Blancpain GT Series - Endurance Cup @ Silverstone 4 May - 15 May 2016

[Metalogic]

I'm thinking I might actually go to see this, not too far from where I live (Oxford), and looks quite cheap (even a weekend ticket is only £20, though I'd probably just go for a day)

Blancpain GT Series - Endurance Cup
14 May - 15 May 2016
http://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/blancpain-gt-series/overview

Some very nice GT3 cars are in this, see:
http://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/blancpain-gt-series/2016-series

More information about the series here: http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/

Is anyone else here thinking of going?

 

[Metalogic]

I've now booked my tickets!

 

[Andrew Harper]

Yep, I shall be there. Hoping for some slightly warmer weather than at the WEC event!

Will be interesting to see what the crowds are like, I'm not expecting lots of people there but that's not the reason I'm going anyway. Monza looked pretty empty (although like Silverstone it's a big circuit).

Do yourself a small favour and get the mobile app, with that many cars it's a life saver for following the race, little FM radio helps as always obviously but it's a useful backup.

One superb idea they have is in the top corner of the windscreen you have the cars current position, different coloured numbers for the different classes.

If you do go, just a mention that if it's like last year the grid formation (and I think start) is on the old start finish line (up to Copse) not opposite the Silverstone Wing. I'm going to double check when I'm there on the Saturday.

 

[Metalogic]

Well that was fun, great weather too! I used the mobile app, which was useful for keeping track of positions, but wished I'd taken a small radio and earbuds, as you couldn't hear the commentary over the PA most of the time due to the car noise, so I was quite confused about what was happening at times.

It was actually the first real GT event I've ever been too, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The noise was incredible, but in a good way! Loved the mix of sounds from all the different marques in the Blancpain GT Endurance race, especially the Jaguar, Bentleys and Mercedes!

The supporting races were enjoyable too - Formula Renault (only caught some of this), Seat Leon Eurocup and the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo (don't think I will ever see so many Lamorghinis in one place again!).

Was also quite surprised about the amount of freedom given to walking around the paddock areas, at least for the Formula Renault and Seat Leon areas, though missed the pit walk for the GT cars.

 

[Metalogic]

Highlights from yesterday's race here:

 

[Andrew Harper]

Just making my way back home today and I went to the event yesterday and Saturday.

One word, awesome. Had an amazing time. Weather was perfect.

The sounds of all those gt3 cars is something else. Went to support the Jaguar team but they had their fair share of problems unfortunately but they scored a finish.

Having seen the Diablo trophy many years ago it was great seeing the Hurracan's in their own cup.

The SEAT's were nuts. Reminded me of a RD club race.....

Only three small things annoyed me. Why did Silverstone decide to transmit on MW only? Normally they use FM and the MW is just not good enough, I had to use the Internet instead (now I think about it, this may be because they used the heritage pits).

They killed the PA system for the podium and driver interviews and I admit I may have misheard them but the crowd control were trying to kick us out of the grandstand whilst a small group of us where clapping the winners a slightly heated exchange happened so they changed their mind!

And lastly it would've been nice to have another ten minutes for the pit walk. 15 minutes isn't really enough for 50 odd cars.

But for the price I would definitely go again, superb series and all the drivers were happy to have pictures taken and give autographs. Well done SRO

 

[fortyfivekev]

Really enjoyed the weekend. The main race was close all the way and the late safety car certainly made for a tense finish. I like the way the BOP favours different cars at different tracks so you don't get the same cars winning every week.

I enjoyed the support races but probably they should swap the Seats for something with a few more runners even though they did put on good races. The Lamborghini Super Trofeo races were pretty crazy with 44 drivers of mixed ability in 600hp cars. What could possibly go wrong

Silverstone has a 6pm noise curfew which is why they turned off the PA right after the race. Agree the 15 minute pit walk was silly. I walked as quickly as I could taking a picture at each pit and still only made it 3/4 of the way along the pitlane.

Took a lot of photos, here are a few:

 

[Andrew Harper]

Nice pictures @fortyfivekev I'm still sorting mine so will try and put some up later in the week (working tonight unfortunately).

Interesting about the noise curfew, I was aware of the cut off at Brands Hatch (which makes sense as the track backs onto housing just the other side of the trees) but it would have been nice for them to keep transmitting on MW maybe. No problem though it was a great day. We could just about hear the podium tannoys from where we were sitting anyway.

I bet the residents love the Silverstone 24 hours then.....

Yes I decided to watch the 2nd SEAT race in the café. When my Dad and I watched the race on Saturday very little happened from where we were standing, but when we watched Sunday's race a lot of the action was happening on the far side of the circuit so good stuff, not many wing mirrors left by the end.

 

[fortyfivekev]

I bet the residents love the Silverstone 24 hours then.....

I think I have been to all the 24 hour races at Silverstone and pretty well every single one has been spoiled to some extent by noise issues. This year one of the front runners was pulled for noise and these were touring cars which are not very loud to start with. Same thing happened at most of the Britcar run events.

It used to be that if you bought a house near a race circuit in the UK then you should expect some noise but that's not the case anymore. Brands, Thruxton, Castle Coombe, Mallory, etc. have all been badly impacted by noise complaints.

Hopefully electric cars get good before some more of these circuits go out of business.

 

[spark23]

Hi, I dont know if this is off-topic, my question is this, if in a blancpain sprint series race, a driver that go in boxes and not out by mechanic fail he get points? in rules say that a driver get points if he complete 70% of laps completed by the winner. For example, he go in boxes on lap nº17 and not return to track and winner finish race with 20 laps, the 70% of 20 laps is 14 laps.

Thanks!

 

[fortyfivekev]

Might be wrong on this but I think for Blancpain you can be classified without taking the chequered flag. Most series these days do allow this apart from a few oddities like Le Mans where you have to take the flag within a certain time of the winner to be classified.

http://www.racb.com/fileadmin/libra...eries_2016_Sporting_Regulations_S02_FINAL.pdf

 

[spark23]

Might be wrong on this but I think for Blancpain you can be classified without taking the chequered flag. Most series these days do allow this apart from a few oddities like Le Mans where you have to take the flag within a certain time of the winner to be classified.

http://www.racb.com/fileadmin/library/Reglements General site/Circuit - Blancpain Endurance Series/Blancpain_GT_Series_2016_Sporting_Regulations_S02_FINAL.pdf

Yes, I saw that pdf, but if a pilot get in boxes and not out again... I suppose that does not mater if is running or retired in pits.

 

[Andrew Harper]

Yes, I saw that pdf, but if a pilot get in boxes and not out again... I suppose that does not mater if is running or retired in pits.

There was this slightly off situation at the first round with the jaguar team.

The car was incorrectly waved into the pits by the marshals on the last lap. Even though they stopped at parc ferme the car was still classified, although one lap down. So yes you are probably right.