Murphy, A.C., and Katrina Flood brought you right into the action at the Daytona 24, as AC calls it, “the World’s Greatest Race.” This time it almost was, with the Bear (a “Daytona Denier”) on the edge of his seat (with the rest of you – admit it), over the final hour and last laps.

A.C. gave ya’ll ten rools in “How to Enjoy the Rolex 24”

As he did for the previous year, Murphy listed the five entries most likely to win and contend for the win. In 2008, first, second, and third were from his top five. This year he had 1 and 2, and all five of his picks were in the first seven.

There was an interesting exchange with wrestlerrob in Paddock Poop 109 after the race. Wrestler wondered if the Bear would stick to his “Riley only” rool for his 2010 picks. Murphy answered he didn’t see any change, writing that, “Seriously, there’s no challenge in sight to Riley’s dominance. Certainly not Lola, in a partnership of which they are not enamored…or so the Bear hears.” There was your first clue that Lola and Krohn weren’t getting along, nearly a year ago. That “relationship” has now landed in court; if Krohn runs those cars (he’s entered them) it won’t be with any help from Lola.

Murphy mentioned another prototype – of much greater interest – on January 15, “There are multiple hints that there is a Porsche LMP1 in the wings that could debut as early as 2010 – if Herr Dr. Wiedeking will allow it.” Now that Wiedeking is gone his successor is talking openly of the prospect, though a 2011 debut seems most likely.

A.C. proudly declared, “I am A.C. Guillermo, and I’m a Grand-Am Writer.” In his race review, “The Grassy Knoll 24” A.C. ridiculed the conspiracy buffs, with his usual insightful expert analysis, observing, “I was watching the TV coverage of the race today and I saw no evidence of any cheating, aside from all those male enhancement product commercials (that stuff doesn’t work, trust me).”

On January 21, in Paddock Poop 108. “Murphy on Sebring’s Likely Starters,” the Bear wrote, “When the flag flies at Sebring on March 21, 30 entries will thunder into the old airbase’s Turn 1. It’s a different mix, but nearly the same number (31) Murphy gave you on December 10. If Sebring starts the Bear’s 30, it will have done well, indeed, in tough times for racing, losing only 10% from last year’s 33.”

The next day the Bear revised that, summarizing in Paddock Poop 109, “For now, those changes will cut his likely P1 starters to seven. Murphy’s going to keep his expected GT starters at 17, making Sebring’s total grid 29.” Contrary to his reputation in some quarters, in the event, the Bear would prove to be far too optimistic.

February

On February 3rd , the Bear reported that negotiations to bring back “Radio Le Mans,” seemed stalled; that the coverage could end in the new season. “Your favorite internet audio coverage will be gone in the 2009 season unless funding from Braselton is replaced from some other source. Perhaps Murphy’s will have to send what he’d budgeted for a forum hat to England to help out. Time to register your displeasure?  It’s said that the at-track-PA coverage by Mr. H. will be back – if the offer is accepted.”

The content of that was never questioned, though there eventually was an agreement, and much ado about the stuffed animal having written “Radio Le Mans,” rather than “ALMS Radio Web.” He said he was very, very sorry. Roll this story a year forward, and that’s exactly what has happened: It’s been announced ALMS Radio Web will not be funded by the American Le Mans Series. The good news is that Hindy and company at Radio Show Limited seem optimistic the needed sponsorship will be forthcoming.

The other item in Paddock Poop 110 was this:

“The Bear’s  been told that as of yesterday an enterprise in a small Northeastern Georgia town will have across-the-board pay cuts.”
That one leaked so fast that phone calls from Braselton to Murphy’s acquaintances quickly followed, trying to ferret (cute little things, aren’t they?) out the Bear’s source. The Great Georgia Mole Hunt was on! Later in the year, when this or that Braselburger head would roll, it would be rumored that the mole had been excised. But Murphy continues to report what goes on in the Broadway Avenue puzzle palace, doesn’t he?

Murphy’s optimism about the Sebring entry (if 30 can be characterized that way) faded quickly. On Valentine’s Day he wrote, “In mid February, there are 25 Sebring entries (P1 = 7, P2 = 3, GT1 = 2, GT2 = 13). Though more – as many as 35 – are possible, Murphy thinks the grid will grow by only two net (P1 = 7, P2 = 3, GT1 = 2, GT2 = 15) to 27.” The entry dated February 19 totaled exactly that, in a bit different class mix. There finally were 26 on the grid in March (P1 = 8, P2 = 3, GT1 = 2, GT2 = 13).

Not on that grid was VICI Racing. On the 24th of February, the Bear wrote, “In GT2, VICI has added two Porsches to the entry, oddly with drivers TBA. Murphy says “oddly” because it seemed clear that the VICI program was very much dependent on drivers with budgets, so if the entries are firm, the drivers should already be “on board.” Other opinion from the paddock (shared with the Bear yesterday) remained doubtful about at least the second of the two entries, and dismissed any possibility of a third.”

VICI stories continue to this day, with the Pollyannas convinced that the telephone sponsorship on the car last year would actually be funded in 2010. As if corporate budgeting worked that way. Might happen, likely won’t.

March

An Audi R8 was rumored early in the month. That came to nothing, of course. Now it’s rumored for GT Challenge – a “future maybe.” It would be a pretty expensive way to go, about twice the cost of the 911’s that likely would beat it like a redheaded stepchild.
The Riley-Lou-Pratt & Miller-Corvette Racing-GM soap opera continued with a Riley, left standing at the alter, filing lawsuit charging GM with “breach of promise.”

Murphy’s Prototype Punter’s Guide made the two Audi R15s the co-favorites, with the two Peugeots right behind. Big deal,  you say? OK, it wasn’t hard, given the rest of the field was pretty much helpless against the diesels. Those four were all in the top five, with Fernandez’ Acura P2 sneaking into fourth ahead of a broken-down Peugeot. It was a field worth traveling to Florida for. 2010? No Audi, no Acura P1, just two Peugeots to crush a sorry lot of non-contenders. Murphy knows (it’s that mole again) Braselton takes Sebring for granted, believing the rubes will show up no matter what junk is on the grid. Are they right?

In his GT Punter’s Guide, Flying Lizard’s Bergmeister and Long (lang und kurz – having nothing to do with their names) were the Bear’s 3-2 favorites, followed by Risi Competizione’s Melo and Kaffer (3-1). The Ferrari won it, the Lizards falling to 4th . He still had VICI as a “player,” since they were claiming factory pilots, a load of bull droppings, as usual.

At Sebring, the Bear tipped a few with friends away from the track.
And at.
Cruised the paddock for stories – and found a few.
Under the heading of “Fantasyland,” he wrote, “Saleens, ECO Racing, Creations, Zyteks, Jaguars…well that last one might be possible, but the silence is ominous.” The Cat finally came straggling in – remindful of a tabby that’s fallen into the cattle watering trough – at Laguna Seca. That bull crap (the bull is a friend of the Bear’s) at Petit Le Mans was an embarrassment.

Murphy closed out the month with a rare single-topic Poop: “Acura Rumor Review – Smoke or Fire?”

The Bear opined that “…there is usually some fire under such a large volume of smoke.” In retrospect we were hearing the first rumblings of the complete shutdown of the Honda/Acura racing program.

April

Off we went to St. Pete. Well, everyone but Murphy, who gets to burned out partying at Sebring to go up the road 90 minutes for a pale imitation of road racing. We’re all spared that monumental waste of time this year, aren’t we? The Bear feels sorry for his pal Huge, but hey, how many “home events” do you need? Seventeen cars started on Tampa Bay, twelve in three classes were running at the finish. Even a stuffed animal knows how to spell J-O-K-E. Who wants to pay real money for that?

A.C. returned from a well-earned vacation at Dollywood to a full mailbag, which he dutifully dug into, treating the rest of us to the best snippets.

VICI was floating bull crap again, this time about a Long Beach entry. A couple of guys were promising a second Aston Martin GT entry. Never happened, just more hot air.

The grid was marginally better at Long Beach – 21, of which 18 were running at the end. Murphy was there. Shockingly, the ALMS drew very well compared to the IRL. That’s more an  indictment of the latter than anything particularly good about the former.

May

Tim Mayer left IMSA/ALMS. Murphy published a “quick” Poop the day before the announcement. The Bear always thought Mayer was the best of the bunch. That may sound like “faint praise” in some quarters, but Tim stood out as a good guy and a competent manager.

The Honda rumors continued, the Bear reporting that “Honda’s is taking financial steps to facilitate a Yankee team’s move to IRL next season. It’s widely believed that Acura will only return if there is major manufacturer competition, and that it currently assumes that will not be the case.” The first part of that wasn’t the case (rather than helping anyone, Honda’s thrown them all under the bus), but the second part was sadly quite true. Been nice knowin’ ya.

Endurance-info got into the “Creation promotion business” with DSC, printing what some of the cool aid drinkers called a “confirmation” that Creation will be on the ALMS grid soon. “We plan to return to the ALMS Series, when we are ready,” said Andy Woolgar. Murphy wrote, “‘when we are ready’ will not likely be sooner than 2010.” At least dailysportscar gets its bad information from the chief rather than a North Carolina-based minion. The Bear’s pretty sure pigs will fly before a Creation chassis graces an ALMS grid. What has Creation accomplished lately other than the periodic trashing of Bicks and the Bear? (In a theater near y0u soon?)

A.C. was back with a column about Grand Am at Thunderbolt in New Jersey. He reported that Scott Pruett invented the internet without Al Gore’s help. Now he working on some investigative journalism stuff about global warming.

There was a race somewhere in Utah. No one went. Corsa was there not running its hybrid gear. Good place for such shenanigans.

Murphy’s elf inside F1 was keeping him (and you) abreast of those sordid happenings. Murphy reported that de Ferran was negotiating to acquire the cars, engines, tools, transporters, and pit equipment of a part time IRL team.

When Robin Miller was roasted for reporting that TG would be out at the brickyard, tossed by his mother and sisters, Murphy was one of just a few that knew he was right, and said so. So much for blood…  The Bear wrote at the time, “What the Tony kerfuffle is really about is creating separation between the finances of IMS (which Tony’s sisters and mother care about) and the IRL (which they do not)…” Having created that separation, the IRL is truly in dire straights according to Murphy’s best inside sources. There are more than just a few that wonder whether it can survive the 2010 season.

In Braselton, the layoffs and a fire sale were underway. Haas was looking the place over, and though a sale wasn’t closed then, some agreement leading to a joint venture in the coming year was put in place.

June

The Bear led the month off with his Le Mans Prototype Punter’s Guide, published jointly with Last Turn Clubhouse. If there are any punters out there that pay any attention to a stuffed animal, they deserve to be broke – and probably are. Murphy gave the nod to Audi again. Ah, well…

Later he thought D.R. should “give it a rest,” a rather common sentiment in the sport, and told “A Medieval Bear’s Fable.” 

The “Grand Am buying ALMS” rumor was floated by that same IRL scribe (Murphy doesn’t have to tell you who, does he?). Murphy reviewed the evidence and wrote, “Some might sum all that and come up with an imminent sale. Murphy doesn’t.” It was roundly denied, and nothing came of it, other than SA walking around with a button at Lime Rock that read “We are not for sale.” Funny.

The Boss was dealing with important things like planting trees in public parks (can someone send those guys to Miller Motorsports Park?) and organic T shirts. Then he (SA) told us we should, “Look for an announcement of a major new licensing deal in the third quarter that will greatly enhance our product position and global exposure.” Murphy thinks he missed that announcement. Was it the LMP Challenge? Naw, that doesn’t do any of that stuff.

A.C. closed out the first half of the 2009 season with his usual insightful ruminations about NASCAR and Grand Am.

Next: Murphy’s Year in Review, Part 2

Sushi, anyone?

Down another one – NAVI Team Goh (P2) is a scratch from the Asian Le Mans Series, joining Signature (P1) and KSM (P2) in dropping out of the race at Okayama, Japan. The latter two were gone before the ACO’s recent press release. Speaking of which, Drayson’s Lola Judd coupé won’t be a “debut” either. Does the ACO even read its own press releases? Or is public relations, like Gallic military prowess, a lost art?

Maserati Redux?

Don’t discount completely the rumors of an MC-12 as a 2010 ALMS competitor. Though it remains little more than an idle thought by a current owner, engineers (who can make the hardware fit) and accountants (who can make a check clear) are really quite inventive people. Working together they can do wonders.

Tony Tired?

Tony George to throw in the towel? He’s rumored to have told his Vision Racing team it’s out of business without a big sponsor. What are the implications of that for the IRL? It hasn’t been good. The league’s been cut off from the IMS gravy train (other than the race-specific benefits) by Tony’s sisters, TG’s leadership seems indifferent, and the Versus deal looks worse every day. (It wasn’t all that popular when announced, either.)

Farewell, friend(s)

The end of the 2009 racing season is in sight, and with it, more departures from Braselton’s staff. Some will hurt more than others. Murphy will miss you.

Nagoya nonsense – or not?

Murphy reported on contacts between Braselton and Nagoya last year. Now increasing signs the latter will leave F1, or at least significantly cut its expenditure, give that much-awaited, on-again-off-again prototype some new “legs.”

Legal beagles

Porsche, caught with an illegal engine, complained to the ACO about Corvette’s (wait for it)…illegal engine. That’s balls, isn’t it? At least Corvette was open about its direct injection when it homologated the its new GT2 C6.R, so technically it wasn’t “illegal,” since the ACO accepted it, even if it was outside published rules. Porsche on the other hand…

All Quiet on the Western Front?

Certainly not. Just in case you thought North American Sports Car racing isn’t at war – Murphy wasn’t sure, himself – Daytona Beach put the illusion of “getting along” to bed by putting NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter out as an attack dog on the American Le Mans Series for its proposed “Challenge Class” rules.

In a lengthy blog, he calls the ALMS’s new rules, “misguided,” and “counter-productive,” while accusing the Braselton-based race series of circulating “calculated misinformation and propaganda” to “undermine Grand Am’s success.” Pretty frantic stuff.

The American Le Mans Series (without any reference at all to Grand Am) has created a class that allows cars that meet Grand Am GT specifications (actually all properly prepared Porsche Cup cars regardless of the series they might currently contest, but no other cars now racing in Grand Am) to enter, and another that introduces low-cost prototypes (less cost than Daytona Prototypes) to race alongside other ALMS classes. Let’s be clear. The proposed GT rules affect Grand Am Porsches only, and the proposed prototype rules will make no Grand Am car eligible for any ALMS racing.

Attacking a competing series for doing nothing more than modifying its rules to allow lower-cost entries looks like an act of desperation to Murphy. The panic might be justified; stories circulating point to a DP grid in the single figures next season, and as A.C. wrote in his last column, not everyone on International Speedway Boulevard is happy with the “sporty car experiment.”

Withering away

There are 11 guppies on the Miller Motorsport Park grid. The Bear’s heard from various sources at least five won’t be around next season (though one of those be resurrected). Among the 12 GT entries, Stevenson will be back with a Corvette (actually Camaro – Murphy’s got a “mental block” on that one) body and engine on his tube frame, Greg Loles will enter a single BMW (also a Pratt & Miller project), and the Bear does not believe that TRG will be back with its two Porsches, whatever Kevin said. 23 entries for a series whose claim to fame was robust grids.

BMW

The Bear heard BMW is not happy over at Rahal-Letterman, and though there would seem to be no rational cause for disaffection, it’s said they’re looking around. Is it possible this story is upside down? Or is it simply part of the on-going politics around competition rules? Perhaps the Bavarian’s are upset they’ve had no invitation to the Ed Sullivan Theater?

Bye, bye, Acura

Will Acura return in 2010? Murphy hears the simple answer is “no.” They’ll lease engines (the teams have already bought their ARX-01 and 02 chassis), but that’s all – support for teams and the series, along with HPD work on further development will mostly disappear. It doesn’t take a lot of reading between the lines of the Fernandez Racing announcement of its demise to come to that conclusion, and when the Bear was told that HPD has been laying off folks, well, that kind of clinched it.

Supersomething-or-other

The Don’s supercar is “on the table” again. Literally. The latest flight of fancy will be floated (flown?) at an invitation-only dinner at an undisclosed (but probably obvious) location Friday night of Petit Le Mans. This is a “fund raiser,” a “what we’ll do with the millions you give us” get-together for the unreasonably well-heeled.  In a nutshell, that will be a butanol (Florida algae)-powered road-going “supercar” that will morph (somehow) into a Le Mans-legal racer. (Maybe it’s a Transformer.) The Bear’s invitation to the Friday affair seems to have been lost in the mail. Well, he’d have to turn it down anyway, since he’s already got a social engagement – or two – on that night.

Stupid rules

Well, the Frogs have done it again. More utterly stupid ACO rules. “Petite changes” to chassis aero rules aren’t trivial if you’re the small team that has to pay for them (again).  IMSA has its own problems, it shouldn’t commit hiri kuri with the French for expensive minutia. Braselton should “grandfather” anything currently eligible. Heck, they’re going to run a single prototype class anyway, so what would be the point of such tweaks, particularly with entirely new rules likely for 2011?

Is this the 2010 ALMS Schedule?

Pulling together the stories Murphy hears, his 2010 ALMS schedule might look like this:
Sebring – March 17-20
Long Beach – April 16-17
Sonoma – May 1-2
Salt Lake City – May 8-9
 Lime Rock – July 16-17
Mid-Ohio – August 6-7
Road America – August 19-22
Mosport – September 4-5
Petit Le Mans – September 22-25
Laguna Seca – October 8-9

As always, that’s nothing more than a consensus of scurrilous rumor, and irresponsible speculation.

Follow the Bear at http://twitter.com/Murphythebear

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.

The Bear’s making book on when IMSA/ALMS stuff will show up on Craig’s List. It looks like they’re selling anything not nailed down. (There are some good bargains at Road Atlanta’s on line store.) Murphy hears the next thing on the way out the door will be Elan Motorsport Technologies – or what’s left of it – to a Chicago-based motorsports magnate. It depends on whether the prospective buyer can find something worth buying (the fancy name for that is “due diligence). This follows the loss of a contract that might have helped keep the doors open.

Connections

The Bear’s focus is sports car racing in general, and the American Le Mans Series in particular, but those have become inextricably intertwined with other racing, not just in North America, but worldwide. That’ particularly true with motors – and motorsports – distressed world-wide. So, until there’s a healthy, stand-alone sports car series in North America (if there ever is), the Bear recognizes that what happens in other leagues – and in the board rooms and management committees of automobile manufacturers – determines what happens – or doesn’t happen – in the American Le Mans Series.

High Finance

On the Deutsche Börse, the VOW short positions have significantly increased. The last time that happened, a scramble to cover made the Wolfsburg company the most valuable in the world – for two days, anyway – while the shorts took a big bath. Why would they do it again? Because if there is no take over by Stuttgart, then the share value of VOW declines to “fair value” – about €50 – a €150 drop. Stuttgart actually had a serious brush with death in March, when only hastily arranged loan extensions saved the iconic company. While we’re roasting “hedge funds,” and “investment bankers,” what was it that Wendelin and his band of Merry (Black Forest) Men were doing? Manipulating markets. It may not have been legal in Europe, but it sure as hell would have been in the USA (and they say we have lax regulation). There’s some speculation that Wendelin won’t be around for much longer. The Bear won’t be sorry to lose Porsche’s anti-racing chief.

Whither Wirth?

There was a protest of the Bear’s assertion that Wirth Research might launch an F1 team under the new cost-capped-F1 (now a dead letter, at least temporarily). That came from evidence submitted to the French trial court in the matter of Ferrari’s request for an injunction against proposed 2010 rules; the court was submitted a list comprised of the teams that had expressed interest in entering if the new rules came into being. A horse told a primate friend of the Bear’s that Wirth’s “potential future involvement” would be engineering, design, and manufacturing services to “another outfit.”

So why was Wirth Research named to the court? The defendants (the FIA) wouldn’t knowingly submit perjured testimony, of course. So they believed that Wirth was as “real” as the remaining names on that list, some of whom have, in fact, subsequently submitted official entries.

If we see a Wirth entry before Friday’s midnight deadline, does that make the horse wrong – or worse? What if the horse is a “stalking horse,” having agreed to make the entry for a team in which it would later be only a “junior partner?” Having a “silent partner” is a perfectly legal and logical course of action in an instance like this. Teams can always be reorganized – and their names changed – later. So Murphy wasn’t particularly surprised when he got a call the other day, the gist of which was that Wirth’s expression of interest – whether or not it leads to an actual entry – is on behalf of a USA racing megateam to whom, of course, it will subsequently offer engineering, design, and manufacturing services.

The point of Wirth’s protest was to throw cold water on speculation that its F1 move is indicative of a loss or reduction in the services dedicated to Acura. But has it? Can Wirth really carry any significant role in an F1 effort – even with a cost cap – and do justice to a major sports car program? In the LM/LMR program, BMW and Williams decided they could not. Is Wirth Research more capable than those two?

Will Max Blink?

Did FOTA? The teams propose to race in Bernie’s F1 next year with a €100 million spending cap (and a bunch of exceptions so they can spend more). That’s about as limiting as a Panoz GTLM restrictor. But their entry today before the midnight deadline is decidedly provisional, based on Max accepting the team-proposed rules. We’ll have to wait until June 10th, when entries are accepted, to find out who it was that blinked. (Beyond Frank Williams, who certainly did, and will be “odd man out” whatever the happens). Then we’ll find out who will join and who will not, and under what rules F1 will operate for until 2012. Will Max decide that he wants an F1 with Ferrari in it, or will he opt for a 12-car grid of five new teams and Frank Williams? Will there be one of those rare moment of clarity?

Roger and the Dwarves

The Bear expects that some on that long list of F1 pretenders – the ones lured by the promise of a “cheaper” version – will withdraw their applications under the FOTA-proposed rules. Raising €100 million is a whole different ball game than raising €40 million. So which of the dwarfs – including USF1, Lola, Prodrive, Campos - are likely gone? The Prodrive entry is backed by Arab money, and would – after two years or so – devolve into an Aston Martin-branded entry.  So do they go ahead? It can’t hurt that oil prices are again on the rise. A Wirth-Penske entry is similarly in question. Sure, Penske could fund – or get the funding – but the Bear suspects he’d much rather pick over the bones of Saturn.

Roger’s busy figuring out if he can buy the redundant GM division to use about half the dealers (he’ll close the rest) to sell a Samsung car. Right, Samsung. As in TV sets. Knock-offs of Nissans that are copies of Hondas that are copies of BMWs – or something like that. Will they have pixels?

Whether Wirth…

retains its sports car focus may not be the key to the ALMS prototype field, anyway. de Ferran has been negotiating to acquire the assets he needs to go IndyCar racing, and Duncan Dayton says he’s serious about an IndyCar campaign. Some seem to think that Duncan is a creature of Acura in his racing programs. Murphy suspects there’s some truth in that as far as sports car racing is concerned, but unlike XM Radio, neither Patrón nor Forbes are “house” sponsors. Duncan’s roots are in collecting and racing of historic…that’s right…F1 and Indy cars. Some have read into Dayton’s comments that he’ll wait until 2011. Murphy doesn’t draw that conclusion at all. What he takes away is that Highcroft wouldn’t expect to be competitive until new equipment in 2011 “levels the playing field,” but Duncan’s a smart cookie, smart enough to know that 2010 could be a learning year in every respect but the equipment. If Patrón – or someone else – is willing, Dayton will make the jump. Will he continue to run an ALMS program? Possible, but not probable. Add to that some background noise that Fernandez is likewise eyeing an IndyCar return, and…

Robin and Tony

The Bear’s laughing out loud (you know, lol) at the roasting Robin Miller’s getting. Murphy’s been there (where Miller is), with reports of things that happen behind closed doors. When he was reporting clues to the demise of ChampCar, of meetings to mend the split, and exploration of outsourcing strategies by ChampCar, the knives came out, and so – famously – did the “official denial.” Oddly, ChampCar prevailed on IMSA to carry its water in that instance.
Putting aside the fact that Miller’s probably right in the essential facts of the thing – that Tony’s latitude of decision authority in regard to IMS has been reduced to nil – the reaction (denial) of the usual clueless partisans is entertaining. Don’t take that badly, OW fans. Murphy thinks sports car racing needs a lot more fanatics of its own. No sport can thrive without its cohort of clueless partisans. That there isn’t one is symptomatic of sports car’s lack of relevance in the grand scheme of motorsport.

You’re about to miss the message, though. As good as Indy 2009 was – and the Bear thought it was – TV ratings fell to 3.9. What the hell were they all watching? Golf, probably – or nothing. NASCAR started later, then ended quickly in the rain, and F1 was…well, it was F1 – an acquired taste for us here in the colonies.

Once upon a time the relationship between Indy and the IRL was all one way; the former dragged along the latter. As the iconic race has slipped in the consciousness of the American sports fan, however, a more symbiotic relationship has developed; fans who follow the IRL “feed” the level of interest in its premier race, much like the effect of CART in “the old days.” So what’s the point? Versus. With the early part of the IRL season pretty much invisible, there was no “story line” being built over April and May, so Indy was pretty much on its own.

What the Tony kerfuffle is really about is creating separation between the finances of IMS (which Tony’s sisters and mother care about) and the IRL (which they do not). So what will be the effect of the loss of that ‘subsidy’ on the IRL? One Bear contact suggests that “Tony’s spanking will result in the demise of several IRL races that IMS secretly/silently subsidizes (such as St Pete). Does anyone really believe Andretti-Green is the majority promoter?”

Having grown up on Long Island, and having attended my first race at Bridgehampton in 1966, it is a joy to have a new track in the Northeast. And having the stellar Grand-Am Series visit New Jersey is even better.

Having missed VIR, I was glad to be at Thunderbolt. Well, sort of.  The race turned out to be a wet and wild spinfest. And yes, it was a record crowd. The “Record Crowd” press releases have already been written for the remaining races of the season, to counter the false claims by the ALMS that there are virtually no fans at Grand-Am races. Once the press release goes out, attendance will no longer be a problem!  These NASCAR PR guys are absolutely brilliant!

I remember back in the day when Big Bill France was the guy behind John Bishop and IMSA. NASCAR essentially owned IMSA back then, and now history is repeating itself. The France family is again in control of road racing in North America! The Nicotine Patch induced infatuation with Le Mans, technology and “World Class Racing” is being pulverized with fender-banging, low-tech, spec car road racing designed for the competitors, not the fans. Finally, some sanity!

I ran into my good friend Katrina Flood at New Jersey, which surprised me because she is an ALMS apologist. Anyway, we had a spirited conversation on the future of the ALMS (assuming there is one). I have been assured by NASCAR that the ALMS does not have a future, but she would not listen. She had some silly idea about the two series running together now and then, for the benefit of the fans. Silly Katrina, I hope you are reading this- the fans don’t get a vote.  When will you learn that NASCAR decides what is best for sports car racing fans?

Anyway, back to my thoughts on New Jersey. I have heard some rumblings about too much rough driving in the Rolex Series. Please remember that NASCAR owns the series, and they know that wrecks are good for the series. Racing is entertainment, and NASCAR fully intends on making sports car racing just like oval racing.

New Jersey was a great event, probably the best Grand-Am race ever. Did I mention the record crowd?

 Rumor Control Department

ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE:

Grand-Am is changing its name to the Patrick Dempsey Road Racing Association.

NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series participants, and ISC shareholders, are furious over NASCAR’s wasting money in road racing, while neglecting their struggling series.

The Grand-Am Series is North America’s most successful vintage racing series.

The Grand-Am tech inspection scales were calibrated by Stevie Wonder.

Scott Pruett invented the internet with the help of Al Gore.

All DP owners are required to buy extended warranties through US Fidelis, the national warranty scam with Rusty Wallace as spokesman.

Certain ISC executives call Grand-Am “NASCAR’s cancer.”

The prize money at New Jersey was instead used to repair the fence at Talladega.

ISC revenues were down double-digits in the first quarter due to poor sales of  the Grand-Am Yearbook.

The Riley that won this year’s Rolex 24 was built in 1979.

ISC have offered Tony George 5 Rolex watches, a free Dale Carnegie public speaking  course, a signed Wayne Taylor SunTrust Racing Team hat and $2 million cash to have a Grand-Am 24 Hours of Indy race next year.

NASCAR employees lovingly call a transfer to the Grand-Am Series as a transfer to “the Russian front.”

TRUE:

23 manufacturers have applied to build DP chassis once the ALMS goes out of business.

The Koni series really does exist.

Scott Pruett invented the internet without Al Gore’s help.