He’s been thinkin, how much can you rip the gang that can’t shoot straight before it’s just same ol’ same ol’? Which it has been for a long time. When The Bear launched this thing – way back in 2005 – he was documenting exciting and fun stuff. That started fading about three years later, and the whole damn thing’s turned pretty dark. Which Murphy doesn’t really like. At all.

Good News

Anyway, here’ some good news. Ah…ah…geez…The Bear’s thinkin’…ahah! That’s it! Dyson will be back racing against Greg! Like last year. And there will be some P2 guys – no one really knows how many – but it might include the Payday Lender King. Well, perhaps not King, but Chief, since he’s “gone native (American).”

GT will be cool, though there are way too many indications that’s headed for a slip, too. But all the more reason to enjoy it when you can. The Bear still isn’t sure whether the Texas car dealer will be back with his Ferrari(s) (that “s” is pretty unlikely, for sure). That will leave the Mexican cactus squeezers in charge of Ferrari’s prospects – and they haven’t had a lot of luck cracking the top 5 – ever. Not likely to change.

Where were we? Oh, yeah. Good News. There will be a handful of spec. LMP’s and another handful of spec. Porsches on the ALMS grids. If that turns your crank, then by all means go for it. Brewskis  and brats (with an “a,” you know who you are way over there “down under,”) – and stronger stuff – with friends at the track hasn’t changed, regardless of the rest of it, right? That part of sports car endurance racing is a big part of its uniqueness, something that the stocker guys and OW guys (and girls) really have trouble understanding while sitting on their tushes in grandstands, heads on swivels like a rotating perversion of the crowd at Wimbledon.

Watchin’ the Rolex

Anyway, back to racin’ Like it or not, the Rolex is racin’ and the Bear’s going to settle in to watch  in a couple of hours. Last year he was in Daytona Beach and even spent some time at the track. A disaster, though he met some really cool people. This time it’s his comfy rocker and his telebision. Ain’t it great not to have to screw this the streaming crap? (And crap it is.) Hey, ‘burgers, where the hell is Roku? Too busy? You have to be fricken kidding.

Good Ole Georgia Boys, New York Lawyers, and a Formerly FIA Frog in Volusia County Court

And Don, ol boy, suing a poor graphic artist known for poster of ocean liners? (and a girl at that)? The Bear ain’t much of a speller, but he sure kin’ git a person’s name spelt right, specially on a lawsuit. Will it get tossed for the mis-spell do ya think? Jus more paperwork keepin’ the New York lawyer busy, I spose. Anyway, does the new Grand Am tech guru Gabriel Cadringher know too many secrets? Did you have a contract wit him? More busy-work. No wonder there’s no time to open a Roku channel of  yer racin’.

The 50th and the 60th

The 50th Rolex at Daytona. The whole world knows it’s the 50th, what with the gnomes of International Speedway Boulevard telling a story-a-day for a couple of months it seems, making sure everybody knows that great history. While who knows that Sebring is the 60th? (The Bear’s got a Sebring 50th commemorative bottle of The Don’s red – he and J. had some back 10 years ago at your Chateau at the safety pin, pretty good stuff, but this one is staying firmly corked and in the Bear’s cellar, where it’s been for the past decade.) What’s your PR department doin’ to tell the folks about the big race in March? Other than the new book (cool) by Sebring’s PR boss Ken Breslauer, all we’ve heard so far is the Frogs ain’t showin’ up wit their diesel. That should make it a one-marque race up front – again. (Murphy still thinks that Audi truck looks like a platypus.) Still, Sebring is the best party on the planet, and for Le Mans-style racin’, bein’ the only WEC round, the only ALMS race worth going to – except for the hard-core partiers, of course, who can have a good time at all but the dumb-ass street courses.  (Have ya’ll figured  out The Bear really does not like street courses?)

Where Were We?

Ok, the Rolex. Here are Murphy’s famous “Top 5” picks of the classes. He’s been pretty good at this. You can look it up.

Daytona Prototypes (new or old), the Top 5 finishers, in no particular order:

10 Angelelli/Briscoe/Taylor SunTrust Racing Corvette DP
02 Dixon/Franchitti/McMurray/Montoya Chip Ganassi Racing BMW Riley
90 Garcia/Gavin/Magnussen/Westbrook Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP
5 Donohue/Fittipaldi/Law Action Express Racing Corvette DP
01 Hand/Pruett/Rahal/Rojas Chip Ganassi Racing BMW Riley

The Bear’s not enamored of the pole-sitter. DP’s become a pro driver’s class. Peter’s got some nice drivers goin’, -check out the two Scots and the German guy, but he’s had to sell too many seats, so the three that could win it all are carrying a pair of weak sisters. Is this the year that Bob can break through and bring GAINSCO the big win? Daytona’s not been kind to the insurance maggot. So Murphy can’t make them a favorite, either. Spirit of Daytona has a really nice driver line-up, but has France cash converted this team from a couple of guys in a Daytona garage to a real race team? Sun Trust always has a shot, and while the World’s Greatest Race Car Driver (hello to the family at home) will start at the rear, Chip’s Grand Am regulars will be back in the hunt soon enough.

In GT, Porsche’s got the numbers. (24 Porsches in the field of 60 sort of overwhelms the whole damn event, doesn’t it? Pretty soon we’ll not be able to tell the difference from ALMS until we read out ticket.) Ferrar’s got a new car. Murphy’s not a Mazda fan, but they won in 2010, and McDreamy and company climbed the podium last year. The Camaros have struggled in practice and qualifying. Will they find the pace in the race?

Again, the Bear doesn’t like the pole winner to come through on top, for pretty much the same reason as above for Daytona Prototypes. He likes the Lizards a lot, even with the owner aboard – that doesn’t hurt nearly as much in this field as it does in the ALMS GTE field – and Seth is experience even if not fast. That should help a lot on a tough, crowded track. The Ferrari’s may be new, but they look good, and the Grand Am configuration isn’t a “high stress” kind of thing subject to the teething issues the GTE cars are.

45 Bergmeister/Long/Neiman/Rockenfeller Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche GT3
63 Beretta/Bertolini/Vilander Risi Competizione Ferrari 458
93 Auberlen/Dalla Lana/Marsa/Muller/Werner Turner Motorsport BMW M3
67 Bertheau/Bleekemolen/Goossens/Henzler/Pumpelly TRG Porsche GT3
23 Collard/Holzer/Leitzinger/MacNeil  Alex Job Racing Porsche GT3

Rumors

What? No rumors? Maybe next time.

Just minutes before it was announced, Murphy was told the two TBA’s were Detroit and Texas. Subsequently, other candidates have made the routine rounds of the rumor mill. Boss Scott confirmed the Detroit TBA in a rather odd and self-serving  press release after Grand Am confirmed it would have that June 2 Detroit Race. Now it seems likely nothing will fill that ALMS April/May TBA.

Nor does the September/October event seem very likely. Though Sears Point, Montreal, Oklahoma City (the only thing going on there appears to be the all-too-routine legal wrangling amongst the promoter group – Oklahoma City Grand Prix LLC et al v. Mattioli), and Thunderbolt (New Jersey) have been thrown out there by fans, the only one that makes sense – the only one that might motivate Braselburg to move PLM to late October date  – is Texas.

Unfortunately, that’s ground being plowed by others. The gang from International Speedway Boulevard was in Austin not long before PLM, just the latest in a series of such visits. Australia’s V8 Supercar – a NASCAR ally, an FIA darling, and a growth product for Speedtv – is already scheduled for the new Texas track. The FIA’s ally in North America is Grand Am, not the ALMS, the partnership with the ACO in the WEC notwithstanding.

The Circuit of the Americas needs an event ahead of the its first F1, if for no other reason than to sort out its traffic and parking plans. As of now, Murphy will bet on Grand Am being that event, even though he can’t think of a weaker way to test traffic (little will be expected) and parking (little will be needed). Perhaps they want to make sure their dry run isn’t too challenging?

All that assumes the Texas track will get built in time for any 2012 race, even the November F1 date. Construction’s been halted while the principals fight for control (see also Oklahoma City and Baltimore). The only “money guy” in the promoter group is Billy Joe “Red” McCombs, who in owning the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Vikings, pretty much defined “cheap” and “ruthless”  for sports ownership and promotion.

The continued “temporary” absence from the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Boss Scott told us this was just a temporary scheduling conflict, and that ALMS would be back in the streets of St. Pete. Temporary is now 3 years; the promoters don’t seem to be very interested in getting the Braselburgers back, do they? The Bear’s said from the beginning the combination of geography and calendar made this a “cannibal event,” one that would do little more than leech from the series’ premier event in Sebring. But why dissimulate?

Laguna Seca moves back to the spring. Make up your fricken mind! Are they really trying to kill sports car racing on the Monterey Peninsula? Braselburg’s spin is “requested by the venue.” Of course Boss Scott has given us nothing but reasons to believe him, hasn’t he?
The likely outcome of all this is another 9-event ALMS schedule, with two breaks, eight weeks in May-July, and seven weeks in September-October.

Sebring Confusion

Who to believe? Here’s Scott Atherton’s description of Sebring rule from his State of the Series at PLM:

“Next year’s 60th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will be round one of the 2012 ALMS. It will also be round one of the FIA WEC… The ALMS cars will be competing with technical specifications consistent with what will be in place for the balance of the ALMS season. …
Our class configurations will remain unchanged for 2012:
LMP1 – utilize the current 2011 regulations that include permitting grandfathered cars.
LMP2 – as current
LMPC – as current
GT – as current
GTC – as current”

Autosport, in its October 6, 2011, issue paraphrased Boss Scott this way:

“Atherton said that the latest contract would give the ALMS new freedom when implementing ACO rules. He stated that cars from his series would be able to run in ALMS specification when they compete at Sebring next March.”

and continued:

“That comment has been contradicted by the ACO.
ACO president Jean-Claude Plassart said: ‘Sebring will be 100 percent WEC rules. There will be no GTC cars, for example. They are not in the rules.’”

Nor, Murphy reminds his readers, are 12 cylinder LMP1’s. “100%” is pretty unequivocal, isn’t it? The Bear emailed Messr. Plassart for clarification. Valérie Girard, (v.girard@lemans.org) actually, to whom Jean-Claude’s mail is routed. Murphy will pass on what he hears – if anything.

Corvette

Corvette, under pressure from GM to deliver in the remaining years of its contract with Pratt & Miller – or sooner – met at Road Atlanta with the ACO. Their point? Others have been given an “unfair advantage,” not in the way Mark Donohue meant it, through engineering and team performance, but off the track in the way “performance balancing” is conducted in the sport.

Does this have to do with the design waivers granted in the homologation of entrants? It doesn’t seem likely, does it? Ferrari got none in 2011, and Corvette (and BMW) got a bazillion. Perhaps the devil is in the (engineering) details? Murphy’s been told Corvette would rather have the rules and homologation done at the beginning of each season (as it once was), then leave it alone. Without (as they see it) getting “on par with BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari,” the American team might easily be gone before the end of 2013. Pratt & Miller’s contract extends through the 2013 season, but the company’s work can easily be directed into pursuits other than the American Le Mans Series if GM believes that would be advantageous.

So why go to the ACO, since the ALMS has announced a separation of rule-setting from the ACO the ‘Vettes are an ALMS program? At least one source says the ALMS so-called “declaration of independence” from ACO rules is largely window-dressing, mostly concerned with the Sporting Regulations, not so much the Technical Regulations. Then there’s the fact that Chebby has always said that the most important part of the Corvette Racing program is Le Mans, not the ALMS.

Far more ominous to the American Le Mans Series is the obvious budding romance between Chebby and Grand Am. That shouldn’t come as a surprise.  The General moved last season to make the NASCAR sports car series the place it would establish a performance resume for its new Camaro, while it discouraged Corvette GT entries, preparing to move ”the American Sports Car” into a prominent place in Daytona Prototypes, where it was designing and funding a Corvette body for the new “DP 3.”

At the end of the season the Bear was told Chevrolet would substantially strengthen its Grand Am factory driver program, abandoning the use of part-time ALMS drivers in favor of an expanded full-time Grand Am group. In fact look for considerable “restructuring” across the board, with drivers being assigned and re-assigned to different series, with movement in all directions between ALMS, Grand Am, and Pirelli World Challenge.

A new IndyCar engine program, a continued strong relationship with NASCAR (despite the rants of a Detroit pundit), and now the title sponsorship of Grand Am’s first race in the Motor City means at least a relative reduction of the prominence in the Division of Corvette’s American Le Mans Series program.

Ferrari

The Bear won’t be surprised if you’re at least a little confused at Corvette’s ACO complaints, since he’s written that a Ferrari team is unhappy about the same tinkering, and “the straw” was an advantage given mid season to (wait for it) – Corvette. So much so that the “pause and review button” was punched for the ALMS racing program.

A move to Grand Am seemed  a slam-dunk just a few weeks ago (the toe is already in the water via a little noticed partnership) until Maranello signaled it was getting cold feet. Backtracking a bit, when Ferrari committed its 458, it was generally supposed that Mazda would not return in 2012. Now it appears the RX8 is back.

Why would Ferrari expose its 458, (MSRP $247,000) to regular losses to Mazda’s RX8 (MSRP $26,795)? The simple answer is they don’t want to, and Grand Am’s reversal of its early decision to let the RX8’s homologation lapse has caused Maranello to review its commitment to support full-season Grand Am entries. It’s bad enough they’ve had to suffer through a season of losses to the BMW M3 (MSRP $58,900), but that car at least has some racing history and a performance cachet, as does the Porsche 911  (MSRP GT3 $103,100). Murphy’s certain zoom-zoom doesn’t count Maranello among its fans.

For manufacturers the attraction of racing is the establish your performance creds – or in Ferrari’s case, reinforce them. If you are Ferrari – or more recently, Audi  – the last thing you want to do is damage a hard-won performance reputation.

So what are the 2012 choices for Murphy’s favorite Ferrari team in the whole wide world? (1) Take the year off (2) Race in the WEC – including Le Mans (3) a Grand Am campaign (4) an ALMS campaign, with or without Le Mans. The Bear’s betting that’s pretty much the order of probability, too.

Jaguar

In its second full season, RSR’s Jaguars completed just 44% of ALMS GT laps. In 18 entries, had one top-ten finish.  The kitty cats averaged a 13th place finish in a field that averaged 15 entries. Is there any doubt this is the worst GT team ever? It certainly is among those that raced for so long. Others in history this bad had the sense to be embarrassed – and quit. When will Tata realize what a great advertisement this is for its competitors in America, providing reasons at every event not to purchase a Jaguar?

Fun with Numbers

The Braselburgers – led by “Two-T” Scott – continue to have a problem with numbers. During the Silverstone round of the LMS, on-line viewing reportedly peaked at 2,500. We’re told that ESPN3 routinely draws 100 times that for ALMS races.

Or try this from the 2011 State of the Series: “Attendance is up 12%,” reflecting in large part the substitution of Baltimore for Salt Lake City. To which Murphy says, “duh!” In 2009, Miller was reported to have attracted 35,000 fans willing to drive around the Oquirrh Mountains from Salt Lake City. That number – already “ambitious” – fell further in 2010 before the northern Rockies were abandoned in 2011. Given that Baltimore was claimed to be on the far side of 100K, it’s not just a “large part” of a 12% increase, but rather likely all of it, and perhaps more.

The funniest numbers faux pas was by Boss Scott, again in the State of the Series. “In addition to our already extensive international distribution through Motors TV in Europe (50 internationally-recognized nation-states), Fox Sports Latin America (33), Fox Sports Middle East (19) and Rogers Sports Net in Canada (1), we are now fully distributed through ESPN International which represents an additional 149 countries…” The ALMS is seen in 252 countries? Better tell Hillary, her Department only recognizes 195 (Taiwan not included).

ALMS Twitter followers nearly doubled from 3900 to 7500. Meanwhile, Murphy attracted over 800 followers (Twits?), even after winnowing out the pole dancers not already close friends.

The Other Jaguar

As soon as Ian Dawson (Taurus, ECO, etc.) was identified as the boss of an oddly ambitious out-of-nowhere Lotus racing program, the Bear knew something was up (or down). Now that shoe has dropped, with the thud we’ve come to know and love from Dawson’s racing adventures. The thud this time was the sound of the Lotus LMP2 program’s hitting the trash bin. After watching the Evoras at PLM, it wasn’t hard to imagine another Jaguar Racing program in the making.

Abruzzi: a cousin to the Norwegian Blue?

Dissembling again, Boss Scott said the Abruzzi was “on hiatus.” Unless “hiatus” no longer means “a pause, or break in continuity,” that was wrong when he said it. The Abruzzi was dead, gone, is no more, a former Abruzzi, very much like a Norwegian Blue.

Losing Count

…of the departures. This time, Lynda Polk, long time timer/scoring chief for IMSA will not be returning next year. Murphy expects her position to be filled by a needy Champ Car refugee.

Bathurst

Murphy sent Crocodile McFly  – the Down Under Mole – from Hendry’s Beach to Australia to report on the Bathurst 1000. The Croc called with his impressions on Monday. “Wow! A great event. Good, close racing. The fly-over was so low, I had to duck. Great crowd at a track “you aught to see.” Crocodile thinks this would be a better show than DTM. They have the right idea on so-called “gentleman drivers,” he says. They simply refer to them as “Co-drivers.” Simple, and without the negative (to some) connotation. Now that the FIA has approved the Supercars as an international sanctioning body, we’ll undoubtedly see more of them, including at Texas in 2013. Supercars, F1, and DTM – can USA racing get any more crowded?

The Bear understands there are new Supercar rules coming. That’s good, since the current technical regulations are compromised by as many adjustments as the infamous ACO homologations, and for just two cars. Perhaps they’ll provide little more exhaust noise, the only thing our mole thought should be tweaked.

Crocodile is going to stay over for the Gold Coast race this weekend. Check back with Murphy for that report.

Andy Lally Challenge

Andy’s had four races since Murphy last updated the Challenge, Chicagoland (28th, $95,100), New Hampshire (34th, $80,300), Dover (33rd, $78,925), and Kansas (37th, 85,250). That added $339,575 to his season earnings, bringing the total to $2,618,856. He’s also captured and maintained the 35th place in owner’s points for Kevin Buckler, so is ensured a spot on the starting grid.

The American Le Mans Series field closed out its season with races at Laguna Seca, where the field earned $148,000, and Petit Le Mans, which paid them $135,000. With that $283,000, the entire ALMS field was happy to claim total season winnings and bonuses of $1,795,000 including estimated privateer bonuses that Murphy added at the beginning of the Challenge.

Six races remain on Andy’s 2011 schedule.

Murphy wrote in May’s Paddock Poop 190 that McDreamy would go LMP2 racing with Mazda, probably in the newly announced World Endurance Championship. A month later, Speedtv.com told you pretty much the same thing in an “exclusive.”

Since then, Patrick Dempsey has announced his Mazda GT team will continue with whatever Grand Am races it can manage given the resources that will be required to launch the LMP2 program, with two cars to go at Daytona and no promises after that. The full WEC was considered and rejected, and the Mazda LMP-power is in doubt due to delays by the Japanese company. When considering a program at this level, it seems badging an AER valve-cover will no longer do.

Ferrari in Grand Am

Slam-dunk? Perhaps for Daytona, but not for the remainder of the season. When Ferrari decided to build a Grand Am 458, Mazda was headed out of GT. Now it appears the gang on International Speedway Boulevard can’t bring themselves to give up an old friend. Mazda will be back in 2012. For Ferrari, who will accept losses to Porsche (tradition, there), but has a hard time getting beaten by BMW, is absolutely apoplectic about a Mazda RX8 winning a race in which anything from Maranello participates. Given the way Daytona has manipulated the rules to keep McDreamy’s cars competitive, no one trusts them not to allow an underweight Mazda to make a Ferrari look bad. If Mazda is back, then Ferrari is probably out as a full-season entrant – unless there’s a privateer who will defy Maranello to run a Prancing Horse without its blessing, or help.

The Houston Ferraris

The best Ferrari team in North America (you could argue in the world) is Guiseppe Risi’s Houston Wild Bunch. (Murphy thinks Houston is the wild west, so he just couldn’t help himself). What will they do next season?

As arrogant as they are in Braselburg, they probably don’t know how much they’ve pissed off their premier Ferrari team. Trust the Bear, there’s no love lost there. So Risi Competizione is considering its 2012 options. Here they are, ranked in order of probability: (1) WEC, (2) Grand Am, (3) American Le Mans. What keeps Grand Am out of first place? Mazda.

Lotsa Protos?

That was the rumor this week that the ALMS would have more prototypes in 2012 than the WEC. Excuse the Bear, he’s choking with laughter. Autocon is probably gone, with long-time leader Mike Lewis leader  certainly gone. The IRS is chasing Intersport around – that’s never good. Tucker? Over 20 state’s Attorney’s General have set their sights on the payday loan, rent-a-tribe king. Cytosport? Greg’s as pissed off as Guiseppe. Dyson and Oryx? Alone? Get real. One thing Chris and Rob don’t relish is to look foolish racing against themselves. Maybe they mean to count a pack of LMP Challenge cars. Or counting on Signature. Now the Bear is really gagging.

What about Grand Touring

Jaguar shouldn’t be back, but against all reason, they might. Is that the most incompetent GT program in the history of the sport? Murphy thinks so. If they’re back, does anyone really care? Robertson’s – and the Doran Ford – are gone for sure, and probably Risi Competizione. If Extreme/Patron is back – and that’s doubtful, too – it will not be with a Ferrari. BMW has been mentioned. Corvette will likely return, but the fuse is burning down there. Keep losing and all that executive support will evaporate overnight. That’s the way big, impersonal corporations work.

Grand Am

Chip Ganassi has to choose between Corvette and BMW power for 2012. BMW wants him, so much they are willing to promise him one of the North American DTM teams in 2013. Chip and others think that Chebby power will have the upper hand next year, though. It does already this season, Chip’s BMW wins having all come in the first half of the season, with the “Worlds Greatest Sports Car Driver” keeping him in front the rest of the way. Starworks is the other BMW team, but as much as the Bear likes Peter, BMW isn’t as high on him.

Robin Liddell may be headed to Autohaus. Jordon Taylor to Stevenson to partner Paul Edwards (Chebby doesn’t plan on losing another championship if they can help it).

The Grand Am schedule won’t be announced until SEMA in November. There are 15 possible venues  to be winnowed down to 12. ALMS will have to go first, and that will answer some key questions: Will ALMS retain Long Beach? Will they keep Road America? According to rumors, both are “in play.”

Out of the Kitchen

Clay Malooley is working on another American Le Mans Series program. Just sayin’.

State of the Series

The Boss and The Don will again preside on the Friday before PLM. If they don’t move away from the ACO’s shackles, the paddock will be very disappointed, Murphy hears. Some say that “status quo” will be the death of the series, or at least the trigger to team departures. However, the Bear thinks they are delusional enough in Braselburg to believe they’re doing “just fine.”

The WEC and the ALMS

In 2012, North America may retain Petit as a WEC round…that’s about 50-50. After that, it’s doubtful. Will there be much worth watching in the American Le Mans Series next year and beyond. Just the Bear’s opinion – and remember, Murphy’s attended over 100 ALMS races. Anybody else out there been more loyal? (That wasn’t paid to be there.)

Your Bookie Lays the Odds.

Murphy’s first job was Society Editor for a British sports car racing publication. He noticed the Limeys bet on everything…and the Bear means anything. So Murphy’s laying odds here at the Jellystone Casino on the things sports car fans worry about.

Robertson Racing returns to the American Le Mans Series  100-1
Risi Competizione returns to the American Le Mans Series in 2012  2-1
Petit Le Mans is a World Endurance Championship round in 2012  Even money
Sebring is a World Endurance Championship round in 2012  1-5
Ian Dawson brings a race team to a North American event  3-1
An Ian  Dawson entry takes the green flag in a North American event  10-1
Audi races a prototype in the American Le Mans Series  50-1
Peugeot races a prototype in the American Le Mans Series  200-1
Jon Field dodges the IRS  50-1
Level 5 races in the American Le Mans Series in 2012  50-1
Cytosport/Muscle Milk contests a full 2012 ALMS schedule  150-1
Dyson Racing contests a full 2012 ALMS schedule  2-1
Ferrari contests a full 2012 Grand Am schedule  5-1

Since New Hampshire, after which his season’s winnings totaled $1,608,881, Andy has since raced four times (the Brickyard, Pocono, the Glen, and Michigan) and won $391,000 for himself and Kevin Buckler.

The American Le Mans field through Lime Rock totaled $1,046,000. Since Lime Rock, the thirty-odd ALMS entries have raced three times (Mosport, Mid-Ohio, and Road America) winning between them $319,000, and bringing their total earnings in the 2011 season to $1,365,000. With Andy’s total now $1,999,881, the American Le Mans Series field now trails Sprint Cup’s Street Luger by over $600 thousand dollars. Time is not on the ALMS’ side, since Andy has 13 races remaining; North America’s premier sports car road racing series has just three.

The Market

Forget real estate. The market for racing series/sanctioning bodies has really taken it in the shorts. A few years ago, The Don turned down an offer rumored to be on the far side of sixty grand. A year later, he would have made the deal for a mere thirty, but those same folks had lost interest.

Nobody’s put up a “For Sale” sign on the lawn at 1394 Broadway Avenue, Braselburg yet, but they’ve been “willing to listen to offers,” since some time in 2007. And there have been “extended discussions” with one or more “interested parties.” What happened? Well, the auto business went south – that slammed now-moribund Panoz Auto Development. At about the same time, the real estate market went in the dumper. Most of the value Panoz assigned to his racing empire derived from the real estate valuation of Road Atlanta, that having nothing at all to do with its current use as a race track.

Despairing of selling the whole, The Don spun off Mosport first. What will follow is hard to say. Sebring is a lease, and the leasehold is saddled with debt for a hotel and other (relative to debt) cash-flow-poor property. The series itself? “Circling the drain,” is how Murphy’s friend Miles Geauxbye put it. (The Bear won’t go quite that far, but he does believe that a string of lousy decisions have put IMSA at risk once again.)

The hot rumor at Road America was a story that Duncan Dayton was leading a group of buyers that was (is?) close to an agreement for IMSA and the series. One source indicated that intense talks continue. Only Duncan has been named in this rumor, but it’s nothing he’d do on his own, and insiders agreed others are involved. The belief in Wisconsin was that it was IMSA/ALMS “in play.”

However, since Murphy returned home, he’s heard the discussion now (perhaps always) revolves around the Sebring lease, not the series. That scenario would have The Don retaining Road Atlanta and the American Le Mans Series, the latter as a place to race what? The Abruzzi is dead. If Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans loses it’s WEC date (see below), is The Don hanging on for its underlying residential real estate value?  And unless there’s something after the Abruzzi, will The Don keep his sandbox after he’s no longer got a toy with which to play in it?

We’ve been here a number of times before and it all came to nothing. But stay tuned.

Corvette

Chevrolet isn’t happy with the performance of its American Le Mans Series road racing adventures. It’s believed that Corvette Racing is on a two-year “watch.” That may seem like an oddly long period of time – it certainly does to the Bear – but if true it indicates “official” concern for the first time since the auto industry melt-down. Is another driver turnover likely? A Dane and a Monegasque have been mentioned. Though locked in close contests for manufacturer and team titles in both classes over in Grand Am, the Bowtie is concerned about its program there, particularly since the competition – particularly in GT – is expected to stiffen considerably in 2012. One change widely expected is the assignment of factory drivers to more Chebby Grand Am teams full time rather than this season’s part time loans on ALMS open weeks.

It’s even rumored that a Corvette Racing regular will be subbed for at Laguna Seca so he can join Autohaus at Grand Am’s final event. The Bear thought that was a non-starter for a whole raft of reasons, including the fact that the Autohouse drivers lead the GT championship. But since it’s possible to use three drivers in a Grand Am sprint race because each needs only a minimum of 30 minutes, a driver could be added to “save” the GT championships, now down to a scant three-point lead. In any case, It seems there will be a significant reshuffling of Chevrolet’s road racing “assets” before the 2012 season.

Will Corvette move to the WEC? Some say that’s unlikely, since the racing program is supported solely by the North American sales division. But what happens if the competition goes away? Will Corvette be willing to go down that road again?

The Last Petit

Is it already “The Last Harrah” for Petit Le Mans? Murphy’s hearing that although the 2012 WEC schedule will “be based on” (a meaningful choice of words) the 2011 ILMC schedule, only Sebring will be retained. A Japan round at the Tilke-redesigned Fuji Speedway will replace Road Atlanta.

If Sebring is spun off by the Braselburgers, that leaves the series with no “hard” connection to the ACO. Might that be part of the plan? Does that reinforce the rumor that the IMSA of the future will diverge substantially from ACO rules, including even an “open” class?

Robertson on the Ropes?

Robertson Racing is said to be missing from the Baltimore entry. In a Facebook entry, the team says it’s because they skipped Long Beach and don’t have a “baseline” setup for a street course. The rumor mill suggests there’s also a “cash shortage.”

Intersport on the Edge?

They’ve been down this road before, avoiding a significant hit on their racing, but will Intersport be able to shrug off this latest legal trouble for its principal? Yes, Clint is the “owner,” but the IRS has a history of piercing that shield with little trouble.

Jersey Shore

Another F1 race for the United States took a big step forward last week at a meeting in Trenton, New Jersey. The venue will be a street course across form Manhattan (no, not the Meadowlands).

Charm City

Will the Baltimore Grand Prix be “charmed?” An August 13 feeature in the Baltimore Sun was largely positive, but raises the familiar questions about cost/benefit, and doubts about St. Pete’s event.

Is that a Threat?

Rob Dyson and Greg Pickett – among the last surviving racers of their era – requested and got a meeting with Scott Elkins before Mid-Ohio. The Bear hears the message was two part: we’re going to enter the 50th Anniversary Rolex and January, and also Sebring. We expect to be capable of competitive times – with all the LMP1 entries – in March. Then we will decide what to do for the remainder of the 2012 season.  (Murphy suspects lap times the Acura posted in 2009, and those by Lola-Aston Martin in 2010 might be sufficient – but he doesn’t know.)

50th Anniversary GT Entries

Daytona’s 50th will see a much-expanded GT field.  Look for Mercedes, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, and Audi to join.

More Series On the Block

Trans Am will soon be sold to  an investor group headed by Jim Derhaag of Shakopee, Minnesota.   Simon Gregg is said to be the financial power behind the acquisition.

A revitalized Trans Am owned by a group of amateur racers, poses the same threat “from the bottom” (skimming off the wealthy amateur racers) that the WEC presents from the top (skimming off the factory teams).

“American Le Mans is the global benchmark of professional sports car racing.” –Scott Atherton to the Austin Statesman, June 9, 2011–

Professional Sports Car Racing (PSCR), Andy Evans’ renaming of IMSA, was – according to management – more descriptive of the content of the product. When Don Panoz bought PCSR, his American Le Mans Series adopted as its motto “For the Fans,” arguably an improvement in that it directly addressed the constituency that would sustain it – or not. Later, that was not good enough (and perhaps not so descriptive anymore, either) to describe its “aspirational” content, (and after spending a few hundred thousand on a consultant) the American Le Mans Series decided it was “World Class.” After a run of a few years, in which “World Class” attracted nothing but a parade of watch makers and a few pearls (and another consultant for another few hundred grand), and yielded more stagnating fields and fading visibility, Scott unveiled a new motto, Global Leader Green Racing. Fields dropped further, Ethanol sponsorship came and went, fans tuned out. If Global Benchmark Professional Sports Car Racing is indeed upon us, we’re nearly back to where we started, aren’t we?

Phallus

Reception of the Dayton/Panoz/Gurney (with the ACO as facilitator) “Delta Wing” has been as bad as the Bear has ever seen for any racing-related endeavor (puttering around as a demonstration is an “endeavor,” not a race). Much of the opinion of racing fans is unprintable in the Bear’s blog. Of course the principals (and their advisor) in this adventure have paid little attention to fans before, so why should they now?

The derision in this case is well deserved. Not only does it look bad, it’s not by any definition a sports car, even  if one stretches the definition of prototype to a breaking point. It’s an IndyCar (or a copy of one), and a rejected one at that. The excuse for this nonsense is to demonstrate “new (green) technology. And what technology is that? Here’s Murphy’s summary: 1. Lighter cars use less fuel. 2. Lighter cars require less horsepower to move. 3. Ground effects tunnels are an effective aerodynamic device. Aren’t you glad we’ll have a chance to see those things demonstrated at Le Mans next year? That will be a fair trade for a well-funded ALMS, won’t it?

Tracks

Murphy got a press release today from Lux Performance telling him Black Rock Coffee Bar is sponsoring Cindy in the 51st Annual Rose Cup Race. The Bear had to look up the Cup and found the forty-five minute event is “one of motorsports’ last run what you brung events.” That’s great, but it did remind Murphy that Portland International Raceway has dropped entirely off the national racing radar. Kind of sad for a track remembered fondly for the great GI Joe events of past years. Most recently there was that epic JJ Lehto – Chris Dyson ALMS battle…sigh.

You all know Mosport has been sold. According to a trusted source, whatever was gotten from its sale, its loss to annual Panoz cash flow will be substantial. Mosport is said to have paid IMSA a $400,000 sanction fee for the ALMS event plus a $150,000 contribution to PMSG overhead. Still not enough, the Bear’s source says. “Excess cash” – as much as $200,000 in some years – was annually repatriated to Braselburg to fund The Founder’s whim du jour.

So now two tracks remain, and if the rumor of just a single North American World Endurance Cup round is true, Braselburg may face another decision – should it be Sebring or Petit Le Mans. (The Bear is assuming – without knowing for sure – The Don still draws enough water in Le Sarthe to influence such things.)

When the tracks have been for sale – pretty much all the time over the past three years – the bulk of the value was assigned by the seller to Road Atlanta, because of its value for residential development. Though tumbling real estate prices have decimated that value, there’s the hope of some recovery. Besides, whatever cash flow the track throws off all goes to the Empire. Not so for the Sebring lease. According to the Sebring Airport Authority Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report For the Fiscal Years Ending September 30, 2010 and 2009, Sebring International Raceway paid a (computed) annual rent of $335,000 in 2010 and $306,000 in 2009 (Pages 6 and 22). Since the Airport Authority directly collects and separately accounts for “Test track rentals” as “Operating Income” not as part of “Rentals,” (page 22), they do not accrue to the benefit of the Panoz-leased SIR.

If financial considerations are important, retention of Road Atlanta is more likely than Sebring.

Cheese

Regular readers know that the Bear got a much-appreciated Christmas gift from Scott – Patrón and a bit of very good cheese. That was after Murphy had poked fun at the Series’ “official cheese,” New York’s Yancy’s Fancy, then was bowled over by a tasting at Petit Le Mans. The cheddar and  “Peppadew” in Scott’s package were thoroughly enjoyed. Setting out to find a Phoenix-area source, the Bear found Yancy’s Fancy at “Sprouts,” a local food emporium. Unfortunately, the selection was all “flavored,” from the Peppadew (which was good) to Wasabi Horseradish. That’s fine for cheap cheese, but good cheese should be, well, cheese. So you can imagine Murphy’s pleasure when he finally found Raw Milk Double Cream New York Cheddar!  The Bear’s been trying to lose a few pounds, so there was some internal conflict, but the Double Cream won. The Wasabi would not have.

Rats?

Bob Dickinson, VP of Public Relations/Media Services, is departing ALMS for Kevin Buckler at end of business Friday. Given that Buckler is believed not to pay particularly well, the move looks lateral at best. The Bear can’t help but think of that old sailor’s line about rats…

Grand Am at the Brickyard

Speed and Racer have now joined Murphy (June 6 tweet) in predicting Grand Am at Indy for the 400 next season. The two rumored street course to be added aren’t yet certain, but those named by sources include Houston, Long Beach, and Baltimore. (A trusted source has thrown St. Pete into the Grand Am hopper. It certainly would be an upgrade over Homestead, and a geographical and competitive “natural” in proximity to Daytona Beach and Sebring. Also of note, some ask “Why would ALMS give up Long Beach?” Some sources say the deal is “cash flow negative” for the series, that they bought their way in. If so, it’s possible Braselburg may no longer be able to afford Long Beach. MHB)

Le Mans

A real classic. Murphy, who’s sensitive to archaic animal sports (bear baiting gives him shivers), was happy to see the Hare prevail in a re-run of the Hare and the Hounds. Audi’s 2011 win is the brightest gem in its decade-long collection. Until Peugeot came along, BMW’s defeat of Toyota in 1999 was the last  against a truly formidable opponent. Unfortunately, the intervening years were Audi walkovers, and even more unfortunately the Peugeot-Audi years will properly be remembered for the gerrymandered rules that kept the diesels safely in the ascendency over all others. In the sixth race since the 2006 debut of the R10, the slowest diesel  race lap was over five seconds faster than the fastest petrol-powered lap. Given that IMSA was able to balance not only the petrol and diesel entries, but even the two LMP classes into one championship at one stroke, Murphy doesn’t believe the French were incapable of doing the same. They’ve simply been unwilling, much to the detriment of a great race.

Robertsons showed the world the resolve they’ve shown in the ALMS over the past half decade. Agree it has been a good idea or not, racing the Ford GT – even with rules help – has taken dedication bordering on stubborn and lots of cash.

Corvette lost its dominant race leader, then won anyway, and the Bear’s friend Turbo Tom had a lot to do with it, too. Ah, remember those halcyon days of our youth in the first IMSA forum, Bethany trying to keep order?

Arabian Antelope

The No. 20 Dyson Lola Mazda LMP1 will debut at Lime Rock.  Humaid al Masaood’s Team HMR, with aspirations of a Le Mans entry perhaps as early as 2013, will race under the name Oryx Dyson Racing. The oryx is an antelope once close to extinction in the Arabian Peninsula.

Dyson and al Masaood were reported to have “hit it off” at a recent Lime Rock test, and (have) “much in common”; no surprise, since both families control conglomerates that in turn hold multiple divisions and companies.

Oryx will get significant technical and racetrack resource support from Dyson. The market has moved on from “seat buying” to “car/crew/truck buying.” (Not that that’s a bad thing.)

Decline and Fall

What’s left of Panoz Auto Development and Panoz Motorsports Group?  Last Week Murphy reported a layoff at Panoz Auto Development, the Panoz road car company, which according to some, will effectively end any further in-house production of either the Esperante or the Abruzzi. Few have been built over the past five years, anyway. Following on the disposal of Mosport, the Bear took a look at what’s become of the once-mighty Panoz automotive empire.

PMSG, in addition to the IMSA and the American Le Mans Series, included Elan Technologies, Elan Composites, Elan Precision Products, Elan Power Products, and Elan Van Diemen, together intended to comprise a complete and powerful race car design and build empire.
We know distribution of cars and parts was spun off to Haas in 2010. Many believe that deal had more to do with the settlement of a large personal note rather than the “synergy” represented in the press release.

Elan Van Diemen has been licensed to new principals in the UK. At the time, every Van Diemen employee in the UK, save two, was laid off by Elan.

Elan Technologies, the design company, (Indy 500 winning chassis in 2003 and 2004, IRL Championship 2003, Le Mans 24 GT2 winner in 2006, full Champcar grid in 2007) now has no aerodynamicists, no designers and but a single draftsman, plus two young entry level engineers, and one engineering manager whose qualifications is in dispute amongst the Bear’s sources. (Some say he’s one and the same with the draftsman.)

Elan Precision Products possess a handful of decade-old machines and two employees. Elan Power Products loss its last zero engineers with the departure of Chip Lewis. Relative to the rest, Elan Composites is the most successful element, but  is half its 2008 size.

So all that remains are these rump companies, two tracks and IMSA/ALMS struggling to survive with one healthy class plus a few entries in a pair of spec/club classes. If there is only a single world championship round in North America in 2012, one of those tracks is in danger, as is the viability of the series and its sanctioning body if its grids remain weak.

It’s not as if there’s a lot to prop up the automotive and racing properties. After sinking $120 million into Diablo Grande, The Don and his partners saw it sold out of bankruptcy for $20 million in 2008. St. Andrews is long gone, the Georgia Chateau’s ownership is diluted, and the Sebring resort is burdened with debt. The Don’s holdings in Elan Corporation PLC, where it all started, were reduced to 57 percent in 1984 and to less than 10 percent in the mid-1990’s, and in any case has since gone under its own reorganization.

Regardless of all that, The Don is apparently off on his next great adventure: The Racing Dildo.

by A.C. Guillermo

 The storm clouds are gathering. 2012 is shaping-up as a showdown year between the NASCAR Rolex Grand-Am Series presented by Chip Ganassi and the floundering American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron.  

I know 2011 has barely started, but already the stage is set for a battle next year between Daytona and Braselton. If you only knew what I don’t know! (Editor’s note – AC must have consulted Yogi Behra on that one).   Each sanctioning organization is set to embark on an aggressive expansion, and you can put your money on the ALMS coming out the first loser when it is all said and done.

Let’s check the scoreboard.   Next year the Daytona Rolex 24 will celebrate its 50th Anniversary, while Sebring will its mark its 60th anniversary. Although Sebring has a better history, a more exciting circuit, more fans, a much better entry list, and a far better anniversary celebration, they still don’t have a Hooter’s in Sebring. Grand-Am 1, ALMS 0.

Scott Pruett won’t be entered at Sebring. So make that Grand-Am 2, ALMS 0.  

Next year the ALMS will again host two rounds of the ILMC, and will likely expand into at least three new markets by 2013.  Meanwhile, Grand-Am will continue with its non-spectator concept, using Homestead as a model.  Expect to hear about races in 2012 that were held at five new venues nobody will know about, adding to the allure and mystique of Grand-Am racing.  Grand-Am 3, ALMS 0.  

Grand-Am will be the feature race at the Austin F1 weekend, and each DP will have an F1 pilot as a co-driver. You heard it here first.  Grand-Am 4, ALMS 0.  

Grand-Am will begin to field a huge variety of GT3 entries in 2012, including Audi, Audi, Audi and Audi.  Grand-Am 5, ALMS 0.  

Grand-Am will run a version of the DTM (see my previous columns for details) and will somehow manage to make all the cars look alike. Grand-Am 6, ALMS 0. 

Chip Ganassi will not be allowed to race in that series. Grand-Am 7, ALMS 0.  

ALMS will continue with its internet broadcast concept, while Grand-Am continues broadcasting on the NASCAR Network (new name for  SPEEDTV to be announced soon).  Grand-Am 8, ALMS 0.  

The new DP bodywork will be stunning, sleek, ground-breaking and evocative (thanks for that word, Godwin). Even though they may still make your eyes bleed, Wayne Taylor will love them, and so will you. Grand-Am 9, ALMS 0.  

The ALMS Green racing initiative will be countered by a far more effective Grand-Am marketing program touting the Rolex Series’ lack of fans, meaning far less fuel is consumed by people coming to Grand-Am races than ALMS events. Absolutely genius.  The “Less fans. More Fuel” slogan will first appear on the Spirit of Daytona entry.  Grand-Am 10, ALMS 0.  

Mark R. has assured me Grand-Am “Competition yellows” will continue in 2012, and will be supplemented by “Competition Timing & Scoring,” that will add and subtract laps from various teams as needed. Grand-Am 11, ALMS 0.  

Finally, the big one. I know you won’t believe this, but it is going to happen. At least one round of the Rolex Series (and maybe two), will be on an oval next year. Yes! An oval race for sports cars. Why not! Its going to be wild. You think that will be too hard on equipment? Ever seen a street race?  Grand-Am 12, ALMS 0.  

A shutout.   I think my track record is pretty solid in reporting on the NASCAR Grand-Am Series. If you checked back at my previous columns, you would not find one single true thing I reported was not true considering the truth is what happened and the untruth didn’t, unless the truth was falsely reported as untrue.  

Grand-Am Notes 

• At Barber, J.C. France was sporting one of his new “Don’t You Know Who I am?” shirts, part of a new apparel line he designed exclusively for wealthy offspring who frequently get pulled over by the police… 
• A 17-foot tall statue of Scott Pruett will be erected in front of the NASCAR offices later this year, joining statues of Ann & Bill France, Dale Earnhardt and Tim Richmond …. 
• Yours truly was not a bit surprised to find out an ALMS Media Guide was found at the Bin Laden compound in Pakistan …
• Since nobody showed up for the Grand-Am Fan Club meeting at Barber, any future meetings will be held in Hurley Haywood’s office at the Brumos dealership in Jacksonville .…
• Although the same team wins every Rolex Series race, I am told that will change in 2012.  Suntrust has already purchased three victories, and the Gainesco Team is seeking financing to purchase two others …
• NASCAR and SPEEDTV issued a joint statement vehemently denying there was collusion between the two parties to prevent the ALMS from being on that network. SPEEDTV also explained that it was a “technical problem” that resulted in Scott Pruett only talking about Grand-Am cars while commentating at Le Mans last year…
• Daytona officials were devastated when the State of Florida recently voted down permission to have fans buried at the speedway.  I’m told the Daytona Security Department was especially disappointed. …
• Heads-up for ALMS fans and IMSA staff: Baltimore has the highest VD rate in North America …
• Rumors still persist there is a supporting series sanctioned by Grand-Am; I’ll let you know what I find out…
• More details to come, but I have to get back to my hobby of posting anti-ALMS rants on the Grand-Am forum.

 

 A.C.

What’s the Abruzzi  worth to you? Evidently it’s worth the loss of television coverage to the Don. Murphy’s learned that the cost of the latest monument to the Panoz ego is about $5 million – so far. Coincidentally, that’s about the cost of televising the 2009 American Le Mans season, as the Bear’s friends over at Last Turn Clubhouse pointed out in their seminal 2009 series, Operating Revenue and Costs of the American Le Mans Series and IMSA 

Using rate sources, on-site days, crew make-up and numbers, production cost is (or should be) approximately $300,000 for a three-day stand-alone sprint event, somewhat less for the two days of a shared event, and of course much more for an endurance event. Cost of production over the 2009 season should have amounted to about $3.5 million. Added to total “air time” buys of $1.5 million, total cost to the Series of its television package is about $5 million per season.

Sebring Coverage

How bad is the new media plan? Manufacturers don’t like it; AutoWeek, an ALMS “partner,” quoted one in its article panning the Sebring coverage, “I think the ALMS is ahead of its time, said an executive with one of the largest manufacturers. “Maybe two or three years ahead…” That’s certainly not a good idea for an expensive sport struggling to achieve any visibility. According to the magazine, more than one manufacturer questioned the “strategy.”

 Just as bad, the paddock was upset, from new entrant (from Grand Am) Magnus Racing publishing this blistering blog.

Worse, Last Turn Clubhouse published this commentary from a prominent executive “uniquely positioned” (Murphy suspects that “position is in the ALMS paddock.) The view of that executive, writing under the pseudonym Miles Geauxbye should be a red flag for ALMS management, if they are paying attention: “The fact that ALMS has lost it’s live, over-the-air, satellite and cable TV presence should be a reason for concern for fans, sponsors, teams, and suppliers…The lack of a broadcast presence is a deal killer. Period.”  Why a pseudonym? Of course a key series participant can’t complain about coverage while simultaneously pursuing sponsorship.

How are the fans doing? The series that once prided itself of being “For the Fans” has been busily taking down negative comments from its Facebook page, and perhaps even blocking some.

As for the media, even those that have been its cheerleaders are piling on. The Bear mentioned AutoWeek. Peter De Lorenzo over at Autoextremist added his disappointment, reporting that  “We get a lot of reader mail here at AE, but I haven’t seen anything like the vitriol aimed at the American Le Mans Series for their 2011 television package, or should I say, its digital viewing package on ESPN3.com with network television highlights to go with it.” Murphy expects to see something from Dailysportscar.com soon.

Hero Highcroft

With Highcroft’s stunning performance at Sebring, many were asking whether a sponsor – perhaps Honda – may come out of the wings to capitalize on what looks like a real winner. A friend of the Bear in the business said, “It doesn’t work like that; these decisions are made well in advance. Besides, Honda has other problems to worry about just now.” That’s a good summary, and the Bear was further disheartened to hear just today that the team’s Le Mans commitment isn’t a lock.

Just Semantics

The Bear knows that fans – and unfortunately even executives – are bored with the nuances of language – “semantics,” they spit out, dismissively. But words make a difference, so if you don’t read carefully and understand, you might find yourself in deep doo-doo. Such was part of the case with the moguls of Braselburg. Murphy’s been told they really didn’t understand the agreement they made with Disney (ABC/ESPN, etc.). It’s pretty bad when you’re demonstrably dumber than a mouse, even when his name is Mickey.

Prototypes? We don’t need no stinking prototypes!

Murphy hears nothing that gives him hope for improvement over the season in the prototype ranks. In P1, there are Dyson and Cytosport. The Bear doesn’t believe that Intersport will join in. There’s nothing firm from Autocon. Hope for a season-saving Highcroft sponsor is fading fast.

In P2 it appears Tucker will race against himself, his two cars competing without opposition for the entirety of the season, except for PLM, of course, when the Nissan and BMW-Judd that competed at Sebring will likely return. Murphy doesn’t expect to see Signature Motorsports. The Tarletons made a “run” at the same kind of “reality tv” deal two years ago, that time with an Aston Martin. It didn’t fly then, and doesn’t look like it will fly now. It’s a huge jump from a few turns of the Firestone Firehawk in the eighties and a nascent performance driving school to a pair of Le Mans Prototypes. If this were headed anywhere, Riley would be building something, or planning to. The Bear’s been told there’s, “Nothing, and nothing expected” in Mooresville.

A.C.’s Ex

He can’t be sure. A.C.’s not admitting anything. But is this A.C.’s ex?

Green Savoree LLC bought Mid-Ohio. The Bear doesn’t expect much change, but he’s not cheering, either. Mid-Ohio has seemed in the decade or so he’s been going there to be in good repair and have good crowds at events Murphy’s a fan of – principally the American Le Mans Series. It’s in more or less essential geography for that series and for IndyCar, being about equidistant between Cleveland and Columbus and not much further from Detroit. It wouldn’t be hard to drive there from Pittsburgh, and Murphy’s left there and taken his sweet time driving to Chicago, but he suspects the Chicago Cross-Roads Corvette Club could make the trip in less than the 6 hours Google estimate. 

It’s been mentioned here before that Mid-Ohio was for sale – has been for a couple of years. It would become a much bigger problem if it didn’t sell than if it did; there’s nothing worse than management that wants to get out. The Bear isn’t as sanguine as some about Green Savoree management however. Neither Toronto nor at St. Pete can yet be called an unequivocal success for this group. Both events are with us – for now – but any missteps could be fatal.

Aston Martin

As a fan, Murphy appreciates that Aston Martin’s sunk a pile of dough into a ground-up prototype. From a sporting perspective, at least, one of the Bear’s friends in the business  says AMR gets “nothing but respect.” Murphy can’t disagree, but he’s said all along an iconic sports car builder like Aston Martin needs to be racing one of its sports cars, and the AMR One is not that.

It’s not that they did – or did not – build it from the ground up, though there are doubts out there. A pretty wide swath of the racing fraternity thinks there’s a lot of BMW in that turbo in-line 6. Some see other fingers in the design if not in the build. Murphy wonders at the magnitude of a complete design-build between September and February in parallel with Prodrive’s BMW Mini project.

But put that aside. As much as the fan in Murphy loves it, does this prototype make business sense for a company that has no idea how it will find the resources to replace the aging Ford-designed VH platform on which its sports cars are based? A company that will soon produce an SUV out of Mercedes “M” parts bin? That will build Merc’s Maybach, then use the same underpinnings and drive train for its own Lagonda? Is the AMR One so good an idea that it’s worth the end of Aston Martin? The Bear hopes the managing director’s ego doesn’t so over-reach the resources of Aston Martin as to endanger this great automotive icon.

DHL Didn’t Disappear

Our tendency a couple of years ago was to chalk up DHL’s withdrawal of support from Penske Racing, Porsche, and the ALMS to the company’s obvious North American struggles. It would seem now there was more to that decision, as DHL in back in racing with both feet, as primary sponsor on one Andretti IndyCar and associate on another.

Highcroft Builds Excitement

Or maybe that was Pontiac. Anyway, when Paul Ryan, Highcroft’s PR guy sent out a press release about press releases this past Sunday, Murphy just couldn’t resist. It helped that Paul is one of the best in the business, his curriculum vitae including real newspaper journalism, a nascent driving career, commentary for Bathurst and for F1 in Australia, PR for the Don’s Adelaide Race of 1000 Years, Panoz Motorsports Group, and Multimatic amongst other good gigs. After all, there’s no humor in poking fun at a stiff, but neither Paul nor Highcroft are anything like stiffs.

So the Bear was “off and running.” Exciting? Exciting? Murphy may be on the web, but web sites are NOT “exciting.” David Brabham driving for Highcroft. That was exciting – a half decade ago. The Scotsman newlywed? Murphy thinks Holly is, and to some Pink Floyd’s drummer is, but to us bears, not so much. Today, all about the new HPD ARX-01e LMP1 chassis, and tomorrow the third driver for Sebring will be announced.

What Murphy really wants is an announcement of a full ALMS season for Highcroft. He doesn’t think that’s imminent, but he hears they’re busting their collective butts up in Connecticut trying to promote the team and generate funding to do the job properly. A friend told the Bear, “One thing you can bet on with Duncan – he doesn’t do much of anything by halves.  – he’s not about to turn Highcroft into a rental car shop by bringing in blokes just because they have the cash.” Murphy’s friend also pointed out all the teams – de Ferran, Fernandez, Penske, Champion, Andretti – that Highcroft has raced against and have closed their sports car operations. Touché.

So maybe a “press release about press releases” is ok in a nearly desperate time for sports car racing.

Thunderbolt Bankruptcy

New Jersey Motorsports Park filed bankruptcy last week. PR stuff aside, the Bear’s not always gotten glowing reports about the facility and the manner of its operation. But the question here is whether this action will endanger Virginia International Raceway. Why? A partner at Thunderbolt is also an owner at VIR.

Portland under Pressure

The “Noise Control Board” (is that government gone amuck, or what?) is going to vote to extend Portland International Raceway’s noise variance for another three seasons. The Bear’s readers can help race fans in the Pacific Northwest by emailing the Board’s Chairman, paul.vanorden@portlandoregon.gov 

Green Shock

The American Le Mans Series announced its Michelin Green X Challenge formula will include in-race consumption in 2011, admitting it did not last season. (EDIT: The Bear heard from one of his most trusted sources, and John Dagys has also issued a correction. Fuel consumption was a part of the formula in previous seasons.) I guess Murphy should have suspected something when Lord Drayson’s (remember him?) team won both the race and the challenge at Road America by – wait for it – running full rich and taking on extra fuel. Does anyone else see hypocrisy by the Lord (who claims he’s “racing for the planet,”) Michelin, or the American Le Mans Series, which, in spite of its incessant “green rant,” fails to embrace real green racing breakthroughs at every turn, from the Corsa and Porsche hybrids to the delayed acceptance of Dyson Racing’s use of ethylbutanol fuel (which probably should win the Green X Challenge every time out…pond scum…think about it)?

The Bear’s hearing precious few rumors – and that’s a worry. It’s a worry because this is usually the time of year when stuff is happening. Hearing good news (or not so good) from sponsors, putting together budgets, talking to drivers, suppliers, engine and car builders. But there’s little of that going on, and little has gone on over the summer. To borrow a rather overused term, there’s not much “buzz.”

Engines

Some asked why Murphy wasn’t “on the case” for the engine announcements. Remember the Cosworth sports car engine? Right. Engine announcements are just that; announcements. Judd announces they’ll be in the next sports car engine market. Surprise, right? Right. The real question is who starts “kicking the tires.” (Ok, not the right metaphor, but it will have to do.) And that’s exactly the problem with the crickets thing.

Civility

It seems certain Braselbergers who should know better (because it’s their job) have a problem with civil communication. That’s not escaped the notice of the paddock, where it’s “just one more thing.”

Disappointment

Disappointment with the Schedule? Of course. Whatever the spin, that huge gap in the middle is a disaster for sponsors (and for getting sponsors). All you have to know is “activation.” In simple terms (that’s all the Bear knows) that means a sponsor wants (no, needs) to supplement his “direct” racing exposure with other related marketing. Remember Office Depot’s full sized cut-outs of Tony Stewart? Or this classy little item? A big gap ruins that related marketing program.

Farewell, we hardly knew ya. (No Saleen)

Sadly, there will be no Saleen to see at Petit. Not a big surprise – though we started with the expectation of two Saleens – more a disappointment, a chance lost for North American fans to say farewell to one of their own. Come to think of it, this car was so rarely raced in North America, we’d forgotten it.

What’s the team? (No Abruzzi)

Late last week, “PTG” was dropped from the Abruzzi PLM entry; “Team Panoz PTG – as it was in past years and in the first two PLM entries – became just “Team Panoz.” Was it simply a change of language, or does it portend a (last minute) change in the program? One of Murphy’s forest creatures said he heard “a couple of weeks ago” that Krohn would run the Abruzzi, so perhaps Braselburg’s entry sheet is just catching up with “old news.” Another friend of the Bear’s thinks Krohn’s involvement is unlikely. Still another rumor has a prototype in that Krohn shop, while earlier Krohn was connected to the new McLaren sports car.

The entry name change may be just the tip of a Titanic-like iceberg.  “They are well behind in the car build; it’s the typical Panoz/EMT corner-cutting operation,” the Bear was told. In confirmation of that comes a report that even Braselbergers admitted at a South Carolina event that the rebodied Esperante wouldn’t make it to the grid. It’s now likely there will be a static display at Petit; might that be better than a moving chicane?

Body by Comprent, chassis by Multimatic, assembly by PTG, and raced by Krohn (or no one)? There’s not much Panoz in there. There’s about that much left of the Panoz automotive “empire.”

Murphy hears that David Price will be a guest of the Don at Petit; just renewing old acquantances, or something more?

Where’s the business case? (No Audi)

Marshall Pruett reported today that Audi wouldn’t be back in the American Le Mans Series in 2011. That can’t have come as a surprise to Paddock Poop readers, though, can it? As Murphy wrote on June 25th, “If it (the Audi board) does (say Jawohl), Murphy expects to see the new prototype in the Intercontinental Cup events and nowhere else.”

There were always two steps in Audi prototype programs: (1) approve and fund the car, a corporate decision at the highest level, and (2) fund the operation of racing programs. The first of those was done this summer, and the second has just failed after Dr.Ulrich’s public plea for funding from North America. Mr. Pruett puts it down to a “rift” between Ingolstadt and Audi North America, but Murphy’s sources don’t see it that way. Audi’s “national” divisions have always paid the bulk of the bill for racing the R8, R10, and R15.

After years of funding the American Le Mans prototype racing program – including significant payments for television sponsorships and other “promotional considerations” – the North American sales division concluded that the ALMS “platform,” though helpful, was not pulling its weight in the marketing program. In fact the quality of exposure was slipping. So it was an easy decision to follow Porsche out in 2009. Proof that it wasn’t a cost, but rather a decision on return has been seen in Audi’s expanded advertising in other sports since, including Super Bowl buys, about which Murphy wrote in February 2009.

When Audi didn’t return in 2010, it had nothing to do with rules, and everything to do with hard-nosed marketing decisions. Audi had the R15 pretty much ready to race at Sebring, but passed. The Bear wrote then that Audi had pretty much given up on getting value out of an ALMS campaign commensurate with its cost.

Hoping all that means an R8 will be on the GTC (or GT2) grid? The Bear’s take remains that a Grand Am GT R8 is far more likely than an ALMS entry of any kind.

State of the Series

In the absence of the announcement of next year’s schedule – the main reason we’ve sat through the talking heads in past years the Bear is wondering if there will be a “State of the Series” on Friday at Petit Le Mans. Wonder no more. Acting on a tip from the Braselburg mole, the Bear Brigade captured a clandestine courier en route to France, Murphy has come into possession of a document he believes to be the outline of the much-anticipated speech.

 S.O.S.

• Down is the new Up
• Television: Less is More
• Seven traditional tracks that still want us
• Why Baltimore is a fine place and Oklahoma City isn’t
• Audi who?
• Future entries (If you knew what I know)
• New Class: Legends (EFR)
• Don’s winter vacation plan

The Italiams are on the Case

According to the Wall Street Journal, in Triest, for a game against Padova, and “for the first time in four years, nearly every seat appeared to be taken. On television, the crowd looked impressive. But in person, the scene looked a bit strange. The fans were clad in scarves and winter coats—unusual for a balmy September afternoon. They failed to make a sound when the home team ran out on the field and didn’t budge when the match ended in a scoreless draw.” 

These “fans” were actually two-dimensional images of fans printed on a giant sheet of vinyl and stretched across the empty seats according to the  article. So Braselberg – and Daytona – take heart. The Italians are on the case.

American Open Wheel 

Murphy’s chief elf in Indy reports that the landlord for HVM Racing’s shops showed up last night to change the locks, and security personnel were stationed at the facility.  The gates were locked up this morning to their parking lot and the team apparently “got today off.” All less than a week before they would be loading up to go to the finale at Homestead on oct. 2.

What happens to Simona di Silvestro?  She is second behind Alex Lloyd for Rookie of the Year.  She also was very competitive on the road courses with an underfunded team. Will an ALMS team bring her aboard for 2011? She quickly became a fan favorite in IndyCar and she has more talent and potential than any of the other women in that series.”

 Another source hints that following the finale in Miami, Sarah Fisher will retire as a race driver to become a full-time team owner. Sarah has said in the past that at some point she would retire from driving to start a family. Will there be a “little Sarah” driving sometime in the future?

Politics

The Bear’s been told the Elkhart Lake Town Board voted to approve a 6 hour, into dusk, event at Road America. Now it remains to be seen if the promoter choses to use the permission.

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.