Denyer's Dummy Spit??

[GtiMagic]

I wanted to talk about Grant Denyer's outburst in this weeks Auto Action..

I can't believe someone that has enjoyed support from Ford as he has would publicly "dump" his frustration at the Ford DVS Team.

Take away his celebratory status for a moment and critique him as you would any other driver. Not the guy with the bet smile, or the highest profile, but purely as a driver..

When I do that, I cant for a moment comprehend where he justifies in his mind saying things like,

"I probably joined them a year early" - Grant, you're, IMO, at least another year away (if at all)from being a genuine podium contender in the DVS, so learning together might be a better approach.

Or this one,

"...without there being some sort of fundemental mechanical problem...or just a lack of ability to perhaps get the car to where it need to be" Grant, did you think for a moment that the lack of ability is in you?

"I've seen plenty of teams operate and I think FRSR have fallen short of the mark this year" is another that I don't understand. How many teams has Grant driven for? oh, thats right, he raced the DJR weapon and did no good in that either. To me a good driver helps build the team around them..think Schumacher, think Bright, think Tander..

And he finishes with, "You just can't run a car in the DVS these days without full Level-one support. Mine is an SBR car without SBR support." Well Grant , I assume he means actually having the level-one team running the car for the driver, al la Webb and Caruso, but Matthew White seemed reasonably pacy on the weekend without such support. And didnt the guy that won 2 from 2 do it from a non Lvl 1 workshop?

Go back to the previous round and we had O.Kelly and D.White taking first and second and I dont think they're Level one cars. So I think the argument that you "can't run without FULL level one support" is a bit dramatic.

The car Grant is driving has brilliant pedigree and was in fact the race winner at Round 1 this year with the same team that now runs it, so i feel compelled to say that Grant is way out of line with his comments this time.

When he actually goes away and wins something, other than the hearts of the adoring desperate housewife i might listen to his criticism of a race team. Until then, drive faster Grant nd stop whinging!

[GTRMagic]

Of interest, the quotes that AA is using appear to have come from an on-track television interview with Mr Denyer... so they arent even unique to that publication!

I can see where Mr Denyer is coming from, bringing a similar amount of funding (from a collection of sponsors, including Summit Fleet Leasing, Just Cuts, Geist.. and not to mention the #7 camera...) to Mr Caruso, yet Mr Caruso gets a Ford works-prepared car, with the same updates as the main series cars (including engine) while Mr Denyer runs in a 2004-spec chassis, and a preparation crew that (without running them down), are not of a standard of FPR engineers & mechanics.

What Mr Denyer has said about the car preparation appears to be true.. having been at each of the meetings where he has run, the #77 car seems to always be requiring some fundamental preparation issues to be overcome... while the #777 car appears much more reliable.

That the SBR package went well in Adelaide is not in question... when it was the team's primary focus...

[Pro Racer]

Grant is right and i agree with him, although maybe he could of chose his words better as not to come accross arrogant and running the team down.

[GreaseMonkey99]

If Denyer ever went full time I think he'd surprise a few people.

[v8babe]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Of interest, the quotes that AA is using appear to have come from an on-track television interview with Mr Denyer... so they arent even unique to that publication!...

Better ask the guy who wrote that story because I believe he spoke with Mr Denyer late Sunday with recorder in hand to get those comments...

the #77 car seems to always be requiring some fundamental preparation issues to be overcome... while the #777 car appears much more reliable.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the "current" #77 used to be the old #777 which was a front runner last year, won Clipsal this year and was competitive at the wheel of Mr Caruso until he got the FPR-spec chassis. Why then can't Mr Denyer match the performance of that "old" #777 car's times which I think has been run by the same mechanics for the past two years???

[Also a Believer]

You forgot the Prodigy team that have had consistent top 10 finishes this year, no factory support their. Maybe we should send Grant their phone number also.

[v8babe]

Still six weeks until Phillip Island, might be worth a call...

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by v8babe

Better ask the guy who wrote that story because I believe he spoke with Mr Denyer late Sunday with recorder in hand to get those comments...

The words used were absolutely identical to the on-track television broadcast from Mr Denyer. Perhaps the journalist put his digital recorder up against the PA system??

Originally Posted by v8babe

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the "current" #77 used to be the old #777 which was a front runner last year, won Clipsal this year and was competitive at the wheel of Mr Caruso until he got the FPR-spec chassis. Why then can't Mr Denyer match the performance of that "old" #777 car's times which I think has been run by the same mechanics for the past two years???

You obviously didnt read what I have written... the second car, whether as the ex-LMS chassis or as the ex-SBR chassis, has not matched the performance of the main car... in speed or reliability.

I would be concerned too... had I thrown a mid 6 figure number down the team's throat for preparation services, and was suffering with reliability issues...

It is a long bow to draw to suggest that Mr Denyer hasnt made the most of his opportunities... given that he shared the WPS #10 with his FRSR copilot, and set a faster race lap than Mr Caruso did in the main series race.... doesnt explain the 2 second gulf between their development series times.

[v8babe]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

It is a long bow to draw to suggest that Mr Denyer hasnt made the most of his opportunities given that he shared the WPS #10 with his FRSR copilot, and set a faster race lap than Mr Caruso did in the main series race.... doesnt explain the 2 second gulf between their development series times.

Might want to check natsoft...

Bathurst 1000 - WPS #10
Lap 64 - Caruso 2:10.9138
Lap 141 - Denyer 2:11.1589

[Silver 3]

Originally Posted by GreaseMonkey99

If Denyer ever went full time I think he'd surprise a few people.

At what?

[Just Do It!]

Originally Posted by GreaseMonkey99

If Denyer ever went full time I think he'd surprise a few people.

I think you are right. Grant needs to cut away from some of his other commitments to do that though, and he is seemingly running out of time.

Perhaps the fact that Michael Caruso is COMMITTED to running the full championship sees him secure a level of preference from the FRSR team, rather than a driver who bounces in and out of the car as other duties allow.

Imagine this: How would the FRSR team feel if Caruso had finished this season 2nd in the championship in Denyer's equipe?

By that, I don't mean elated, before the smart comments roll in

[Just Do It!]

Originally Posted by Also a Believer

You forgot the Prodigy team that have had consistent top 10 finishes this year, no factory support their. Maybe we should send Grant their phone number also.

Word on the street is that having Mr Wheeler aboard a team is as good as having factory support. And I would have thought that they almost have support from 2 factory teams....

[fomoco]

So little poor boy gets the poos. Oh dear, will dady bail him out?


Memo to Grant. Quit weather or quit racing.
More time in either seat will gather experience.

or you could just up the cost for the utes

Just another spoilt brat , who doesn't want to do the hard yards.

but this is typical of the current generation, me,me,me,me.

Oh how the past drivers would love half of what he gets.

and tommorows, weather , we will have crocodile tears!!!

[ericthehalibut]

I'm still surprised that he can reach the pedals!

[Wood-duck]

Carroll Smith once said "Never burn the hand that feeds you".

[Used Car]

Lets pick on old Denyer shall we. Im sure its his fault he is 5' tall. Im sure its his fault that he has sponsors who are new to motor racing becuase of him, that want to go play but the teams he picks dont take him seriously.

The bloke improves the profile of the sport. Which is more than some of these money scabbing development teams do.

[db120176]

It's in Ford's interest to keep him happy. While I find his driving ability average (perhaps a little generous), a motor-racing DWTS winning weatherman has incredible amounts of PR. A happy Denyer would move more Fords to the man on the street as Craig Lowndes, if not more

[Used Car]

So why doesnt Ford get off its lazy rear and get him a real gig?

[bestfit]

Because while ever he remains a TV personality he will not have the time to do a full gig.

[Aarrgh8]

..and I say "Never run up pitlane in a mankini if you want to be taken seriously."

[ford71]

After his comments halfway thru Bathurst telecast I doubt Craig Gore will have him back in a WPS car.
Stupid comments about why he need to move over coz its the Top10 runners that count, not himself or his team --- something along those lines anyway.
I thought he really should shut the hell up now before he digs himself any deeper.

Denyer wouldn't convince anyone I know to go out and support/buy Ford.
I could see some jumping over to the redside though - bloody irritating man IMO....Too many fake smiles, bad jokes, and pretending everyone in pitlane is an old friend..... Go away.

[Wood-duck]

Originally Posted by ford71

Too many fake smiles, bad jokes, and pretending everyone in pitlane is an old friend..... Go away.

And pinching Dick Johnson's jokes from 1983....

[ford71]

Originally Posted by Wood-duck

And pinching Dick Johnson's jokes from 1983....

Then executing them poorly

[pete55]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Of interest, the quotes that AA is using appear to have come from an on-track television interview with Mr Denyer... so they arent even unique to that publication!

I can see where Mr Denyer is coming from, bringing a similar amount of funding (from a collection of sponsors, including Summit Fleet Leasing, Just Cuts, Geist.. and not to mention the #7 camera...) to Mr Caruso, yet Mr Caruso gets a Ford works-prepared car, with the same updates as the main series cars (including engine) while Mr Denyer runs in a 2004-spec chassis, and a preparation crew that (without running them down), are not of a standard of FPR engineers & mechanics.

What Mr Denyer has said about the car preparation appears to be true.. having been at each of the meetings where he has run, the #77 car seems to always be requiring some fundamental preparation issues to be overcome... while the #777 car appears much more reliable.

That the SBR package went well in Adelaide is not in question... when it was the team's primary focus...

Mybe if Grant was doing it full time he would have gotten the new car.

[Desp.Housewife]

I know joining and immediately ranting won't endear me to the older members, but this topic made me decide to join and discuss my view.


I happen to be one of the "desperate housewives" Gti Magic refers to in the opening post who had been become a fan of the ever present Denyer, and I too think his attitude needs adjusting.

Quite simply - he has lost me as a fan, and unless Ford come out in defence of the Ford Rising Stars team, then quite possibly they will lose me to the red side - both on and off track!

And my potential swap from Blue to Red comes not only from his published comments in AA, nor from having heard the same on the track PA, nor just because of his comments in interview as pointed out by ford71, but from something I heard as good as face to face. I was in an autograph line at Bathurst and I heard the following conversation...

Driver to Denyers right, "So, how is your WPS car?"

Denyer, He showed a thumbs down and commented on how bad it was.

Driver, "And your FRSR car?"

Denyer, He showed a double thumbs down and commented how it was worse.

Driver, "No...It can't be THAT bad?"

Denyer, Turned to his co-pilot Caruso, who agreed that yes, the WPS car was THAT bad.

And on it went, in full view and earshot of many fans including me. It amazed me that a driver, particularly someone of Denyer's profile, would openly discredit not one, but both cars he was fortunate enough to be racing at Bathurst.

I, at that moment, decided he didn't deserve my fanaticism so I skipped him and went to the next driver.

Act quick Ford, because I dont think i'm alone in becoming tired of the public moaning and groaning of what I now recognise as an overrated, albeit highprofile person.