Rolex Recap
The top two at the Rolex once again came from Murphy’s top 5. After putting both Ganassi cars on the list (a bit of a no-brainer, even if your head is stuffed like a mattress), plus Brumos and two-time Grand Am Champion GAINSCO, the Bear mused in Paddock Poop 152 about the fifth, finally settling on the No. 9 Action Express because it fit all three Bear rools. Including the one about established teams, since in crew, staff, and owner, it was largely the “other” Brumos entry, the one vacated by the accused Daytona Beach druggie.
One Ganassi car blew an engine, a rarity in recent years; it had 8 hours on it at race’s start. Is it a measure of the economy that Ganassi’s ran a well-used motor? Even if his race engine was replaced because of an oil leak, no fresh engine was available?
Readers wondered about the Bear’s bullishness on the BMW M6 entries, but they’re thinking like ALMS fans, where ‘new cars’ are new cars. In Grand Am, tubers shed their skins like snakes, yesterday’s Pontiac becoming today’s Chebby, and tomorrow’s Bimmer. Finishing 8th and 11th, they didn’t have any more trouble than any other make in the field – less, in fact.
Two of Murphy’s five favorites finished in the top five, one on the podium; among the 30 GT entries, the Bear’s Five were 2nd, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 12th.
Saab-Spyker Saga
So Spyker’s ‘buying Saab?’ Everyone knows that the one-time Dutch F1 team masquerading as an automaker doesn’t have a guilder to its name, so how does this happen? The devil’s in the details. The Dutch want their pet car company, as do the Swedes, so the Dutch arrange a $562 million loan for Spyker and get the Swedes to guarantee it. GM will ‘sell’ Saab to Spyker for $74 million in cash and $326 million in Spyker-Saab preferred stock (what’s that worth, given neither has made a guilder or krona in living memory?). Spyker pockets $488 million in cash (perhaps some of that will buy out the 30% Spyker holdings of Vladimir Antonov, suspected (by Swedish Intelligence) of money laundering and links to organized crime.
Rolex Rumor
Northeastern Florida isn’t exactly populated by ALMS well-wishers at this time of the year, so Murphy has learned to anticipate one or more pretty nasty rumors. Some have a kernel of truth, some are just off-the-wall. The 2010 annual ‘Daytona ALMS Rumor?’ Widely circulated in the paddock on International Speedway Boulevard was the story that ALMS has not yet paid 2009 prize money, so teams, in a kind of “strike,” are sending in their 2010 entries with no money. Of course the Bear is more than a little suspicious of the whole thing, but the “fact of the rumor” is surprise – just a measure of the ‘bad blood’ between these two competing sports car racing series.
Murphy’s sources indicated that at least the ‘strike’ part of that is untrue. If any team was withholding entry funds it wasn’t in concert with any other teams, and likely wasn’t in any ‘retaliation’ for nonpayment. Prize payments have dragged in a bit late – sometimes in installments – in recent seasons, and apparently this one is no different. The Series has suggested that prize money be credited against the new season’s entry fee, which seems perfectly reasonable to the Bear.
Defecting
Expect more than one Grand-Am team to “defect to LMPC” after Daytona. Alex Job is said to be one of them (interest by AJR was expressed early) along with Level 5, and at least one other. The LMPC count for Sebring will be 4 or 5, with 2 or 3 to join the series after that – consistent with ALMS Supremo Scott Atherton’s recent pronouncements.
From one quarter Murphy is told, “the Grand-Am fields will be horrific after Daytona,” and that “NASCAR upper management is fed up with Grand-Am.” If that’s true it didn’t keep Jim-Bob from winning the Rolex with his own entry. Close connections to Action Express’ owner Bob Johnson – along with other information – would suggest so. Mr. Johnson is Jim-Bob’s personal CPA; the company funding Action Express is something called High Rev Racing. Entering your own race series isn’t exactly revolutionary (Don Panoz being another example); the Bear takes it as a vote of confidence rather than something nefarious.
GAINSCO Gone?
The Bear’s been told that the Rolex was GAINSCO’s last race. Miami hotel reservations have been cancelled.
Audi In, Peugeot Overboard?
The Bear hears that Braselburg is considering allowing Audi to enter Sebring, pending the outcome of the new car’s testing, now underway. If the entry accepted is the “transitional” car, and not the “new rules” R15, then there’s little doubt the effect will be to toss Peugeot overboard. Peugeot may jump anyway, of course. The new Audi just might be ready for Sebring, anyway, since Audi Sport Joest has turned up as a “full season” LMS entry. That would mean the car is now believed to be ready by April…March 20th isn’t all that much earlier, is it?
There’s Cars and…
…then there’s cars. Ferrari can’t be happy about the two street-car based (barely more than that) Ferrari 430 Challenge cars entered at Daytona. One was turned away (‘not ready to race’ is a kind description) the Bear hears. The other muddled around, thoroughly uncompetitive. Look for entries from Tony Dowe later in the Grand Am season to be much more representative of the iconic marque.
Inlimbo Racing League
Izod is the IRL’s new title sponsor; you’ve probably seen the ads. Other noises from the surviving – for now – North American open wheel series aren’t so good. Ganassi is just the latest to join the ‘new car’ discussion, having produced a mock-up – a sign, according to one source, that the series is “just blundering around.”
The addition of Lanigan to Newman Haas was the work of the late Paul Newman; Carl’s family’s not on speaking terms with the new partner. Are we seeing the unraveling of Newman-Haas-Lanigan? That’s one opinion Murphy’s heard.
Unemployment Line
Here’s a measure of the weakness of the racing industry world-wide: Butch Leitzinger, Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller, Sascha Maassen, Emanuele Collard, Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, all ‘available and looking.’ And that’s just a few.
USF1
What the Bear is hearing is pretty grim. The chassis hasn’t been ‘crunch tested’ yet. There’s no motor on hand, payments to Cosworth reportedly now in arrears. The team has applied to the World Motorsports Council for dispensation to miss the first three races without penalty – more a courtesy than a rule, since guaranteed participation is not a part of the new concorde, as it was in the old.
It’s not over yet. USF1 owner Chad Hurley (one of Youtube’s three original founders) could rescue the operation – with new management – if he so chooses. Meanwhile, Bernie is in his element, the eminance gris trying to arrange an interim chassis, but that’s wrapped up in a ride for Bruno Senna. If Bernie can’t get USF1 onto the grid, he might be stuck with the Russians, who’ve grabbed the rights to the ex-Toyota chassis (someone will have to check the accelerator pedal).
Lou News
Murphy’s friend Lou Gigliotti is running for Congress – here’s his web site. Meanwhile, he’s charging ahead with his Grand Am Corvette entries.
Unlike others in Grand Am GT, Lou tells the Bear that, “Our Corvettes are ‘Prep 1’ using stock frames like ALMS cars. We learned a lot from that car and we are moving the technology over to Grand Am.” It makes particular sense for Lou to stick with ‘the real thing’ because Lou’s business is selling Corvette performance parts. Lou says a result of the new program will be ‘really nice Corvette parts’ that will one day make their way into LG Motorsports’ catalog.
Eric Lux and Kelly Collins are set for the season in the first Corvette, with a hoped-for second car possible as early as Birmingham, depending on finding a good driving partner for the Boss.
Pssssssst…anyone interested in a nice ALMS Corvette? Murphy knows where to find one.
Follow the Bear on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Murphythebear
Tags: Action Express, Alex Gurney, Alex Job Racing, Audi Sport, Bernie Ecclestone, BMW M6, Bruno Senna, Carl Haas, Chad Hurley, Chip Ganassi, Don Panoz, Ferrari, GAINSCO, IRL, Jim France, Joest Racing, Kelly Collins, Level 5 Racing, Lou Gigliotti, Lucas Luhr, Mike Lanigan, Paul Newman, Saab, Scott Atherton, Spyker, Tony Dowe, Toyota, USF1, Youtube
“If Bernie can’t get USF1 onto the grid, he might be stuck with the Russians, who’ve grabbed the rights to the ex-Toyota chassis (someone will have to check the accelerator pedal).”
Ahm, those russians hapen to be Serbian, just to enlighten our cute an cudely friend! Not all peoples of slavic descent are russians!
oh and they have bothe the chassis and the engine, their own upgrade of toyotas last years, and full technical suport od Toyota motorsport Gmbh,
I was hoping for more of a consolation Mr. Bear.
The Bimmer was never in the mix after 3 hours. GT is down to TRG, AJR, and Speedsource Mazda, thats it. No need to make it any more complicated.
I tried, I really tried to watch as much of the race as was broadcast. But my God it was boring, again. Only less boring cars this year than in years past. I actually fell asleep, twice. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Lou’s not the only one: http://www.binnie2010.com/
I noticed that 4 of the top 10 finishers at the snooze-fest at Daytona, including the top finisher, had no visible sponsors. Any idea of how many of the 44 cars that started were funded by NASCRAP, in full or partially ?
I noticed that 4 of the top 10 finishers at the snooze-fest at Daytona, including the top finisher, had no visible sponsors.
That’s different from how sportscar racing has normally operated how?
How come its not a surprise that both Lou and Bill are both Republicans? I am temped to call Lou a Rethungalian because he’s already said “Take Our Country Back” (back from what? A Black Man????). Maybe I’ll make a visit to his shops, tell him the worst thing he ever did was disgrace his butt in a Saleen Mustang when Mis-guided Steve asked him to take over his World Challenge Team.
No surprise Bill is not racing, takes a ton of money to run a Senate campaign, is his Lola for sale?
Daytona was boring but I didn’t think the Bimmer stood a chance (too new, Tuner Motorsports out of their element) it was down to the Porsche Cup cars and the tube framed Mazda, with full support from Mazda BTW.
Grand Am always has a feel of amateur night, its especially highlighted in 24 race. How are you going to run out of fuel Bobby Labonte???
The top class cars are just hard to watch, horribly ugly and just feels like NASCAR on a Road Course.
Speaking of the Road Course, I think it would be COOL for NASCAR to switch up the Coke Zero 400 (shakes head…) and run it on the Infield and Tri-Oval, you know Road Racing… Now THAT would be INTERESTING…
Labonte ran out of fuel because of the yellow. GTs are not allowed to pit until after the Prototurtles. He didn’t have enough fuel to go around. I wouldn’t say it is amateur night though:
Frank Biela in 2003 at Lemans: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Biela
Felipe Massa in the 2009 Spanish Grand Prix: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/05/11/webbers-fine-drive-and-rosbergs-troubles-spanish-grand-prix-analysis/
Daytona was boring! Except for the Bimmer being non competitive
Privateer Motorsports says:
February 4, 2010 at 7:48 pm
I noticed that 4 of the top 10 finishers at the snooze-fest at Daytona, including the top finisher, had no visible sponsors.
That’s different from how sportscar racing has normally operated how?
—————————-
The question to the Bear is “Any idea of how many of the 44 cars that started were funded by NASCRAP, in full or partially ?
But you’d have to read the question to see that.
The question to the Bear is “Any idea of how many of the 44 cars that started were funded by NASCRAP, in full or partially ?
But you’d have to read the question to see that.
No, I read the question. I gave it the full respect it deserved.
Non-manufacturer sportscar racing is traditionally dependent on ride buyers or the owner financing it so he puts his company on the hood. So sponsors on a car in sportscars do not really show sponsorship. Paul Menard’s car in NASCAR (not NASCRAP, show an ounce of class; I know that’s pretty ludicrous to expect class on an internet blog but try) is not really sponsored by Menards even though Menards is on the hood. The cars that finished in the top 10 because they had good drivers in the car instead of ride buyers. Everyone in the winning DP for example were real racecar drivers. So pointing out that a car is unsponsored and correlating that to “oh, NASCAR is funding the teams”, would be little different to seeing an unsponsored car at Sebring and thinking “oh, ALMS is funding the teams”. Not saying that doesn’t happen some, just pointing out flaws in your logic algorithms.
The question was simple and I, too, would like to hear from The Bear if he knows how many, if any, of the 24 Rolex, non-sponsored cars had Nascar backing. The entry list on the official website of the race showed 14 DP’s, of which, 7 had no sponsor. Numerous GT cars had no sponsorship either.
So, the question is well put and I hope to hear an answer, too.
It’s been an open secret – or a rampant rumor – that a significant portion (double figures) of the DP field was “on the dole” from the series owners. Murphy mentioned it during the season. The range of that support it thought to be wide (from ‘not much,’ to ‘a lot’). That’s the best the Bear can do for you…such things aren’t readily shared, of course.
As for Daytona, you’d think, given the economy, that at least some of that support would have carried over into this season, but the Bear doesn’t know that for sure. Also, see the second paragraph above under “Defecting.” It’s rumored that most – maybe all – of the checks written for No. 9 came from the same account. You do know who Jim-Bob is, don’t you?
wrestlerrob, you are right, the ‘out of fuel’ is unusual, but hardly unheard of. The rule does, however, allow a GT car to come in immediately – ahead of, or with the DP’s – if it is low on fuel and in danger of running out. It can get a “splash” (enough to continue until the pits open for the GT field) without penalty. That happened a few times to other GT entries during the Rolex.
So, though others have made the same error, it was still an error by the team/driver.