THE BATTLE FOR THE AGES.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. In my twitter feed over the weekend I talked about the looming "Battle for the Ages" in the GTLM class in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Let's forget about the fact for the moment that this continent deserves an all-GT series and instead let's dwell on the reality of what is at hand, which is a monumental battle for superiority and bragging rights among the world's elite auto manufacturers. The Corvette vs. Ford. vs. BMW vs. Porsche vs. Ferrari battle will intensify what is already considered to be the finest road racing in the world. And we should all be grateful, even with the "what ifs" and "what could be" that comes with it.

First of all, without the manufacturers none of this would be happening and as I've stated many times before without the enthusiastic participation of the manufacturers I shudder to think of where we'd be right now. Thankfully, that is not the case, and road racing enthusiasts will be able to witness one of the golden eras in American road racing, at least in the "modern" era and when it comes to GT racing anyway.

With the endurance contests at Daytona and Sebring facing competitors right out of the gate, we couldn't ask for a better start to the racing season. If you've ever been part of a team and were able to experience top-level endurance road racing first hand, there's absolutely nothing else like it. It's exhilarating and debilitating at the same time, and it demands a mental and physical focus that defies understanding for most people on the outside looking in.

From there it's on to Long Beach, not my favorite venue by any means because as I've said repeatedly it suffers from "CSS" syndrome (for Can't See Shit), and then on to the natural-terrain circuit at Laguna Seca (Mazda Raceway), which always seems to bring out the best of the competitors. Then for the top teams, it's on to the most famous road race in the world: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is there where we'll find out who had the best racing package and who had the added benefit of everything coming together to triumph at the world's most prestigious endurance event. It's the one race every manufacturer and competitor wants to win the most, and it is here that the manufacturers' battle in GTLM/GTE-Pro will play out in a drama that never gets old. If you've ever had the pleasure to attend Le Mans you understand what I mean, because there's simply nothing else like it.

Back in the states, the IMSA WeatherTech series resumes at two tremendous natural-terrain road racing circuits: Watkins Glen International for a six-hour contest and a race at Canada's showpiece circuit at Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park). Then it's on to Lime Rock Park, which is a beautiful facility in a pastoral area with fine people and genuine enthusiasts on hand, but unfortunately it's like running these high-powered cars inside the Mall of America. Not a proper showcase for the high-powered series by any means, sorry to say.

From there it's on to the ultimate showcase for the GTLM cars: Road America, "America's National Park of Speed" and this country's finest natural-terrain road racing facility. If you can only go to one road racing weekend this year, this is the one to go to, hands down. Then it's VIRginia International Raceway, the Circuit of The Americas in Austin and the ten-hour Petit Le Mans season finale at Road Atlanta.

As I reminded readers last week, nothing is perfect in racing. The endless politics and the never-ending Balance of Performance bullshit always seem to try mightily to derail great racing, so we're left with fleeting moments over the course of the season that play out in bursts of creativity and brilliance, and keep us coming back for more. Here's hoping for many of those moments in 2016, and try to savor and enjoy what we have, because you never know when the powers that be will conspire to mess it all up.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
The 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the GTLM class will feature Corvette vs. ...

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
... Ford vs. ...

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
... BMW vs. ...

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
... Porsche vs. ...

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
Ferrari.

Check out the latest episode of The High-Octane Truth on AutoextremistTV below. -WG

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

 (Photo by Dave Friedman courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Daytona Beach, Florida., February 2-3, 1965. Before the annual season opening sports car race at Daytona International Speedway became a 24 Hour race, it was known as the Daytona Continental, which in 1965 was a 2000 km event. Here is the race winning Ken Miles/Lloyd Ruby Shelby American-entered No. 73 Ford GT40 in for a pit stop. They dominated the race, winning the Prototype class and overall by five laps. Jo Schlesser/Hal Keck/Bob Johnson (No. 13 Shelby American Cobra Daytona Coupe) finished second overall and first in GT while Bob Bondurant and Richie Ginther (No. 72 Shelby American Ford GT40) finished third overall.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD