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 Miscellaneous Racing Series 2021: Finally, Finally Putting it in H This is the Misc. Racing Thread, home for discussion of all kinds of racing that aren't Formula 1, IndyCar, or NASCAR. Feel free to post about sports car racing, touring cars, rallying, off-road racing, motocross, and anything else you can think of. So much good racing is available to watch (especially online officially) that we can share and discuss while enjoying speedy race cars.  So what kind of racing are you talking about here, then? We talk a lot about sports-car racing. It’s the racing, primarily on road and street courses, of cars which come closest in design and spirit to street cars. And at the top of sports cars are what’s called prototypes -- single-seat racers with closed tops and fenders. The Grand Prix cars of long-distance racing. But this is a place for all sorts of series: Australian Supercars, Japanese Super GT and Super Formula, the World Rally Championship, Supercross (I will get murdered if I don't mention or watch Supercross), and more. Why should I care about sports car racing?  There’s a wide variety -- of cars, drivers, locations, and of race distances. It’s where your favorite drivers from Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR past will wind up. Races are often long (6-, 12- and 24-hour races are not uncommon), and feature multiple types (classes) of car racing on the same track but in individual class battles alongside the overall ranking. The world of sports car racing tends to be friendlier and more approachable than other parts, while still attracting many colorful characters. Okay. So what's new for 2021? One word: H Y P E R C A R. Our long, international nightmare is over. The new ruleset for the top category of the World Endurance Championship (and by extension, the 24 Hours of Le Mans) is FINALLY active this year.  So who's joining in? Let's recount some of the changes for the WEC and IMSA:
 As well, longer-term we already have four announcements for factories joining the Hypercar class from IMSA or WEC in coming years:
So, what are the series I should know?  The FIA World Endurance Championship is the highest level of sports-car racing. It’s an FIA World Championship, same as Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship, which means a lot. The WEC schedule includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which means almost as much, if not more, as Le Mans remains a hugely popular event and a major marketing point for all these big manufacturers. The WEC features LM Hypercar cars, LMP2 cars, and two GT classes, and is pretty fun to watch. Its season is back to running during the calendar year, and though the first race is moved from Sebring to Portugal, it will continue on as a global championship this year.  Alongside the WEC is another series that is based mainly in one country but almost equal to the WEC in terms of longevity and prestige: IMSA in the United States. Its a US and Canadian-based series, but many teams and drivers will also compete at Le Mans on an annual basis. IMSA also has a number of high-profile races: endurance epics include the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, the Sebring 12 Hours in March, and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in October, plus marquee shorter races at Long Beach, Road America, and more. Other regional series which are directly under the WEC and ACO (who co-organize the WEC along with the FIA) include the European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series, which both act as feeders of a sort to the World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans. There's no direct relegation/promotion, but teams gain experience in the regional series and sometimes step up to the WEC; also, all of IMSA, Asian Le Mans and European Le Mans all receive invites to the 24 Hours of Le Mans annually.  But there are other series in this sports car world! Many of them fall under a sports car rulebook called GT3. These are cars made by big companies (Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Audi) which are sold to customers. GT3 cars are expected to be balanced to achieve a similar level of performance -- in theory, a driver could take each of those cars around a track and get roughly the same lap time. This has led to a boom in series aimed to customers, as the cars are relatively affordable, well-built, fairly easy to drive (especially compared to customer cars from the 1970s and ‘80s) and eligible to race in a lot of exciting events. The 24 Hours races at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nurburgring in Germany are highlights for GT3-type racing worldwide. Great! So how/when do I watch? First, you need to know when a race is! Custard Undies recommended this link to Motorsport.com's schedule for racing series. Use it, learn it, love it. Because the sports-car world is so diverse, there’s a lot to watch. Happily, much of it is readily available online or even via YouTube.
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Other questions? Reach out and ask! Recommendations? Please suggest and we'll try to add them in. Come join us on Discord! https://discord.gg/kg3d2Uu Misc Threads of the Past Misc Racing Thread 2020: Put it in H! Misc Racing Thread 2019: I woke up to a smoking hulk Misc Auto Racing 2018: Mazda gonna Mazda Misc Auto Racing 2017: gently caress off Whincup Misc Auto Racing 2016 : Downgraded From Silver Posters to Bronze Misc Auto Racing 2015: At least our criminals are non-violent Misc Auto Racing 2014: So long and thanks for all the McNish Misc Auto Racing 2013: Beware: Ferrari Ahead Misc. Auto Racing 2012: No War But Class War Sportscars 2011: Racing with Class (ILMC/ALMS/GrandAm) 2011 Daytona 24 Hours 2010 Daytona 24 Hours harperdc fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Jan 21, 2022 |
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Jan 30, 2021 11:26
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Other Wonderful Misfit Series of Note Sports car racing is a lot, but it's not all of what we cover/discuss in here. Here are some primers for other big series that fall under our umbrella. Formula E  The electric racing series Formula E was really impacted by COVID-19 last year, having to run a series of races in Berlin to make the championship whole. It's becoming a better and better series to watch, and hopefully they can get more of the international races in this year. So far for 2021, the season has only been tentatively set and is likely to change further still.
Super GT  Anime GT remains the absolute hipster choice for those who are into motorsports. Three manufacturers battling in the top class, active tire development by multiple manufacturers, and an incredibly varied GT3 and local class, the battles in Super GT are often spectacular. Do yourself a favor and find the championship finale from last year and just watch how it ended. Amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4hfJ3_x8Ig
World Rally Championship  Unfortunately, I am unhappy to report that Sébastien Ogier is once more the reigning champion. (but winning with three different makes? wow. dang) But that doesn't mean the WRC will be bad. Far from it! And the season has already got underway, even if the Monte Carlo rally was a bit of a dull one due to COVID restrictions in France. The series should be interesting, particularly because of the switch to Pirelli tires, and also to see if anyone can challenge Ogier. And if COVID allows, we'll have the Safari Rally back for the first time since 2002!! The WRC has plenty of events in reserve in case the calendar has to change.
harperdc fucked around with this message at 07:20 on Jan 21, 2022 |
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Jan 30, 2021 11:27
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[August 18 edit] This coming weekend is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the biggest races in the world and an annual highlight.harperdc posted:The first broadcast practice session is later today (the WEC App coverage is apparently using FP1 as their dry run so it's not being broadcast). The full event schedule is available on the FIA WEC website, with a 'convert to local time' button. harperdc fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Aug 18, 2021 |
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Jan 30, 2021 11:35
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algebra testes posted:Also respect to Americans who had the weird idea in the 2000s of "What if Le Mans... but series?" the ACO stubs out their Gauloises and looks over the glass of wine "what, we should do this more than once a year? and in other places?" really glad I grew up in the era of ALMS and came back once the Grand Am/IMSA re-marriage happened, sports car racing is the wonderful phoenix that will burn brightly but also die out quickly. I didn't watch the first season but the WEC has also done a good job of re-establishing and stabilizing the World Championship.
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Jan 30, 2021 12:42
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Bloopsy posted:Sucks for the DPi Cadillac. 9 mins left and the rear tire blows sending it back to 5th. 9 minutes left and the top five are still that close? Yikes 
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Feb 1, 2021 00:32
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Dudley posted:To be fair that's what happens when you BoP the same cars for years and if anyone does lose a lap you give it back for free every time a crisp packet blows across the track. partially it was a "they've still got five cars running that close?" because DPi only had seven cars total, so that many had survived that late was amazing. but yeah BOP, getting laps back under the cautions, and really reliable cars adds up to 24-hour sprint races.
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Feb 1, 2021 14:43
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Bloopsy posted:Do drivers have contracts with teams? Nick Tandy drove a Porsche but now drives for Corvette Racing. Can they just switch teams whenever they want? Usually, but it’s mostly shorter term than other sports. Tandy was a factory-supported Porsche driver, but because Porsche decided to close their IMSA GTLM team after the 2020 season, he jumped to Corvette Racing for this year. For sports car racing it’ll look a lot more chaotic and flexible - oftentimes drivers are contracted to an OEM, meaning they will drive for that brand in multiple areas (eg in IMSA and at Le Mans and the Nurburgring 24 Hours as an example). Or it’ll be a “gentleman driver” (see: rich dude) who contracts with a team or multiple teams in multiple series.
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Feb 2, 2021 08:44
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algebra testes posted:To be fair some of those LMP2s are racing in Europe. The drivers/teams/paint schemes are driving in Europe, but not all the chassis go back and forth. The engines certainly do though, I think there’s a pool of engines all the P2s get allocated from. The BMWs are a bit of a shame, but hopefully this is just the low year - BMW is actively developing the M4 GT3, and you’d imagine that‘ll both be better suited to road racing and also be a shoo-in for the GTD Pro class. Plus, a big key for the IMSA makes has been activation (marketing efforts at events - like car corrals for local car clubs for the brands), and that’ll be much easier in 2022. Hopefully. Endurance only is a weird compromise but hey, BMW is suffering a bit now for cash.
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Feb 2, 2021 16:03
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Cessna posted:I am increasingly loving Formula E. They've done a race in Brooklyn every year pre-Covid. My in-laws live in Brooklyn, so if I can get a vaccine and they can schedule a race I'll go watch futuristic cars whine their way around the track this year. The question this year is as much getting the traveling circus into town as much as the safety of the town, so to speak. And if you check, Formula E has been very careful to not post a full schedule as of yet - Brooklyn wasn’t even listed as of yet. Hopefully 2022 will be better but early-mid 2021 might be a bit early to return to the States.
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Feb 3, 2021 02:47
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if it's safe at the time I might try to go to the Fuji 24 hour this spring, should be a lot easier to get around than the Super GT races there. once this pandemic is done my dad and I need to go to Le Mans, for both of us it's our absolute dream.
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Feb 4, 2021 12:32
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I get it, but it still sucks. They must not see much relevance to selling CUVs from a prototype program, even one at a bargain rate. Or they could see that their investment and efforts were only going to be good enough to be like fifth out of the group considering who’s joining in with private teams and deeper works driver programs. I think as long as there’s still a Miata they’ll be present at the grassroots level, and that’s okay.
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Feb 13, 2021 00:41
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The first round of the Asian Le Mans Series was yesterday, and the second round (both coming from Dubai Autodrome this weekend) is live now! https://youtu.be/VCTdT9anj2E
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Feb 14, 2021 12:34
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algebra testes posted:These are always weirdly strong fields and worth watching. it's too bad that this year's schedule got so screwed up - twice - but the action is always good, and the quality is getting really good. Seems like hosting it in winter in UAE brought out more of the Europeans. Next weekend is two twilight races where we find out if Yas Marina can host a decent race! in other news, after a really big earthquake Saturday night in Japan, famous drift locale Ebisu Circuit suffered really bad damage. hopefully it gets fixed soon, but it looks tough.
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Feb 15, 2021 13:17
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The third round of the Asian Le Mans Series from Abu Dhabi is set to start in about three hours: https://youtu.be/VwiL-0Xg7vI
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Feb 19, 2021 09:46
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Dudley posted:Yeah they're missing some of their regulars but it's really easy for the non-Asian teams to both get to the middle east and do a 2 weekend schedule so it's actually a record grid for the series, or was in Dubai, very slightly lower car count here. I mean, are AF Corse half of the GTE field too?  final race for the AsLMS is starting in a few minutes too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9vugofLkzI
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Feb 20, 2021 12:50
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Dudley posted:So here's a question. will this double up with their entry from the World Championship and/or one earned from the ELMS? I know for sure the IMSA ones go to the driver, but can't remember one hundred percent about the ones for ELMS/AsLMS.
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Feb 22, 2021 16:05
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Not exactly a huge shock - I’m sure they’re putting people to work. But the real link to watch there is Richard Mille.
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Feb 25, 2021 06:46
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algebra testes posted:Covette racing first WEC round. yep, Corvette’s on the entry for Portimao and Spa with one car ahead of the planned two-car entry for Le Mans. This will help them with BoP at Le Mans in all likelihood. It’s also easier this year considering they likely have a third (or fourth?) chassis they can ship to Europe instead of trying to stretch two cars between WEC rounds and IMSA. The other news for Portimao is Glickenhaus missing out. If they show up, the car is then considered homologated, and they want more time for endurance testing before locking that in.
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Feb 28, 2021 06:08
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Yep - Le Mans has been pushed to 21/22 August, and so a couple of IMSA events have also been moved. The word is they were pushing to not hold the 24 Hours of Le Mans behind closed doors again, and have at least 50,000 fans in for financial reasons.algebra testes posted:Le Mans has been delayed and Cadillac are thinking about LMDh (possibly at the logical expense of Corvette in GT) I'm not sure if the LMDh would be a Cadillac brand or a Corvette brand, but I can see the teams being folded into one. There has been word that the Corvette C8.R was built to allow it to run also as a GT3 car, so it could still continue in IMSA in theory, but if they still want to go to Le Mans the time for GT cars seems to be short.
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Mar 5, 2021 03:29
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MazeOfTzeentch posted:It could be a LMH, but it would likely be entirely uncompetitive. Yep - Aston Martin wanted the “road-car” based options allowed so they could race the Valkyrie, and since LMH is going to be BoP’d it could be in theory competitive. But nobody else is using a road car platform for their LMH, and the LMDh are based on race cars too. Sooooo. If they’re focused on IMSA with the chance to go to Le Mans, it’ll be an LMDh. The only question is which branding they want to do.
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Mar 5, 2021 06:18
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Based on what Peugeot is reporting to be doing, you can also theoretically game the electric boost in clever ways if you’ve got a full hybrid LMH. There was something in the rules about getting boost back after using a certain amount that would be beneficial for straightaways, can’t remember the details offhand.
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Mar 8, 2021 01:19
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The entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been published, and while there could be changes, still plenty to see as of now.
Heavy on the privateers, but should still be an entertaining race.
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Mar 10, 2021 02:10
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algebra testes posted:God that year loving owned and I Will Not Shut Up About It. It also helped that the team with the best chance of winning that year had previously been in P1 (Rebellion).
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Mar 10, 2021 03:49
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marshalljim posted:US only, but Michelin is sponsoring a free year of access to IMSA on NBC Sports Trackpass again. Should I put this in the OP? I feel like I should.
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Mar 12, 2021 12:58
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I think there was a news article posted about it before, but after a big earthquake a month or so ago, Ebisu Circuit suffered a decent amount of damage thanks to landslides. The famous drift circuit has now assessed the damage and has a fundraising link up in that SpeedHunters article; hopefully they can get it cleaned up, because it's got such a huge place in Japanese drift culture. It honestly doesn't look like much damage to the foundation, so that's good.iwentdoodie posted:I just bought a new set of Contis so this feels dirty but gently caress it Ryan Eversley must thank you, that's the law
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Mar 13, 2021 11:56
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orange juche posted:maybe if they had a livery or a homologated car they'd be on the poster yeah, I think it's probably easiest to get the assets they have a hold of, but Glickenhaus were the first to officially announce their Hypercar. And they're the only privateer/small make that's actually done the work (ByKolles remains vaporware). also Le Mans is in August, I don't get why you need a poster announcement right now.
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Mar 17, 2021 00:54
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Double post, but sad news. https://twitter.com/nuerburgring/status/1372095748515434503 RIP to Sabine
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Mar 17, 2021 09:32
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the schedule for the Sebring 12 Hour weekend is up, here's main race broadcast times for all the Americans watching on the NBC family of networks:
Full race also on Track Pass in the US, and IMSA.tv for anyone watching overseas (hello it's me). IMSA Radio also full audio coverage. harperdc fucked around with this message at 15:02 on Mar 17, 2021 |
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Mar 17, 2021 13:57
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https://twitter.com/ryaneversley/status/1372370662703177729 Sebring!!
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Mar 18, 2021 03:20
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Here's another fun prep for Sebring: highlights from the 1991 race https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=metI8k3YhVI check out the Acura transmission change off to the side, with Parker Johnstone yarding parts over the bridge while the other driver, Steve Cameron, worked the wrenches.
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Mar 19, 2021 13:28
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Last bit of Sebring propaganda https://twitter.com/imsa/status/1373250490222440449
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Mar 20, 2021 13:33
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if anyone's still awake, the Super Taikyu 5 Hours of Motegi is live now and it's raining  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9djvRuFLjc
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Mar 21, 2021 04:52
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Cygni posted:A good story about the JDC Miller win at Sebring: this is unbelievable, they went through four front-end pieces during the race, and that's not even the wildest detail. whole lot of motorsports getting started this weekend, MotoGP kicks off in Qatar and also the Nurburgring NLS series has the NLS1 round as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R-HpWfAnLU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVPnHfHebF4 If there's a real desire I'll throw more of these schedules/links into the OP.
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Mar 25, 2021 14:40
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algebra testes posted:Ahh we need a new racing bike thread. Yeah - I’ve noticed there’s discussion between Cycle Asylum, the F1 thread (and their predilection for red Italians) and sometimes even here. I’m willing to say we include MotoGP in this thread or put up a MotoGP thread in SAS, because I’m not sure there’s as much crossover between CA and SAS posting tone, if that makes sense. Might go poke my head into the F1 thread and judge interest. WindyMan posted:Supercross 2021: It's a GasGas! I knew this post would come.
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Mar 26, 2021 03:26
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IMSA has allowed BMW to run something Not GTE in GTLM in the past, so I'm honestly not shocked they're allowing the Corvette to be de-tuned. It was the most likely scenario because I didn't think GM wanted to develop the GT3 customer racing business structure that like the VAG brands/Mercedes have, so it's not like this has to be a GT3 car you see everywhere else around the world. as long as it's in the same window I think it'll be fine. non-confidential tires will definitely do that too.
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Mar 30, 2021 01:05
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Super Formula starts this weekend! For those that haven't heard of it before, it used to be Formula Nippon, and before that Japanese F3000/F2. The series can trace its lineage back to the 1970s, and while it's not quite as wild as the late '80s/early '90s (with open chassis and engine rules, tons of tobacco money and a tire war) it's still one of the two top racing series in Japan, along with Super GT. The teams use a spec Dallara chassis with Yokohama rubber and slightly re-worked versions of Honda and Toyota's Super GT GT500 turbo four-cylinder engines. They have push to pass and some requirements about pit stops, but otherwise it's good open-wheel racing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdJRbgownbM I think the race will come up on the YouTube channel eventually, but they also are on Red Bull TV online or on their app. Live worldwide with English commentary. [edit] vvvvvv I'm pretty sure it's just Red Bull TV carrying the feed Super Formula produces for Japan but with English commentary, similar to Super GT on YouTube for the rest of the world. speaking of which I haven't heard or seen who's carrying Anime GT this year, will have to keep a lookout for that. harperdc fucked around with this message at 09:04 on Apr 4, 2021 |
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Apr 4, 2021 07:49
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Frond posted:Fuji could be fixed if the godawful final section was remodeled. I wish it was, but that was the big change they did before 2006. At least the first two-thirds of the lap are really good. The Dinner With Racers podcast guys dropped a video, it might mean more episodes soon. https://twitter.com/dwrshow/status/1379099845814673409
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Apr 6, 2021 03:11
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Well, Super GT finally has a broadcast home for 2021: https://twitter.com/motorsporttv_uk/status/1380062581113638913 Was this up behind a paywall last time?
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Apr 8, 2021 09:09
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RoboFrance_29 posted:Hello, new to the thread & I see a lot of circuit racing discussion and I was curious - does anyone follow / enjoy FIA world rallycross? New season starts in a couple months and getting a discussion going would be fun for those that follow (or are new to the sport). It's technically circuit racing but I didn't know if it warranted a new thread; I'm guessing it doesn't. Feel free to pop in and discuss, post links, share videos, whatever you’d like for WRX  It’s absolutely allowed in here - World Rally and Dakar have been discussed here, along with Extreme E a couple weeks back, so it’s not an asphalt-only zone. I’ll edit the OP to add some World RX info in a bit!
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Apr 13, 2021 13:47
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njsykora posted:That article was dumb and reading it at the time I was heartened that all the comments were calling the writer a dipshit. I love that I know who posted the featured "This is the wrong take" comment, sports car racing internet is a small world. Brownell might be an okay writer but Jesus Wept he has some absolutely abysmal takes on racing, especially endurance racing.
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Apr 16, 2021 04:53
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