Death of GT1 class

Corvette Racing's plans for 2008:

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/alms/auto/40712/

The GT1 class is dead in ALMS, there have been just 7 GT1 cars in the Le Mans Series, and the only national GT championship in Europe that still has a GT1 class is French GT. The FIA GT Championship has around 4 non-ACO legal Maserati MC12s.

All but two FIA GT teams in the GT1 class use Michelin tires. GT2, on the other hand, has had Kumho, Dunlop, Michelin, Yokohama, and Pirelli compete this year in ALMS, LMS, and FIA GT.

The GT1 cars cost a lot of money.

Oreca won't race both the Courage LC70 machine in LMP1 along with the Saleen S7R next year.

The November, 2004 issue of Sports Car International said that the Prodrive-built Aston Martin DBR9 costs $920,000.

Why doesn't the Corvette Racing team move to the GT2 class to race with Panoz, Spyker, Ferrari, and Porsche? Why not sell customer cars?

Most epic race of this decade?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjWo8VdMb8I

Pratt & Miller should build Corvette Z06s for the GT2 class.

http://www.prattmiller.com/

http://www.corvetteracing.com/

WOW is all I can say! I like the title of that article on speedtv.com, "The future of Corvette Racing is in doubt, at least on American shores." How ironic is that? Very sad developments, but the same is going on in LMP1, maybe not so obvious but still there. Audi has very little real competition. The R8 was dominant, and the R10 is following in its footsteps.

As for building a GT2 Corvette, isn't there a GT3 championship that already has DB9s, F430s, Corvettes, etc...or is it only for privateers?

Why doesn't the Corvette Racing team move to the GT2 class to race with Panoz, Spyker, Ferrari, and Porsche? Why not sell customer cars? Makes sense, but I'd rather see those move up to GT1.

I think its time the best prototype manufacturer came back to where they belong, and thats Porsche @ Le Mans!

Okay I haven't followed LeMans lately but I thought the the Peugeot prototype was the new competition??

there are otherteams in ALMS LMP1, unlike ALMS GT1. They just don't have a bazillion dollar budget like Audi.

http://www.americanlemans.com/drivers_and_teams/Teams.aspx?CARCLASS=4

Interesting article on the Creation CA06/H Judd in ALMS and full-time racecar drivers vs. part-time.

http://sportscaranalytics.com/?p=231

some of the drivers, like richard berry from intersport racing, aren't full time racecar drivers.

$1.2 million for Autocon Motorsports

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20070419-9999-1s19motors.html

At Petit Le Mans on October 6, Intersport debuted their new twin-turbo AER-powered Lola B06/10. It was the # 16 Dyson Racing machine last year.

http://www.intersportracing.com/home/intersport-preparing-lola-aer-for-petit-debut.html

http://www.intersportracing.com/picture/thaw_82840.jpg?pictureId=857495

Team Cytosport has the #20 Dyson Racing machine from last year. Both Intersport and Cytosport have updates from Lola, AER, and Dunlop.

The rules favor diesels in P1 anyway. The max displacement for a turbo'd gasoline engine is 4.0 liters and 5.5 liters for a turbodiesel.