Scorched Earth
What do the Montreal Canadiens, Liverpool Football Club, and Richard Petty Motorsports have in common? George Gillett, a scourge to all of them, or so most fans believe, and who was recently forced out of Liverpool by John Henry, also owner of the Red Sox and Fenway/Roush Racing. RPM owes $3 million Roush-Yates, and since Gillett has way more red numbers than black in his ledger, King Richard is scrambling to stay in the game. It’s tough on the King, with wife Lynda fighting a brain tumor diagnosed in February. The King will likely get through it, perhaps even field a Dodge team in the Continental Tire series and one Cup car. George’s empire might be out of options. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Peugeot’
176. DTM, A Spyder Farewell, HVM Doubtful, Murphy’s Ugliest.
Monday, October 25th, 2010The Unvarnished Truth: DTM in North America
Back on July 7th, Murphy told you about talks between NASCAR, the FIA, and the folks who run DTM. The Bear’s comments reflected what was said at a little get-together in Daytona Beach that week. Soon thereafter, Grand Am published its “GT3 Memo,” reported in detail by Murphy’s friends over at Last Turn Clubhouse.
Now ITR – the promoter of DTM – announces that they are working on a joint schedule with NASCAR and Grand Am that would bring 12 races to North America in 2013. Some question the story, one critic writing it’s “BS,” trumped up solely by Hans Werner Aufrech of ITR. If that were so, would Grand Am President Tom Bledsoe (said to be very close to Jim France) have released a statement confirming the general outlines of the on-going discussions? Murphy suggests you shouldn’t ignore that these talks were announced at that same reception for Grand Am and other NASCAR team owners in Daytona in July. (more…)
173. Caddy on the Way…but where? Corvette Confirmed through 2013. Cats and Lizards to Return.
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010The General is Busy
Pratt & Miller is in pre-build engineering a Caddy for GM. What effect on other GM programs, if any? Seemingly nothing for ALMS fans, since Murphy’s been told that Corvette Racing (the Pratt & Miller American Le Mans Series program in its entirety, he believes) has been approved/funded by GM to race through the 2013 season. (more…)
170. NASCAR-DTM Alliance, Todt at Daytona, R18 waits for the ACO, Shopping for an R8 (maybe not).
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010Grand Am Throws a Party
Grand Am had a team owner’s meeting and cocktail reception on the 8th floor of the new ISC/NASCAR digs on International Speedway Boulevard last Thursday afternoonand evening. It’s probably where A.C. saw FIA chief Jean Todt accompanied by fiancé Bond Girl (Wai Lin, Tomorrow Never Dies) Michelle Yeow (right, at Cannes, credit Georges Baird). Todt is heading an FIA delegation, including American Nick Craw, on a “good will” tour – shoring up support amongst racing series and motoring club after AAA’s recent resignation.
With Bernie’s payments for F1 rights about to end with 89 years of exclusivity left (what dumbo wrote that contract?) the Frogs are facing a big ($35 million) hole in the budget. If others follow AAA out the door, things will be dire indeed. (more…)
169. Jaguar to move on? Prototype Prospects. Mid-Ohio is “on” – for IRL. The Obligatory Abruzzi stuff.
Friday, June 25th, 2010A car that won’t race is just part of Jaguar’s problems. When your best finish (by far) in an ALMS race is last place, 36 laps behind the Porsche class winner, it can’t get much worse, can it? Sure it can. It did at Le Mans. (more…)