OP
OP
thePill
Camaro5's Most Wanted
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2012
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- #1,081
Sorry I've been silent, between buying a new home and landing a big job, I haven't had the time.
First, I must express my displeasure with IMSA and the CTSCC's Z/28.R. Its a shame IMSA is handling this so poorly. The fact is, the Camaro needed help, lots of help, beyond engineering...
Anyone that watched Grand Am and now IMSA, should remember the 5th Gens lousy debut. The Camaro had one 3rd place finish in its first 18 months. It took some rule bending by Grand Am to get the fat boy competitive. Its a fat car and, even the LS3 couldn't help it. This pace continued for 4 whole seasons. The LS3 couldn't cut it, even with a 1.2 liter advantage and NO intake restrictions, it sucked regardless. They had NO feasible engine option within the classes 3.6 Turbo - 5.0. So, the LS7 is used... That itself is a tragedy. Beyond that, most of the R&D done came from the Riley GS.R program, the OEM z28 wasn't homologated from the race car like everyone else. That was the classes draw, the manufacturer offers a street version of the car as the rules require. Chevy need not worry about requirements or standards. They were obviously selected to win the championship this year. After 3 consecutive z28 wins and still no intake restrictions like the Boss and M3. If anything, homologation was a HUGE disadvantage for those that were made to comply. None of that really matters now... Not after 3 consecutive wins. I said before, long ago, about the end of Jan, they had pretty much free reign this year. Nothing really much teams can do except run a z28 too.
Just remember and remind those celebrating, its a paper champ... I highly doubt CTSCC would be this easy if the entire field wasn't restricted so winning a championship is easier. That is how bad the 5th Gen is for road racing. Restricting the class, homologation waivers, displacement advantage and a huge HP advantage. What's going on shouldn't surprise anyone.
Next, the Lightning Lap... I just don't trust Chevy or GM enough to not send a heat seeking Ringer for a magazine test. Every year the Camaro puts up great numbers in magazines, then Pro and Amateur alike can't duplicate magazine times. The ZL1 was a prime example of seeing one thing and getting another. 11's all day is what they said, mid to high 12s is what you got. Besides, no one on earth can challenge the times posted.
I just can't see spending $80,000 for a set of tires. Yes, it was designed around the tires, as it should be, so what... Tire a ZL1 and retune the suspension (not hard) and its lights out. Why not, you can race a ZL1 in just as many classes as the z28... Those being very few. If it was spec'd to compete, id say $80k was a good deal. Its not... Its not really welcomed anywhere.
Try not to forget why Team Camaro strives to make the best handling Camaro ever... '13 GT500 had wounded them so severely in the 1/4 mile game, the Camaro never looked back. It was exiled from the sport of drag racing. So they tuck tail and run...
...I guess they though Ford wouldn't dominate them in this area too. Well... I think most of us will be shocked.
As for the video/pics I saw last month, some may be seen in the public eventually. I am not permitted to discuss anything more except this... Ford doesn't need a racing tire...
I can make some comments about Nurburg. I don't think Team Camaro will live up to their "Return to the Ring" promise. They know it doesn't have it in it to run any faster than a 7:37. Even that time was tuned into it... You won't get any of that in the OEM version. I'll comment on the Ring vids, the other clips were on other tracks yet to be announced. The 350 is fast, faster than the GT500. That was just a video though, a vid testing at the Ring. If anyone remembers, club members clocked the GT500 around 7:30 flat initially but, we only got to see the 7:39 video. I'm betting it was caged as well. Another reason Chevy won't risk taking another z28 over. They risk cameras busting them with a full cage even though this should be common sense.
So, enjoy your CTSCC Championship... You sure the hell haven't earned it. Someone had to hand it to your sorry asses. If it were truely a great road racing car, it should of had no problems the first 4 seasons, shouldn't need a 7 liter V8, shoulda been homologated and shouldn't need to have the other V8's in its class restricted by 40%.
If theatrics are involved in racing now, we better have a championship waiting for the GT350 next season.
First, I must express my displeasure with IMSA and the CTSCC's Z/28.R. Its a shame IMSA is handling this so poorly. The fact is, the Camaro needed help, lots of help, beyond engineering...
Anyone that watched Grand Am and now IMSA, should remember the 5th Gens lousy debut. The Camaro had one 3rd place finish in its first 18 months. It took some rule bending by Grand Am to get the fat boy competitive. Its a fat car and, even the LS3 couldn't help it. This pace continued for 4 whole seasons. The LS3 couldn't cut it, even with a 1.2 liter advantage and NO intake restrictions, it sucked regardless. They had NO feasible engine option within the classes 3.6 Turbo - 5.0. So, the LS7 is used... That itself is a tragedy. Beyond that, most of the R&D done came from the Riley GS.R program, the OEM z28 wasn't homologated from the race car like everyone else. That was the classes draw, the manufacturer offers a street version of the car as the rules require. Chevy need not worry about requirements or standards. They were obviously selected to win the championship this year. After 3 consecutive z28 wins and still no intake restrictions like the Boss and M3. If anything, homologation was a HUGE disadvantage for those that were made to comply. None of that really matters now... Not after 3 consecutive wins. I said before, long ago, about the end of Jan, they had pretty much free reign this year. Nothing really much teams can do except run a z28 too.
Just remember and remind those celebrating, its a paper champ... I highly doubt CTSCC would be this easy if the entire field wasn't restricted so winning a championship is easier. That is how bad the 5th Gen is for road racing. Restricting the class, homologation waivers, displacement advantage and a huge HP advantage. What's going on shouldn't surprise anyone.
Next, the Lightning Lap... I just don't trust Chevy or GM enough to not send a heat seeking Ringer for a magazine test. Every year the Camaro puts up great numbers in magazines, then Pro and Amateur alike can't duplicate magazine times. The ZL1 was a prime example of seeing one thing and getting another. 11's all day is what they said, mid to high 12s is what you got. Besides, no one on earth can challenge the times posted.
I just can't see spending $80,000 for a set of tires. Yes, it was designed around the tires, as it should be, so what... Tire a ZL1 and retune the suspension (not hard) and its lights out. Why not, you can race a ZL1 in just as many classes as the z28... Those being very few. If it was spec'd to compete, id say $80k was a good deal. Its not... Its not really welcomed anywhere.
Try not to forget why Team Camaro strives to make the best handling Camaro ever... '13 GT500 had wounded them so severely in the 1/4 mile game, the Camaro never looked back. It was exiled from the sport of drag racing. So they tuck tail and run...
...I guess they though Ford wouldn't dominate them in this area too. Well... I think most of us will be shocked.
As for the video/pics I saw last month, some may be seen in the public eventually. I am not permitted to discuss anything more except this... Ford doesn't need a racing tire...
I can make some comments about Nurburg. I don't think Team Camaro will live up to their "Return to the Ring" promise. They know it doesn't have it in it to run any faster than a 7:37. Even that time was tuned into it... You won't get any of that in the OEM version. I'll comment on the Ring vids, the other clips were on other tracks yet to be announced. The 350 is fast, faster than the GT500. That was just a video though, a vid testing at the Ring. If anyone remembers, club members clocked the GT500 around 7:30 flat initially but, we only got to see the 7:39 video. I'm betting it was caged as well. Another reason Chevy won't risk taking another z28 over. They risk cameras busting them with a full cage even though this should be common sense.
So, enjoy your CTSCC Championship... You sure the hell haven't earned it. Someone had to hand it to your sorry asses. If it were truely a great road racing car, it should of had no problems the first 4 seasons, shouldn't need a 7 liter V8, shoulda been homologated and shouldn't need to have the other V8's in its class restricted by 40%.
If theatrics are involved in racing now, we better have a championship waiting for the GT350 next season.
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I'm a little confused. In Conti they ran the ZL1 before they switched to the Z-28. They were not actually running the ZL1 engine. Ford runs the S and R in PWC. GM runs ZL1's. They are race cars, they are marketing the model not the actual car. No competitive team would enter a clean sheet design at the beginning of a season, too much development in the current chassis. The teams I spoke to said mid season at the earliest. Ford has a lot of engineering in the current models suspension, many of the teams are Ford engineers. Ford has a very competitive piece and until testing/development is complete no one in their right mind would switch. PWC is successful because they support a very open platform, allowing you to run non-current models. The engines are all different, what does it matter the size? That's the series job to figure out BOP. I could understand any of what was said above if teams were required to buy a car with a title from their local dealer and put a cage in it....oh I don't know like TC-B :shrug:
