ELMS are cancelling the last two rounds on the European calendar

[Grand_Fromage]

ELMS are cancelling the last two rounds on the European calendar Brno (Czech Republic) and Algarve (Portugal), and grafting the ELMS into Petit Le Mans ALMS as compensation.

http://www.lemans.org/en/races/lemans-series/update/combined-final-for-the-elms-and-the-alms-_8216.html

[Kristof]

Message to my leg : HEAL IN TIME !

[Canada Phil]

Message to my leg : HEAL IN TIME !

 

[Canada Phil]

Message to LOTO: Now would be a good time to draw my numbers
Phil

[Boorish Grobian]

This is good news for Road Atlanta, especially after being snubbed by the FIA, which is still a ridiculous decision. After having to miss the Petit last year, and Sebring this spring. there's no way in hell I'm missing the Petit again.  Its my favorite race of the year and I'm still holding a grudge against my sister-in-law for causing us to miss it last autumn.  Get that leg healed Kristof!
Fax

[Grand_Fromage]

The idea of the WEC as an FIA 'World Championship' is that the series visits as many countries and continents as possible. Having two races in the USA was never going to happen. They had to decide between PLM and Sebring, and they chose Sebring.

This is good news for Road Atlanta, especially after being snubbed by the FIA, which is still a ridiculous decision. After having to miss the Petit last year, and Sebring this spring. there's no way in hell I'm missing the Petit again.  Its my favorite race of the year and I'm still holding a grudge against my sister-in-law for causing us to miss it last autumn.  Get that leg healed Kristof!
Fax

[Boorish Grobian]

In what most people consider the glory days of sportscar racing, the era of the World Championship For Makes, there were often multiple races in countries.  England would have 1000K races at both Silverstone, and Brands.  The were three WC races in the US! Daytona, Sebring, and the 6 Hours at the Glen.
I'll re-state what I said before, if they want a World Sportscar Championship, then perhaps they should race in countries that actually give a sh*t about sportscar racing.
I step down off my soapbox...
Fax

[Grand_Fromage]

I was at a meeting last September with Gerard Neveu, Jean-Claude Plassart and Patrick Peter (and a few others) and this question came up. The answer from WEC supremo Gerard Neveu was what I outlined below. The FIA policy was to have just one round in North America. It was not a deliberate 'snub' to PLM, but a result of the 'one race per country' decision. Remember also that the reason there is a World Championship at all is because of the manufacturers involved (Audi and Peugeot at the time) and Peugeot don't currently sell into the American market.

In what most people consider the glory days of sportscar racing, the era of the World Championship For Makes, there were often multiple races in countries.  England would have 1000K races at both Silverstone, and Brands.  The were three WC races in the US! Daytona, Sebring, and the 6 Hours at the Glen.
I'll re-state what I said before, if they want a World Sportscar Championship, then perhaps they should race in countries that actually give a sh*t about sportscar racing.
I step down off my soapbox...
Fax

[Boorish Grobian]

I'm obviously missing something here.  Where, or why is it set in stone that there can only be one race per country?  Makes no sense at all.  You mention that Peugeot doesn't sell cars in the US?  Audi, Toyota, Porsche, and Ferrari do, and its the largest market for them.
Let me get this straight, there's a already important race, that they know will be well supported, enormously well attended, just outside of one of the largest cities in a country that is the largest market for most of the manufactures participating in your championship.  But you won't include it in your WC because the great god FIA has decreed THERE SHALL BE ONLY RACE PER COUNTRY (NOT LESS THAN ONE, NO MORE THAN ONE, NOT TWO, NOR THREE, BUT THERE SHALL BE 1-ONE-UNO, ETC)
That is f**ked up FIA logic at its finest, or worst depending on how one looks at it.
Feeling like beating head against wall...
Fax

[Grand_Fromage]

Porsche, and Ferrari only have cars in GT and not works teams so they don't have the same level of involvement. Toyota were only a tentative entry at the time so did not figure too highly in the equation. Money makes the world of motor sport happen, and without major car manufacturers involvement, you don't have a manufacturers championship.

There is no doubt that Petit Le Mans is well attended, and is an important event, but the FIA and ACO made the decision that the series could only allow one race in the USA. You can be absolutely sure that the manufacturers involved in the championship were consulted and involved in that decision. You may not like it, or agree with it, but it was not an irrational or illogical choice. In the final analysis, we really don't know what bargaining went on behind the scenes that led to the shape of the WEC 2012 calendar. Who knows.. it may even be that Atherton and ALMS would only tolerate one cross-over event and the confusion and dilution that inevitably creates. They may not like the prospect of Audi stealing the podium in BOTH of the blue-riband events of the ALMS, while ignoring the rest of the series.

 

[Boorish Grobian]

Absolutely right, I have no idea what sort bargaining went on behind the scenes or what factors shaped the schedule.  I'm looking at it purely from the perspective of an enthusiast of sportscar racing for over four decades.
My gut feeling is that in two years the ALMS will still be racing in front of large audiences, and FIA championship will have gone the way of the dodo bird.
Fax

[termietermite]

What happens, GF, to teams like IMSA Porsche Matmut?  Do the organisers/Porsche/whoever help with the costs which will be involved in shipping the car to the States, or are the sponsors expected to pick up the tab (given that they're pretty much French insurers and a French Porsche dealership and don't have much of a US market as far as I know?)  It does seem a bit tough on the European teams to have to go all that way unless there's some help.  I'm sure the info' is out there somewhere but thought you'd probably know the answer!

[Grand_Fromage]

In the case of the WEC, the series organizers put together a fixed price logistics 'package' for the teams racing the whole series. As far as possible, they consolidate the freight going to the 'fly away' venues to keep the cost down. As for who pays... that depends on how the individual team is funded. In GT that can sometimes be down to the team owner/driver alone, anything from that, up to being fully funded by sponsors/partners. 

What happens, GF, to teams like IMSA Porsche Matmut?  Do the organisers/Porsche/whoever help with the costs which will be involved in shipping the car to the States, or are the sponsors expected to pick up the tab (given that they're pretty much French insurers and a French Porsche dealership and don't have much of a US market as far as I know?)  It does seem a bit tough on the European teams to have to go all that way unless there's some help.  I'm sure the info' is out there somewhere but thought you'd probably know the answer!

[termietermite]

Hmm.  Well, I guess they still get the TV coverage but I'm not sure I'd be very impressed with this if I were a European team with little US interest in the product on offer from my sponsors.  Sadly Narac won't be at Spa or I'd have asked him!  I don't suppose Porsche minds.

[Grand_Fromage]

Yes, there is still value to French sponsors in a 'foreign' race, particularly if there is TV coverage in their home country. Partners are usually more interested in being seen on TV / internet / print, than by race fans at the circuit.

Hmm.  Well, I guess they still get the TV coverage but I'm not sure I'd be very impressed with this if I were a European team with little US interest in the product on offer from my sponsors.  Sadly Narac won't be at Spa or I'd have asked him!  I don't suppose Porsche minds.