ALMS 2013 Discussion

[Gingers4Justice]

So LMPC cars will be winning overall?

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by gregtummer

I bet Level 5 would show up if they had a chance to win overall.

Heck maybe some more P2 cars would show up.

The team members have been furloughed, and Tucker said he doesn't want to race against all pro lineups.

So, once again, who's "they"? Conquest had their car taken back by Oreca, Dempsey's out a sponsor and engine, and L5 just said "nope". They're done.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

So LMPC cars will be winning overall?

If all the P1 cars break, yes. But the P1 field looks to be pretty strong this year (at least three teams), so a LMPC overall win seems rather unlikely.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

If all the P1 cars break, yes. But the P1 field looks to be pretty strong this year (at least three teams), so a LMPC overall win seems rather unlikely.

If Rebellion decides to stay for a full season, they'll dominate. Otherwise, who are these "strong" teams? Muscle Milk fell apart the last half of the season, just like they did in 2011 prior, and Dyson was just a joke.

[Maelochs]

Is it possible that the new business structure imposed on Chief Tucker’s online payday loan businesses no longer provide enough money to make the racing possible? Has anyone heard of anywhere he will race?

Maybe the Feds have found a way to make his business palatable to the regulators while not stopping it (as I recall, from now on the loan company can only recover the initial loan amount in case of default; before they would take a huge “interest payment” out of every paycheck but never enough to pay off the loan.)

So maybe the Feds aren’t so eager to bust the guy—but on the other hand, he isn’t raking in the big bucks any more (no more $500 loans netting $20k annual profit) so now racing is too expensive a hobby?

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

If all the P1 cars break, yes. But the P1 field looks to be pretty strong this year (at least three teams), so a LMPC overall win seems rather unlikely.

I completely forgot about P1!

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

If Rebellion decides to stay for a full season, they'll dominate. Otherwise, who are these "strong" teams? Muscle Milk fell apart the last half of the season, just like they did in 2011 prior, and Dyson was just a joke.

I hate to agree with the Grand Am guy, but it is true. Outside of GTE, this series has become disappointing at best.

How I wish the GT guys would form their own series, but it looks like we are going to shove them in with the NASCAR junk.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Is it possible that the new business structure imposed on Chief Tucker’s online payday loan businesses no longer provide enough money to make the racing possible? Has anyone heard of anywhere he will race?

Maybe the Feds have found a way to make his business palatable to the regulators while not stopping it (as I recall, from now on the loan company can only recover the initial loan amount in case of default; before they would take a huge “interest payment” out of every paycheck but never enough to pay off the loan.)

So maybe the Feds aren’t so eager to bust the guy—but on the other hand, he isn’t raking in the big bucks any more (no more $500 loans netting $20k annual profit) so now racing is too expensive a hobby?

Everybody on the team has allegedly been given their pink slips. The rest isn't relevant.

[alamedadavid]

Heck, all the big boys are leaving... Mazda pulled out too and leaving Dempsy high and dry, right?

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Everybody on the team has allegedly been given their pink slips. The rest isn't relevant.

And yet Stone said; "In terms of accepting a full-time program for another client, the deadline would be Feb. 28. We will need some time to be ready for Sebring. The upside is that if somebody came along and said the want to run our HPDs, we could flip that switch nearly overnight and be racing because we already have the equipment. I don't see that being a problem."

Also, " Scott is a serious competitor at the highest level. He immensely enjoys racing in ALMS and is very disappointed of how things have shaped up in the 2013 season. If there were two to three fully committed P2 teams, Scott and Level 5 would be front and center to defend his and its championship. As of now, he is assessing what he wants to do."






L.P.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Is it possible that the new business structure imposed on Chief Tucker’s online payday loan businesses no longer provide enough money to make the racing possible? Has anyone heard of anywhere he will race?

Maybe the Feds have found a way to make his business palatable to the regulators while not stopping it (as I recall, from now on the loan company can only recover the initial loan amount in case of default; before they would take a huge “interest payment” out of every paycheck but never enough to pay off the loan.)

So maybe the Feds aren’t so eager to bust the guy—but on the other hand, he isn’t raking in the big bucks any more (no more $500 loans netting $20k annual profit) so now racing is too expensive a hobby?

I'm not even sure it's anything that sinister. Tucker said he didn't want a repeat of 2011 where he was racing himself, and that he wouldn't run if there weren't any other teams. Conquest is belly up, Dempsey isn't going to answer the bell, so, this leaves level 5. He's just making good on what he said he was going to do. 2 out of 3 years LMP2 is a ghost town.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

I hate to agree with the Grand Am guy, but it is true. Outside of GTE, this series has become disappointing at best.

How I wish the GT guys would form their own series, but it looks like we are going to shove them in with the NASCAR junk.

Given that GA is already talking split races, you'll get the ~15 or so GTE cars with the 30-35 GAGT cars in their own race. They've pretty much achieved it.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

Given that GA is already talking split races, you'll get the ~15 or so GTE cars with the 30-35 GAGT cars in their own race. They've pretty much achieved it.

You're overestimating GA-GT car counts. Last year aside from the big three events, it ranged from 16 to 19 at U.S. races. And depending how things break with the number of entries next year, I could imagine P+GTE in one race and GA-GT/GX/GTC in another. This is particularly true if the P car count (of varying sorts) is a bit disappointing while the GA-GT/GX ranks grow.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Everybody has been let go already.

Not quite everybody:

With the core of the team still employed for 2013, Level 5 could still prepare and operate entries for gentlemen racers, ideally wanting to compete in P2.

I know they have had a big operation the past few years so I don't know what they consider core vs. expendable, but it sounds like they have enough staff on hand to run cars.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

If Rebellion decides to stay for a full season, they'll dominate. Otherwise, who are these "strong" teams? Muscle Milk fell apart the last half of the season, just like they did in 2011 prior, and Dyson was just a joke.

Greg Pickett is quite competitive, so I expect Muscle Milk to rise to the occasion. And a lot of Dyson's issue were because of the Dunlops they were on last year — put them on Michelins and I suspect they'll be much better.

[Fogelhund]

There is more to the story than the article states, or I've stated. Stay tuned.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Greg Pickett is quite competitive, so I expect Muscle Milk to rise to the occasion. And a lot of Dyson's issue were because of the Dunlops they were on last year — put them on Michelins and I suspect they'll be much better.

Muscle Milk is competitive in that they are fast. They can't help but make mistakes though. With the speed they have, Dyson should never have been in any of the races, yet Muscle Milk managed to screw something up nearly every race, resulting in them staging some thrilling come backs. Dyson's tires weren't very good true, but still, and this is a Pro-Am effort, as decent an AM as Chris Dyson is.

[Coach Ep]

Tucker could be starting his own racing series:

In addition to the pair of HPDs, the team also owns two Lola B11/80 coupes and a Lola B11/40 spyder

And then there is at least one Porsche GT3 cup car and one IMSA Lites West car (did he use this same car at the SCCA Run Offs?). Makes 7 in total. I´m sure he has a couple more in his garages.

Looking forward to the schedule announcement!

Seriously though, it sounds like Scott is not done driving his P2 car. And with the team confirming their auto entry for Le Mans, we could see a program centered around it (and going up against enough competition in P2):

Sebring ALMS
Silverstone WEC
Spa WEC
Le Mans WEC
CotA WEC
Petit ALMS

wouldn´t be that far out.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

You're overestimating GA-GT car counts. Last year aside from the big three events, it ranged from 16 to 19 at U.S. races. And depending how things break with the number of entries next year, I could imagine P+GTE in one race and GA-GT/GX/GTC in another. This is particularly true if the P car count (of varying sorts) is a bit disappointing while the GA-GT/GX ranks grow.

15+19 is still 34 cars.

Just make it IMSA GT and be done with it.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Everybody on the team has allegedly been given their pink slips. The rest isn't relevant.

Whats a pink slip all about ? Is L5 in trouble then ?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Whats a pink slip all about ? Is L5 in trouble then ?

Pink slip is an American term meaning people were released from their jobs. Well, Tucker continues to have legal issues.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Seriously though, it sounds like Scott is not done driving his P2 car. And with the team confirming their auto entry for Le Mans, we could see a program centered around it (and going up against enough competition in P2):

In light of what's just been announced when did Tucker confirm his entry for Le Mans. I'd say it's in direct jeopardy?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by joeb

Not quite everybody:



I know they have had a big operation the past few years so I don't know what they consider core vs. expendable, but it sounds like they have enough staff on hand to run cars.

Jeff Braun tweeted yesterday asking if anyone needs a race engineer. So it sounds like he is one of the casualties.

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Simmi

In light of what's just been announced when did Tucker confirm his entry for Le Mans. I'd say it's in direct jeopardy?

From http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...s-david-stone/

Q: What is the status of the team’s automatic invite for the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

STONE: We confirmed our entry this evening with the ACO and are planning to race at Le Mans with the HPD. Scott Tucker is the nominated driver for the entry. We will be making further announcements, including the complete driver lineup, at a later date.

Posted January 14, 2013

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

From http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...s-david-stone/

Ahh sorry Coach Ep. That bit got added in right after the original version of the story went out?

Nice to see LM24 is still on the agenda.