You guys did notice that this is proposed as a small exhibition class? I don't think anyone with half a brain thinks DP's would be remotely competitive against true LMP's. I'm seeing this as their way of giving fans, who ordinarily would not have a chance to see the DP's, a opportunity to see them in person, as mentioned, in the article similar to what the ACO has done before.
I get the dislike of DP's from a purist perspective, but playing devils advocate for a second, ultra high tech, and silly fast, doesn't always make for the best racing. The Audi's are amazing peices of technology, stupidly fast...and boring as hell to watch.
The DP's are simple spaceframe chassis, with big atmo engines plugged in. But they have high bhp & low grip so they slide around, they're closely matched, so its not a foregone conclusion who's going to win, they're loud & raucous. Again, they don't appeal to everyone, but ultimately we go to races to be entertained, and these guys can be entertaining, not pretty & sophisticated.
I don't think think for a second anyone inside or outside of Grand-Am has ever pretended that the DP's are the be all & end all to sportscar racing. I've always seen it as a cost effective, entertaining, domestic, alternative to the more international LMP formula, not a competitor. I grew up enjoying F1, but I watched Indycars too. I used to love IMSA GTO & GTU, and also the SCCA Trans-Am. I sort of look at these two different approaches to protoype racing in much the same way.
As I said, at the end of the day we go to races to be entertained, I find both approaches to sportscar racing entertaining.
That said I'm not at all crazy about the idea of them being combined into one prototype formula, which is the impression I get that, the merged sanctioning body wants to do. But what I read into this proposed LM exhibition is just that, an exhibition.
B-Grobs
