Marcel fässler drives Audi R10 TDI in America

[The Badger]

He was off in a Champion Audi at Lm ..... and I think either last year or this year in a R10 at LM again I think .

But yeah ..... its normally not Nishy . I would be interested in hearing what Nishy has to say about Capello ..... probably only the best .

[cmk]

The two are great friends, so I cannot see why it would be anything other than the best. In the end, retirement should always be a private decision - I can't imagine Nishy saying his friend should hang up the helmet.

[chernaudi]

He's an interesting comparison between Pirro and Capello from someone who's much deeper into Audi than I am(read post #3):

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zeropost?...how&id=3956947

Maybe Dindo is still smarting from last year's Penske LMP2 fest and aslo is dealing with the fact that Audi right now only has a sigificant advantage over Peugeot in the LMS is in traffic, and hence more accidents than usual.

But then again, that statement has been the general rule in the ALMS/LMS this year for everyone. I'm not trying to applogize for Dindo for the stuff he's admitted fault to(Sebring, Monza, and Lime Rock), but for sure at Spa and Mid Ohio, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time-he couldn't control the#8 Peugeot getting too hairy in traffic, and he for sure couldn't control the dimwitted actions of a gentlemen driver who he was passing cleanly and fairly.

Also, very few drivers in the ALMS/LMS in general have spotless records or are innocent victims. Kristensen almost took himself out at Le Mans when he tagged that Zytek(something that begain as the guy in the Zytek's fault-a gentleman driver error that TK made worse with an agressive pass attempt), Pirro took himself out at SLC trying to make simialr move on the Robertson Ford GT-getting taken out by being too agressive trying to take advantage of a gentleman driver's mistake.

Also, Lurh took himself out at SLC in a red mist moment, and at Spa, McNish and Minassian almost took eachother out in another red mist moment. And the Penske guys aren't exempt-Long took out a Viper, an Aston Martin, damaged an Audi(albeit indriectly), and a Dyson Porsche, and during practice at Mid Ohio, Dumas knocked a Corvette into the reeds.

And you may note that I left out TK's contact with the Saulnier Pescarolo at LM, and Lucas' incident during qualifying at Mid Ohio with the Autocon Creation-well, sometimes the 107% rule would be wisely enforced, as some of these guys are pretty much a danger to themselves, let alone being landmines for the other competitors who are actualy racing, not crusing.

And the GT guys aren't innocent victims as IMSA's trying to protray them, either-Mid Ohio proved that with Dindo's accident there, and the Corvette's NASCAR display on pit road.

If Dindo thinks it time, it's his choice, but I think personally that 44 is a little young to hang up the helmet for good-Pirro's 46, and as fast as ever, and Weaver was 51 when he retired-but then again, when you get the sign, descretion may be the better part of valor.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by cmk

The two are great friends, so I cannot see why it would be anything other than the best. In the end, retirement should always be a private decision - I can't imagine Nishy saying his friend should hang up the helmet.

Neither can I ..... but it would be a well answered question that would silence all the Capello critics once and for all !!!

[JAG]

If you were a smart team manager you'd do well to snap up Biela/Dindo to help develop your car/team. Probably money better spent than switching engine/tyre suppliers etc.

[cmk]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Neither can I ..... but it would be a well answered question that would silence all the Capello critics once and for all !!!

Actually it would be the complete opposite - a biased statement that provides no new information.

chernaudi, I think that there are people on this board who have more knowledge about the higher ups at Audi Sport than the post you linked. You are definitely right about red mist having been an Audi driver issue recently. They are pushing really really hard, methinks. I don't think IMSA is trying to portray the GT drivers as innocent - there are definite issues with some of the GT cars on track. However, when a prototype moves out to pass a GT holding its line and chops back in too fast, I don't really see how the GT is anything but an innocent party.

[Aslak Vind]

I will hopefully have the chance to talk to Dindo this weekend, as he drives together with Tom at a charity streetrace in Copenhagen.

Also present will be Jacky and Vanina Ixcs, Johnny Herbert and a lot of other Audi people. Last year Tom drove a R8, 1997 TWR-Porsche, and a lot of other Le Mans cars. I missed a call to clarify, which cars will be present this weekend, words are that a R10 will be there.. But I doubt it..

[Aslak Vind]

Just received word, that Mike Rockenfeller will join as well. Mike will drive a Heiko Ostmann owned Porsche 914-6 GT at the Pro-Am event..

I hope that Mike also will drive Heiko´s Porsche Fabcar GTP.

Sorry for off-topic, I just thought you guys would find it interesting..

[Bernard Bram]

We expect a 5 page report and tons of pictures.

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by cmk

Actually it would be the complete opposite - a biased statement that provides no new information.

chernaudi, I think that there are people on this board who have more knowledge about the higher ups at Audi Sport than the post you linked. You are definitely right about red mist having been an Audi driver issue recently. They are pushing really really hard, methinks. I don't think IMSA is trying to portray the GT drivers as innocent - there are definite issues with some of the GT cars on track. However, when a prototype moves out to pass a GT holding its line and chops back in too fast, I don't really see how the GT is anything but an innocent party.

Red mist is an issue for all drivers-Audi and likely any other LMP1 teams that could win overall due to trying to build an advantage to cancel out their range disadvantage over the LMP2 cars, the LMP2 guys because they can't keep up with the Audis in traffic, and the GT guys because they're trying to run their own race and are generally unwilling to give an inch to anyone-if the overall leader passes one car in a battle for position, they're almost a lap behind the class leader. Also, I've seen the GT guys use NASCAR/Touring Car/DTM like tactics on each other, and the LMP drivers.

I also feel that if the ACO's insistance that the car's be certian percentages distant fron eachother in peformance was ignored, the racing overall would be better-there's little contact between cars that travel within 1-3 seconds a lap between each other, maybe because of the spectre of possible payback in traffic due to the similar speeds for all I know.

Maybe IMSA ought to adopt a indiscriminant 50/50 rule, where if any LMP or GT driver commits a potentially dangerous move, they get 3 strikes-strike 1 gets a warning, strike 2 gets a stop and go, strike 3 gets a stop and hold for a period of time or a ceritian number of laps, any thing after that is either a DQ or the team if forced to park the car.

But that probably will take some of the excitment out of the racing, and I believe that auto racing should have an element of risk, including the risk of failure-most stick and ball sports, including golf, as mundane as it is, involve some risk of one messing up. I'm not calling for any of these guys to get hurt in these accidents and calling for a driver to screw up massivly, but why auto racing boomed after World War II was because soldiers and fighter pilots became a bunch of 18-25 year old thrill seekers-at least in the US and the UK, where the auto industries also helped in revitalizing the economy. Also, why do people play/watch sports in the first place-people want to win, and to win, often one has to gamble. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

And as a rule, it would take any rational decision making out of IMSA's hands, as they'd have to penalize anyone and everyone, which may lead to the often unlauded gentlemen drivers winning much of the time-I believe that the fastest, most talented drivers who have luck on their side and try to stay out of trouble should be the victors.

I believe that the LMP and GT guys need to cut eachother some slack, even if IMSA needs to penalize the GT guys more often when they don't pay attention, screw up or have their own red mist moments, like it seems that they are doing at Mid Ohio.

[cmk]

Marcel Fassler proved again why he is Audi Sport's choice this weekend at the Spa 24, sheer wizardry in the wet, "making fools of the rest of the field" to quote DSC. Sometimes a driver who has just seemed good in other fields blossoms in sportscars, and Fassler is clearly one of those. I rather hope he does not go back to DTM.

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by cmk

Marcel Fassler proved again why he is Audi Sport's choice this weekend at the Spa 24, sheer wizardry in the wet, "making fools of the rest of the field" to quote DSC. Sometimes a driver who has just seemed good in other fields blossoms in sportscars, and Fassler is clearly one of those. I rather hope he does not go back to DTM.

I second your comment regarding Fassler. He seems to be a wonderfully proficient driver with top notch skills. He was able to pull out an approximately one minute lead in his first two hour stint against some excellent drivers at Spa. He seems even better in the wet. Audi has made an excellent choice.

DK

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by cmk

Marcel Fassler proved again why he is Audi Sport's choice this weekend at the Spa 24, sheer wizardry in the wet, "making fools of the rest of the field" to quote DSC. Sometimes a driver who has just seemed good in other fields blossoms in sportscars, and Fassler is clearly one of those. I rather hope he does not go back to DTM.

Hopefully, Audi will make him a regular sportscar driver in the ALMS or LMS, but that's up to Fassler and Wolfgang Ullrich/Audi Sport.

I don't know if that's asking too much, but then again, I would like Kristensen to come back to the ALMS full time for a year or two, and I would like to have a couple of people I went to school with who've become sucessful people(and models at that) to become friends on my Facebook/MySpace.

Well, the latter has happened, but I might be asking too much for TK to come back to the ALMS unless the rumors of his neck injury from Hockenheim '07 shortening his driving career and that is leading him to consider a couple of final goes at the ALMS or LMS are true.

[Aslak Vind]

TK was interviewed this morning on TV, and he said that he was "Hoping to be allowed to test and develop the new car, that Audi Sport hopefully was developing. He would be proud to try out this new ride, as Audi needed a new car to fight at Le Mans.. IF it existed.."

Talk about talking about something, without stating too much..

I presume, that Tom will have a 100% sportscar career after 2008.

[The Badger]

Good ..... that man is brilliant to watch , and a nice guy too .

But yeah ..... It certainly sounds promising .