Q: You know what the Mailbag has been missing? BoP complaints! Well not so much a complaint as a question. Sorry to let you down. With all the new GTP cars this year, IMSA seems spot on with its BoP and delivered us great racing down to the final laps of every round. There were understandable gaps at Daytona with everyone having different levels of testing under their belt, but after Long Beach I feel like any team could realistically win a race this season. Meanwhile, I watch the WEC and Toyota can pull out a minute or lap lead with ease and walk it home for a victory (barring any reliability issues) leaving the rest of the field fighting for scraps. I still enjoy a good midfield battle, but at times it feels more like F1 than a BoP series. What gives?
Is Toyota that good, or does someone have their thumb on the scale as a reward for keeping LMP1 afloat those few years? Is IMSA’s balance favoring performance while WEC’s favors potential? Are they slower to adjust hoping the new teams have more pace to discover? I feel like if one GTP manufacturer had that big of an advantage in IMSA we’d be storming John Doonan’s office, but I hear next to nothing about it in WEC.
Maybe all their LMP1 experience and data is keeping Toyota ahead. Or is it just as simple as IMSA having the wave-around to help cars get back to the lead lap? Porsche, Ferrari, and Cadillac are new and need time to develop, but even teams like Glickenhouse and Peugeot who already showed their cards last season don’t seem to be getting any favors the way Toyota is.
I want WEC to have the excitement of IMSA, but maybe I’m just greedy (#mepersonally). I am American after all. Maybe I need some of that good old fashioned European enlightenment.
Noah, Waukesha, WI
MP: You’re the Mailbag’s official Balance of Performance savior!
Two quick things: The Toyotas are the most refined prototypes in the Hypercar class by a wide margin. Second, as we always have when balancing two unique car formulas, BoP has certainly favored the WEC’s Hypercar models over IMSA’s LMDh/GTP models. The rarity will be the days when both formulas are locked in a scrap where neither model has an advantage. And back to the Hypercar side, once Ferrari and Peugeot figure out how to make their cars perform at the same high level for an entire race, Toyota will have competition. Glickenhaus did almost no running prior to the season so I can’t expect the WEC to dial up their BoP to compensate for all they didn’t learn and use to improve themselves.
Q: Thanks for your post-mortem of the first 100 Days to Indy episode. What you found was what I was predicting in my earlier document to you with regard to potential for expanding young fan base. Not.
In case you missed it, the production company, VICE, is on the verge of bankruptcy. Did anyone involved at IndyCar or Penske do any due diligence?
Dennis
MP: Yes, we wrote about the VICE topic last week. I’ve since read it’s going to be given to two of its investors in lieu of having to pay its debts.
Q: We have been doing Carb Day for years. We always enjoyed the Indy Lights show that day, We were wondering why the now-Indy NXT race was stopped?
Todd
MP: Roger Penske was alarmed by the big car-breaking crashes he witnessed and feared what would happen if an Indy Lights driver was maimed or killed two days prior to the Indy 500, and it was cut from the schedule once Penske Entertainment took control of the Speedway and series.
Q: I know that Barber is old news now, but if you have a way to pass a message to IndyCar leadership, I would appreciate it.
Barber was about as close to a perfect event as we’ll ever see. The racing was incredibly competitive and clean all day. The drivers showed why they’re the best in the world, with tremendous respect for one another. As the race concluded, I found myself just proud – proud of the series, the drivers, the crews, the officials, and that beautiful facility. NBC/Peacock had insightful coverage and commentary that clearly explained the various race strategies. The announcement of a contract extension with Barber was a well-timed bonus!
The racing has been incredible this season, but everything came together perfectly at Barber. It was a racing showcase that would be the envy of any global sanctioning body. This was a great way to kick off the month of May.
Tom Pate
MP: Message passed, Tom.
Q: If a company is looking to secure a contract with Penske Entertainment is the rumor true that it’s best to be on the verge of bankruptcy to win the tender?
Oliver Wells
MP: Makes me wonder if there’s a new motor racing management game to create from this premise, Oliver…
Q: IMS Hall of Fame – Tony George? I don’t know, is it just me…?
Wiscowerner
MP: Best part is the $250-per-plate ticket to attend the dinner and ceremony.
Q: I read your article on silly season. If there is a .00001% chance that Graham goes to Ganassi, I would be ecstatic. If the cards fall the way I’d hope, the 8 car gets renewed and the 11 car becomes a full season for Marcus Armstrong. I think Graham would be a hell of a replacement for the outgoing Palou. Graham has shown his ability to be an absolute force when he has a car underneath him (Detroit 2017) and Ganassi would most certainly give him that more consistently than RLL at the present time. I would imagine Barry would remain on the stand for the 10 team as well, which makes that team super-exciting. Seems like a long shot but I’m keeping my fingers crossed and willing this into existence.
Heliofor5
MP: As I’ve told Graham a few hundred times, I just want him to end his driving career on a high, wherever that might be — the home team or elsewhere — because he deserves it. He’d be a beast at Ganassi or Andretti.