GT3 Cup cars - Rolex 24hr

[Joe Hoppa]

Just a comment and concern: With over 30 GT3 cup cars entered - It seems a little alarming for Porsche when 4 Mazda RX8's are entered and 3 of them finish in the top ten with 1 of them taking 1st
Lets see GT3 Cup - 2500 lbs and over 400HP
Mazda RX8 normally apsirated about 2200 lbs...... ouch!
Not sure on HP
What's next 350Z's dusting off Porsche at Lemans?

[Dan Thompson]

are you trying to start trouble Joe

are you pushing those Nippon cars

[Joe Hoppa]

Dan, Not at all
Watched most of it and rooted all the way for #65,66,67

Just hope it is not a precursor to the GT3 becoming an also ran

[Ken Jones]

Legislation! .... get rid of those smog belching rotaries!

[Claude Leglise]

I am hoping that the new fuel economy legislation will motivate Porsche, and others, to focus on the automotive equivalent of Jenny Craig. If you can't add horsepower, add lightness.

What we heard from the Porsche folks during the visit of the ALMS paddock at Laguna, is that they have not developed the RSR enough and they know it. In 2007, the Ferraris were faster at every track. It seems that each RS Spyder requires 4 factory race engineers and that Porsche ran into a personnel shortage that impacted the GT3 program. Getting beat by a Ferrari is one thing, but by a Mazda? Maybe this will be a wake up call.

Claude

[Zone7Rep(Larry Sharp)]

Grand Am is only allowing the GT3 Cup car .. not the RSR.. The RX8 has always had mucho potential .. Mazda finally is getting serious with it.. They Probally ran about the same Horsepower as the GT3 Cup cars//

[Joe Hoppa]

I believe 2005/6 - they banned Forced air injection cars for the GT class Grand am series
which eliminated the GT3RSR

Mazda reports you can have an RX8 factory racer for 280,000 spares not included
so the GT3 cup is a bargain

The Daytona prototypes run $400,000 ish - spares, team, driver etcs not included