Childish Games? Or A symptom of something else?

**GTRMagic** · 21 May 2009, 00:33 (Ref:2466115)

Interesting to read the below....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daily Telegraph - Sport Confidential 21/5/09 - J.Phelps

A V8 driver has started a nasty rumour about one of his rivals.

He has been telling everyone up and down pit lane that his V8 colleague has impregnated a promotional girl. We have been assured by the driver in question, and officials, that it is not true

Quite how an unnamed official would know if a lady was pregnant or not would be interesting to understand....

With the most recent press around NRL, AFL & VFL footballers enjoying family unfriendly antics recently, the above is a public manifestation of something that may well be bubbling in the background in V8Supercar

It is intriguing too that nothing like this has made the media before... the rumours of all kinds of things are always around.. but this stuff has made it to print in a major capital city newspaper...

Will we see an expose from a serious writer about stuff like this, or worse?

Are drivers contracts equipped with a 'morals clause' about such things?

F J Nedos · 21 May 2009, 00:37 (Ref:2466118)

If the driver in question is single, does it matter?

I do recall something about Mr Lowndes being caught with his pants down a while back. But the source of this was the ever reliable rumour mill relayed on this forum I think.

As long as the grid girls thread stays up, I'm happy.

rich07 · 21 May 2009, 00:47 (Ref:2466124)

True or not, its not right that someone should be spreading rumours like that around, if someone's nasty enough to spread rumours especially of that calibre, they should be named and shamed, reagardless of who they are.

Amaroo Park · 21 May 2009, 04:16 (Ref:2466149)

Are they trying to drag V8's to the same murky depths of Rugby League? I really hope not I would think it may sound a bit like sour grapes

Bella_07 · 21 May 2009, 06:38 (Ref:2466165)

Like it or Not.. Our V8 Super car drivers and team managers, crew members are not perfect, they are not innocent by any means of the word. I am sure these things have happened, I am sure there has been cheating, lies, stalkers, and drivers treating girls badly. Actually I am 100% sure this happens and has happened. It is not always nice for the ppl involved. But the question is.. Should it be made public? And why???

Malfunction Junction · 21 May 2009, 07:12 (Ref:2466180)

There have been a couple of known instances of poor behaviour in the past, however drawing the lessons from regular events in the world of knuckle draggers, this sort of thing can have a large impact.

The likes of those who inhabit fora are, by and large, going to tut-tut and look forward to the next race. They (we) are relatively few in number.

The more casual spectator, those to whom promotion, advertising and free to air TV is aimed, can be significantly affected by this type of thing, true or not.

It wouldn't surprise me that the entire scenario is a fabrication, from alleged event to alleged source. Why? It's in a Sydney newspaper and there is a large body of opposition to a certain event in Sydney later in the year, which was featured in a promotion quite recently.

Why? Politics, probably. Does it matter? Absolutely. Mud sticks, even when hurled unjustly.

touring fan01 · 21 May 2009, 07:28 (Ref:2466187)

Sounds like something totally fabricated and put out by the VESA spin-machine, designed to keep V8's in the papers and people talking about the category.

It's a very common ploy in the world of PR.

**GTRMagic** · 21 May 2009, 07:49 (Ref:2466204)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella_07

Like it or Not.. Our V8 Super car drivers and team managers, crew members are not perfect, they are not innocent by any means of the word. I am sure these things have happened, I am sure there has been cheating, lies, stalkers, and drivers treating girls badly. Actually I am 100% sure this happens and has happened. It is not always nice for the ppl involved. But the question is.. Should it be made public? And why???

Drivers are role models to the great unwashed, the very people they are attempting to convince to buy the products of the people who pay a lot of money for them to wear their brands.

Like it or not, sports stars are held to a higher moral standard. They are paid their stipend on the basis of their skills in the driver's seat, for their skills with their craft. Funded by sponsor dollars, who contribute vast sums of money to the teams these people drive for in order to get the motor racing machine on the track

They are in our faces trying to sell us stuff.. on track, at the track, on the teev, in print... wherever the sponsor thinks they can obtain a commercial benefit from using their name, and their success to help sell.

But this kind of thing brings a new dimension to the discussion.

These same people that sell the sponsor's products with their performances, are taken at their personal brand value, that they are fundamentally good people.

When a situation is discovered where a driver is reported to be doing what Mr Phelps suggested he may be doing, the part about being fundamentally good comes into question. In the minds of the sponsor, in the minds of the great unwashed.

NASCAR has gone through some big challenges with drug use recently, some names are now missing from the entry list as owner and driver. And sponsors who have come to the driver, will now reconsider their investment.

LG has announced today they are leaving the Cronulla Sharks NRL club after 9 years. They talk of achieving their marketing objectives, but in the statement too is discussion around the morals controversy in that code being an influencing factor.

Did a driver actually do what was discussed? Not sure.. but is it interesting that my own first thought was to narrow down the list from the current pilots into possibles.. and came up with a few names almost immediately. Others I have spoken to today have made the same lists in their heads, and maybe not surprisingly had similar candidates selected.

Quite how the female in question might survive an incident such as this would be a challenge to sort out. She would be branded all kinds of things, just like 'Clare' has been... and while there are likely faults on both sides... there is very rarely a winner.

Do all drivers in all teams have contracts containing 'morals clauses'?

fomoco · 21 May 2009, 08:07 (Ref:2466220)

did said driver ever play Rugby Leauge/Aussie Rules/Cricket, or stay at a motel, or have to release the pressure from the bladder. If none of the previous mentioned, just anothe rumour until Tragy Grimshaw gets hold of it.

Grid Girl has predator driver groping her in the Transporter.

oh the shame.

Muznik · 21 May 2009, 08:44 (Ref:2466243)

What if the driver was Will Davison and the "promo girl" is Riana ???

Nothing scandalous is it?

GTR please do not make a mountain out of a molehill.

Do we really need a moral debate (or crusade) based on a nothing rumour.
Ive seen enough of that in NRL circles of late.

Besides if it was true wouldnt the majority, bogan element, that supposedly follows V8's want to high 5 the driver than condemn them ?

NewsStalker · 21 May 2009, 08:53 (Ref:2466248)

Now that's dragging the thread down a bit - bringing kids group Hi-5 into the debate!

peckstar · 21 May 2009, 08:58 (Ref:2466250)

but hey, she looked good in ralph

Pro Racer · 21 May 2009, 09:08 (Ref:2466259)

someone call 4 corners to investigate.

i was abit weirded out (if thats a word

) to read this this morning in my copy of the Telecrap. i was abit shocked tbh, being a Ruby League fan i have followed the storries of late (thank god it's notmy team for once, go Doggies) and thought the V8's would be free of these type of controversies.

i would like to know the driver spreading rumours like this as he should be named and shamed and banned as it could be damaging to the other driver's credibility & family especially if found untrue. so what if the driver had a good night, whatever consequenses resault are his problem. it was consensual so at the most if involved in a relationship all he is guilty of is inferdelity and thats between him and his partner, not for someone else to spread rumour's.

**GTRMagic** · 21 May 2009, 09:24 (Ref:2466265)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muznik

What if the driver was Will Davison and the "promo girl" is Riana ???

Nothing scandalous is it?

GTR please do not make a mountain out of a molehill.

Do we really need a moral debate (or crusade) based on a nothing rumour.
Ive seen enough of that in NRL circles of late.

Besides if it was true wouldnt the majority, bogan element, that supposedly follows V8's want to high 5 the driver than condemn them ?

And what if the noise that was described in the badly worded article had been around before, and there were injured parties involved?

Amaroo Park · 21 May 2009, 09:40 (Ref:2466276)

whats the old saying no smoke without fire?

Just Do It! · 21 May 2009, 09:53 (Ref:2466281)

Fire without smoke is often a pure burn

D.R.T. · 21 May 2009, 10:13 (Ref:2466303)

Quote:

Originally Posted by touring fan01

Sounds like something totally fabricated and put out by the VESA spin-machine, designed to keep V8's in the papers and people talking about the category.

It's a very common ploy in the world of PR.

The most likely scenario. If you cant beat them, join them

**Woolley** · 21 May 2009, 12:25 (Ref:2466383)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muznik

What if the driver was Will Davison and the "promo girl" is Riana ???

LOL, I had a similar thought...

Rumour: Shock as V8 driver causes pregnancy of grid girl. Full detail: It's his wife...

I also like the assumption that it counts as mis-treatment of the said girl. If it happened, she may have enjoyed it. Several times. She may even have initiated it.

It's a valid news item if she was an unwilling participant, perhaps, especially if the alleged driver used his position to procure the event. Otherwise IMO it's a non-story. I don't remember racing drivers having to take a vow of celebacy. Probably quite the opposite, in fact

Tourer · 21 May 2009, 12:53 (Ref:2466408)

Agree with Woolley there.

Also, let's be aware that this story comes from James Phelps.

If its true then I guess that will make the first time that he's actually written something that is correct about Supercars.

Sounds like the usual smart arse beat up to me.

**GTRMagic** · 21 May 2009, 13:23 (Ref:2466436)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourer

Agree with Woolley there.

Also, let's be aware that this story comes from James Phelps.

If its true then I guess that will make the first time that he's actually written something that is correct about Supercars.

Sounds like the usual smart arse beat up to me.

Ok.. looks like there is a first time for everything....

mountainstar · 21 May 2009, 14:38 (Ref:2466471)

As long as it is a consensual relationship, I don't think it's anyones business.

I do think as a driver, especially with the various commercial relationships involved, it is best to be discrete and have some common sense about your off the clock behavior.

There are always two sides to every story and having heard the other side out of Christchuch, "Clare" seemed to be a busy girl knocking back rugby players at a quick pace. I think the emergence of the story now is for column inches and attention.

Regardless, I think you've got to have some common sense about what you do and who you do it with.

Geewizz · 22 May 2009, 00:16 (Ref:2466811)

Agree with Woolley & Mountainstar, it's nobodies business other than the two people involved.
I know it's been a bit slow on here last couple of weeks, but this takes it to a whole new level. Sad.

**GTRMagic** · 22 May 2009, 00:28 (Ref:2466817)

What new level? If this stuff is happening in the paddock, and has been for a long long long time... then how is it different from talking about AFL/NRL and the same issues that confront it

Alcoholism is another problem in the football codes, is it prevalent in motorsport? A couple of drink driving offences, and drivers blowing past 0.05 on the Sunday morning before a race suggests there might be something there too.

Why is motorsport so sacrosanct that these kinds of things cant be discussed?

Amaroo Park · 22 May 2009, 01:11 (Ref:2466825)

There has been issues of drivers having affairs, getting drunk, getting caught speeding etc for donkeys years

Muznik · 22 May 2009, 02:31 (Ref:2466838)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

What new level? If this stuff is happening in the paddock, and has been for a long long long time... then how is it different from talking about AFL/NRL and the same issues that confront it

Alcoholism is another problem in the football codes, is it prevalent in motorsport? A couple of drink driving offences, and drivers blowing past 0.05 on the Sunday morning before a race suggests there might be something there too.

Why is motorsport so sacrosanct that these kinds of things cant be discussed?

Its not motorsport but sport in general.

A persons sex life, as long as its legal & consensual, is their own business.

Ther rest is probably open for discussion.
IMHO the blowing > 0.05 on race day is more than open for discussion. If true it should be investigated as that effects the sport on the track.