There’s a rumor out there that the ALMS is “close” to an agreement to return to Infineon Raceway (Sears Point for you purists and old folks) in 2011.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City’s council has authorized “negotiations” to obtain a 2011 ALMS street race – following in the tradition, Murphy supposes, of Miami, Trois Rivieres, Houston, Detroit, and St. Pete. More about such things from the Bear’s friends here at The Last Turn Clubhouse. 

When the Bear wrote in Paddock Poop 136, back on August 19 that, “St. Petersburg will be missing from the 2010 schedule, but (surprising even to the Bear) it’s rumored that Infineon will be back.” St. Pete officially disappeared soon after, but the Infineon deal didn’t come together in time for the California track to make the 2010 schedule. It still hasn’t, but it’s rumored that it  will, soon. Perhaps.
But perhaps not. Grand Am is also intent on returning to Sonoma. In fact, the Daytona Beach series, in another rumor, also it will be back at Sear Point soon.

But take heart, Braselburgers. Grand Am may be about to catch the street race disease. In Daytona’s case the idea seems to have taken root in the disappointment over its anemic race attendance. In the all-too-common “it-can’t-be-our-product” delusion that management in all endeavors suffers from, the theory is circulating in Florida that fans don’t want to travel to traditional road course tracks. It’s “just too far.” The solution? City-center street courses for Grand Am. Some at the World Center of Racing even think the Prototurtles might eventually return to Long Beach. The Bear’s convinced that there’s nothing like a string of “Festivals of Speed” to screw up a race series.

In the heart of Cheese Country

The Bear mentioned the ALMS’s “official cheese,” Yancey’s Fancy, in Paddock Poop 157. Since, then, Murphy (and his readers) has been eager to know how this important new would be received by the press and the racing community. The immediate reaction was ambiguous, to say the least. At the announcement press conference at Sebring, heard in the cheap seats occupied by the assembled  sports car racing journalists (hand picked for their loyalty) was an incredulous whispered, “Did he say official cheese?” That was before the unveiling of the cheese sculpture of our dearly-departed Panoz LMGT.

The real cheese aficionados, to be found, ironically , around Road America, long a host (although not very enthusiastically) of the series, were miffed, to say the least. They accuse the “official cheese” of not being real cheese at all, but rather cheese curds, a creamery by-product, even though they grudgingly admit it’s a tasty morsel. A native of Dairyland USA affectionately refers to them as cheese turds.

It all sets up for a big dust-up come August, since the Bear’s been reliably informed by a source who grew up playing with toy sports cars virtually on the shore of Elkhart Lake it’s illegal to be in possession of non-Wisconsin cheese north of Waukegan, Illinois or east of Minneapolis. Don’t be surprised to see Wisconsin cows (they’re the ornery ones; the happy cows are in California) picketing the Road America gates.

So has the wine and cheese series become the tequila and milk by-product series?

Not that George and his band of merry boys (and girls) at Road America are much affected by any of this. Big George’s marketing campaign last year consisted of a video that spent ten minutes on the attractions of golf cart scavenger hunts (seriously) and club racing events before it ever got around to mentioning there were actually spectator events at North America’s most revered road racing track. The season ticket mailer featured photos of little SCCA racers that looked like Malibu Grand Prix cars, doing nothing to convey this was a place where one might actually find professional racing. The Bear got his 2010 mailer a couple of weeks ago. The feature this time? NASCAR. Seriously. On the other side it’s got a 1969 Can Am picture of a dead guy and Augie Pabst, Jr.

Murphy got his second mailer, with ticket prices, today. The American Le Mans Series is still buried in the “also running” column. But it always has been. The dead guy Mustang reunion at the urinal weekend seems to be the feature event. The only thing about the ALMS weekend that’s big is the price. The most on the Series’ schedule, more than Sebring, way more than Laguna Seca. The same as Road America’s NASCAR Nationwide, and more than the big faucet weekend featuring the dead guy’s reunion. And they wonder why they don’t draw flies?

With the Wisconsin track drawing a paltry 40,000 in three days last season – only Utah was worse – can it last long on the ALMS calendar? The geniuses at Grand Am will tell you it’s hopeless – too far from Chicago. Murphy will be there in August, anyway. Look for him at the track, at Siebken’s or, if you want to steep yourself real cheesehead culture, at the Commercial Break in Neenah.

Audi Angst

The Bear’s Thesaurus lists “tormet” as an “angst” near-synonym, which is the least fans at Sebring are going to feel with new Audi R15′s, ready for the 2010 season, on track in Monday-Tuesday test sessions at Sebring. It turns out that Murphy’s source that they would actually enter was closer than we thought. In fact, given the build-test schedule there’s been every reason to think they could and should. Fans of a sport are usually benefitted by bitter rivalries, but not when they can just not show up. Most sports have enough leverage through their organizing bodies – leagues, conferences, etc. – to enforce participation. That’s even true in motorsport at the highest levels.

The Bear’s friend Marshall Pruett says over on speedtv.com that he’s be “saddened” to see them on track at Sebring but not racing in the 12 Hours. Murphy would use a different word to describe this circus.

Jaguar building

Rocket Sports’ shop was pushing hard – working long hours –  to complete a second Jaguar before Sebring, but the best guess is that it won’t make it.

Lola Ferrari

Murphy hears Lola’s building an LMP 1 to be powered by a Ferrari engine from the defunct A1GP series. Bunches of the powerplants are available at South African businessman Tony Teixeira’s liquidation sale. The Bear’s trying to figure out how the motors will work, since they’re 4.5 liters. Will they be destroked to 3.4? Did they originate in a non-racing Ferrari, so they can be homologated under the GT loophole?  Or will the Lola actually be powered by the 3.4 liter Zytek used in A1GP’s inaugural season? Don’t look for the new Lola to make it to the USA, though; this is an LMS-oriented project.

In other Ferrari news, a new Grand Am GT looks more likely to debut in Virginia than in Alabama. To further confuse the anoraks, it’s a Prep 2 with a Ferrari-built unit-body chassis (making it a real Ferrari to collectors). So much for simple definitions of the Grand Am rules.

Driving Corvettes

With changes in Team Corvette’s chauffeur ranks widely expected in 2011, the Bear is looking beyond “the usual suspects.” A new whole-schedule Team Corvette driver may be known at  the highest levels, but remains “under the radar.”  He (or she) may not be among those identified as a 2010 enduro “third.” 

Who is Scott Tucker and What is Westfund?

Murphy has no idea.

The Color of Money

A color no one is seeing much of in road racing these days. The Bear’s pretty sure that ALMS – after a real good season as recently as 2008 – is flirting with red ink. Loosing series sanctions doesn’t help, and the manufacturers that once played Sugar Daddy are gone, replaced by cheese, tequila, pearls, and personal lubricants (ok, G-Oil is for motors, but Murphy just can’t help himself). Meanwhile, he’s hearing that the boys in Daytona were $2 million upside down for 2009. IRL is believed by many (including some who should know) to be a financial disaster hanging by a thread. Is everything going to be silhouette roundy-round racing?

Dithering

The gang that can’t shoot straight finally got around to issuing a butanol bulletin today, and they approved it provisionally, with a 30 kilo penalty for the firs two races…that might be continued…or might not.

If they really wanted an alternate fuel they’d have made a definitive decision soon after the close of the 2009 season, allowing teams and manufacturers to make plans, obtain sponsorships, and test. Who the hell needs teams to have sponsorships, anyway? Who the hell wants to promote alternate fuels? Not the “Leader Green Racing.”

Anyone give Dyson Racing’s Mazda a chance at Sebring? Or perhaps they won’t be running butanol after all, since the boneheaded treatment of the fuel in the last two races of 2009 has already driven off BP.

(Murphy adds a note: As has become usual, this bulletin was reissued the next day, adding language after “approved for use” in LMP-LMP1-LMP2 only.)

Dead Horse Department

The Bear sadly watched (and provided some insight into) USF1’s failure. He’d rather now let it go, but Mr. Anderson’s interview requires some comment. The captain of this ship is blaming the FIA, FOTA, Bernie, Max, an unknown lost sponsor and just about everybody except himself. Nonsense. He says the car was “on track” until mid-January. Hogwash. He thinks USF1 has a chance to be on the 2011 grid. Horsefeathers.

Look for the Bear’s Annual Sebring Punter’s Guide soon.

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

Without finding anyone that had heard the rumor other than our erstwhile scribe, say nothing of actually confirming its content, Murphy checked for other indicators, and bingo, he found a few.

His first question? Anything about another buyer? Certainly the Don wouldn’t go to Jim (who the Bear hears would love to get his hands on Sebring) first. In fact there have been, an offer turned down over a year ago, then more recently the rumor of an approach – rebuffed – to that same source. In a separate story, Patrón was a suitor. That’s cooled, though agave-squeezers are said to remain hot for the Porsche-only series.

Murphy also heard the driving school (McDreamy’s alma mater?) closed, and someone from Braselton cleaned out the T-shirt inventory at Sebring. Some might sum all that and come up with an imminent sale. Murphy doesn’t.

Underwear

Speaking of underwear, ALMS is going to sell “organic T-shirts” to support something called “Adopt an Acre” run by the Nature Conservancy. It’s a tree planting thing. Not original, but nice – bear habitat. Pearls, G-oil, organic T-shirts – can edible undergarments be far behind? There’s a hint from the boss, who told us to “Look for an announcement of a major new licensing deal in the third quarter that will greatly enhance our product position and global exposure. “ Exposure. Underwear. That’s intriguing.

Green Park(s)

Then there’s Lowe’s sponsoring “Green Parks.” Do those come with mosh pits and unconscious freshmen? Seriously it’s a good thing; they’ll be dedicating one in Torrington, Connecticut, with playground stuff for the kiddies and a sand box for an oil gazillionaire driver.

Brazil

The IRL’s going to Brazil. They’re a bit pissed in Cleveland (but consoling themselves with landing the Diesel, of course). That’s got to be ok with Tim. It makes Murphy go “hmmmm” at his assertion he’s not tying up with the IRL. Maybe he’ll “consult” then. Murphy can’t see him missing work/play/family in Brazil.

(re)Formatting

SA wrote to teams, etc. on June 22. Amongst the trivia (stuff like organic T-shirts), Ed is working on some new partnerships. Events are being “formatted” for fans and television (forgive the Bear for being a cynic, but that sounds scary), and to showcase IMSA’s “other series.”

Reorganizing

They’re combining IMSA and ALMS into a single staff. A very important person, a friend of the Bear’s was called to Braselton for a chat the other day. Can that be good?

Rules and Classifications 

There are hints of continued (restored) ACO accommodation of some ALMS deviation in “technical rules (and) future classifications.”

Protos in 2010

The evidence is mounting that all three teams currently operating Acuras will be racing Honda-powered Dallaras in 2010. Will they race in two series? Not likely, given current economic realities. What ALMS prototypes will remain – or return?

Phillips

The disappearance from the ALMS website of the veteran journalist’s latest column has caused a bit of a disturbance in the force. What the heck is that all about? Murphy read the supposedly-offending piece and found it a largely positive, but realistic view of the “state of the series” as it nears the long “Le Mans break.” As the Bear reports above, Phillips isn’t the only one who gets the impression that there will have to be some competition for Acura to start the 2010 season. Murphy is sure there are bigger worries for Braselton than the nuances of a motorsport commentary.

Adjustments

The rumblings around the paddock about the race-to-race GT2 adjustments are about as well received as the(in)famous AM-Corvette thing, and the on-going petrol-diesel thing. “Pandering” and “politics,” are overheard. Panoz gets an 8% larger restrictor than the same motor in a Doran Ford GT. The Viper is reigned in at the last minute; perhaps they were going to fast for their own safety? In LMP2, will a one-race extension of the boost pressure and restrictor given Mazda’s in the first three races avoid an advantage the turbo might have had at Utah’s altitude?

Revolution de l’Sarthe

Le Mans is secure in its place as the world’s premier endurance race. The Le Mans Series is apparently weathering this recession better than other motorsports leagues. The American Le Mans Series has brought a decade of the French classic to hundreds of thousands of American fans. So it was surprising this past week when it was rumored that a palace coup had ousted ACO general manager Daniel Perdrix, and technical director Daniel Poissenot. So far, this remains unconfirmed rumor, but it’s gotten the sport buzzing, and other sources that can’t confirm the departures of the Daniels still say that “changes are underway in the organization.”

Even more fascinating were rumors that linked such changes to a recent bulletin that may give the French promoter of the 24 Heures du Mans a window within which to roll back some aero innovations introduced by Audi’s R15 diesel.

In a sidebar to this story, Murphy can’t tell you how disappointed he was to read (in sportscarpros.com) that the ACO’s two Daniels’ idea of fine dining was the Outback Steakhouse in Sebring. Perhaps the Frogs at home got word of that transgression? If so, the Bear can understand the dismissal; nothing is more damning for a Frenchman than a lack of culinary taste. On the other hand, having tried what passes for “steak” in “La Ville-Lumière” perhaps Murphy should be a bit more forgiving.

Green Racing: An Official Personal Lubricant?

The Michelin Green Challenge may be a great way to sneak a racing program past your board of directors, but racing fans – the ones that have heard of it – don’t really care. If you can’t see it, it’s not a sport. Period. How many spectators are there for a math competition? Murphy rests his case. Besides, it’s all quite counter-intuitive, isn’t it? Naturally aspirated engines beat turbos, V8s beat four cylinder motors, and gasoline engines beat diesels. The Bear hasn’t forgotten this is the result of collaboration with da gubment.

Since the Bear’s on the subject of green, there’s that new (not approved for cars and trucks but announced at Sebring) “official lubricant of the American Le Mans Series” announced at Sebring. You haven’t heard of it? Ah! Just as the bear thought. Well, here’s what Murphy got out of the press conference: It’s called “G-Oil,” and it’s a lubricant. Heidi’s getting a little hot. The Bear wonders what Mobil thinks of all this.

First trucks, then sedans, and now…

Patrick Long raced twice with the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour – at Mobile (28th), and at Pensacola (7th). From Late Model Digest’s Quotable: Assorted sound bites from the Late Model world:  “Rally’s pretty wild. I’m just gonna keep it at a mellow pace.” – Patrick Long, a sports car racing star who made his oval debut in the ASA Southeast races at Mobile and Pensacola. Several of Long’s sports car teammates race rough-and-tumble rally cars all over the world in their off-weeks.

Speed Report said Pat got in a paddock fight on the weekend. Don’t know with whom –  is Johanna Long in Pat’s weight class? Some wondered how stock car pay compares to Porsche factory driver pay. Murphy’s here to tell you they’re not even on the same planet – and he shouldn’t have to tell you which is more.

With Porsche nixing any support for the Spyder entry at Le Mans (consequently withdrawn), and Roger being sent to run a mid-engine taxicab in Grand Am, perhaps Porsche has decided to “go mainstream?” (As if getting into the truck and sedan biz isn’t enough of a clue.) Anyway, Murphy thinks Porsche needs to give its permission for such extracurricular activities by its drivers, and since only Chevy, Ford, and Toyota will soon be left in NASCAR Sprint Cup…  Well, the Bear heard some Panamera style stick-on headlights were on the drawing board at Porsche Design. As you can see, the depleted ALMS grids have left Murphy with entirely too much time on his hands.

Zytek in Utah

As Murphy said last week, Corsa will be at Utah, probably with a Zytek 07S-LMP1 – not a Q10 (the hybrid) – at least according to the just-released entry. If the car turns out to be the hybrid, it won’t  be the first time the entry’s gotten the detail wrong, will it? The team owner admits the car will “barely make it – test for the first time in bare carbon fiber in a race-weekend ALMS Practice.” The Bear hopes that Corsa makes the race. Eighteen “real” entries is pretty weak – about what Murphy’s been suggesting,though – and the three “Challenge” cars are short of Braselton’s expectations. (Note that one lacks drivers, and another is contributed by the Mexican Joy Juice sponsor.) Some say it’s nice to see Melanie and Martin again, but they’ve been there in Challenge all along, haven’t they?

McDreamy

Better get used to it – Patrick Dempsey seems to have replaced Jerry Lewis as the Frog Hero. Was it his starring role in Meatballs III, in which his love life gets some help from a dead porn star? The Bear isn’t sure, but that seems a good bet. In a recent interview, the actor said some “nice,” but largely non-committal, things about the ALMS. That got the good-news-starved-fans so excited they were wet and warm down the leg. What they forgot is that their hero has skipped racing in the ALMS entirely for Grand Am, including the 24 Hours of Daytona, and that’s seemingly a perfectly fine thing for the Frogs at Le Sarthe. Not ready for the ALMS when you driver at Daytona? That’s disingenuous at best. Reports had the actor ten seconds off the pace on the Bugatti circuit. If true, what does that translate to in June on the big track? Well, if Adrian Newey got a free pass into the big race, why not McDreamy?

Motorsport turbulence

Outside of sports cars, but could easily have impact. First, Murphy’s heard that A1GP had a near-death experience over unpaid bills this week, until either a payment magically appeared yesterday, creditors decided to carry until after the Brands Hatch round this weekend. If it’s the latter, the reckoning was only temporarily delayed, and in any case there’ll likely be rocks in the road getting to Australia’s Gold Coast in October.

F1

Meanwhile, F1 is a big mess. Sure, it’s nice to see the little guys winning races, but the idea of a spec. engine has BMW and Ferrari in a quandary – engine development is a big part of their excuse (to their management committees) to be in the big buck series to start with. Now there’s the “voluntary cap” thing, and Ferrari is flirting with the ACO.
Who’s on the list to participate under the £40 million cap, if it happens?  Prodrive, of course. Super Nova Racing. Wirth Engineering, too, and therein is a whole can of worms – er, load of rumors – having to do with Acura’s sports car plans and Nick Wirth’s shared interests with his friend Max Mosley.

Ferrari probably won’t leave the F1 fold, but nothing of the sort is certain in regard to BMW, which could very easily leave, and would likely increase its participation in other motorsport. What about Porsche? Could it be attracted by that cost cap? Insiders say no, but other things are possible.

IRL

It’s pretty much an article of faith around the IRL paddock that de Ferran and Fernandez will be back in the fold next season (the only thing that might change that is the announcement of real LMP1 competition that Murphy mentioned above), and that Honda will get the IRL engine competition it wants when the “small turbo,” rules come into being. Don’t forget that Honda and others got very good at that engine technology in F1’s turbo era. There’s been rumor of Audi engines, but Murphy thinks that’s the wrong company.

Whoops, change of plans

Murphy had reason to believe that Grand Am’s viability was being questioned on Speedway Boulevard last year. He’s got even more reason to think that doubt is now gone. VIR drew a good crowd last weekend, but that’s just “gravy”; there are other reasons for the change of heart. Grand Am now sees an opportunity to take control of endurance road racing in the USA, and they’ve got a plan to do it. Stay tuned.