The Porsche GT2 field – for Sebring and beyond – seems to be growing.
The Bear hasn’t been very positive about VICI Racing in the 2009 season; after all, they didn’t do a full season in 2008, and rarely fielded the hoped-for two cars. But they are reported to have entered two cars at Sebring, and are expected in some quarters to contest the remainder of the season.
The report of a Falken-sponsored Porsche 911 GT3 has been ‘confirmed’ by a second source, so we’ll now put that one in the ‘probable’ column.
Murphy’s been told the Sebring likely entry is 31. Really, amongst all the gloom and doom, Sebring looks pretty good, especially if Peugeot confirms its entry of 2 908s. With our only likely glimpse of Audi’s new R15 and four Acuras (yes four, at least two of which are LMP1s) the “top class” is likely to be stunningly good potentially as good as Petit Le Mans last season. That sounded pretty good, the Bear was very happy; then in rolled a report that Acura might cut back its support – big time. It’s hard to know what to believe.
Salt Lake City, Like a Virgin, memories of Majorca, and the Green Racing Initiative will all be connected in the coming season, and it’s all good.
Porsches at Sebring? At least five, perhaps eight, one of those eight being a new sale to an unknown team.
Meanwhile, the news is mixed from Porsche’s Maranello nemesis. There’s a possibility for one more entry than Murphy recently thought likely. On the downside, a top driver’s broken a leg. Typically, Gus the Gator thought likely chasing “something fine” on the beach at Ipanema, The contrarian (more boring) opinion is karting.
Braselton is expecting an “average of 30 entries” for 2009 races. Murphy can’t figure out how. If the Sebring entry doesn’t grow beyond that 31, the announced subtraction of Audi and Peugeot immediately drops the count to 27, meaning the rest are in it for the season. That would be a first. Since the Bear has been very “bearish,” so he’s happy to get a view from the bulls.
Murphy wonders how racing schools – most of the tracks we depend on for sports car racing have them, and they are important revenue sources – are doing. Talk about discretionary spending!
Sebring will have two Zyteks and no Viper, according to a source. So, Murphy thought maybe the Florida team had found the funds to move up. Don’t know, said his source. Not so, said another. Yet a third emailed the Bear this morning with the news that “PrimeTime is still in.” Unclear with what. Murphy jus’ reports ‘em.
Other sources, DSC among them, are reporting that Aston Martin will announce its 2009 Le Mans program soon, perhaps in a class other than GT1. That released Murphy from his vow of silence. He’s heard that Gaydon has decided to stay the course for a 50th anniversary Le Mans assault – for the whole enchilada in Gulf colors. Murphy hopes they are serious enough (or smart enough) to contest Sebring in preparation. That’s more a hope than a prognostication, however.
Corvette can’t be happy if that puts in doubt the rematch that it hoped for – a spectacular battle in the swan song appearance for its GT1 program. In Murphy’s mail this morning was a confirmation that Corvette Racing continues on its announced 2009 program.
The Bear hears a very definite, “No cats for Sebring.”
Murphy is bemused (he’s decided that’s a very useful word these days). First “official statements” (or statements from officials) to settle down some jumpy amigos as a series went under. Now a bulletin about testing in Florida, and silliest of all, a few days ago the idea that a stuffed animal might be responsible for the financial difficulties of a constructor. Kind of like blaming Road & Track for difficulties at GM.
Murphy and others have jumped up and down about costly aero rule changes on which the ACO is seemingly hell-bent. The Bear thinks this is a really lousy time for such stuff, and he’s been waiting for a bulletin on the subject from Braselton. Now he’s got some good news. True to form, the Georgia gnomes aren’t just going off on their own, and that’s a good thing. Considering the twin (and too-often-conflicting) imperatives to serve the interests of teams that have been “regulars” without severing a mutually beneficial relationship with the French racing country club, they are working hard to find a “balanced” approach. (Double entendre most definitely intended.)
Might Audi’s departure from the pinnacle of prototype racing be for multiple years. There’s the idea that “they’ve proven all they need to.” Meanwhile, heard at a banquet in Germany, “The rules (for LMP1) do seem to be tailor-made for us (Porsche), but we’ll wait for them to be finalized.” Is a Porsche P1 in the cards for 2011, with an Audi return circa 2014? There are some who think so.
When the 2011 rules were first floated, Murphy said a smaller prototype displacement limit would not necessarily lead to a mandate for V8 engines. Others in the paddock agreed with him. No one would be so arrogant – and stupid – that it would write a rule that eliminates a core element of its unique attraction – the varied songs of many very different engine designs. He was wrong. What was it Shakespeare said, “A plague o’ both your houses,” (Romeo and Juliet)? No, better yet, “A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!” (The Tempest). Murphy likes that one.
So does that mean the ‘gnomes’ are making the trip alone in stages or is the ‘country club’ maybe going to go along to help with the distance travled?
L.P.
Sounds like Corsa has some backing from one of Sir Richard’s endeavors – or the man himself; with the money he has, that would be good news!
I’m going to have to review the ACO engine rules for 2011 – I thought there were some alternate engine displacements/configs. humph!
And WRT to the Aero balancing, it would seem best for IMSA to now fully comply with the LMP2 weight requirement while forestalling the “stupid” wing for a year. Granted, this could give the Acura LMP1 program a significant advantage over all other likely prototype entries (and possibly a good incentive to for Honda to “stay the course”). On the other hand, if Acura does scale back that effort, then the privateer LMP1 entries competing against the “factory” LMP2 cars might make for a very interesting scrum.