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Audi to join Peugeot?

Peugeot’s “in” for sure for PLM, announcement and everything. Better yet, there are more and more hints that Audi Sport has asked to “go for it” against the French diesel in Georgia and California. Murphy thinks the answer will be yes, but it’s not certain.

More important, Audi is by no means committed to the ALMS in 2010, but an improving economy and settling the “Mouse and Elephant thing” with Porsche clears the decks for a return. Unfortunately, some are saying that full ALMS seasons will come to an end if a seven race (with Le Mans) “world championship” of sorts happens. Manufacturers will get as much – or more - value from two appearances each in Europe, North America, and Asia, plus Le Mans. That’s the reasoning the Bear is hearing, anyway.

There was an April rumor that Audi might rejoin as early as Mid-Ohio. Didn’t happen, of course, but don’t be surprised if there are Audi “guests” at the track. They’re “leaning forward…”

DP’s to Indy, IRL to Barber

Meanwhile, the DP’s will be a support race for IRL at Barber next spring. At least they’ll get that race out of the heat of the Alabama summer. Murphy hears another other part of that deal will put Grand Am on the road course at Indy next season. The Bear suspects it will have to be as a support series, though. It costs a ton of dough to open that place up. Moto GP will be there next month. The prototurtles will do a demonstration.

If it walks like desperation, quacks like….

Sounds all good for Grand Am, right? Not so fast – everybody’s struggling. Best indicator? Seen those press releases about “record crowds,” and “ratings up 83%?” The ones that hype its “unique” grid walk? That flat-out falsehood is desperation if ever a little bear saw it. Well, if you’re digging into your pocket to support all but six of your prototurtles, and your “big series” just played to a crowd that came disguised as aluminum bleachers in one of the world’s iconic venues, you might have reason to be a little bit distressed.

Even with all the help Grand Am will end its season with fewer entrants than it had at Barber – so Murphy’s been told by Grand Am insiders.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Duncan Dayton has told some he’ll stick with the ALMS in 2010, even while he evaluates an IRL entry. That probably means Acura’s in for another. That much stays the same.

For the change, IMSA moved to bring the P2’s closer in performance to P1 this week. Murphy’s question? Why do they do everything “by little bits,” “a day late and a dollar short?” It’s taken a half season of two-car races at the front of the grid, and it’s still a half-step. With a chance to add a whole range of GT3-like cars, they timidly add only the Patrón cars. Time to grow a pair, guys.

There’s a whole bunch of noise about significant rule changes – perhaps a two-class field – next season. Even the boss is doing his “If you knew what I know” act, with only slightly different wording. The schedule is likewise very much up in the air. It will be different. If Murphy had to guess (actually, he does) he’d (timidly) suggest St. Pete and Utah won’t be back. Maybe it’s just his biases “tuning” his ear. The Bear thinks those venues are a waste of time and money. So do a number of participants.

BMW farewell to F1?

With the ink not yet dry on the Concord and its attachments, the F1’s troubles aren’t over yet. The Bear hears BMW will announce in Munich tomorrow (Wednesday) its withdrawal from Formula 1 effective at the end of this season. So what does it do with Sauber, now a wholly-owned subsidiary?

What’s with Rocketsports?

Rocketsports’ Jag will miss not only Mid-Ohio, but likely Mosport and Road America, too. That’s more puzzling to Murphy than anything since the similar stillborn Lexus IS (of which we had photographs of a substantially complete car by this time in its development). When Paul Gentelozzi made his announcement at Long Beach, he described the program as well-advanced, telling the Bear and others in the room that “unlike other programs like this, launching at Mid-Ohio would allow testing and carefull preparation.” Something went off the tracks, didn’t it? With Mid-Ohio just two weeks away, there has been neither testing nor photos. The Bear hears there are homologation issues, a phrase more than a little imprecise, since it could mean everything from “there’s nothing to homologate,” to “we have to fix some stuff (or a lot of stuff).”

PLM seems to be a safe date for it being in the field; Mosport and Road America less so. Homologation is still a work in progress.

Third GT challenger (not Corvette)

After a string of embarrassing failures over the past two campaigns, Murphy hears Farnbacher Loles has hired to upgrade the mechanical talent on its ALMS team. On track flashes of brilliance such as a Utah pole last year that “kicked butt” have not been matched by results. Perhaps now they’ll join that Flying Lizard-Risi battle? Even with the addition of the Rahal BMW’s, GT2 has been less, not more, competitive this year than last, largely because of the loss of the Tafel, which was in the championship fight all last season.

Thanks a million

Murphy and his friends over at Last Turn Clubhouse totaled 1,000,000 visits as 11:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time 28 July, 2009. Murphy debuted in Dailysportscar’s Portland coverage in 2004, and struck out with his own little blog in July 2006. Last Turn Clubhouse was launched just before Sebring 2007.

That’s not “hits.” Not “page views.” Visits. More on that in the next few days. The Bear thanks his many readers and friends.

Follow Murphy at http://twitter.com/Murphythebear

Tags: Audi, Barber Motorsports Park, BMW, F1, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jaguar, Peugeot, Rocketsports, St. Pete, Utah

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 10:33 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.