more ideas on the future of the FIA WEC

Yours truly is still not sure about this new "super season" for the FIA World Endurance Championship, with a set of eight races, over a two calendar year period.  This is going to be somewhat difficult to figure out, and something difficult to get used to.  The FIA wants to work with IMSA on a common spec car for the future, for 2020-2021.  You all will have to listen to the latest Double Stint podcast that I just posted a link to, in order to understand and digest all of this utter confusion about how sports car racing worldwide is going to pan out in the next few years, with respect to the formula for the cars, and also, how the schedule is going to work.  The FIA and ACO have had to hit the reset button for a lot of things, after Porsche announced their sudden withdrawal from the FIA World Endurance Championship.

P.S. It appears now, that Porsche may plan on entering Formula E and also, eventually, Formula 1.

Recapping sports car racing from last weekend

Bonus post, the latest Double Stint podcast.

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/double-stint-weekend-recap-lawson-aschenbach-interview-9-5-17/

All the action from Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas

All the news and highlights from the penultimate round of the Pirelli World Challenge GT Championship at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  There were three races this weekend, making up for the one that was cancelled at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, earlier on in the year.

Gill: PWC GTS Growth Expected for 2018
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/gill-pwc-gts-growth-expected-for-2018/

Long, Cooper in Tight PWC GT Points Battle Heading Into COTA
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/long-cooper-in-tight-pwc-gt-points-battle-heading-into-cota/

COTA PWC Event to Go Ahead As Planned In Wake of Hurricane
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/cota-pwc-round-to-go-ahead-as-planned/

The Pirelli World Challenge SprintX championship is on the line.

Cadilac's Cooper, Taylor Seek PWC SprintX Title at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/cadillacs-cooper-taylor-seek-pwc-sprintx-title-at-cota/

COTA Thursday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/cota-thursday-notebook-4/

Jaminet, GMG Set Pace in SprintX Practice 1 at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/gmg-racing-sets-the-pace-in-sprintx-practice-1-at-cota/

Eversley Weighing Options for 2018
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/eversley-weighing-options-for-2018/

TR3 Racing Fastest in COTA SprintX Practice 2
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/tr3-racing-fastest-in-cota-sprintx-practice-2/

PWC Drivers Express Concern Over COTA Track Limit Enforcement

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/pwc-drivers-express-concern-over-cota-track-limit-enforcement/

Long, Bergmeister Win SprintX CTMP Makeup Race at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/long-bergmeister-win-sprintx-race-1-at-cota/

COTA Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/cota-friday-notebook-3/

VIDEO: COTA SprintX Make-Up Race Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-cota-sprintx-make-up-race-highlights/

Panoz, James Score GTS Race 1 Pole at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/panoz-james-score-gts-race-1-pole-at-cota/

Taylor, O'Connell on COTA SprintX Race 1 Pole
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/taylor-oconnell-on-cota-sprintx-race-1-pole/

Dollahite Wins GTS Race 1 in Season Debut at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/dollahite-wins-gts-race-1-in-season-debut-at-cota/

VIDEO: COTA GTS Race 1 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-cota-gts-race-1-highlights/

TR3 Racing Scores SprintX Race 1 Win at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/tr3-racing-scores-sprintx-race-1-win-at-cota/

VIDEO: COTA SprintX Race 1 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-cota-sprintx-race-1-highlights/

Post-race drama after GTS race one.

Dollahite Excluded, James Inherits GTS Race 1 Win
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/dollahite-dqed-james-inherits-gts-race-1-win/

Lawson Aschenbach is your 2017 Pirelli World Challenge GTS class champion.

Baptista Wins, Aschenbach Clinches GTS Championship in COTA Race 2

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/baptista-wins-aschenbach-clinches-gts-championship-in-cota-race-2/

VIDEO: COTA GTS Race 2 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-cota-gts-race-2-highlights/

CRP Wins, Cadillac Takes SprintX Title in Race 2

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/crp-racing-wins-cadillac-racing-takes-sprintx-title-in-race-2-at-cota/

VIDEO: COTA SprintX Race 2 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-cota-sprintx-race-2-highlights/

One more race for SprintX in Pirelli World Challenge in 2017.  That race is at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, next weekend.  Stay tuned for the highlights, and a wrap up of the championship.

Neveu Hints At The FIA WEC's 2019 'TBC' Location

A return to Interlagos on the cards?

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/09/05/neveu-hints-at-the-fia-wecs-2019-tbc-location.html

Audi R8, Peugeot 908, Lola Aston, Dallara & Pescarolo LMP1s back on track

22 car grid for new Masters Endurance Legends pilot race at Spa released.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/09/05/audi-r8-peugeot-908-lola-aston-dallara-and-pescarolo-lmp1s-back-on-track.html

IMSA headlines update

With the FIA World Endurance Championship action in Mexico done and dusted, we now refocus back to IMSA, and some of the latest news that has come along since the most recent event for GT cars at Virginia International Raceway, even though there will be no racing action, for about ten days, before the teams and drivers of the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship roll into Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on the Monterey peninsula in Monterey, California.

Button in Frame for Penske Acura DPi; Multiple Options in IMSA
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/button-in-frame-for-acura-dpi-seat/

United Autosports Targeting Second Ligier LMP2 for Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/united-autosports-targeting-second-ligier-lmp2-for-daytona/

VIDEO: VIR Sights & Sounds
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-vir-sights-sounds-2/

It appears as though it is game over, for Stevenson Motorsports in both IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.

Stevenson Poised to End IMSA Program; Team Shutdown
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/future-uncertain-for-stevenson-motorsports/

Ford news that pertains to both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship.  They have extended their contracts with Multimatic, and Chip Ganassi Racing, through 2019.

Ford Extends Multimatic, CGR Contracts Through 2019
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ford-extends-multimatic-cgr-contracts-through-2019/

The rumors are true.  After 2017, Stevenson Motorsports will close up shop.

Stevenson to Cease Operations at End of Season
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/stevenson-to-cease-operations-at-end-of-season/

The FIA World Endurance Championship in 2018-2019, thoughts

Not sure yet how I feel about the new approach the FIA World Endurance Championship will take with their 2018/2019 schedule, having a situation where the season starts in the middle of spring one year and then, finishes the following year in 2019 at Le Mans. It would be nice to have one season within a calendar year, instead of having them overlap like sports such as football and basketball do. Though I do like the idea of the cars returning to Sebring, Florida for a race, and the fact that it is likely going to be a 12 hour endurance event, I don't know how you will have two 12 hour races on the same weekend this coming March (with the traditional 12 Hours of Sebring for the IMSA series on Saturday morning, ending Saturday night), and then, three hours or so later, in the middle of the pitch darkness, starting another race that will run into the daylight hours the next morning. Isn't that what a full 24 hour race like Le Mans is for? I think it would be fun to watch, but, if people buy tickets for both events, they'll see lots of racing, but be awfully tired after it's all over. I think as a spectator spectacle, it would be fun to attend. However, I see flaws with it, undoubtedly.