2011 American Le Mans Series

[Eric Estes]

From MazdaSpeed Motorsports:

GREAT NEWS! All American Le Mans Series races will be Video on Demand on both ESPN3 and the American Le Mans Series Web Site! You will be able to watch on the American Le Mans web site forever! Great Stuff!

Rumored to be coming to Xbox Live sometime soon as well.

 

[James Johnson]

OMG!

 

[Ryan Callan]

Schweet

 

[Damien Walczak]

I .. I .. I really don't know what to say. When I watched this: My jaw dropped and my cigarette fell from my mouth, I clenched my coffee cup so hard that it spilled all over my lap but I didn't feel the heat. Then I grabbed the screen and started shaking it screaming, "no .. no .. NO!" I picked-up my coat and went outside and started kicking rocks into the street.

It's the first video on the page, just scroll down:
http://www.corvetteracing.com

How could they do this?! This is not what the Corvette is about. It's about Man and Machine. Not, sit comfortably and turn-on the Radio while sipping a Latte .. Geezus! Yes, they did use a sequential previously but it was no-lift up, while a Clutch was still needed to down-shift; so they still retained some semblance of Driver necessity, now [Driver] isn't really needed at all. Way to go GM, now you're just another pretty car on the Track. Since GM is one of the few companies that actually transition technology(s), we can expect 'Flappy-Paddles' to make an appearence on the street-machine. If anyone ever needed a d**k-punch, it's Doug Fehan. They have lost a fan in me. This is blasphemy to an iconic car that prized itself and Won on its own merits.

I think I'll go buy a Ford now .. and root for the Ford GT. Yeah, they'll probably lose but at least they're true to form.

What do you think?

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

One word: Progress. To manufacturers, Motor racing is not about driver challenge, it's about going fastre than anyone else. I don't blame them at all.

Besides, what have paddle shifters got to do with driver necessity?! This is one thing I've never understood. It's still up to the driver to change gears, so the only way it would be any different from the old sequential system is if they went fully-automatic. Only then would I say that it's over the top.

 

[Wayne Reed]

I think your making a big song and dance about some thing so silly. It does not change a thing. The biggest reason why motorsport is going this way is to do with safety that's. Why F1 went with it and almost most tin top racing has or will. You have to look at it from that point of view if your driving a racing car at 200 MPH and your down shifting with a sequential box and the back snaps out and the driver has only 1 hand to try and hold the car. And then it does not work and he spins out and could get hurt or hurt other drivers or marshals. Now with a dubble clutch or as you call it a flappy paddle box he always has both hands on the wheel = better car control it also makes the car more settled on a downshift = more speed in and out of the turn's.

You just need to take time to see it from there point of view and not yours

 

[Damien Walczak]

...the driver has only 1 hand to try and hold the car. And then it does not work and he spins out and could get hurt or hurt other drivers or marshals.

But that's the point.

It was Driver dependant, the Driver had to make those decisions. If he/she binned the car then it was his/her fault. Removing the dog-box just makes things easier for the Crew. It's also a matter of removing the Man from the Machine, something that Corvette owners loved. It puts the Corvette in-line with other Manufacturers and no longer sets them apart.

I'm just disappointed that GM would do this to such an iconic car. Progress or no, it's not right to, in my opinion, stop something that has been a tradition.

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

The potential for extra speed has no room for tradition.

Paddle shifters do not remove the man from the machine in my opinion... if anything, they enhance that connection, because the driver is in control of the car at all times.

 

[Damien Walczak]

I wouldn't say speed, rather efficiency. I won't deny that but the C6 Z06 wasn't nicknamed the, "Supercar Killer" for no reason, as it blew the doors off just about everything, and it did not posses Paddle-Shifters. The Corvette represented Good 'ol American Muscle and expressed that there was no replacement for displacement, now it seems GM wants to subvert this reasoning with technological prowess instead forming a connection with the Driver.

Racing used to be about Car, Crew and Driver. Now it seems to be: Network engineers, Software programmers and a Driver to complete the image. I can't see any "enhancing" when the Skills necessary to compete may be less than required.

 

[Ramon Alonso]

Wow, they put paddles on the car and you jump ship to Ford! What a fan!

 

[Zeynel Babacan]

hi guys

i want to watch the ALMS this weekend but dont know where
any know a live streaming link ?

Thanks

 

[Ondrej Kapal]

I think it could be here http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=motorsports just wait for update to weekend schedule

 

[Eric Estes]

www.americanlemans.com will be streaming coverage of qualifying and the race.

 

[Zeynel Babacan]

Thanks guys

 

[Damien Walczak]

Hey now.

I stuck with GM for a long time. I stuck with them when they decided to hire lead designer from Chrysler to re-design the Corvette into what it is today. I stuck with GM when they decided to bin the 2.4L, 24V - fastest 4 cylinder on the Planet and replace with the 2.2L Eco-Tech, when they decided to put a freak'n Honda engine in the Saturn Vue, when they canned the EV-1 series, and on and on and on ..

The C6 Z06 and ZR1 were the epitome of car design while keeping in tradition with Muscle era. It was bad enough that GM put a moddified Cadillac motor into the ZR1, now they want to completely re-engineer the entire vehicle. You can claim Progress or whatever but it came down to: a Driver having to clutch and shift to get the most out of the car, with 'Paddles,' one simply needs to pull the trigger - no clutch, no need to try and improve, no need to learn hand-foot co-ordination, heck no reason to learn anything about the car at all; it's all computer controlled. 'Paddles' are fine for luxury cars. Not the Corvette, who's purpose was to be true Sportscar.

Believe me, I'm not the only one going to be p**s'd.

 

[Ramon Alonso]

Is that the team run by Callaway?

 

[Hiroshi Awazu]

Sorry guys but i'm with Damien on this one. Just my opinion: i never liked or will ever appreciate paddle shifting.

 

[Hannu Karesola]

Sebring qualifying live atm.

Stream and live timing: http://www.americanlemans.com/

 

[Damien Walczak]

Thanks Hiroshi. 'Paddles' remove any type of experience that a Driver would otherwise enjoy. You might as well get in a Taxi, because you have no direct input, other than directional changes.

Is that the team run by Callaway?

No. This is a GM Racing sponsored team, named "Team Cheverolet." Doug Fehan is the Program Manager and, in my opinion, an inept fool. Let me explain:

Last year Pratt-Miller were still heading the design stages. Pratt-Miller, in co-operation with Katech Engineering had solved numerous issues and overcome the multitude of restrictions that had been placed on the Corvette since their [Corvette] dominance of two years ago. At the MOSPORT venue: enter Team Cheverolet, headed by Doug Fehan. In Doug's infinite wisdom, he decides to switch the primary Drivers of each car and also change their placement - cars #3 and #4 respectively. What happens? They lose, miserably. Why? Because Jan Magnessun and John O'Connell were intended to be the primary Drivers, by switching the primary Drivers, the car(s) were set-up for Beretta and Gavin who drive very, very differently than Mag'gy and O'Connell.

Now .. now, Mr. Fehan thinks that he is smarter and more clever than a Team that has Won practically evey Event that they took part in, Pratt-Miller and Katech Engineering. Team Cheverolet is attempting to re-design the 5.5L, V8R. How are they progressing? Poorly. Katech was able to deliver 680bHP with a restrictor-plate of 1/8". Team Cheverolet..? - 485bHP, citing "We've made it more efficient." Maybe so but you're down 195bHP! This flys in the face of Katech's vast improvements. So they just swept all the years of R&D under the rug because Doug'gy thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced-bread. An absolute Wonder. Did they learn from MOSPORT? No. Mag'gy has still not been returned to their primary Driver position - even O'Connell left, he was approached to drive for Cadillac in next years SCCA Series .. I don't blame him. He was replaced with Tommy Millner?!

I fear bad things for the Corvette team if Mr. Fehan is allowed to continue along his insane perspective. An under-powered car, even with paddle-shifters won't be enough to Win a Championship. Heck even the Ford GT is pushing 500bHP!

Uggh! I'm so shocked and disappointed.


EDIT: Look at this years starting Grid for Sebring - Pos. #3: Gavin, Pos. #9: Beretta. What does that tell'ya?

12hrs of Sebring? More like, 12hrs of Sobbing ..

 

[Ross Balfour]

Thanks Hiroshi. 'Paddles' remove any type of experience that a Driver would otherwise enjoy. You might as well get in a Taxi, because you have no direct input, other than directional changes..

I'm sorry but that is such an ignorant thing to say. Are you saying now that paddles have been introduced into the Corvette, any random driver from the street can jump into it and set lap records? Absolutely not, the car still requires as much skill to drive and control, look at and F1 car, no sequential gear stick there, yet the greatest racing drivers on the planet are racing there, it's hard to see your point if I'm honest.

You do have direct input, it's not like they've swapped to automatic's or soemthing, the drivers still need to change gear at the right time, control the steering wheel the same way (just with one more hand) and accelerate and brake and clutch accordingly, to say that's like drving a taxi, is just ridiculous.

Let's put it this way, would you rather the Corvette's come stone dead last every race, but the drivers have an "experience" or would you want them at the front, winning races for the fans like yourself who watch the series every year. As Rhys said, it's about progress, and changes like this will improve the car, and not take away the skill required to drive the car.