December 19th, 2011
Audi Advances
Audi was running at Sebring this week. According to the best minds that analyze such things (Mulsanne Mike, for instance), the 2012 R18 really quite a different car than last year’s R18. Hopefully, the changes will improve the outward vision. A pal of a friend of the Bear drove the R18 a couple of months ago, and reported an “absolute blind spot out of the right hand side.” “It explains the McNish crash at Le Mans,” he said.
In other news from the Bear’s Chief European Correspondent, Romain Dumas is headed back to Porsche soon, there’s a big tug of war over Timo Bernhard, and Oliver Pla was quick at a secret Peugeot test.
Insiders in Europe believe ALMS will have Audi, Mercedes, and perhaps others not fully homologated by the ACO in some form of local GT class – but it’s unclear when that gets done. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Andy Lally, Audi, Austin, Bahrain, Baltimore, Bernie Ecclestone, Conquest, Corvette, Ferrari, Ganassi, Guissepe Risi, Intersport, Jaime Melo, Jan Magnussen, Kevin Buckler, Larbre Racing, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Red McCombs, Risi Competizione, Scott Maxwell, Tommy Milner, Virginia International Raceway
Posted in Paddock Poop | 65 Comments »
October 13th, 2011
Schedule Follies
Just minutes before it was announced, Murphy was told the two TBA’s were Detroit and Texas. Subsequently, other candidates have made the routine rounds of the rumor mill. Boss Scott confirmed the Detroit TBA in a rather odd and self-serving press release after Grand Am confirmed it would have that June 2 Detroit Race. Now it seems likely nothing will fill that ALMS April/May TBA. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Abruzzi, ACO, Andy Lally, Baltimore, Billy Joe "Red" McCombs, BMW, Circuit of the Americas, Crocodile McFly, Detroit, ECO Racing, ESPN International, FIA, General Motors, Gold Coast, Grand Am, Ian Dawson, Jean-Claude Plassart, Kevin Buckler, Laguna Seca, Lotus Evora, Maranello, Mazda, Montreal, Motors TV, Norwegian Blue, Oklahoma City, Pirelli World Challenge, Pratt & Miller, Rogers Sports Net, Salt lake City, Scott Atherton, Sears Point, Sebring, St Petersburg, Taurus, Thunderbolt, V8 Supercar
Posted in Paddock Poop | 188 Comments »
September 29th, 2011
McDreamy’s Plans
Murphy wrote in May’s Paddock Poop 190 that McDreamy would go LMP2 racing with Mazda, probably in the newly announced World Endurance Championship. A month later, Speedtv.com told you pretty much the same thing in an “exclusive.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ACO, ALMS, Autohaus, BMW, Chip Ganassi, Chris Dyson, Clay Malooley, Corvette, Daytona, Ferrari, Grand Am, Greg Pickett, Ian Dawson, Jaguar, Jon Field, Jordon Taylor, Mazda, McDreamy, Paul Edwards, Peugeot, Risi Competizione, Robertson Racing, Robin Liddell, Scott Tucker, Sebring, Stevenson, World Endurance Championship
Posted in Paddock Poop | 44 Comments »
September 13th, 2011
Big Apple Grand Prix
Murphy knows many of his readers aren’t buying it, but that New Jersey F1 proposal is very, very real. Those who have seen the details say this is a “street course that works,” meaning, as the Bear understands it, that it’s not a typical “point-and-shoot, see-the-tops-of –the-cars” race track, but rather a good driver’s and spectator’s track. Baltimore has turned out much better than anticipated – so far, anyway – and that will certain add some impetus to the New Jersey street course idea. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: AAR, Andy Lally, Big Apple Grand Prix, Bill Rand, Can Am, Chris Pook, DeltaWing, Don Panoz, Highcroft Racing, IMSA, John Dillinger, Jr., Kevin Buckler, Leo Hindery, Matt Tarleton, National Press Club, Petit Le Mans, Rand Racing, Richard Neuart, Scot Elkins, Scott Atherton, Signature Motorsports, Tracy Krohn, World Endurance Championship
Posted in Paddock Poop | 67 Comments »
August 25th, 2011
Andy Lally Challenge
Since New Hampshire, after which his season’s winnings totaled $1,608,881, Andy has since raced four times (the Brickyard, Pocono, the Glen, and Michigan) and won $391,000 for himself and Kevin Buckler.
The American Le Mans field through Lime Rock totaled $1,046,000. Since Lime Rock, the thirty-odd ALMS entries have raced three times (Mosport, Mid-Ohio, and Road America) winning between them $319,000, and bringing their total earnings in the 2011 season to $1,365,000. With Andy’s total now $1,999,881, the American Le Mans Series field now trails Sprint Cup’s Street Luger by over $600 thousand dollars. Time is not on the ALMS’ side, since Andy has 13 races remaining; North America’s premier sports car road racing series has just three. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Andy Lally, Autohous Racing, Baltimore Grand Prix, Corvette, Grand Am, Greg Pickett, Intersport Racing, Jim Derhaag, Kevin Buckler, Panoz Auto Development, Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Rob Dyson, Roberson Racing, Sebring, Simon Gregg, Sprint Cup, Trans Am, WEC
Posted in Paddock Poop | 67 Comments »
