One of Murphy’s friends was telling him in the fall that this would be the worst winter in motorsports in many years. It seems he was right. Porsche works drivers with (so far) nowhere to go, de Ferran on life support (at best, see below), possible reduced programs at Dyson and Risi, rampant rumors of IRL troubles, an F1 scandal, even NASCAR cuts.

Penske, Hendrick Slash Pay

The Bear’s just been told that Penske Racing has slashed pay “20% across the board.” Hard on the heels of that comes news that Hendrick Motorsports has imposed “salary caps” on all it its departments. Pay above that limit will be cut back. It’s believed that amounts to as much as a 30% payroll cut in aggregate. It’s the holiday season – but it’s also the season when 2009 sponsor contracts expire, and if they haven’t been replaced….

Loles in the Slammer

Greg Loles is no longer a free man. The Bear’s read the complaint. Classic Ponzi, way back to 2001. No way to put a positive spin on this one. The championships and awards were won by stolen money. Porsche seems to be the favorite marque, of con men and crooks, doesn’t it? Paul, Lanier, Whittington, Solaroli, Loles. Someone over there should look into the “due diligence department.”

Meanwhile, Loles’ detention hearing has been postponed indefinately. Seems he doesn’t have the money to get out of jail. Prosecutors said at a hearing earlier this week that “investors” are out between $6 million and $8 million. There was a Farnbacher Loles transporter headed north from the Atlanta area this morning. Making a run for it?

Car Costs

The numbers in the Pratt & Miller suit against Greg Loles are revealing: “Loles contracted Pratt & Miller in Detroit to build him two GAGT-BMW-M3Rs, each costing $340,000. The custom parts installed on the cars pushed the total price to $929,750.” Murphy deciphers that this way: the Pratt and Miller “space frames” and whatever content is mandated (or allowed) by Grand Am to be “shared” across all platforms amount to $340,000 each. Turning one into a BMW (as apposed to a Pontiac, Mazda, or Corvette) is another $125,000, a total of $465,000. The Bear was told tonight that Pratt & Miller number is before engine, which will come from Dinan for another $100,000, or the wiring loom and ECU from Bosch (the first one will be discounted to about $18,000). Grand total? $585,000. The 2009 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR could be had for $493,000, add a bunch of incidentals (including shipping and taxes) and you can figure the Porsche is what, $600,000 before it gets to the track?

Since the body panels are molded copies (not BMW in other words), we’ll guess that the actual “BMW content” of a GT entry built under Grand Am’s “Prep 2” rules, is less than $25,000, or about 5% by value, before engine; with engine, about 20%. Murphy had heard that BMW resisted allowing such cars to be identified as M3’s and were more accepting of  “M6’s” (which the Bavarians do not race “in their native chassis form” as they do the M3).

Meanwhile Porsche’s new owners are talking about putting their R8 into the ALMS’ Challenge GT Class. They can change the rules for 2011 if they want to overturn their own subsidiaries’ exclusivity agreement with the series. Here’s a “rub,” though. A “Cup” 911 goes (fob Weissach) for around €150,000, an 2010 R8 for €293,000. Volkswagen builds both. Quite a difference, eh? 

Cons Part Deux

There’s another “big one” on the way. It seems an intermediary brought a Heinkel sponsorship to Ross Brawn worth €100 million over three years in the middle of this past season. In due course it was signed, the agreement becoming an item of value in Mercedes acquisition of Brawn F1. When the check didn’t arrive on time, Brawn suggested Daimler’s CEO call the boss at Heinkel. The response from the former bomber builder now into soaps and such? “Never heard of it, and it’s nothing we’d do anyway.” Whoops! Murphy thinks Daimler Benz been taking “due diligence” lessons from Porsche Motorsport. (Remember Solo Al?) Seems the con man took the signed agreement to a European financial institution of some kind, got a loan of €16 million, and disappeared.

Sorting through the Driver announcements

Highcroft has announced that Simon Paganaud will partner David Brabham. Insiders expect the ACO rule requiring on “gentleman driver” to apply at Sebring and Petit Le Mans – and certainly at Le Mans itself. If so, the rumor that had Marino Franchitti on board at Highcroft for enduros is false.

Chatter from “insiders” on Risi Competizione’s facebook page takes the Bear to task for suggesting the Houston Ferrari team will run a less-than-full ALMS schedule in 2010. Hey, kids, Murphy can only pass on what he hears. Murphy will stick with his view that “on balance,” good sources suggest Risi will contest the enduros in 2010, the remaining races being uncertain. Aside from that, the best indication Risi might have decided to expand its program is the announcement today of Scott Sharp’s Ferrari drivers; Pierre Kaffer wasn’t one of them, as previously rumored.

Another thing that will likely increase Risi’s 2010 ALMS participation is a loss for Tracy Krohn in the Lola suit in Delaware’s Chancery Court, which (in Murphy’s opinion, based on key court rulings) is likely. If that happens, Krohn will not race the two DP Lolas. The Bear was told he’ll then purchase a Risi Ferrari 430 to field a full time ALMS entry. That would keep his team together (in part, anyway) while keeping the Risi shop busy, too.

de Ferran: Reaching for the Plug

Pagenaud’s decision to contest the full ALMS season with Highcroft Racing may gave us some idea about de Ferran’s progress. Some were speculating that he’d return to ALMS, believing that Pags was his first choise for an IRL entry, and that Simon’s signing with Highcroft indicated there would not be an IRL entry. Murphy heard last week that former Honda F1 pilot Takuma Sato would have that de Ferran IRL seat.

That meant it was down to the nuts in which Honda would be de Ferran’s “sponsor of last resort,” or de Ferran would not field a team of any kind in 2010. Even with ex-Honda exec Robert Clark beating the bushes for funding, it was widely reported that de Ferran had closed its doors on Thursday. Sources tell the Bear that Honda couldn’t be de Ferran’s primary sponsor while it’s IRL’s sole engine supplier. The rumor around Indy was of a de Ferran-Vision combination. That looks likely now, but not as the “merger” that was described, but rather as a place for Gil to land. Then just this morning, Murphy got the following statement from de Ferran:

“At the time of writing I am working very hard to secure de Ferran Motorsports immediate future and my plans to enter the 2010 Indy Car Championship are still very much alive.

“I have continued to employ our staff until now while working towards our 2010 goals but as of yet I am not in a position to announce anything further.  The staff have been kept fully informed of the situation and the current status was communicated to them yesterday.  In the meantime I am continuing to work on the 2010 program and will release further information when our plans are finalised.”

It that definitive? Not quite. “have continued to employ” rather than “continue to employ.” Or “…until now…” how is that clause necessary? A lousy sentence construction, without doubt. What is in doubt is whether that’s due to obfuscation or a failure of communication skills.

Everything available, says “lay offs.” The simple conclusion is that any 2010 de Ferran racing program is on life support. Without a last minute miracle (substantial sponsor) the plug will be pulled soon.

Porsche Pilots

Will Porsche find places for all ten works drivers? They’ve announced the return/placement of five:  Pat Long and Jörg Bergmeister will return to Flying Lizards in the ALMS. Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz will defend their Le Mans Series title in 2010 in the Felbermayr Proton 911 GT3 RSR. Patrick Pilet will drive for IMSA Performance Matmut in the LMS.

Porsche is rumored to want to put Dumas and Bernhard in a Spyder with Cytosport. If Porsche foots any significant part of that bill, look to Audi as the decision-maker, since that kind of direct funding is lately very “un-Porsche-like.” (Unless you go back to Porsche Salzburg, and we know who was in charge of that, so it’s no longer out of the question, is it?) As for the other three, Collard, Henzler, and Maassen, the odds are they’ll become “free agents” along with Audi’s Rockenfeller and Primat. That doesn’t mean they won’t be on grids in the coming year. Remember when Porsche fired Bergmeister? Turned out pretty well for him.

Discovering the IRL

The Indy Racing League all but disappeared from public view with its move to Versus in 2009. Now it’s rumored the struggling racing league will the IRL switch from Versus to Discover. True or not, there’s no doubt that the Versus connection is very, very unpopular in the IRL racing community – owners and sponsors included. Is such a change even contractually possible?

Dyson Racing

The Poughkeepsie team was testing in Florida this week. Murphy’s European elves told him Andy Meyrick was on hand as part of a “driver evaluation program,” Murphy’s been told Meyrick “hopes to sign for a full season.” Meyrick drove an Audi R10 for Kolles in the LMS last season. That throws a monkey wrench into all sorts of rumors – some of which were reported here – doesn’t it? Or starts a whole bunch of new ones. At the very least it suggests two Dyson Lola Mazda will be on the grid after all. The Bear will be listening.

Black Swan & the GT Challenge

Black Swan is still deciding between GT Challenge and GT2. Since the Challenge class is “capped” at 10 full-season entries by IMSA, that tells us it’s not yet fully subscribed, doesn’t it?

Pruett on LMPC

Over on speedtv.com, Marshall Pruett writes that five LMP Challenge cars have been sold. The Bear can account for Comprent, Kevin Jeannette’s Gunnar Racing (see  “Paul Newman Week” on its web site at  http://www.gunnarracing.com/ in memory of the Jeannette family’s close friend), Intersport, and Genoa Racing. Jeannette’s interest is well known, though there’s been no announcement. Intersport announced a purchase. Genoa said it “anticipated delivery.” Comprent said it’s interested and wants funded drivers. Have they all bought now? What is the fifth? Has one of these – perhaps Comprent, at one time two were rumored – bought two? What is the Bear missing. Anyone that can clarify in Murphy’s “Comments?”

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