Bob Barnard Track Engineering

A few days ago I wrote about the demise of the LMP2 from the Tudor Sports Car Series. Well it did not take long. We now have the news from IMSA that they are looking to replace DPs and LMP2 prototypes with a "spec" class which is in essence a carbon tub replacement for the tube frame DP. Designed to accommodate a variety of engines, as the DP is, and able to accept different body styles a la DP. This is the article from Racer Magazine.

http://racermag.kinja.com/talks-continue-on-2017-spec-prototype-chassis-1566231732?rev=1398199229

IMSA wants a car that can compete in a variety of series, including Le Mans. LMP2 anybody? Don't say I didn't warn you.

On a different note, literally, there is an interesting article on F1 engine noise in the April 3 issue of Autosport. I know it is old, but I have to wait to receive it. Apparently it comes by ship. It shows that yes, the new cars are quieter by about 11 dB, which is significant, but they are still louder than NASCARs! The real difference is in the frequency, which due to the lower revs and the turbo is lower pitched. The human ear relates to more higher frequencies, that is why the readings are not actual but scaled to mimic human response, the dbA scale. I always had a theory about that when I worked for Panoz. Anyone who heard that car would know it was LOUD, but being a big V8 it was all low down on the scale. The only way I could see it would pass the noise test was due to that absence of top end noise, and it seems I was right. 

The other point is of course those of us listening at home are not hearing the real sound, only what the TV decides to give us. Positioning of the microphones around the track, and the filtering have an effect. That is why Bernie changed his tune a bit when hearing them live. So, come on TV Director, give us the real deal and we can turn the sound up. 

Many years ago when I lived in England I went to a waxworks which featured among other things a history of torture. One that stuck in my mind was "the death of a thousand cuts." These were just small flesh wounds, on their own not much problem, but 1,000 eventually bled the person to death.

Is this is what we are seeing in the new "unified" sports car series in America? This was no merger between ALMS and Grand-Am, the Doctor sold out to the ISC, and presumably to keep the fans and teams happy we were to see both series cars included with balance of performance. The DP is of course a NASCAR style derivative, and the LMP1 of Le Mans was way too quick to have a place, so we had LMP2 cars in the prototype class with the DPs. Last year the LMP2s were a lot quicker than the DPs, so we had to have a balance of performance to even things out, except as we have seen in the three races so far the DPs have won and the LMP2s struggled.

So what do LMP2 car owners, who are largely doing this for fun remember, decide when they are having no fun? They take their bat and ball home. Was this the plan all along, the death of a thousand cuts? Small nicks that seem slight at the time but in the end kill the class? So Grand-Am wins in the end.

Sure we have the GT Le Mans class, and thank goodness for it. They produced the best racing in the last few years of ALMS, and that's where the manufacturers are, so I don't see ISC killing that off, but you never know. Their GT class was modeled on the NASCAR culture of tube frame cars, so why would they kill that off. Just maybe the owners of those cars might feel like the LMP2 owners and just fade away.

Dyson racing have teamed with Bentley to go race in the Pirelli World Challenge. Got to be more fun than being beaten in Tudor Sports Cars. Strange decision though by Bentley. The Dyson team has been conspicuous for its lack of reliability and results in recent years. Still, it will be great to see the Bentley here in the US.

Back in the real world the WEC kicks off this weekend with the 6 Hours of Silverstone. First chance to see Porsche go head to head with Audi and Toyota. F1 is in China and Ferrari's new Team Principle is at hand, although what he is going to bring to the team other than another politician I don't know. Alonso seems to have pulled his finger out in the first days practice, new manager syndrome? It is early days though and we will see tomorrow just how close he can really get to the Mercedes.