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IMSA penalties explained.
- Thread starterblacksheep-1
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The teams were the conduit for submitting the data in behalf of the manufacturers. Why wouldn't they be held accountable? We're they not forthcoming as all of the other teams? OR is IMSA pointing blame and throwing the manufacturers under the bus for their incompetence in not effectively evaluating the submitted data and assigning the correct restrictions aligned with the BOP? We'll never know.... All I know is Ford got kicked in their junk.
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Dave_W
Cones - not just for ice cream
Like I said in the other thread, IMSA should at least also penalize the teams & drivers that did the official IMSA BoP sessions for those manufacturers. Did BMW and Ferrari order the sandbagging, or was it teams and/or drivers that decided to do it? May never know, but come down hard on everyone involved if you really want to send a message. And how did none of the teams running those brands not "tip their hand" at the Roar?
For the other teams running those cars, some smaller penalty (maybe loss of 25% of points, or move 1 place down in finishing order) would make things more fair to all the other teams in the Rolex24 that were disadvantaged by the BoP sandbagging of BMW & Ferrari, as the video mentioned. Ford, for instance.
It would be better in the long run if IMSA handed out penalties in a way that teams/drivers don't want to sandbag, and insist that their manufacturers don't. With these penalties, BMW and Ferrari teams are telling their manufacturer reps, "Hey, sorry about you losing the manufacturer points, but great job on giving us a car that smoked the competition!"
After last year's tire pressure data debacle, I'd have thought IMSA would want to drop the hammer on anything even slightly fishy this year. Then again, it is really NASCAR and the France family in the end.
For the other teams running those cars, some smaller penalty (maybe loss of 25% of points, or move 1 place down in finishing order) would make things more fair to all the other teams in the Rolex24 that were disadvantaged by the BoP sandbagging of BMW & Ferrari, as the video mentioned. Ford, for instance.
It would be better in the long run if IMSA handed out penalties in a way that teams/drivers don't want to sandbag, and insist that their manufacturers don't. With these penalties, BMW and Ferrari teams are telling their manufacturer reps, "Hey, sorry about you losing the manufacturer points, but great job on giving us a car that smoked the competition!"
After last year's tire pressure data debacle, I'd have thought IMSA would want to drop the hammer on anything even slightly fishy this year. Then again, it is really NASCAR and the France family in the end.
This did create a real dilemma for IMSA and I think their decisions were about money. The teams running the unfair cars likely knew nothing of the unfair advantage - they "runned what they brung" and won the race. While it's great for the team and the drivers, there's not a lot of financial upside to cheat. Yes, there are presumably points and prize money, but it's a rounding error compared to the cost of just being there in the first place.
The manufacturers, on the other hand, knew that the cars were faster than they'd been when they were qualified and would have been happy to promote the prowess of their cars after the win. That's big money, not a rounding error at all, for the manufacturers.
Now, was it fair to the other competitors? No. But what are their options? If they want to run those classes in the USA, IMSA's the only game in town, so suck it up and move on...
The manufacturers, on the other hand, knew that the cars were faster than they'd been when they were qualified and would have been happy to promote the prowess of their cars after the win. That's big money, not a rounding error at all, for the manufacturers.
Now, was it fair to the other competitors? No. But what are their options? If they want to run those classes in the USA, IMSA's the only game in town, so suck it up and move on...
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