King Crennan

PEPSI · 28 Jun 2002, 01:00 (Ref:323201)

Lead story in this weeks AA has shown Mr Crettan to be the hypocritical, arrogant, ignorant SOB that many always thought likely!

Just allow me to vent my spleen.

His vision splendid would see about 12 multi-million dollar cars/drivers fight it out for an elite championship that this country can not afford nor would want to.

I am appalled, as a Holden and V8 Supercar supporter/participant that he could consider the public so stupid as to think that drivers outside the Top 15 are of such a poor standard as to be unsuitable for the category.

In the article, Mr Crettan acronyms to describe drivers such as Sons of Rich Fathers (or similar) while he sits in his ivory tower playing GOD.

He doesn't mind taking advantage of these lessor known (not lower talent) drivers when its suits him, even to the point of giving JF everything he needed on the Friday night at Eastern Creek, including data and components, to transform his car in exchange for his TEGA vote at the Extraordinary Meeting, Romano to HYL last year in exchange for his 2 car franchise and assistance to the Nash team for similar benefit.

There is nothing wrong with doing these things but to then slag off at the poorer teams and drivers is poor form and for mind he has 'brought the sport into disrepute' greater than any other individual for some time.

The suggestion that there should be an emphasis on bringing along young talent is fine but to suggest that we need more international drivers is ludicrous. He is welcome to lead by example (full championship not just the enduro's) and feel the pain financially that most of the teams cannot afford to bear (cost of damage, time to bring them up to speed etc).

Yes, his teams and drivers do a fantastic job and deserve to be at the front but he is missing the point, it is a lack of corporate dollars in the sport not a lack of talent that is causing a lack of competition, a condition caused by a relatively small population and therefore marketplace.

Every team would like the luxury of having the resources to divert engineering efforts away from the main to develop trick wheel nuts or to have 5 cars under one franchise to effectively multiply their development data by 5 or to tap into a Formula One team's resources and expertise (and supposedly have a 2003 Operation Blueprint Commodore running around testing overseas).

As I said before, they have worked hard to get to this position and deserve the rewards but to undermine the very sport that has provided the 'vehicle' for this success (on the track and in showrooms) shows such an indescribable amount of contempt. He so easily forgets that not so many years ago, HRT was struggling too and with loads of Holden money on hand!

Finally, if he is so sure of his views, he should put his money where his mouth is and offer an open and fair test to those he considers unworthy in a TWR car. I am sure the other drivers would be happy to even be blindfolded except when in the car to guard TWR from losing any technical advantage.

I know he would never have the guts to do it and I am not saying that others could beat a benchmark time set by Skaife but I know that even in a strange car, most drivers could quickly prove to be very competitive!

smokinJ · 28 Jun 2002, 16:05 (Ref:323740)

shouldnt he be charged with bringing the sport into disrepute??

Buckshot · 29 Jun 2002, 01:52 (Ref:324034)

Pepsi, this ongoing hissyfit of yours because your boy McDougall can't cut it with the big boys is getting a bit old my friend.

Crash Test · 29 Jun 2002, 02:12 (Ref:324044)

But the boss of HSV coming and saying that 2/3rds of the V8 field don't deserve to be out there is way over the top...

Charge Crennan? It's kind of like whacking the hand that feeds you with a cane...

It's a shame he said it, but then again, Howard Marsden has been promising a win for some time now...

StuiE · 29 Jun 2002, 06:22 (Ref:324103)

Did anyone read Larry Perkins' comments in The Australian today? he's saying sort of the same thing, and that the teams should be businesses, not enthusiasts, hmm....

PEPSI · 30 Jun 2002, 23:36 (Ref:324800)

Buckshot - This has nothing to do with my work with Dugal other than to give me an insight into many things the public are unaware of. By your comments, it would seem that you agree with Crennan's comments and you dont have a problem with a Formula One style scenario whereby the team witht the biggest cheque book still wins but we would have much smaller grids and teams are constantly on the verge of bankruptcy because Australia hasn't the population to fund such a competition. How many V8 fans would pay to see even less passing/racing (see F1) between a field half composed of pay drivers from overseas. I know Wilson is not a paydriver but to fund these 'superteams' it would become necessary (see F1). Perhaps I should use a different log-in so you dont confuse my motives.

gtr69 - I dont believe there are many teams left that are not operated as pure businesses. The business acumen of the rich dads has seen to that.

Crash - There is no way known that Crennan would be charged but it highlights the inequities that exist.

P.S. I wonder how TWR would have faired this year if they had needed to buy/lease the franchises to run 5 cars. Maybe their budget would have been reduced enough to preclude trick wheel nuts, reduced development etc.

racer69 · 1 Jul 2002, 11:30 (Ref:325047)

I think Crennen is just like Cochrane, they are losing sight of the fact that this is only Touring Car racing. It isn't F1, If Crennen had his way, we would have bugger teams, probably a fair amount of cars, but only a couple of teams. Gone would be, as well as the battling privateers, Seton, Larkham, Morris (owner drivers). About the only teams would be TWRA, 00 MS, Briggs plus others which would be being pressured to 'up their committment' like Perkins, DJR and BJR.

I have no problem with well funded professional teams at the front of the field, however there should always be a place for the privateer doing it for the fun, not money. Already the situation last year at Bathurst was unacceptable, fair enough saying that you have to compete in a certain number of roudns to get a start if there is going to be a full grid, but come on, 39 cars last year, pathetic.

The aim of guys like Crennen should be at ensuring the survival of the lower order teams.

At the height of the BTCC, DTM & ETCC, they still encouraged the enthusiastic privateer to come and have a go. As much as TC, Crennen etc.. say they want an 'elite' championship, Touring Cars could never survive as an elite only championship.

Why can't we get back to the days (even though i wasn't born) were the underfunded privateer had a chance to topple a front running well funded professional team. That is what Touring Cars is all about.

mickj · 2 Jul 2002, 03:05 (Ref:325558)

About this time last year in a newspaper that Crennan said for HRT to finish 2001 they needed $400 to $500.000. I'd say that HRT have not got a botomless pit of money. Why he wants the small teams out is so that HRT can grab their sponsors.. Anyone can see that.
We NEED the small teams to add varity to the races.

PEPSI · 2 Jul 2002, 03:25 (Ref:325563)

mickj - you have it in a nutshell! As for HRT needing $400-500k for a season in 2001, they couldnt cover the cost of a single car for any less than double that. It would only cover the wages of the drivers and Grech.

D.R.T. · 8 Jul 2002, 13:22 (Ref:329387)

Its all an attention grabbing story. V8 Supercars have been pathetically uneventful this season, they make snail racing look like gold. but not surprisingly it is AA that come to the rescue with the biggest peice of .... of a front page story.
Motorsport aint it grand.

Crash Test · 9 Jul 2002, 07:53 (Ref:329964)

Ey DRT? Did you read the story?

Amaroo Park · 9 Jul 2002, 12:20 (Ref:330136)

Quote:

Originally posted by mickj
About this time last year in a newspaper that Crennan said for HRT to finish 2001 they needed $400 to $500.000. I'd say that HRT have not got a botomless pit of money. Why he wants the small teams out is so that HRT can grab their sponsors.. Anyone can see that.
We NEED the small teams to add varity to the races.

If HRT's budget is not nearly double that of the next best team then I would be extremly suprised. Look at the revenue they get and where they get it from. There sponsors, Merchandising and lets not forget EVERY Holden that is sold HRT get some money from Holden. Not bad. If HRT were not winning all the races they are then you would have to ask some serious questions as to what was going on.

D.R.T. · 9 Jul 2002, 12:27 (Ref:330144)

I believe so, was it the one were Crennan thought he was founny by writing drivers as LTADs or SORF or QOODS.

Crash Test · 9 Jul 2002, 23:00 (Ref:330612)

Indeed, so it's Auto Actions fault that Crennan is a whacko?

PEPSI · 9 Jul 2002, 23:24 (Ref:330626)

CT - There is only one person to blame for Crennan and he sees him in the mirror at least once a day, AA is only the messenger

Crash Test · 9 Jul 2002, 23:26 (Ref:330629)

Absolutely

Hodge · 12 Jul 2002, 11:53 (Ref:332521)

John Crennan is a true visionary in this sport and should be treaded with the respect that he rightly deserves

Crash Test · 12 Jul 2002, 11:59 (Ref:332528)

It's kind of like the Cantebury Bulldogs or Port Adelaide coming out and saying that the bottom of the table teams don't deserve to be in the league, and that the other teams should pull their fingers out, plus the local players aren't up to spec and they should bring players in from overseas...

racer69 · 12 Jul 2002, 12:00 (Ref:332529)

Not if he keeps coming out with comments like he did

PEPSI · 14 Jul 2002, 23:18 (Ref:333915)

Quote:

Originally posted by Hodge
John Crennan is a true visionary in this sport and should be treaded with the respect that he rightly deserves

Mr Crennan, welcome to this forum but why call yourself Hodge?

mickj · 15 Jul 2002, 02:24 (Ref:333972)

Pepsi I like it.

Amaroo Park · 17 Jul 2002, 09:41 (Ref:335635)

I wonder if Mr Cretton is worrying about his job at the moment. He is after all on the Board of TWR.

The Tool Man · 17 Jul 2002, 21:46 (Ref:336053)

Its just Typicall of the Arraogance of TWR and Holden HSV etc.

I am a fan of Most Drivers out there but Not of TWR , not because they win , thats good but because of their attitude.

The arrogance of the whole thing with Crennan, looks suspiciously like hes been instructed by Tom WhingingShaw who ruined the 1988 Bathurst with Prostests because things didnt suit him, then tampered with Minardis Chance to get Money in F1 this year, as well as haveing 5 cars, that are just inexplicably quicker than the others in V8 supercars whose teams (obviously under the Whingingshaw Pilosophy), Complain about everything that every other team or driver does , but do the same things themselves and expect everyone to turn a blind eye. Crennan if youve been tarred by this same brush- There is NO help for you.

cmotorsport · 18 Jul 2002, 15:15 (Ref:336582)

Pepsi son go out and gettem... ur so right about that 2faced crennan guy!! let him put his money where his mouth is....people tend to forget if it wasn't for the Brock ERA HRT & HSV would be absolutely no where... Every 1 knows Crennan hates Brock, but i tell u one thing Brocky was the best thing to ever happen to Holden!!!!!As for Crennan, i hope u get ur ass whacked at Bathurst!!!!

Amaroo Park · 21 Jul 2002, 09:57 (Ref:338614)

I wonder if John Crennan is getting worried now?? After Arrows farcical effots at Magny Cour this week end is the end nye for TWR? Every one keeps insisting that it is just a Arrows problem but Arrows is part of the TWR just as Holden Racing Team and Holden Special Vehicles

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
RT is the prediction King...	ralf fan	Predictions Contest & Fun	27	2 Nov 2004 07:30
Crennan threatend by Brock	Amaroo Park	Australasian Touring Cars.	7	28 Jun 2002 08:04
The King retires - Long Live The King	elephino	Bike Racing	5	25 Sep 2000 16:06