Silly Season part 2!!!!

[GTRMagic]

What other option is out there? Do Toyota love Mr Ambrose enough to parachute him into a JGR seat?

Dare I say it.. maybe he should replace DE Jr..

[Juarez Jed]

I can understand Marcos wanting to look elsewhere considering the year he is having as a 2nd-tier MWR driver but I wonder why JTGD were happy to see him go when he had a year left on his contract ?
Marcos seemed popular with the sponsors and always gets plenty of media exposure in the States. I guess Bobby Labonte would have more of an idea on setting a car up for ovals, maybe the team and Marcos are just not getting anywhere and have run out of ideas? I was surprised to read on one US site that the team was upset with the amount of crash damage they have had this year and that Labonte would be a much cheaper driver to run in this respect. I had only ever seen Marcos as clean and conservative on the ovals, occasionally making an error or running into someone else's accident on the big speedways.
I would love to see Marcos back in a Ford and I will be very interested to see how the JTGD Camry performs with an old stager behind the wheel next year. I don't expect any improvement personally, but we will see.

[GTRMagic]

If the driver has to overdrive the car because it isnt going well, and it crashes, whose fault is it, the team or the driver?

Mr Gordon said in his drive of the JTGD/MWR Camry that the driver made the car fast, not that the car was fast in its own right...

A Ford move would be good, but is RPR the place to play? Is Mr Gillett over his reported financial woes??

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

What other option is out there? Do Toyota love Mr Ambrose enough to parachute him into a JGR seat?

Dare I say it.. maybe he should replace DE Jr..

JGR would be crazy to drop any of its current drivers, and it will be a cold day in hell before Jnr got his marching orders.

With anyluck RPM will nab a sponcer soon and we will be looking at a RPM/Ford/Ambrose press release.

[Juarez Jed]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

If the driver has to overdrive the car because it isnt going well, and it crashes, whose fault is it, the team or the driver?

Mr Gordon said in his drive of the JTGD/MWR Camry that the driver made the car fast, not that the car was fast in its own right...

A Ford move would be good, but is RPR the place to play? Is Mr Gillett over his reported financial woes??

I'm sure Marcos would find it a pleasure to drive a different chassis with a more powerful engine.
Overdriving the Camry has probably made a better driver of him ...

[FPV8U]

I remember the Ex-Mclaren MWR Engineer saying Marcos' feedback was second to few in regards to quality information.

He can work on getting the Chassis to handle but he can't make HP, thats where the differene will be if the RPM deal comes through.

[GTRMagic]

Giving feedback to a team is only good if the team can interpret the driver's thoughts, feelings and suggestions, repackage it within the confines of the car setup knowledge, and make the thing go better round the track.

Had Mr Ambrose started alongside a seasoned campaigner like Mr Martin, and that level of interpretation was in place, Mr Martin may have been able to speed up the travel along the learning curve to say black is black and white is white, rather than having to all learn together.... it happened positively in this way when Mr Martin drove a sister car to Mr Ambrose's in Nationwide didnt it?

MWR uses 'standard' TRD engines doesnt it? While JGR develop/prepare their own from a TRD baseline...

Back in the BTCC days, Andy Rouse slotted a 4 cylinder Toyota engine into a formerly V6 powered Mondeo to try and sort out the chassis...

Perhaps MWR would have learned something by slotting in a better engine (cue Chev or Ford or Dodge) and seeing if they were headed in a good direction chassis wise.. and banging the TRD table, asking for better powerplants if the results pointed in that direction.

Does anyone seriously think that Mr Labonte is going to do a better job in this car? From all accounts, he is in the twilight of his career, with significant experience and skill, but not the outright pace. The telling factor for me is that nobody has picked this driver up for a full time drive for some time.. even if he can use his "former champion" privilege of always making the start of a race...

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by Juarez Jed

I guess Bobby Labonte would have more of an idea on setting a car up for ovals, maybe the team and Marcos are just not getting anywhere and have run out of ideas?

he seemed to go well against Bill Elliot in similarly funded machines in his part time cup year

Originally Posted by Juarez Jed

I was surprised to read on one US site that the team was upset with the amount of crash damage they have had this year and that Labonte would be a much cheaper driver to run in this respect. I had only ever seen Marcos as clean and conservative on the ovals, occasionally making an error or running into someone else's accident on the big speedways.

he has scraped the wall a few times in quali/happy hour, as well as in the race, which have been a nuisance more than anything, but does take away from track time

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Giving feedback to a team is only good if the team can interpret the driver's thoughts, feelings and suggestions, repackage it within the confines of the car setup knowledge, and make the thing go better round the track.

I would have thought that to be their job, not his really.

If this RPM deal come through and his CC can't give him what he needs then that shouldn't be on his shoulders.

[GTRMagic]

There is no 'i' in team.. but there is in win!

More seriously, Mr Earnhardt Jr has had a change in crew chief in the past, to try to improve performance, it has you wondering why Mr Kerr retained his position if he is one of the guys who may or may not be impeding actualising their potential?

[Axeman444]

So it appears Mr Ambrose won't be driving #43 next season, with the 'Dinger allegedly resigning on a multi year deal... given the talk that the exodus might cause the team to go under, or at least not be attractive to new team members, including Ambrose, maybe this will spur the signing to run Ambrose in #9 or #19?

[GTRMagic]

What other options are there?

Mr Hornish is allegedly under pressure at Penske.. but its in a Dodge, and in a team without a championship record like their IndyCar efforts...

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

What other options are there?

Mr Hornish is allegedly under pressure at Penske.. but its in a Dodge, and in a team without a championship record like their IndyCar efforts...

apart from Hendrick, who does over the last 10 years? Kurt Busch certainly has had a good run getting into the chase recently

[GTRMagic]

In comparison to the IndyCar team, the Penske NASCAR operation looks much less competitive & successful. With more events, you might have thought that the trophy cabinet would be overflowing...

[Juarez Jed]

Except there is more than one team to beat in Nascar

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by Juarez Jed

Except there is more than one team to beat in Nascar

thoughts exactly!

[gomick]

Yes...

Any Ambrose rumours? Maybe a win at WG could lead to some Petty news? Maybe the wife wants to come home

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by gomick

Yes...

Any Ambrose rumours? Maybe a win at WG could lead to some Petty news? Maybe the wife wants to come home

If that be the case aslong as he keeps racing when he gets home then thats the way it goes, he has been allowed to live a dream the last 5 years don't forget.

[GTRMagic]

Allmendinger re-signs for RPM Ford

[gomick]

What?

[N.A-D.R]

Interviewed before the race Ambrose had a cheeky smerk when he was talking about his 2011 plans, which gave me the impression he is all set for 2011 just not announced. I really hope it's at RPM either the 9 or 19.

[GTRMagic]

NBC dont think so...

[MJ_N_09]

Isnt NBC/TNT the people who are absurdly rude to the non-regulars, Hence the appalling announcer performances at Infinion?

[MJ_N_09]

A bunch of news. The first one is no surprise, the 2nd was kinda gonna happen, but the other two, never saw them coming.

-Front Row has finally had enough of Conway's pathetic performance and may be on the way out, but keeping the Sponsorship.

"Conway's job in danger? Kevin Conway's days might be numbered at Front Row Motorsports. It sounds like the team has grown tired of Conway's poor performance, and this group will struggle mightily to make races if the #34 falls out of the top 35 in owners points. They are currently 35th in the standings, only 182 points ahead of 36th. A few more bad finishes, and Conway will be on the outside looking in. To this point in the season, Conway has had a guaranteed starting position in every race, due to some fancy number wrangling by owner Bob Jenkins. With one team already outside the top 35 however, thanks to the tire debacle at Pocono earlier in the year, Jenkins can't afford to have another team fall out. Word is that Extenze would continue sponsoring the team, but another yet-to-be-named driver would be brought in.(NASCAR Insiders)(8-9-2010)"

-Wow, looks like BAM and Warner were scams.

"RGM and BAM split: Hearing that the deal with Robby Gordon Motorsports and Beth Ann Morganthau / BAM Racing is no longer in place, and that RGM is in the process of taking legal action against BAM and former sponsor Warner Bros for lack of payment and breach of contract.(8-9-2010)"

-Now for the surprises: Kahne to Red Bull for 2011? Mears becomes the new driver for Germain's #13 and will run next year for the team as well.

"Kahne to Red Bull in 2011? Red Bull Racing has emerged as the likely place for Kasey Kahne in the 2011 Sprint Cup season, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. Under a proposed arrangement, Kahne would drive one of Red Bull Racing's Toyota's next season as he waits to take over Hendrick's #5 Chevy in 2012, sources close to the situation confirmed Sunday. Mark Martin, as he has maintained since news of Kahne's signing by Hendrick became public in April, would drive the #5 next season, his last with Hendrick. Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing's general manager, would neither confirm nor deny his organization has been in discussions with Hendrick Motorsports to have Kahne drive a Red Bull car next season. Sources maintained that the deal to put Kahne at Red Bill has not been completed, but insisted that it is the most viable option for the 30-year-old driver from Enumclaw, Wash. An HMS spokesman declined to comment on the Kahne-to-Red Bill scenario after Sunday's race. Kahne's agent did not respond to a request for comment.(Charlotte Observer)(8-9-2010)"

"Mears replacing Papis? UPDATE: As for Casey Mears, a source close to his situation said that he likely will replace Max Papis in the Germain Racing #13 car no later than the Atlanta race at the end of the month. He will drive for the team, which has a half-season sponsorship from GEICO, in 2011 as well. The team, which has gone to every race this year but not run the full event at venues where it is unsponsored, needs sponsorship for 18 races in 2011.(Scene Daily)(8-9-2010)
UPDATE: Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has confirmed that Casey Mears will replace Max Papis in the #13 Germain Racing GEICO Sprint Cup Series Toyota, beginning at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a source close to the team said the deal will be completed and contracts signed within the next 48 hours. The car will "start and park" at both Michigan and Bristol with drivers TBA, before Mears takes over at Atlanta. He will also drive the car in the full 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. Papis, meanwhile, will run the full NASCAR Camping World Truck Series slate next season in a GEICO-sponsored Toyota, also out of the Germain Racing stable.(Sirius Speedway)(8-9-2010)"

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

Kahne to Red Bull for 2011?

so is Speed out, or is Vicker's illness not getting better?