Prius-R

Corsa finally confirms its prototype, and it’s a blockbuster, a prototype Prius! Well, not exactly – it’s a Zytek.

Though there’s been some internet chatter about “two new manufacturers,” Murphy consulted his notes, and more recently Braselton’s referred to one, not two. Was BMW one of the original two? If it were, then Corsa’s Zytek might be the second. If not, we’re still looking for another one. (Edit: The Bear’s a bit confused by many referrences to new entries, both this year and next. Murphy certainly would not put BMW in the ‘attracted by the Green Racing initiative’ catagory, and if Braselton was being precise about ‘next year,’ Zytek won’t fit either. Don’t forget that ‘manufacturer’ in IMSA’s parlance includes chassis builders like Zytek.)

In April, the Bear passed on some things that pointed to a real Prius. Is that “off the table?” Perhaps not.

The General

There was this item in Murphy’s Mosport Special Edition:
It’s settled. The General shows a bit of good sense. Corvette will be back in 2009.

AutoWeek says a split season next year – half GT1, half GT2. Murphy’s not sure of that. He thinks the prototype idea could still be on the table, though the GT2 thing is probably the odds on favorite in the paddock. This will be a Pratt & Miller program. Riley took a flyer to put a GT2 Corvette on the track with Lou Gigliotti, and it was clear to Murphy (and to the paddock, and importantly, to GM) that the Gigliotti part of that program was the best part.

Murphy was told a Pratt & Miller prototype made it all the way to the wind tunnel. What happens to that? Some speculate that there still may be opportunities for Corvette power, and even for that chassis, somewhere on sports car prototype grids.

Acura

The announcement of its LMP1 program was the third bit of good news for the series. Three teams will contest two prototype classes, and Honda would clearly like to have a second P2 team, too.

Doubts

That brings Murphy to some unhappy rumblings in the paddock. The list of teams that may not return next season has grown to three, four, or five, depending on who’s talking – plus doubts about the “official programs” of two manufacturers. The economy isn’t particularly strong, and sponsors aren’t exactly awash with cash, so none of that should come as a surprise. Given the history of such things, the Bear doesn’t start celebrating when it’s said “there’s a 70% chance” of returning.

Someone out there reported that Murphy said Porsche was testing an LMP1. He didn’t. If they are, he doesn’t know about it. What he actually wrote was that Porsche was testing a P1 when word of the impending ACO diesel rules put an end to that program – over a half-decade ago. He does think they should build and race a P1. But they don’t pay a lot of attention to stuffed animals in Weissach. Perhaps they should.

2004

At least part of the prototype grid next season may look like it did only in 2004.

Driver Quietly Looking

A very, very good American Le Mans Series driver of some year’s experience is said to be quietly inquiring about ride possibilities for 2009. That’s not just interesting in the “driver silly season rumor mill,” but in the whole question of teams that will or will not – return. The driver’s quiet job search is the best clue yet that a key prototype team does not – for now – intend to return in 2009, and neither does a manufacturer.

It’s the economy, stupid

American Le Mans Series racing programs have been curtailed – and some didn’t happen – because of the economic climate. The series will do well to hold the line on the grid next season. You might have noticed that Grand Am’s DP field didn’t grow from year-to-year, and the Bear expects it to contract in 2009. Southard Motorsports announced this morning it will skip Grand Am’s season-ending event in Utah and pointed directly to the economy.

Good News, Bad News

In ALMS GT, a Porsche team will add both a car and a factory driver next season. This is an area in which Grand Am – if it keeps its promise for GT to become “all tube frame” – is going to take a big hit. Porsche sources say they’ll not build, nor will they support, tube frame 911s, even though they were willing to do so twenty years ago. The premier Porsche prototype program will also wrap up.

That increase in Porsche participation in ALMS GT could well be greeted by a decrease in the Ferrari presence. Murphy hopes that’s not the case, but he’s hearing…

Bored

The English fish-and-chip-oil burner now won’t be ready for Silverstone, just as it wasn’t ready for Sebring (sitting about the paddock doesn’t count), and for anything else so far this year. Ho hum.

NASCAR Diversifies

We’re told that NASCAR is making a bid to get into the casino business. As part of that, they’re promising to toss in a second Cup race at a nearby track, where they’ve promised to build a roval track and race guppies. The prototurtles might be around much longer than Murphy had been hearing, and the now-official acquisition by NASCAR just may be more than a way to cover some losses before the shut-down. One thing seems certain. The gnomes at International Speedway Boulevard are ignoring the advice they got from Detroit and will stay the course on which they’ve been for the past decade – to separate themselves entirely from reliance on the auto industry. With the Car of Tomorrow the last step is pretty easy – just rip off the Toyota, Cheby, and Ford decals.

Toot-toot Department

Murphy’s been accused of tooting his own horn. Why the hell shouldn’t he? This item appeared in Paddock Poop 60, October, 2007.

NASCAR Sports Cars – an Oxymoron whose time has come…

No more Grand Am. It’s going to be the NASCAR Sports Car Series…That might sound good, but Murphy’s not so sure. It looks like a compromise between full speed ahead and a more complete withdrawal to support NASCAR events only. NASCAR Sports Cars will still have an independent schedule including some non-NASCAR tracks, but the pitch is being focused on the already-captive market. How that makes sense, the Bear hasn’t got a glimmer.-10/23/2007

Millville and Monterrey

Speaking of Grand Am, it was at dusty, narrow, and unready Millville on the weekend. While the crowd was reported to be ‘huge by Grand Am standards,’ the teams were quite unhappy about racing at a track so clearly unprepared to host professional motorsports, and some of them said so. The American Le Mans Series is losing some interest in the venue, while becoming more enamored with the Lady of the North.

Petit Le Mans

Plan on getting there. Some say this is another sports car racing “Golden Age.” It’s mixing metaphors, but the 11th Petit Le Mans could also be the “high water mark” for some time.

Murphy will be at Petit. Look for him. La Parilla, the woods near Turn 10, Paddy’s and Jeffrey’s are all favorite haunts. And the paddock, of course.