Tradition is honored: J.C. is back
Sports Car racing has always been the preferred pursuit of a menagerie of miscreants, so it was no surprise it took J.C. France, cocaine-using (possessing, anyway) son of NASCAR vice chairman Jim France just a half season to get back to competing in Grand Am. Though the Daytona Beach News-Journal wrote he would not, a Bear source said he was indeed at VIR on the weekend.
As soon as the family lawyers got a dismissal of drunken driving and possession of crack cocaine, NASCAR reinstated his license. It 
seems the arresting officer was had chased the fleeing France out of her jurisdiction before he finally pulled over. Apologists will say “he wasn’t convicted,” but Murphy’s more convinced by the fact that the arrest report still stands, and the confiscated crack still exists, the fact of neither having been challenged by La Familia’s mouthpieces. So France is back to his “lifestyle” without so much as a slap on the hand, though NASCAR said he’d gone through rehab and “rigorous” drug testing. (For six months – right.) Half bro Russell Van Richmond (or is that Reginald van Gleason III) had it a bit tougher. He had to “serve” six months probation.
Grand-Am vice president of communications Kevin Hinson said Grand-Am has no formal substance abuse policy, such as NASCAR’s, and does not expect the sanctioning body to implement one in the near future. Nope, don’t need one of those. Grand Am’s equivalent of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Murphy thinks.
Get drunk. Race. Lead cops on a chase. Refuse breathalyzer. Have your crack seized. Get it all tossed. I am a Grand Am driver. Priceless.
Indy Keeps 1979 Le Mans Winner
Speaking of miscreants, it takes real talent to make Don Whittington – Le Mans winner, IMSA champion, and former importer of South American agricultural products – a sympathetic figure. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway pulled that one off, though, beating Don out of his famous and valuable Porsche 935 (the one that won Le Mans in 1979). Of course, if you can unceremoniously fire your own brother….
More Change at Haas
Murphy hears Carl Haas isn’t well, that he requires care. It’s rumored whomever was supposed to be doing that at Long Beach “mislaid” the motorsports icon in the lobby of the team’s hotel, and there, like a potted plant, he spent the day. Paul Newman has passed into history. Mike Lanigan is gone. Bernadette (Bernie) is in charge now. Will she move to front and center like other recent (and infamous) female sports team owners Georgia Frontiere and Marge Schott?
Villeneuve will join the team for Indianapolis and after. Haas now owns the parts business of EMT, leaving that company little more than a shell.
Prototype Cat
Word around the paddock is that Paul Gentilozzi’s Rocket Sports Racing will supply a “free” (fully sponsored/supported) Cat engine to anyone willing to stuff it in a prototype and go racing. How this offer (and Gentilozzi) will be affected by the impending departure of Mike O’Donnell, the program’s most prominent champion at Jaguar, is unclear.
Tequila Trouble in Paddock for Patron
On the heels of the dust-up over telecast start time and display of liquor advertising, ALMS has run into resistance to the new “presented by Tequila Patron” graphics for team transporters. After NASCAR’s Grand Am had little trouble getting compliance with its “presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16…” graphics, the American Le Mans Series is getting “push back” from major teams that don’t want the association with booze so directly made on their own equipment. Murphy doesn’t underestimate the leverage of NASCAR (or the difference in culture between it and ALMS).
Ménage à trois of a sort
With a new name surfacing over this past weekend, the count is three. Three who have been rumored at some stage of “talking” about acquiring IMSA, ALMS, the tracks, and whatever else might be thrown in. Will that be the “critical mass” that will lead to a sale? It might. You can get one suitor without at least hinting you’re “available,” but not likely three.
Each of the suitors has somewhat different interests, though there is general agreement about the highest value asset – 750 acres of land in Northeastern Georgia. Yes, Road Atlanta is valued not as a race track but as potential residential housing.
USF1 Design Lands in Serbia
When Zoran Stefanovic recently sat at a table with the Mayor of a small town a few miles outside of Belgrade, it wasn’t the announcement of his grandiose “Stefan Technology Park” that was of interest in North Carolina, but rather the large graphic on the wall behind them. Yes, there’s no doubt that rendering is of the USF1 design that graced the team’s assembly bay in Charlotte and also appeared in Racecar Engineering’s March issue.
So, how did it get there? Sold? Copied? More importantly, does it represent a transfer of the design rights?
All that’s important because USF1’s lawyers are telling the North Carolina Department of Labor it has no assets so can’t pay its former employees what it owes them. Ken Anderson is reported to retain shop space at 9900 Twin Lakes. What business is being transacted there? Meanwhile, for billionaire Chad Hurley it’s clearly “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche.”
Hurley and Anderson join Murphy’s April “Gallery of Miscreants.”
Porsche Prevails
The Bear hears from VIR that the crowd was pretty good, at least a significant improvement for Grand Am. Porsche got its 3.8 engine, a 75 pound penalty on the Mazdas, and a 50 pound penalty on Leighton Reese’s Corvette and – not surprisingly – a win. Murphy watched the Speed telecast, and though it wasn’t a riveting show, it was way better than has been seen for ALMS events.
Flav and FIA settle
Flavio Briatore’s “lifetime ban” is over, replaced by a bar from “any operational role” in F1 to be in effect through 2012, and from “other FIA motorsport” through 2011. The Bear thinks the different dates aren’t likely to be without purpose. So in what FIA-sanctioned motorsport will we see Flav in 2012?
Tags: Carl Haas, Chad Hurley, Corvette, Don Whittington, Flavio Briatore, Grand Am, J.C. France, Jacque Villeneuve, Jaguar, Ken Anderson, Kevin Hinson, Le Mans 1979, Leighton Reese, Mazda, Mike O'Donnell, NASCAR, Paul Gentilozzi, Porsche 935, Road Atlanta, Stefan Technology Park, Tequila Patron, USF1, Zoran Stefanovic
Hey, are you sure for Jacques Villeneuve ? He will drove for Newman Haas at the Indy 500 ??? They don’t have a second car, so Mutoh is out ? Or there will be a second car for the rest of the season ? Can you answer me, I’m a big Villeneuve’s fan !!!
Thanks,
JCJ
Although I can’s say for sure, I would a large part of the assembled crowd at VIR this weekend was more for the Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge, rather than the DPs and GTs. Several of the CTSCC teams are pretty involved with the forms / internet / street tuner scene and activate a large number of people to participate in special deals with parking corrals, parade laps, etc. There were quite a few there for the vw / audi corral anyways….
whhaaaaa??
you have left me alittle confused.
jc’s an idiot, that’s confirmed.
But what about Serbia?
Pls splain Mr. Bear?
JCJ… Mutoh stays. Second car. Rest of the season. That’s what the Bear was told. Now we’ll both find out if it’s true.
Thanks Murphy for your time !
If you find anything new with this, please, let me know on this topic !
Thanks again,
JCJ
wrs… As a team owner in the Conti series I think you are 100% correct. We activated over 200 cars in the VW and Audi corral at VIR. We typically promote this series worldwide and have been getting huge amounts of new fans attending. CTSCC is booming and with our new title sponor we expect this to continue. There is something to be said for racing cars that really excite people that drive the brand on a daily basis. Now on to Lime Rock!
I also don’t like the overly-promonent Patron branding for ALMS. I didn’t buy any ALMS branded souvenirs at Sebring (windows sticker, shirts,caps, etc) because of it. I wouldn’t mind it so much if it were subtle, but it’s completely “in your face.” I’d feel like an idiot wearing it.
Hi the Bear ! One more thing on JV… today, from an Italian media:
“IndyCar – clamor: Villeneuve close agreement with Carl Haas for the ownership of the team? ”
http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=fr&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stopandgo.tv%2Fnews%2Fusa%2Fit%2Findycar-clamoroso-villeneuve-vicino-all-accordo-con-carl-haas-per-la-compropriet-del-team-.html
Do you know anything about this? JV a driver/owner ?
What’s your feeling on this one if you have any?
I know that Villeneuve has a new manager, Rick Gorne (since february), a new website is coming soon (one week or so), and that Gorne is being appreciate a lot by Haas, so… 1+1=2 … very big news coming soon? I hope so!
Thanks,
JCJ
As an attendee at VIR on saturday I can confirm that I personally saw J.C. France shortly before the Rolex race in drivers suit and driving a minibike with one hand,the other quickly wiping his nose! I do not know how I restrained my laughter till he was out of earshot. In his defense it was the coldest day [weather wise] I’ve ever spent at VIR for either Rolex or Continental sports cars. Good races though.
Several things here -
J.C France is White and Rich, Case Closed.
I also watched the race at VIR and at the front of the field I would agree there is a bit more excitement than what’s currently in ALMS LMP class that however doesn’t make it better and I still see “hack” driving out there. The GT race was somewhat interesting, but no more than ALMS GT(2). Overall I give it a C+
Speaking of the Continental Cup, it will be on this weekend and it was okay as well at Barber. I’m just waiting for the complaining to start about the Mustangs however because I know most of the top teams will move over to the new Boss 302R and should start wiping the floor with everybody else in GS.
CGT is no better than SRO (Ratel’s SRO) GT4 is basically the same rules just some minor changes and either car can run in either championship. Its just a V8 Vantage N24 is a bit rich for most people’s blood. “We have come to terms”
Finally seeing Jac back in a Indy car is setting many people up for disappointment me thinks. He has not driven an IRL car before and by and large most of the CART teams struggled on the ovals and were marginally better on road courses, we shall see, over half of the IRL season is after the Indy 500 and many road courses, wow is this isn’t Tony’s IRL is it?
Whaaa!? You can’t turn Road Atlanta into a subdivision. Sheesh. I wonder if the new Atlanta Motorsports Park/Club opening has something to do with taking events from Road Atlanta. It would be a great loss I better get my Mitty tickets as the days of the event there may be numbered.
Road Atlanta as a “subdivision” may – or may not – be in the works. The issue here is that property is valued at “best and highest economic use,” both a business and legal concept.
The value computed based on a revenue stream from racing isn’t even close to the value of the parcel as residential property, thus, it has the latter value, like it or not. Sooner or later, someone will offer $20 million or more…then what happens? Think Riverside.
Re: Tequila Trouble in Paddock for Patron
Is it not an alternative fuel ? This is the “Green Series”
Murphy, this also the fallout of overpopulation…
Race Tracks once thought to be in remote areas are no longer remote as sub-divisions push further and further away from the city centers, more race tracks will come under fire.
Britain has much the same problem with I think Coft, Donington Park and Brands Hatch, if I remember correctly. I think its Brand Hatch curfew because of the near by sub division ie: Noise This was farmland around the time of WWII. Don’t people understand where they are moving when they move?
In California we have lost Ontario, Riverside, Mesa Marin, Orange County Drag Strip, Lyons Drag way, Santa Ana Drag Strip and others because of expanding population and the continuing desertion of the midwest.
Understand the concept of “highest economic use” value, but there is plenty of land available near Road Atlanta that paying a premium for that property doesn’t seem to make sense…hopefully. Can’t imagine losing that track to housing. It is essentially irreplacable…. most modern tracks are not built to allow that high of an avg lap speed, or have those type of high speed corners.
BTW- I agree with the other comments about VIR and the draw for the Conti race. Bimmerworld had discount tickets available as it is their home track, as did several other teams/ manufacturers. I wouldn’t be surprised if it outdrew GA as the main attraction…not sure how that could be reliably measured though.
Eric the Red. Murphy doesn’t want to see Road Atlanta lost.
But that value does not represent a “premium” for the area. It represents the price the current owner has put on it. Don’t forget the current owner is a real estate developer in the area, with a large development nearby.
That price is $35,000,000 for the parcel. Subsequently, the Bear did a little research on his own and was able to find “comparables” in the area at or near that price. However, since Murphy knows some stuff, he saw that the comparable with a price per acre that steep was very close to the interstate and that gave it a primium, and another one a bit less than that was continguous with another major development (by Fountainhead) and had close access to sewer and water that the 750 acres at Road Atlanta does not. There will also be “clean up” at the track. Therefore, he believes the $35 mil is too high, and a more likely value is $20 – $25 million.
Contrast that to the value of the 750 acres as a race track. The Bear hears that net positive cash flow to operations is $600,000 (no idea if that is after tax or before, so we’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and say it’s after). Let’s say a buyer believes he’d hold it for 10 years (or that the predictability of that cash flow beyond ten years is too low to value). Net present value (NPV) of an annuity of 10 years of annual payments of $600,000 at an 8% cost of money is $4 million, or $31 million less than Panoz’ asking price, and $16 million less than our more conservative residential acreage value of $20 million.
Which explains why there’s been no sale thus far, doesn’t it?
All good points… your financial analysis is what I was driving at with the “premium” comment. I suspect the drop in property values and mortage crunch has added a few years to any potential sale taking place. Assuming that is an accurate number, $600,000 annual cash flow seems low based on the popularity of the track for testing, daily track fees, and general lack of improvements made to the facilities. How does that number compare to other tracks…?
Also- good article by Bob Barnard. He seems to back up the idea that many of these older tracks- Road Atlanta, Road America, Watkins, Mosport, etc. would never get designed/built today because of modern computer simulations and safety requirements. Which makes any potential loss of Road Atlanta an even larger tragedy- not only would a top level track be lost, IF it were to be replaced, the new track would probably be boring. BTW- is he involved in the AMP project? Haven’t seen any comments from the Don about it, but I assume he wouldn’t want to see his current business threatened.
I have been patiently waiting a comment from AC Guillermo…is he on vacaction?
Yeah…when is AC going to wake up and tell us ‘the rest of the story”?