Anyone watch the 12 hours of Sebring and the GT2 battle?

[Big Sky WRX]

If you missed it, you need to check it out:

http://jalopnik.com/cars/news%253a-r...hem-245372.php

A unbelievable Ferrrai and Porsche battle- literally to the finish line. Probably one the most exciting endurance finishes I've ever seen

[cavallino333]

I watched the last 2 hours the battle between the Porsche Ferrari battle was quite exciting. Definitely something Ill remeber for a long time.

Risi Competizione FTW

[302@12psi]

I was away? I cant wait to get my DVR from Comcast so I dont miss the stuff anymore.

[Big Sky WRX]

I'm seldom disappointed w/ any of the endurance racing I watch- this has to go down as one of the fiercest batlles to date

[BlueWorks]

i finally got around to watching it on my dvr. wow! that was the best lap of racing i've seen in a while.

[302@12psi]

I can understand being upset about losing the race but I dont know if that is what I'd call "avoidable" contact. No one got hurt...it looked to me they both nudged each other into the last turn. All is fair in my book.

[mycologist]

Yeah, I watched a good chunk of it. Awesome battle. Seems like the rubbing was kind of new territory just becuase the leaders are usually spread out much more.

[302@12psi]

Yup I'd bump fenders in a lawn mower race if it came down to it. Heck I'd jab elbows when running for the ball in soccer. It's a competitive sport. Now if one of those cars werent racing for the win, or if it happened in the first 11 hours, or if it got out of hand then I'd call foul. Other then that it's racing.

I recently saw some old footage of Grand Am racing when the Real Time Integras got into some pretty good fender racing....and they were on the same team.

[BlueWorks]

in that situtation, unless you take the other car out, it's a free for all. anything goes to get the win.

[AutoXJunkie]

in that situtation, unless you take the other car out, it's a free for all. anything goes to get the win.

That may sound fun, but it's not a precident you want to set, for a number of reasons: first and foremost, it's a safety issue. Aggressive, contact-oritented racing sooner or later results in high speed trips into barriers and/or other cars. People getting paralyzed, seriously burned, or killed isn't a good thing.

Second, it makes racing more expensive for everyone. Not just in terms of replacing sheet metal, but the aforementioned higher incidence of accidents raises the insurance rates for whatever event/series you're running in, meaning higher registration fees.

And last, it makes for lazy racing. When battling for position it's always going to be easier to do a bump-and-pass or try to shove someone into a wall and hope they panic and lift than it is to plan and execute a nice clean overtake. Any yahoo can do the former, it takes skill to do the latter. IMO, road racing should reward skill.

All things considered, most people seem to be willing to say, "hey, I was just defending my position" when they're on the giving end, but they're not quite so understanding when they were the ones who planned their line more carefully, got the better exit speed, only to get smashed, demolition derby style, by the person they were passing. Again, that's lazy racing, and if everyone's allowed to do it... well, hell, we might as well bulldoze our road courses and go watch dirt-track racing.

[96accord]

wow that is awesome!!

thanks for posting!

[Big Sky WRX]

That may sound fun, but it's not a precident you want to set, for a number of reasons: first and foremost, it's a safety issue. Aggressive, contact-oritented racing sooner or later results in high speed trips into barriers and/or other cars. People getting paralyzed, seriously burned, or killed isn't a good thing.

Second, it makes racing more expensive for everyone. Not just in terms of replacing sheet metal, but the aforementioned higher incidence of accidents raises the insurance rates for whatever event/series you're running in, meaning higher registration fees.

And last, it makes for lazy racing. When battling for position it's always going to be easier to do a bump-and-pass or try to shove someone into a wall and hope they panic and lift than it is to plan and execute a nice clean overtake. Any yahoo can do the former, it takes skill to do the latter. IMO, road racing should reward skill.

All things considered, most people seem to be willing to say, "hey, I was just defending my position" when they're on the giving end, but they're not quite so understanding when they were the ones who planned their line more carefully, got the better exit speed, only to get smashed, demolition derby style, by the person they were passing. Again, that's lazy racing, and if everyone's allowed to do it... well, hell, we might as well bulldoze our road courses and go watch dirt-track racing.

I agree w/ that assessment. Defending your position- absolutely. Knowingly making contact-absolutely not. Not in road racing anyways.

[BlueWorks]

That may sound fun, but it's not a precident you want to set, for a number of reasons: first and foremost, it's a safety issue. Aggressive, contact-oritented racing sooner or later results in high speed trips into barriers and/or other cars. People getting paralyzed, seriously burned, or killed isn't a good thing.

Second, it makes racing more expensive for everyone. Not just in terms of replacing sheet metal, but the aforementioned higher incidence of accidents raises the insurance rates for whatever event/series you're running in, meaning higher registration fees.

And last, it makes for lazy racing. When battling for position it's always going to be easier to do a bump-and-pass or try to shove someone into a wall and hope they panic and lift than it is to plan and execute a nice clean overtake. Any yahoo can do the former, it takes skill to do the latter. IMO, road racing should reward skill.

All things considered, most people seem to be willing to say, "hey, I was just defending my position" when they're on the giving end, but they're not quite so understanding when they were the ones who planned their line more carefully, got the better exit speed, only to get smashed, demolition derby style, by the person they were passing. Again, that's lazy racing, and if everyone's allowed to do it... well, hell, we might as well bulldoze our road courses and go watch dirt-track racing.

i completely agree with you, but i think it all goes out the window in those last few meters. i don't think that contact was made with the intent on smashing his way to the win, i think it just happened. of course, i'm not either drive, so what the hell do i know.