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1 Sep 2005, 21:50 (Ref:1396822) | #1 | |||
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PCM Pull the plug on ALMS campaign
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Slightly off topic but today Autosport Magazine reports that GPLK have put in a order to Pratt and Miller for 2 C6R's that they intend to run in next years FIA GT championship. |
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1 Sep 2005, 21:57 (Ref:1396833) | #2 | |
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Lets face it, the ALMS is on life support, and Atherton and co need to do something FAST.
I'm struggling to see a future for top class sportscar racing in the US. Or am I just over reacting? 'Slightly off topic but today Autosport Magazine reports that GPLK have put in a order to Pratt and Miller for 2 C6R's that they intend to run in next years FIA GT championship' If all was well with the ALMS you would have thought a US team would have already put in an order for a C6.R! |
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1 Sep 2005, 22:16 (Ref:1396850) | #3 | ||
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I thought that the problem with PCM was that they wanted to order a C6 but couldn't
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Louise: Is the track Slippery when Wet? DC: I didn't know you were a Bon Jovi fan |
1 Sep 2005, 23:31 (Ref:1396873) | #4 | ||
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That is the problem.
Apparently Pratt and Miller have no problem selling their cars to teams they won't compete against on another continent... but to have competition here at home? Nope, can't have that... can't have someone showing up the factory in their own car, can we? |
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1 Sep 2005, 23:48 (Ref:1396878) | #5 | ||
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Which is strange, because I seem to recall that at the beginning of the Corvette programme GM were saying that the factory Pratt & Miller team would only be around for a couple of seasons, to showcase the Vette to privateers. That was seven seasons ago...
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Interviewer: "Will the McLaren F1 be your answer to the Ferrari F40?" Gordon Murray: "Hmm... I don't think we have anyone at McLaren who can weld that badly..." |
1 Sep 2005, 23:49 (Ref:1396881) | #6 | |||
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2 Sep 2005, 00:00 (Ref:1396890) | #7 | ||
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I'm planning to enter a pair of Lola B01/60s, three Aston Martins and a BMW M3-GTR.
Sponsors or funded drivers wanted. Seriously, if every entry that was ever announced with great fanfare made it to the grid, every series in the country would be turning away cars DNQ. |
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2 Sep 2005, 00:10 (Ref:1396894) | #8 | ||
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The fans have done enough flag waiving for the series, they ALMS now needs to give a little back. A Porsche P2 entry alone is not enough. |
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2 Sep 2005, 00:55 (Ref:1396921) | #9 | |
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Jag,
You're for sure not the only one. I typed a sentence or two here regarding the state of ALMS. Right a way ALMS staff send me few emails to my personal email box regarding my opinions. I have been a true fan of ALMS way before those "pumpers" started working for the series, so I have a right to express my opinions here in the way I desire. Anyway, you're correct they need to do something, and for the start this is what they have to do: Stop pumping the series with fake positive information. This leads to financial losses by investors. Instead show us positive facts, for example: new entries, larger grids, factory commitment. I'm tired of hearing "The series is growing" for 7 years now. Tired of hearing "if I only could tell you who is coming next year" and things along these lines. The fact is that no one is coming and the series is not growing, the teams are leaving and the series is going South. Do not get me wrong I love ALMS for it's type of racing and cars. It is my favorite series. I go every year to see the races even if I have to drive 10 hours to see a race. The problem sits at the base of the equation. If we like it or not, we are tied to the ACO. We are trying to make everybody happy, be able to comply with "Le Mans" regulations and still keep maximum number of cars running. There are regulation changes every year. Where ever there are changes, there are costs. Sports car racing at that level is very expensive when you compare the costs to the returns that you get from few people following this kind of racing. It's by no means moneyland. I admire current teams that managed to hang on till now. They are very successful and should be able to hang on longer. Not everything is negative. ALMS TV coverage is great. Cars are beautiful and the random chicks at random events catch up for the lack of cars. I wish them best, but they need help no doubt. Andrzej |
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2 Sep 2005, 05:11 (Ref:1397005) | #10 | ||
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Quote:
Andrzej, I emailed you (I am in no way affiliated with the ALMS) asking about the "insider information" you claimed to have regarding the imminent demise of the ALMS which in the end you did not have. I didn't write you for the claims you posted here and my email to you was anything but hostile. If you continue to claim so I will post my message to you here on the boards. |
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2 Sep 2005, 05:39 (Ref:1397013) | #11 | ||
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Sad news... I hope that some privateer could buy the car to enter the LMES, though, or even a national serie (BGT, Belcar, FFSA-GT, etc...).
More generaly, the $$$ issue seems to reach all the series, beyond SC/GT... |
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2 Sep 2005, 07:39 (Ref:1397057) | #12 | |||
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2 Sep 2005, 07:52 (Ref:1397068) | #13 | |
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I think I'm going to sit back for a few months and see what pans out in the ALMS.
I believe there is demand in the US for such a series, and I've heard of many positive developments for 2006. These are not phantom cars but real, genuine interest. If they come off the ALMS will be fine, if not I see little future for the series. The only option would be to involve Sebring, PLM, Laguna for example into the LMES schedule in some shape or form. I do watch GA, but consider it more of an oddity as I did with Trans Am and IMSA GTO a few years back, certainly not a replacement for the ALMS. |
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2 Sep 2005, 08:59 (Ref:1397107) | #14 | |
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I think I might just do the same JAG.
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2 Sep 2005, 09:16 (Ref:1397119) | #15 | ||
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And me. The future is beginning to generally speaking look brighter for the ALMS though IMO, next year Aston Martin will be in the series if no customers for the DBR9 can be found for the 2006 season and Porsche is coming back with its LMP 2 too so thats 4 additional entries that we havent had this year so far. Yes PCM have left but Risi will hopefully be running a 2nd competitve MC12 so that IMO cancels out the loss of the PCM C5R.
Then of course we have all the LMP 1 hybrids that are running in the LMES this year, after 2005 they will be redundant in the LMES but still egliable to run in the ALMS. Id not mind betting that a few of the hybrids will filter down into the ALMS for 2006, the question is will the cars go to new teams or will existing teams simply switch classes? Hopefully not the latter. Dont forget though that there should be the new Riley on the grid next year, not sure whos intending or running it however. |
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2 Sep 2005, 11:18 (Ref:1397199) | #16 | |||
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And yes they have bigger grids but look at what expense, the cars just look ridiculous. |
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Porsche 917: greatest racing car ever |
2 Sep 2005, 11:57 (Ref:1397232) | #17 | |||
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Grand Am has big grids yes, but the series isnt really a threat to the ALMS IMO. |
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2 Sep 2005, 14:17 (Ref:1397340) | #18 | |
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Exactly right Tom V, there is nothing "sportscar" about DP's.
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2 Sep 2005, 14:47 (Ref:1397366) | #19 | ||
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Perhaps a moderator could create a poll about whether or not in peoples opinions is a DP a sportscar or not? That way we could settle this old arguement once and for all.
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2 Sep 2005, 15:28 (Ref:1397396) | #20 | ||
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I'm agreeing that DPs are ugly. It's ok having some decent grid sized and some racing but how do u advertise a series which runs such slow cars (in a country where 200mph racing is commonplace) and such ugly brutes to the neutral? I don't know what to call them if they're not "prototypes" - but I wudn't call them sports-prototypes. Part of the appeal of sportscar racing is their appearance - big stunning looking machines which make enough beautiful noises to shake down the surrounding countryside. I've not really known that happen from DP's...
However, that's just my opinion, so since another thread has started getting so personal, I do ask that nobody should critisize for a personal preference, because someone having an interest in something different to another person is NOT being wrong or ignorant/stupid, but merely looking for what makes them (and them alone) tick... |
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2 Sep 2005, 15:33 (Ref:1397401) | #21 | |||
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2 Sep 2005, 15:39 (Ref:1397403) | #22 | ||
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doesn't NASCAR approach those speeds? Anyways - NASCAR, IRL, Champ Car, F1, ALMS - all reach pretty high speeds and feature in US racing. OK not so much F1, and I'm not sure how fast LMP1's ever reach in the USA, but they're certainly capable of nearing 200mph at Le Mans...?
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2 Sep 2005, 18:50 (Ref:1397516) | #23 | |||
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3 Sep 2005, 04:08 (Ref:1397692) | #24 | |||
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3 Sep 2005, 10:05 (Ref:1397813) | #25 | |||
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