Dyson Racing and Grand Am
Announcements have been written but not released while the last details of an agreement are completed. However, Murphy is pretty sure Dyson Racing (but not its current two drivers) to be on hand at Montreal, and yes, the Bear knows full well that’s on the same weekend as Mosport. Dyson Racing will wrap up the 2010 season involved in both ALMS and Grand Am, as they have before.
Dyson’s been struggling this season – hell, the past three or four haven’t been anything to write home about. So perhaps a little change of scenery is in order. Plus, maybe you’ve noticed, prototype racing, after a pretty cool 2007 and 2008, well, the only way to put it is…it sucks. Big time. So, why not take on something different? The ALMS thing is sure no fun. (According to sources who have talked to both, Chris is circumspect about all this, Dad less so.)
Anyway, along comes John and Karen McCutchen’s Godstone Ranch Racing, participants in this past Rolex 24 with Davy Jones in Leighton Reese’s new Corvette. John’s been driving in Continental since. The Bear thinks McCutchen will drive the prototype and Davy Jones will join him.
Dyson Racing will participate as the team of record and with team staff and infrastructure and such. Lola will deliver a car, and Rousch-Yates will do the Ford engine. The effort – as at Daytona – will carry Godstone’s imprimatur and benefit Texas Heart Institute. According to Murphy’s sources will be Lola factory-supported. (You didn’t really expect Lola to carry on with Krohn after the names they called each other in Delaware’s Chancery Court, did you? I mean, they wanted Krohn to sell cars and win races, and he’s done neither.)
All the participants are contributing some amount of support to this party…no one is carrying the whole burden, and it seems no one is “just getting a check.” For Montreal and Utah this year, anyway, it looks like this one is pretty much set.
No one will say for sure that there is – or isn’t, for that matter – a 2011 plan. But Murphy thinks this is a bit of that “team building”; if the kids all get along, and they can work out some numbers (from Dyson’s standpoint, with Mazda and BP not coming through as expected this season, almost anything will be an improvement) they’ll continue with a full season in 2011.
Back to Mexico in a Huff
Murphy thought, along with others, that the Gonzalez boys were mad at IMSA for the ride height penalty, got mad and left. Now Murphy’s been told that wasn’t the deal at all. Seems Gonzalez got it in his head that instead of just buying a ride (or renting a team), he was buying a team, or at least part of one. Then Alex (or was it Holly?) sat down and had a little heart-to-heart. No, Alex Job Racing was still – and would remain – Alex Job’s team, lock, stock, and barrel. They must do business differently in Mexico, because ol’ Mission tortilla chips up and left, went back the Monterrey (anyone with any sense is going the other direction from that drug gang cesspool). That’s what the Bear heard at Lime Rock, anyway . And Murphy likes Tostitos better, anyway.
Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course
Murphy was told just this morning that a sale of Mid-Ohio is imminent. He’s written more than once that it was on the block, most recently this June 10 entry:
“The American Le Mans Series could lose its Mid-Ohio round next season. Murphy previously heard the sale of the track is possible – there have been discussions, and a price has been named…” (Paddock Poop 168.)
Now he’s heard the sale is just about wrapped, up and will be announced soon. Ominously, this source says, “New owners not big ALMS fans.”
2011
If there are enough teams, where will they race? Uncle Scott still prattles on about 11 events, but the Bear can’t find many in the paddock who believe that. Rumors are flying about the addition of Baltimore (that seems pretty certain) and Oklahoma City (less so), but what about the 9 on this year’s calendar? Who will be back, and who won’t. Murphy doesn’t know, of course, but there are lots of rumors about, and a little speculation, so here is your 2011 season:
Sebring, Mosport, Road Atlanta. They are the “house brands,” so they’ll be along for the ride no matter what…except of course, when the Don can get “residential real estate value” for the 700 acres of Road Atlanta. Mercifully, with today’s real estate market, that won’t likely be any time soon. Mosport will stay a sprint race as long as the Tundra Monkeys keep turning up in profitable numbers for a sprint. The party goes on at Sebring (and the land isn’t worth much, anyway).
Long Beach. ALMS is still in the midst of a contract that – according to rumor – hugely benefits the promoters. The series is obligated to (1) pay and (2) show up. Long Beach isn’t going to let this fish off the hook.
Monterey. A fairly successful event, colder than hell the past two years, especially where wind-exposed. Attendance has dropped both of the past two years, more this year, after the date was changed. Changing an event date, not just from one week to the next, but from fall to spring, is never good, but Laguna Seca will be back in 2011.
Utah. Nobody – and Murphy means literally nobody – shows up for this one. Rumors have been rampant it would be gone in 2011, but there are just as many rumors that it will become the next 6-hour enduro. Teams don’t like it, fans don’t like it. What the hell are you going to do with yourself in this sun-baked wasteland for six hours?
Sonoma. The rumors have gone quiet. Best guess is it’s off.
Lime Rock. Attendance is mediocre, and few are happy with the butchering that was done to this track under the guise of an upgrade. No real rumors that it’s gone, though, perhaps since it’s the series only foothold in the Northeast.
Mid-Ohio. The date has to move to make way for Baltimore, but It’s not clear where there’s room. Could it go before the Le Mans break? There are recurring rumors that Mid-Ohio will be off the schedule. A sale if continuing rumors are correct, will almost certainly remove the track from the 2011 schedule.
Baltimore. A good source says Baltimore is a slam-dunk for the ALMS. The promoters want the series, and the series wants to be there. The same source says the contract was in the hands of the series, and the promoters were anxious to see it signed and announced.
Oklahoma City. Murphy hears it’s on, Murphy hears it’s off. That reflects the reality. 50-50.
Road America. Gone. The Bear’s sources on the ground say the Nationwide race drew the largest crowd seen Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine country in years, perhaps in decades. That’s enough, with ISC’s AMA Super Bike, for the track to get rid of the money-losing sports cars. George won’t care, he’s happy with his new NASCAR friends. Though he would jump at a good open wheel weekend if one came along, he’ll accept a Grand Am date to keep Nationwide and the Super Bikes.
New Jersey. Often rumored, but just wishful thinking. In the ISC pocket, no chance for the ALMS.
Houston. Promoters want to re-launch this one. If they do, it will be with IRL, and likely without the American Le Mans Series.
Go Git Em, Johnny
Others have done so (Montagny) but the Bear was warmed all over that Johnny O’Connell treated the fans like adults and told them what they already know: Lime Rock does not suit the American Le Mans Series. That’s particularly true after the butchering of the recent “upgrade.” Another place where they are lying to you when they say love being there: Miller Motorsports Park.
Murphy’s “Quote of the Week”
This gem comes from the PR release of one of the ALMS teams after Saturday’s qualifying at Lime Rock.
“As usual at Lime Rock, the rain came earlier than expected.”
Follow Murphy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Murphythebear
Tags: Alex Job Racing, Davy Jones, Dyson Racing, Ford, Godstone Ranch Racing, Grand Am, John McCutchen, Krohn Racing, Lola, Mid-Ohio, Mission Chips, Montreal, Mosport, NASCAR, Nationwide, Road America, Rousch-Yates, Texas Heart Institute, Tostitos
Rumors running through the Limerock car corrals Saturday morning had Dyson replacing Mazda engine with Rousch-Yates Ford engine in 2011 LMP car. You just have to wonder if Dyson would be better off switching to a GT car. At least they’d get an engine that would run for more than seven laps.
Murphy thinks that rumor is a garbled version of the move to Grand Am. Wishful thinking links a Ford V8 and Lola in ALMS. Pretty remote.
How can you call Lime Rock’s attendance mediocre after saying Laguna Seca is successful? I very much doubt Seca’s attendance is better than Lime Rock. It was a very good crowd this past Saturday. True, not as large as some in the past, and probably down a bit from last year, but for Lime Rock (or even by pure numbers) a very good crowd. I’ll stack that crowd up against any of the “regular” ALMS events. Take out Sebring and Petit (and probably M-O), and I bet Lime Rock ranks right up there in attendance.
Hard to disagree with those who don’t like the “upgrades” but those complaints are coming from the same people who were scaredy-cats of the speeds through the uphill and downhill, so I don’t take much stock in them. If you can’t handle Lime Rock’s bullring status, go back to karting. (As for O’Connell’s constant b*tching, that guy is the biggest whiner in the ALMS paddock, so whatever comes out of his mouth, I always ignore. Funny, how he never complained about competing in a 2-car class racking up all those wins all those years. Putz!)
P.S., Is the Bear going to be at Mid-Ohio or Mosport? We have to arrange a photo of the Bear and the Deep Throttle balaclava man…
Why would Dyson dump out of ALMS when 2011 brings ACO’s cost cutting new engine + chassis rules? Lola just unveiled their 2011 P2 car & it seems cheaper & sexier than the GADP… Why switch?
Grand Am continues to be a joke (crowd wise). Riley chassis have & will be DOMINATE. Krohn’s Ricardo Zonta & Nic Jonssen are good pilots + are separated from Tracy… still not figuring out that Lola. Does Chris Dyson think he can do better? Please excuse the laughter!
So Mid Ohio’s potential new owners are not “ALMS Fans”. I’ve been to the Indycar/ ALMS weekends the last few years. Healthy turn out IMO. Especially in this down economy & also in direct comparison to the Grand Am weekend. The new owners looking to kiss some Daytona/ ISC/Mafia behinds???
If Mid-Ohio can’t happen, the ALMS needs to get in touch with Mike Lanigan(I assume they already are if Houston is a possibility) and get out to Cleveland. Cleveland sports fans are some of the most dedicated in the country and the Cleveland Champ Car race was a moneymaker even in the darkest days because of it. An ALMS would go over great among the fans, and of course the race itself would be awesome. If the IndyCars lose Mid-Ohio as well it’s a great idea for a doubleheader weekend. I’d sure as hell go to both.
The only bad thing about Cleveland (especially when compared to fan+photo friendly Mid-Ohio) is that fans must buy top level grand stand seats & then bake in the direct sun
I’d much rather watch Cleveland on TV then attend it live & in person. JMO
Rus-L says: “How can you call Lime Rock’s attendance mediocre after saying Laguna Seca is successful?”
By attending ALMS at Laguna Seca in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, and ALMS at Lime Rock in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009, that’s how.
As for “official” figures, in 2008, probably “peak” for both events, Monterey drew 67,000, and Lime Rock 60,000 according the ALMS’ own figures…both mediocre, as far as the Bear is concerned. Lime Rock ranked 7th of 11 races in attendance. As Murphy said, mediocre. He calls Monterey “successful” because he likes Monterey. There’s something to do other than attend a race. (OK, one year the Bear went to NYC, but that’s a bit of a stretch.)
You want to talk about “value?” Check out ticket prices and races (including support series), then get back to the Bear.
“The only bad thing about Cleveland (especially when compared to fan+photo friendly Mid-Ohio) is that fans must buy top level grand stand seats & then bake in the direct sun”
In 2007 the best grandstand tickets for seeing the majority of the track(which are NOT the most expensive ones) were the same price as general admission for ALMS day at Mid-Ohio. IMO, you get a lot more bang for your buck at Cleveland – I’ve been to every Cleveland race since 1993(save for 2003 and 2004). You really don’t bake too much, either – being right on the lake tends to generate a nice breeze to keep you cool. Just get some good sunscreen on and that only real annoyance at Cleveland is the rock-hard grandstand seating. And as much as I enjoy relaxing in the Mid-Ohio infield in nice soft comfy folding chairs I’d much rather be able to see all the action on the track in Cleveland.
Really, though, it’s a pointless discussion. If Mid-Ohio goes bye-bye because of new ownership not liking ALMS, there’s no other viable venue for ALMS in Ohio. Simple as that.
Plus now is the PERFECT time to revive the Cleveland race. With LeBron’s move, angry Clevelanders need some positive sports news to latch on to. The Cleveland Grand Prix would be bigger than ever if it came back right now.
I wasn’t talking “value.” I was talking attendance. And by your account, they are both very similar (and I admit I’m surprised by that), thus, they are both mediocre, though 67,000 at a road racing event in these racing times in American is not too shabby. Hey, if you like Laguna Seca better, and want to hype that track up, that’s fine. I can respect that. (And who the heck cares what activities are near the track — all racers know the world doesn’t even exist when you are at a race track.) But it doesn’t mean Lime Rock is not successful. Like I said, take away Petit and Sebring, and Lime Rock sits right in the middle of the attendance list (admittedly, a little lower than I would have thought, but two of those I suspect are higher are thanks to being paired with Indy Car).
Now, for value, yeah Lime Rock was supposed to have the Atlantic series this year, but we all know what happened with that…
Lime Rock is usually more active. This year did seem a bit quiet on the track at times. Of course, they are up against strict curfew rules — heck, can’t even run on Sunday. I was just looking at Mosport’s schedule — holy cow, that weekend is chock full of action!
BTW, if Lime Rock ticket prices are higher (I’m too lazy to look up and compare them, but I do know they seemed high at Lime Rock) than Laguna Seca and crowd sizes are relatively similar, then that tells me Lime Rock makes MORE money. And thus, is a MORE successful event.
I hope I didn’t cause the Bear’s stuffing to pop out…
Here’s a wild ass idea — Monticello. If the exclusive private club track was willing to upend their membership with an F1 race, why not do so with an ALMS event? Outside of F1, what series is a better match with their extremely high end clientele than ALMS? And their location is relatively easy to get to for a lot of Northeasterners. Someone get these two parties together for a drink…
Private Club Tracks won’t happen.
If they loose Mid-Ohio, I say go back to Canada – Trois-Rivières. You will have good turnouts and a decent historical street course (like Long Beach). Would Ohioans make the drive up to Detroit if the Motor City Grand Prix came back?
So what Murphy is saying is we loose Mid-Ohio (big hit), but gain Baltimore. Sears Point has gone quiet but I think its likely. Lime Rock, Utah (yeah its Hot), Mosport, Petit Le Mans?
So wait a second… -
Sebring 12 Hours
St Pete 2 hours (I see no reason NOT to return)
Long Beach (2 hours 10 mins)
Laguna Seca 6 hours
Le Mans Test Day
Le Mans
(I personally think that’s way too much time off)
Utah (4 Hours, but not 6)
Lime Rock (Split up GT’s from Prototypes?)
Baltimore Grand Prix
Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres
Mosport
Sears Point
Petit Le Mans
That would be 11 events. I would hate to loose Road America and Mid-Ohio for more mickey mouse circuits.
Cleavland would be a decent replacement for Mid-Ohio and the fan base would likely follow. That should be explored.
“Would Ohioans make the drive up to Detroit if the Motor City Grand Prix came back?”
As an Ohioan, I shall say: Unlikely. Ohio tends to have a bit of a rivalry with Michigan. It’s mostly limited to certain college football teams, but the attitude is quite prevalent and to an extent stretches to most forms of sport. About the only thing worse right now is the Cleveland/Baltimore(and starting this season, Cleveland/Miami) matter.
What’s more, if Mid-Ohio maintained Grand-Am and ALMS didn’t stick around, the fans will favor Grand-Am at Mid-Ohio to anything out-of-state. If ALMS loses Mid-Ohio, they MUST move to Cleveland.
rd am losing ims was the reason i quit flagging. with no major sportscar series to see why be involved in sportscar racing. have not missed it.
if gb thinks having a g-a race will be better for attendance he has not attended a g-a race recently obviously.
with the loss of the two midwestern races this becomes the coastal sports car series(mosport not withstanding). can’t think of anything more exclusive than a series with no mid america races. ohioans and illin and folks from minnesota will not be flocking to mosport.
alms……we used to know ye, then ye departed the earthly plane.
ex-flagger, the ALMS somewhat dug its own grave. I feel you there. What I wanna know from Murphy is attendance at RA has always been falling or falling since it peaked? What year did it peak? The 2007 and 2008 races were pretty good, at the front of the field anyway. Does that mean its certain if Indy Car doesn’t go back to RA next season, ALMS won’t because it doesn’t have enough draw on its own?
As I understand it, the Mid-Ohio turnout is good, better than for GA, but worst than Indy Car. I also heard that most Indy Car fans don’t come Saturday to see the ALMS race but for Indy Car qualifying.
I find that strange.
Is the ALMS big enough to do Cleavland on its own?
Proposed Baltimore GP layout – http://assets.bizjournals.com/cms_media/baltimore/Indy%20race%20course.pdf
“Is the ALMS big enough to do Cleavland on its own?”
I would rate the ALMS’ current state as stronger than Champ Car in any season post-2003. So if Champ Car was able to keep that event working right up until the end, the ALMS can certainly do it.
As we are discussing potential venues what are the possibilities of aVirginia International Raceway or Portland? VIR hosts Grand Am. There again attendance is not great for Grand Am, but the facility is great and the track is a true road course. I personally think ALMS would draw better than Grand Am at VIR and I would love to see longer (6 hours) race at VIR.
Isn’t the drop in attendance in 2009 & 2010 really due to the loss of LMP1 & LMP2 cars and not so much location.
Audi & Porsche teams with their top drivers seemed to generate significant attendance numbers. This is not meant to take anything away from the current GT team battles, but LMP1/2 with Audi, Porsche & Acura racing teams battling out was the draw…
I see this constant lobbying for Virgina (VIR), why? You guys must live somewhere near it. I don’t see a good reason to run there. Especially if you put Baltimore on the schedule. I don’t think turnout would be that high. Yes ALMS has won the fan base battle but that’s not much to celebrate, I think they need to reconsider their sanction fees, some tracks are likely not getting ROI. Lime Rock, the ALMS is the biggest thing has happens every year, despite how some drivers and teams feel about the place and the changes made. Leave that track and you’ll have no presence in the Northeast and as I said stop with the Private Club Tracks, like Thunderbolt, Autobahn and others, it won’t happen. Indy Car is not returning back to Watkins Glen. Its 200+ miles from Lime Rock, I don’t know where the Lime Rock fan base is mostly coming from though. People say ISC would be in the way of the ALMS getting an event there, but I don’t think that’s the case, money talks and people like ISC like money much more than loyalty. We’ll see what happens, but I hope and encourage management to do all it can to keep both Mid Ohio and Road America on the schedule.
can alms draw at cleveland? in the 90′s imsa went to irp. i am not certain they can draw to irp…..or gingerman for that matter(both tracks not fia approved). no name recognition drivers outside the current series followers. lousy tv package and no title sponsor to throw away advertising bucks. liquor can not be mentioned due to blue laws somewhere. something has gotta give.
Anthony — no way, no how, don’t even waste your time thinking about ALMS at Watkins Glen. Hey, I would love it (I drool over the thought) especially since it’s my “home” track, but it’s never going to happen with ISC owning the place. There is one thing that talks louder to ISC than money — defeating their competition. Just look how they destroyed extremely successful CART events at California and Michigan that had to be making them good money. Just look how much money they spend keeping the Grand Am going just so they don’t have to take “orders” from France (read up on how they hated the ACO during the IMSA days when the France family owned a piece of IMSA and had to deal with some of the ACO’s decisions that affected the 24-Hours of Daytona). They bring the Grand Am twice to The Glen. They are not going to allow the ALMS in.
Rus-L I largely agree and much like the CART/IRL split, the war between IMSA and Grand Am are largely for the crumbs left by the two other series (Indy Car and NASCAR). Ex-Flagger, lack of driver name recognition does hurt the series. I know some Indy Car drivers would love to drive these things more often than they do, some shared weekends might help there. Andretti is running 4 cars when you include Hunter-Rey and 5 cars when you include Adam Carroll so I know there’s some money for a 9-10-11 race ALMS season. Especially when you explain ratings are better on Speed than for Indy Car on Versus. I don’t know what you do about the TV package, its about as good as its going to get. Network shows usually have higher ratings, so unless you wanna live with .4-.6 rating on Speed which I guess is fine, but I think ALMS can do a constant 1.0 on both Cable and Network with better marketing. I don’t think Patron is much of an issue, you just have to move the EST start time of races up that’s all (after 11am).
As to Lime Rock, murph, give me a break. In these times, between the economy and the lack of “factory” prototypes the crowd at LR was very healthy. From the esses to west bend the track was completely lined and in some places the crowd was 4-5 deep. Yeah its a mickey mouse track, but what else is there in NE? IF the ALMS keeps losing /dropping tracks what will they have; a 5 race series: Sebring, Petit, Mosport, Laguna, and Long Beach. The real issue for all fans concerned is NASCAR’s rediculous shutting out of international endurance racing at the Glen and Daytona…shame on them. If you ever watch the 24 hour tv coverage you would be sick as they shill the event which has become something more then a SCCA national event.
No VIR for 2011–assuming that there is an ALMS in 2011. VIR is a wonderful circuit but its safety rating is one step above a club circuit. As Grand-Sham is one step above club racing, that’s ok. But the ALMS / ACO types (and their lawyers) would require too many changes since oak trees don’t make good hood ornaments for the HPD. As those changes require many pesos, don’t look for it to happen soon. In addition to that VIR has developed a close relationship with NASCAM as many of their teams prep there for the taxi cab road races.
So if you think that there will be an ALMS race there then I would like to offer you an F1 circuit in Austin.
sacktrak said…..IF the ALMS keeps losing /dropping tracks what will they have; a 5 race series: Sebring, Petit, Mosport, Laguna, and Long Beach………….what is the problem with that? there is less maintenance on the cars, less towing and hotel bills, less expensive for the sponsor. it is dream. maybe you should suggest it to uncle scott.
“As we are discussing potential venues what are the possibilities of aVirginia International Raceway or Portland?”
I can’t speak to VIR, but without much inside knowledge into Oregon SCCA, support for pro racing in Oregon has been flagging for years. Norm Daniels, who ran a successful sporting goods store chain in the Pacific NW, sold the business then watched it go out of business; he was the one who propped up the Champ Car series race here forever.
Anecdotally, going to pro racing (esp. Champ Car/ALMS since 2000), the amount and quality of support events has gone down considerably…and 2006 was the last time the sports cars were in town. It was over 100 degrees (even with a 5 pm Saturday night race start) and there were maybe 3,000 people in the stands.
It’s a shame, as the slight reconfiguration to the track makes for a few more passing opportunities in the west loop and the new asphalt all over is nice. Facilities are still garbage, too.
Doug. Murphy feels your pain. Portland was one of his favorite ALMS events. He wrote his first column from there in 2005. Jeannie at the piano on Jantzen Island…the Bear mists up thinking about it.
Here is Paddock Poop No.1:
http://murphythebear.com/blog/index.php/2005/07/29/1-the-bear-does-portland/
Exflagger: you left out one component? What about the fans? Doesnt the ALMS bill itself as “for the fans”…..I go back to when there was an FIA round on Long Island with twin 400 K races 100 miles from NYC. While Im not opposed to traveling, been to most of the tracks IMSA/ALMS have raced, its nice to have one race close to home.
The Series used to sacktrack – remember we’re World Class now.
Oh – sorry – we’re the Leaders in Green Racing.
Dyson: One car, Mazda on Dunlops. -Their discarded P-1 & P-2 cars are still running with greater success! Maybe it time for another change.
I will never forget the performance of the “English Gardner” at Mosport
or George Follmer (Can-Am UOP Shadow, Mosport) – My point is that we have may have already witnessed history with the AMLS Series. AND things do change.
‘Mosport will stay a sprint race as long as the “Tundra Monkeys” keep turning up in profitable numbers for a sprint.’
Stupid comment.
Good point Torontoworker,
Mosport enjoys the third highest series attendance. AND did see some of the
largest Can-Am crowds and the perhaps most Can-Am races…
http://americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=news|15069
Didn’t see that coming, did ya Murphy? It’s okay – I don’t think anybody with half a brain would have seen this in the pipeline.
Does the Bear need to translate for you guys? “Mosport will not be changed from a sprint to an enduro because Canadiams (Tundra Monkeys) support it very well as a sprint (making such a change an unnecessary expense).
Do you really think that’s a “stupid comment?”
Murphy got that one wrong, didn’t he? The Ford V8/ALMS Lola deal is for real, announced today.
No “garbling” either way. The Dyson Grand Am story and the Lola/Roush tie up are different stories, though they may be part of the same developing business relationship.
Murphy,
Point taken – Canadians are very passionate about motor car racing and especially Mosport, it gets touchy from time to time!
I managed to get another party riled up, he read my comment and recognized who sportcar66 is and sent me an email.
What are you talking about? He said. AMLS is good to go at Mosport eh, it’s a Panoz track, he added. So I went on to explain to him, that you will be hanging on to the fence for a very long time, waiting for the Audi Diesels to come by or the Penske Porsches or Andretti Green Racing, or the green Fords plus a Saleen, Maseratti or GT-1 Corvette. – All now history and likely never to return. Just memories now.
sportscar66:
We’re on the same sheet of music. First, “Tundra Monkeys” is a term of endearment the Bear heard from a close friend who likes you Canuckistanis very much.
You’re hostage to your own reliability as fans. Unfortunately, after the repave and some fixes to runoffs way back in 2001 or so, Panoz hasn’t put a dime into Mosport, which really needs some infrastructure investment. He simply hasn’t had to because the track is a “cash cow” in the purest sense of the term that Murphy learned in business school…a product that has reached a high market penetration and needs no significant investment to maintain sales.
“The Ford V8/ALMS Lola deal is for real, announced today.”
Reread the press release, Murphy. NO Ford V8 has been announced for ALMS. Roush-Yates is doing a version of the EcoBoost Turbo V6. They are LOOKING INTO a V8, but the only engine that was announced to be a definite deal was the V6.
Just to clarify my original statement, my point was that anyone with half a brain would have expected a Roush-Yates produced LMP2 engine to be a naturally-aspirated V8. But they caught us all off-guard by announcing a turbo V6.
And Murphy – with no brain at all – just assumed the deal was for a V8. He really doesn’t care what V it is. He thinks the only important thing here is the adaptation of a Rousch-Yates-built Ford to a Lola in LMP2.
Well with Rousch-Yates Ford announcement and rumors that BMW & Toyota may join the list of engine suppliers, does the Bear think that Mazda will walk away from ALMS or that Dyson may switch?
Hmm. That Rousch-Yates engine, would look good in that new Indycar in about 2 years time……
Still remember watching Weaver trading paint with one of the Audis going into turn one. Guess that and the crowds at Road America are ancient history. Too bad. Spa and RA both turned into country spreads for holiday chalets? Oh, man.