The rumors and facts of WPS

Archer · 7 Jan 2004, 14:17 (Ref:830538)

Where to begin on this one, oh boy!

Okay a financial planning company wants to go V8 racing. They have sponsored Charlie O'Briens GT3 for a short period before sponsoring the Noske's Falcon for the remaining few V8 rounds of '03. Right so far? There was then a rumored deal that the Noske's had secured this sponsor for '04 and had given them enough money to run a 2-car team, I think. Then it went sour, the Noske's plans as I understand them are business as usuall leasing the 2nd half of the level 1 LRT/GMR licence for a 1 car, currently insponsored TNR entry with Mark Noske at the wheel. This is where things get confussing.

WPS still want to go V8 racing, but not with the Noske's! No, insted they pick Charlie O'Brien to drive in a new team with the ex-PWR L2 licence!?

People in the know out there, answer me this...
Who will own and run this team?
Is this deal for real?
Is this a joke?

Archer · 7 Jan 2004, 14:19 (Ref:830541)

Oh yeah, and what the hell has this "Gore" fella got to do with all of this? I've seen his name linked with subjects to do this LRT/GMR, TNR and WPS...!?

Phase3 · 7 Jan 2004, 20:42 (Ref:830891)

its not Libby Gore AKA Elle McFeast?????

**GTRMagic** · 7 Jan 2004, 21:33 (Ref:830932)

Mr Gore owns WPS. Craig Gore to be precise. One of the partners in the Atkinson Gore property development company. One of the many business ventures undertaken by the operators was the sale of tea tree plantations designed for accelerating tax deductability around June each year

Mr Gore, or at least one of his companies, has purchased an option, and ultimately scheduled to take delivery, of both 00 BA Falcons from 2004.

The original discussions revolved around LRT & TNR forming a 2 car team, running both Falcons, in the VCS in WPS colours.

It seems Mr Gore didnt get the deal done with LRT for whatever reason, nor with TNR. There was a need for one or both parties to bring additional budget to the table in these teams, on top of the WPS dollars, which may have been the stumbling block.

Mr O'Brien introduced WPS to TNR for Indy and beyond, and it seems a proposal may have been put together to run a separate WPS Falcon team with Mr O'Brien in charge of preparation and supposedly sharing the driving duties, based in Qld, and possibly prepared by Mr Williamson's operation.

It is likely to end up in the single car team scenario, with discussions that the PWR L2 has been leased to that team for 2004 with an option to buy for 2005.

Just Do It! · 9 Jan 2004, 08:05 (Ref:832402)

Is this actaully happening or is it a load of dog's ********?

Crash Test · 10 Jan 2004, 05:15 (Ref:833331)

Don't mind these pointless ramblings if they make no sense...

But is Craig Gore related to Mike Gore, the Gold Coast property developer who put together places like Sanctuary Cove. Now the O'Briens own(ed) a great deal of land on the Gold Coast, which has been developed over the years. Could this be some 6 degrees of seperation thing?

**GTRMagic** · 10 Jan 2004, 05:35 (Ref:833345)

They do make sense, and yes Craig Gore is Mike Gore's son... whose property development company Atkinson Gore group has put together a lot of areas around Rhodes Island together....

So this could indeed have been where the link started off... then got WPS on Charlie's return to motorsport in the Porsche... then to Noske's Falcon, then to the 00 Falcon purchase with Charlie running a team...

Just Do It! · 14 Jan 2004, 10:56 (Ref:837717)

To the best of the experts' knowledge, is this a dead horse or is it just laying low ready for the surprise attack??

**GTRMagic** · 16 Jan 2004, 06:10 (Ref:839992)

Check out the first stages of the website at www.wps.net.au

MHDT · 16 Jan 2004, 06:49 (Ref:840010)

Isn't Mr C. Gore a former bankrupt? If so, should he be involved with a company offering financial advice ?

pete55 · 16 Jan 2004, 06:52 (Ref:840011)

Yes GTR, i did that. Now how do i get further? :confused: Second question; is there anything of interest further on?

**GTRMagic** · 16 Jan 2004, 07:52 (Ref:840036)

To answer MHDT first... its what I read in the newspaper too...

And pete55, there is no further...

**GTRMagic** · 4 Feb 2004, 08:24 (Ref:862327)

Hmmm, anything you might like to share Mark???

Fresh off the Supercar site,

ford boy · 4 Feb 2004, 08:57 (Ref:862355)

very interesting !

**GTRMagic** · 4 Feb 2004, 10:04 (Ref:862397)

Sure is, except they forgot the second car, for lead driver Dave Besnard. Wonder if they can get #24 from the Bapster to make the cars a pigeon pair??

pete55 · 4 Feb 2004, 10:32 (Ref:862425)

What numbers would the 2 supposed Konica cars run under. Going on franchise No's the Besnard car would have to be 43.

**GTRMagic** · 8 Feb 2004, 21:26 (Ref:867442)

I am now wondering about the 'new' WPS team. Noise around suggests there will be 2 cars operated here, with separate liveries for each, ala SBR, with some cross branding to some extent.

What concerns me is the chat Mr Stone did last week, where the SBR operation will continue with the separate liveries. I was of the impression after Bathurst that the plan was for this team to run the same sponsor package and design on both the #1 and #9 cars.

I now am led to believe that the 2nd 'WPS' car to be driven by Dave Besnard will be largely supported by one of the major sponsors on the SBR cars.

Here's hoping thats not true!

Here's hoping that the inability of that sponsor to increase funding support to SBR to have the 2 cars the same wasnt caused by the support of this other vehicle.

Given past history of this sponsor, it wouldnt be surprising.

Dirk · 8 Feb 2004, 22:31 (Ref:867504)

Ok, so now things are making sense to me! To cut a long story short for you guys, I was talking to a guy that just moved down this way from the Gold Coast and he was telling me a story which didn't make any sense to me. He was saying a mate of his was painting the workshop for the guy that bought the whole 00 Motorsport set up. Apparently this guy had bought the lot, cars, truck, lathes and machinary. I thought this guy was pipe dreaming and didn't think anything of it. So thats probably what was going on

Glennc · 8 Feb 2004, 23:36 (Ref:867567)

Reading between the lines of the posts (above) Seems as if WPS are active in Queensland. Can anyone confirm or add to this?

Anyway my point is ... Tony Noske Racing (2003) were based in Melbourne (Breaside), does this mean the team will relocate to sunny QLD?

If so, what happens with the staff / spanners / engineers? Surly not all of them will relocate their families / lives to QLD for a team that hasn't been stable with sponsorship funds.

Look out for employment oportunities for WPS in Queensland if your looking for work in the motorsport game

Comments?

**GTRMagic** · 8 Feb 2004, 23:43 (Ref:867577)

I hear what you are saying loud and clear Glennc... and at this stage of the season, to pull together enough people and resources to do the job properly, its all a bit late...

... and being so late, any other options will also likely have dried up as well..

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
2004 season facts and rumors.	mtpanorama	Australasian Touring Cars.	1913	1 Mar 2004 05:24
GT Rumors	Max Throttle	Sportscar & GT Racing	2	11 Sep 2002 12:57
No More Rumors	Speed	Formula One	10	27 Jul 2001 17:02
RUMORS	mtpanorama	Australasian Touring Cars.	21	19 Dec 2000 11:50
Some new rumors and others....	KC	ChampCar World Series	12	15 Sep 2000 13:33