GR86 Cup Series post inaugural season thoughts
 

After watching every race of the entire GR86 Cup Inaugural season, while being involved with a few teams during the season and being a huge fan of the Mazda MX5 Cup series, here are my thoughts.

While I think the series has the ability to be a great, action filled series like the Mazda MX5 Cup series is. The difference in the Mazda series was stiffer competition and more excitement race after race than the GR86 series was able to generate. This was even with several current and former MX5 Cup drivers in the GR86 Cup series. As the GR86 Cup develops, I believe that it can generate a similar level of competition and excitement, with some tweaks to the series.

1. Systematically add ballast weight determined by the finishing position of the car: While I am generally not a fan of ballast adding to a series, since this is a spec series it will help balance the talent level and make for better racing. The good part about this system is that the whole season is a championship fight. It is less likely that a champion is decided only half-way into the season. This will make races more exciting to watch and require a team to adjust for this ballast in order to be as competitive. This would also eliminate the 10, 20 and almost 30 second leads as seen this season.
2. Relax the heavy-handed approach to penalties for racing incidents: While I am not a fan of a driver purposely interfering with another drivers chance of success and fully back penalties and punishment for obviously taking another driver out. It seemed this season that every time two cars got close to one another there was a penalty to one if contact resulted. This stunted the actual racing, Harry Hogge said it best in Days of Thunder; “rubbing is racing”. Sometimes when fighting for a position metal gets wrinkled…let them race.
3. Reduce costs for the teams/competitors: Prices for replacement parts from Toyota on site at the track should not cost 100%-300% more than normal retail. Even Mazda gives MX5 Cup teams discount parts pricing. Toyota should embrace this as well. $26,000 for a “sealed” complete motor is ridiculous when they are around $7,500 from a dealer. $200 clutch discs that are less than $100 from the dealer…c’mon Toyota.
4. Give older teams/chassis updates that the newer chassis gets: This year there were updated parts installed on the 2nd run of cars built that were not included on the first run chassis. While these parts were made available to the teams to buy, those should’ve been provided to the teams that were running the older chassis at no charge. End links come to mind, I’m sure there were others.
5. Updated Parts Testing: If updated parts are being considered, or made available, to a team to test, all teams should be notified and given the option/opportunity to test those parts as well. Like clutch discs were…and I’m also sure there were others.
6. Aftermarket parts: Allow aftermarket parts like wheels, brake pads, clutch discs etc. as long as they meet required specifications like weight, dimensions and being available to all the teams. This could not only help lower costs, but potentially add sponsorships to these teams.
7. Share all data with competitors: TRD pulls data from every car after every practice, qualifying and race. Share that data among the competitors, this will make for better competition and ensure that no one team or driver has found an advantage.
8. Update the points system: Give points to all competitors based on finishing order, not just the top 10, also give bonus points for fastest lap and most laps led in a race. This will help balance out the championship, by increase the importance of entering, doing well and finishing a race.

I’m a huge fan and proponent of this series, as well as a long-time admitted 86 chassis owner, racer and fanboi. I want this series to reach the same level of competition of the Mazda MX5 Cup series and can't wait for next year. But as far as this year went…my veiwing of choice was MX5 Cup...and can’t wait to see the season action wrap up at Road Atlanta later this month…

Good post and largely agreed. Larry and I chatted about this briefly on the podcast yesterday (online next week) and mentioned ballast. Sort of joking, but sort of not joking.

I think it's a solid first year and overall a success for Toyota, but they need to be careful to make sure it's sustainable and sticks around for a while. Especially with the backdrop of oiling issues drama, it's important to have this series be out there and visible.

Some of the racing was really exciting to watch and I hope it continues. Would love to pick your mind on some of the other stuff at some point!

- Andrew

I'd be happy to chat just about whenever you have some time.