I sit here on the last day of 2014 looking back at at the year. Overall, it was interesting and enjoyable.
The Good
GrandAm merged with ALMS and created the IMSA/Tudor Series and the North American Endurance Cup (NEAC). It brought together the widest range of machinery we haven seen since the days of the GTP Uber-Prototypes. To unify endurance racing in the US was necessary for both to survive.
While there were areas of concern, especially after Sebring (See “An Open Letter To IMSA“), it ended where it should have started, with P2’s being competitive with the DP’s. The new P2 Coupes look great and can run with the DP’s, even win against them. I want to believe there will be a better balance of power (BoP) going into the 2015 Rolex and Sebring races.
Having P2’s race in both the World Endurance Cup (WEC) and the NEAC puts some well known American Teams on the world stage. In particular, Scott Sharps ESM and Patrick Dempsey’s efforts will show how racing in the US stacks up against the European ands Asian LeMans Series’. For years, I have felt that our lack of representation internationally was bad for our domestic racing scene. I look back at the days where the same teams racing at LeMans were at Daytona and Sebring, and our drivers had a yardstick which to compare to themselves to those across the pond. This is a big plus!! The dream of having an American winning LeMans, even a class win, now has traction!
Ford has become involved in the series with what I believe is the sweetest jewel of an American built engine. The 3.5Ltr twin turbo-charged V6 is simply the best small(er) displacement motor around. I have it in my Lincoln MKT and love it. Any new manufacturer in the series is good for the series.
Porsche is back in the prototype classes with Mark Webber and the 919! I simply love it!
WEC/Tudor double header at COTA. Now we can compare the DP’s to the LMP1’s on the same track on the same day! We can compare the GTLM’s to the GTE’s too! Simply awesome.
The Bad
The initial officiating at both Daytona and Sebring was horrendous! I figured Alex Job Racing would have left for the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC). They didn’t, but several did, notably Flying Lizard, Turner Motorsport and Bob Stallings/Gainsco. The officiating was the start, the costly changes to all the BoP changes and, well, the general cost increases for the “low budget” GTDaytona made the PWC’s format very appealing. While GTD and PWC comparisons are generally apples and oranges, money is money and GTD is costly.
With that said, we have lost at least 7 teams: the 5 mentioned above, Level 5 motorsport (due in part to owner Scott Tuckers pending legal issues) and Pickett/Muscle Milk Motorsport (I have no idea why they left after Sebring).
The Ugly
The wreck of the Red Dragon at Daytona! It was violent and a near death experience for all involved. That anyone survived surprises me. I Wish the best for Memo Gedley and Matteo Malucelli’s recovery and hope to see them both in race cars soon!.
The soap opera that is F1. Need I say more…