What will Panoz do?

[pink69]

What can Panoz do to their car for 2002? They changed car this season and went down the order, went back to the old car and became title challengers. If they change the car again, they could fall off the pace, but the current car is getting outdated, what can they do?

[Heeltoe6]

good question, and one i don't have an answer to. if i were panoz, i'd keep plugging along wiht the old car, i don't think the new one can be salved, and desigined yet naother all new car, so late, is risky

[Truckosaurus]

Today's Autosport magazine has a story about Roock Racing being in negotiations with Panoz with a view to running the LMP07 'Alien' cars in the 675 class.

I think the future of the LMP01 (?) 'roadster' will be as a good privateer car, the technology is good and reliable and the cars have the character to get fans and sponsors interested.

[Liz]

I don't know who Roock Racing are but obviously they are nutz.

Mr. Panoz (or Dr. Panoz as he now prefers to be called) said at a press conf. at Road Atlanta that they were going to run the 01 car with modifications until they had to produce a new car in 2003 - rules changes will make it necessary to change then. But in the meanwhile if it ain't broke ...

[FastJoel31]

Originally posted by Liz
I don't know who Roock Racing are but obviously they are nutz.

Roock always ran silver Porsches. I've only seen them in action once at the Glen in 2000 during the six hours. Earlier in the year they teamed up with Knighthawk to race the 675.

The panoz idea would be pretty cool though...

[FastJoel31]

oops double post

[Aysedasi]

Roock aren't entirely without pedigree (at Le Mans, anyway). They won what used to be the GT2 class in a 911 about 5 (?) years ago (I can't be bothered to get me books out to check!). Claudia Hurtgen has driven for them for some years. The link between Roock and Panoz, however, is a little surprising - I think Don is effectively dumping the LMP07s in the "bargain bin". Its a bit of a shame as I had thought the change of engine was probably as much to blame for their lack of success this year as the chassis. Whatever, I trust we won't lose Panoz from the scene, Don's cars have brought some much needed interest and variety since 1997.

[Liz]

While they were certainly underpowered, if you read my David Brabham interview you will see the shopping list of things he mentioned that were wrong with the car; he said it had so many problems that there was no way to fix them all. I suspect you're right and Don is simply selling them to anybody who wants to buy them, just to get them off his hands.

[Aysedasi]

Perhaps Joest ought to have a go with them?!

[Dr. Austin]

A little birdie who lives close to the Panoz shops says that he saw something that looked like a Panoz, but with a roof!!! Whatever Don does, I hope his guys can give him (and us) the LeMans win that our country deserves. Hopefully, Don will run the cars in US colors, white with blue stripes, just like the cunninghams.

[Liz]

Nobody wants to do that more than they do. When you see what they got out of that boat anchor they were driving this year, it really makes me for one believe that in a properly designed and sufficiently powered car you are not going to stop them!

Unless Mags continues to believe that he can drive THROUGH the GT cars and David continues his optimism about how much space there is to pass them ...