Dean Martin's GT4 Mustang

[Austinj427]

For what reason were they not finishing?

I think he probably means the brakes, engine oil, transmission and diff would probably overheat in short order.

We can lap our cars all day in pretty hot temps, even with pretty fast drivers, but if you pack them in with a bunch of other hot cars and push them to the absolute limit they will not do well.

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[Epiphany]

Well, there was the GT350R-C that ran 2015-16 Conti season and won 2016. The two cars that ran (both Ford/Multimatic for 2015 and Ford/Multimatic and C360 for 2016) were 5.2L FPC “Voodoo’s”. The cars could finish races, but needed some attention after each race.

I'll say it again. A stock GT350 wouldnt last long at all.

 

[Hack]

I'll say it again. A stock GT350 wouldnt last long at all.

What would break? From what I can tell, a stock GT350 would walk away from the competition. It would have better brakes and more power at a minimum. It wouldn't have added weight either.

Are you saying a stock GT350 can't last through a single track outing?

 

[Epiphany]

The GT350 is a great car and capable of a heck of a lot of open track fun. That said and in the context of this thread, a stock GT350 was never intended to run in a much more "hard core" setting such as IMSA Continental. Hence Multimatic and the car they build.

 

[H@mmer]

What would break? From what I can tell, a stock GT350 would walk away from the competition. It would have better brakes and more power at a minimum. It wouldn't have added weight either.

Are you saying a stock GT350 can't last through a single track outing?

Better brakes? No. MAYBE larger rotors, but that doesn't mean much.
More power? Not much. Completely negated by the transmission itself (and its lightning-fast shifts) in the GT4.
Added weight? You realize a stock '350 is a good 300-500 lbs heavier than the GT4, right?
Put a stock 350 on the track with the rest of those proper race cars and the results would be comical at best.

 

[Hack]

Better brakes? No. MAYBE larger rotors, but that doesn't mean much.
More power? Not much. Completely negated by the transmission itself (and its lightning-fast shifts) in the GT4.
Added weight? You realize a stock '350 is a good 300-500 lbs heavier than the GT4, right?
Put a stock 350 on the track with the rest of those proper race cars and the results would be comical at best.

I was saying ALL the cars should be stock, not JUST the GT350.

 

[Hack]

The GT350 is a great car and capable of a heck of a lot of open track fun. That said and in the context of this thread, a stock GT350 was never intended to run in a much more "hard core" setting such as IMSA Continental. Hence Multimatic and the car they build.

But you aren't going to say that the GT350 can't handle a track outing, are you?

I think it would be better for racing if the cars had fewer modifications. That was my point.

 

[Epiphany]

The point is that there is a very large distinction between a GT4 prepped Mustang and a GT350 that rolls off the showroom floor. I documented much of it in the first few pages of this very thread. And again, the stock GT350 or R are great for open tracking.

There are any number of different series/sanctioning bodies across the country where vehicles much closer to stock are tracked. Continental Series is geared for far more serious efforts. If I had my druthers, there would be even less restriction and these cars would run even faster. At some point however, durability goes out the window, costs get out of control, manufacturers/teams pull out, and a given race series dies. For now, IMSA is doing a fairly good juggling act.

 

[Mountain376]

I'll say it again. A stock GT350 wouldnt last long at all.

I was under the impression there was some poking towards FPC reliability, that's why the comment on the GT350R-C.

 

[Mountain376]

The point is that there is a very large distinction between a GT4 prepped Mustang and a GT350 that rolls off the showroom floor. I documented much of it in the first few pages of this very thread. And again, the stock GT350 or R are great for open tracking.

There are any number of different series/sanctioning bodies across the country where vehicles much closer to stock are tracked. Continental Series is geared for far more serious efforts. If I had my druthers, there would be even less restriction and these cars would run even faster. At some point however, durability goes out the window, costs get out of control, manufacturers/teams pull out, and a given race series dies. For now, IMSA is doing a fairly good juggling act.

Koni/CTSCC and PWC (except the GT-class) used to be the pro-racing series for near-production car racing. But that all changed around 2016 for PWC (GT4 cars began being accepted) and 2017 for CTSCC in going to GT4-homologation spec. In GT4, as Epiphany said, there is a pretty good leap forward in what the car is in regards to a race car, compared to any track-oriented street car.

 

[Mountain376]

Is anyone going to the RA race this weekend?

 

[honeybadger]

For what reason were they not finishing?

I think he probably means the brakes, engine oil, transmission and diff would probably overheat in short order.

We can lap our cars all day in pretty hot temps, even with pretty fast drivers, but if you pack them in with a bunch of other hot cars and push them to the absolute limit they will not do well.

I think this is it.

I'll say it again. A stock GT350 wouldnt last long at all.

Yep.

What would break? From what I can tell, a stock GT350 would walk away from the competition. It would have better brakes and more power at a minimum. It wouldn't have added weight either.

Are you saying a stock GT350 can't last through a single track outing?

If lowly ol’ me can send a 350 into limp mode, overheat the brakes, and nearly destroy tires in a day at COTA, it’s all but guaranteed a professional IMSA driver could destroy one of these fairly quickly at full tilt. There’s such a difference between race speed and HPDE.

 

[Epiphany]

Arrgh. Scudo car crashed. Not good. Hauling ass to get the Nano car from last year ready to run in the race tomorrow. This is the definition of crunch time.

 

[JohnD]

Koni/CTSCC and PWC (except the GT-class) used to be the pro-racing series for near-production car racing. But that all changed around 2016 for PWC (GT4 cars began being accepted) and 2017 for CTSCC in going to GT4-homologation spec. In GT4, as Epiphany said, there is a pretty good leap forward in what the car is in regards to a race car, compared to any track-oriented street car.

Pretty good leap forward in cost as well. Take a look at what the OEM race cars in GT4 and TCR cost to buy. Then triple that for a season package of spares and operating costs. There is a finite limit to the number of people that can/will afford the OEM race cars. Look what happened in PWC with grids when they booted out everyone except GT3s, pretty slim fields compared to the past. And then take a look at the burgeoning grids in amateur racing where garage builders can still run their stuff. "Pro" racing is signing its own death certificate. The SRO style of OEM racing cars might work in Europe where there is much more financial support for motorsport but it's going to continue to run into problems on this side of the pond.

 

[key01]

https://imgur.com/a/sjn2rca
RA practice Thursday. Through turn 5 uphill to 6. My buddy took this shot

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