funny how they forgot that.
BINGO!!!
GM has completely lost it's way with regards to performance across the line and Dodge/Jeep is kicking their *** there. Dodge/Jeep have SRT models from everything to their Dart to the Big SUV's, Hemi trucks and on and and on. I saw an SRT Jeep model the other day. and not only did it look great, it appeared to run like a raped banshee.
GM is still stuck in the era of superchargers while the rest of the automotive world went to turbo's years ago. It just seems that GM learned nothing from the bankruptcy and are still plodding along with the same mentality of "We are GM, we don't give a **** what the customer wants".
That's why I bought my wife a Ford Edge a couple of weeks ago.
IMSA announced great news earlier this week regarding the IMSA WeatherTech GTLM series next year. All the races will be at the same venues on basically the same weekends, with the exception of moving Belle Isle a couple of weeks earlier so all the GTLM teams who participate at the 24 Hours of LeMans can participate. In the last two years, there has been no GTLM at Belle Isle because everyone except BMW was practicing at LeMans.
Even better news is that NBC will be broadcasting ALL the races next year either on the main network, NBCSN or CNBC. I suspect this will be an upgrade from FS1, which only occasionally broadcast the races, and many could only be streamed from the FoxGo app, which was unreliable.
Below are the updated manufacturer standings going into the last three races. You can see the order of finish in all the races. Points are awarded to the best finishing car for each manufacturer in each race. 35 for 1st, 32 for 2nd, 30 for 3rd, 28 for 4th, and so on. For the manufacturer's title, there is no benefit to finishing 1-2, because only the top finishing car gets points.
As a note, the Detroit race had not changed weekends. GTLM is still not part of the Detroit race. GTD does not race at Long Beach and the prototypes do not race at VIR or Lime
Rock, and the prototypes do not race at VIR or Lime Rock as in years past.
As a way for GTD teams to save some money and still have something to race for, there are actually now 3 separate GTD championships, endureance, full season, and sprint. The Detroit race only is only part of the sprint championship, and not included in the full season points, so I imagine a number of regular teams will skip it.
CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Going for an Overall Three-peat
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Going for an Overall Three-peat
Three victories in Virginia for Corvette Racing since 2012
Quartet of drivers very much in GT Le Mans title chase
Garcia, Magnussen winners last two seasons at VIR
Gavin, Milner looking for second Virginia victory together
DETROIT (Aug. 15, 2018) – Corvette Racing’s title chase in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship takes it to a circuit where – not surprisingly – it has shown significant strength: Virginia International Raceway.
This weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge is a GT-only weekend with the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class taking top billing. It’s a situation that has worked out well for Corvette Racing in the past with the program looking for a third straight victory – and fourth in class since 2012 – at the 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit that straddles the borders of North Carolina and Virginia.
Corvette Racing is the IMSA co-leader for victories at VIR with three – all in GT categories. Meanwhile, Chevrolet has seven IMSA victories at the track since 2002.
All four Corvette C7.R drivers remain well in the hunt for the GTLM Driver’s title with three races to go. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, partners in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, stand second in the championship and only four points behind. The duo have won the last two years at VIR and have finished on the GTLM podium in each of the last five IMSA races dating back to May at Mid-Ohio.
Magnussen was the pole-winner in 2016 in the No. 3 Corvette, and he also was a winner at VIR in a 2007 race for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Garcia set the fastest race lap in 2012 as part of the American Le Mans Series GT class.
Oliver Gavin and Virginia’s Tommy Milner, in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R, are fourth in GTLM points and 14 points out of the lead. They clinched the ALMS GT title in 2012 with a victory in Corvette Racing’s VIR debut and are coming off a runner-up finish two weeks ago at Road America – just ahead of the No. 3 Corvette.
Milner also won at VIR in 2005’s Rolex Series race and was a GT pole-winner the year prior. He and Gavin were GTLM winners earlier this year at Long Beach.
The Michelin GT Challenge is set for 1:05 p.m. ET with FOX Sports 1 airing the race live from 1-2 p.m., followed by coverage on FOX Sports 2 from 2-4 p.m. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “We obviously would like to win three in a row at VIR. Our Corvette has been very good there. Being able to win that race last year put us in a very good position to win the championship. I hope it’s the same this year. We aren’t leading in points but we are very close. Oftentimes there is less than a half-second between GTLM cars there, so track position and qualifying will be key things. We are hopeful to carry on that momentum this week.”
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “VIR is a fantastic place and we’ve won there the last two years. We hope to find ourselves in contention again. It’s a great, old-school track that is very fast but also has a high level of risk. It’s those tracks I like best. Antonio and I really would like a win here to solidify ourselves in the championship. We’re in contention with a lot of podium finishes. We need that one win to really get our momentum going into the last couple of events.”
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: ““Over the years, VIR has been very positive for us. We’ve all had very strong years there. The No. 3 car of course has won there the last two years. Tommy and I haven’t been far behind, and we had our victory there in 2012 to win the ALMS GT Championship. This year’s competition has been fierce, no matter which manufacturer we are racing. We need to focus and execute, which we did at Road America for two excellent podiums. But it’s getting toward the business end of the year and we need to get back to winning races. A strong and clean weekend is our goal and our focus.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “From a driver’s perspective, all four of us really enjoy VIR, as do most of the other drivers in the series. It’s a lot of fun but difficult to get a perfect lap. There are a lot of places that you are unsighted in areas and really having to trust the car underneath you. These kinds of tracks and these kinds of corners reward a car that handles to your liking. Each year we have been there, we’ve been happy with our car right from the first practice. It’s a combination of all those things that when you put them all together, it’s very good for us.”
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “2012 marked the debut of the Corvette Racing program at VIR. Since our first trip there, it has quickly become one of our favorite stops of the year. It’s a unique track layout that has very distinct and defined sectors – one that is slower speed, another with high speeds with quick changes in direction and finally a roller-coaster ride to start-finish. As a result, it takes a very well-developed car to have success throughout the entire lap. In the last six years, our Corvettes have been just that. It’s a testament to the work done by our engineers, crew and drivers. To remain in championship contention, we will need all of that again this year.”
Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway August 17-19, 2018 Danville, VATrack: Virginia International Raceway Race Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes Circuit Length: 3.27 miles
Entry by Class:GTLM: 8GTD: 11Race Broadcast: US: 1:00 -2:00 PM ET 8/19 /2018 Fox Sports 1 2:00-4:00 PM ET 8/19/2018 Fox Sports 2International: 12:55 -3:45 ET 08/19/18 http://imsatv.imsa.com/Live Qualifying:Saturday August 18, 201812:25 to 12:40 pm EDT GTD12:50 to 01:05 pm EDT GTLM
CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Second, Fourth Rows in Shot at Three-peat
Press ReleaseCORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Second, Fourth Rows in Shot at Three-peatTeam going for fourth class victory in seven years at VirginiaDANVILLE, Virginia (August 18, 2018) – Corvette Racing will start from the second and fourth rows of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Virginia International Raceway following a somewhat damp qualifying session for Sunday's Michelin GT Challenge at VIR. Antonio Garcia qualified fourth and Tommy Milner seventh in GT Le Mans (GTLM), which has headliner honors this weekend. Corvette Racing will go for its fourth victory at VIR in seven tries and third in a row. A steady rain enveloped two-thirds of the 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit just ahead of GTLM qualifying. As a result, the difference in conditions on opposite sides of the track made the driving and strategy tricky. Had it remained dry, Corvette Racing likely would have been in strong condition for pole position; Garcia was quickest in Friday’s second practice and Milner was fastest in Saturday morning’s final session. Garcia set a best lap in qualifying of 1:56.760 (100.821 mph) in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R that he shares with Jan Magnussen. The duo has made VIR its playground the last two years with consecutive victories and a pole position for Magnussen in 2016. Garcia and Magnussen are second in the GTLM Driver’s Championship with three races remaining – four points behind the leaders – and have finished on the class podium in the last five IMSA races. Milner’s best time was a 1:57.492 (100.193 mph) in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, which he will drive with Oliver Gavin. They were class winners at VIR in the 2012 American Le Mans Series race, and Milner set the fastest race lap a year ago. Gavin and Milner stand fourth in GTLM points with a victory earlier this year at Long Beach. The Michelin GT Challenge is set for 1:05 p.m. ET with FOX Sports 1 airing the race live from 1-2 p.m., followed by coverage on FOX Sports 2 from 2-4 p.m. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com. ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED THIRD: “It was difficult to judge the amount of grip we would have. The differences between one side of track and the other was extreme. I felt I had to save my tires on the dry side and probably didn’t push a bit. We waited a bit to go out and only had three laps, so it was tough. We’re still on the second row, which isn’t bad considering how good or bad we would have been in the dry. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.” TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED SEVENTH: “Coulda, shoulda, woulda… Unfortunately the skies opened up right before we out and made the track really tricky. It’s easy to say that ‘if this’ and ‘if that’ it had stayed dry. But the guys ahead of me did a better job, but we have a great Corvette. Our car in the dry has been super fast all weekend. Olly and I feel good about it, and that’s the part that matters. We’ll look forward to a dry race and a good result.”
It moved to FS2 for the rest of the race. You can stream it on the FoxGo App if you don't have FS2, which I'm doing on my iPhone to my flat screen. It is HD.
It moved to FS2 for the rest of the race. You can stream it on the FoxGo App if you don't have FS2, which I'm doing on my iPhone to my flat screen. It is HD.
Thanks
I can't wait until IMSA dumps Fox ...their coverage is abysmal at best.
After VIR the #3 C7R is 4 points AHEAD, in first, for the Driver's Championship, with two races left in the season.
YES !! Also, it appears the current BoP has made the car as fast as the Fords at VIR and likely elsewhere. The #67 drop-out of the race really hurt their chances going forward. Now onto Laguna Seca and Rosd Atlanta.
This could be the Third Consecutive GTLM Championship for Corvette. At this point I sure wouldn't bet against them.
Those BMW's were fast again - watch out for RLL and BMW next year ! That M8 is a good looking ride. If they get a little luck and some consistency they could be tough to beat next year.
After VIR the #3 C7R is 4 points AHEAD, in first, for the Driver's Championship, with two races left in the season.
I just looked at the IMSA app five minutes ago. It shows the number 67 car has 241 points, and the number 3 car was 237 points, as I said yesterday. Have they just not updated the standings yet?
I realize the IMSA write-up says the 3 car is now in first place
Last edited by quick04Z06; 08-20-2018 at 10:34 AM.
I just looked at the IMSA app five minutes ago. It shows the number 67 car has 241 points, and the number 3 car was 237 points, as I said yesterday. Have they just not updated the standings yet?
I realize the IMSA write-up says the 3 car is now in first place
It usually takes about 2 days after the race for the results to be confirmed/listed as "official" and the standings to be updated.
08-09-2018, 04:07 PM
