Menu going to Oz?

[Hazard]

I'm placing here due to the more 'European based' nature of Alain Menu's fan base, the Aussie V8 Supercar bit may warrant a move to the Aussie TC forum, I'll let someone else decide that fate.

Alain Menu has competed in his first test for the Australian V8 Supercar series with a test for the FPV Racing team (Ford Falcons).

No confirmation of a move or even solid interest in one yet.

Alain Menu -"I'm fairly pleased with my first FPR test. It was very interesting to drive and trying to understand the characteristics of the car, as it is very different to what I am used to. It took a while to get up to speed and even now I am not completely up to speed with these cars as I struggled a bit with the brakes - that was my main problem. There is definitely a few tricks to driving these cars and you certainly need to be very sensitive with throttle and steering input. Overall I had a very good test, I am very pleased with the team and while some more laps would have been great, the team had some important testing to carry out and that was their primary goal.

link to full article at the V8 website

[Craig]

One of my crews was working at Mr Menu's house this last week and were told he was away in Australia. When we asked what he was up to over there we were told he was testing with a view to running at Bathurst this year. Not sure if he's signed up for that yet or whether he will be looking to expand on it for 05... I feel a courtesy follow-up call coming on to make sure he is a happy customer... and it'd be rude not to enquire what he is hoping to do next year

[Hazard]

In that case, with Plato, Muller & Alzen already lined up with drives at Bathurst - looks like there already is a race of champions going on over there

[GTRMagic]

Mr Menu is linked to the main seat at FPR in Australia next season, when incumbent Craig Lowndes sees sense and moves to a pukka team!

It is likely he will share Lowndes' car in the 2 endurance races too....

[redshoes]

For those who haven't been following the news, Plato will be partnering Aussie Touring car legend Peter Brock, who is coming out of retirement (again) to drive the works Holden.

Muller is joining Paul Radisich in the Triple Eight-run Fords.

Menu, as we've already said is in the (Prodrive owned) Ford Performance Racing Falcon.

Not forgetting of course John Cleland who will be back again in the Brad Jones/Ozemail Ford.

Other ex-BTCC drivers are David Brabham and Craig Baird.

Sadly the clashing ETCC race in Dubai rules Andy Priaulx out this year.

[Arai GP5]

...and British F3 refugee, Aussie Will Davison is scouting around for a drive, and if you believe the noise I'm hearing, he's about to push a regular driver out of his seat for the Sandown/Bathurst enduros.

[gomick]

i would sign will davison over alain menu for a full drive in 05..... why didnt menu shine in dtm

[marcus]

Can I ask who Alzen is and what team is he linked to ?

I havent seen his name pop up on the Oz front as yet (that I know of anyway)

[redshoes]

I assume it's a typo.

The only person I can think of is Uwe Alzen - ex DTM now driving a Saleem in the FIA GT championship. Haven't seen any mention of him going to Bathurst and as the GTs are in Dubai that weekend it seems unlikely.

[GTRMagic]

Uwe Alzen was around at the Bathurst 24hrs last year, with a 911 Carrera Cup that finished 4th outright.... although he wasnt mentioned in regards to a V8Supercar team, there is some mountain experience there

[Hazard]

alzen / entry list link

However, I did misread it slightly. It does only say that Juergen Alzen so far will be competing, in the Vitaphone Porsche 996 they presumably ran at Nurburgring.

Uwe would have to be at Dubai in the Saleen you're right.

[KA]

Makes sense now- we're talking about Jurgen Alzen's Porsche at the 24 hours, rather than Jurgen Alzen driving a V8 in the 1000

[Hazard]

Makes sense now- we're talking about Jurgen Alzen's Porsche at the 24 hours, rather than Jurgen Alzen driving a V8 in the 1000

Yeah whoops. Sorry about that.

Though my original statement sort of still works, I got it wrong. Menu, Muller & Plato on the track at the same time, hooray!...

P.S. Alzen will also drive the 24hr a month later Hopefully he'll do better there than at Nurburgring. The BMW Schnitzers (M3-GTR Coupé's) may show as well...see earlier link.

[D.R.T.]

plus the 550 Ferrari, local Lamborghini. Hopefully should be quite a race.

[Kicking-back]

On topic, Alain often does the enduros, but I can't see him making a full time move down under.

[Hazard]

A years holiday in the Supercars shouldn't be too bad, with a fair drive and nothing else on the plate.

[sukispeed]

I would like to see him in one of those new Aston Martins.
And we all know he has been driving for Prodrive since 1999 in a Mondeo.

[racer69]

The last time he was here in 2000 he was the most impressive of the imports at Bathurst.

[Archer]

atm it is a very high possibility that Mr Menu will be here in Oz full time in 2005 for Prodrive Ford Performance Racing. For those who dont know FPR is sposed to be the Ford works or as we say factory team here, but it is a bit of joke as it is constantly overshadowed by other Ford teams such as Stone Brothers Racing (2003 Champions) and Triple 8's Supercar team too, Team Betta Electrical.

[Hazard]

Hey, the HRT team is being beaten fairly consistently by some of the PWR & Catrol Perkins drivers too for the Holden marque.

Doesn't seem that 'works' team stands for much in V8's