Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

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Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by DChaps »

With the ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA this weekend and the RALLYE MONTE CARLO just starting today, the 2020 Racing season has begun in full!! :) :)

https://www.imsa.com/events/2020-rolex-24-daytona

https://www.wrc.com/en/wrcplus/all-live/

Also, can't wait for the new F1 season on Netfilx:
F1 - Netflix Announce 'Drive to Survive' Season 2 Release Date
The start date for the second season of the popular F1 series 'Drive to Survive' has been confirmed by Netflix...

... and it is set to air this February 28th.

Produced by Box to Box Films, giving viewers unprecedented access to the world of Formula One, the original Drive to Survive series very quickly proved a hit with both insiders and fans alike, so much so that Liberty Media were quick to sign up the company for a second series - following the Formula One field throughout the highs, and lows of the 2019 Grand Prix season.

The original series, filmed during the 2018 season, would have two significant omissions from the Formula One grid - with both title protagonists Mercedes and Ferrari declining to be involved in the new show. However, for season 2, both teams have granted Netflix full access to their respective championship challenges, potentially opening up some explosive footage from behind the scenes as Lewis Hamilton secured his sixth World Title success - and Ferrari once again found a way to implode when the odds were beginning to look firmly in their favour following the conclusion of pre-season testing.

Drive to Survive Season 2 will air in full HD on the Netflix subscription service, from February 28th 2020.

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by TCrouch »

I know this is real racing and not simracing, but I just gotta say...this will probably be the first year I've watched much of the Rolex 24, and it's simply because of simracing.

I ran in the iRacing 24 Hours of Daytona last weekend with a team, and that was the coolest simracing experience I think I've ever had. The start, the chaos of what's going on around you...multiclass tactics (we drove a GT3 car, so we were the slowest class in the field), knowing where it was sketchy to overtake or be overtaken.

After several weeks of practicing for that race, I feel like I know that track intimately. Curious to see how the real race unfolds, as I've never been a huge endurance fan (or road racing fan, in general). The feeling of battling for the lead in a 55-car iRacing field (the war was between us and one other car, as we lapped P3 on back in GT3), only to have damage to us affect our speed the last 10 hours, was incredibly stressful and fulfilling, all at once.

We ended up P2, which was still a heck of a run in a 24-hour race, but it just opened my eyes to a whole new world (endurance racing). I can't imagine what has to happen when you throw in real world mechanical requirements of a car having to move at that pace without blowing up.... 8O

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

The WRC service linked above is a pay service. If you're a cheap f*ck like me, visit Red Bull TV on the Web or download the app to your smart TV or mobile device.

Red Bull TV provides a FREE same-day highlights show from every day of every event on the WRC calendar. It's killer, much like the shows that SPEED used to broadcast 15 years ago.

https://www.redbull.com/us-en/events/wo ... event-info

There's also a ton of great, free programming on other motorsport, action sports and music on Red Bull TV. It's such a good channel.

Like The Donald, I can't wait for Season 2 of the F1 documentary series on Netflix. The first season was one of the best docs I've seen on any subject. I know at least two people with ZERO interest in F1 who watched the first season, found it compelling and now are interested in watching F1 races this year.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

Endurance racing is cool, Terry. Glad you've discovered it and are enjoying it.

The engineering and durability of endurance sports cars are amazing today. Twenty years ago and earlier, teams would drive at eight- or nine-tenths in a 12- or 24-hour race to ensure they made it to the finish. Now everyone drives 10/10ths for the entire race, turning it essentially into an twice-around-the-clock sprint race. It's nuts.

Perhaps the only blemish on North American endurance racing is that two of the four endurance "majors" in the IMSA series take place on mediocre racetracks, Daytona and Sebring.

Daytona is about as good as "rovals" get, but it's still a largely flat, featureless roval that includes too much of the oval, IMO. Sebring may be the most overrated track in America. It's a billiard table-flat sh*thole. Yeah, the layout is pretty interesting, but the circuit's defining characteristic is an awful concrete surface that beats the crap out of cars and drivers.

At least Watkins Glen (the "Boot" circuit, not the NASCAR course) and Road Atlanta are proper natural road circuits, for the Six Hours of the Glen and Petit Le Mans. Daytona and Sebring never will be replaced because of their history and because IMSA is located across the street from Daytona, in NASCAR headquarters. But I would shed few tears if COTA or Road America replaced Sebring in IMSA's "big four" endurance event lineups. Never will happen.

Europe has it better for great circuits for sports cars, with Le Mans and Spa being the site of two of the most prestigious endurance races on that continent. And the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring for GT cars, held on the 12-mile "Green Hell" Nordschleife, is a classic, too.

Enjoy the Rolex 24!
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

You won't see a scarier crash in racing than this shunt from reigning WRC champion Ott Tanak today at Rally Monte Carlo. Tanak and his co-driver walked away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c95pD3C ... TGsUeWTM2g

A testament to great car construction by Hyundai -- and some divine intervention.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

FANTASTIC NEWS: Sports Business Journal is reporting that NBC will announce today a deal to carry MotoGP for the 2020 season. The most exciting racing series on Earth is coming to American TV -- probably through NBCSN -- in a big way.

YESSSSSSSSSS!
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Rodster »

If these windscreens are incorporated into this years Indycars, they really make them look even edgier.

Image

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

The Aeroscreens are mandatory for all cars on all courses this season. Agree: They look great when integrated into the liveries. Very fighter jet canopy-like.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Dave »

The aeroscreens look great integrated into the livery, only a little awkwardness with the head-on shots due to the width. But who cares, safety is much more important.

I can't wait for the Indycar season to get started. We just booked a trip to Florida and will be going to St. Pete for the season opener, it'll be my first street course race. Also booked a trackside camping spot at Road America, SUPER pumped for this one, haven't been to the track since I was an intern a lifetime ago (the last season without Scott Dixon, if that tells you anything). Just have to figure out if we're making it to Indy for either the GP or 500, but the budget's already pretty stretched with the two races.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

Look me up if you go to either race at Indy, Dave! I'm PM you my digits.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by GB_Simo »

On the off-chance that any of you are logged in and fancy starting your day with some karting...:

https://youtu.be/l5mRQBb42kE

This place is less than 10 miles from my front door. I race hire karts there. I've got no idea what Radio Le Mans are doing there.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by TCrouch »

The end of Daytona was one of the worst wrecks I've ever seen. No idea how anybody could survive that (no details on Ryan Newman's condition as of the time of me posting this), but the car isn't designed to be hit that way (upside down, 2 feet off the ground, directly into the driver's side window at 180 MPH).

Sick to my stomach right now.

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by TCrouch »

Kept refreshing Twitter last night until I saw the status, but forgot to post it here (I'm sure anybody paying attention has seen already, anyway). But Newman is in serious condition...injuries are not life-threatening, though. Amazing to hear that after what I saw last night.

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

Just an incredibly stupid equipment package for Daytona and Talladega. Sad thing is, many of the same fools wishing thoughts and prayers for Newman last night are the same idiots standing and cheering during "The Big One" wrecks at both tracks.

The Daytona and Talladega package breeds crazy finishes. That's it. Otherwise it's guys swarming around in packs for the first 400 miles, cutting down laps and trying to stay out of trouble. Everyone knows you really only need to see the last 40 laps of a race at Daytona and Talladega -- and whenever the "Big One" occurs -- to get the full story of a Cup show there.

Great finishes, but not great racing. And it could have killed a guy last night. Changes need to be made to that package.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Rodster »

But that's been the complaint for both Daytona and Talladega since at least the 80's. I remember Dale Sr b*tching about pack racing at the Superspeedways. Remember Eddie Irvine and his reputation? He spiced up the show. IMO, Nascar wants those wrecks because as you said, that's what people come to see and it's good for business. So yeah, the people running Nascar are hypocrites.

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by GB_Simo »

The latest update on Ryan Newman is excellent. Fully alert, walking, joking, playing with his daughters, and his wife has shared a picture of him looking very chipper for a bloke who was recently in a bloody huge accident.

One thing that has struck me in the last couple of days: the number of people who'd forgotten that motorsport is dangerous was larger than I thought.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Rodster »

It wouldn't be a proper Formula 1 season without a little bit of controversy. The teams are watching Lewis pushing and pulling on his steering wheel which is causing speculation that it's changing the ride height on his car.

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by GB_Simo »

The big question on DAS, as we now know it to be called: what's the big trick innovation elsewhere on the car that Mercedes think we'll be too busy watching the steering wheel go backwards and forwards to notice?
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Rodster »

Marko believes DAS is ‘forbidden & prohibited’ https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-das-red-bull/

"Red Bull advisor Marko believes it is illegal. Marko explained to Auto Motor und Sport: “If you actively change the toe of the wheels while driving, the contact surface of the tyres changes. And with that – albeit in a very, very small area – the ground clearance.

But that is forbidden because the system then corresponds to the functioning of a prohibited active suspension.”

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Rodster »

So Marko was right, it's an illegal device. Get ready for another Mercedes ass whoopin season. Instead of the FIA banning it this year they are issuing a blanket ban starting in 2021.

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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by GB_Simo »

Rodster wrote:So Marko was right, it's an illegal device. Get ready for another Mercedes ass whoopin season. Instead of the FIA banning it this year they are issuing a blanket ban starting in 2021.
It's not illegal. It's also not legal until and unless it passes scrutineering in Melbourne, but as it stands right now the FIA believe it to be fine based on what they know of it.

It becomes illegal for 2021 presumably because when Mercedes contacted the FIA last year to discuss the concept with them, they highlighted a loophole nobody else had previously touched on. It could be a rule the governing body decided to tighten up themselves without prompting, I suppose, but what an odd rule to be thinking of...

Those 2021 rules, incidentally, are unchanged from the ones published towards the end of last year. Nothing has happened yet in reaction to the first sighting of the device yesterday, though one wonders whether the good doctor has a protest in his hand luggage for the flight to Australia.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Dave »

Love the innovation, will likely strongly dislike the result.

Have to expect Red Bull and Ferrari to protest, but it sure seems like Mercedes dotted their 'i's and 't's for this one.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by Dave »

I’m being intentionally dismissive here, but what’s the point of the WEC LMP1 class at this point? I assume Toyota has done zero development work over the last year or so since it is pointless to try to go faster when the success balance literally adds seconds to a lap time. Congrats to Rebellion, I guess, will they be slowed down now so Toyota can win?

LMP2 team names sound like bad made-up teams from 90s racing games. High Class Racing and Cool Racing made me laugh.

As you can probably tell, I don’t usually pay much attention to WEC and decided to this weekend with the race in Austin.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by pk500 »

Dave wrote:I’m being intentionally dismissive here, but what’s the point of the WEC LMP1 class at this point? I assume Toyota has done zero development work over the last year or so since it is pointless to try to go faster when the success balance literally adds seconds to a lap time. Congrats to Rebellion, I guess, will they be slowed down now so Toyota can win?

LMP2 team names sound like bad made-up teams from 90s racing games. High Class Racing and Cool Racing made me laugh.

As you can probably tell, I don’t usually pay much attention to WEC and decided to this weekend with the race in Austin.
The WEC is a bit of a mess rules-wise, which is pretty standard situation for any series administered by the FIA. The new Hypercar regulations are teetering on vanishing now that Aston Martin has withdrawn its entry due to the planned convergence of the ACO's rules for Le Mans with IMSA's smarter prototype rule package.

Toyota is the only manufacturer left committed to the Hypercar regs. Think it wants to compete against itself?

WEC should just follow IMSA's prototype class setup and be done with it. Then everyone could race worldwide under a common rules package, much like GT3 cars. GT racing is flourishing because of steady, common rules. You would think the FIA would want the same with prototypes, but very little the FIA does with running racing series makes any sense. It should stick to road safety.
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Re: Racing Season 2020 (Spoiler Alert)

Post by GB_Simo »

Genuine fake team alert: make a mess of your first few races in Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP 2 and Cool are the team you'll probably be demoted to.

Managing the BoP relating to Toyota's LMP1 programme is like having a running race with my nephew. I can't win too often or by too much, otherwise he gets bored. When he wins, I need to stay reasonably close behind, because he needs to feel like it was a genuine competition. None of it is real, I imagine he knows and someday fairly soon we'll all stop bothering.

Edit: from here on in, I'm basically parroting PK's post, which I went booming past in my haste to click Submit. Still, I had to think very hard about whether it was 'LMDh' or 'LMdH' and I don't want to delete all that effort.

What I'm really confused about is the future. There's the Hypercar thing coming in for 2020-21 but Aston seem to be reversing out of it, Peugeot are a bit non-committal and the governing body completely failed to acknowledge the existence of the Glickenhaus entry in a statement last week, which was nice. Added to that, there's the LMDh business, which Toyota won't entertain but I suspect a number of other manufacturers will...

It's my own ignorance, I suspect, and I probably need to do a bit more reading, but I can't quite figure out how it all ties together or what the long-term strategy is.
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