500 Horsepower Nissan Skyline GT-R to Make Speed World Challenge Debut

[Tiger Racing]

Originally Posted by tyndago

No Road America this year. Scheduling conflicts.

Merely a reference. There is no Road America race this season. Instead, Cleveland has been added to the schedule. World Challenge will be a support race for... CART.

As far as times the car runs. We are currently working with the SCCA on the VTS. We came out to Sebring to get a feel for the races and see how the event is run. We have had a little bit of time to talk to SCCA about what the car is.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who will be interested in seeing the VTS when it comes out. Have you guys paid the homologation fee yet?

I want to point out that the primary reason for the entry into World Challenge in '06 rather than this season is for driver development. I will have a full time program in place to ensure my success as the driver including a full season of Endurance Karting, lots of testing in the GT-R, and sedan/coupe racing as well.

So you don't actually have any real, race experience? None? As someone else who leaped before looking into World Challenge, may I ask you a question?

What are you smoking and is it legal in Amsterdam?

I understand wanting to race what you want, where you want, but whose idea was it to take a totally untested car and a completely inexperienced driver into what is arguably the most competitive road racing series in North America? Even a full year of endurance karting is nothing compared to what the least experienced full-time driver in WCGT has under their belt. Who's sponsoring this team?

C.

[#98]

Originally Posted by Tiger Racing

So you don't actually have any real, race experience? None? As someone else who leaped before looking into World Challenge, may I ask you a question?

What are you smoking and is it legal in Amsterdam?

I understand wanting to race what you want, where you want, but whose idea was it to take a totally untested car and a completely inexperienced driver into what is arguably the most competitive road racing series in North America? Even a full year of endurance karting is nothing compared to what the least experienced full-time driver in WCGT has under their belt. Who's sponsoring this team?

C.

heh, what did you think I was talking about in my earlier posts? I wouldn't even throw a rookie into a competitive regional spec-miata race, unless I wanted him to suffer a serious blow to his ego (and likely his roll-cage too). Site revenue appears to have financed the car, but you as someone with personal experience running a WC program as well as I know that it takes hundreds of thousands just to show up consistently at the tracks let alone be competitive. Buying the car is the least expensive part.

Anyway, he needs gigantic amounts of seat time in the Skyline just in order to deal with the battling leaders come up to lap him. Those guys will have no mercy for a rookie as they battle it out. Seems like a nice guy...wanna keep him from making a really costly mistake. Anyway, bottom line is that if he has serious natural talent then a year of solid racing should make him good enough to avoid disaster. However, if not, lol, he might want to consider 2007.

[SkylineUSA]

Originally Posted by Tiger Racing

What are you smoking and is it legal in Amsterdam?

I understand wanting to race what you want, where you want, but whose idea was it to take a totally untested car and a completely inexperienced driver into what is arguably the most competitive road racing series in North America? Even a full year of endurance karting is nothing compared to what the least experienced full-time driver in WCGT has under their belt. Who's sponsoring this team?

C.

TigerRacing,

Igor is a very intelligent, and motivated young man. Plus, with the car he has, and a team of experts to back him, I have all the confidence in the world that not only can he participate in the WCGT, but he will be competitive. He is probably one of the most intelligent people I have had the pleasure to speak with, and I have friends and family in Mensa. Give him a chance, before you try to chastise him, please.

[#98]

Originally Posted by SkylineUSA

TigerRacing,

Igor is a very intelligent, and motivated young man. Plus, with the car he has, and a team of experts to back him, I have all the confidence in the world that not only can he participate in the WCGT, but he will be competitive.

The thing is that all the other teams have experts and drivers with years of experience. Also, despite the idolized view you have of the Skyline I doubt it will be a competitive car. It is an aging platform and in the engine-restricted series of GT will not to be able to use its ability to creative massive hp. Its handling isn't exactly legendary either.

[tyndago]

Originally Posted by Tiger Racing

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who will be interested in seeing the VTS when it comes out. .

The VTS will read like most of the cars. Tires a certain width. Lots of stock parts in the engine. Lots more stock parts than you might think. The car will weigh in the 3000-3200 lb range. It will make about 500 hp. There wont be any real suprises.

Originally Posted by Tiger Racing

So you don't actually have any real, race experience? None? As someone else who leaped before looking into World Challenge, may I ask you a question? I understand wanting to race what you want, where you want, but whose idea was it to take a totally untested car and a completely inexperienced driver into what is arguably the most competitive road racing series in North America? Even a full year of endurance karting is nothing compared to what the least experienced full-time driver in WCGT has under their belt. Who's sponsoring this team?

So you went into World Challenge and realized how difficult it is and you ask us what we are smoking.

1 year. Actually 15 months of development for this car for this series. We are currently at Sebring - looking and learning more about what we threw our hat into.

As far as this car being untested. Its a Nismo built race car. A car based on a chassis that Nismo has been racing for 16 years. Its a 5 year old race car that finished 2nd overall in Super Taikyu in 2001. More history of the vehicle is in the article about this car.

As far as inexperience goes. Everyone is a rookie sometime. There have been a couple of rookies that have done well at World Challenge.

[tyndago]

Originally Posted by #98

all the other teams have experts and drivers with years of experience.

All the other teams have drivers with years of experience ? Really ? All of them?

So then a rookie cant race in this series until he gets "years of experience"?

[Tiger Racing]

Originally Posted by SkylineUSA

Igor is a very intelligent, and motivated young man.

That doesn't mean he is good at racing cars.

Plus, with the car he has, and a team of experts to back him, I have all the confidence in the world that not only can he participate in the WCGT, but he will be competitive.

I certainly wouldn't be money on it, but I guess it's your money to lose.

He is probably one of the most intelligent people I have had the pleasure to speak with, and I have friends and family in Mensa. Give him a chance, before you try to chastise him, please.

I don't know what IQ points have to do with this, other than the fact that it is questionable whether entering a highly competitive, extremely expensive pro series to get one's first taste of racing is really the smartest route into motorsport history. But I didn't chastise anyone. I made a joke about what a huge bite this guy is taking off the road racing pie. As I've said, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I was just wondering why this plan was implemented in this way.

C.

[#98]

Originally Posted by tyndago

All the other teams have drivers with years of experience ? Really ? All of them?

So then a rookie cant race in this series until he gets "years of experience"?

Probably 90 percent if not all of them have years of experience. Rookies don't typically jump into a high-powered GT series.

Anyway, I'm not trying to be negative. I hope Igor is successful and if I can aid him I'll do that.

[Tiger Racing]

Originally Posted by tyndago

The VTS will read like most of the cars. Tires a certain width. Lots of stock parts in the engine. Lots more stock parts than you might think. The car will weigh in the 3000-3200 lb range. It will make about 500 hp. There wont be any real suprises.

I know how VTS sheets usually read. The devil is in the details.

So you went into World Challenge and realized how difficult it is and you ask us what we are smoking.

Yes. I did. I am speaking from first hand knowledge and experience. We jumped into Ferrari Challenge without really looking at the series, because we wanted to race a Ferrari 355 F1 car. We needed the paddle shifter for hand controls. We had no idea how competitive the series was until we were in it. The only other cars I'd ever raced were an '88 Supra and a '95 Mustang. Both street cars run in track day events. The Ferrari Challenge cars aren't really race cars compared to serious race cars, but they are a mighty step up from a 6 cylinder Supra with a bolt in, 4-point harness. I did pretty well in Ferrari Challenge for a couple of yrs, then went to SCCA Club Racing where I won the So Cal Regional T1 Championship before plunging blindly into World Challenge in a woefully underpowered and decidedly unreliable Ferrari. I had enough race experience under my belt that I could at least stay out of the way while I was getting my butt kicked, but I could have used more time in close, competitive racing with more equal drivers. I don't know anyone who couldn't.

1 year. Actually 15 months of development for this car for this series. We are currently at Sebring - looking and learning more about what we threw our hat into.

I'm curious as to why you didn't look into World Challenge more closely before acquiring this car and issuing a press release.

As far as this car being untested. Its a Nismo built race car. A car based on a chassis that Nismo has been racing for 16 years.

The car has never been run in World Challenge trim.

As far as inexperience goes. Everyone is a rookie sometime. There have been a couple of rookies that have done well at World Challenge

Come on now. Being a rookie to a particular series is nothing like being flat out new to racing overall. Rookies usually have some experience in lower leagues for a few yrs before moving up to the majors. No doubt about it, World Challenge is major league road racing. These guys are bloody well serious. Many of them are paid professionals, a lot of them spend more time behind the wheel in a year than they do tucked into their beds at home and I don't believe that any of them went from 0-170 like you are talking about doing.

All the other teams have drivers with years of experience ? Really ? All of them?

Yes. I don't know of a single driver whose first year of road racing began in World Challenge.

So then a rookie cant race in this series until he gets "years of experience"?

You're misunderstanding how the term rookie is commonly used in this context. And the point is whether someone with zero experience can be competitive against the likes of Pilgrim, Henzler and Archer in their factory backed or supported cars.

C.

[#98]

Winning T1 in the SoCal region (althought right now T1 fields are almost non-existant in SoCal) and having experience in the 355 Challenge series is a far cry from where Igor is at. Many times when you hear the term rookie used it is rather ludicrous. Like in touring car in 2004 Bob Endicott was competing for ROY, but only cause it was his first year in WC. If BMW's hotshoe in the BTCC, Andy Priaulx came to Speed WC he'd be considered a rookie.

There's a double regional at Buttonwillow this weekend...but I'm assuming he doesn't have his regional license yet. Are you even SCCA members yet?

Which reminds me, you do know that Igor will need to complete a bunch of national level races to even qualify for the pro-license required for WC. And before he can get a national license to compete in national events he needs to get a novice-license and then compete 4 regional races.

Maybe I'll volunteer to instruct at Igor's SCCA super-school (required to get the novice license). The best route would be to purchase a spec-miata to compete in for the rest of the season.

[tyndago]

Thank you to everyone for their input. We are discussing each post among ourselves. We appreciate the advice from people with experience.

We had a chance yesterday to walk around in the rain andt

[SkylineUSA]

Originally Posted by Tiger Racing

That doesn't mean he is good at racing cars.



I certainly wouldn't be money on it, but I guess it's your money to lose.



I don't know what IQ points have to do with this, other than the fact that it is questionable whether entering a highly competitive, extremely expensive pro series to get one's first taste of racing is really the smartest route into motorsport history. But I didn't chastise anyone. I made a joke about what a huge bite this guy is taking off the road racing pie. As I've said, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I was just wondering why this plan was implemented in this way.

C.

How many cars total will be racing in a normal WCGT season? I would put money that the GTR would finish in the top 50%, if it can get a full season in.

As far as the IQ, you are missing my point. Don't key in on the fact that he is just a smart kid, he has a plan, he has a team, and the kids has some skills, not necessarily on the race course yet, but with practise it will come.

As for the way he is going about it, speculation on my parts, it has to do with the car.

[#98]

Originally Posted by SkylineUSA

I would put money that the GTR would finish in the top 50%, if it can get a full season in.

A judgement based on your extensive knowledge of motorsport, no doubt.

[SkylineUSA]

Originally Posted by #98

A judgement based on your extensive knowledge of motorsport, no doubt.

I guess you take that as an insult.

[SkylineUSA]

Originally Posted by #98

Its handling isn't exactly legendary either.

Ignorance is bliss.

That has to be one of the most uniformed quotes I have seen posted on the internet, way to go 98.