Not Happy Jamie... a message of love from GRM

[webberisgod]

Bathurst 2003 is a memory and a disappointment that I shall remember for a long time.


To win any V8 Supercar race today is difficult as our business as you are well aware is extremely competitive.


The 34 car was clearly quick enough to win. Whilst being driven by Garth Tander, it set a new lap record around Bathurst with a lap time of 2.08.6726 on lap 90. This was achieved after the GRM team had carried out some makeshift repairs to get the car back on the track after Jamie Whincup hit the wall on lap 64.


To see the Bathurst 1000 sail out the window caused by driver error is a huge belt in the belly for all the team and their supporters.


For the past two years, I have been investing substantial amounts of money in people, equipment and, very importantly, today's and tomorrow's technology so as to produce cars for the GRM team to race and be competitive against the best.


We got started on the Project Blueprint cars in 2002 in order to be at the front of the pack early on. This season we have had substantial setbacks and mechanical problems and have increased our significant investment. We have continued to test and develop and have shown quite good car speed even with our first Project Blueprint car.


Our second car, completed and tested six weeks ago, left no doubt that we have really produced the goods.


It came as no surprise to the team and myself from the moment that we rolled the 34 car on to the track at Bathurst, it was in the top handful of cars on the timesheets.


On Saturday in the Shootout with Garth at the wheel, he produced a conservative lap bearing in mind the race was on the following day and yet still positioned the car on the second row of the grid.


I'm totally responsible for the driver pairings and I made a decision that I thought gave us the best opportunity for an outright win.


I consider that I researched all the necessary information; previous lap times from all circuits (not just Bathurst), drivers race history including crashes and DNF's (Did Not Finish) and whilst history will show I was wrong, I believe that at the time it was the correct decision.


Thank you for your continued support and encouragement."

[webberisgod]

somehow he also forgets that the pad change took a little longer than anticipated.....

[RaceTime]

Errr not really - their pit stops - in terms of lap time including pit stop - took 3 min 7 sec, and 3 min 10 secs on 2 occasions - none of these under safety car.

They did, however, lose 51 min 38 secs in 2 consecutive pit stops which stuffed their overall time.

But - apart from SEVEN laps where their lap times were in the range 2 min 11 to 2 min 15, virtually ALL of their lap times under green racing conditions were 2 min 10 to 2 min 11 - that is NOTHING to be sneezed at.

So what the author is trying to blame on Whincup seems beyond me - the car, when racing, was as competitive with either driver.

BTW - compare his pit stop times with the Murphy car - 3 min 08, 3 min 09 and 3 min 01 - 8 seconds slower but still NOT bad stops. I've seen much worse...(Thexton 4L04 and 4L08 for instance...)

[GTRMagic]

So how would Nathan Pretty be feeling right, shafted from the main car into the shytter? Doesnt do a lot for the boy's confidence huh.... and that 24hr thing coming up, who else is for the bump back to the 2nd car

[Average Punter]

GTR, you have stated previously that young Mr Whincup was not a happy camper @ The House of Rogers. With this type of tripe coming from within the team, is it any wonder???

[jetsetter]

I can see why Whincup would be unhappy in that enviroment, the team doesn't appear to be giving him any support at all.

[Roy Slaven]

Rogers has know idea about people managment. Leave now Jamie and tell the goose to stick his drive up his arse

[GTRMagic]

Where would Jamie go tho Roy... I suspect that GR will be the one showing Jamie the door rather than Jamie going of his own accord... and it seems Nathan Pretty isnt popular (nerfed to the 2nd car...)

Simonsen didnt seem to do too much wrong at the weekend, and signed anything put in front of him with a smile....

[webberisgod]

It was hardly Prettys fault that the 2nd car got bent, and hes made a good account of himself in the Monaro in NC. i think GR was mad not to put him in the main car! Pretty along with Ritter and Wakefield must be amoung the 3 best drivers without a V8 team thats willing to pick them up for a full time drive.

[GTRMagic]

There is a school of thought that Pretty isnt going as well in the Monaros as could be expected... Brock is not that far off his pace at most rounds!

The #34 car had Tander/Pretty up until Friday, when GR obviously decided to go experimenting.... maybe they should have put Simonsen in with GT?

[webberisgod]

As much as Brock is getting on these days and obviouslty loosing his edge, i dont think he would be that bad a driver.

I think where Brock would be loosing out mostly would be in the set up stakes, understanding the telemetry which is used these days. Thats not to take away from his obviou talent, hes jsut a driver from a different time and place when things where more on the driver and less on engineer.

Prety did ok in the Safari Rally, but the last day stack was a tad of a disapointment. previously he did well in the youg lions cars, and his name wouldnt keep popping up unless he had some talent.

[GTRMagic]

Brock doesnt use the telemetry on the Monaro... nor does JR when running the HRT cars... all done by feel...

Funnily with the Monaro though, PB says they should make change X, and Pretty copies it, and it is invariably quicker....

[Roy Slaven]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
Where would Jamie go tho Roy... I suspect that GR will be the one showing Jamie the door rather than Jamie going of his own accord...

Well maybe he could go and drive for the Brock kiddie

[racer69]

With the Monaro program being factory-backed, is it any suprise that the privately funded Touring Car program focuses mainly on just the #34 car?

[Sol]

I am continually suprised how team owners employ a 'cheap' young talent hope they are the next 'big thing' and when they crash or aren't quiet fast enough within a season bucket them mercilessly. Canto, Dumbrell and Whincup are all in this category.

With bugger all V8 experience, Whincup was always going to struggle, that should have been obvious to Garry Rogers. But the opportunity to save a couple of hundred grand was to hard to refuse.

At the same time drivers like Jim Richards and Tony Longhurst sit on the V8 sidelines and are able to run 9s and 10s all day at Bathurst without a scratch on the car.

But then they cost a little more than Whincup.

[Bob]

What Gary seems to forget is that from memory Garth crashed into the side of Larry Perkins at the same corner putting the car out of the race back in 1998. That was jamie's second go at bathurst, but Garth was no angel in his first year, so they can't be too hard on the young guy.

[Glennc]

What's happening here ...?

I posted this exact same artical from the GRM web site on friday and after 10min it was removed from the forum ... Can someone please tell me why?

[Wizzby]

I think Gary's still living back in the year 2000...

Surely he would have known the risks of signing a new driver before he even looked at taking on Jamie Whincup. Apart from that a race team, IMHO should be nurturing new talent, not throwing him in the deep end with no floaties.

Agree with you Rampaging Roy, Roger's has absolutely no people skills. Be best to jump ship rather than be chucked overboard. Larry's still thinking about getting a third car...

[GTRMagic]

I thought it was funny when they were packing up the HMS transporter with the 1990 Bathurst winner and assorted other race cars of note...

The boys filling the truck had seen fit to decide it was beer o'clock so work had virtually stopped... GR wanders across, begins his machine gun burst questions, answers, hurry alongs... muttering so the world could hear "If you want something done right you have to do it yourself" and raising his own bloodpressure a few notches...

I have heard similar mini explosions in different situations inside the team itself....

Doesnt sound like a happy place to me.

I still think the clever solution is to have two proper drivers in the main series, and run a Konica program (just like SBR, SER, Briggs, HYL) and drag talent thru there alongside the main series team... not a satellite operation which is where the past 3 champs (before 2003) have come from