Honda Takes a Powder

Honda’s North American sports car racing program has passed on, the agonizing seppuku of its dying finally ended with one final swift stroke of the kaishaku. The beginning of the end that was announced today was in 2009 when three Acura-supported teams were cut lose. In 2010, the Acura brand was replaced by the HPD non-brand, and reduced to a single LMP2 entry. A tentative 2011 plan with token support, limited to Highcroft field trips to Sebring and Le Mans, was ended today.

Will Honda continue to develop and support the LMP2 V6? Will it simply transfer the center of gravity of its sports car racing to Europe? It’s clear it’s done paying for chassis, and equally so any significant engine program – the V6 is a half-hearted effort, at best. And it is very, very clear – even before this announcement – that Honda is not interested in the American Le Mans Series.

Taken in isolation, Honda’s departure is bad enough, but a wider survey of manufacturer’s plans, some announced, some rumored, should worry sports car racing fans around the globe.

RIP Wankel

Mazda will make radical cuts to its racing budget for 2012, something Murphy reported via Twitter on May 5. Now he’s learned a bit more. With the Wankel finally headed into the dustbin of history, the Grand Am GT program is in its last season, but Murphy hears Mazda North America likes McDreamy’s marketing value, so much so that it has contracted the development of an entirely new turbo 4 cylinder for the TV doctor’s step up to LMP2 in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2012. So a McDreamy Mazda skips the ALMS’ minor events in favor of the big show with just two North American appearances. The Bear’s 64 dollar question: does Mazda continue its other turbo 4 program, the branded AER motor used by Dyson Racing? Or does Dyson have to move to the new engine to stay in ALMS prototypes with Mazda?

Datsun and Toyoda

Two engine programs burst onto the scene this year, exciting fans hungry for any good news, particularly since these companies fielded the R390 and GT One not so many years ago. Not to be a wet blanket, but the Bear thinks there is less here than meets the eye. Both appear to be doing little more than attempting to squeeze a little marginal revenue out of existing 3.4 liter V8 motors developed for the All-Japan Super GT series – Nissan’s from the Skyline GT-R, and Toyota by its Cologne, Germany-based group for the Lexus SC430. Neither appears to be headed into sports car racing as anything more than engine suppliers with limited budgets, and neither seems to have any plans to participate in the American Le Mans Series. For Nissan in particular, be some pressure in the past two years for racing in North America seems to have largely dissipated in the face of ambivalence from Japan and a “beleaf” the future of racing is electric.

The Four Rings

No, not J.R.R. Tolkien, but the Decade’s Lords of Le Mans. Audi NA decided three years ago a North American LMP racing program was not a good marketing investment. It subsequently proved that by the results it measured after diverting those millions to other advertising.

It’s rumored that Audi AG wants to take a controlling stake in an existing F1 team, something it could do easily at a cost not much more than its on-going prototype program. If it does, instead of old prototypes moldering in a museum, its investment would give it hundreds of millions in F1 concorde distributions, the continuing revenue of an engineering business, and in one rumored case, leadership in flywheel KERS systems. All-in-all not a bad exchange.

And F1 adventure would be the end of campaigning the R18, except for Le Mans; otherwise Audi will continue in the ILMC. There is no possibility of returning to a full ALMS schedule.

Porsche and Peugeot

Murphy doesn’t know if Porsche will step into the gap left if Audi leaves ACO’s prototype ranks, as has been rumored. On balance, what he hears leads him to conclude it will not; the lucrative GT business is just too good not to remain the core of Porsche Motorsport. In any case, if there is a Porsche prototype it seems certain – like Peugeot – to compete in the ILMC events, and not contest the ALMS. The French will continue in the ILMC and at Le Mans for the “service life” of the current 908. Neither Porsche nor Peugeot will contest a full ALMS schedule.

Grand Am

As the Bear noted above, Grand Am GT will be without Mazda next season. Unfortunately Murphy hears there are bigger problems than that. Things aren’t improving in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup. It should be a wake-up call that Clint Bowyer may be done for lack of sponsorship in weeks, maybe sooner.

Teams and others in the NASCAR family are again pressuring Jim France to focus on the company’s premier series, questioning the “diversion” of resources to the “house” road racing series. We’ve been down this road before, but then it was in a context in which Sprint Cup’s weakness was largely seen as recession-caused, and would recover quickly as soon as the economy improved. That’s simply not happening, as anyone looking at the grandstands at Dover Sunday could readily see. What the recession (yes, business and employment is recovering, albeit very slowly) did do was break the love affair between corporate America and racing sponsorships. It’s hitting NASCAR, and has hit road racing much harder.

What does that mean to Grand Am? In the near term, it means that if purse increases recently discussed on International Speedway Boulevard happen, it will require contractions elsewhere, likely to Jim’s support of DP teams, including those “captive” or nearly so, to the France largess. (It was a chuckle at VIR that the “Beat Chip Bounty” was paid from one France pocket to another.)

Further out, Murphy can see a loss of momentum in the transformation of the series and particularly of the Daytona Prototype. However, the Bear isn’t as convinced as some that the “new look” will fall short. After all, a few inches here and there can account for the difference between a Ford and a Ferrari. We won’t know how these cars look until we actually see a car, or at least a to-scale drawing. But lessening financial backing will increase the series’ fear of driving away current entries by forcing too large an investment in new hardware. Similarly, new entries – Ferrari and others – in GT will increase cost by raising the bar for current competitors, again reducing entries. All that will likely make Grand Am more timid in implementing the changes that sports car fans (the traditional kind) have wanted to see in the Grand Am product.

Proposed DP Revisions

We always knew that the (cash) impact on current participants of new DP rules would be minimized, didn’t we? It’s a consequence of having “cheap” as your principal product attribute.

With that in mind, the kinds of changes – mostly bodywork – floated last week weren’t a surprise. Those who are critical might consider that it really does take only an inch here and there to hugely impact appearance. Consider that this look was achieved largely by raising the sidepod profile without any greenhouse reduction at all.

Bounties

With Grand Am paying the $25 grand bonus to itself, the only out-of-pocket payment was the $25 put up by Magnus for beating Bill Auberlen and Turner Motorsports (who none-the-less again landed on the GT podium).

The “Best television coverage in racing”

(As odd as it may now seem, that’s quote from a “State of the Series” presentation at a previous Petit Le Mans.) In a press release announcing the promotion of an underling, the ALMS confirmed the departure of Senior Vice President of Television Production Services John Evenson. He’ll “remain as a consultant to the series.” Pretty soon the series will have more “consultants” than employees. Murphy told his Twitter readers Evenson was shown the door at close of business Friday. The Braselburgers get credit for hiring Miss 12 Hours of Sebring 2008 in the same week.

The most important fans – the ones that bother with such things as forums – had been telling the series almost from the beginning that its television package was terrible. It chose not to listen.

Media Mogul Moves

Don’t be surprised if News Corp. makes a move to acquire the F1 commercial rights.

GRT

Generic Racing Team launched a website last week, then quickly shut it down. The prime suspect called Kevin and pled “Not Guilty.” The NASCAR brass was publically peeved, but privately amused. The search for a disgruntled former employee with advanced website design skills continues…

ALMS Prototype Summary

Muscle Milk will complete the season, as will one Dyson Lola AER (Mazda).

A Dyson second car announcement remains possible.

Autocon is “in” beginning at Mosport, though the “new direction” stuff is a bit overblown – same car, same motor, same drivers, some reorganization of the “partnership,” car upkeep moved to a new shop. No, it did not get “significant upgrades” at Lola.

It seems Intersport will “Field” an LMPC – but no LMP1 or 2.

If they can get the AMR One to run, Aston Martin will make a single ALMS foray, at Laguna Seca, in addition to the Petit Le Mans ILMC round.

Tucker will campaign one LMP2 for the remainder of the ALMS schedule.

Murphy’s seen no evidence that Signature has a car, or an engine, or a crew. (When they do, perhaps they’ll be kind enough to post a photo? Even Solo Al was able to do that.) The team says it’s in the “re-evaluating” mode. It’s getting a little late for this season, isn’t it?

Most likely ALMS (non-ILMC) LMP1/2 entry: Lime Rock 3, Mosport 4, Mid-Ohio 4, Road America 4, Baltimore 3, Monterey 5.

Oklahoma!

Still a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, but not yet a racing event. The “announcement” did not announce an event, but a promoter’s intent to get an event approved. The mayor is for it, the state is for it, yadda, yadda…but no mention of the OKC council, which defeated it last year. With a hoops playoff underway, auto racing isn’t even close to the community’s consciousness.

South America for the ILMC?

They’re floating the idea, along with an assumed constraint of seven (and no more than eight) events, including Le Mans. Drop one of the three European events? Perhaps, but most of the entries are from that continent. It seems equally likely that North America will lose one of its two, doesn’t it?

Andy Lally Update

Andy failed to qualify at Darlington, but won $80,825 at Richmond, and $88,875 at Dover for GRT, er..TRG, which brings his season winnings to $1,020,811. The entire American Le Mans field has won $1,093,000, less $173,000 withheld, the total due to participants to date is $920,000. Teams that have been classified as “factory,” or “factory supported” are not paid purse money. The next privateer(s) does/do not “move up.”  The Bear has already credited the privateer bonus fund that will actually be paid after the season. That may also not reach the $540,000 he has allowed, in which case the total will be adjusted downward as necessary.

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.”

The Bear got this note from A.C. tonight. The famous motorsports writer was inspired by the big upgrade to Speedtv’s Le Mans commentary, and expresses some doubts about Murphy’s recent rumor record. Always a practitioner of careful journalistic research, A.C. even gives us a statistical analysis of  the Bear’s scurrilous stuff.-Murphy-
 
I watched some of the garbage known as Le Mans, only because “The Most  Interesting Man in the World” was doing some commentating. Thank goodness he was there, reminding the viewers 236 times about his Rolex collection. I was especially impressed how Scott had such an in depth knowledge of Le Mans, even though he personally could care less about prototypes that are fast, technologically advanced and not made by Riley. And I have to laugh a little at the Audi R15. The design of this car was obviously based on the Riley. Look at them side-by-side. Can you tell a difference?
 Corvette had a rough go of it at Le Mans after a fine start. Perhaps they could learn a few things watching the fine performance of Corvettes in the Rolex series.
 
I am really excited about the smaller fields that Grand-Am has introduced this season. The Rolex series has always been geared to simpletons who like NASCAR, so fewer cars and classes are the way to go. I bring that up because my understanding is that Grand-Am may be restructuring in 2011, going from two classes, to no classes. Not sure how that will work, but Mark tells me one of the benefits is that Timing & Scoring will no longer be needed. More details to follow.
 
The thing I hate most about sports car racing, other than the Nicotine Patch, is all the rumors. That little furry bear seems to always have a rumor about something, and less than 90% of the time, 10% of it is half true and the other 80% is not even close to the majority of the
20% he says might happen if it doesn’t.
 
On that note, let me dispel the rumor there is growing dissension among the NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series about the money wasted on Grand-Am. I can report to you this is absolutely, positively, probably not true. I have been personally assured by the Grand-Am management that everyone in NASCAR is in full support of subsidizing the road racing department, and that the France family has allocated one trillion bazillion dollars to insure it will exist well into the 2011 season, if not longer. As a shareholder in International Speedway Corp., I can tell you that I am in full support of the company’s involvement in road racing. And so is Godwin. As long as we can keep using those loaner Pontiacs.
 
Another rumor floating around is that the above mentioned company is buying Sebring and Road Atlanta. I have been told that is not true. However, there is interest in buying the ACO and the Le Mans circuit. I know NASCAR has been very keen on building an 8.5-mile tri-oval in France, and this would be an ideal site.
 
I got a lot of nasty emails after my last column about J.C. France. It seems many of you think J.C. got those charges dropped because he was a member of the France family. That is simply not true. J.C. has EARNED everything he has, including all 14 of his exotic cars.
 
Finally, let me issue an apology to the Continental Tire competitors. I have no idea this series exists. Can you prove it?
 
Until next time,
 
A.C.

The Bear was told this is a “15 minutes of fame” deal. Cash paid to Bernie (a kind of application fee to FOA), but unlikely to get much beyond that. The number to get the “purpose-built” facility entirely prepared (garages, spectator amenities, track, etc.)? Murphy was quoted “a quarter billion dollars.”

Though three “possible sites” have been mentioned, The contemplated site is said to be a 7/8ths oval south of Austin, which makes sense to the Bear, since it will already have been “permitted” for racing activities…Thunderhill, baby! From NASCAR West to F1 in one big leap.

The deal has been floated by Full Throttle Productions, LP, whose managing partner is apparently 39-year-old Tavo (C.T.) Hellmund, most recently a part-time (14 starts) driver in NASCAR West’s K&N Pro Series (before that Formula Ford in Britain, and a few other nondescript racing adventures). Can a promoter for which a “big event” was drawing 9,000 to the Allstate Thunderhill 150 really build a $250 million facility and promote an international event that will have to draw 150,000 spectators to succeed? Can a promoter whose racing career was characterized by “under-funded efforts,” raise a quarter billion dollars for a facility, plus at least another $10 million for promotion and other operating costs? Can all that get done in 24 months?

“C.T.” is the son of the Tavo Hellmund, who promoted CART in Mexico City in the early 1980’s, now an Austin Ford dealer.
Murphy thinks the Austin Formula 1 race will have more in common with the F1 events in Moscow, Mexico, and India, than it will with Bahrain, Brazil, and Belgium. Time will tell, won’t it?

About Abruzzi (Cliff’s Notes version)

The Abruzzi chassis originated with Multimatic in Toronto about the time the Esperante lost its DOT certification in 2006. The Canadian company, which built the Esperante tube frame chassis for the Esperante race car and shipped them to Panoz Auto Development (PAD) in Georgia, did a second generation design in 2006, this one with a carbon fiber floor pan, firewall, and rear panels.

The Multimatic tooling went to PAD after 2006, where a few race cars, but no road cars, have been built since then; Esperante road car sales have been made out of existing inventory (permitted after of the certification of the Mustang on which it piggybacked ended).

Enter the Don, who decided to use that second generation chassis along with a Corvette drive train for his Abruzzi. Danny hired designers, Comprent built the patterns, and  Elan built the body panels. Except…they didn’t fit! Danny and Don had a little family tiff over that, and a few of the “old guys” were brought back to Elan, but it was all such a mess they were gone after a few days.

So there it is, a huge scramble to get the car ready to leave for France June 1, where it will (maybe) do a demonstration lap ahead of the pace car at Le Mans.  Will it make it?

Laguna Seca

The cold put just a small crimp in Friday’s forum get-together. Huge and Brian were happy to see each other, and atlantafalconsfan met the Bear. The next day, even the house Canuckistani was dressed for winter, apparently guarding the Port-a-Potties.

Murphy froze his little tush just about off. It was so cold even fur didn’t help much. If they say the crowd was up, or even, or close to it, they’re spinning. Fifty feet of empty fence above Turn 2 at the start doesn’t qualify even as “the new up.”

The Corkscrew (inside the track) looked pretty good, but sports car types being among the smarter racing fans, they likely quickly figured out it’s one of the few spots sheltered from the bitter winds.

Notes

Murphy can imagine the conversation Laguna Seca had with its big sponsor. “You know that new media center we promised? Well, how about a nice new scoring pole instead?”

A dispute over who was supposed to pay for what has ended the Marcelli-Feinberg partnership before the season’s third event.  It’s likely we won’t have Joel to kick around anymore.

The engine and head in Dyson Racing’s Lola were redesigned over the winter. Will that make a difference? They believe so. Is the oil filter the next candidate for re-engineering? A Fram, perhaps?

Whether ALMS/IMSA is or is not for sale, it’s widely believed in the paddock that the series will change hands if there’s acceptable offer. Since to date the seller’s definition of “acceptable offer” seems to be damn near double that of the interested parties’ definition, a change any time soon would appear to be unlikely.

Cats (Not the musical)

Though what we saw on the track at Laguna Seca was still more Grizabella than Mr. Mistoffelees. Yes, there was the Jaguar on the last lap, but there were also the 46 laps the cat didn’t make over the course of 6 hours, and even that makes no reference to pace. The best run to date, but not one that instills confidence for Le Mans.

Audi: R15+ Last of the Line?

There have been hints that Audi has decided “the way forward” in sports car racing is in GT, not prototype. If so, that continues a world-wide trend amongst manufacturers. Murphy suspects this recent “golden age of prototypes” may soon be behind us, replaced (he can hope) by a “golden age of GT.”

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

Murphy, A.C., and Katrina Flood brought you right into the action at the Daytona 24, as AC calls it, “the World’s Greatest Race.” This time it almost was, with the Bear (a “Daytona Denier”) on the edge of his seat (with the rest of you – admit it), over the final hour and last laps.

A.C. gave ya’ll ten rools in “How to Enjoy the Rolex 24”

As he did for the previous year, Murphy listed the five entries most likely to win and contend for the win. In 2008, first, second, and third were from his top five. This year he had 1 and 2, and all five of his picks were in the first seven.

There was an interesting exchange with wrestlerrob in Paddock Poop 109 after the race. Wrestler wondered if the Bear would stick to his “Riley only” rool for his 2010 picks. Murphy answered he didn’t see any change, writing that, “Seriously, there’s no challenge in sight to Riley’s dominance. Certainly not Lola, in a partnership of which they are not enamored…or so the Bear hears.” There was your first clue that Lola and Krohn weren’t getting along, nearly a year ago. That “relationship” has now landed in court; if Krohn runs those cars (he’s entered them) it won’t be with any help from Lola.

Murphy mentioned another prototype – of much greater interest – on January 15, “There are multiple hints that there is a Porsche LMP1 in the wings that could debut as early as 2010 – if Herr Dr. Wiedeking will allow it.” Now that Wiedeking is gone his successor is talking openly of the prospect, though a 2011 debut seems most likely.

A.C. proudly declared, “I am A.C. Guillermo, and I’m a Grand-Am Writer.” In his race review, “The Grassy Knoll 24” A.C. ridiculed the conspiracy buffs, with his usual insightful expert analysis, observing, “I was watching the TV coverage of the race today and I saw no evidence of any cheating, aside from all those male enhancement product commercials (that stuff doesn’t work, trust me).”

On January 21, in Paddock Poop 108. “Murphy on Sebring’s Likely Starters,” the Bear wrote, “When the flag flies at Sebring on March 21, 30 entries will thunder into the old airbase’s Turn 1. It’s a different mix, but nearly the same number (31) Murphy gave you on December 10. If Sebring starts the Bear’s 30, it will have done well, indeed, in tough times for racing, losing only 10% from last year’s 33.”

The next day the Bear revised that, summarizing in Paddock Poop 109, “For now, those changes will cut his likely P1 starters to seven. Murphy’s going to keep his expected GT starters at 17, making Sebring’s total grid 29.” Contrary to his reputation in some quarters, in the event, the Bear would prove to be far too optimistic.

February

On February 3rd , the Bear reported that negotiations to bring back “Radio Le Mans,” seemed stalled; that the coverage could end in the new season. “Your favorite internet audio coverage will be gone in the 2009 season unless funding from Braselton is replaced from some other source. Perhaps Murphy’s will have to send what he’d budgeted for a forum hat to England to help out. Time to register your displeasure?  It’s said that the at-track-PA coverage by Mr. H. will be back – if the offer is accepted.”

The content of that was never questioned, though there eventually was an agreement, and much ado about the stuffed animal having written “Radio Le Mans,” rather than “ALMS Radio Web.” He said he was very, very sorry. Roll this story a year forward, and that’s exactly what has happened: It’s been announced ALMS Radio Web will not be funded by the American Le Mans Series. The good news is that Hindy and company at Radio Show Limited seem optimistic the needed sponsorship will be forthcoming.

The other item in Paddock Poop 110 was this:

“The Bear’s  been told that as of yesterday an enterprise in a small Northeastern Georgia town will have across-the-board pay cuts.”
That one leaked so fast that phone calls from Braselton to Murphy’s acquaintances quickly followed, trying to ferret (cute little things, aren’t they?) out the Bear’s source. The Great Georgia Mole Hunt was on! Later in the year, when this or that Braselburger head would roll, it would be rumored that the mole had been excised. But Murphy continues to report what goes on in the Broadway Avenue puzzle palace, doesn’t he?

Murphy’s optimism about the Sebring entry (if 30 can be characterized that way) faded quickly. On Valentine’s Day he wrote, “In mid February, there are 25 Sebring entries (P1 = 7, P2 = 3, GT1 = 2, GT2 = 13). Though more – as many as 35 – are possible, Murphy thinks the grid will grow by only two net (P1 = 7, P2 = 3, GT1 = 2, GT2 = 15) to 27.” The entry dated February 19 totaled exactly that, in a bit different class mix. There finally were 26 on the grid in March (P1 = 8, P2 = 3, GT1 = 2, GT2 = 13).

Not on that grid was VICI Racing. On the 24th of February, the Bear wrote, “In GT2, VICI has added two Porsches to the entry, oddly with drivers TBA. Murphy says “oddly” because it seemed clear that the VICI program was very much dependent on drivers with budgets, so if the entries are firm, the drivers should already be “on board.” Other opinion from the paddock (shared with the Bear yesterday) remained doubtful about at least the second of the two entries, and dismissed any possibility of a third.”

VICI stories continue to this day, with the Pollyannas convinced that the telephone sponsorship on the car last year would actually be funded in 2010. As if corporate budgeting worked that way. Might happen, likely won’t.

March

An Audi R8 was rumored early in the month. That came to nothing, of course. Now it’s rumored for GT Challenge – a “future maybe.” It would be a pretty expensive way to go, about twice the cost of the 911’s that likely would beat it like a redheaded stepchild.
The Riley-Lou-Pratt & Miller-Corvette Racing-GM soap opera continued with a Riley, left standing at the alter, filing lawsuit charging GM with “breach of promise.”

Murphy’s Prototype Punter’s Guide made the two Audi R15s the co-favorites, with the two Peugeots right behind. Big deal,  you say? OK, it wasn’t hard, given the rest of the field was pretty much helpless against the diesels. Those four were all in the top five, with Fernandez’ Acura P2 sneaking into fourth ahead of a broken-down Peugeot. It was a field worth traveling to Florida for. 2010? No Audi, no Acura P1, just two Peugeots to crush a sorry lot of non-contenders. Murphy knows (it’s that mole again) Braselton takes Sebring for granted, believing the rubes will show up no matter what junk is on the grid. Are they right?

In his GT Punter’s Guide, Flying Lizard’s Bergmeister and Long (lang und kurz – having nothing to do with their names) were the Bear’s 3-2 favorites, followed by Risi Competizione’s Melo and Kaffer (3-1). The Ferrari won it, the Lizards falling to 4th . He still had VICI as a “player,” since they were claiming factory pilots, a load of bull droppings, as usual.

At Sebring, the Bear tipped a few with friends away from the track.
And at.
Cruised the paddock for stories – and found a few.
Under the heading of “Fantasyland,” he wrote, “Saleens, ECO Racing, Creations, Zyteks, Jaguars…well that last one might be possible, but the silence is ominous.” The Cat finally came straggling in – remindful of a tabby that’s fallen into the cattle watering trough – at Laguna Seca. That bull crap (the bull is a friend of the Bear’s) at Petit Le Mans was an embarrassment.

Murphy closed out the month with a rare single-topic Poop: “Acura Rumor Review – Smoke or Fire?”

The Bear opined that “…there is usually some fire under such a large volume of smoke.” In retrospect we were hearing the first rumblings of the complete shutdown of the Honda/Acura racing program.

April

Off we went to St. Pete. Well, everyone but Murphy, who gets to burned out partying at Sebring to go up the road 90 minutes for a pale imitation of road racing. We’re all spared that monumental waste of time this year, aren’t we? The Bear feels sorry for his pal Huge, but hey, how many “home events” do you need? Seventeen cars started on Tampa Bay, twelve in three classes were running at the finish. Even a stuffed animal knows how to spell J-O-K-E. Who wants to pay real money for that?

A.C. returned from a well-earned vacation at Dollywood to a full mailbag, which he dutifully dug into, treating the rest of us to the best snippets.

VICI was floating bull crap again, this time about a Long Beach entry. A couple of guys were promising a second Aston Martin GT entry. Never happened, just more hot air.

The grid was marginally better at Long Beach – 21, of which 18 were running at the end. Murphy was there. Shockingly, the ALMS drew very well compared to the IRL. That’s more an  indictment of the latter than anything particularly good about the former.

May

Tim Mayer left IMSA/ALMS. Murphy published a “quick” Poop the day before the announcement. The Bear always thought Mayer was the best of the bunch. That may sound like “faint praise” in some quarters, but Tim stood out as a good guy and a competent manager.

The Honda rumors continued, the Bear reporting that “Honda’s is taking financial steps to facilitate a Yankee team’s move to IRL next season. It’s widely believed that Acura will only return if there is major manufacturer competition, and that it currently assumes that will not be the case.” The first part of that wasn’t the case (rather than helping anyone, Honda’s thrown them all under the bus), but the second part was sadly quite true. Been nice knowin’ ya.

Endurance-info got into the “Creation promotion business” with DSC, printing what some of the cool aid drinkers called a “confirmation” that Creation will be on the ALMS grid soon. “We plan to return to the ALMS Series, when we are ready,” said Andy Woolgar. Murphy wrote, “‘when we are ready’ will not likely be sooner than 2010.” At least dailysportscar gets its bad information from the chief rather than a North Carolina-based minion. The Bear’s pretty sure pigs will fly before a Creation chassis graces an ALMS grid. What has Creation accomplished lately other than the periodic trashing of Bicks and the Bear? (In a theater near y0u soon?)

A.C. was back with a column about Grand Am at Thunderbolt in New Jersey. He reported that Scott Pruett invented the internet without Al Gore’s help. Now he working on some investigative journalism stuff about global warming.

There was a race somewhere in Utah. No one went. Corsa was there not running its hybrid gear. Good place for such shenanigans.

Murphy’s elf inside F1 was keeping him (and you) abreast of those sordid happenings. Murphy reported that de Ferran was negotiating to acquire the cars, engines, tools, transporters, and pit equipment of a part time IRL team.

When Robin Miller was roasted for reporting that TG would be out at the brickyard, tossed by his mother and sisters, Murphy was one of just a few that knew he was right, and said so. So much for blood…  The Bear wrote at the time, “What the Tony kerfuffle is really about is creating separation between the finances of IMS (which Tony’s sisters and mother care about) and the IRL (which they do not)…” Having created that separation, the IRL is truly in dire straights according to Murphy’s best inside sources. There are more than just a few that wonder whether it can survive the 2010 season.

In Braselton, the layoffs and a fire sale were underway. Haas was looking the place over, and though a sale wasn’t closed then, some agreement leading to a joint venture in the coming year was put in place.

June

The Bear led the month off with his Le Mans Prototype Punter’s Guide, published jointly with Last Turn Clubhouse. If there are any punters out there that pay any attention to a stuffed animal, they deserve to be broke – and probably are. Murphy gave the nod to Audi again. Ah, well…

Later he thought D.R. should “give it a rest,” a rather common sentiment in the sport, and told “A Medieval Bear’s Fable.” 

The “Grand Am buying ALMS” rumor was floated by that same IRL scribe (Murphy doesn’t have to tell you who, does he?). Murphy reviewed the evidence and wrote, “Some might sum all that and come up with an imminent sale. Murphy doesn’t.” It was roundly denied, and nothing came of it, other than SA walking around with a button at Lime Rock that read “We are not for sale.” Funny.

The Boss was dealing with important things like planting trees in public parks (can someone send those guys to Miller Motorsports Park?) and organic T shirts. Then he (SA) told us we should, “Look for an announcement of a major new licensing deal in the third quarter that will greatly enhance our product position and global exposure.” Murphy thinks he missed that announcement. Was it the LMP Challenge? Naw, that doesn’t do any of that stuff.

A.C. closed out the first half of the 2009 season with his usual insightful ruminations about NASCAR and Grand Am.

Next: Murphy’s Year in Review, Part 2

You whined you cried, “It’s toooo hard!” Actually it wasn’t that difficult at all, as you’ll see in the following.

Here is each question, with the correct answer, and with the Bear’s comments. Less than half an hour of time and some willingness to exercise the brain was a sure winner.

1. Name PTG’s drivers in the 2001 American Le Mans Series season. (1 point for each)
Bill Auberlen, Hans Stuck, Boris Said, Niclas Jönsson, Peter Cunningham, Joe Foster, David Murry, Brian Cunningham (Joey Hand was on the Sebring entry, but did not drive.) The maximum number of points is 8 (the number who actually drove in a race) but any of the nine can count toword that total. The information needed to answer this question is readily available on IMSA’s web site. The average score on this question was 6.

2. What is the significance of Portola Road in sports car racing history? (5 points)
Location of the start-finish of the Pebble Beach Road Race. If you didn’t know this, a web search on “Portola Road” would have turned up numerous California locations – and none elsewhere. There would logically be a reason for that. A search on just “Portola” would have found Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira (1716–1784) founder of San Diego and Monterey. The spelling of Monterey (one “r”) ID’s it as the California city. Now a bit of knowledge helps: Laguna Seca was built after a death ended its predecessor, the Pebble Beach Road Race. Web searching that quickly turns up a wiki entry.

3. Who is Mel Hawkins? (5 points)
Driving partner and co-owner with Steven Knight in Knighthawk Racing, 2002 ALMS P675 team champion. This isn’t supposed to be very difficult, given that it’s about a former ALMS class champion team, and it wasn’t. Almost every entry got this one right.

4. What progenitor of a famous racing family was proud to be on Richard Nixon’s ‘Enemies List’? (5 points)
Charles Dyson, Rob Dyson’s father. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon%27s_Enemies_List Paul Newman was also on the list but isn’t the “progenitor of a famous racing family.” This is one of the questions on which Reading is Fundamental. First, if you don’t know it, look up “progenitor.” Then consider the clause the word refers to “of a famous racing family.” That should immediately rule out Paul Newman.  The easily found wiki entry reproduces Charles Colson’s original list of 20; number 5 is Charles Dyson. If you want to confirm, you can look up Dyson-Kissner; that will locate Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation, where you’ll find Rob.

5. Who was the winner of the first Pebble Beach Road Race in 1950? (5 points)
Phil Hill. A not-too-difficult web search will find this one. A cut and paste of the last six words finds philhill.com

6. When and where did seven time World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher last race in North America? (5 points)
Las Vegas, Nevada, November 22, 2009. Right smack in the middle of Schumacher’s Official web site is this headline/link: 20/11/09 Michael at Michael at the SuperNational in Las Vegas.

7. Who was the last driver to qualify and race a front engine car in the Indianapolis 500? What year was it? (5 points)
Jim Hurtubise, 1968. You might actually have to know this one, but most of those who entered did. If not, “‘front engine’ Indy” yields a site with a list of all drivers who drove both front and rear engine cars at the 500. Hurtubese is listed with the latest year for a front-engine car.

8. Identify the driver and the car. (3 points for each)
Consalvo Sanesi, Alfa Romeo Type 159. Murphy made this one more difficult by first misspelling “Alfa,” didn’t he? Sorry. The key to this question and the following one is to identify the car in the photo. Having done that, you’ll find its wiki page includes a box titled “Competition History.” In that are listed (under “GP”) “Notable Drivers.” Each is a “live link.” Those who wanted to do the drudgery were rewarded; the entry on Consalvo Sanesi includes the description of the incident at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964, so the driver in the photograph must be Sanesi. The lesson? If two questions are “linked,” as these two are, take all the information from both. That cat can be skinned from either end.

9. What North American racing incident involved the driver in the photograph? (5 points)
Sanesi had a near fatal accident at Sebring in 1964 when his Alfa Giulia TZ burst into flames and he was rescued by a mechanic and driver from Poughkeepsie, New York, named Jocko Maggiocommo.

10. Name the ‘Odd Couple,’ a Silicon Valley CEO and a former college tennis player who combined to launch a sports car racing team, then drove to a podium finish at Le Mans. (5 points)
Leo Hindery and Peter Baron. Baron started playing tennis at age four and was going to be a tennis pro, “But then I figured out I’m not one of the lucky seven or eight naturally blessed people. I was not going to make a career of tennis, but I was able to go through college playing tennis. Once I got out, I didn’t want to see a tennis racket again.” You can find that information in an Orbit Racing press release published on motorsport.com. Before he ran the YES Network for the New York Yankees, Leo Hindery was CEO of Global Crossing.

11. The werks John Wyer and Porsche Salzburg (1970) and Martini (1971) teams won all but four races in which they entered the 917 in the FIA Group 5 World Championship of Makes. Name the four races in which the werks 917’s were beaten, whether points-paying or not, and the car that won in each instance. (8 points, 1 for venue, 1 for car in each instance)
1 – Sebring, 1970, Ferrari 512S; 2 – Kyalami, 1970, Ferrari 512M; 3 – Brands Hatch, 1971, Alfa Romeo T33/3, 4 – Watkins Glen, 1971, Alfa Romeo T33/3. Here’s another case where it’s important to read the question carefully in its entirety. Murphy didn’t put the phrase “whether points-paying or not” in there for the hell of it. It’s a big clue. Also, pay attention to the phrase “in which they entered the 917.” It means what it says. If those teams entered a different car in some of those races, they would not then be defeats for the 917. In fact, that’s what happened. Wyer, Porsche Salzburg and Martini parked the 917’s and started 908’s exclusively at Nurburgring and in the Targa Florio in both years.  Bill Oursler writes in his “History of the 917” for the web site 962.com, “As for the 917’s record, it was near perfect for the two seasons that it ran (in the World Championship of Makes), the only loss in 1970 coming at the hands of Ferrari, whose 512S won at Sebring after the 917 brigade suffered a series of mechanical woes. (A Ferrari 512M likewise defeated Porsche in the non-championship Nine Hour event at Kyalami at the end of the year as well.) In 1971, the 917 was defeated twice, once at Brands Hatch, and again at Watkins Glen, both times by Alfa Romeo.” Reference to Janos Wimpffen’s “Time and Two Seats confirm’s Oursler. About the 1971 Targa Florio (aka Palermo) Wimpffen writes, “As was the case in 1970, the Porsche entry consisted only of 908/3’s…”  Some might be confused by the appearance of a 917 in practice sessions at Palermo in 1970, but Wimpffen covers that, too: “Besides the spare 908, drivers also played around in practice with the original 909 Bergspyder and an out-of-place 917.

 A Ferrari source contributes this: “At the end of the 1970 season, Ferrari had won the 12 hours of Sebring, while Porsche 917 and 908 took all other nine wins of the championship season. The modified 512M had proven to be fast at the end of the season, and Ickx/Giunti also won the Kyalami non-championship Springbok 9 hours race. As the loophole for the five litre sports cars would become obsolete after 1971, Ferrari decided to abandon factory entries of the 512 in favor of developing a new three litre prototype.”

12. What Le Mans winner won a race in a Scarab?  (5 points)
Carroll Shelby, 1960 USAC Road Racing Championship race at Continental Divide Raceway in Denver, CO. Google “scarab” and there it is.

13. What driver finished second overall in NASCAR points in his rookie season, then third overall at Le Mans and third in points in the following NASCAR season? (5 points)
Dick Hutcherson. The key here is Ford; what else would cause Le Mans and NASCAR to intersect? Chevy, perhaps, but that’s recent history, and it doesn’t take much to reject that possibility. Any Google or Bing that can find the Ford 1-2-3 at Le Mans in 1966 will find the 3rd place Holman-Moody (yes, that Holman-Moody) entry and Dick Hutcherson. You’re on your way. (Murphy found an autoblog.com article on the 40th Anniversary of the sweep at the 2006 Le Mans Classic.)

14. Who celebrated a milestone birthday at Sonoma, California in July, 2000. (5 points)
Lucas Luhr turned 21. Maybe you had to know that, or be a real Porsche fan. None of those around here, are there?

15. What do TWR USA/Jaguar, Nissan Performance Technology, Risi Competizione, and Tafel Racing have in common? (5 points)
Each team employed Peter Kaczmar (aka PK) as the No. 1 mechanic on its “lead” car. Is that a little arcane? If so, too bad, sports car fakers. It can be argued that the most important position for a winner in motor racing is the car’s “Number 1,” at least as important in sports car endurance racing as your drivers. To have been that on the lead cars of each of those programs is really one hell of an achievement. If Peter isn’t the best in the sport, he’s obviously damn close.

16. Which team won the biggest ever sports car purse, what was the race and year? (5 points)
TWR USA/Jaguar, Del Mar 1989. $193,000 ($310,000 if today) paid for winning RJ Reynolds’ “Camel Pyramid.” Sports car and GT endurance racing has always been known for its lousy winner’s purses, so you were looking for something out of the ordinary. The Camel Pyramid was a scheme that allowed the purse to accrue over the season into a “winner take all.” One of our entrants got this one right.

17. What driver called a GT1 a “real race car” when asked to contrast it to the car he usually raced. (5 points).
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. when asked to compare the Corvette C5-R at Infineon Raceway in 2004 to his Cup car. You wouldn’t have read that quote in any of the many NASCAR rags (or any publication that wanted to suck up to the gorilla). Dailysportscar.com reported it, though.

18. What driver competed in six ALMS seasons with an artificial heart valve? (5 points)
Tom Weikardt, 2001 – 2006. Another tough one you’d just have to know. It’s a ‘condition’ shared by a long-time ALMS scribe, and by PMG’s CEO.

19. Murphy the Bear’s office is located in what institution on Monterey’s Wave Street? (5 points)
A stool in the lounge of The Sardine Factory. Regular readers of murphythebear.com (that’s where you are now) should have gotten this one. The Wave Street address of the Sardine Factory is on the Bear’s business cards, too.

20. Who completed a cross county motorcycle ride between ALMS races at Lime Rock and Infineon. (5 points)
JJ Lehto and Frank Biela. The 8-day cross country ride was covered by the Series’ own web site, among others, in 2005. Still lots of ways to find it.

Big questions for the Le Mans break: Will Corsa or Primetime raise the funds needed to return? If Primetime returns, will it be with the Viper, or something else? If Corsa returns, will they ever run a real hybrid?

Murphy hears Audi will return to the ALMS much sooner than anyone has anticipated. If so, will it be in time to stop Acura’s rush to the door?

Audi’s return as an entrant would be less important than its return as a series sponsor. Those have become all but extinct, according to the Bear’s sources. Layoffs have been steady in Northwest Georgia; more are imminent.

Murphy enjoyed the americanlemansfans forum when one of the sport’s iconic personalities chimed in and – because he’s not a self-promoting bloke – stayed incognito and was ignored. Truth be known, he’s just a crotchety old Chapparal mechanic who doesn’t know how to spell “brats.”

The belief that Acura is taking steps to leave the series is widespread in the paddock, but certainly not unanimous. Others think that Acura will “stay the course” for at last one more season.

Further questions about Acura’s commitment to continued development of the ARX-02a were raised when Wirth Research was named in a French court as likely to field an F1 team in 2010. (Murphy told you that a couple of Poops back.)

It seems that F1 has the same attraction to racers in Europe that NASCAR does in North America. Give just about anyone a glimmer of a possibility and they’ll throw their current program overboard for the chance to “move up.” Having thrown their hats in the ring are RLM, Lola, Prodrive, and of course Wirth, just to name a few.

The Porsche shared by Patron’s CEO was excluded from the results in the Challenge class in the desert for a ride height infraction, as was another entrant. Two other Porsches failed to complete the required laps. So only one entrant – the winner – was officially classified and able to accrue points. Sanctity of the rules, the Bear surmises. Or sanctimonious.

De Ferran Motorsports is reported to be negotiating to acquire the cars, engines, tools, transporters, and pit equipment of a part time IRL team; the sticking point has been the inclusion in the deal of an Indianapolis area shop that de Ferran doesn’t need.

Murphy got a call a few minutes ago from a friend with a contact in Monaco. F1 teams left the meeting on Flavio’s yacht with “no comment,” and Bernie saying  “More meetings”  in answer to “what next?” 

What we are hearing is there is no agreement and not likely to be one (an agreement the first of three possible scenarios).

Scenario 2 is a “breakaway F1,” and it’s easier than some might think, since A1GP, with a ready-made schedule, tracks, and infrastructure can be easily co-opted by Ferrari, Toyota, and Renault (BMW and Mercedes remain “on the fence” in the current dispute). Doing so would be no more expensive than just staying in F1 “as is.”

Scenario 3 is a Ferrari move to sports car prototypes – the so-called “nuclear option.” Those who know such things in fact do believe this is a viable course, and if it becomes one, it will be known by Le Mans…the A1GP option having been fully considered by then. They also say that Ferrari would have no problem producing a competitive – winning, even – sports car by then. Of course any such move would depend on the promise of a diesel-gasoline rule change. (If Audi thought that Ferrari and Toyota were about to join the fray, they’d not put up much fuss over further “adjustments” to diesel-gasoline equivalency.)

Toyota and Renault would follow, and at least Ferrari and Toyota would certainly contest the ALMS (as it does for Audi, it would take priority over LMS). If that were to happen, the boys in Braselton would have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse in one stroke just for sitting there with a silly grin.

As it was put to the Bear, “Can you imagine Sebring debuting Ferrari and Toyota against returning Acura, Peugeot and Audi?”

Deja vu

In November 2007, Murphy was reporting bad news from the Champ Car paddock. A year later – this time more the economy than the bumbling three Amigos – the IndyCar paddock is no happy place, either. Bobby lost his corn farmer sponsors, and told Ryan’s looking for other opportunities. Justin Wilson and Oriol Servia are likewise on the market.

Surfer’s is gone, and Team Australia will go with it. That costs Will Power his KV Racing seat, and may put KV out the door, too.

Marco hasn’t signed with dad. Moving on could be a good career move. Roger is quietly looking for Helio’s replacement. Marco’s grandpa drove for Roger. Can singer-dancer-yeahbaby Julianne drive?

Where are Walker, Forsythe, and Conquest?  When “…if funding can be found…” is in the story, it doesn’t mean much. For Eric Bachelart and Conquest it’s been a struggle since the short-lived ‘partnership’ with Opus Prime, Ltd, which collapsed of it’s own megalomania  – and dumb real estate deals. Bachelart provided support for LNT’s Ginetta Zytek at Petit, and said nice things about the series. Of course he did. But, he still needs to wrap up a sponsorship deal for IRL, then maybe one for ALMS? Hello!  Forsythe? The former Amigo threw away a big fortune in Champ Car, and only has the stomach for losing a small one now, so he opted to race Eddie Cheever’s  left-over DP stuff at Daytona. After that, everything is still in “sponsor search mode,” Walker has been the leading purveyor big plans, but all with that funding sentence that makes them meaningless.

Racing Toppers

Across the board in motorsports it looks like tough times. Title sponsor opportunities for IRL are deader than a mackerel. The on-life-support truck racing series got Camping World more for face-saving than real cash. Murphy may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but how much can a motor home dealer fork over in this market? Maybe it makes sense. If we can’t afford a motor home, perhaps a camper top for the pick-em-up truck?

Toyota and GM

Want to know why Toyota didn’t announce a Le Mans program on the weekend? Because for now, at least, all racing programs – F1 included – are under review at the automaker.

It’s actually better for the GT2 program at GM. The Bear’s been told that it’s full speed ahead with design, build, and test at Pratt & Miller. The quote (in contrast to Toyota), “the Corvette Racing program will not be reviewed.”

The Fantom Program

Recurring rumors of a new entrant have taken on many versions since the boss’ comment and a Hindy mention earlier this year. Was it one or two? GT or prototype? A new manufacturer or new team? A new GT2 entrant, probably a new brand or model, if not a new manufacturer, was the story that the Bear heard most often around the paddock. Just about every possibility was trotted out by someone. At one time or another, Mustang, Nissan, Audi’s R8, Lexus, Hyundai, Kia, Lamborghini and Jaguar have all made the list. Later, each in turn has dropped out of favor in the glare of reality.

The Mustang program, which included Multimatic development and testing in Europe has settled into a GT3-only effort. Likewise, Audi will announce that its R8 will land in the GT3 ranks. Lexus may have considered a revival of its aborted GT2S, but no longer, the Bear’s been told. Nissan is dumping its trade shows, and its on-again, off-again interest in racing the GT-R is off-again. There’s been some noise from and about Lamborghini from Europe, but it’s FIA, not ACO. As Murphy has observed before, Hyundai and Kia have been an equal mix of hope and outright fantasy. Jaguar? PG has been haunting paddocks. At Laguna Seca he had on a bright, crisp new-looking Jaguar shirt, but that could just as easily have come from the back of his closet. There’s been some hope – and some consternation – for this one in Braselton. All-in-all, the cat remains the odds-on favorite to be the new entrant…if there is one.

Tar Heel Trouble

Meanwhile, in North Carolina Ganassi and DEI merged, then laid off 100. Cat went to Childress (which lost AT&T) from Bill Davis, who laid off 45. As of this week less than 43 Sprint Cup teams – the number recently needed for a full grid – have full season funding for 2009. That explains why NASCAR cut the max grid size to 36, of course. Tricky, aren’t they?

Lime Green

A popular color for Porsches in the Seventies, not so much since. A rumor of green Spyders? Not in the paddock, it wasn’t. Spyders testing lately? Nope.

Back to School

The shift of center-of-gravity to a  community college in the colonies continues for an Oxford team with a Yankee owner. Some have doubts, but even if it isn’t on a North American grid the prototype builder will be in a course catalogue.

A turbo coupe – for sure

The tenacity with which some fans hold on to what they wish for is amazing. A few rumors and the forum frenzy takes over. Pretty soon the new car is a turbo coupe for sure, and even with photos of the car on the track won’t change minds.

More Might be Less, even in Paradise

There is what you can see, and what you cannot. The visible commitment of some companies’ racing programs can increase or appear stable, while funding not readily visible to fans is cut. Braselton’s going to take a pretty big hit from a couple of big names and a bunch of little ones.

A Christmas Tradition

Unfortunately layoffs have been one of them, and this Holiday Season is no exception. They started in earnest among NASCAR teams as soon as the last checkered flag flew, and they’re spreading through the larger racing community like a silent tsunami. No team, series, constructor, or supplier is immune. Races will be dropped. For Grand Am, Mexico City is already history. How can the trucks race 25 times? Or even once?

The Grid

A prominent team manager says, “I expect the 2009 grid to be 18-19 entries.” Murphy’s not entirely sure of that. Connor the Beaver observed, “pretty optimistic…” The way things are, sports fans, declarations of intent won’t clear the bank, and to get on our grid, you can’t be “looking for a sponsor,” or in the “if funding is available” category. So, let’s try to figure it out:

In P1, you’ve got two Audis and two Acuras. Autocon looks good – Ol’ Mike says so, and that’s good enough for this Bear. Rumor has it that Intersport “ordered a Lola tub,” but with Richard taking one car (and spares), the other wrecked (and owned by someone else anyway), and it’s hard to put the Dublin, Ohio team down as a firm entry. PrimeTime is looking for funding…enough said. (Correction: PrimeTime is hoping to put the Zytek in P2, so Murphy can use the Latin for ”six.” If you read this before, you know that the Bear is very much math-challenged.) We’ll count on Steve Pruitt to put Corsa on the grid. That’s sex. Latin, right? Finis.

P2, Dyson will be there with two Mazda coupes, but they (and others) won’t be overjoyed if IMSA follows the ACO down the road of new aero rules that will require design, new  parts, wind tunnel work and testing, all costs at the worst possible time. Is the ACO really that stupid? Any rule changes that require any increased expense are so bone-headed in this environment as to leave a little bear speechless. Oh, sorry…back to the topic. Add Fernandez with an Acura ARX-01c. Three.

Is GT1 worth even writing about? No.

GT2 is expected to save the day, but will it? If that’s the case, Murphy hopes there will be no GT1 “car show” entries noodling around, stealing some of the spotlight.

We’ll have two Flying Lizard Porsches and two Farnbacher Loles porkers. The Bear’s not convinced that VICI will be around. Nickie and Frankie haven’t said so, and VICI runs on OPM…other people’s money – like every good pro race team. The Robertson’s are going to bring back a Ford, and the Bear’s  hoping that Andrea’s hubby Dave finds the pace she’s got. Rahal will field two BMWs. Guiseppi will field one Ferrari, not one and a half. Count Krohn for a part time entry. Tafel will grid one Ferrari. Lord Drayson is gone. Black Swan? There’s that funding thing. Panoz and PTG? Perhaps. At Laguna Seca, “proposals were out.” If Primetime can’t get the prototype funded, Murphy suspects they won’t fall back to the Viper. What about the Riley-built Corvette? Funding is much harder to find now than it was in during the 2008 season, so…

Before Mid-Ohio, when Corvette joins the fray, that’s nine entries.

Is it surprising that we’ve accounted for eighteen, just as predicted by our team manager?

Michael Delaney was an idiot

“When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” That’s the much over-used line from the iconic film Le Mans. It really is a stupid thought, though. Just about everything is more important than racing. This is a hard time for Murphy. His friend Jeannie passed away a year ago, on November 29. He said farewell, here, and over the past year this remembrance, with two galleries, has remained on the front page of Last Turn Clubhouse.

This Thanksgiving, hug the ones close to you, They are truly all that matters, and may not always be there.