BMW Powers Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates to Victory at Rolex 24 at Daytona

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

I thought it was S65 based.

They tried out a new 4.5L S65-based motor in DP a couple years ago, but for whatever reason, they have stuck with the S62. I'm not sure if they could not get the engine competitive while complying with the specs Grand Am was willing to approve it at, or if they were reliability concerns or what.

Congrats to the Ganassi team.

By the way, I notice one of the 328i teams took second in the ST class in the BMW 200 sister race in the Continental Tire series on Friday at Daytona. Nice job.

[RingMeister01]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

They tried out a new 4.5L S65-based motor in DP a couple years ago, but for whatever reason, they have stuck with the S62. I'm not sure if they could not get the engine competitive while complying with the specs Grand Am was willing to approve it at, or if they were reliability concerns or what.

Congrats to the Ganassi team.

By the way, I notice one of the 328i teams took second in the ST class in the BMW 200 sister race in the Continental Tire series on Friday at Daytona. Nice job.

I believe the use of the S62 is due to the availability and cost advantage of using a mass produced engine block. Remember the S62 is based on the M62.

Congrats to the team, watched it live.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by RingMeister01

I believe the use of the S62 is due to the availability and cost advantage of using a mass produced engine block. Remember the S62 is based on the M62.

No that has no bearing on the situation (pun intended?).

First off the S62 block casting is different from the M62. It is stronger and also has larger bores (though these engines are likely bored and sleeved anway).

Secondly, these race engines are big bucks any way you slice it and the cost to source a block is absolutely minuscule in the grand scheme. They will use whatever works best and is legal.

[RingMeister01]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

No that has no bearing on the situation (pun intended?).

First off the S62 block casting is different from the M62. It is stronger and also has larger bores (though these engines are likely bored and sleeved anway).

Secondly, these race engines are big bucks any way you slice it and the cost to source a block is absolutely minuscule in the grand scheme. They will use whatever works best and is legal.

Cool. Off the subject, I would really love to see an M3 running against the porsches @ Daytona.

[PrimeBMW]

Turner Motorsprts ran a E92 M3 but I believe the front is tube chassis from Riley and the engine is a S62. I dont know why they are not competitive but they were so far back that many didnt know they were even in the race.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by PrimeBMW

Turner Motorsprts ran a E92 M3 but I believe the front is tube chassis from Riley and the engine is a S62. I dont know why they are not competitive but they were so far back that many didnt know they were even in the race.

Yeah they got beat pretty badly again, just as they did last year. One of their two cars could not compete due to an accident during practice. It is not from lack of driver talent that's for sure. They have some of the best. And I know their cars have proven reliable in the past. Must be just bad luck.

[dcstep]

[ATSR]

Congrats to Ganassi Racing and Dinan, NOT to BMW.

The linked article explains in detail:

Why Doesn’t BMW Care About Its Greatest Sports Car Victory In Years?

[mkoesel]

Not sure I agree with the last part of the article about the engine being part of the reason for BMW's apathy. BMW doesn't seem to be hyping up the ALMS RLL team lately either since they switched to the Z4 GT3 and that car is powered by a very current P65 engine. It seems to me that BMW is simply directing all of its factory effort into DTM right now (with a lot of success I might add).

Speaking of ALMS, they are merging with Grand Am starting next season and that's when things get interesting. Not sure how the unibody and tubular chassis GT cars will break down. Plus DP is going to have to be merged with LMP2 somehow.

DTM is headed to the US too. Lots of potential for BMW advertising tie ins.

[Silver E90]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Speaking of ALMS, they are merging with Grand Am starting next season and that's when things get interesting. Not sure how the unibody and tubular chassis GT cars will break down. Plus DP is going to have to be merged with LMP2 somehow.

They announced the class structure earlier this month. They say that the ALMS GT class will stay intact and that the ALMS GTC and the Grand-AM GT class will be combined. Not sure what that means for Turner Motorsport, since next year RLL will be there and the factory drivers will be in the Z4s. Outside of that I'm not sure what other support BMW provides for Turner.

Originally Posted by mkoesel

DTM is headed to the US too. Lots of potential for BMW advertising tie ins.

I haven't heard anything about this in over a year, I thought the idea had died out.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Silver E90

They announced the class structure earlier this month. They say that the ALMS GT class will stay intact and that the ALMS GTC and the Grand-AM GT class will be combined. Not sure what that means for Turner Motorsport, since next year RLL will be there and the factory drivers will be in the Z4s. Outside of that I'm not sure what other support BMW provides for Turner.

You're right they announced the classes (at least preliminarily), but they haven't announced chassis and engine rules and details yet. There are certain to be changes in store so that the field in kept even, and to keep the lap times consistent with the class pecking order.

In other words, all we really have is a tenative list of classes. No one knows what the the specs of the cars are actually going to be yet.

I haven't heard anything about this in over a year, I thought the idea had died out.

I hear you. But the US league aside, there was talk of "the real DTM" bringing a race to the US like F1 has done. This makes more sense to me anyway, and is what I'd rather see. I hope they are still considering it.

[Silver E90]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

You're right they announced the classes (at least preliminarily), but they haven't announced chassis and engine rules and details yet. There are certain to be changes in store so that the field in kept even, and to keep the lap times consistent with the class pecking order.

In other words, all we really have is a tenative list of classes. No one knows what the the specs of the cars are actually going to be yet.

Well if they make any changes to the GTE class like a spec tire or any effort to slow them down then I think that's a huge mistake. Hopefully since BMW and Aston Martin among others have invested in new cars for the class that means that there will little or no changes to the regs for 2014.

Originally Posted by mkoesel

I hear you. But the US league aside, there was talk of "the real DTM" bringing a race to the US like F1 has done. This makes more sense to me anyway, and is what I'd rather see. I hope they are still considering it.

Never heard that. I agree with you, I'd go see them at COTA or somewhere else. Great marketing opportunity for BMW since Joey Hand is in the series.

[1MOREMOD]

my instructor ted anthony jr took 8th on fridays continetal tire after penalty.