It’s conjectured that arguments between the “diesel big 2” and the ACO have delayed the rules, and in the end  the 2009 R15 is entirely illegal (it’s not included in the “waiver list,” although the R10 is, with restrictions on who can enter and who can drive one). Thus Audi wouldn’t have a ready-to-race Sebring car if they wanted one, but could have one ready to race at PLM if they begin testing in Florida in March. Though there is no shortage of conflicting stories, Murphy believes both Peugeot (and just possibly Audi) will be at the Paul Ricard test in March, Peugeot (but not Audi) will race at Paul Ricard in April, and both will race at Spa. Audi will test at Sebring the week following the 12 hours, and at Paul Ricard the week after the April LMS race, then contest Spa, Le Mans, and PLM.

Unfortunately, the other Audi rumor item is that Mike Rockenfeller and Harold Primat will be dropped from the werks team.

That event – Murphy hears now the ACO will participate with Audi – is scheduled for 2045 CET, just a couple of hours from now.

More Bad News for the ALMS?

When Murphy reported the replacement of BP sponsorship with that of subsidiary Castrol just a week ago, he speculated whether Mazda would ‘step up,’ as hoped by the team at the end of the 2009 season. I seems from a new rumor from two quarters that question has been answered: They will  not.

The Bear heard two days ago that Dyson Racing will field a single entry in 2010 for Chris Dyson and Guy Smith. Newlywed Marino Franchitti will move to Highcroft for enduros, while Butch Leitzinger, Dyson’s ‘senior driver’ will take the year off.

If that’s true (and it remains only a rumor), it says much more about Mazda’s commitment than it does Dyson’s. We know the latter has been there through the years, ‘thick and thin’ as they say. As for Mazda, they chatter on about ‘more Mazda’s racing than any other car,’ meaning of course that there are a whole bunch of your neighbors wrenching and flogging Miatas around local tracks on weekends. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean much for racing as a spectator sport, does it? It’s been nearly 20 since the 787 and the only Le Mans win by a Japanese auto manufacturer.

Going, going, gone  – but Where?

Rumors continue to swirl around the Grand Am successor to the former Farnbacher-Loles team. (Farnbacher having left that partnership at the end of this past season.) Now media reports – and a 2007 SEC action that we all missed (or ignored) – have overtaken the rumors. A story published yesterday by the New Haven Register  regarding St. Barbara’s  Greek Orthodox church in Orange, Connecticut would seem to be enough – if true – to signal the end of those racing adventures. It’s now speculated that an earlier reported medical event might be cover for “a runner.”

One of Murphy’s elves has just sent him an update, from today’s New Haven Register:

“The investigation into a potentially massive embezzlement of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church funds is centering on the man placed in charge of the church’s investments, who has been identified by multiple sources as Gregory Loles.

Loles was in charge of managing the church’s building fund and endowment, and several church members allowed Loles to handle their personal retirement and college investments, several sources within the church community said.

As the federal investigators begin looking at the case, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said his office is reviewing facts to determine whether state laws were broken. But the U.S. Department of Justice has the lead in the investigation, he said.

“Sadly and tragically, this potential fraud seems to be of massive magnitude — making the federal investigation and involvement very appropriate,” Blumenthal said.”

With funds “in the millions” reportedly having gone missing, will (should) Porsche recognize the winner of Grand Am GT at its upcoming annual “bun fight”?

Murphy notes that St. Barbara is the patron saint of artillery and other “things that go Boom!”

Lou to Grand Am

Pencil our friend Lou out of ALMS and into Grand Am. He’s building a pair of Grand Am Corvettes, and rumor would connect those to Black Forest Motorsports. Lou may be more than just a supplier to Black Forest in the coming Grand Am season. The ALMS GT2 is for sale with no bites yet. (We all know who “Lou” is, don’t we?)

More ALMS for Cytosport?

The Muscle Milk moniker is gone from SCCA Trans Am. That increases the probability that Cystosport will run more aggressive ALMS program than they have in past years. The team’s relatively quick success with the Porsche Spyder last season and IMSA’s coming equalization of the prototypes should make that likely, right? Another rumor has Pickett working on a project so secret that even the Bear’s elves haven’t been able to pick up more than a scent.