murphythebear.com

Monterey, California, USA – The Bear has returned from Petit Le Mans, and is happy to be back in his cozy cave.  Not that he didn’t have a great time.  He certainly did.  But this one plum wore him out.  He went out for Mexican at La Parilla the very first night, then stopped in at Paddy’s, where Kari, his favorite bartender, had been saving a pair of sunglasses since last year to replace those he lost then.  What a Georgia Peach – even if she is from Wisconsin.  Then he spent some time getting an education about team management and pit stop excellence.  The pinot noir, Jameson, and Johnny Walker Black were lined up on Kari’s bar that night.

Murphy’s ole buddy Jungle Cat tells him his attention wanders readin’ these long Poops, so before we get any deeper into this, here’s the condensed (Georgia) version:  Two new LMP1s. Two GT2 regulars may be gone.  Just one Intersport. Elan Technologies on the block.  J3 50-50 – Porsche or not.  Tom Milner hates fishing.  Swedes still talking to the Dutch.  Dumb baseball. Barbour will be back. Doran Infinities – or something else.  Aston’s got another sponsor.  Saleens may join them and Corvette in 2007.  Previously expected LMP1 is a dropout for Laguna.  Audi drivers without 2007 contracts – youth movement?  The IRL will share the July Mid-Ohio date.  Six GT1 entries at Laguna? OK, that’s the short version.  The rest of you can read on.

Well, I’ve got to admit that I was told.  About Detroit, that is.  Trigger knew, and the Bear wasn’t paying attention.  Other than that Murphy pretty much got it – the schedule.  Although some denizens of certain on-line forums found much to take exception to, most who the Bear encountered at Road Atlanta were pretty pleased.  He still thinks there are two things yet to be announced, part of the “horse trading.”  Expect a team – Forsythe, perhaps – that will run two Cosworth-powered Courage C70’s throughout 2007.  Then – if the details can be worked out – look for Elan Technologies to be purchased by Kevin Kalkhoven. That’s what the Bear has heard.

So that’s a couple of additional prototypes, but there’s some not-so-good news out there, too.  File the widely expected second Intersport entry under “not likely.”  Murphy was told to rate it “about ten percent,” but he gathers that the real odds are less than that.  The team will likely field the next generation Lola B07/40, though they were closely watching the performance of the Radical at Petit.  Expect Richard Berry to campaign another season in IMSA Lights.  Murphy gave Clint a little help monitoring Jon’s performance in a practice session.  They decided it was just adequate

On the very same day that a Peugeot announcement in Paris was leading some to conclude that the new 908 LMP1 would certainly not contest Sebring, the Bear was being told that Peugeot people had just recently expressed a renewed interest in racing – not just testing, which they are still planning to do – in Florida in March.  That Peugeot?  A fiberglass mock-up on WR running gear, we heard.  We also heard the final version may be quite different.  The car will likely first  hit the track not long before Christmas.

Kevin Doran has a signed contract in his pocket to develop and field a pair of GT2 entries from a  manufacturer new to the series.  Most often mentioned is Infiniti.  Kevin said it wasn’t Nissan, who didn’t return calls.

Best Wishes department.  To Joy and Chris, married four weeks before Petit.

The Bear’s said a few things over the season about sniveling.  We reached new heights (or lows) at Petit.  Herr Ulrich said that “performance balancing will be the end of the ALMS.” In context that could easily be taken as a threat.  Perhaps it was.  Perhaps the car that was publicly described as a “lab specimen,” and “a rolling lab experiment” won’t be back.  Perhaps.

Are there any doubts out there about the impact of “star power?”  Soon after Fernandez Racing’s announcement, Lowe’s CEO was in the paddock, shootin’ the breeze with Roger Penske.  Adrian made the introduction.
 

If what Murphy has seen from the Minnesota Twins in dropping two games to the Oakland A’s is the kind of baseball that got them to their Division Championship, the game’s in dire straits.  There are things you just don’t do, and they’ve done a bunch of them.  Hall of fame second baseman Joe Morgan pointed out a few on Tuesday, and there were more Wednesday.  The Bear thinks they can pack light for the trip to Oakland, it’s likely to be a short one.

Speaking of sniveling, don’t write off GT1 yet.  Word has reached the Bear that the folks at Aston Martin have landed another sponsor for 2007 and that Intercontinental Hotels will be back, too.  A large contingent representing the hotel group that owns the Holiday Inn brand was on hand in Georgia.  Murphy also heard that the two ACEMCO Saleens and other team equipment have been sold in a “good deal for the buyer.”  Graham Nash has been mentioned as likely to run the team in the American Le Mans Series.  Some are saying the whole thing could way too easily become replay of this season’s sad Saleen story.

Autocon is feeling good about their chances for campaigning two cars next season.  Plans have advanced far enough that the team had prospects in for testing at Phoenix recently.  The car won’t necessarily be the one from Connecticut; they’re looking at one in England, too.

The hospitality of Jungle Cat, Mrs. Jungle Cat, Dawg, and all their friends – notably this year those from Mississippi – make Petit Le Mans a special event for the Bear and his friends.  Their spot – this year near turns 8-9 – is a welcome refuge, a place for friendly talk, a beer and good southern cooking.  Murphy had a heater and a beer with the cat before going back to work.

One familiar face will likely be missing from the GT2 field next season, as Alex Job Racing concentrates on the Ruby Tuesday Daytona Prototype.  Don’t be surprised if the team fields two of the Porsche powered prototypes in Grand Am next year, though it’s anything but certain.

Mazda will announce its LMP2 racing program for 2007 at – where else? – Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  A Lola chassis is likely, along with an a turbo-charged three rotor engine.  Or maybe something else.  Same team.  Kumho tires.

Murphy heard the “P” will be gone from “P-WL,” as Michael Petersen moves on to other interests.  Dale White is looking for another partner or sponsor.  So that’s another 2007 entry at least somewhat in doubt.

Murphy asked Tom Milner if he’d ordered his bass boat.  “I hate fishing,” was his retort.  We’re taking that as a confirmation that he’ll be back to race something.  Told that the boss had said there’d been no contact with Lexus, a team member succinctly observed, “BS.”  That doesn’t mean that the Lexus will surface in PTG’s or anyone else’s hands.  For now, Lexus doesn’t have possession of the two cars, and there is some dispute over who owes what to whom.  The PTG M3s, which showed up at Petit with diffusers, may yet see another season.  Murphy thinks the new E90s will be on the grid in 2008.  On a related front, former NFL quarterback Dan Pastorini was seen in the PLM paddock.
 
What’s J3 going to be racing?  We told you that they were in line for at least one 997 GT3 RSR, and so they are.  But they are also “in line” for something else.  There’s still funding to complete, so it’s a wait-and-see for the Atlanta team.  Murphy said to expect more Panozis on the grid next year.  He was told that “negotiations between Multimatic and Panoz continue,” and that “they’re good.”  He can now also tell you that a third Esperante GTLM is under construction, to be raced here next year.  Dick Barbour is involved in that, in what capacity still unclear.  No, Murphy does not think that Dick is planning a comeback as a driver.

There were three stories around the paddock about Rocky’s Ride.  First, the third seat in a Penske Prototype was a “courtesy” for Audi, which wanted to evaluate Porsche factory driver Mike Rockenfeller.  Or, it was a “see what you’d be giving up” response from Penske and Porsche to the news that Audi had been sniffing around their very fast young driver.  Finally, that Rocky was merely replacing Pat Long, who felt a personal obligation to Jörg Bergmeister and Petersen-White Lightning in their quest for the GT2 championships.  Take your pick.

Related to those was a snippet (not new, but being repeated) that Porsche will be ready with a P1 the moment the rules vies-a-vie the diesels turn favorable.  Porsche announced a more “customer-maintainable” RS Spyder in Paris.  Porsche now has the customer car it was looking for, and will more aggressively pursue the sales that will put Spyders on grids in Europe and in North America.

The Thursday get-together in the woods near turn 10 was fun as usual.  Elan was particularly hospitable.  A dozen or so were there and the conversation was lively and informative, though one expert there guaranteed the gathering that the ALMS was certainly off the 2007 schedule at Mid-Ohio.  Which, of course, is why the Bear is careful to tell his readers that anything is subject to change, or to being just plain wrong.

All the Audi driver contracts expire at the end of this season.  At least one of those pilots expects a “youth movement” in the company’s sports car ranks.  Murphy heard that “three of the four” drivers would be elsewhere in 2007, though perhaps still with Audi.  Of course, when a vice president of that company predicts “the end of the ALMS” you have to wonder if anyone is going to be back, don’t you?

Murphy’s buddy JJ was on hand, a guest of Dave Maraj.  He and the Bear said hello.  It’s been a great summer with the kids for the Finn.  He’ll only consider only a top team for a future drive.

More schedule gyrations.  IRL was in a pickle after losing the Montreal date to ISC.  That created a gap and they wanted to fill it with Mid-Ohio.  So would Honda, of course, since they have 16,000 employees (associates) within a couple hour’s drive of the Ohio track.  August 5 is booked at the Ohio track, and you-know-who has July 22.  To make the July date at Ohio another “shared event,” the IRL would have to swap MIS to August 5, putting it within just four weeks of the Belle Isle race right down the street, or do something else with it.  The Indy Racing League still hasn’t released its schedule, but Murphy has heard today that IRL will announce that it will race at Mid-Ohio on July 22, 2007.  American Le Man Series will move to Saturday to accommodate the open wheel series.  The thinking in Braselton?  Next year’s ALMS grids are going to look pretty good in a weekend with IRL grids.  A shared event is an opportunity to add fans.  In this case, Honda is expected to make a big push in Ohio.  Before the bad weather this year, Mid-Ohio had already turned in a “top five” attendance on the ALMS schedule.  Better than sixty thousand over the weekend, with a Saturday of thirty, will be necessary to declare this a success.  Is Tony angry enough about Montreal to dump his joint dates with Grand Am at Infineon and Homestead?  Could he if he wanted to?  Where would the IRL go?  Mosport?  What’s that catch fencing for?  The Bear don’t know nuttin’, but that’s the kind of irresponsible speculation he’s hearing.

Porsche said at their news conference on Friday at PLM that we should expect “eight to ten” 997 GT3 RSRs next year.  Four of them are already confirmed, in the hands of Flying Lizards and Tafel.  Petersen-White Lighting and J3 appear from other sources to be “maybes.”  The Bear had previously heard “five cars to teams not in the ALMS.”  Tafel accounts for two of those.  One might have been J3.  Murphy’s math says there are still two “new-to-the-series” entries out there. If we count the two maybes, that’s eight. AJR and a second J3 Porsche makes ten.  More scurrilous rumor and irresponsible speculation.

It seems Creation did not ship that second car from Jarama as planned, so there will be only one entry from the team at Laguna Seca.  The Bear still hears that car will winter in the US, so the intent to contest the American Le Mans Series in 2007 seems intact.  Prudence would reduce that expectation to a single car, however.

Early in the week, the possibility was raised of a third Aston Martin entry at Laguna Seca to help win championships – driver, team, automobile manufacturer, tire manufacturer – they’re all in play.  Murphy remembers that Care Racing Development came to Petit Le Mans – then the final race on the American Le Mans Series calendar – with a third Ferrari 550 in 2003.  Prodrive, of course, was the outfit who had developed and was campaigning the Ferraris, just as they are this year’s Astons.  This time Corvette has gotten wind of the plan.  So, will Corvette appear with a third C6.R?  Or will Aston back off?  Someone said that Cirtek would show up shod with their Michelins.  Not if they ever want to see a Michelin tire again.  That might throw away the championship for Pirelli, so the Bear believes that to be highly unlikely.  By rule the new entries cannot be raced by Prodrive or Corvette Racing.  They are each limited to two cars.

So Murphy was winging home from Georgia, straight into Monterey.  He’s off to Malibu for the Dolphin Ball, a charity event for cystic fibrosis.  He’ll be here again before Laguna Seca, of course.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 5th, 2006 at 9:48 pm and is filed under Paddock Poop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.