It’s no secret that Corvette Racing is riding a hot streak right now. Armed with the all-new mid-engine C8.R, the team has now vaulted to the top of the GTLM standings following three consecutive wins and a number of podium finishes through four races on the 2020 IMSA schedule.
But it’s not like the team is running away from the competition to snatch the checkered flag at the end of these races it has won. At Daytona, the winning C8.R played the fuel strategy game to perfection, while wins at Sebring and Road America could easily be attributed to the mistakes from our competitors in GTLM that took themselves out of the running and allowing the Corvettes to finish first.
That being said, IMSA has issued new Balance of Performance tables ahead of this weekend’s race at Virginia International Raceway that sees the Corvette C8.Rs and the Porsche 911 picking up an additional 20kg of weight while also reducing the weight of the BWM M8s by 5kg. The BMW is now the lightest in class with a minimum weight of 1,220kg while the Corvettes are at 1,280kg and the Porsches are now 1,300kg.
The only other change in the GTLM BoP was the Porsche 911s will also get an additional 5.0 liters of fuel capacity.
In the previous BoP adjustments just before Road America, IMSA also updated the BWM’s power levels which effectively boosted their performance by 13 horsepower. Combined with the weight loss while its competitors are now heavier and it’s clear that the M8s should hold a technical advantage over the other cars in the class at VIR.
Corvette Racing’s Team Manager Ben Johnson was asked about the BoP updates during a team media even on Monday and says the Balance of Performance changes were “surprising” and calls the weight penalty a “performance detriment”:
“I think we were a bit surprised by the changes. Ultimately we have to rely on what IMSA has at its disposal for data and the metrics to make the right decisions. Certainly, the cars are getting heavier and the tire degradation and the ability to make the car last over a stint will be that much more challenging, particularly with the elevated temperatures. How it changes the complexion of the competition and how it affects the different cars is something we will have to see when we get to the race.”
“The GT regulations enforce that you have to homologate the locations where you’re putting weight. That’s more for a safety perspective so the car is designed to have weight put in different places. But that is up to the manufacturer to select where those areas of the car will be built up to accept balance. We have five places on the C8.R where we can put weight. While it is a performance detriment to have 20 kilograms added, like everyone else we try to use it to the best we can to achieve a weight balance that best suits the car at the upcoming track.”
The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR runs Saturday, August 22nd from 2:00 to 4:00 PM ET. The race will only be viewable live for subscribers of NBC’s Track Pass or to those IMSA fans outside the USA via IMSA TV. The tape-delayed broadcast will air on Sunday, August 23rd on NBC Sports Network from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET.
Source:
IMSA.com
Related:
[VIDEO] Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor Helps NASCAR’s Alex Bowman Prep For Daytona Road Course
Corvette Racing at Road America: Another Wild 1-2 Finish for Corvette C8.R
Corvette Racing at Road America: Riding a Hot Streak
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Corvettes at 1,280kg and Porsches at 3,000kg!!! Wow! Good luck to the Porsche team!
Sorry, that was a typo. It’s actually 1300kg for the Porches. – Keith
Looks like crash diet time for the drivers!! 🙂
Guess it is time for BMW to get a trophy so they don’t stay home next season.
I hate to see porch’s drop out when know that they are finally overmatched by our C8! Too bad, but as Curley said in Tombstone – BYE! dt Ohio
When the Corvettes started winning too many races…you knew the BoP crap was coming. Instead of penalizing the good teams, who had worked long an hard to get the performance out of their cars. Tell the other manufactures, to step up their game. What’s next, one team starts winning to many races, and they will be required to tow trailers, so the lesser teams have a chance to win.
20 kilograms = 44 pounds In case anyone is wondering.
IMSA give it a rest already!
Anuhow, when you think about it, it is a ridiculous class. Only 6 cars, only three different brands. I am a fan, but boasting about these wins is far out. Winning GTD is much more difficult. Better have a Corvette car in this class too.
IMSA is ruining sports car racing. Why can’t they have a set of rules at the start of the season for all cars and let them race instead of changing them as the season goes on? What’s next pushing each other around the track along with other things that NASCAR does? As a sports car fan I’m almost ready to stop watching do to this foolishness. Next thing you know all the different body types will be the same except for the decals. Changing the rules all the time will ruin sports car racing just as it did NASCAR! I agree with Jeff Butler why not tell the other manufactures step up their game.
There is a report Porsche won’t be back for GTLM in 2021 and claims the Virus and not that the C8R is winning and they don’t like it with all they put into their new 992/911 variant race cars!
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