Just minutes before it was announced, Murphy was told the two TBA’s were Detroit and Texas. Subsequently, other candidates have made the routine rounds of the rumor mill. Boss Scott confirmed the Detroit TBA in a rather odd and self-serving  press release after Grand Am confirmed it would have that June 2 Detroit Race. Now it seems likely nothing will fill that ALMS April/May TBA.

Nor does the September/October event seem very likely. Though Sears Point, Montreal, Oklahoma City (the only thing going on there appears to be the all-too-routine legal wrangling amongst the promoter group – Oklahoma City Grand Prix LLC et al v. Mattioli), and Thunderbolt (New Jersey) have been thrown out there by fans, the only one that makes sense – the only one that might motivate Braselburg to move PLM to late October date  – is Texas.

Unfortunately, that’s ground being plowed by others. The gang from International Speedway Boulevard was in Austin not long before PLM, just the latest in a series of such visits. Australia’s V8 Supercar – a NASCAR ally, an FIA darling, and a growth product for Speedtv – is already scheduled for the new Texas track. The FIA’s ally in North America is Grand Am, not the ALMS, the partnership with the ACO in the WEC notwithstanding.

The Circuit of the Americas needs an event ahead of the its first F1, if for no other reason than to sort out its traffic and parking plans. As of now, Murphy will bet on Grand Am being that event, even though he can’t think of a weaker way to test traffic (little will be expected) and parking (little will be needed). Perhaps they want to make sure their dry run isn’t too challenging?

All that assumes the Texas track will get built in time for any 2012 race, even the November F1 date. Construction’s been halted while the principals fight for control (see also Oklahoma City and Baltimore). The only “money guy” in the promoter group is Billy Joe “Red” McCombs, who in owning the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Vikings, pretty much defined “cheap” and “ruthless”  for sports ownership and promotion.

The continued “temporary” absence from the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Boss Scott told us this was just a temporary scheduling conflict, and that ALMS would be back in the streets of St. Pete. Temporary is now 3 years; the promoters don’t seem to be very interested in getting the Braselburgers back, do they? The Bear’s said from the beginning the combination of geography and calendar made this a “cannibal event,” one that would do little more than leech from the series’ premier event in Sebring. But why dissimulate?

Laguna Seca moves back to the spring. Make up your fricken mind! Are they really trying to kill sports car racing on the Monterey Peninsula? Braselburg’s spin is “requested by the venue.” Of course Boss Scott has given us nothing but reasons to believe him, hasn’t he?
The likely outcome of all this is another 9-event ALMS schedule, with two breaks, eight weeks in May-July, and seven weeks in September-October.

Sebring Confusion

Who to believe? Here’s Scott Atherton’s description of Sebring rule from his State of the Series at PLM:

“Next year’s 60th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will be round one of the 2012 ALMS. It will also be round one of the FIA WEC… The ALMS cars will be competing with technical specifications consistent with what will be in place for the balance of the ALMS season. …
Our class configurations will remain unchanged for 2012:
LMP1 – utilize the current 2011 regulations that include permitting grandfathered cars.
LMP2 – as current
LMPC – as current
GT – as current
GTC – as current”

Autosport, in its October 6, 2011, issue paraphrased Boss Scott this way:

“Atherton said that the latest contract would give the ALMS new freedom when implementing ACO rules. He stated that cars from his series would be able to run in ALMS specification when they compete at Sebring next March.”

and continued:

“That comment has been contradicted by the ACO.
ACO president Jean-Claude Plassart said: ‘Sebring will be 100 percent WEC rules. There will be no GTC cars, for example. They are not in the rules.’”

Nor, Murphy reminds his readers, are 12 cylinder LMP1’s. “100%” is pretty unequivocal, isn’t it? The Bear emailed Messr. Plassart for clarification. Valérie Girard, (v.girard@lemans.org) actually, to whom Jean-Claude’s mail is routed. Murphy will pass on what he hears – if anything.

Corvette

Corvette, under pressure from GM to deliver in the remaining years of its contract with Pratt & Miller – or sooner – met at Road Atlanta with the ACO. Their point? Others have been given an “unfair advantage,” not in the way Mark Donohue meant it, through engineering and team performance, but off the track in the way “performance balancing” is conducted in the sport.

Does this have to do with the design waivers granted in the homologation of entrants? It doesn’t seem likely, does it? Ferrari got none in 2011, and Corvette (and BMW) got a bazillion. Perhaps the devil is in the (engineering) details? Murphy’s been told Corvette would rather have the rules and homologation done at the beginning of each season (as it once was), then leave it alone. Without (as they see it) getting “on par with BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari,” the American team might easily be gone before the end of 2013. Pratt & Miller’s contract extends through the 2013 season, but the company’s work can easily be directed into pursuits other than the American Le Mans Series if GM believes that would be advantageous.

So why go to the ACO, since the ALMS has announced a separation of rule-setting from the ACO the ‘Vettes are an ALMS program? At least one source says the ALMS so-called “declaration of independence” from ACO rules is largely window-dressing, mostly concerned with the Sporting Regulations, not so much the Technical Regulations. Then there’s the fact that Chebby has always said that the most important part of the Corvette Racing program is Le Mans, not the ALMS.

Far more ominous to the American Le Mans Series is the obvious budding romance between Chebby and Grand Am. That shouldn’t come as a surprise.  The General moved last season to make the NASCAR sports car series the place it would establish a performance resume for its new Camaro, while it discouraged Corvette GT entries, preparing to move ”the American Sports Car” into a prominent place in Daytona Prototypes, where it was designing and funding a Corvette body for the new “DP 3.”

At the end of the season the Bear was told Chevrolet would substantially strengthen its Grand Am factory driver program, abandoning the use of part-time ALMS drivers in favor of an expanded full-time Grand Am group. In fact look for considerable “restructuring” across the board, with drivers being assigned and re-assigned to different series, with movement in all directions between ALMS, Grand Am, and Pirelli World Challenge.

A new IndyCar engine program, a continued strong relationship with NASCAR (despite the rants of a Detroit pundit), and now the title sponsorship of Grand Am’s first race in the Motor City means at least a relative reduction of the prominence in the Division of Corvette’s American Le Mans Series program.

Ferrari

The Bear won’t be surprised if you’re at least a little confused at Corvette’s ACO complaints, since he’s written that a Ferrari team is unhappy about the same tinkering, and “the straw” was an advantage given mid season to (wait for it) – Corvette. So much so that the “pause and review button” was punched for the ALMS racing program.

A move to Grand Am seemed  a slam-dunk just a few weeks ago (the toe is already in the water via a little noticed partnership) until Maranello signaled it was getting cold feet. Backtracking a bit, when Ferrari committed its 458, it was generally supposed that Mazda would not return in 2012. Now it appears the RX8 is back.

Why would Ferrari expose its 458, (MSRP $247,000) to regular losses to Mazda’s RX8 (MSRP $26,795)? The simple answer is they don’t want to, and Grand Am’s reversal of its early decision to let the RX8’s homologation lapse has caused Maranello to review its commitment to support full-season Grand Am entries. It’s bad enough they’ve had to suffer through a season of losses to the BMW M3 (MSRP $58,900), but that car at least has some racing history and a performance cachet, as does the Porsche 911  (MSRP GT3 $103,100). Murphy’s certain zoom-zoom doesn’t count Maranello among its fans.

For manufacturers the attraction of racing is the establish your performance creds – or in Ferrari’s case, reinforce them. If you are Ferrari – or more recently, Audi  – the last thing you want to do is damage a hard-won performance reputation.

So what are the 2012 choices for Murphy’s favorite Ferrari team in the whole wide world? (1) Take the year off (2) Race in the WEC – including Le Mans (3) a Grand Am campaign (4) an ALMS campaign, with or without Le Mans. The Bear’s betting that’s pretty much the order of probability, too.

Jaguar

In its second full season, RSR’s Jaguars completed just 44% of ALMS GT laps. In 18 entries, had one top-ten finish.  The kitty cats averaged a 13th place finish in a field that averaged 15 entries. Is there any doubt this is the worst GT team ever? It certainly is among those that raced for so long. Others in history this bad had the sense to be embarrassed – and quit. When will Tata realize what a great advertisement this is for its competitors in America, providing reasons at every event not to purchase a Jaguar?

Fun with Numbers

The Braselburgers – led by “Two-T” Scott – continue to have a problem with numbers. During the Silverstone round of the LMS, on-line viewing reportedly peaked at 2,500. We’re told that ESPN3 routinely draws 100 times that for ALMS races.

Or try this from the 2011 State of the Series: “Attendance is up 12%,” reflecting in large part the substitution of Baltimore for Salt Lake City. To which Murphy says, “duh!” In 2009, Miller was reported to have attracted 35,000 fans willing to drive around the Oquirrh Mountains from Salt Lake City. That number – already “ambitious” – fell further in 2010 before the northern Rockies were abandoned in 2011. Given that Baltimore was claimed to be on the far side of 100K, it’s not just a “large part” of a 12% increase, but rather likely all of it, and perhaps more.

The funniest numbers faux pas was by Boss Scott, again in the State of the Series. “In addition to our already extensive international distribution through Motors TV in Europe (50 internationally-recognized nation-states), Fox Sports Latin America (33), Fox Sports Middle East (19) and Rogers Sports Net in Canada (1), we are now fully distributed through ESPN International which represents an additional 149 countries…” The ALMS is seen in 252 countries? Better tell Hillary, her Department only recognizes 195 (Taiwan not included).

ALMS Twitter followers nearly doubled from 3900 to 7500. Meanwhile, Murphy attracted over 800 followers (Twits?), even after winnowing out the pole dancers not already close friends.

The Other Jaguar

As soon as Ian Dawson (Taurus, ECO, etc.) was identified as the boss of an oddly ambitious out-of-nowhere Lotus racing program, the Bear knew something was up (or down). Now that shoe has dropped, with the thud we’ve come to know and love from Dawson’s racing adventures. The thud this time was the sound of the Lotus LMP2 program’s hitting the trash bin. After watching the Evoras at PLM, it wasn’t hard to imagine another Jaguar Racing program in the making.

Abruzzi: a cousin to the Norwegian Blue?

Dissembling again, Boss Scott said the Abruzzi was “on hiatus.” Unless “hiatus” no longer means “a pause, or break in continuity,” that was wrong when he said it. The Abruzzi was dead, gone, is no more, a former Abruzzi, very much like a Norwegian Blue.

Losing Count

…of the departures. This time, Lynda Polk, long time timer/scoring chief for IMSA will not be returning next year. Murphy expects her position to be filled by a needy Champ Car refugee.

Bathurst

Murphy sent Crocodile McFly  – the Down Under Mole – from Hendry’s Beach to Australia to report on the Bathurst 1000. The Croc called with his impressions on Monday. “Wow! A great event. Good, close racing. The fly-over was so low, I had to duck. Great crowd at a track “you aught to see.” Crocodile thinks this would be a better show than DTM. They have the right idea on so-called “gentleman drivers,” he says. They simply refer to them as “Co-drivers.” Simple, and without the negative (to some) connotation. Now that the FIA has approved the Supercars as an international sanctioning body, we’ll undoubtedly see more of them, including at Texas in 2013. Supercars, F1, and DTM – can USA racing get any more crowded?

The Bear understands there are new Supercar rules coming. That’s good, since the current technical regulations are compromised by as many adjustments as the infamous ACO homologations, and for just two cars. Perhaps they’ll provide little more exhaust noise, the only thing our mole thought should be tweaked.

Crocodile is going to stay over for the Gold Coast race this weekend. Check back with Murphy for that report.

Andy Lally Challenge

Andy’s had four races since Murphy last updated the Challenge, Chicagoland (28th, $95,100), New Hampshire (34th, $80,300), Dover (33rd, $78,925), and Kansas (37th, 85,250). That added $339,575 to his season earnings, bringing the total to $2,618,856. He’s also captured and maintained the 35th place in owner’s points for Kevin Buckler, so is ensured a spot on the starting grid.

The American Le Mans Series field closed out its season with races at Laguna Seca, where the field earned $148,000, and Petit Le Mans, which paid them $135,000. With that $283,000, the entire ALMS field was happy to claim total season winnings and bonuses of $1,795,000 including estimated privateer bonuses that Murphy added at the beginning of the Challenge.

Six races remain on Andy’s 2011 schedule.

Murphy wrote in May’s Paddock Poop 190 that McDreamy would go LMP2 racing with Mazda, probably in the newly announced World Endurance Championship. A month later, Speedtv.com told you pretty much the same thing in an “exclusive.”

Since then, Patrick Dempsey has announced his Mazda GT team will continue with whatever Grand Am races it can manage given the resources that will be required to launch the LMP2 program, with two cars to go at Daytona and no promises after that. The full WEC was considered and rejected, and the Mazda LMP-power is in doubt due to delays by the Japanese company. When considering a program at this level, it seems badging an AER valve-cover will no longer do.

Ferrari in Grand Am

Slam-dunk? Perhaps for Daytona, but not for the remainder of the season. When Ferrari decided to build a Grand Am 458, Mazda was headed out of GT. Now it appears the gang on International Speedway Boulevard can’t bring themselves to give up an old friend. Mazda will be back in 2012. For Ferrari, who will accept losses to Porsche (tradition, there), but has a hard time getting beaten by BMW, is absolutely apoplectic about a Mazda RX8 winning a race in which anything from Maranello participates. Given the way Daytona has manipulated the rules to keep McDreamy’s cars competitive, no one trusts them not to allow an underweight Mazda to make a Ferrari look bad. If Mazda is back, then Ferrari is probably out as a full-season entrant – unless there’s a privateer who will defy Maranello to run a Prancing Horse without its blessing, or help.

The Houston Ferraris

The best Ferrari team in North America (you could argue in the world) is Guiseppe Risi’s Houston Wild Bunch. (Murphy thinks Houston is the wild west, so he just couldn’t help himself). What will they do next season?

As arrogant as they are in Braselburg, they probably don’t know how much they’ve pissed off their premier Ferrari team. Trust the Bear, there’s no love lost there. So Risi Competizione is considering its 2012 options. Here they are, ranked in order of probability: (1) WEC, (2) Grand Am, (3) American Le Mans. What keeps Grand Am out of first place? Mazda.

Lotsa Protos?

That was the rumor this week that the ALMS would have more prototypes in 2012 than the WEC. Excuse the Bear, he’s choking with laughter. Autocon is probably gone, with long-time leader Mike Lewis leader  certainly gone. The IRS is chasing Intersport around – that’s never good. Tucker? Over 20 state’s Attorney’s General have set their sights on the payday loan, rent-a-tribe king. Cytosport? Greg’s as pissed off as Guiseppe. Dyson and Oryx? Alone? Get real. One thing Chris and Rob don’t relish is to look foolish racing against themselves. Maybe they mean to count a pack of LMP Challenge cars. Or counting on Signature. Now the Bear is really gagging.

What about Grand Touring

Jaguar shouldn’t be back, but against all reason, they might. Is that the most incompetent GT program in the history of the sport? Murphy thinks so. If they’re back, does anyone really care? Robertson’s – and the Doran Ford – are gone for sure, and probably Risi Competizione. If Extreme/Patron is back – and that’s doubtful, too – it will not be with a Ferrari. BMW has been mentioned. Corvette will likely return, but the fuse is burning down there. Keep losing and all that executive support will evaporate overnight. That’s the way big, impersonal corporations work.

Grand Am

Chip Ganassi has to choose between Corvette and BMW power for 2012. BMW wants him, so much they are willing to promise him one of the North American DTM teams in 2013. Chip and others think that Chebby power will have the upper hand next year, though. It does already this season, Chip’s BMW wins having all come in the first half of the season, with the “Worlds Greatest Sports Car Driver” keeping him in front the rest of the way. Starworks is the other BMW team, but as much as the Bear likes Peter, BMW isn’t as high on him.

Robin Liddell may be headed to Autohaus. Jordon Taylor to Stevenson to partner Paul Edwards (Chebby doesn’t plan on losing another championship if they can help it).

The Grand Am schedule won’t be announced until SEMA in November. There are 15 possible venues  to be winnowed down to 12. ALMS will have to go first, and that will answer some key questions: Will ALMS retain Long Beach? Will they keep Road America? According to rumors, both are “in play.”

Out of the Kitchen

Clay Malooley is working on another American Le Mans Series program. Just sayin’.

State of the Series

The Boss and The Don will again preside on the Friday before PLM. If they don’t move away from the ACO’s shackles, the paddock will be very disappointed, Murphy hears. Some say that “status quo” will be the death of the series, or at least the trigger to team departures. However, the Bear thinks they are delusional enough in Braselburg to believe they’re doing “just fine.”

The WEC and the ALMS

In 2012, North America may retain Petit as a WEC round…that’s about 50-50. After that, it’s doubtful. Will there be much worth watching in the American Le Mans Series next year and beyond. Just the Bear’s opinion – and remember, Murphy’s attended over 100 ALMS races. Anybody else out there been more loyal? (That wasn’t paid to be there.)

Your Bookie Lays the Odds.

Murphy’s first job was Society Editor for a British sports car racing publication. He noticed the Limeys bet on everything…and the Bear means anything. So Murphy’s laying odds here at the Jellystone Casino on the things sports car fans worry about.

Robertson Racing returns to the American Le Mans Series  100-1
Risi Competizione returns to the American Le Mans Series in 2012  2-1
Petit Le Mans is a World Endurance Championship round in 2012  Even money
Sebring is a World Endurance Championship round in 2012  1-5
Ian Dawson brings a race team to a North American event  3-1
An Ian  Dawson entry takes the green flag in a North American event  10-1
Audi races a prototype in the American Le Mans Series  50-1
Peugeot races a prototype in the American Le Mans Series  200-1
Jon Field dodges the IRS  50-1
Level 5 races in the American Le Mans Series in 2012  50-1
Cytosport/Muscle Milk contests a full 2012 ALMS schedule  150-1
Dyson Racing contests a full 2012 ALMS schedule  2-1
Ferrari contests a full 2012 Grand Am schedule  5-1

Porsche announced a prototype to race at Le Mans in 2014. That took even the Bear by surprise. Oh, there had been rumblings, but Murphy – and just about everyone else – filed them away for future reference; what debt-burdened Porsche does with a few hundred million Euros is not (regardless of protestations) independent of Volkswagen Group in general and – if in racing – of Audi in particular. Nor is it this time.

Since when has Porsche announced a program three years before its launch? How about never. Since when has Porsche fielded a car without knowing it would be capable of winning? Not in Murphy’s memory. How likely is Porsche – a company that insists on continuing to race the rear-engine layout 911 because that fits its marketing objectives – to field a diesel-powered prototype? Not in this lifetime.

How likely is Audi to continue to field a diesel prototype that might be beaten by Porsche? When that happened in the ALMS, the Porsche threat wasn’t serious in the first year of three, Porsche grabbed the brass ring, winning overall in 2007, and Audi took back the season overall championship in 2008. Then Audi left. Don’t forget they were independent companies then. Murphy’s friends at Last Turn Clubhouse awarded the one really important prototype championship in 2007 and 2008. Here are the results: 2007, 2008

What the Porsche announcement really does is begin to validate what we’ve been hearing from multiple sources: that Audi is headed out of sports car prototype racing. Only a few that follow this sport noticed that Colin Kolles is headed out of F1’s Hispania Racing (HRT). (Plus the team’s owner convicted of fraud, only to be replaced less than two weeks later by the third owner in its short history.)

Some in F1 say that Kolles is acting as Audi cat’s paw, and when he soon takes a position in Williams F1 along with his buddy (another Audi ally), Dorothy’s-Dog Red-Riding-Hood’s-Nemesis (a classic Murphy-ism, but an easy one), that presages a move by Audi on Williams.

Big Bad, who now has an equity position in the publically-traded Williams, quickly denied Williams needs “a great fireman to rescue it from collapse,” just the sort of narrow, slightly-off-topic reply that leaves Murphy still wondering what’s afoot.

How does the recent Renault/Williams engine deal fit this? When we checked after that announcement, no one was backing off the story. The engine deal is for just two years – 2012 and 2013 – with an option for a third. That clears the way for a “new rules” Audi F1 engine, and for the introduction by Porsche of a new Le Mans, coincidentally (or not) scheduled for 2014.

The recent FIA tie-up with the ACO for the World Endurance Championship doesn’t end with a championship sanction; it will soon include common – or close enough – engine rules.

The Cat

Though Nick Wirth’s involvement remains uncertain, the rest of the Jaguar LMP story is pretty solid, including the involvement of John Piper, (XJR 14 and Reynard) along with Rod Benoist and Jerry Pyman, both former TWR Jaguar hands. This is a project headed for the WEC – likely not before 2013. The back story here is that this project exists in substantial part because Coventry is fed up with the failed ALMS GT program, which is on “contract life-support,” headed for the dustbin as soon as that deal expires, reportedly after the 2012 season.

Whither the American Le Mans Series?

There’s never been more paddock buzz about the future of the series. The key word is “change,” and like its use in politics, the key question (sometimes overlooked in the excitement) is “What change?”

A week or so ago, Gary Horrocks, who’s covered the American Le Mans Series over the past decade for dailysportscar.com, penned a commentary at DSC titled “What’s Next for ALMS?”

In part, he writes, “Some things never change, but change is coming…Change for the ALMS is a complete unknown at this point. Some say it won’t be around at all. I’m not sure if I’d go that far, but it is apparent that changes are coming. They almost have to.  Will the changes mean a complete step away from the ACO dictated regulations? Time will tell, but if they do, all I can say is that it’s about time.  Since the series essentially kept ACO type events afloat through the 2000’s, the French management have done nothing but dump on their American “partners”.

He concludes: “If the ALMS is to thrive or even survive, maybe it is time to seriously look at their past and towards their future and re-examine their relationship with the ACO. Any future directions and changes must be done with consideration towards the presence of the Grand Am. It’s not an easy situation to be in, but it looks as it is indeed time for change. The next few months will likely prove to be interesting, beyond whatever happens on track.”

Some of you may say that reads like little more than idle speculation, but Murphy being a bit of an expert on both idle speculation and on DSC (he was more or less in charge of Idle Speculation at that publication from July 2005 to April 2006), the Bear takes such ruminations quite seriously. In short, Gary’s commentary doesn’t make it into print unless there’s some serious angst behind it, and Murphy’s hearing many of the same rumbling.

The tone of that paddock noise is not whether there will be significant change, but when and what that change will be. The lid on this stuff in Braselburg is as tight as it has ever been (that’s not a really high bar, actually), but here are some of the possibilities being knocked around this the paddock:

ACO “Trial Separation?”

The Series will modify its rules to move further away from an ACO clone than it ever has. A single LMP class is possible, as is an “open” GT class. The ACO divorce rumor is so pervasive that it’s also thought in some quarters that Braselburg is considering  bringing the Professional Sports Car Racing moniker back. A significant split from the ACO might actually require such a move. Murphy’s been digging in the closet for his old IMSA hat. He’s got a Camel GT hat, too, but that’s probably against the law.

(More) Open GT?

That Open GT class is interesting because that’s the only way (except “unclassified” as will be the case this season) The Don’s beloved Abruzzi will be able to race. It’s suggested that the Abruzzi could be homologated, including the required 25 road cars (though building and selling are different propositions), but there are now no plans to do so. The previously-rumored homologation project is now on hold. An open – or “more” open – GT would also allow the series access to many more race cars than the current rather restrictive – and expensive – ACO GTE rules. And really, The Don got into all this because he wanted to race a car; the Series was little more than an afterthought to make that happen.

One Prototype Class?

This makes some sense, given that there aren’t enough cars out there to make up two classes, say nothing of three. Of course, that’s been true for about a half decade, and the Series actually did it for a single season (2010). How it gets done this time, with LMPC in the mix, the Bear has no idea, but that’s one of the rumors.

More “Spec” Classes?

A rumor directly in conflict with the single prototype/open GT stories is an expansion of spec racing in an effort to continue down the path of “affordable racing.” Perhaps the LMP1 and 2 classes are combined, and LMPC is left intact? Or LMP1 and 2 go away, leaving LMPC – or something similar – as the premier class? Grand Am, anyone?

Shorter Schedule?

The schedule will be shortened and compressed. This year’s huge Le Mans break will be shortened, though it’s hard for Murphy to see how that happens, especially since the loss-of-Long Beach rumor persists. (The fact there’s a long term contract in place for that race is irrelevant; if the parties want out, they’ll get out.)

WEC in North America

There will be two WEC races in North America, Sebring and Petit Le Mans. There will be one WEC race in North America, Sebring. There will be one WEC race in North America, Petit Le Mans. There will be one WEC  race in North America, Austin. You get the idea, don’t you? However, there is some rationale that attaches to the Austin idea. The FIA has a vested interest in making the Austin track financially viable to ensure its F1 date. That became tougher with the compromise the promoters had to make with the Austin City Council – effectively increasing their financial burden.

Management?

Further senior management departures are rumored. There’s even a bet in the paddock that there will be big moves before September 1. Murphy sources who might previously have defended the decisions of the Braselburgers have recently turned negative. Will “The Boss” be amongst the casualties? There are rumors. Perhaps Murphy will apply for the job.

The Wilting Core

So why all the turbulence now? Certainly the advent of the WEC is a big factor. It provides a “big stage” for the ALMS’ traditional core constituents – the manufacturers. It’s often said the “privateers are the backbone of sportscar endurance racing,” but there is no doubt the American Le Mans Series was built on the back of Audi, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Corvette – and of course Michelin.

Prototype WEC Programs

It was the only game in town for the big boys that needed some place to go with their expensive machinery beyond that “one-off” race in France. No longer. Even ten-cent players like Scott Tucker are taking their racing – and cash – to the ILMC-soon-to-be WEC. Audi’s long since gone there. Porsche’s future LMP1 is not identified in any way with the ALMS, and even if Penske gets the deal (as it is widely believed in the paddock he will), it will be another WEC program. As Murphy explains in this Poop, Jaguar’s prototype will be a WEC entry, and will correspond with the end of Jaguar in the ALMS. The only sign of a new ALMS prototype program is the Tarleton’s Signature Motorsports, which recently announced another change of plans: to P1. Murphy’s not aware of anything beyond talk with any manufacturers (like maybe a contract), though. It’s way beyond late to build a new car for any part of the 2011 season, and nothing the Bear has heard suggests buying something used, so this entertainment is “to be continued” in 2012.

GT: BMW

BMW has a lot invested in the future of DTM, both worldwide and in this country in association with Grand Am. Look for an increase in BMW’s Grand Am presence. Murphy heard second hand from within RLR that, “No one at ALMS has given the slightest indication that they are either concerned about our (RLR) going or interested in our staying.” That’s against persistent rumors that BMW is on the way out after this season or next.

GT: Ferrari

Ferrari officially announced a Grand Am GT racer. They’re going to make sure they’ve got competitive teams over there. Look for entries before the end of the current season. Will Risi Competizione move? What if Maranello asked Giuseppe to field a team? He’s been there before. Michael Waltrip Racing is reluctantly headed to Grand Am, convinced the ALMS offers too much risk and too little upside for the investment. It’s no secret that Scott Sharp would like to take his Extreme Speed Motorsports to IndyCar.

GT: Porsche

Porsche will be in ALMS as long as the series – or its successor – exists. That’s the Porsche way. They have race cars – and plenty of racers – to fit whatever format is there. The question is whether Flying Lizard or some other team with significant factory support remains. The Lizards have run at Daytona, most recently with a Daytona Prototype. As with Risi, they’ll go where the racing is, something to keep in mind with just about any team; there’s really not much loyalty. Racers like to race.

GT: Corvette

There’s potential for trouble ahead at Corvette, or at least a big decision. There is very strong support for the factory program within GM’s highest management ranks but does it make sense to continue racing in the USA if there’s nobody to race against? They’ve been in that position and nobody wants to do it again. If the ALMS moves solidly toward a privateer, open GT field, as is rumored, that is exactly the position in which Corvette is likely to find itself; race nearly alone in a depleted “pro” category or beat up on an amateur field.

But the WEC isn’t certain, either. North America funds the racing program and it’ll be a tough sell for them to fund a program that spends 80 or 90-percent of its time outside of North America. It isn’t likely that Chevrolet Europe has the resources to fund the factory team alone, so perhaps it becomes a joint effort?  A Murphy source says, “There are various good outcomes – ALMS somehow gets a second wind, GM finds ways to fund a WEC factory program, etc. but there are also obviously various bad outcomes – ALMS goes away, ALMS goes in a direction that GM won’t participate in, etc. I think that at this point there are too many unknowns and it’s too early in the complex process for Chevy to know what it’s doing next year.”

Murphy’s Favorite Topic

The one bright spot within GT is – oddly enough – the Abruzzi. Homologation aside, The Don is determined to race the car, and Prototype Technology Group has been working hard to make that happen. Those who dismissed 32-year-old Swede Edward Sandström as a “rent-a-ride” badly missed the mark. Sandström has been a regular in the FIA GT3 championship in Europe, and partnered Tommy Milner to a win at the 24 Hours of Dubai this year, giving PTG good insight on his driving skills. There have been some problems with this program (and Murphy’s no fan of the styling, to put it mildly), but he doesn’t think The Don’s entry will be the GT backmarker at Mosport. This time it’s possible as many as four entries could finish in its wake. For more on Edward, go to Speedhunters

The Television Sucks

The Series mismanaged its television coverage for years – it was the product that sucked all along, losing viewers nearly every season – leading to the inability to make a deal for 2011. The spin was “new media,” but that’s nonsense, of course. Murphy sources tell him that the Series went shopping for a renewal of the kind of coverage it had in previous years, and couldn’t find a taker. So it got jobbed by ESPN and had to swallow and spin.

The current media package is even worse than it looks, according to those who know the details. It’s badly underfunded, with a single producer to cover a workload that has normally required multiple staff. The Bear was told t-race staffing is kindly described as lean, a shoe-string operation. The production company has not changed, but observers could see the lack of resources in the product that came out of Lime Rock. Today, the ALMS posted this on its house website:

“Thanks to a groundbreaking and comprehensive digital and television broadcast package with ABC and ESPN, the Series boasts a 71 percent increase in the number of U.S. households that have watched ALMS events than at the same point in 2010.”

They’re still a bit math challenged over there in Braselburg, apparently confusing web hits with households. But whatever they’re doing it’s apples and oranges, chalk and cheese. It’s just plain not credible that the cobbled-together 5-inch picture on my computer is a more popular way to watch racing than live, full-length, full-screen on my television. Chuck Farrell covered the topic nicely in”Chuck Checks the Maths.” More importantly, amongst Murphy’s sources not a single individual responsible for funding or fielding a racing team believes it.

In its early years, the American Le Mans Series media coverage was a contributor to its value. When it started down hill, it became a liability. Without marketing value to manufacturers, the series has to change. The premise on which it was built is gone.

The Andy Lally Challenge

With so little going on in the American Le Mans Series, Murphy has had limited opportunity to bring his readers up to date on the Andy Lally Challenge.

First, the Bear announces that Andy has won NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year. No contest, wrapped it up. Way to go, Andy!
Murphy last updated the Challenge after Dover, where Andy’s purse brought his season’s total winnings to  $1,020,811. Murphy figures the American Le Mans field won $126,000 at Lime Rock, bringing the season total to   $1,046,000, including his estimate of the privateer bonuses to be calculated and paid at the end of the season. (Teams that have been classified as “factory,” or “factory supported” are not paid purse money. The next privateer(s) does/do not “move up.)

Andy’s first big set-back was at Charlotte, where he failed to qualify for the Coca Cola 600. Since then, however, he collected finishes of 31st at Kansas, 32nd at Pocono, 36th at Michigan, 35th at Infineon, 27th at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, 32nd at Kentucky and 28th at New Hampshire. Andy’s winnings over those seven events were $588,070, bringing his season’s total to $1,608,881.

If you can’t find a Prototype you like….

The Bear hears an ALMS prototype team is considering a jump to GT. The racing series for the GT program hasn’t been definitively identified, but it’s assumed to be the American Le Mans Series, where at least one manufacturer can trace its 2010 failures to the fact it had just one entry capable of consistently challenging for a podium finish.

The principal of that team was in Europe, perhaps visiting acquaintances in Baden-Württemberg in the past week.

If you can’t find a  prototype you like, Part Deux…

The Bear Tweeted that a life member of the Peerage was poking about in Leafield, giving credence to rumors he’ll join the ranks of prototype constructors. It had been  rumored that Baron Paul Drayson of Kensington is interested in building his own prototype, not entirely surprising, given the dearth of such machines. So it wasn’t a surprise that he’d be visiting the mostly mothballed former site of the TWR Empire.

Global Leader Invisible Racing

That was the response of an important supporter of the ALMS when Murphy’s described the still-unannounced 2011 American Le Mans Series schedule today. We’re still talking rumor here, of course, but this is the most detailed and credible schedule the Bear’s heard to date.

Four races will be shown on a one-week delay on ABC in the truncated docudrama format introduced in the 2010 season. Those four were said to be  Laguna Seca, Road America, Long Beach, and Petit Le Mans. The remaining races will be shown on Versus, except for Sebring, which will be presented live on ESPN3 (yes, “3”). For those who like such things, most – perhaps all – will be streamed live on the web.

Petit gets “petiter”

If it falls out of the ILMC field, expect Petit Le Mans to lose it’s automatic invites to the 24 hueres du Mans.

Chip makes a decision

Gannasi will stay with GM in his NASCAR operation, and thus likely with BMW power in Grand Am. The Bear told you in his last Poop that Chip was considering a move to Ford.

All but the funding

The West Racing team that plans to field Lamborghini Gallardo’s in ALMS has not yet found the funding it needs to acquire the cars. Sebring is just 120 days hence. If they do make the grid, is this another Jaguar?

Speaking of which…

Jaguar will not be an ILMC entrant, or will not be an ALMS entrant. It’s simply one or the other, Murphy hears, and for now, anyway, ALMS is the more likely program.

Meanwhile, down the street…

At Grand Am, homologation of a GT3-based Lamborghini is ah…difficult, as will be the other GT3 homologations on which the series is working.  But, they are working, and Le Rat is on his way, too…so the “GT3 void” in North America is going to be filled – just not by the American Le Mans Series.

The GT grid

The Bear’s been listening at shop keyholes across the land to collect this early take on the ALMS GT grid.

Corvette Racing is “all in” with its ubiquitous pair of yellow Chevrolet Corvette C6.R’s.  (The Bear knows better than to call them ZR1’s). Corvette has a corporate ‘green light’ to run this program through 2013, preferably in the American Le Mans Series. Its long-standing history with the ALMS doesn’t make Corvette and its backers immune from disappointment shared by others in the GT paddock.

ACS Express Racing got a rude introduction to the top rank of GT racing at Petit Le Mans, not making the grid. The Doran Design Ford GT will need a lot of development to be competitive. Everything Murphy hears points to one, not two Fords until ACS gets a grip on the requirements. (Edit: Barely 12 hours after composing this entry, the Bear’s been told ACS Express has turned out the shop lights for the last time.)

Team Falken Tire is working hard to field a second Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Robertson Racing’s Ford GT has been a fixture for a number of seasons now. The fans were treated to a second entry at Petit, something the team hopes to continue in 2011.

Flying Lizard Motorsports has been the subject of rumors over its Grand Am DP dalliance, but with likely return  with one Porsche 911 RSR, a second entry remains in doubt. That has Porsche looking  to bolster its ranks – if losing the manufacturer’s title to BMW wasn’t enough motivation.

Panoz Team Abruzzi. Tom Milner is still a player in this “new”  Panoz Team Abruzzi. For all his efforts the Bear doesn’t have much hope here, though the Abruzzi built on Esperante running gear will be light years ahead of the Jag(s).

 Risi Competizione is determined to capture the championships that eluded it in 2010. The team will field two Ferrari 458 G’s if it can find the finances.

Jaguar RSR says it will field two Jaguar XKR’s. That’s with all good intentions, but if the performance isn’t there right away, look for the team to drop back to a single entry.

BMW Rahal Letterman Racing is certain to return with its pair of BMW M3’s in 2011. Unfortunately, anything beyond that is problematical.

Tequila Patrón Spirits Extreme Speed Motorsports  will field at least one Ferrari 458 GT, and likely return with two for the team’s second season.

West Racing plans on field a pair of Lamborghinis if they can find the funding. That’s behind schedule now’ the Bear makes it about 60-40 in favor of making the Sebring grid.

Cytosport Racing, done with the Porsche RS Spyder, and not (so far) having found a good prototype option, is exploring GT. For Porsche, needing to shore up its ALMS GT ranks after a disappointing one-horse 2010 campaign, would like nothing better than to add this team that very much impressed them. Let’s face it; GT racing has always been Porsche’s cause célèbre. The Bear guesses that this is the most likely outcome for Greg Pickett’s team.

Though there are many questions, particularly about second cars, and even about a some teams, GT2 looks like a minimum field of 9 and could go as high as 24 (now 22) – 17 (now 16) is the Bear’s “best guess.” Who the hell needs prototypes, anyway? This is where the action is. Besides, Murphy hears the best way to kill off this field is to keep hiding it behind an uninteresting fleet of prototypes.

Murphy’s Top Ten Favorite Liveries

Inspired by the thread and the list linked in at http://www.americanlemansfans.com forum, the Bear picked his personal top ten, only four of which were on the published list.(Numbers shown, “Nr.” denotes not rated.)  Murphy isn’t big on “iconic” unless the livery is also art, so an oversized Marlboro pack just doesn’t turn his crank. (Murphy has a personal attachment to five of these.)

45.  1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Evo Champion Motorsports
Nr.  1997 Mercedes CLK GTR “Sportswear”
15.  2007 Corvette C6.R “Bad Boy”
14.  1977 Lotus 77 John Player Special
Nr.  1986 Benetton B186
Nr.  1991 Jaguar XJR-14 “Silk Cut”
Nr.  1971 BMW M1 Andy Warhol
Nr.  1976 Porsche 935 Turbo “Martini”
  6.  1964 Cobra Daytona Coupe
  2.  1968 Ford GT MK1

Follow the Bear on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Murphythebear

After hastily announcing and error-plagued 2011 schedule at Road America, Murphy didn’t expect a mea culpa, but he thought there might be an update of sorts. Like what about Road America. The track now lists the American Le Mans Series as a Saturday race, and the Plymouth Town Board has approved late-running. Why the silence?

The Boss said there might be an “event” stuck into the big summer gap. Then, on Saturday he said there would be no race added to the season schedule. So what’s “The Event” other than that new television series rip-off of “Lost?” Braselberg claims 12,000 showed up for something-or-other-on-Main in Greenville, but is that any compensation for teams without a sponsor and sitting on their duffs for three months? An “event” is to a race like a docudrama is to live coverage.

As if The Gap wasn’t enough, it turns out the Le Mans test day will be on April 24, just one week after Long Beach. That’s another major black eye for the series.

The Coverage

Another big non-announcement was the television contract (or lack of one). Some say to expect the same as this season, meaning live coverage of about half – including the two ILMC races – on Speed, and some major network telecasts, docudramas included, but not exclusively. All that done by that new “in house” production department. If you think they’ve shown their management skills in other areas, why not have the Braselbergers get into the media production business?

Murphy continues to think it’s going to be quite different. There was a party Friday night by the television folks, including the “on-air talent.” It was a farewell party. The Bear’s been told we’ll not see them again. But who will we see? And what does that say about the Speedtv coverage that the Boss praised in his Friday oration? Gone, Murphy hears. Gone to flowers… Sorry, wrong song… Gone to docudramas on Versus, with occasional runs on a network. Like the IRL. Did you watch much of the IRL this year? Neither did the Bear.

Speaking of in-house production, did you see the nubile college girls running around in blue vests with entry-level camera gear? The ones with no clue, pointing lenses at random? That’s in-house production, intern division. Let’s see, motorsports pro photographers are Hugewally, Rizzo, and Jimmy, and the available photo interns are Athens sorority girls?

In a week when reduced television coverage was rumored, the series scored perhaps its biggest – most visible, anyway – print media coup, a cover and forty page article in Road & Track featuring the principal GT contenders.

The Event

Not that fictional place-holder sometime in 2011, but the big Petit Le Mans right there at Road Atlanta. No one the Bear knows claims to have seen a bigger crowd – ever, with 124,000 was mentioned. In 2008 113,000 was reported, and in 2009 a rainy week drew 102,000.

The year in attendance was a split decision, the Bear hears – five up, four down.

Grids

Looking ahead to 2011, the Braselbergers were happy to announce Mexican Lambos, and perhaps a pair of Panozies, both likely to keep the Cats company, but no R8 in ALMS. Bet on R8’s in the Florida-based series, though.

ACS says they’ll run a pair of Fords all year. The Bear hopes so. CORE Autosport wants to run some kind of an ALMS prototype. So far, that’s little more than a fishing expedition for sponsors and funded drivers.

An accomplished prototype driver whose family had a long history with Mercedes and Nissan will plot a GT Porker with a famous North American racing team, itself leaving the prototype ranks to contest GT in the 2011 season.

The “Green Racing Leader” can’t figure out what to do with a hybrid GT, so there will be no electric Porsche, nor any other.

Rumored BMW motorsport cuts will leave BMW North America and Rahal without much help in 2011. How long can that continue?
      
Daytona champion to stay with Porsche, add second DP; given what the Bear’s heard about the teams’ source of funding, the choice of package says a lot about the relationships being built/rebuilt at International Speedway Blvd.

On balance, the paddock chatter indicates improvement on the margin of the ALMS GT grid with Lamborghini and more Fords for 2011. Meanwhile, Grand Am will make revolutionary changes, leading to a major remake of its GT field.

Miscellany

The Bear poked fun at the official cheese of the American Le Mans Series, but that was before he tried Yancy’s Fancy at Petit. It’s really yummy. Leave some of that in your car, and any self-respecting Bear will rip it to pieces to get in.

Braselberg said they were working on a “more accessible” Green Challenge. Does that mean it won’t be restricted to slide rule geeks (for those few living who still remember slide rules)? That’s the objective, but the real problem remains: There’s never been a  non-visual sport.

Seen at Paddy’s (beyond the usual suspects): Gordon Murray, David Price, Gil Campbell, a Porsche ALMS factory driver reunion, a working Abruzzi , miscellaneous eye candy with drivers and executives (not sure which of the latter were groupies or rentals).

No road cars are necessary to homologate the Abruzzi. You did notice it was entered in GT at Petit, didn’t you? How do you suppose that happened?

Not a big surprise, but there was some angst in the paddock about the cost to teams of the 2011 prototype rule changes. One source called it a “revolt of sorts” that could lead abandonment of some proposals. So there’s turbulence in the ACO’s world. Are you surprised?

Porsche to F1, Audi in sports cars? Murphy’s hearing, “snicker, snicker.” The Bear can’t find anyone in the sport who believes it.

Pratt & Miller is in pre-build engineering a Caddy for GM. What effect on other GM programs, if any? Seemingly nothing for ALMS fans, since Murphy’s been told that Corvette Racing (the Pratt & Miller American Le Mans Series program in its entirety, he believes) has been approved/funded by GM to race through the 2013 season.

Over at Grand Am it’s different, where GM is pressuring teams to ditch their Corvettes in favor of Camaros – or Camaro look-alikes. So where does the Caddy go? We’ve seen a CTS-V running around the Nurburgring lately…not sayin’…just sayin’…

Grand Am Help Wanted?

A well-known native New Yorker, laid off in recent major Daytona Prototype Grand Am team “reorganization” was  seen at lunch will ALMS team owner. Did he come away with a job offer to help with the new Grand Am program?

BMW  Turbulence

It’s rumored in Europe that BMW will radically cut racing programs in 2011, most pushed aside for 2012 DTM. Less affected (whatever that means) will be the American Le Mans Series program, which has separate, North American, funding. Murphy hopes that means the Rahal cars will be on the track for the entirety of the 2011 schedule – however many events that turns out to be.

Retirement – or Not

Long-time ALMS driver Chris McMurry retired after the 2009 season. Now – in the fine tradition of Michael Jordan and Brett Favre – he’s itching to go racing again and almost certainly will be back in ALMS next year. Sure enough, McMurry has shown up listed as a driver on the LNT Zytek at Silverstone. Does that mean Autocon will swap the Lola for the Zytek in 2011? Or is that driver independent of Autocon and of future plans?

Lizards Live, and Cats, too

Contrary to rumors reported earlier by Murphy, the demise of the Flying Lizards has been much exaggerated. He hears they’re committed to a 2011 return.

Rocket Sports Racing Jaguar will also be back for another go in 2011. That sound you hear is a sigh of relief from David, Ed, and Seth.

 Mosport

The facilities at Mosport are a long-running joke in the ALMS community, and nothing draws more ire than the media center. It’s run-down, cramped, and in a communications black hole. But don’t bother expressing your displeasure. You just might be told if you don’t like it, you don’t have to come back.

With the IT guy unavailable because he was moonlighting in track security, the Bear grudginly has to give credit to management for keeping close watch on the Don’s Loonies and Toonies.

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and Petit Le Mans.

It appears that the new world championship won’t contribute much to Petit Le Mans this season. First, in some some classes, there’s no need for teams to travel between continents. For instance, in GT2 it’s a manufacturer’s championship, to which a combination of teams can contribute. So, for Ferrari there’s no point in sending a European team to Road Atlanta; Risi Competizione and Extreme Speed can carry Maranello’s banner. It’s the same for BMW (Schnitzer at Silverstone, RLR at Road Atlanta), and Porsche. Petit will get the Peugeot and Audi diesels, but it’s always gotten those anyway, and might have this year with or without the cup. There’s a chance we’ll see a couple of LMP2 entries, a pair of Saleens for the otherwise empty GT1, and maybe the Signature Aston Martin. That’s the maximum, according to Murphy’s sources – four diesels and five other entries.

Other additions include second cars for Robinson Racing and Rocket Sports, an Abruzzi (maybe), and an electric Porsche (the Bear likes to call it that), Libra Racing’s Radical. Will Add the 34 ALMS “regulars” to that, and total entries are 48. The ACO in its ILMC page also predicts there will be 48. Are Murphy and the Frogs missing someone?

Schedule Follies

After a decade of announcing its schedule at a multi-media Friday event at Petit Le Mans, the Braselburg Brain Trust tossed it out over a month ahead at a hastily-called Road America presser with the Big Boss sitting alone in front of a Road America banner with a hand-held mike. The Bear’s invite got lost in the mail, so he had to depend on his friends for the poop.

The thing turned out to be as fictional as many of the paddock rumors Murphy writes about. Miller’s “out,” as the paddock expected, and Baltimore is “in.” It was a bit ominous to some of the Bear’s woodland friends that the release tagged a race as TBD (determined), than the far more certain TBA (announced). That worry was well placed. Baltimore (the TBA) came through (Murphy had reported that Baltimore insiders were anxious for its announcement weeks ago) but Oklahoma City (the TBD) cratered. Neither outcome was a surprise.

Road America is back, after rumor (and speculation) to the contrary. That’s a mild surprise because the sports car event is now likely no better than 5th in drawing fans to the picturesque Kettle Moraine region track, after the Nationwide stockers, AMA Superbikes, Brian Redman’s little cook-out, and the SCCA National Championship run-offs. Did a sanction fee cut keep one of Murphy’s favorite race courses on the schedule?

But why the early announcement? It’s good Murphy’s Braselburg Mole is on the job. The sleeper agent’s bugs in a conference room on Broadway were able to catch this:

(background noise unintelligible)
Unidentified Voice: …that stupid bear thinks Road America will drop off the schedule. (laughter)
Media Honcho:  He got the Baltimore thing, though. (silence)
TV Guy:  Hasn’t everybody? (laughter)
Media Honcho:  But the Bear reported the Baltimore committee is waiting for us.
Big Boss:  I refuse to read that stupid stuffed animal. What does he say about Oklahoma City?
Media Honcho:  He doesn’t believe it will happen.
Big Boss:  Well, we’ve got him there, then, don’t we?
(Here there’s a long pause; has there been a bug failure?)
TV Guy: (quietly, breaking into the silence)  He says Miller will not be back.
Big Boss: (angry or frustrated)   I wish we could keep something secret around here. I thought we had that damned mole, but he’s still lurking around here somewhere. I want him found! (bangs table). (more quietly) Sorry, it just makes me so mad.
Chief Sycophant:   They still think we’re going to have a bigger schedule on the forums. One “best guess” was 12 races.
Big Boss:   So?
Chief Sycophant: (sputtering)   Well, I thought…ah…that, well…that would be good…that you’d like that, Big Boss…(trails off)
Big Boss: (with determination)  We’ll have ten, that’s more than this year. And that damnable Bear thinks it will be just eight. Let’s announce it and stop all this stuff. Besides, the stuffed one will be wrong, then, won’t he?
TV Guy:  But…but…it’s not final yet.
Big Boss: Close enough. Have you check arranged the TV stuff?
TV Guy:  Do we have to announce that?
Big Boss: I suppose we can do that later…
IMSA VP Guy: I’ve been working on the schedule this year.
Big Boss: (irritated)  You have?
IMSA VP Guy: (tentatively) You asked me to…
Big Boss: Ah, yes, I guess I did. So?
IMSA VP Guy:  There might be changes after the announcement.
Big Boss: It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?
IMSA VP Guy: I suppose not….
Big Boss: That’s it then. The announcement will be in Wisconsin, we’ll say we’re doing it early for the teams, sponsors, yadda, yadda, and act like it’s all set. If it has to change later, then so be it.
Sycophant Guy: (eagerly)  Yes, boss.
Media Hondo: Yes, boss.
IMSA VP Guy: Yes, boss.
TV Guy:  Yes, boss.
Big Boss: That’s what I like to hear.

The Bear has absolutely no idea who those guys on that audio are, nor whether it has anything to do with the American Le Mans Series. It’s probably fiction and likely just coincidental that at Road America the Big Boss announced a schedule of ten races later reduced to nine, with an 11 week gap in the middle which later changed to 12, with a date for PLM that later changed, and a date for Mosport that later changed, too. Of the ten race dates announced at Road America, six will actually happen as announced – so far.

It seems that Braselburg isn’t done adding to the 2011 schedule yet. Not all of you frequent the independent American Le Mans Series fan forum (Murphy recommends it), so the Bear got permission to post this item  about an expected 2011 ALMS event.

The Bear’s been told the Münchenbergers will be in DTM by 2012. Motorsport chief Mario Theissen will be gone by the end of the year.

Up the road at the Stud Garden, the prototype project has been canned. Something about refinancing €14 billion, and more billions of liability from allegations of market manipulation by boss Wiedeking and finance chief Härter.

Closer to home, Brumos has let go some well-known sports car racing names in a significant downsize.

The View from Belgium

 Not surprisingly, the American Le Mans Series was thought by many to be in dire straits. That’s become pretty routine, whether one is in on the Atlantic in Florida, or across the Atlantic in Europe. Does the fact that so many seem to believe it mean it’s close to the truth? Or perhaps, like the negative views of the stock market, it’s an indicator things are about to get better?

The series has cut costs, changed its television package and, as a result of that, it’s exposure, added to its fields with the Challenge classes, and seems to be moving toward two new street race venues. Are those the right moves? Are they enough? Should be expect more changes before the end of 2010?

Intercontinental Bust?

Others at Spa were bemoaning the status of the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, some even saying it’s near to being a non-starter. We heard a lot of that about the Asian Le Mans races last year, but at least some of that schedule finally happened. The clearest indicator we’ll have of at least short term viability, if not long term potential will be the number of teams that contest Petit Le Mans because it’s a required ILMC  round. Among possible GT entries, Team Felbermayr Proton and BMS Scuderia Italia, one the Le Mans winner, and the other the victor at Spa, are getting mention.

Yet another sage sports car racing observer wonders, “if the ACO is between a rock and hard place with the new InterContinental Challenge.” Whose rules will they use? What fuel at Sebring and PLM? What will happen to the local junior classes if the entry is over subscribed? “(Daniel) Poissenot could or would not give me an answer on these questions,” he tells the Bear.

The FIA, GT 1 through 4, and Grand Am

There’s widespread belief that GT1 won’t go into another year, but Le Rat is still clinging to the concept despite its precarious financial position. There are rumbles that Freddie Dor is going to build another car and an Alpina B6 is on the way, it seems. But all the teams are strapped. One observer reckoned, “It feels like the first season of A1 GP and we all know where that went.”

The North America division of an auto manufacturer believes FIA GT3 cars in Grand Am (reported recently by http://lastturnclub.com ) is close to a done deal. Murphy hears two about Grand Am’s FIA quasi-alliance: (1) putting butts in the seats, and (2) managing its competitive balance in GT.

A GT2, GT3, and GT4-based  series could do well with Spa 24 as the centerpiece, according to analysts. That’s important with the FIA’s push to create national series at least roughly compliant with those rules in North America and Asia. And as some one said, “It gives Le Rat a path to retreat to if the Gt1 thing goes tits.” Consider this, said our source, “GT3 makes a lot of sense (for Grand Am) as the cars can run at Spa and Nurburgring 24 Hours.  It will give GA a shot at the wine and cheese crowd without bringing in Peugeot and Audi LMP’s.”

Black Hole

Will the American Le Mans Series disappear into the same television black hole that has captured the IRL? Murphy tweeted on Friday that IMSA was considering a no-pit-stops-under-caution rule for Mid-Ohio. That obviously didn’t happen. Speculation at the time was the idea was triggered by concerns over pit congestion due to the larger-than-normal IndyCar entry and the smaller-than-normal pit lane; the headline series (that would be IndyCar, fans) leaves its equipment along the pits throughout the weekend, contributing to the problem. One rumor now says that wasn’t the reason – not the real one, anyway. It’s all connected to a plan that will end SpeedTV coverage of the American Le Mans Series next year, and move all its races to Versus, presented in the same truncated 1 hour programs by the same company that’s doing a trial run with CBS events this season. The editing of those packages gets a whole lot easier if pit stops are all under green, doesn’t it?

The Bear decided to delay Paddock Poop 170 for this important and extremely timely A. C. column.-Murphy-

Bad luck? Hardly. According to the Bear’s sources, the Keystone Kops routine was on display all week, from an embarrassing rented transporter that ultimately had to be covered up, to an empty hospitality suite for Jaguar executives and their guests  – no furniture, not even a cup of coffee.

Even the mainstream press had serious doubts about the program continuing once they saw it at Le Mans. The Daily Telegraph, UK’s largest circulation broadsheet newspaper, noted Jaguar’s “approval (of RSR’s official support) became rather strained” at Le Mans. Twenty years after the Tony Dowe-managed XJR-12 win, the Gentilozzi Jag went just 18 minutes 30 seconds into the 24-hour race before expiring. Murphy hears now that Jaguar will likely end its support for the RSR program before the American Le Mans Series gets to Miller. Will Jaguar continue with some other arrangement? Perhaps, but not immediately. Meanwhile, some suggest that since it’s been largely a privateer effort anyway, Gentilozzi may try to continue.

Bavarians aren’t thrilled, either

Jaguar wasn’t the only famous make that had a troubled Le Mans. insiders admit Schnitzer was an embarrassment to BMW, too. The betting is that the Bavarians will – or have – express their unhappiness, but won’t “changing horses.” For now Schnitzer will continue as BMW’s most important racing partner.

Porsche wins Le Mans GT2 – maybe

Le Mans GT2 winners – or not? What could possibly be in doubt about the winning Porsche’s motor that would take until “early next month” to sort out. Some wag wondered if the timing was dependent on “the check clearing.” Meanwhile, any marketing value in having won Le Mans is frittering away – except, of course, Porsche has been happy to claim its 98th class win anyway. Since the runner up Ferrari is also under review, perhaps Porsche feels secure because the third place car is another Porker?

A Dane Sprints – and Likes it

Jan Magnussen had his Sprint Cup series debut and loved it. He called it “fantastic; unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”
“They go two wide and three wide. That’ll never happen in ALMS…here (in NASCAR), they allow you to race and to be two and three wide. Fantastic.”  Yuppers, Jan, the ALMS will pull you into the pits for “avoidable contact.”

Kevin to “Start and Park”

Given the instruction by cash-strapped Kevin Buckler’s TRG to “start and park,” 2000 Cup champion Bobby Labonte decided to walk. Andy Lally will get the opportunity to try to make the field, then park for the cash. That’s good for Andy, who gets a chance to show his skills to the Cup paddock.

Murphy told you about Buckler’s plans for new digs at New Jersey – and his sponsorship troubles – last August. Any chance Buckler’s fancy new shop will progress beyond this photo appears to be fading fast.

Mid-Ohio still “on” for IRL

Murphy’s been sorting through the comments on the 2011 schedule by IndyCar VP Terry Angstadt. Of most import to ALMS fans is his confirmation that Mid-Ohio will remain on the IRL schedule, albeit on a different date, the current one having now been committed to the new-in-2011 Baltimore street race.

With Baltimore and Loudon added, two current events will necessarily be dumped to achieve the series’ preferred 17 events. There could be more, but two seem certain according to Angstadt’s latest comments. Also implied in his remarks to the Elmira (NY) Star Gazette is that any “drops” will be within the events that occur before August on this year’s schedule. Since Long Beach is sacrosanct, it seems certain the only impact on the American Le Mans Series is the changed date for Mid-Ohio. Still to be answered, of course, is whether the ALMS will “follow” the IRL to the new date.

Prototypes Prospects

Expect Highcroft to return as Honda’s “Semi-Official Foot-in-the-Door” entry in Le Mans-style sports car racing. Although there have been statements of interest in an LMP1 engine under the new rules (since that would be a 3.4 liter NA designed-for-racing V8 they actually already have one, don’t they?) what they do will be determined by analysis of the final 2011 IMSA rules (if it and the ACO ever actually get around to publishing those). There’s no way there will be enough prototype entries for the series to restore its LMP1/LMP2 structure, so that class distinction is irrelevant and whichever engine appears to have the best chance to win will be the way this goes.

Murphy similarly thinks you can count on Dyson Racing to return, even though both Mazda money (cut this season) and BP petrodollars (other obligations to worry about) are “problematic” at best. Will Dyson stick to the so-called “little four-banger?” Yes, if the redesigned-for-2010 engine proves to be good over the remainder of this season, and the feeling on the team is it’s off to a pretty good start. As with HPD and Highcroft, the idea of a Dyson “class change” is moot as long as IMSA stays with a single LMP class – which it will do if it isn’t planning seppuku (though it does seem to be working on that).

Autocon’s LMP1 entry depends on Bryan Willman’s largess. He loves to race, but sooner or later will “hit the wall” (see Tom Weickardt). How does the Le Mans disappointment figure in that? Will the team be able to replace Shrek if it needs to? The Bear will score a 2011 return as “probably not.”

Intersport likewise needs one or more Sugar Daddies. Futility got old for Richard Berry, and the new Beverly Hills mark (er, driver) has hardly turned a wheel with a third of the season already gone. It’s a crap shoot to predict a top-class LMP entry for this team the rest of this year, say nothing of next, though the Bear expects continuation of its LMPC and IMSA Lites programs.

There’s some speculation that rule changes could end Cytosport’s Porsche run. Some of that appears to be rooted in an idea that a Porsche LMP1 (not just a modification of the RS Spyder) is imminent. Murphy doesn’t believe it is. So, will Cytosport continue? The team is not (like Highcroft or Dyson) an  ALMS competitor of many years. Greg Pickett is “getting on in years” (his lap times show it). Porsche doesn’t seem eager to support the Spyder (though they will continue to do so if adequately paid). Murphy thinks there’s no more than an “even chance” Pickett and his team will return.

Will Audi return? Yes and no. The “no” first. The R18 is about as substantial as any other video game, meaning it hasn’t made it off the hard drive of the design computer, and won’t until Audi’s board says “jawohl.” 

If it does, Murphy expects to see the new prototype in the Intercontinental Cup events and nowhere else. Herr Doktor Ulrich told a respected radio personality earlier in the spring  that a GT program in the American Le Mans Series is probably the way to go. Murphy would be disappointed if an Audi GT effort was wasted on a GTC entry, but it’s not clear which of those directions (GTC or GT), if any, Audi will finally take.

Everything the Bear hears about Corsa/ARES screams “dead on arrival.” Even the most recent team Facebook update couldn’t find anything more positive to say than “we are in a bit of a holding pattern,” and though they “want to race this year,” the “main concern” is 2011. Murphy puts the odds of even that happening about equal to those he gives to full seasons from Creation and ECO Racing. Both of those are slim and none, hoping in vain for one (or more) of those “sugar daddies,” so much in short supply. It’s a measure of the dearth of interest in racing in the American Le Mans Series that beyond ARES and ECO, Murphy can’t even find a good rumor about 2011 prototype entrants.

Drayson Racing is the one entrant for whom prospects for next season (and this one) have actually improved, due to Labour’s UK election loss. That left Lord Drayson “unemployed,” but now free to take on partners and sponsors. His current Judd V10 will be obsolete by the rules in 2011, and his enthusiasm for losing will be tested at some point (See Bryan Willman), but for now the Bear expect’s the Lord to return.

Unless there’s something out there completely under the radar, the American Le Mans Series top class will include no more than the six entries on this year’s grids with “bumps” in the two Intercontinental Cup races at Sebring and Road Atlanta.

LMP2 Kit Car

Kit car builder Bailey Edwards Cars claims it has six people working on a new-rules LMP2 to be built entirely in South Africa. Nearly two years into the project, there’s nothing to show but Greg Bailey’s chatter about testing in October and some artists drawings. To the Bear it looks like a small-scale US F1. Speaking of whom, they auctioned off US F1’s assets the other day, getting about a million dollars for tools, desks, parts and pieces, the largest of which, one tub, brought a mere $8,000. The You Tube guy, who’s turned out to be more big mouth than big money, seems perfectly happy to let his employees get stiffed on the pay due them. Class.

Peugeot’s Plan

Peugeot’s plan to participate in Petit – or in any of the remaining Intercontinental Cup and Le Mans Series races remains in some doubt. At the start of the season, it was Sebring oui, and PLM non. Then they said PLM ( and China) ouah! (Murphy dutifully booked his trip.) Following the Le Mans debacle, though, reports spread that it was now ah non Petit! (At least.) “Directly from the boss,” wrote one of the Bear’s trusted sources. Whatever. Girls and Frogs reserve the right to change their minds – often. As long as Paddy’s is open, Murphy will be happy.

Where’s T-Mobile?

 An article appearing in “Wall Street 24/7” lists the “10 Brands Most Likely to Disappear” T-Mobile, Kia, BP, Blockbuster, RadioShack, Moody’s, Merrill Lynch. Murphy had to laugh when he saw T-Mobile on that list. The chuckleheads ripping the poor Bear lately are the same ones who were touting VICI Racing’s Porsche T-Mobile sponsorship as “all set for 2010.” Murphy’s still looking for it…maybe later? Hey, corporate budget cycles don’t work like that – approving 2010 money in early 2009. What you saw in 2009 was all that was committed. 2010 was just hope – or hooey. The Bear told you as much.

Abruzzi

Le Mans was something short of a complete success for Don, Danny and the rest of the Braselburg gang. The Abruzzi made it across the Atlantic, but worries it might not make it around cancelled its scheduled demo laps. After a run up and down a nearby airport runway revealed a little problem or two (including wrong-length pushrods – “hey, we were in a hurry”), the Italian-inspired automotive sculpture became a static display at Le Mans, and remains in Europe. Parts packages are headed to Winchester, Virginia, so it’s now up to Tom Milner to see if he can build a racer. According to an observer, “It’s 75-1 on making PLM…against.”

Falken sent three wheels bounding down the track. One took out the Flying Lizard’s defending champions. Does that trifecta wipe out a previous Robertson Racing record of two stray wheels in a single race?

Sebring – Competence (continued)

All excuses (and resigned shrugs) aside. The fact that the GT2 race was ended nearly five hours before the checkered flag by IMSA rules (or the sloppy implementation of same) is stupid. Murphy thinks the ALMS is in the entertainment business, not just for the ticket-buying public, but for the sponsors of Flying Lizards Motorsports and Rahal Letterman Racing, and the rest, struggling for sponsors, all of them. The Braselburg puzzle palace better figure out how to keep those competitors in the show until they lose (or win) the race through their own efforts.

Another AJR

Alex and Holly’s fourth Porsche entry will go to Patrón GT3, not to ALMS GTC.

Fancy Fromage

If you searched Sebring thoroughly, you might have found the elusive cheese curd company. There was this pick ‘em up with a little trailer…

Driving Mr Fehan (part deux)

Murphy tipped his readers that Paul Edwards, Graham Rahal, and Butch Leitzinger  would test with Corvette Racing at Sebring after the 12 Hours. Many, however, were taken by surprise. Perhaps they were thinking that the two new “enduro drivers” who debuted at Sebring meant the cohort of pilots was nicely set.

Oh, contraire! (Some very cultured bears know a little Français.) It may seem that not much changes at Corvette Racing, because, well, it seems everyone else in the sport is swapping out drivers every few minutes. For Corvette turnover has been less frequent. Still, 19 drivers have piloted the team’s Corvettes in the American Le Mans Series.

In 2011, that number will increase by one or more. Driver No. 20 – believed to be a 2011 full-timer – was selected in January.

Not Amused in Winchester

To have someone say the Abruzzi is being built Georgia. Speaking of which, the Abruzzi may be as much Panoz as its GT1 was. Exactly so, perhaps.

Tequila Patrón

First the Braselburger in charge of marketing was yelling at the burger in charge of TV, or, more like yelling at each other. Then it was the agave farmer’s marketing guy yelling at the Braselburger marketing guy.

Someone “forgot” you can’t have liquor on TV before 11:00 AM. (Murphy’s always thought it’s not a good idea before noon, but well, you know the old thing, it’s, like noon somewhere, maybe in the Canary Islands or something.) Anyway, that’s a problem, because it was like 7:00 AM in California when they started the Sebring telecast, so it was “The American Le Mans Series presented by Patrón” instead of “…presented by Tequila Patrón.”

The Bear’s pretty sure if anyone could be expected to know the rules for booze ads and such, it would be an agave farmer’s marketing guy, so Murphy’s not sure why he was handing out the business. On the other hand, Braselburg played in the sportsbook.com fiasco a while back, so you’d think they’d have an organizational memory even if these particular burgers weren’t around.

Le Rat sans Fromage

With the addition of GT2 to the Intercontinental Challenge, the ACO would seem to have settled on GT2 as its premier (or only?) GT class, dumping GT1 in the LMS and at Le Mans in 2011. Will manufacturers ignore the Le Rat-run FIA GT1 championship? Murphy hears yes, which will put the poor little rodent in a big bind when Aston Martin, Corvette, and Maserati leave after 2011, given his GT2 series is already a non-starter in 2010. Le Rat invited the discomfort of manufacturers by excluding them in the first place. What would be your motivation to put your name on the line in a world championship entirely in the hands of…who knows?

The “smart money,” (obviously that’s not the Bear, is it?), is saying not only is GT1 deader than a mackerel, the ACO is looking at the fast disappearance of its lucrative manufacturer LMP franchise (you didn’t really think the club’s only benefit from Audi, Peugeot, and the rest was entry fees, did you?).

So if they’re smart (even – especially? – the French know how their palm is greased), we’ll see somewhat less restrictive 2011 rules (kind of grandfathering without saying so), and increasingly large GT(2) fields, maybe even a class that looks a little like GT3 (no, not the big buck stuff it’s been allowed to become in Yurrup). The Frogs won’t let the premium (or only) GT class be “2”-anything, so look for a nomenclature change.

Music City Motors

The Nashville car builder may now find itself in a lonely position, having built a car to the FIA GT1 spec. Now what do they do with it (or without it). The Bear suggests get serious about the ALMS program they’ve recently toyed with.

There’s a Law against that, isn’t there?

The American Le Mans Series is a bigger poacher than a redneck possum hunter. Lock up your daughters. They got Freescale.  They went after Kohler (from Road America) and lost, but it took the cake when a Braselburger went after Cytosport without knowing it’s Greg Pickett’s own company. Desperation, no shame, or just dumb?  

Where’s the Button?

Scott’s button – the one he wore at Lime Rock – has disappeared. The Bear can spell W-o-r-l-d C-e-n-t-, aw hell, you know who.

The Tucker Rule

Scott Tucker entered two cars. He drove 79 minutes in No. 55; it won, and he collected the points. He drove No. 95 for the required 2 hours. It was excluded. The Tucker Rule (as it stands now, and as the Bear interprets it) is that a driver can meet the newly-mandated minimum by combining the time he drives in two cars, even if one of those rides is excluded by rule. So, the car is excluded, but a driver’s time in it is good?

There are lots of combination that will win a pro-am race if you have two entries.

How did Murphy do?

Once again, the Bear published his Punter’s Guide (Tip Sheet in the colonies). It’s time he owns up to the result.

LMP1 – He nailed it,  but that really didn’t take any talent, did it? If the Frog diesels hadn’t cruised, he’d be closer to that 10 lap deficit he thought likely for the Lola Aston Martin Lola. Some of his readers thought that car had a chance separate from “the field,” but it never did. Drayson’s Lola Judd is a better car. Unfortunately Lord Drayson is one of its drivers. (You Brits better hope the Lord doesn’t buy Manchester United, he’ll look like dog doo in shorts, and play like it, too.)

LMP2 – He blew it. In his defense, you want to make it a parlay with those three teams? Murphy will bet that Highcroft is the better finisher of the three in no less than six of the remaining races on the ALMS calendar. Takers?

GT2 – The poor Bear screwed the pooch again, but Corvette Racing taking both cars out of the running in one incident is grassy knoll stuff. His next pick – same odds as the No. 4 Vette – was Risi (62), with the Lizard’s No. 45 next (taken out by a rolling tire? Give the Bear a break!), and then the two BMW’s. Take out the freak stuff, and Murphy’s got ‘em nailed.

The Bear didn’t provide a line for either LMPC or GTC, and for good reason. Cars fall to pieces, drivers find tire walls, and questionable (even after the fact) rule interpretation. Murphy can’t say he’s much surprised at Alex Job’s sweep of GTC, or a win by Leh Keen.

Follow the Bear on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Murphythebear

And read Last Turn Clubhouse for a more serious spin on this stuff.