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18 Aug 2009, 20:32 (Ref:2523936) | #26 | ||||
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Marbot : "Ironically, the main difference between a Red Bull and a Virgin is that Red Bull can make parts of its car smaller and floppier." |
18 Aug 2009, 20:52 (Ref:2523952) | #27 | ||
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Some of the teams I have spoken to say that there is nothing wrong with the S2000 chassis, it's just the extortionate price of the engines and their rebuild costs. |
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19 Aug 2009, 19:44 (Ref:2524574) | #28 | |
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Okay, rumours so far for 2010
Team Dynamics: Matt Neal will return home where he belongs. Arena: Will carry on with the Focus. WSR: Will run the BMW for the last year. Motorbase: Will carry on with BMW. 888: Will not run Vauxhalls. There are no other rumours on the other teams, just educational guess's. |
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20 Aug 2009, 00:29 (Ref:2524725) | #29 | |||
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F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real (A.Priaulx) Stubborn As A Mule No Fear - No Limits - No Equal |
20 Aug 2009, 07:15 (Ref:2524822) | #30 | ||
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Let me do some thinking here: Giovanardi has a contract with Vauxhall. If Vauxhall does not race next year, they have to pay Gio his salary anyway, or a fee to get out of the contract. Instead they might let him race anyway, not at Vauxhall, but at their brothercompany Chevrolet. If any of their drivers have an ending contract, Gio would be as good (Menu and Huff) or better (Larini) as the one leaving. Offcourse the viability of this route depends on the contract of at least 1 of the current Chevy-drives ending.
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20 Aug 2009, 07:37 (Ref:2524842) | #31 | ||
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Vauxhall and Chevrolet may be part of the same parent group but there's little or no contact between the two. If Gio's contract had been with the parent GM group then what you are suggesting could be possible, but even then I very much doubt it. |
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20 Aug 2009, 08:57 (Ref:2524883) | #32 | ||
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As redshoes said, Giovanardi's contract is going to expire right at the end of this season. Here you can find the interview taken from our last conversation. He clearly states 'I had a contract with Vaxhall and they're withdrawing at the end of the season'. I would be more than happy to see him in a Chevy, it'd be a dream to finally see him compete against Priaulx, Yvan Muller and all the other great drivers (in the same team as Rob Huff!) but I honestly think it's a bit unlikely, unfortunately...
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F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real (A.Priaulx) Stubborn As A Mule No Fear - No Limits - No Equal |
20 Aug 2009, 08:58 (Ref:2524885) | #33 | ||
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From reading Helterskelters post I assumed that Gio has an ongoing contract. I don't know exactly how the contact is between Vauxhall and Chevy, but if he is any good, Giovanardi's manager should be able to bring the right men at the same table.
Edit: ah, I see he has not got a contract. Well, he is a good catch for any touringcarteam, but he probably has his price. But my hypothetical story is not valid. |
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20 Aug 2009, 20:26 (Ref:2525206) | #34 | |
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Interesting to see the story in Autosport today that some teams are wishing to use NGTC spec engines next year a year ahead of schedule. For £25,000 per year you get the lease of an engine through TOCA. Autosport says they believe there have been 15 applications already. Thats almost the whole grid!
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20 Aug 2009, 20:35 (Ref:2525212) | #35 | |
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20 Aug 2009, 20:42 (Ref:2525215) | #36 | |
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My bad on that.
Should get them built by Cosworth, that would generate a bit of interest.. |
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20 Aug 2009, 21:06 (Ref:2525223) | #37 | ||
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I think Cosworth will be busy with all these customer F1 engines!
Sodemo perhaps? Given that their VXR deal is at an end and they have a good rep in the BTCC with first Renault, then Vauxhall. |
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Don't exacerbate things! |
20 Aug 2009, 22:11 (Ref:2525245) | #38 | |
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20 Aug 2009, 22:31 (Ref:2525251) | #39 | ||
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Could you please name some of the applicants? I don't have any chance of reading Autosport!
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F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real (A.Priaulx) Stubborn As A Mule No Fear - No Limits - No Equal |
21 Aug 2009, 07:31 (Ref:2525372) | #40 | |
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Autosport doesn't say who they are, just that there are 15 of them.
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21 Aug 2009, 10:19 (Ref:2525460) | #41 | |
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Stranger things have happened. In STCC eg VAG pulled the plug on KMS Audi (5 times STCC champs) before 2008 season and came back with another team 2009 pushing VW-biogas. That can't even be blamed on the world economical issues, just pure marketing strategy.
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21 Aug 2009, 16:30 (Ref:2525637) | #42 | ||
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Marbot : "Ironically, the main difference between a Red Bull and a Virgin is that Red Bull can make parts of its car smaller and floppier." |
21 Aug 2009, 22:14 (Ref:2525771) | #43 | |||
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With GM, the situation is quite different. Vauxhall have pulled the plug because, as Fabrizio says in the interview I linked above, it's more urgent to save a few thousand workers than keep on racing. We're in a situation in which nobody knows if Chevy is going to continue in the World Touring Car Championship, Vauxhall has retired after winning so many titles and RML is running a car that Chevrolet doesn't want to promote anymore, as a privateer effort. The only situation I'd find reasonable is if Chevy pulls out of the Wtcc and joins the Btcc with the Cruzes, keeping Huffy in and possibly hiring Fabrizio and some paying driver to fill the 3rd vacant seat. That would be an intelligent move, that would make sense, as the Cruze is newer than the Vectra and the Btcc is much cheaper than the World championship. Like that, RML can keep a lot of workers and GM spends less and has more exposure in the UK, as I seem to understand that the Btcc is much more popular than the Wtcc in GB! |
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F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real (A.Priaulx) Stubborn As A Mule No Fear - No Limits - No Equal |
21 Aug 2009, 23:06 (Ref:2525791) | #44 | ||
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Another thought about GM is that they are in the process of selling Vauxhall off, while trying to establish Chevrolet in Europe. Perhaps they were trying to promote Chevy as a more sporty brand. I really can't see GM coming into the BTCC in any way. I think all we can hope for is companies taking Sunshine.co.uk and Silverlines lead and backing teams, I see next year as being a totally independent grid.
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22 Aug 2009, 00:33 (Ref:2525818) | #45 | ||
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Yeah, me too... And I hope Fabrizio is in, somehow, or it'll be a huge loss of talent for the series. I really can't wait till the NGTCs come in, to see the different cars from different manufacturers fighting against each other. It's going to be a dream come true!
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F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real (A.Priaulx) Stubborn As A Mule No Fear - No Limits - No Equal |
22 Aug 2009, 08:23 (Ref:2525957) | #46 | |
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I also don't see a full works deal with Chevy in BTCC nor do I think Volvo will come in as a works entry. I do however see RML establishing a programme in BTCC long term as an ideal ground for moving on their ex WTCC cars with the deal including support from them as per this year.
Should Plato not move to WTCC next year with RML then I see him and Jackson being with RML/Chevy again next year. 888 I see buying the Vectras and running them but only 2 cars entered. |
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22 Aug 2009, 08:57 (Ref:2525972) | #47 | |
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Plato's said before he doesn't want to do the WTCC as it means a lot of time away from home from his family and it would also get in the way of his TV work (which I guess he see's as long term for him)
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22 Aug 2009, 08:59 (Ref:2525975) | #48 | |
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I don't see Chevrolet joining the BTCC, from a marketing point of view it makes no sense for them to do so. The programme is paid for by Chevrolet Europe, which despite the name is a Far Eastern brand (Daewoo re-badged). They are more interested in getting the brand know internationally than concentrating on the UK market.
Likewise I see no reason why Plato and/or Jackson would become Chevy WTCC drivers next year. They aren't driving for Chevrolet, they are paying RML to run the cars for them. At the start of the season RML and Chevrolet made it very clear that whatever deal RML had done locally was in no way connected with the works WTCC programme. |
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22 Aug 2009, 10:15 (Ref:2526005) | #49 | |||
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The best thing would be an F1 team of course, but probably way out of budget. The second best thing would be to get their car off the 'reasonably priced car' segment on Top Gear if they want the Cruze taken seriously! |
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22 Aug 2009, 10:24 (Ref:2526013) | #50 | |||
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F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real (A.Priaulx) Stubborn As A Mule No Fear - No Limits - No Equal |
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