198. Just Shootin’ the Bull. The Bear’s Rolex Picks.

January 28th, 2012

Murphy was just killin’ time here waiting for the Rolex start, doin’ nuttin’ much, and realized he’s been doin’ nuttin’ much for like a long time. Of course, wit da Braselburgers doin nuttin much lately, he’s gotten a little bored with the whole scene.

He’s been thinkin, how much can you rip the gang that can’t shoot straight before it’s just same ol’ same ol’? Which it has been for a long time. When The Bear launched this thing – way back in 2005 – he was documenting exciting and fun stuff. That started fading about three years later, and the whole damn thing’s turned pretty dark. Which Murphy doesn’t really like. At all. Read the rest of this entry »

197. The 2012 ALMS Field. Braselburg Schedule Still Unsettled. Bahrain, Baltimore Buh-by?

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 »

196. Schedule Mess (again). Corvette, Ferrari, Jaguar. Sebring Confusion.

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 »

195. Pre-Petit. Ferrari Mystery. What Prototypes? Delusional in Braselburg?

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 »

194. Unlimited Racing Championship. Rands go to Jail. National Press Club Bust. Leading Proto Teams go Public with Demands.

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 »