Ford GT sets new top speed record.

[machoneman]

http://inpwrd.com/read?id=826530831&categoryId=&adId=experts_0418d6gb&site=on.yahoo.gemini&experienceId=beabfe750dc7e5281d26377f229bbd77&experienceDate=2017-06-19&id1=9532163671&lineitem=960663544343&domain=

[BruceS]

Sadly, the Fords finished a best of second this year in their class (GTE Pro) at the LeMans 24.  Behind an Aston Martin but ahead of the factory Corvettes.  I suspect Ford will return to LeMans again next year. 

Bruce

[cjshaker]

Sadly, the Fords finished a best of second this year in their class (GTE Pro) at the LeMans 24.  Behind an Aston Martin but ahead of the factory Corvettes.  I suspect Ford will return to LeMans again next year. 

Bruce

Hmmm, not sure what happened, but I thought there were 2 Aston Martins ahead of the Ford GT? Results say there was only one though. I actually watched the last couple hours, and the Corvette was leading going into the final lap. He overshot a chicane, ran through some stones and got a flat tire and had to finish the last lap on that tire. Not exactly a stellar moment as a driver to lose the race on the last lap because of a mistake you made   It was a heck of a finish though.

[chilly460]

Admittedly I don't watch this series but was getting interested, until I saw how the sanctioning body imposes weight and power penalties as "needed" to level the field. 

IMO, this is partly what has/is killing NASCAR.  Kind of hard to stay interested when you know the "team" you're rooting for may have a superior product, but are penalized to level the playing field, and frequently it goes too far as to make them inferior. 

[machoneman]

Yep! That was the 1st I heard of Ford GT penalties. Gee, I wonder if the Europeans didn't really want another embarrassing Ford sweep 50 years later??

[turbohunter]

Yup
They added 20 kilograms of weight and limited the boost.
If we can't beat you we'll regulate you to death.

[BruceS]

The sanctioning body calls it "balance of performance" (BoP).   

[Autoholic]

The sanctioning body calls it "balance of performance" (BoP).   

They try to make a bunch of different cars, spec racing cars. It's really stupid, back when "prototypes" were very similar to road going GT cars, it was all about whoever won with the best car and team. Almost anything went. I know the reason behind the BoP is to prevent a clash of bank accounts from getting out of hand, like LMP1 already is.

NASCAR has lost touch with its roots, WEC has become too regulated, F1 has become too cutting edge - spend millions to save a tenth of a second. The only racing series that makes any sense is IndyCar right now. Relatively low downforce, spec open wheel cars. F1 needs to be far more like IndyCar. WEC needs to let GT class teams just go at it, forget the BoP. The best designed car and functioning team should be the one that wins.