Speed just interviewed the Aston-Martin winning team. They said they have a chance to win the championship with a win at Laguna Seca. Yeh well I'd be real proud of that accomplishment, seeing how ISMA has virtually handed it to them what with all the handicaps heeped on the #3 and #4 cars. What a crock

 

And reagrding the coverage by Speed Channel, most of the day they acted like the Corvettes didn't even exist.

 

The Corvettes have been so handicapped when it comes to power this season. It was so obvious when the Aston was right behind the Vette, got a bad run off the last corner before the back straight, and still overtook the Vette at the end.

I know they wanted to end the Vette's reign of supremacy, but giving Aston such a huge advantage isn't the way to do it.

 

I guess someone missed the other thread.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1512790

 

Its not even interesting to watch.

 

 

I couldn't even watch the whole race. What a crock of sh*t. Does Aston Martin seriously take any pride or real sense of accomplishment in these victories?

They didn't make a faster car, rather they just had the faster car handicapped. It's complete

 

I was at the Petit and your would not believe some of the crap Aston Martin got away with; even still they ended up with only one stop & go penalty and one warning. The worse thing I saw was both #3 and 007 were in the pits; #3 finished first and was driving to the pit exit; 007 quickly "finished" and caught up to #3 and raced, side by side through the pits; the exit marshall let 007 through first even though #3 should have gone first-this trick cost #3 position for a short time. Radio LeMans & Closed Circuit TV coverage had a fit about it, but my DVR recording of SPEED's coverage did not even mention it

 

yes it has been boring...up to now, but Laguna Seca is a great course, fun to go there [as in 2004] and maybe they will even it out, why don't they do this restriction thing to the Audi deisel cars, you know the ones that are always in the spotlite. We need more cars in the GT-1 class.

 

I sent the following to IMSA and received a nice message back. I was not the only one they've heard from:

I'm really disappointed in the current situation between Chevrolet and Aston Martin created by IMSA in an attempt to keep the GT1 category competitive. I know you are trying your best, but it isn't working.

The best racing I have seen is when Prodrive was prepping Ferrari 550s. They succeeded in developing the cars to a competitive level and then quit just as there was parity with Chevrolet. I still don't understand why - maybe the factory stopped supporting them. Now with the Astons they are playing games to win the championship indirectly using IMSA as a tool.

Enge had the gall to comment that they would be the underdogs because of the weight given back to the Corvettes and that Pratt-Miller thus had the advantage for the Petite. So they sandbag the qualifying round after holding a second plus advantage in the practice rounds and find the speed again in the race. Wonder why all of that happened? Advantage to who? With a smaller restrictor and 50kg extra weight for Corvette after the last adjustment? Maybe they should all run the last race with the same restrictors, same weights, and same fuel capacities. That sounds like a level playing field for the championship-determining race and nobody should whine at the results. I never minded when Corvettes lost because of breakdowns, better driving, improvements by other teams to their cars during the season, tire selection or any racing associated reason. But sand-bagging to hide an advantage given by the sanctioning body annoys me to no end.

I, and I would bet Chevrolet, will carefully reconsider continued interest in this racing depending on how this all works out. I truly hope ALMS GT1 racing hasn't come to a close following this year's sad story, but penalizing an amazing race team into losing is not a way to save the category. I, my two boys and a nephew all left Road Atlanta a little early Saturday pretty much fed up with the situation.

Thanks for listening to the rant.

John

 

What do you expect from Ford? It's not that they can't do it right, witness the GT40s; it is just easier to whine...

The only reason I watch ALMS is to see the Corvettes. All of the other series rules keep the Corvettes at bay, no reason that the ALMS can't do it too. When Chevy and P&M say screw it and leave the series, I'll just watch NASCAR.

 

Post their address - I'll send them my .02

 

So I noticed! I was delighted when they interviewed Johnny O.

 

... I'm just about finished watching ALMS now! Chevy at long last has a kick azz race and these MORONS start changing the rules. You can bet your butt if the situation was reversed ALMS wouldn't DARE start jobbing AM!... No way, no how. I hope AM is proud of how they're going to win the series... It's rigged boys... it's rigged!

 

Here it is: webmaster@imsaracing.net.

Please remember that IMSA is just trying to make it competitive so the teams will continue to compete and the fans will enjoy close racing. They just overdid it and Prodrive is taking advantage of them. Thanks.

John

 

Here is what I sent them........

Congratulations, you have succeeded in making the Corvettes uncompetitive. Ford is trying to sell Aston Martin, so they are committed to the series, ya right. The Fords sandbag in qualifying and then drive away in the race.

More people come to see the Corvettes than the Aston Martins, just look at the autograph lines and cars in the "Corvette Coral". I did not count one Aston Martin in the parking lot at the two ALMS races I went to this year, but did see plenty of Corvettes.

If you are going to handicap the Corvettes because they win too much, how about doing something about the Audis? Rob Dyson could use a few wins, plus he is committed to the series. At the end of the day it really doesn't matter, because Penske has killed every series he has taken seriously and ALMS is just another of his play grounds.

 

Some good points. Thanks for adding to the complaint list. Maybe the next race will have more excitement in GT1.

John

 

It's my breath and I'm not going to hold it...

Like all good series they ALWAYS seem to F___em up.

 

Notwithstanding the restrictions on the vette, it was a battle throughout the day for second and third place between the Aston-Martin and the C6R.

The vette had it's share of mechanical difficulties, including a rotor meltdown, it seems, near dusk. Those glowing rotors sure looked great, though, on the track.

I attended the whole race and it was super to see the vettes finally, as it was my first time.
For anyone who has not seen (or heard) the C6R's in action, they have a deep, throaty V-8 roar that is so much more cool than the other buzz of the other cars. You can tell it's the vette coming before you see it... the deep exhaust was fantastic and well worth the price of admission!