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.

I missed the Mid-Ohio race, but I am primed and ready for my favorite series to return home to the World Center of Racing. It is going to be awesome, with Grand-Am and the Cup cars running on the same day!

Mid-Ohio was another fantastically officiated race.  All the team owners I talked with last week were absolutely thrilled with the event, and hopefully next year spectators will be allowed.  Although the entry list has been steadily shrinking to ALMS levels, the close competition gave me goose bumps! I don’t know about you, but that race made me want to go out and buy a Rolex and get a car loan at Sun Trust!  Not so sure about Kevin’s wine, however.

There’s no doubt this year is going great. I just saw a NASCAR press release that confirmed the Grand-Am Series is growing by leaps and bounds.  I was very impressed to see Grand-Am merchandise sales up 41%.  I think Wayne Taylor buying those 10 t-shirts at New Jersey might have had something to do with that.

While Grand-Am’s Riley Rolex Series is booming, all you hear out of Braselton are words like ‘homologation” (isn’t that what certain people do in San Francisco?), “green racing” and “relevance.” 

I almost feel sorry for the ALMS. Once NASCAR officially took over my beloved Rolex Series, game over. The experts at Daytona are proving NASCAR will indeed rule the road racing world. Jim F. and Roger E. have penciled in Sebring and Road Atlanta on the 2010 Rolex schedule (which will be Grand-Am’s first races with spectators!). Of course, Petit Le Mans will have to change its name to Petit Daytona. And the DIS Security Department will have to go to Sebring to straighten out those Green Park people (I’ve been told the fine folks at DIS Security have been watching videos of the Iranian police’s suppression of protesters as a model for crowd control).

The transition from ALMS to Grand-Am should be relatively painless for ALMS fans. Other than the NASCAR loyalty oath, a ban on all technology developed in the last 20 years, and mystery debris yellow flags, they probably won’t notice anything different other than bigger fields of Porsche Cup cars and those beautiful DPs!

And yes, Le Mans was another yawner this year. Until Peugeot and Audi prove they can beat Rileys, Coyotes and Crawfish, they haven’t proven anything.

In closing, I can’t wait for the season-ending banquet after Homestead.  I have heard the entertainment lineup will again include Kevin Buckler doing his mime routine again, Mark Raffauf’s band “Mark and the Scale Calibrators,” plus special guest Tony George will join Roger E. in an emotional tribute to Michael Jackson.

A.C.