IMSA is a big sports-car racing series in North America. “GTP” is the top class for prototype race cars, and a “factory program” is when a manufacturer supports a team with cars and engineering help. Pausing it usually means the manufacturer is stepping back for a while.
Petit Le Mans is a long-distance sports-car race in the IMSA series. It’s a big deal in the racing calendar, and mentioning it as the “final factory race” means it’s the last big race for that team’s manufacturer-backed effort.
Meyer Shank Racing is a well-known racing team that competes in IMSA. In this context, they’re the team running Acura’s prototype cars, so changes to the factory program directly impact their race plans.
The Rolex 24 is a famous 24-hour race at Daytona. It’s a major event in sports-car racing, so bringing it up hints that something important may have been communicated around that time.
Acura is Honda’s performance brand. In this segment, they’re talking about Acura deciding to stop its factory racing effort for now, instead of continuing with another team.
Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is a well-known U.S. sports car racing team that has competed in IMSA. The hosts mention it to clarify that Acura isn’t just changing teams—it’s pausing its factory program entirely.
A factory program is when the car company itself is actively involved in racing. Pausing it usually means the company isn’t putting as much money and engineering support into the effort.
The Asian Le Mans series is endurance racing in Asia, similar in spirit to the famous Le Mans races. The hosts are wondering if Acura might race there instead, depending on schedules and conditions.
Concept
geopolitically
“Geopolitically” means world politics and international events. The hosts are saying those kinds of disruptions make it harder to plan racing schedules and commitments.
WEC is a big endurance racing series, and the calendar is basically the list of races and where/when they happen. If the schedule isn’t set yet, teams can’t plan their money and logistics.
DPI was the earlier set of rules for IMSA’s prototype race cars. When someone says “since DPI,” it means they’ve been racing in the top prototype class for a long time, even as the rules evolved.
Myers Shank Racing is a team in sports-car racing. The host is saying they may stop running that specific program after the season, which can change what drivers and teams do next.
This is about possibly making one set of rules so the same kind of race car could compete in both WEC and IMSA. If it’s not confirmed, teams can’t be sure what cars to build or how long they’ll be competitive.
Hypercar and LMDH are two different rule systems for the top endurance race cars in WEC. The big point here is that the series may change again, possibly combining everything into one set of rules.
Topic
LMEM FIA WEC
They’re referencing the big endurance racing series and rule systems that revolve around Le Mans and the FIA’s WEC. The point here is that different groups are trying to coordinate their rules.
They’re talking about trying to make one common rulebook for top prototype endurance racing. If everyone uses the same rules, teams can build cars that fit more than one series instead of starting over for each rule set.
They’re saying reusing an existing race car design can save money. Building something completely new usually costs more, especially when rules might keep changing.
“Clean sheet” means starting over with a totally new design. It can be expensive and slow, but it may fit the new rules better than trying to modify an older car.
They’re talking about possibly stopping a project for a while, then bringing it back later with updates. That can help teams avoid wasting all the work they already paid for.
They’re saying the rules can’t be changed in a vacuum. Racing organizers, car companies, and parts suppliers all have to agree, because everyone has different costs and constraints.
A “spine” is basically the main structural backbone of the race car. The big question is whether teams can design their own backbone or must use one provided by an approved supplier.
LMH is another top class of endurance race cars. It’s the “Hypercar” rules, and it’s separate from LMDH even though they’re both meant for the same kind of big endurance racing.
The “2030 rule set” is the next big set of rules for endurance race cars. The hosts are saying the details—especially how the car’s structure is built—aren’t finalized yet.
“Grandfathering” means rules might let existing race cars keep racing when new rules arrive. It’s like a transition period so teams aren’t forced to change everything overnight.
They’re saying there will be an update at Le Mans in June. It sounds like it may be a short, early outline of what’s coming, not the full detailed rulebook yet.
GTP is one of the main racing categories in IMSA prototype racing. If a manufacturer steps out of GTP, it means they’re not racing in that category anymore. That can change how many cars show up and how competitive the races feel.
When a racing manufacturer steps out, it means they’re not bringing cars to that series anymore. That can reduce the number of cars on track and change the competition. The hosts are basically saying it’s something to watch because it can affect the health of the racing.
Lamborghini is one of the car brands mentioned as potentially leaving or being lost from the racing picture. When a big brand like that pulls back, it can affect how many cars show up and how competitive the series feels. The hosts are using it as an example of why the situation is worth paying attention to.
Porsche is brought up as another major brand that has stepped back from the series at some point. Big-name teams like Porsche can strongly influence how many cars race and how strong the competition is. The hosts are basically saying these changes can happen, so it’s worth staying alert.
Ford is mentioned as a brand that’s getting involved in the Chinese market. When a major company like Ford expands into a region, it can help grow the sport and bring more resources. The hosts see it as part of why things may improve over time.
The hosts talk about the Chinese market as a place where racing involvement hasn’t really kicked off yet. They expect it to become more important later in the decade. That matters because it can bring new teams and help keep racing grids strong.
McLaren is mentioned as a brand that’s helping keep things moving in a positive direction. When new big teams join, it can mean more cars on track and more competition. The hosts are using McLaren to support the idea that the future still looks promising.
Term
WC
“WC” here likely refers to the WeatherTech Championship, which is the main IMSA sports car racing series. The hosts are talking about how the series is run and how rules are set. That matters because it affects what teams can plan for and how fair the racing feels.
The “rule set for 2030” means the big set of racing rules that will govern cars years from now. Teams need time to design and build cars that fit those rules. If the rules aren’t decided early, it can make planning and spending a lot harder.
LMP2 is one level of prototype race car category in endurance racing. Teams sometimes choose it because it fits their budget better than the very top class.
LMP1 was the highest class of prototype racing in the Le Mans-style endurance world. It usually required the biggest budgets, so teams’ participation could change over time.
The host is saying some companies stopped their electric racing or electric tech efforts, and that cost them money. When that happens, racing budgets can get cut or programs can end.
Maya Shank Racing is a team that races in IMSA. They’re saying they may keep racing in IMSA, but it likely won’t be the same manufacturer program—so the cars and support structure could change.
An OEM partner is basically the car company itself (not just a sponsor). Racing teams often need the manufacturer’s help—like engineering support and parts—to compete at the top level.
Concept
budget split (team vs manufacturer)
They’re explaining that racing money isn’t just one pot. There’s what the team needs to run the races, and there’s also what the car manufacturer spends to engineer and develop the car—both are required to compete.
HRC US is Honda’s racing organization in the United States. In this discussion, they’re saying Honda’s racing arm has to be actively involved for the program to work—especially for engine and development support.
Chassis simulation means using computers to model how the car will behave. It helps engineers figure out what to change to make the car faster and more stable without guessing.
Homologated means the race car is allowed because it’s based on an approved design. But even if it’s approved, teams still tune and improve it a lot to be competitive.
The electronic side is the computer-controlled stuff in the race car. Even if the car is approved under the rules, teams still spend a lot of time improving the software and electronics to get the best performance.
They’re saying the race usually comes down to just one scheduled stop in the pits. That makes the strategy simpler, so it’s easier to see who’s faster and who manages traffic well.
They’re talking about BMW not doing as well as expected at Imola. In racing, that kind of result can point to issues with pace, strategy, or reliability rather than just driver skill.
Imola (Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari) is referenced as the qualifying-day location. Track characteristics and race-weekend conditions at Imola often influence tire behavior, braking zones, and traffic patterns—factors that can swing results even for top teams.
“GT class” refers to racing entries based on production sports cars, competing in their own category within a multi-class event. In IMSA-style racing, GT classes often have different driver lineups and race dynamics than the prototypes, which can make the second half of the race play out differently.
A safety car is when race officials slow everyone down for safety. In long races, when it shows up can completely change strategy and who ends up in the best position.
IndyCar is the top open-wheel racing series in the United States, and the host references it to explain a driver’s career path. The mention highlights how motorsport talent can move between disciplines like IndyCar and endurance sports car racing.
GTD is one of the race categories in IMSA. It’s for cars that are based on real production models, and the rules are designed so different cars can compete fairly.
They’re joking about the car being so old that it feels like it should have a special parking permit. It’s a fun way to say the car has been around forever.
Term
Wackity Wax season opener
They’re about to talk about the next big season-opening event. The exact name is unclear in the transcript, but it’s the next thing on their agenda.
The Golf is a compact car model made by Volkswagen. It’s also used in racing, so when the podcast mentions it in a GTD context, they’re talking about how well the race version is doing. The point sounds like it may be close to becoming a top competitor.
“Hypercar level” means the top class of race cars in this series. These cars are purpose-built for endurance racing and are usually the most technologically advanced.
They’re saying there was an unusually long break before racing started again. That kind of delay can affect how teams prepare and bring updates to the track.
They’re saying Toyota’s new race car was redesigned to change how air flows over it. That matters because it can make the car stick better at speed and go faster.
Tire strategy is about deciding when to switch tires during the race. Teams do this because tires wear out and grip changes, and the timing can make a big difference in who wins.
Defensive driving is how a driver tries to keep their spot when someone is trying to pass. On tracks where passing is difficult, this kind of driving can decide the race.
Alpine is included in the list of teams that looked strong in qualifying, indicating competitive potential. In hypercar racing, that can mean strong pace, but the race still depends on reliability, strategy, and tire management.
Qualifying is the session that sets the starting order for the race. If a team looks fast in qualifying, it often means they’ll be in a good position to fight for the front.
Cadillac is brought up as a team that looked like it might be competitive based on qualifying. But the host is saying the race outcome ended up being dominated by Toyota and Ferrari.
Peugeot is mentioned as another brand that seemed potentially fast in qualifying. Even if they weren’t in the final fight for the win, qualifying performance can still be a good sign.
Ferrari is mentioned as a key rival that Toyota has been beating in Italy. The discussion implies Ferrari still performed strongly, even if they were frustrated by penalties and race outcomes.
Pole position is when a car starts from the very front of the grid. It’s a big advantage, and the hosts are saying the team earned it but still needed everything to go right to win.
In racing, tyres wear out and lose grip over time. How teams manage tyre life can decide whether they win or lose.
Topic
spar
The hosts are talking about the next race coming up (“Spar”) and how unpredictable it feels. They’re saying the usual information that helps predict performance isn’t available this year.
BOP is a rule system that tries to make different cars perform more similarly. In this episode, the hosts say they couldn’t see or talk about the BOP numbers, so it was harder to predict who would be fastest.
A prologue test is an early test session before the season really gets going. It helps teams figure out how their cars are behaving, and the hosts are saying even that period had uncertainty about what would be revealed.
The ACO and FIA are the organizations that write and enforce racing rules. In this segment, they’re said to be explaining how the performance-balancing rules (BOP) will work.
An NDA is a legal promise not to share private information. Here, it’s used so only a very small number of people can see the BOP details and keep them from leaking to others.
Top speed is the fastest the car gets. It depends on how much power it has and how efficiently it moves through the air. The hosts say they use top speed data to see how BOP changes show up in real driving.
Trap speed is basically how fast a car is going at a specific point on the track. People use it to understand how strong the car is in a straight line. The segment says they compare those numbers to the rules changes to see if they match reality.
The Tesla Model X is an electric SUV made by Tesla. It’s designed to carry more people and equipment than smaller cars, while still being powered by electricity. The podcast mention suggests they’re talking about how it might perform in a race based on what happened before and how the rules adjust performance.
The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV, meaning it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It’s popular and widely used, so it often shows up in comparisons and racing discussions. The podcast is likely talking about how its performance might be affected by rules that try to keep cars competitive.
Balance of Performance is race officials’ way of leveling the playing field. They tweak cars so one model doesn’t automatically run away with the race. In practice, it can affect how fast cars are and how teams plan their strategy.
Topic
WEC press room / race control lobbying
They’re talking about how a rule like BOP changes what people focus on during a race weekend. Instead of everyone constantly asking officials about performance-balancing, it pushes conversations toward other parts of racing. The host also mentions the usual process of teams trying to influence officials.
Homologation parameters are the official, approved settings that determine what the race car is allowed to be. Think of them as the “certified rules” for the car. The episode also suggests some of the BOP adjustments connected to those settings aren’t fully disclosed, so teams can’t always tell exactly what’s changing.
Topic
LeMond
LeMond is being used here as an example race weekend. The speaker is saying that if the rules meant to balance cars don’t work as expected at a particular track, fans may get even angrier. It’s about how outcomes affect the online debate.
In racing rules, “weight” usually means adding ballast to slow a car down a bit. If a car is expected to be too fast, officials may add weight so it’s closer to the others. It’s one of the most straightforward ways to balance performance.
Term
inlet size
“Inlet size” is about the opening that lets air into the engine. If officials make that opening smaller, the engine usually can’t breathe as well, which can reduce power. It’s another way to slow down a car that’s expected to be too strong.
Concept
numbers that help me to quantify what I saw
They’re talking about using hard data instead of just opinions. In racing, teams often rely on measurements to understand what really happened. If the data isn’t shared, people can only guess and will argue more.
Term
little red laser scope dots
This appears to describe a visual identification method used during trackside observation—likely for targeting or logging specific cars/areas—rather than a standard, widely defined racing term. The hosts connect it to “sharp shooters” and the idea that some people are monitoring what’s happening while staying under NDA. Because the phrase is informal and unclear, it’s best treated as a descriptive reference rather than a specific technology.
Daytona is another major endurance racing venue. The point being made is that sometimes one team or brand can get too far ahead, and that’s a big deal for fans and for how rules are managed. They’re using Daytona as an example of that risk.
LMGT3 is the GT3 category in IMSA endurance racing—basically the class for race-prepped sports cars. The hosts are saying the LMGT3 race felt especially exciting, with lots of real passing and action. They’re comparing that vibe to the top hypercar class.
This is a racing class for GT3 cars. The hosts are saying the teams were worried because the tire rules changed, and that can completely change how you plan your race.
They’re talking about the race rules for tires—how many good tires you get and when you’re allowed to use them. Because the rules changed, teams can swap tires more often instead of stretching them too long.
Concept
SRO GT1 Challenge Europe style GT3 race
This compares the expected outcome of the new tire rules to the SRO GT1 Challenge Europe approach, where racing can become more “controlled” and predictable. The hosts argue the opposite happened: despite the tire constraints, the race still had real strategic variety rather than everyone simply running to a fuel/tyre plan.
A “hard tyre” is a tougher tire compound that usually lasts longer. The hosts are saying this year’s rules removed it, and that changes which cars/teams have an advantage.
Lexus is mentioned as a brand that was especially strong on the hard tyre compound last year, winning races on it. With the hard tyre removed this year, the hosts suggest that could shift competitive balance toward teams that perform better on the remaining compounds.
Garage 59 is discussed as a standout team in LMG GT3, described as a “brand new team to LMG GT3” but with experience elsewhere. The hosts highlight that the team came in with a car they call “fragile at times,” and that it hadn’t dominated since its Formula debut in WC—yet it performed strongly all week.
The Ford Taurus is a regular passenger car (a sedan) made by Ford. It’s also been used in racing, so people may talk about it when they’re discussing competition and race expectations. In the podcast, it sounds like they’re emphasizing that a Taurus entry was expected to be very strong.
The alternator helps generate electricity while the engine is running. If it fails, the car can lose power or start acting up because the electronics and engine management don’t get the electricity they need.
A Corvette is a high-performance Chevrolet. Here it’s mentioned because when one team lost power, another car (a Corvette driven by Nicky Katzberg) almost hit them from behind—showing how dangerous that kind of failure can be in a race.
Concept
Racing Spirit of Le Mans
This is a Le Mans-related racing opportunity. The idea is that it helps drivers learn endurance racing—long stints, strategy, and staying consistent under pressure.
Concept
burst onto the scene as a bronze come into racing late in life
“Bronze” is a driver skill/experience category used in some racing series. The host is saying this driver came into racing later than most, but still showed up quickly and started performing at a high level.
They’re referring to a serious accident at the Nürburgring in Germany. The host mentions it because it affected the racing world right before the press conference, and it’s part of why the question came up.
Company
Parker Thompson
They’re naming another driver/figure they’ve met in the racing paddock. It’s part of the “who’s who” vibe of the episode.
Company
Dan Harper
They’re talking about Dan Harper as someone they see in racing and think is entertaining or notable. It’s not a car part—more like a driver/figure to know.
A heritage livery is a cool special paint job that pays tribute to earlier racing years. It’s basically the team showing off its history for a particular race.
Turner Motorsport is a racing outfit that’s strongly connected to BMW. They’re mentioned here because of the BMW-themed livery idea and the way BMW teams/partners show up in endurance racing.
WRT is a motorsport team that runs race cars for customers and factory programs. In this segment, they’re being talked about because their car’s paint scheme for Spa is a big deal.
Michelin makes the tires used by many racing teams. They’re also present in the paddock, so you’ll hear their name when teams are talking about race-week details.
Company
Rover racing
They’re talking about a past Spa-winning team’s paint scheme. The idea is to reuse that look but with a different team name on it.
Company
Andy Blackmore
They’re joking about a person connected to the livery/branding scene. It’s not a technical detail—more like a friendly jab in the conversation.
Laguna Seca is a well-known race track in California. It has a famous section called the Corkscrew that makes braking and turning really important.
Topic
Emsup
“Emsup” sounds like the name of a racing event happening at Laguna Seca. The transcript doesn’t spell it out, so it’s hard to say exactly which series it is.
LIVE
Welcome to the Marshall Probe podcast and our week in what is it Stephen Kilby?
Sports cars my guy. So happy. I got you. The old pensioner in the group Graham
Goodwin. He's celebrating his 900th birthday whatever. Motor sports
Methuselah. Good old Graham Goodwin. He's got the episode off. Birthday time for him.
But we do indeed. Stephen Kilby editor of daily sports car.com. Plenty to talk
about here on the good old podcast brought to us by the Justice Brothers.
The amazing as well. Toronto Motorsports.com. But would say big thanks to you and
Graham in particular for holding down the show for a long long time while I have
been just trying to keep my head above water. So before we get rolling here just
want to say beyond the big thanks to the Justice Brothers and Toronto Motorsports.com
big thanks to you Esteban and for all you've done to help power the show.
Thank you very much Marshall. It's been so long since the two of us have been on
the show. I mean I was thinking about it earlier. Genuinely years maybe. It hasn't
been that long has it. Just the two of us. I don't know. It feels like it feels like
just the two of us. Yeah. We can't even if we trying we're going to do that. All
right. Let's get rolling here because you are exhausted having been on the road
for 17 straight days and it hasn't been 17 straight for me but it's been. Yeah it
feels like a year straight. So hey we knew this news was coming. Accurate. They say
pause. Pause is an interesting word which we should explore. Accurate says they are
pausing their factory IMSA GTP program. That will happen at the end of the season. Motul
Petit Le Mans final factory race for Myers shank racing Acura Myers shank racing the
two car ARX 06 GTP program. Been hearing about this for a little while my guy and I
want to get some reaction from you and thoughts about this and I can add in some
context not everything not a liberty to share everything but I've been hearing the
drivers might have been notified about something in or around the Rolex 24 right.
Didn't exactly have a word as to what it is but usually when you hear about
notification it rarely Stephen is it notification that we're going to give you a
trillion dollars and extend your contract. When you hear the term there's been some
form of notification the connotation is usually it's worrisome. We started hearing by
now middle of the week after Long Beach I guess the timing would be roughly two and
a half maybe as much as three weeks ago. Started hearing that indeed a notification
the drivers are rumored to have gotten in January. Maybe there is more notification
given to the program at large that hey doesn't look like we're going to continue.
That's now been confirmed. Key point to raise before I hand off to you to add some
more context. This isn't a case of Acura saying well we're done with Meyer shank
racing we're returning with name another team. This is Acura deciding single-handedly
to hit the pause button on their factory program. It is not returning in 2027 with
any other team that we're aware of. There is though Stephen the possibility you and
I have heard of you've been hearing of longer than I but could we see some Acura's competing
elsewhere in the world. Not necessarily WEK but maybe Asian Le Mans series so no
IMSA GTP factory program after 2026 hope that they might hit the pause button to resume
play in the future. What do you think could be the possibilities though maybe
internationally as early as 2027? It's genuinely really hard to gauge because of
what's going on in the world at the moment geopolitically because if you'd have asked
me this question on like a normal year where we didn't have the disruption in the
Middle East I'd have said to you there's probably a small queue of teams inquiring
about whether they can run these cars in the Asian Le Mans series because it's such
successful car it's got pedigree it's not as much of a risk as some of the other kind
of oddball chassis that we kind of here banded around for Asian Le Mans series but
because at the moment we don't have a calendar for Asian Le Mans because we don't
know when or where the races are going to be whether they'll be in the Middle East at
all nobody can plan anything so at the moment I would say there's probably there's
probably one or two teams I can think of on top of my head that will probably be
having a look at this but right now nobody can put a budget together so nobody
knows how much they're gonna need to spend because they don't know where they're
going to be racing and there's no real end date or you know set at the moment
that everyone's expecting to hear more because at the moment LMEM up to the
variables in future regulations the WEC calendar trying to get us for eight races
this year it's not an immediate priority for them to get an Asian Le Mans calendar
together until they do I don't think we're gonna have a real I'd be lying if I said
I was confident at the moment because I just don't think anyone can have any
confidence if they bought these cars or loaned them or however they financially
made it work that you'd be able to race them at the end of the year anyway or
way let's talk about the the other aspect to this even that to me is it's
somewhat interesting so we have a Acura program factory dating back to the DPI
right Acura team Penske been involved in IMSA eight nine years now it's been
going on for a good while moving right into GTP you have the Myers shank team
which we know will not be running this program once the season has concluded
some really strong drivers had heard that there might be some who are looking
for options at the recent season opening WEC race which will have you share some
insights from that round here momentarily but now look at where this
could go we realize that while it's pausing at the end of 2026 they've used
that word intentionally in the part to that that I love for you to explain to
folks no confirmation as to what the future hypercar slash GTP single vehicle
regulation would be right now we currently have the hypercar and LMDH and
it's two different formulas trying to intermingle we know that LMEM FIA WEC
ACO IMSA are all talking about how do we come up with a single formula that
everybody plays from in the top prototype class there's a hope that rule that
regulation that everyone agrees upon if we do get to collective agreement would
work from a spine that happens to be in use right now that's what we hear nothing
confirm but could you speak to that because in theory that might be a
reason to use the word pause because if in a couple years the same basis for the
air X06 could be dusted off per se and used with whatever regulatory updates
that might be a pretty significant cost savings compared to start from scratch
air X07 clean sheet of paper for what we're hearing there could be a
possibility of continued use of an air X06 even if it goes quiet for a few years
to come back in slightly modified form yeah it's one of the big talking points
right now in amongst this kind of constant and ongoing discussion about where the
regulations are going to go because you know there's there's loads of different
elements to this and I think it kind of depends on who you ask as to what level
of confidence they've got as to whether manufacturers are going to be asked to
bring brand new cars from 2030 onwards it's for some manufacturers a high priority
because they don't want to have to spend the money to bring a brand new car for
others not as much of a problem because they're either bringing brand new cars
or or their cars old enough that they're kind of ready to push the button on a
brand new car and this is the thing there's going to have to be a compromise
and it's a compromise that let's not forget has to involve manufacturing but
but also some of these suppliers and some of the conversations I had in in
my lectures recently is last week with a couple of the suppliers involved in this
is that there's no there's no hard of fast answer to everyone's problems
from their side of things because some of them think there's a business case in
carrying on with the customers they've got and just supplying spines and helping
manufacturers develop LMDH cars for instance going forward and maybe if it's
if it's an LMDH spine led formula getting some of the LMH manufacturers on board
would be cost effective for them but some some of them don't want that because
to them it doesn't make the financial sense to just develop an off-the-shelf spine
it doesn't grow their business in any way they're just handing off spines to
manufacturers to do what they want with so yeah there is a possibility I guess
that we could see an ARX06 heavily modified for the 2030 rule set and I think there might be an
element of some of these manufacturers will get the opportunity to almost grandfather their cars
into the start of the rules but again with so there's so much more to come from this
some of the talks I had last week were kind of making it very clear to me that although
there seems to be a general you know in these technical working groups there's a general
will to push things forward and for everyone to come to a compromise and people are generally
positive about direction it's going and there's a lot of positivity but we're not close to having
a full set of regulations yet and we're going to hear something at LeMond I believe in June
and my sense right now is that it could just be you know three or four lines just saying this is
going to happen this is broadly what it's going to be there's still a lot more of the intricacy
to come and and this element of it will you be able to do your own chassis or will you have to
use a spine from a designated manufacturer is a massive part of these discussions going forward
I want to know your feelings on this feelings maybe an odd thing to ask knowing that we're
meant to be hardcore reporters journals and whatnot but while you are still a young man
you have been involved in sports car racing on the media side since you were very young
which means you have seen manufacturers come in big programs and go away and come in and go away
seen some reactions some feelings online about doom and gloom skies following this is the first
domino everyone else is going to leave I don't believe that to be the case but I would love to
gauge your thoughts accurate leaving this is the first manufacturer to say we're
stepping out of GTP how do you receive this doom and gloom different context what comes to mind
I mean generally sadness because it's such a cool program and it's been so
you know it's been such a key pillar of IMSA GTP to have accurate in there that that's that's my
general thought of it I don't see this as all of a sudden there won't be a GTP class in two years
because everyone's just going to walk at the same time I don't think we're anywhere close to that
but the general vibe I get is one of still pretty everyone's still pretty positive in the
right places what I mean by that is yes you can look at accurate going yes you can look at we've
lost Lamborghini we're losing our pain at the end of the season you know and there are question
marks over you know we've had Porsche walk away from WC and well they weren't they ever come back
to that but it's so easy to forget one where we were back like four or five years ago when
the top classes were you know tiny certainly in WC and two there's so much positivity moving
forward with the likes of McLaren and Ford coming in the Chinese marketplace has not been activated
yet and I keep being told by really key sources that we should take it you know somewhat seriously
although we're not close to seeing a car on track yet although we're not close to seeing you know
renders and concept cars and anything like that there is a general belief that we are going to see
the Asian marketplace play a key role towards the end of this decade and fruit to the next
and give us a further boost and that's the thing we've got so many manufacturers of me that that
it's easy to forget that we could lose two or three and still have incredible grids everywhere
so I'm not too worried right now there's a few things worrying me principally about the way
the series are being managed like things like BOP and WC and we can come onto that in a bit
and making sure that we get this rule set for 2030 nailed in and early enough for everyone to
be comfortable that's my that's not a worry but something that I'm keeping an eye on
but in general I'm I'm it's really hard to complain when every weekend you switch on a
Nimza race or a WC race and the grids around with manufacturer teams and world-class drivers
and more often than not the racing's great because as you say I've been around this a long time and
I've seen I've gone through whole seasons of WEC 3, 4, 5 seasons it felt like where it was the same
team winning every race and doing literally everything they could to stamp the small level
of opposition they did have into the floor so this for me is we're still in the thick of the
golden era I don't think we're it's we're coming close to the end of it or anything like that
and that team was level five yes no I'm sorry it's like that's like slight poor memory there
I'm with you and I don't want to underplay this so I'm not trying to be blasé or say everything's
perfect and fine at the same time I can say I saw Acura come in for the very first time and
IMSA GTP lights a long time ago and leave and then come in to LMP2 in the America Le Mans series
level up to LMP1 that program shutter stayed in what was the LMP class that it was called and then
depart and then come back seeing other brands obviously come and go this is the thing that
tends to happen when you see some struggles in the automotive marketplace right sales question mark
would also say because part of what we try and do here in the show is answer the why we know the
fact of what's happening but why we know that financial considerations are really where this
falls have asked a bunch of people that's what I did at Long Beach last weekend leading into it
why what's the reason behind this it's not BOP it's not there's nothing specific to the series
that I've been told is the reasoning behind this this is financial one some of the hardships faced
a lot some electrification programs that have been shuttered huge write downs because of those
also understand that there are some pretty significant commitments even coming here
right about now on the American open wheel side with deeper and further engagement with Honda
same racing company that facilitates the Acura program and you take the balance of the two
lack of an unlimited budget and decisions have to be made that's at least the story that I've
been told repeatedly by folks who you speak with as well and I think you and I would both say we
trust so that's the version we've been told multiple times by a range of people feel confident
that that is the case of hardships in one area needing to provision budget in another
lack of an unlimited budget some changes had to be made to support future directions
so why don't we shift away from Acura unless there are any other major points that jump out
the only thing I think that that's worth pointing out is that since you know the time recorded since
that announcement came out that the program has been paused that Maya Shank Racing have also put
a statement out of their own which specifically says they're looking at continuing in IMSA
exploring opportunities with other OEM partners and I guess that's significant because we've
I've already seen the question asked loads of times is there any chance we could just see Maya
Shank Racing run these cars completely privately that seems to suggest no this is going to be if
it's going to be of anyone it's going to be of a completely different manufacturer if they're going
to stay in GTP or IMSA at all yes very true the the aspect to that that's critical to understand
is hey we'd like to hold on to the cars and run them ourselves what if we went and found
our own sponsorship to cover the annual operating cost of competing in GTP that is half
of the necessary budget because in order for these cars to compete HRC US must be fully activated
looking after building developing those motors the whole chassis simulation side and development
there I realize these are homologated cars but that doesn't mean that every single factory
isn't pouring a fortune into learning about these cars improving the areas of optimization a lot of
it frankly is on the electronic side but there's a huge factory component that makes these factory
programs happen separate from the costs of buying tires and booking hotels and the stuff that we
associate with what it costs to go to the racetrack and play there's a whole secondary you just
call it the other half of the budget is on the manufacturer level for those cars to pay isn't
there twins as well that's in that to be honest that's a relatively minor number compared to
what it would cost for an accurate another brand to stay involved but that's where the hey we want
to hold on to the cars and run them great but there's the whole factory side that has to support
that even if the factory is not competing officially to service these vehicles prepare
help you to learn help you to improve them that's where it is crazy cost prohibitive
unless you have say a Porsche for example that already has a well-defined customer program so
again that's why this is not just a really simple turnkey thing to keep going what do we talk about
the Long Beach Grand Prix accurate Long Beach Grand Prix poll weekend for Myers shank racing
victory weekend from Myers shank racing on the GTP level of all the races you might win
the one that's a half-hour-ish drive from your HRC US factory it's a little bit more than that but
basically this is the home race in North America for this racing program could not ask for much more
there what do you think of this IMSA Long Beach Grand Prix Steven hundred minutes it's basically
one pit stop that's become the norm got a nail that the timing of it and the expediency of it but
do you like it and what do you think about how the race itself played out I love it
is it's one of the races that is on my list of races I want to attend at least once that weekend
with the doublehead has always had a real appeal to me even though it's a long way to go for an
hour long race or you know an hour and 40 but I yeah I really like it especially because it comes
at a time of year when you've just watched loads of long races back to back to back and actually
it's like a really nice palette cleanser for the rest of the season to see these cars pushed for
like a you know a really short race on a tight circuit that makes them look just ludicrously fast
the traffic's always really fun there's always some drama packed into it so yeah I love it I
think it's a great event I think it's got a welcome place on that calendar and as for the
race I saw the second half of it because it kind of played out as we were finishing up work and
getting back to our hotels on the qualifying day at Imola a couple of things stood out to me one is
how did BMW not get on the podium another is how did Wayne Taylor racing not go on the podium
how did Robert Wickens not win the race it was like and not get on the podium
I thought I was going to win the thing Stephen I was convinced I turned my back and I'm like
okay well that's not it like for a really short race that really truly just has kind of one pit
stop and right for something that is strategically pretty damn simple this seems to be the past
the baton of misfortune and hey you're gonna win no you're gonna win no you're gonna win like this
isn't supposed to be this I don't know fun is the word everybody who lost doesn't think it was fun
but it was like man this should be really boring and processional and sure and as it was never is
just GTP it never is is it you look at the qualifying results and you always think are
qualifying you know there's a chance that basically the the end result is the same as the
qualifying result and it's never like that second half of this race particularly in GT class when
you get a very different set you know set of drivers in for the second half of the race it always
plays out interestingly and if there's a safety car that falls at the wrong time but
but even at the end when you had the action express Cadillac sort of hunting down the 93 car
there was a moment where I thought if this comes to blows at the hairpin
Porsche are gonna get a one to it the whole world is gonna explode and yeah then they're gonna be
carrying a thousand pounds of ballast for Laguna if they were able to still win oh boy but I mean
yeah so phenomenal obviously a phenomenal result and again had heard there might have been I don't
know if there was any real consideration of could there be an announcement the week of the Acura
Grand Prix of Long Beach about the program change you'd want to get through your quote home race
before doing that but we do know that certainly leaving there with a win was a pretty popular
thing and then looking Steven at GTD hey welcome to victory lane at knowing that I mean granted
Lexus has pretty big representation corporate wise in Texas but LA for Toyota is huge Jimmy Vassar
co-owner the Vassar Sullivan team won his first ever Long Beach Grand Prix in 1996 so 30 year
anniversary on a personal level and then look who goes to victory lane there with the Vassar
Sullivan team good old A. A. Ron tealets and then I think equally cool as well Benjamin Peterson
right his kids got real talent he got beaten up pretty good in IndyCar that didn't exactly go
the way that he had hoped I just love the little grace notes like the Steven where you go okay Jimmy
30 years ago was in victory lane now he's back as an owner Benjamin tried to launch an IndyCar career
that didn't go as planned well here he is really at one of IndyCar's two biggest crown jewel events
albeit part of the IMSA side and guess what that kid's brand champagne as well really really happy
for them no it's cool I mean I'm still I'm still completely mesmerized by the Vassar Sullivan
guys and what they're able to do with that Lexus it really is ludicrous it's the only it's the only
GTD car that actually has like a handicap parking placard in it because you know that car I believe
is 65 years old so I thought you were going to say it's the only GT free car of a tape deck
that's right that that's so awesome cassettes bring your cassettes yes but we will be listening
there for sure any other takeaways from the Long Beach Grand Prix again I'm sure we could talk more
at length but I know we want to get to uh Wackity Wax season opener and then let you go get some rest
I mean the Tamarario didn't get a result but looked a lot nicer or packaged didn't it like
it was a really good promising weekend I thought from from the Faf guys and then you can't talk
about this race about talking about Robert Wickens and how unbelievably he drove again at this track
and again it feels like Dix DT racing they're just right there on the cusp of becoming one of those
key players in GTD that's always there and again it just didn't didn't fall their way did it in
the second half of this race so that but they deserve a shout out because they were fantastic
again yeah no doubt about that at all um fun weekend spend a lot of time over in the IMSA
paddock and yeah the vibes were high the apple music sponsored Porsche Penske Motorsport 963s
were just a thing of beauty and that Tamarario in its blue oh my goodness Stephen in person that
thing was gorgeous so yeah lot of love lot of love we also got Roxy for the first time
um at Long Beach so yeah just a great weekend didn't didn't Dragon Speed change their car as well
how did that person it was wild looking wouldn't it it looked like a surfer from 1989 puked on a
Corvette it was just phenomenal day glow colors that just don't belong on earth but they looked
perfect on the car I loved it honestly it was a retro-ish feeling event that was so cool
even though there was nothing specifically retro about it I just love seeing some of the
liveries that definitely called back to sporty car times a long long time ago it was it was a
lot of fun let's talk about Weckity Weck season opener my guy I'm gonna have to pose these to you
because my brain's been focused elsewhere but tell me about round one finally the Ferrari juggernaut
has been stopped Toyota after uh seemed like being stuck in a loop of being there or there about
but never there well hey we're gonna go away we're gonna develop our hot rod and come back
with something even better better better better uh boy a really good result for them but tell us
at least let's start off on the hypercar level round one yeah I mean it's very strange because
the narrative going into the season was kind of all over the place one because it was so heavily
delayed and it was a bit like oh finally we're underway after the world's longest off season
um and two Toyota now has won two races in a row it's now won 50 races in a hundred starts
it's got a new car that is aerodynamically very very different and looks looks the part but they
keep telling us oh no no it's just aesthetics it really isn't making a big deal for the performance
please don't tell them it's helping the performance they'll hurt us please yeah okay yeah it certainly
looked pretty good when it was a glued to the racetrack um it I've I really enjoyed it as a as a
weekend it I left there feeling a bit of warmth in the heart seeing 92,000 people and a very
believable 92,000 people on that crowd figure pack the place out for a great race and there was a real
split opinion as to whether it was a good race or not in the press room certainly all the people
I spoke to it was half were in my camp where I thought it was a really absorbing engaging race
very strategic lots of tire strategy going on lots of everyone waiting to see whatever
weather would do would do um some people thought it was very very boring which I don't understand
but I have a very different opinion I guess of those people and what makes a good race but
so much good defensive driving it's such a tough track to pass on and it just for me
made for a really intriguing start to the season and leaves us with you know so much
to kind of talk about and think about before we go to spar in only a few weeks time
so yeah it was Toyota versus Ferrari in the end very much by the time we got sort of halfway
through that race there was really no one else in with a shout for the win even though qualifying
day kind of suggested Cadillac might play a part Peugeot might play a part Alpine looked strong
here and there um but it was a really good battle between two of them and all of a sudden
Toyota have now won three of the last four races in Italy there seemed to quite like beating
beating Ferrari in Italy which you know that's that's not a bad place to be is it when you're
able to do that um but Ferrari were very good as well so it wasn't it didn't feel like they'd
have a massive failure or anything and they didn't walk out they're really angry and upset the 50
guys maybe because they got a penalty and ended up sick for after dropping out top 10 but the 51
the returning champions looked like they were just carrying on from last season really really strong
performance from them all weekend got pole could have won the race on another day had the strategy
played out with the tyres and had the safety car not fall and Toyota's way could have been a very
different result could have seen them winning in front of their home fans so they're not disappointed
going into spar but I think what we can't not talk about is that we've got spar coming up
and trying to gauge how that race is going to play out is now even more difficult than it
normally would be because they've changed the rules in the paddock where not only is no one
allowed to talk about BOP no one's allowed to see it either so the other thing is it's been the whole
week just not having a baseline which is very very strange after years of you know taking a
glance at a BOP table before a race we can try and see how it correlates to practice times long
run pace you know outright performance looking at everyone's what everyone's doing on tyres and
what that's doing to their lap times there was no baseline so basically we all got we were kind of
halfway through the week kind of checking the notes board and thinking this doesn't feel right here
they're not going to publish this at all and then what rumor as we got through the prologue test
there were rumors that we were going to go the whole season no one's going to tell us anything
they weren't going to tell us how they were even going to do the BOP this year and they're not going
to tell us any of the values and they didn't go quite that far but we did get a briefing halfway
through the the meeting before practice which essentially was the ACO and FIA telling all
of the key media there this is how we're going to set the BOP this year but we're not going to
tell you any more than that you're not going to see any values you're not going to see any tables
and we're going to do everything in our power to stop people from leaking it by giving making
their huge penalties for anyone who leaks it and only two people I believe in every team
are nominated to be able to see the BOP table and they have to sign NDAs to say that nobody else
is going to see it so very very secretive and a very interesting kind of tactic there and I'm not
sure how I think about it it's can I tell you what I think about it I I know what you're gonna say
every single thing about it oh man yes no without a doubt I love this why look we know
without a doubt without a shadow of a doubt to do my best Korean goodwin you know the data
you know the tables you look and say aha this vehicle has received this or had this taken away
what do we all do run to the alchamel data and look for trap speeds top speed right we're trying
to parse everything we can to correlate what the little BOP table says to what the numbers
from the on track from the data loops happen to say and or we're watching in car okay and
here's the kph here and right we're trying to be our own investigators even though we know Stephen
that a wek and m so whomever else that all the series that use BOP can jack things up jack things
down you name it kill or reward teams based on their decisions I love the idea of just not knowing
now if we do indeed see model x is on poll and winning and we go so next race and moth same
model x not model y or z is doing we can assume BOP is probably in their favor but part of me
thinks you know sometimes knowing too much knowing everything actually takes away from
the enjoyment so I'm just trying to think of this from a fans perspective BOP that's the deep
deep end of the rule book it's certainly important to governing how our sports car
endurance races happen to go but there is a big part of me Stephen that loves the hey
just watch the damn race and if the team or car manufacturer you love is getting their butts kicked
blame it on BOP I'm sure that's going to be the default but you know I do indeed like this hey
this is the back end this these are the things that honestly these aren't meant for the front end
watch the motor race if things are out of balance you can assume there will be changes we'll make
privately to bring them back into balance so that's the one thing I'm not sold on and that is the
but you then ask us to place faith in you and so in order for this we're not telling you anything
to work there better be some damn balance and if Toyota pick any of the manufacturers run away
for the rest of the season indeed this whole well we're not going to tell you can you go yeah but
we just saw you cut this totally wrong they're going to reveal it will be revealed on its own
but for this to work completely we have to see true balance coming to play yeah I and I'm glad you
kind of take that stance on it because that's broadly how I feel about it as well but what I
will say is I've taken a significant amount of flak I think in the last year because when they
introduced the rule of nobody's allowed to talk about BOP I've been one of the very few people
who's who's been an outlier certainly in the WEC press room and defended it and thought actually
this is really healthy because it makes it makes us be more creative because we're not just spending
our time running around asking people about how the BOP is going to play out and to it makes you've
makes the people that you're talking to have to talk about other things because otherwise you just
get used all the time as a lot but you know to lobby the stewards essentially to lobby race control
and the rule makers so I I've quite liked that rule since it was introduced in the WEC
panel because it just changed the dynamic of a weekend and walking around talking to people because
you know you have to you have to factor in all the other elements of the sport that make it great
and all the elements that make these teams you know as excellent as they are the only thing I'd
say with this and I completely agree with and understand the point that they specifically
made to us in this briefing which is the role in BOP and the values you see on the table are kind of
one part of this there's two parts to the BOP system there's the role in BOP which is the
tables that we previously published before every race and there's the homologation parameters that
are set where the cars were homologated and they made the point of you're never going to be shared
those that is always going to be kept a secret and because you can't see those the rolling BOP will
never be in a place where you'd be fully able to fully understand it and interpret it anyway so
it's pointless trying feeding you that for you to then go into frenzy and try and work it out
yourself and then come to the wrong conclusions a lot of the time which is what a lot of certainly
a lot of fans who don't truly understand certain elements of this and members of the media as well
and I'll put my hands up and say I'm not an engineer and you know I don't spend my life looking at
BOP tables and trying to predict the outcome of races and saying this is outrageous because more
often than not I've gone into a race and thought this team's going to blow everyone away and it's
not happened because of XYZ so I completely understand that bit the only thing I would say
the only conflicting element of this is I get the problem they're trying to tackle
they're trying to stop the toxicity they're trying to stop the discourse that races have been fixed
or that certain manufacturers are getting favorite favorite being treated as favorites
but I think they might have gone down this the wrong way because I worry certainly if we get
to somewhere like LeMond and the BOP is off or one team blows everyone away at LeMond not giving
people the table it's just going to make people even more angry than they were before so I think
there's an element where there's a risk that this has the negative effect the opposite effect of
what they want to achieve they want to stop people talking about it and they want to stop the online
keyboard warriors throwing opinions at the wall every time there's a BOP table published and every
time there's a race weekend and oh there's no point in watching this race because Porsche are
going to win it that sort of thing they want to avoid that happening and want people to enjoy the
races but I have a feeling that there could be times this season where the discourse becomes
even more toxic because people feel like you're hiding it from us so that we should be even more
suspicious than we were before does that make sense Marshall? It does and you are closing on
effectively the same thing I said this only works in totality if they get BOP right if they don't
they have they I'm using they they have invited 2x 3x however many fold amounts of scrutiny on
themselves because hey you published the table to your point based on my interpretation of
the adjustment for weight inlet size whatever it might be I think this car is going to be up and
this one's going to be down and the race happens and you see okay I was right I was wrong but at
least again I have numbers that help me to quantify what I saw whether my interpretation was right
or wrong before the race after the race clearly I can see aha these numbers have this effect
when you take those numbers away got it only two people per team know they're under NDA
they'll have the little red laser scope dots on them you know from sharp shooters if they're
seen speaking about it but hey folks who've made this decision who possess all the information
and refuse to allow media public fans to see if you do get it wrong now because no one has a clue
about what those numbers are oh there's going to be the massive piling on so you're not telling us
what you did we don't know the numbers but we just saw you got this a thousand percent wrong so I
actually love this Stephen and I could be wrong but I think this intensifies the scrutiny and the
need for the decision makers to get this right because if you like you said Le Mans if Le Mans
this happens at Daytona each year in IMSA hey everything's been air quote balanced and one
manufacturer runs away we saw that happen this year oh boy the heat is brutal because that is
our Super Bowl there's no race bigger hey 24 hours of Le Mans that's the world Super Bowl y'all
it's Le Mans and the World Cup is the two biggest international sporting events you get this wrong
dear folks who decided you're keeping all the information to yourself oh man you do not want
the heat if you see pick the brand run away because clearly it's not just that brand X's car is quote
better than the rest the people who make the decisions on BOP have the ability to make one car
better or no cars better if they get that wrong and the the international Super Bowl is a runaway
by one team one brand brutal so yeah I love this man they're interesting they've asked for it yeah
it's an interesting perspective and I'd not really thought of it in that way the other thing I would
say is there's a sidebar to this which is on the subject of Le Mans specifically I asked the question
so what does this mean for Le Mans how are you doing the BOP system for Le Mans is it going to
really different to these other races and they were specific in saying we haven't made our minds
up on how we're going to do the BOP for Le Mans and we're not going to tell anyone anyway because
we don't want the manufacturers to play any games at these early races because they think it might
impact the BOP at Le Mans they're just not going to say anything at all we're not going to tell people
when we're holding Le Mans a matter of fact no it's an interesting side to it on that front
as well but I do wonder you know if you move away from the fans perspective in particular from this
to the media perspective there was a lot of anger in that briefing people are getting very angry I
was not one of them I just asked a couple of questions and sat there and listened and walked away
because I really struggled to get that worked up about BOP like some people do but I completely
understand why people do and I understand that people feel like it's a you know coming
ill this way to cover a race and you're keeping more away from me and there's less access but I
do wonder if it's going to become controversial when a couple of members of the media pack do
manage to get these BOP tables and people do start leaking them and then that could get quite tasty
if that starts happening from all angles so who knows who knows where this is going to go
do you get a sense Marshall being in Long Beach that there's that's ever going to happen in Imms
or there's a they're keeping an eye on that was it a talking point at all because it's what a lot
of people talked about all weekend was it on the agenda at Long Beach? Haven't haven't heard a word
about it and I'm not saying it couldn't or wouldn't happen but yeah I'm not even thinking about that
being a reality for right now but yeah I'll keep myself open to that possibility. Let's close on
LMGT3 at Imela we done spoke about the mention obviously Toyota getting you know two in a row
awesome to see them get something end of last year it just felt like they've been on a down cycle
for a long time compare it right when speaking about getting the 50 victories like that's amazing
but you and I both know oh those big numbers were put up over a kind of a specific period
bit of fallow years after that but great to see Toyota start off with something strong hoping
that they can be in more regular contention on the hypercar side but tell me about LMGT3 that
looked like a good old party it was it was fantastic actually a really really good race and actually
I think LMGT3 was perhaps a better race than hypercar there was more action like as we've
often seen at some of these races you don't see all of it because they tend to focus on who's up
front in hypercar on the broadcast but it had everything pretty much this race and where to
start with it I think one thing I'd say is that there was a lot of anxiety not anxiety what's the
word apprehension from the teams in LMGT3 because the tyre rules have changed and how that would
impact the formula as a whole so for those who hadn't kept up with it closely that now the
allocation of good gear tyres everyone has to use during all these races has been increased
to the point where everyone can go to every pit stop and change your four tyres and move on that
you don't have to double stint tyres in every race so that element of strategy of someone's got a
double stint at some point has gone and often that would be a bronze driver but as some races
you'd see teams gamble doing that at certain times in a race or if they saw a weather front was coming
in whatever it was that there was a worry that we might just see this turn into kind of an SRO
GT1 Challenge Europe style GT3 race where everyone runs to the fuel gauge comes into the pits changes
four tyres leaves the pit lane in a line basically and everything's so controlled and everything
just stays the same because there aren't any options and actually what we saw was a very
strategic race with plenty of options and I thought it actually made for a really entertaining one
so there's no hard tyre this year it's just the medium because of these allocation rules
which one I fought and certainly plenty of people in the paddock fought was going to impact some of
the brands that loved the hard tyre last year so a Lexus that was just dynamite on that tyre
and won races on it last year they were fantastic and actually you saw some of these bronze drivers
that would normally be asked to hold back save tyres save energy in their stints having to push
and it made for some really really entertaining racing I really really enjoyed it the standout
for me and I think for pretty much everyone is garage 59 brand new team to LMG GT3 not a brand
new team been around the block plenty of times but they were fantastic all week coming into this
with a car that's a bit fragile at times and the car that hasn't exactly dominated and won
won many races since the Formula debut in WC but came in and looked like they were just going to
blow everyone away with that 10 car and Taurus Al brilliant bronze Tom Fleming young British kid
just a revelation like it was one of those and I love it and I'm sure you love it as well
Marshall when you're watching yes you're watching somebody you've never seen before and they
absolutely muller everybody and you start and you just immediately think oh god this
this kid's got a massive future and you just can see it and you it was a masterclass from him in
Kuala and in the race and then they've got Marvin Kirkofer who kind of needs no instruction now he's
maybe a bit underrated but an unbelievably strong factory driver so that car in particular I think
is going to be a force in the championship if they can get it right at all these different types
of circuits they'll be fantastic but the big problem was they had an alternator problem 35 minutes
to go which basically ruined their race they were leading it all looked in the bag final pit
stops have been done and then they lost power and almost actually got rear-ended by Nicky
Katzberg's Corvette but yeah so Team WRT won it in the end Gauge 59 came with no points with that
car which is a crushing disappointment after a near-perfect week but Team WRT BMW looks mega
at Imola again and I don't know if you've encountered him properly yet MP but have you
spent any time at all or seen Anthony McIntosh race much the American bronze just look I'm
going to phrase that yes seeing him race I can't recall any things where my my brain triggered
like oh my gosh that's the last thing he hasn't well yeah he's he's he did a part season last
year of Racing Spirit of Le Mans and it was immediately on it and this is somebody who's
burst onto the scene as a bronze come into racing late in life one he's got all the talent in the
world for a bronze like and he just he just goes for it like he's really really interesting to watch
he's really got really good race craft but two is so charismatic as well he's like it's like an
audience with the Pope in the press conference when he's there everyone listens everyone's laughing
everyone they got a rousing applause in this in the press conference because he was asked
he was he was asked a question about the tragedy at the Nürburgring which took place the day before
on the Saturday which of course was a driver in a BMW who was killed in a massive accident in the
qualifiers weekend and somebody asked the question about you know difficult day for BMW and the BMW
family as a whole is anyone got any kind of things they want to say about it and Anthony talks about
his life and talks about the fact that he recounted this story of how he had a near-death experience
and that's what inspired him to race and he went off and poured his heart out onto the microphone
and had everyone with their jaws on the floor and he got a round of applause it was like it was
amazing so all fair play to him he's very talented very charismatic if you ever bump into him in a
paddock Marshall definitely have a chat with him he's really really lovely guy but him with Parker
Thompson another person who's got plenty of charisma and Dan Harper who's got charisma and ludicrous
speed that's another car which is which is going to be one to watch this season certainly if they
can if they can get it right and that is the car that is going to run a different heritage
livery every race who doesn't love that bit of tic tac BMW I know what the livery is for
spa but I can't say it because I'll be killed but it's going to be cool so yeah so plenty to
digest from LMGT3 very very good race very very close race and really really looking forward to
for that because I have a feeling it could be a completely different top five if you know if
that kind of week was anything to go by all I can say is if that car is not in a turner
motorsport taco time tribute BMW livery then why even hold motor races Stephen Kilby
we it's funny because me and Graham were walking past the WRT pit during the week
and Vonson Voss was standing there chatting away to I think from somebody from Michelin
and we got chatting to him and we were going oh come on come on Vonson tell us what the livery is
for spa and having a joke for everything and I said why don't what about I know what it is
he said because he said oh it's um he said something about it that's going to be quite
significant and I said oh why don't you run the rover racing livery that won spa a few years ago
like their rival team just put WRT where Rover is yeah she quite like that idea oh my goodness
you're you're putting Andy Blackmore out of business here Kilby come on don't do that oh
it's so good all right my god well thank you uh seriously appreciate you so much and not just
for helping with the show that's the small part just appreciate you to see what you've become
all earned uh in this sport and just love the let's do more of these Graham's old
we'll just keep he's old he won't remember we'll just keep telling him it's his birthday
and he has the night off and so he'll just go with it his brain's totally gone but
appreciate you really really do love all the insights that you share and who cares what people
in the press center say Stephen oh whether what you think is unpopular or not if there's not much
to learn from me but if there is one of them is I give zero blanks about what any of the folks in
our profession think you being true to yourself and what you think that's the important thing so
and I know you do that but just mirroring back to you keep being who you are period I'll keep
thinking as they keep zagging all right my guys Stephen Kilby editor of dailysportscard.com
this has been an episode of the Marshall Pruitt podcast brought to us by the Justice Brothers
and theTorontoMotorsports.com and uh we're recording this there is a video we're actually
talking to each other uh but we're just using the audio this week but we got Rocky Rocky just
wants to be fed so he's been bugging me the whole time so he's saying hello to you and grooming the
phone and then we got Rosie who's chilling in the window looking out imagining all the birds she
could be eating right about now so it's been me Stephen, Rocky and Rosie happy birthday to grandpa
Goodwin and other than that we will look forward to speaking to y'all I'm gonna say next week with
the highest of ambitions that we actually do Stephen Kilby. Let's do it we're on the road again
from Rickard and then to Spa the week after but I will make the time and pay if you've got the time
it'd be an absolute pleasure. Yeah I'm out the door Monday to Indianapolis there for a couple
days for the Indy 500 open test fly home Wednesday night get home at midnight and in theory I think
I wake up Thursday morning and then truly just follow right back out the door and go to Laguna
Seca for Emsup but we will find some time my guy thanks to everyone for listening and we'll speak
to y'all very soon
About this episode
Marshall Pruett and Stephen Kilby break down a busy sports-car week, led by Acura pausing its factory IMSA GTP ARX-06 program after 2026—confirmed as a true “pause,” not a team swap, with speculation about future international runs and possible 2030 rule continuity. They discuss Long Beach: Myers-Shank’s GTP win, GTD storylines, and standout drives/liveries. They then preview WEC Imola/season opener results, Toyota vs Ferrari, and the controversial new approach to BOP secrecy. Finally, they cover Imola LMGT3, highlighting new talent, strategy changes, and a dramatic alternator failure for Garage 59.
It's The Week In Sports Cars show featuring DailySportsCar.com's Stephen Kilbey and Marshall Pruett on Acura's upcoming exit from GTP, the Long Beach IMSA race, and the WEC opener at Imola.
If you'd like to join the PrueDay podcast listener group, send an email to [email protected] and you'll be invited to participate in the Discord chat that takes place every day and meet up with your new family at events.
