On a dry Sunday after a wet Saturday at Road Atlanta, a “full house” was on hand to test the Challenge LMP. One from the dark side there only to report to the Dark Lord of the Sith, (he who rules on the Peninsula to the south).
That pilot hogged so many laps the Jedi were fuming. Even more ominous, a Sith apprentice well known within the Empire had stationed himself outside Turn one to dutifully record upon tablets who piloteth the new land speeders, and how fast. Like his driver compatriot, he would report to the Dark Lord on the Peninsula.
The Dark Lord is angry. With one purchase order already in hand, the challenge to the Empire is clear and present.
Rolling
The oil magnate wrote off one of his two guppies testing at Daytona last week. The TWR design acquired by a builder of ubiquitous prototypes and “sold” (or something – all that’s a matter of legal dispute) to the Houston gentleman driver is pretty much a lame duck, or a ruptured duck, or a dead duck.
The Bear’s gotten the story behind the Lola-Krohn fracas. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Martin expected his “partnership” with the oil gazillionaire to be about selling cars (since that’s the business he’s in). So it came as a big shock when Roger mentioned (rather off-handedly) that the oil magnate’s chief henchman had (rather rudely, Murphy hears) turned the Captain down when he wanted to buy two of the Lolas (better engineered, was the observation) instead of the Rileys he ended up with. Is it any surprise that news was doomsday for the partnership? That’s what the Bear heard anyway.
A reported Italian tire failure sent the Dee Pee barrel rolling down the front “straight” (beginning past the tri-oval, Murphy’s told, past the turn-in to the infield course and nearly to NASCAR 1) The car is toast. With the legal dustup between the oil gazillionaire and the car’s Brit builder it certainly won’t be replaced. So where does the 1970’s psychedelic green go? To a Challenge LMP?
Rolling II
After the weekend the sports stations were gushing over the same mundane kind of “roll-down-the-track” routinely seen in NASCAR. That media machine was doing its usual good work keeping the Empire at the top of “Sports Center.” The much more spectacular Scott Sharp ALMS incident was unnoticed. Is that becaue the “good guys” in Braselton think it should be about “the racing,” or perhaps because it didn’t fit their “green message?” Or has the our favorite road race series dropped so far below the radar that even a spectacular crash goes unnoticed?
Talks
There are not-entirely-cordial talks in progress about the Braselton racing conglomerate and its biggest tenant at its most iconic property. Neither is happy it seems. The Georgia gang seems to want to offload operating costs while retaining the cash flow. The tenant wants some of the latter in return for picking up more of the former. The Bear overheard the phrase “sanctioning authority for international events.” Wonder what that means?
Thanks
The Bear sent his friend his “visit” tracking results, now over 25,000 a month, only to have one of them claim to be responsible for most of them. Murphy’s west coast friend says he’s “obsessed with rumor, innuendo, and conspiracy…especially when they’re based in fact…” Some in high places would like to silence the Bear. The furry one will persevere.
Auto Union and Acura
IF Audi has any interest in an ’10 car, it has to be well underway by now, even if it’s a revision of the R15. Reports (ok, “rumors,” but there are rumors and there are rumors, right?) are that indeed “a new car” is “in build.” Whether that’s to ’10 rules, or to ’11 rules (though those rules aren’t published yet, Audi and others have met with the ACO and have likely gotten enough information to proceed with initial design), or both, isn’t known.
New car or not, Audi’s unlikely to return to an ALMS in which there is no competition, and it’s all but certain now that Acura will not return under any circumstances. (Though the Bear still thinks that some smart competitor will grab an HPD engine lease.) Even if Toyoter (cute, huh?) is thinking about a return to sports car racing it won’t be soon enough to make 2010 look anything but bleak for our favorite road racing series.
The Circus
They were catching up with Murphy at Suzuka. The “big rumor” was the split between the team descended from the Land of the Long Cloud and the Deutsche daughter. The motor that will power the team’s new supercar was also mentioned as evidence they’re able to jilt the daughter.
The board was meeting in Aichi prefecture, and the Bear hears the plug will be pulled soon. Whether that’s good for sports cars is a matter of dispute around the sport.
Murphy’s Mailbag
Dear Bear: “Any word on how the Don’s Friday dinner went? Didn’t he find $25,000,000 for his LMP?” Jim Bob, Daytona Beach, Florida
Dear Jim Bob: No go. Not enough crazy people in the room. (Besides, only the gubment has that kind of dough, and you know who’s got the peninsula gubment wrapped up, don’t ya? (wink) But the Bear hears the Don is off to Monza for Superleague with Haas’ right hand man. The Haas – Panoz deal is still in works, perhaps imminent.
Dear Bear: BMW and Dunlop have made their partnership official. Does this mean the M3 program will be around for a while? – Bobby, Hilliard, Ohio
Dear Bobby: Yes. But it doesn’t mean they’ll pick up more of the tab.
Dear Bear: Do you think we can get the Captain back in the American Le Mans Series? Scott, Braselton, Georgia
Dear Scott: You saw the headline, ”GM to Wind Down Saturn Brand After Penske Halts Talks,” and you used to work for him, so Murphy shouldn’t have to remind you that whatever the Captain does is fully paid for, and that doesn’t mean out of Rogers pocket, either. The Empire is paying him for another season. Can you find someone to foot the bill for Green Racing? The Bear thought so.
The Bear’s Society Page
Before he landed in the annual get-together in Road Atlanta’s Turn 10 woods, Murphy visited Don, Barbara and the Sebring Turn 13 gang at Turn 10. (That’s a lot of Turns, a lot of friends, and a lot of beer. All of which is the beauty of road racing. The Bear can’t even imagine keeping his furry little butt in the same bleacher seat for a whole race!)
The Bear’s off to Laguna Seca, his most favorite place. He’ll be partying down (and across) the track from the corkscrew on Friday night (photo above from last year’s event), and otherwise can be found at the Sardine Factory, Knuckles, Mission Ranch, the Mucky Duck, and other favorite hangouts.
Tags: Acura, ALMS, Audi, Daytona, Grand Am, Haas, Knuckles, Laguna Seca, NASCAR, Panoz, Road Atlanta, Roger Penske, The Mucky Duck, The Sardine Factory, Toyota
First signs of 2010 –
Updated AF Corsa F430 http://endurance-info.com/version2/gallery.html?page=261&np=0
Won by 40 seconds at Paul Ricard last weekend. DI might not happen but updated Aero and GT1 tires in the rear have made it.
According to Autosport, Team Principle at TTE say recent results are not tied to the boards decision to cut funding for F1 Nov 15th. Gram Goodwin seems to think Toyota will field a the Lexus off again, on again Sportscar in time for Le Mans in 2010 and then focus on a LMP program for 2011.
As for Acura and Audi, I think its a case of “you go first”. I think Highcroft and DeFerran will be back next season. The only changes might be to use the older LMP2 chassis and lease the engines from Acura. The Fernandez car(s) have been sold, not sure to whom just yet. Audi might not commit to the ALMS in 2010, but I think if both teams stay in LMP1 there’s a chance they might come and stay for the season.