Sirromet - The truth is out there (maybe)

[dddlc]

Cue X-Files theme music .....

I can't believe how much shyte can come from the spin doctors out there in V8 land. How can Sirromet issue a press release about the enduro series not 3 weeks ago saying in part;

...."We've got a new car that's already quick and will be even better with more development before Sandown and Bathurst, plus Wayne is a team-mate with the speed and experience you need," said Morris.

"Wayne has raced for us before, and continuity is important because he knows how our team works and he fits in well with everyone. He's also had some racing and 'test miles' in V8 Supercars this year so overall I think we're looking pretty good for the enduro events.".....

From all apperances, Wakefield's entry has been used by Sirromet for most of the championship as a ready source of spare room in the pits come race day, with the team appearing to to have no intention of him making it to race 1.

Then last week this comes from the Sirromet spin doctors over the change of co-driver

...."After considering all the options we felt it was a tremendous opportunity for our team to have John (Faulkner) in the car for the endurance races," said Morris. "He's always been a quick driver, and importantly he has plenty of experience racing V8 Supercars at Sandown and Bathurst."

"Right now I think our car is as good, if not better, than any Holden going around in V8 Supercars, and bringing John into the team is a big plus in our overall package."....

Do these morons actually read what they issue to the public, or do they think our attention span is so short that we would forget what was issued less than a month ago. Some of these PR types seem to be getting lessons from F1 on how to spin the biggest lines & get away with it.

Does anybody know what really went on with the change of co-driver ?.

Cheers,

DC.

P.S. - I know this thread should be a continuation of the the 'Wayne Wakefield dumped by Morris' thread, but it's seemed to have lost its way debating over the age of Faulkner - personally I couldn't give a fcsk if he's 46, 50 or older than Murray Carter.

[Sol]

I think it just comes down to John just having more speed and experience that you need then WW.

Contract or not, Morris has done the right thing dumping WW for JF, whatever his age.

[RRR]

It was a little strange the Sirromet saga. But I think they are better placed now. I wish though that they would let WW run during the series. Seeing the car in the pits on Friday and Saturday just isn't good enough.

[GTRMagic]

Did anyone see in the paper this week in the BWS advertisements a 4 litre cask wine under the "Morris" brand as opposed to Sirromet? The Morris' must have some serious capacity at their vineyards to be able to process enough for these size packs.

[rdmdog]

There is, and has been a Morris' vinyard at Ruthergle (?) country Victoria for a long time and I might suggest that one of their products is what you are seeing advertised.

Possibly the reason behind Terry not using Morris as his brand name?

I was thinking the other day that if temorriS is sucessful with his court case, will anyone drive a second car? Even if the plan is to take the team to a full two car (actually competing in races) team, would you like to be worried about loosing your seat at a moments notice?

Who is going to put themselves in for that, WW maybe

[GTRMagic]

Maybe the deal with JF is for longer than just Sandown/Bathurst, and they just havent announced it??

[rdmdog]

Back door deals in Australian Motor racing, I wont hear of it

[GTRMagic]

Ooo Er... hope you are only talking about under the table kinda stuff...

... not that there's anything wrong with the other....

[Amaroo Park]

Who owns Faulkners level 1 Franchise??????????

[GTRMagic]

Kees Weel

[VeeEightFan]

I think WW is good but he is not as experienced as JF and if I was TE Morris and had the choice of drivers I would go for JF everytime. WW just doesn't have the experience, and it would be nice too if he learnt how to speak proper like.
You are very right about the V8 Team PR people. Some of them have no journalistic training. They are just bs artists and learn from TC, who is the "Master". Hehehehehe

[DAVID PATERSON]

WW has done 5 Bathurst 1000s, that's a fair bit of experience i'd say.

Apart from TEMorris, does anyone actually think that JF is faster than WW?

[The Tool Man]

Originally posted by Sol
I think it just comes down to John just having more speed and experience that you need then WW.

Sol delete the words "Speed and Experience" and insert the word "Money" in their place and youve hit the nail on the head.

[GTRMagic]

No money changed hands as far as I am aware. JF was happy enough to drive the HYL car, and got a call up from Morris', changing his plans.

[The Tool Man]

Oh I just thought it might have been the usual WW struggle to get funds together despite a lot of effort to do so.

[GTRMagic]

I thought Howard Pyrotechnics were a WW sponsor... they are on the roof of the #29 PMM car on the cover of MN...

[The Tool Man]

Hadnt noticed. I know a guy who is related to one of the head honchos at Howards so I'll give him a call in the morning and see if he can find out for me

[vatuloa]

I hope Paul's team can get some respect from HRT afetr Sandown with there new found speed. As long as everything else hangs together they should finish at the pointy end.

[GTRMagic]

Everyone seems to be putting the junk on the Morrises for replacing WW with John Faulkner, but in the end they gave WW a go, helped fund a Konica car last year, and some rides in the main series, as well as to help run the #24 Romano franchise for the ex-Morris VX/VY and ex-HRT VX.

The Wakefield Supporters group, and this has a large number of members it seems if Oran Park was anything to go by, are sometimes their own worst enemy. They highlight the good points of the guy, ignore anything that suggests their boy isnt the absolute best, and heavily lobby & criticise anyone who dares think different to them.

I am not sure of the logic of starting an anti-Morris campaign if they are after Paul & Terry to take WW back as a driver.

I read something yesterday elsewhere that suggested that when Greg Crick left SBR after the QR500 in 2001, WW was asked to go to SBR to talk about the chance of taking the empty place alongside Marcos. The way it was written suggested that the Wakefield army had the details of the new drive on another forum before Wayne even sat in front of the Stones to agree terms.

Can the guy drive, well the answer is obviously yes. Does the support system help or hinder? I sometimes think both...

Here's hoping Wayne takes one of Dave Skillender's VS's into the Konica race for the last hurrah for those cars.

[Gudgeon]

GTR Magic you have a way of putting things in the correct perspective From What I hear Paul Morris has helped more young and not so young drivers than most of the other teams Richard Gurr told me that he ( Paul ) has been an enormous help to Alan. Owen Kelly swears That Paul is the best Driver our there to talk a lap with I think that the last Straw with WW was when he threw Bap Romano.s car into the wall on the first lap of the Warm Up at Oran Park Bap gave him strict instructions to take it easy and save the car for the race. Wayne had a feeble excuse that the cars engine was missfiring how this puts you in the wall I do not Know it seems like W.W had his opportunity and wasted it . I hope that Wane gets a chance to redeem himself with another team look how long it took Cameron Mc Conville after his stack in the DJR car at Bathurst

[GTRMagic]

Cameron McConville got off his backside and shook the trees of the Melbourne establishment to get Andersen Consulting to fund Chris Smerdon's privateer Commodore. It was a risky move, and in the end was a stepping stone to HRT for the enduros, and then LRT on a full time basis. Cam has obviously worked hard to get to where he is now, as has Paul in establishing his own operation.

Bap and Wayne were having heated words after the bingle at Oran Park, (me standing and watching saw all )but I assumed all was ok when they werent arguing any more. I guess a tear down after the warmup, revealing the true extent of the damage was what killed the relationship.

I wonder who is right about the #24 car at Bathurst, MN has WW with Andy McElrea, conventional wisdom here sees Alan Gurr with McElrea.

[Crash Test]

Q. The pic on the Morris website was up there only a day or two after Oran Park- did they rush back to QLD and get a pic of JF in Sirromet clobber? Me thinks OP had nothing to do with it...

[sevi]

How long would the Bap/Morris and WW relationship really last? They both got the $hits with each other, Bap at WW putting it into the wall, and WW at them for setting him up for a drive and then pulling the (mechanical failure) pin at the last minute. It is like dangling a lolly in front of a child, but they can not have it.
The guy only knows two ways of racing, flat out or stopped. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
MN is incorrect, although I know he is discussing with others a possibilty to run at Bathurst.

[Onlooker]

There is no way in hell that Faulkner would have paid for the ride.Why would he, he owns a team that he could slot himself into at a blink,and besides it is probally more the case that he is getting paid to drive,now weather in cash or kind who knows but I am sure the HYL program could benifit from some technical assistance that appears to be in short supply from the mother ship.
My suspicion is that the new found speed of the teams VY has led Morris to the conclusion that they are actually a chance to get a result at the big 2 races and therefore has decided that he can't take the risk of having WW in the car.John showed at EC that he has lost little of his pace as he reached his 46th year on the planet and is well aware of the disipline and mindst required to a) reach the finish and b) maintain a steady pace for the entire stint c)the cost of his actions/errors will have to the team providing the car.
WW whilst fast has little in the way of results when taken away from his home track and as others have pointed out has had plenty of assistance to gain what is a spasmotic results sheet at best.If morris can manage to get the car down a lap early like usuall John experience with being lapped of late will also be a benifit as he knows how to race a car off the pace without being a pest to everyone else,or smacking the fence when running off line and in the marbles,a trait not shared by some of the prevous co drivers in the camp

[GTRMagic]

Originally posted by Crash Test
Q. The pic on the Morris website was up there only a day or two after Oran Park- did they rush back to QLD and get a pic of JF in Sirromet clobber? Me thinks OP had nothing to do with it...

The photo shoot happened on the Tuesday after Oran Park.... no conspiracy at all.