Money Carn't Buy Everything

[Hobo high]

Good to see the HRT cash cow are now unable to buy another championship.It seems the LOSS of the OVERSEA'S TWR formula one back up, has hurt the team in engine and chassis development this year .It's hearting to see STONE BROS , a local outfit of genuine racers and allround nice guys , go so well and on a shoestring budget - compared to the "bigshot racing team ".

[vatuloa]

Stone bros improvement would still beat HRT with TWR the way they have improved this real issue is the BA is a great car while no one want to take on the new Holden they are saying that they haven't got enough spares. but the truth is it's not up to scratch.

[GTRMagic]

HRT does not have a budget per se... nor does Kmart or PWR...

[vortexo]

Originally posted by Hobo high
Good to see the HRT cash cow are now unable to buy another championship.It seems the LOSS of the OVERSEA'S TWR formula one back up, has hurt the team in engine and chassis development this year .It's hearting to see STONE BROS , a local outfit of genuine racers and allround nice guys , go so well and on a shoestring budget - compared to the "bigshot racing team ".

If it's true that the MHS engine is lunching itself all the time I think the problem would be getting reliable internal parts rather than a *shortage* of bits.
I doubt that money is the problem or that the F1 tie up could help(if it was still there).
We will never know how many have "blown" on the dyno. Might have to wait for the M Skaife biography to find out.

[GTRMagic]

Ah, but HRT are yet to run a HMS/Aurora in race conditions, or even in testing....

[Thunder1]

is there no info on these engines in the USA

Thunder1

[racer69]

How did HRT 'buy' their championships?

Everyone else had the same opportunities to get a budget like theirs together.

[GTRMagic]

Ah, not quite racer69... not too many teams have Holden Motorsport topping up the bank account when funds are required... the Clayton's budget its called (funny in more ways than one )

[Amaroo Park]

The thing is, and I probably going to get bagged for saying this, is do you think it is more that HRT are going so bad this year more than SBR improving out of sight. I mean last year SBR was deffinatly the best of the rest by a fair way with only HRT in front of them. Now HRT have had all these dramas this year and fallen behind.

But also what relevince does have having a F1 team and touring car team have to do with anything. I mean what technolgy is the same, and if that is the argument being used how cam FPR aren't up the front with there tie in with BAR

[GTRMagic]

I think its a combination of HRT doing worse than usual, for a zillion reasons, and SBR stepping up again, exactly as you describe colinbond.

SBR are doing a brilliant job in running their 2 cars competitively, and had one car at the front thru part of last year....

But HRT are not as good as they once were, they would be trying as hard if not harder, but lady luck has deserted them

It takes nothing away from either effort though

[TheMan]

HRT are bying there time. Unfortunately there time is going to come again whether we like it or not. But at this time lets enjoy SBR and Ambrose kicking ther A*** at the moment. Go FORDS

[ford boy]

SBR have improved out of sight this year CB.
Even if the TWR collapse did'nt happen, I believe SBR would still be giving it to HRT. SBR were not good at all the tracks last year, but this year they have shown speed and consistency at all the tracks this year !!!!!!!!!!!

[TheMan]

SBR were good at all tracks last year. HRT were better. I still find it hard to understand why you all keep referring to HRT as a collapse. They will be back the question is and hopefully answered but is FORD up to the new challenge that Holden are about to throw at them.

[ford boy]

oath mate

[Mattracer]

The AU was a bad, bad thing. It didn't handle properly on any circuit except Bathurst, it had an odd overall shape which hindered its stability/pitch/roll, because it was pushing it uphill almost all the time, several of them often got together in a mad panic in the midfield further hampering their chances, and most of the teams running them dropped wheel nuts in pit stops, badly misjudged their strategies and plainly lost the plot.

Now, does that answer the question on how HRT were first most of the time. I don't think "more money" is the answer every time, but it undoubtedly helps.

[Hunka]

HRT havent collapsed, someone has finally put some pressure on them. Skaife and the team have made some silly mistakes this year which i believe is a direct result of the pressure from SBR. In the past HRT+no pressure=no worries and as Mattracer pointed out with the AU Ford now have the weapon to challenge.

[TheMan]

Those who think that SBR would be losing if they had an AU need a wake up call. The AU wasn`t as bad as it seemed. The problem was we listened to the murmurs of the Larkams of this world try to explain his poor form. So the AU was the likely escape. The fact is The Stones have a great AU set up. We have seen Winterbottem in the Konica series this year qual in the top 10 of the main game in an AU. So tell me, was the car that bad or were FORD just not organised enough.

[Hunka]

Maybe both

[Mattracer]

Both really.

The AU had several incarnations that passed for front splitters, and revision to same stll exist now. That one of them was designed for the VT/X Commodore and adapted to fit in the name of parity made it all the more confusing for all concrned and then there were the Joe Sometimes spectators on the Hill who wondered if they were watching a race at all.

The problems were then hampered by mild panic in the pit lanes and collisions borne out of desperation and over-driving.

HRT were organised and Skaife drove accurately and as fast as he needed to.

[Hobo high]

Some good points about pressure from SBR , when you total up the pressure , MR CONTROL FREAK isn't fairing very well . Maybe if he ever once listened to BROCK or took his advice , he may have gone better this year .But since his mentor was crenan , i have no sympathey for em

[Lyris]

Hobo, I think you forgot to add the fact that Mr Control Freak has trouble remembering to breathe when in stressful (pressurised) situations. "Breathe Mark Breathe"

[Hobo high]

I did hear that ,Testing by HRT doctors has shown that Mr control freak has enough air passing through his nostrils to pressurise a nuclear submarine!

[Hrt_Gal#2]

Originally posted by Hobo high
I did hear that ,Testing by HRT doctors has shown that Mr control freak has enough air passing through his nostrils to pressurise a nuclear submarine!

rofl, i wouldnt be suprise if that happened

[Gunslinger]

Hobo high, that's a good one mate, na, it's a GREAT one!!

Mattracer, you're onto it regarding the front splitter problems. That's ALL there was wrong with the AU. Then this year the AU gets the parity adjustment (Konicas) it was seeking for the past two seasons in the level one comp. So why was it that the AU was not allowed this adjustment when it really needed it? How did it (AU) ever end up using a GM made product on it's front nose?

A big stuff-up on Ford's behalf. The AU would be the most unloved Falcon of all time? Just goes to show how important the series is regarding Holden/Ford sales. But was it really that bad?

During the last few seasons we all saw plenty of Ford teams taking eachother out, bad strats, and even worse, the bad strats were carried out pathetically in so many instances. Dropped wheel nuts etc etc (panic panic)

Ford do seem to lose the plot at times.

[Dazz]

It makes me laugh somewhat to hear all of these experts saying how washed up HRT and Skaife are, yet they are still right up there near the top of the championship. So if they are doing such a **** job what does that say about the other 25 odd cars in the championship that are still behind them?

I realise that some people just can't wait to stick the knife in at any given opportunity, but get real guys, seriously. We are having one of the closest and most toughly contested championships in a long time, so why drag it down to the mindless school yard bickering level.

If you look at this year objectively (which I know is impossible for some) there have been some reasons why Mark Skaife in particular isn't as close to the front as usual.

Forgetting that all of the TWR collapse happened and everything that has gone along with having to buy and sell teams to conform, look at some of the simple facts.

At Phillip Island Skaife was gone for all money, nobody was going to catch him, but he made a silly mistake coming into the pits which cost him a stop go and any real chance of a win, simple as that. It was very similar to what happened to Marcus at Queensland where he ran into Ellery in the pit lane when in reality there was really no need to rush as he was so far ahead.

At Eastern Creek a blown tyre put any chance of victory out the door, and that is just one of those things that when you are building a new car with different components sometimes you have teathing problems.

In Queensland Skaife had an engine let go, certainly not a driving error as such unless the engine copped a hell of a buzz we didn't know about, but once again just one of those things that can happen from time to time.

In Darwin Skaife and Ambrose were in a class of their own untill Skaife missed a gear, which was just a big enough mistake to let Ambrose through. Untill then Ambrose had no way to get past, just like Skaife could not repass Ambrose. So you really can't say that Ambrose was far better on the day can you?

Even at Oran Park where Ambrose was definitely the pace setter, Skaife had an early tyre stop which meant he was never going to challenge Ambrose, but he kept the car going to finish well up in the points and keep the championship chances alive.

Yes HRT are not having the dominant season that they have had, but these things don't last forever, and when you are at the top, there is only one way to go from there.

What cannot be argued is the absolutely stunning job that SRB have done with Marcus Ambrose this year. Thay have been far and away the class of the paddock this year and deserve all the success they are having right now.

Funny though isn't it how in most of the popular media, Ambrose still rates HRT and Skaife as his biggest threat and challenge, but then again I guess he wouldn't know as much as some of the guys on this forum about who is good and who isn't would he?