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murphythebear.comScurrilous Stuff! |
by AC Guillermo
As I write this column I am glued to the TV watching the VIR race, anxiously waiting to see who finishes 16th and wins that $300,000 bonus [editor‘s note: The Bear regrets to inform A.C. that it is $300, not $300,000]. What a concept, finishing 16th is more important than winning, Once again, Grand-Am proves its marketing prowess. (more…)
Dissed at Long BeachMurphy went to Long Beach. He didn’t get a parking pass, but he was still better off than some series photographers. They missed most of a session because someone had a memo instructing track workers not to let them into the track photo areas. There were other instances of being turned away by Long Beach volunteer security because “paperwork” wasn’t in order. AC told Murphy that the Long Beach crew went to Daytona for training over the winter. (more…)
by AC Guillermo
OK, I admit it. I was at Sebring. My colleagues in Daytona and Charlotte warned me not to go. They said Sebring represents everything the NASCAR road racing department is opposed to: technology, green racing, Le Mans rules, and being fan-friendly.
The Daytona News-Journal lived up to its end of the bargain by not allowing any coverage of Sebring, but the curiosity was just killing me. So I went. (more…)
Another Porsche?
After his “deadline,” Murphy heard that a much-anticipated Munich-Miami team may be added to the Long Beach entry with a young native of Oceanside, California one of the pilots. Is this more likely than the aborted Sebring attempt? A Bear’s correspondent thinks it is.
Tequila goes to Indy
It’s news, not rumor, but Patrón and Scott Sharp will join Panther Racing at the Indy 500. Some say this signals something beyond a “one-off” adventure.
Packaged for TV
Aston Martin could be back with two cars – the Lord again, but with USA partners supporting (and driving) a second car – could be in the cards after Le Mans. The US side is a packaged-for-television deal that will launch for the last three races this season, and be full time in 2010. If it goes – and the pepper part of this salt and pepper package certainly talks as if it will – the drama (like overnight engine changes) will be followed in a “reality” television series, hoped to be on Spike TV, but not yet firm. With AMR preoccupied with its Le Mans prototype, Murphy suspects the on-track performance will be unchanged from the last time we saw the Lord and the Kid. (more…)
by A.C. Guillermo
Because of the long gap between Grand-Am races, A.C. took a well-deserved vacation to Dollywood, and is now back at his laptop catching up on correspondence. Emails have been flowing in to A.C. for several weeks. While he works on his next column, in which he makes a stunning admission, he was kind enough to answer some emails. (more…)