The last program Murphy ever thought would move too fast to keep up with was The Don’s Abruzzi. Saturday started with Murphy’s Hoschton source saying the Abruzzi will indeed make the trip to Florida next month, where it will spend the Saturday after St. Patty’s day in a tent due to (excuse here) “problems with suppliers.” It ended when the real story – or a part of it – was told in a Gary Watkins AutoWeak article.

Redesign required. Boneheaded mistake – illegal greenhouse size. The Bear asked his Braselburg mole to watch the obits in the Gwinnett Daily Post – someone had to break the news to the Don.

All that just adds more BS to the biggest load about a single car – ok, there are actually 2 cars – in memory. Murphy wishes Mr. Milner good luck. He needs it.

“Doubtful” to “Questionable”

Highcroft may get it done after all. While the search for sponsors is always “iffy,” and tougher now than ever, recent statements from Connecticut have a more hopeful tone. For you punters, that means about 50-50. If it goes to “Probable,” Murphy thinks it will happen this week.

Pecking Order

Cytosport starts at the head of the class at the Sebring Test. Dyson Racing Team got within a half second or so in one session.  Our first read on the new season? An indication of the direction of things for Dyson is the addition of middle-aged Long Beach socialite and rent-a-ride driver Jay Cochran.

Tire Strategy

Wanting a tire that didn’t last long, and after studying performance for its racing cousins in sports cars, F1 did the obvious thing. They selected Pirelli. Do they get the girls?

Sebring Entry

Intersport Racing’s on the Sebring entry, but then, so was the Abruzzi. Seriously, the Bear will make Intersport “Probable,” meaning not completely healthy, but likely to “play.”

Everybody, including the Bear, is pretty happy with the Sebring ILMC entry, but at what price does this come? Is it cannibalizing the ALMS grid? Many around the sport think so. Except for GT(2) the American Le Mans Series is dependent on once-separate single-make racing to make up nearly half its grid. By Murphy’s count 23 of 59 entries (that total including that unlikely Abruzzi entry) will not continue to Long Beach and beyond. The missing will include what will be (at least) the first five finishers in LMP1 and overall.

Driver On Ice

A Ferrari pilot of demonstrated ability in sports cars doesn’t yet have a drive for 2011, and if stories circulating (regardless of frantic efforts to keep it all quiet) are true, he won’t any time soon.

The Other Porsche

With its Winter Test fire damage easily repairable – and mostly repaired in a day – the former Farnbacher Loles via Tim Pappas Porsche will be back for an ALMS season under the Miller Racing banner. Is it the much-needed backup for Flying Lizard’s No. 45, 2010’s only competitive Porsche? (Falken has yet to prove it has a tire that can last an entire stint.) The Bear thought so, but others in the racing biz say that’s the case only if the owner’s kid stays out of the driver’s seat. Otherwise it’s another Flying Lizard No. 44.

Failure is a Prerequisite

IMSA removed long-time Director of operations to a consulting role, just the latest in a long line of replacing key personnel with refugees from defunct open wheel racing series. Having worked for Champ Car – or, in this latest example, Altantics – seems to be primary qualification for catching on to the Braselburg gravy train. Murphy finds that odd.

A Farewell to the Lord

Drayson will not race in 2011. Expect an announcement about moving to a new shop in which a new car can be developed, pushing green science in racing, blah, blah. A return to the ALMS? Probably never.

The Risi Competizione Game Plan

Though Guiseppi considered four possible 2011 programs, “ALMS entirely and only” is the one settled on. Even though the 458 clocked better around the Fiorano circuit than any other Ferrari production car in history – including the Enzo – it’s still believed to need development, certainly more than the F430 GT, which, aside from a sticking wheel nut, came out of the box pretty much ready to race.

Murphy hears that development challenge will be taken up without the team’s long-time Technical Director, a casualty – along with some championships and a pile of cash – of the disastrous mistake at Road Atlanta last October. The Bear concludes it’s a team that takes its motto seriously. Risi Competizione — doing things the right way, everytime.  

Grand Am GT

Ferrari was the first to publically support Grand Am’s new GT3-based direction. Unless, of course, you consider that Porsche went from zero to light speed in jumping back into the World Center of Racing’s sports car series. That hatchet got buried faster than a terrier hides a bone from an Irish Wolfhound. Audi say’s it “won’t build a car specifically for Grand Am.” That’s after spending months in detailed talks with World Center management. Still to be heard from are BMW, Mercedes, and a few others. Still, with Porsche and Ferrari firmly in support, Grand Am will likely be able to launch a “new look” GT field by the time the 50th Rolex 24 rolls around. If that goes with a “new look” DP field, it will truly be a Brave New World (thanks to Aldous Huxley).

Bud Shootout

What Murphy does at his local BWW? Nah, it’s that funny (25 laps, take a break, 50 laps, no championship points) thing at the World Center of Racing.  It was watch that or Lifetime’s Romance Movie Marathon. Murphy did the latter (hey, the Bear’s a babe magnet. Are you? Ok, case closed, then). He just checked in on the Bud thing on commercials. That was enough to see some really weird racing. You think Daytona was two-by-two drafting before the repave? You ain’t seen nuttin’ til you’ve seen this. Weird, just weird. Two sets of two, followed by three sets of two. Speed? 206 mph. Speed alone? 186 by Junior. Murphy’s been a fan of the Earnhardt kid since a time at Sonoma.

A Valentine Recipe

Murphy hasn’t passed on a recipe in, well…years. But it’s Valentine’s Day, and about time. Is this for lobster tails, then? Hell, no…broil and be done with it. A porterhouse? Same thing. How about something really cool for that really cool babe. What’s cool? Something that will take some talent – not really, but will seem to – but is simple and good. Don’t like “seafood?” Sorry, you’re out of luck.

Honey Orange Tilapia (or salmon, or walleye, or any nice white fish) for two (of course).

2 tilapia fillets
2 tbsp honey
¾ cup orange juice (or 2 tbsp frozen oj concentrate)
1 tsp dill – dried (or 1 tbsp fresh)
2 tsp olive oil
Zest of 1 orange (use juice)

Mix all except fish in bowl, put fish in 1 quart plastic bag, add sauce, marinate in refrigerator for one hour or more.

Put fillets and sauce in skillet, poach fish on medium heat until done, reducing sauce by about ½. Plate fish, cover with poaching sauce. Serve. Sides? Asparagus. A nice Chardonnay.

No sooner than the cats left town than the mice were out. Actually not out, but “in” a meeting. With the RRIC underway in Phoenix on this past Tuesday – that’s where the Bear was – Murphy’s mole (the Moroccan Mole, some call him) reported a ‘big, big meeting’ at 1394 Broadway in Braselburg. The Bear doesn’t know if it was a sanctioned meeting or an incipient revolt, but he’s heard the subject matter was anything but trivial.

Panoz Motor Sports (PMS) Group has a new CFO/accountant. The new guy has been described to Murphy as a ‘slash and burn’ artist. The problem? Not much left to slash. The Bear’s been told the only profitable thing in the company is T-shirt sales – Anna Mae’s Trinket Truck. Nice stuff, but not a big division. In fact, profit or not, it might be on the chopping block as ‘not important enough to mess with.’ Murphy hopes like hell that’s wrong. He likes trinkets.

Cuts in other areas continue – on the pit lane and even in the safety car. Due to illness of the incumbent, new guy Jim is taking over Timing & Scoring (Murphy has been corrected, the job being taken over is Simone’s as Chief Communicator in Race Control; he’s also told she’s recovered very well - well enough to perform – not that anyone on Broadway cared enough to ask…), at least temporarily.

You need a measure of how well things are going? You saw the press release on a Haas “distributor deal.” First question – sent along by one of the elves – “what do you need a distributor for in your home market?” According to some, the real story is Champ Car – the failed racing series just keeps right on giving, doesn’t it? Murphy’s been told Haas loaned Panoz three million to build the Champ Car DP01, and was still owed a million. Cash-strapped PMS Group offered its parts business and a little cash instead, and Carl took it. According to just about everyone in the race car biz, that is pretty much the end for Panoz as a race car constructor.

As if to confirm that, just today the Bear was told the Abruzzi lives – yes, Murphy’s gagging, too. This time though, it’s as a GT2 (Autosport and autoblog.com reported that this past October), and the new story is it’s not PMS Group and it’s not Danny doing the building. It’s Tom Milner being paid by the Don to build the racing Esperante replacement (that had to go, anyway, since its road car certification was based on a Mustang platform no longer in production).

So, how does that work? The Abruzzi is supposedly a modification of the Esperante GTLM (that’s sort of déjà vu, given the constantly morphing history of the Panoz LMP). But what’s the homologation of the  Abruzzi without a street car?

Radisson Road Racing Conference

The nine tracks that host ALMS events met with the Series and with each othern the Canyon I room at the Radisson Airport North in Phoenix. The Bear was there.

Murphy was parked in the next door lobby bar when they broke at 5 pm for a reception in the 44th Street Café, and still there when they finally trickled away near 7 pm, nearly an hour later than scheduled. It seemed convivial, if subdued, in the café. Did the promoters (as predicted by as source) get “reality, no more BS, real solutions?” Time – and the International Moles’ Secrets Association (IMSA) – will tell. The Bear is disappointed to have to report that the recently appointed committee had no representation in sight. Given the current problems of the Series and of PMS Group, they could seize the initiative. Murphy hopes they aren’t solely a creature of the proprietors.

Porsche

The Warsteiners – oh, sorry, that’s the beer, Murphy means the Weissachers – announced eight werks pilots the other day; missing were Emanuele Collard and Sascha Maassen, as the Bear told you a while back. The story is in the remainder, though. It seems there’s not even enough work (werk?) for even eight. Wolf Henzler is assigned to a seventh-place (at best) ALMS entry. Ace drivers (there’s no doubt about that, is there?) Timo Bernhard and Romain (Lettuce) Dumas are assigned to, pretty much nothing. Sure, they make a big deal about the Nurburgring 24 hours, but big car and fan turnout aside, it’s a run-what-you brung event, not exactly Le Mans. Odd, isn’t it? Something has to be planned, doesn’t it?

That’s a matter of debate, some saying they’ll land in a Porsche AG (or NA)-financed Cytosport entry, others saying “ no way, they won’t lay out that kind of money, and if they wanted to, why not just hire Penske again?” Those in that “no way” camp suggest some kind of combination deal with Audi (a car for Timo and Romain at Le Mans, as there was last season), and a few “place-holder” Porsche races (one-off seats at Petit Le Mans, perhaps?). So why keep even those eight on board if there really isn’t that much work? Over-active imaginations will suspect the gestation of a new Porsche LMP to the 2011 rules (which, after all, won’t be much of a stretch from the Spyder, particularly its 3.4 liter V8). The cynics will suggest it’s much simpler; if you’ve got ‘em under contract (and have to pay them), you could just as well try to use ‘em.

Balancing Act

What’s next in the brave new world of performance balancing? Falken seems to be angling for rules to help them run their 2008 Porsche? Not just run it, of course, they can do that if they like, but to make it competitive. That’s nonsense – and besides, it won’t exactly do good things for Porker race car sales, will it? Next, Randy Wars and Grady Willingham will be back in Dick Barbour’s old R. IMSA let a couple run in 2001 after the introduction of the RS, but they didn’t change the rules to make it faster, did they?

Extreme

Or not so. Scott Sharp’s Extreme Speed was planning to run a GT Challenge Porsche along with it’s two GT2 Ferraris. Now it’s dropped the Challenge program. Some say it’s a good idea for the team to concentrate on its Ferraris.

Intersport Raids Comprent

Sources say the Dublin, Ohio team has taken two of Comprent’s former IMSA Lites customers. Meanwhile, the proprietor of the Georgia company is rumored to be buying out his partners in a 5 axis milling machine. 

Spiraling Down

Declining attendance is likely reducing ALMS sanction fees, on top of outright loss of sanctioned series (BMW’s training wheels racing), and declines in entries (and consequently revenue) from other sanctions (Cooper Atlantics had 8 entries last the Bear heard, possibly Patrón GT3 Challenge, cannibalized by ALMS’ Challenge class). Declining and stagnant television viewership is reducing ad rates, and making annual support of the series look less attractive to manufacturers and other partners.

The Rolex

Look for Murphy’s  annual Rolex preview early next week.

Twitter

When rumors surface, the Bear tweets at http://twitter.com/Murphythebear

Sebring and Petit Le Mans will  be different, not just in degree, but in kind, from the other races on the American Le Mans Series schedule in that they will run ACO classes to ACO class rules. That means that LMP-1 and 2, and GT-1 and 2 entrants will be required to adhere to the French club’s weight, restrictor, and aerodynamic rools for Le Mans, the Le Mans Series, and the Intercontinental Cup. The principle impact is to keep the prototype classes – such as they are – separated.

The new IMSA spec classes – LMP-C, and GT-C – will be allowed to compete alongside the “official” ACO-recognized racers (a version of LMP-C will also be allowed by the LMS this season).

Murphy has been given the best thinking, speculation, and inside knowledge of all his elves. That still leaves more than one ‘gap,’ but for now, here is the consensus of the Bear’s forest creature friends (aka elves).

LMP-P (Peugeot Class) – Barring a change of heart because of a lack of competition, Peugeot is in. Given they are the cause of no competition, having vetoed an ACO-accepted “interim” Audi, the Bear expects the Frogs to show. This is worse than Audi’s diesel domination, occurring years after the diesel advantage should have been resolved, and in a race in which competition (Audi) was possible, but rejected due to Peugeot’s narrow self-interest and the lack of balls in Georgia. The Frogs will score a meaningless – perhaps Pyrrhic – victory. One of the Bear’s elves took exception to that, writing “There are no meaningless wins at Sebring.” Murphy sees his point, and agrees given Sebring’s historic place in racing, so he’ll put it this way: If the political leverage of an entrant could render Sebring less than it should be, this is it. If the current care-takers of this race – ALMS/IMSA – had a sense of its importance (much greater than their own) they’d at least strongly protest. Audi could seize the moral high ground here, of course, by “facilitating” a Kolles entry (or two) of the R10 – a driver or two, a bit of engineering, etc., etc. – things they did with Champion.

LMP-1 – With the French diesels in their own race, LMP-1 is mostly left to privateers, three of which are confirmed or certain (Intersport, Drayson, and Autocon) one “maybe” (Corsa), and two “when hell freezes over”: Creation and an unidentified, but rumored, Lola Aston Martin (the latter having gone to a collector, according to the Bear’s best sources). Murphy leans toward expecting only the three currently “confirmed” privateer entries to make the Sebring grid. The Bear’s heard that Oreca may return to North America with a Sebring entry of its AIM-powered 01. What? Not the Peugeot 908 they have agreed to race in the LMS and alongside the factory entries at Le Mans? Not according to Murphy’s source, leaving the Bear scratching his furry head. He’ll rate this one just “possible.” That still leaves his likely LMP-1 (exclusive of diesels) entry at three.

LMP-2 – These will be the best of then non-diesel entries (again proving that absent artificially slowing these guys down, the prototype world is upside down). Highcroft, Dyson, and Cytosport will enter an Acura, Lola-Mazda, and Porsche Spyder each. Any or all of the three could enter a second car; Murphy’s odds on that are Highcroft 4-1 against, Dyson 2-1 (an elf rates this probable), and Cytosport 3-2, the latter’s better odds based on rumor of a direct interest by Porsche in adding a Spyder to a race they could well win overall (if the Peugeots find trouble along the way). A rumored OAK Racing Pescarolo falls into the Bear’s infamous “when hell freezes over,” category. On balance then, Murphy thinks we might end up with (figuring, in his usual optimistic way, that one of the “big three” will be able to field a second car) four total LMP-2 entries.

Total “legitimate” prototypes on the grid will be nine.

GT-1 – Won’t be any.

GT-2 – (Except for Sebring and Petit, just “GT”) Corvette will be there, as will BMW, Porsche and Ferrari, each represented by a sort-of-quasi-more-or-less-factory team, Pratt & Miller for Corvette, Rahal Letterman Racing for BMW, Flying Lizards for Porsche, and Risi Competizione for Ferrari. Of those the “less” in terms of factory participation/support Ferrari, and the “more” is Corvette. Those “premier” teams account for 7 entries, and are “confirmed.” Also certain-to-be on hand are three more Ferraris (2 Sharp’s Extreme team, and 1 AF Corse), a Falken Porsche, and a Robertson Ford. Some of the elves count Rocket Sport’s Cat as a sure thing, but the Bear isn’t entirely convinced. There have been rumors of significant (and expensive) homologation problems. He’ll call it “probable.” The Black Swan Porsche is a “maybe” – Murphy thinks there’s an even chance they’ll land in GT Challenge instead. There’s rumor of an unidentified Porsche floating around, too ephemeral to get above “doubtful” in the Bear’s pantheon. Twelve, then, one probable, two less likely. Taken together, perhaps 13 starters?

So, before we get to the spec/club racer specials, the Sebring field totals just 22.

The field filler doesn’t add much – aesthetically or numerically. In LMP Challenge, four are “possible,” but only one (Intersport) is “confirmed” thus far, and even in that case the Bear’s waiting for the Ohio team to name a second driver-with-a-budget. (Murphy’s heard Richard Berry has finally sold his Lola and assorted parts to the Fields, however.) None of the others (Comprent, Genoa, and Gunnar) can be considered to be firm entries; two of three would seem likely. Three on the grid, then.

GT Challenge? That’s an interesting question. Remember this class is made up of racers that originally set out to do a few short sprints in a one-driver, one-make series. Sebring’s 12 hours is a huge jump. Murphy’s been told to expect something closer to the low side of an entry rumored to be between 5 and 9. Other imput – from an “insider” – says the self imposed limit of 10 will be fully subscribed. Professional prevaricator he is, the Bear will go with 7.

So there you have it. Twenty-two cars based on last year’s classes – the structure we’ve had for about a decade. Add the “new stuff,” (field filler of little interest, at least to Bears) and you’ve got 32; just one more than the Bear predicted about this time in 2009. Only 26 actually started that 2009 race – Murphy told you he’s the eternal optimist. Whether the “filler” keeps the 58th Annual 12 Hours of Sebring from being a disaster is an individual judgment. The Bear knows what he thinks.

Around the Paddock

With a lousy ALMS entry anticipated, the potential for a strong LMS entry is striking. What gives? Is the economy worse here than in Europe? (Not really.) Is the ALMS’ “green” initiative hurting rather than helping (Their European cousins are still promoting great racing, so probably.) Does the North American sports car endurance “split” continue to hurt? (Undoubtedly, according to European Car’s motorsport editor in its January issue, “Something’s gotta give, as the saying goes. As CART and the IRL have shown, nothing lasts forever. Both GA and the ALMS have seen their grid numbers fall considerably… Insiders expect both series to chug along but eventually the bottom line will force the issue.”)

The Bear hears rumblings of infighting amongst the Braselburgers, undoubtedly symptomatic of declining fields and finances, particularly in critical television-related revenues (including “wrap-around” contracts with manufacturers).

The new guy in charge of IMSA rools side of things is riling teams and others over what’s to be done with/to prototypes in 2010. Not just disagreement with content, but failure to consider teams’ input, and now delay in getting the rools settled.

There’s growing disaffection amongst Sebring fans with the stewardship of Sebring in recent years. The ACO marginalized its importance in regard to Le Mans by selecting its field before the Florida classic’s green flag. With its preoccupation with being green, logos, and cute lights in the sides of cars, the ALMS has presided over a steady decline in Sebring fields. That will be just one of the things that bites its butt in this and coming seasons.

Follow Murphy on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/Murphythebear

Murphy doesn’t want to always play the Grinch, so he dug around a bit to try to find those entries.

First, since there is always some variability through the season, he had to pick an event. St. Pete is soon after Sebring, not brutal as street courses go, and it’s not a long haul trip for teams that might drop a race or two because of lean budgets (Utah being one of those, or a race in Canada). On the other hand, it’s one of only three races (Utah and Lime Rock are the others) at which there will be no Corvette. So Murphy compromised – he’ll add a pair of Corvettes to his count, even though they have said they will not be at St. Petersburg.

Here was the Bear’s “baseline.” He had Patron, Autocon, Corsa and de Ferran in P1, a total of four. P2 had three from the start; Murphy was adamant from Laguna Seca in October that Dyson Racing would campaign a pair of Mazola coupes. (Not hard to figure out, if you know some of the paddock friends of the grizzled patriarch – and there are many.) Fernandez would return with an Acura; that’s three P2 entries.

Murphy just “zeroed” GT1, since Corvette will only be on hand in that class for two races, St. Pete not included. In GT2 the Bear had 2 BMW’s, 2 Ferraris, and regardless of good intentions, he looked at PrimeTime, Robertson, and Black Swan and decided that if we got two of three we’d would be doing well. Based on announcements and interviews, he counted four Porsches between Farnbacher Loles and Flying Lizards. A Porsche for VICI was “on the bubble.” He hadn’t heard anything good about the prospects for a Panoz. To stick a pin in a point of time, Murphy could account for ten GT2 entries.

Being a generous soul, the Bear grudgingly put down “18.” Just today, someone told him 16 might be more realistic after Sebring.

So, how do  you get to “mid-twenties,” or even higher? First you have to add the entries that any good Pollyanna would. Like ECO Racing, whose history in no way gives one confidence. After  adding ECO, even wearing his rose colored glasses, he couldn’t find another likely P1 entry – not even the most rosy assumptions would put Intersport Racing on the grid - but wait! There is a Creation at a North Carolina Junior College! Never mind that the Bear has already been identified as the principal cause of the team’s supposed imminent demise…we’ll count it!

P2 has a bit more buzz. Mazda hinted in its Dyson Racing press release that there may be more coming, so the Bear will add a Mazola. Though the source can be considered – on past history – to be mediocre, he already said a fourth Acura was rumored for Sebring. Will it be there? Will it continue after that? For this little “sunny” accounting, let’s say yes to both. Much more likely is a Porsche Spyder. Late Friday he heard that an ex-Dyson Spyder would indeed be on hand. Saturday morning, he was told that if there was such an entry, it would not be “ex-Dyson Racing.” Mid-week he was told – by yet another source, independent of the first – that there would indeed be a Spyder. So let’s go with that – whatever its pedigree. We’re up to six P2 entries, twelve prototypes.

Forget GT1 (really, so should the American Le Mans Series – as soon as possible). But let’s go ahead and say we’ll have two Corvettes on most of the grids of the 2009 season (assuming there is a GM, of course, and ignoring that Murphy was told of recent layoffs at Pratt & Miller).

In GT2 the first thing we’ll do is add one Ferrari – three “regulars” rather than two. Likewise, the Porsche brigade grows from four to six, adding the Falken tire 911, one VICI entry, and a brand new RSR sold to an unknown team that the Bear is told “will race,” but subtracting Farnbacher Loles second entry. For VICI, Murphy’s most recent information is that second car remains more hope than reality, a third being somewhere well into fantasyland. To get in line with our Georgia Pollyanna’s, the Bear will count all three of the announced Detroit-iron entries – PrimeTime, Robertson, and Black Swan. He’ll even toss in the two Cats (he knows they’re really excited about these in Jawja), though it’s pretty certain they’ll not be at Sebring and very uncertain when they’ll make it after that (haven’t we been down this road before?).

Two BMWs look solid. As the Bear said a long time ago, participation of Schnitzer/BMW factory drivers would occur if BMW scratched the WTCC, which hasn’t happened – not yet anyhow. All together, that’s sixteen.

We’ve been able to find 28 possible entries. Any major fraction of those will be pretty impressive with all that’s happening. Penske and Audi are gone from ALMS, F1 is already missing Honda, Suzuki and Subaru have exited WRC, Dodge won’t race trucks, and Honda has canned its factory team in AMA Super Bike (though it’s an open secret there are other-than-economic reasons). NASCAR, American open wheel, and Grand Am have likewise lost high-profile participants. Admittedly, grid size isn’t the only challenge that IMSA has.

With all that (and more) going on, if the American Le Mans Series can get into the mid-twenties, they will be able to say that they have done very well, indeed, given the economic landscape for motorsports in 2009.

So there’s Murphy’s little Christmas letter to all those fans who are desperately looking for good news. Don’t blame the Bear if it doesn’t all happen exactly so.

Is Candide’s enigmatic precept, “we must cultivate our garden”, the proper guide? Or is Dr. Pangloss’ Leibnizian mantra “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds”?