Incompetence: Anderson out the back door as USF1 closes the front.
USF1 closed the doors without paying its employees at noon today. Ken Anderson slunk out the back door without a word to those headed for North Carolina’s unemployment office…but that could be problematical.
The staff was told this was a “furlough while a reorganization” could take place. So, don’t pay the staff? Strikes the Bear as the same kind of manure Anderson and company’s been shoveling all along. Windsor was also nowhere to be found around the Charlotte facility when the staff was given the bad news. Perhaps we’ve seen the end of both of them?
Consider this: Murphy believes that by putting its employees on “unpaid leave,” while claiming they are “technically employed” USF1 makes them unable to collect unemployment compensation from North Carolina. It also saves USF1 from being responsible for those payments. The Bear’s waiting to hear how those applications for compensation are treated.
Murphy was quiet after his comments February 23, mostly because this train was on the tracks. The short version is that Charlie would report complete disarray in Charlotte (hell, he might just have read the Bear and saved the airfare), and the FIA would pull the entry, with only a glimmer of hope that a bond might secure the team’s grid spot for 2010. Now that latter seems to be the “official story” – that the staff is only being furloughed, and will be called back. Murphy really believes that’s true – he’s got friends in Charlotte – but doesn’t believe it will work out that way.
During the Bear’s holiday from this story, he was entertained by F1 bloggers who claimed all kinds of nonsense, the best of which was that “Hurley was being blocked by Anderson.” Murphy’s just a stuffed animal, but he knows enough math to know that 1 vote doesn’t beat 4. The same bloggers cooked up a long list of “agreements” to merge with Campos, or Stefan F1. It’s always been hard to make sense of those things. Possible? Maybe, since Campos is still looking for a way to cure its default on the Dallara. But none of it likely. Deck chairs on the Titanic.
There’s an assumption, it seems, that dreaming up an idea to put video on the web makes one a competent businessman. It clearly doesn’t. The principal dithered, sending his friend hither and yon when action to fix the core problem was long overdue. The time to fix this was in October, and was long since past by December. Sending poor Parris to Italy and Spain in February didn’t even have the advantage of nice Mediterranean weather – the time for that was October.
Murphy made the case for the major management change public in February, but it was already a forlorn hope. There was no Obi-Wan waiting in the wings.
Complicating whatever comes next is that Frank Williams and his friends in the middle of the grid are as likely to invite the left-over Toyota program join them as chickens are to invite the cat into the henhouse. A little understanding of the concorde – short version again, money is distributed on the basis of the season’s total points scored – is all that’s needed to know that Stefan F1 might cost Frank tens of millions of dollars.
Fiction: Where is T-Mobile?
So far no VICI for Sebring. The so-called “T-Mobile deal,” never made much sense to stuffed animals, even if it was popular in forums as an excuse for VICI “no-shows.” Whether or not VISI shows up, with or without T-Mobile, corporations budget for the immediately following fiscal year, normally in a cycle that begins will submissions no later than September and decisions early in the fourth quarter.
Irrelevance: Audi disses ‘the platform’
Since we’re on the subject of Sebring, Audi will test for four days immediately following the 12 Hours. Not with a ‘transition’ car, but with an R15 version that’s fully compliant with 2010 ACO rules. So the ‘blame’ (Murphy did his share) on Peugeot for blocking a transition car at Sebring seems to have been overtaken by events. The fact is that during the week when the American Le Mans Series in on the track at Sebring, a pair of fully functional, shaken-down, brand new, ready-to-race R15’s will be sitting inside a transporter nearby. Now Braselburg looks stupid, or irrelevant, or both. In any case, Audi doesn’t give a flying eff to show up for the biggest race on the ALMS schedule. Some ‘platform.’ Explain that, Braselburgers.
‘Whatever’ Department
In response to a forum assertion that a friend of the Bear’s was a “good friend” of the Braselburg boss, the Bear’s been told that “Through the 2006 season, perhaps it was ‘friendly acquaintances.’ If memory serves, the last thing Mr. Atherton said to me, at the 2006 awards banquet, was ‘Are those real, or are they just for looks, like a doorman?’ (About United States military medal miniatures properly worn on a tux lapel.) It’s been pretty much downhill since then.”
Grand Larceny: Loles
United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware has published the list of creditors of now-defunct Farnbacher Loles Partners, LLC, including dollar amounts for the ‘20 largest.’ Here are the ‘highlights’ of the 88 total unsecured creditors:
As reported here before, Pratt & Miller, $930,000. Others of note, Christian Zugel, $390,000; Dick (sic) Werner $120,500; Jon (sic) Tancredi $350,000; PMNA (whoops, they’ve done it again, does Solo Al ring a bell, guys?) $190,000; Christopher Lux $500,000, Michael Marsal, $175,000. Good grief, when would-be drivers want to go racing they park all their business sense at the door, don’t they?
Citibank is out a quarter million on a line of credit, and $120,000 on a credit card, of all things! Even the Porsche Club of America gave this turkey credit. He owes poor Marion for his meals, and Murphy’s friend Sylvia for his 2008 PR work (he could use a bit of that, now, couldn’t he? Even Sylvia, the best in the business, couldn’t do much with this crook). The top twenty creditors sum to the far side of $4 million.
Hype: Patrón
Nineteen days to Sebring. Any sign of life from that ‘presenting sponsorship?’ The Bear’s just askin’.
Tags: Alberto Solaroli, Audi, Campos F1, Chad Hurley, Charlie Whiting, Citibank, Dirk Werner, FIA, Frank Williams, Greg Loles, Ken Anderson, Patron, Peugeot, Porsche Club of America, Porsche Motorsport North America, Pratt & Miller, Scott Atherton, Sebring, Stefan F1, T-Mobile, Toyota, USF1, VICI
In the state of North Carolina, I think if a person works 23 hours or less in one work week, he or she gets unemployment, regardless of whether they are technically employed or not.
this whole thing just keepin’ gettin’ worse and worse
Presenting sponsor? I thought that was the Patron deal.
The Bear should be used to these promises of BIG news coming down the pipe followed by a mild press release.
It was, wrestlerrob. That’s the Bear’s point. If it’s of any value, it should be visible to an audience beyond those who are already fans. Waiting to see if it is.
For fear of sounding too much like my ultra-conservative father, i am hesitant to say things like “this invites the wrong type of atmosphere” but in a way it does with Patron as head sponsor. They bring their party booths with liquour shots and rap music blaring to bring in the party crowd, but I like ALMS for its family friendly environment (minus Sebring of course) and the general wholesome racing experience of the series has to offer its dedicated fans. If i wanted drunks and parties i’d get one of those beer helmets and go hang out in the infield of any NASCAR race. I love that i can leave all my personal belongings at a crowded Petite LeMans and walk around all day, and know they’ll be there when I get back, and the stranger to my left or right will politely fill me in about what I missed while i was away.
Fully compliant Audi R15 nearby? Four days of testing? What’s the latest entry date for the event? Audi could be playing games with the frogs, or they could have an ax to grind with the ALMS? Which is more plausible?
If I were Braselton, I’d be on my knees begging Audi to enter. Biggest event of the year, first with a new sponsor, one of the best GT battles in years, and you’re going to let Peugeot walk away with one? Perhaps it’s a game of chicken between the two, seeing who will budge first, but I have my guesses that Braselton’s left it too late anyway.
It’s a great shame, the potential is there for this year’s event, and as expected, IMSA’s blown it again. Given how badly Audi’s admitted they need the track time in racing conditions with the R15, especially leading up to Le Mans, Braselton must have really cheesed off Audi.
Speaking of IMSA screwing things, they’ve also cancelled the 2010 season of Atlantics.
Actually Atlantics cancelled Atlantics. Sanctioning a series is not the same as owning it.
Saw several empty Patron bottles scattered in the field outside of the track. Does that count?
Call me sensitive but does Rap Music have to do with Patron’s promotion of the ALMS?
What your really saying is you like the “Wholesome” Caucasian Naturel of The ALMS when I should remind you all those beer drinking morons at NASCAR races are Caucasian too but I don’t see you blaming Beer companies for blarring Rock and Country Music and public drunkenness.
This is what’s called a double standard and your ultra conservative (read: racist) father allows this type of thought and In fact you are starting to sound like your father you just THINK its not so bad.
As a Black Man I see these things A MILE AWAY.
Its nice to know the ALMS welcome fans such as yourself and others with the same thought process, wonderful.
How is contrasting ALMS and NASCAR racist? I disagree with both of your comments.
How is Patron a “party crowd” type of drink? I think of something like Natural Lite as more “party crowd”.
So if a good guy like Mike Fuller writes this. Than I guess KA really did make a mess of things, and has been doing them for a while.
“Looks like we’re going to have a baby today. Getting the kids together and heading to the hospital. While I hate to mention Ken Anderson’s name in the same breath as all of this, but any chance I can sue that bastard for undue stress on my wife given the past 2 months? We’re 3 weeks premature.” Taken from facebook.
Way to go Ken, when your former employee’s are throwing you under the bus, you know you screwed up.
FosterC92: Sometimes the Bear is reporting rumors, sometimes it’s more serious than that. This was a circumstance in which it was important that Murphy was absolutely sure of his information – and he was.
Note to you two birds on the racism thing: Knock it off. Geez, the next thing will br prejudice against stuffed animals. Then Murphy will have to worry.
I said what I had to say Murphy/Rob and I’ll leave it at that. Some people just don’t understand some things come off being insensitive at the very least.
I still don’t understand how Patron can be seen as intruding on a “Family Entertainment” either.