Pan-American Formula Renault V6 - Page 6

Mr Jinxx · 25 Mar 2005, 17:49 (Ref:1261631)

Not quite, Jester ... Ben Clucas was supposed to be testing for the "Sunshine State Renault 2000 shoot-out", not the V6. This FR2000 event was to be a 3 race affair, at Homestead, where the winning driver and FR2000 team won $70k and free tyres, etc

Regrettably, things have taken another unfortunate turn, in that this Renault 2000 event has been cancelled, and therefore it is not economic for Team AKA to hire the circuit exclusively, so the Team AKA V6 shoot-out has also had to be cancelled/postponed. They were merely fitting in a few test sessions round the FR2000 2/3 day event.

I'm sure Team AKA are feeling embarrassed about it, cos it looks bad, but this really isn't their fault. Bummer, though

racingdad · 25 Mar 2005, 18:10 (Ref:1261649)

Images of Breweries and p***-ups spring to mind

foreversideways · 25 Mar 2005, 18:58 (Ref:1261693)

AKA. just give the drives to Alex and Danny and be done with it.

Mr Jinxx · 26 Mar 2005, 01:31 (Ref:1262035)

Would that it were so easy. That would be the arse-kicking team, no doubt,

mrinvader · 26 Mar 2005, 02:26 (Ref:1262047)

I agree with foreversidesways!!

littleman · 26 Mar 2005, 11:37 (Ref:1262231)

If Alex and Danny had budgets, they'd be snapped up by virtually every team you'd care to name and both be championship contenders. Alex was bang on it in FRenault & F3000 and the McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year. Watts has already won two championships, F3 races and runs at the front in anything he drives. He's also won at Macau,developed the Lola into a race winner and has loads of experience racing against the best drivers of his generation.You can't go wrong with these two!

foreversideways · 26 Mar 2005, 18:49 (Ref:1262449)

Dead right. The pair of them would clean up over there and also a great chance to perhaps carve a career out in the States where it appears that companies do have money and are prepared to spend it, so they can choose the drivers instead of it just being the guys with money who get the drives. Lots of examples of good europeans doing well in America and even comming back to GP.

Mr Jinxx · 29 Mar 2005, 12:45 (Ref:1264240)

Latest news

28 Mar 2005

Cancellation of Homestead-Miami event.

It is with regret that we have to announce the cancellation of the above event.

At the close of business on Thursday, March 24 we had received a disappointing level of commitment for the event despite an unprecedented
amount of prizes; approximately US $70,000 for the winner, plus update kits worth US$10,000 each for the top finishing teams.

The total prize budget was anticipated to reach US$120,000 for the FR2000 Shootout, for a field of 25 cars. Unfortunately, at the end of the week, we had only received 4 entries with a further 4 promised or expected.

The purpose of this race / test was to create a positive environment for the PanAm Formula Renault Series. However, with this low level of interest, it did not make financial sense for the Series to host the event, which would have entailed an investment of nearly $200,000 for staffing, track rental, and prizes.

The decision to cancel and replace this event was based on this.
Unfortunately those who do believe in the series and had made commitments to run with us were the ones affected.

Regarding V6, of many drivers who had expressed interest in the test, only a small number had made their commitments to the teams that were actually participating in the test.

For a number of the confirmed V6 teams with drivers, the time scale involved in transporting the cars from Europe to North America made it impossible for them to place their cars on the track for this test.

We believe the poor response was largely due to the significant amount of scepticism from to the history of the series in North America. No doubt many were waiting to see the V6 and FR2000 cars running before moving forward with their plans.

Despite the cancellation of this event, we are committed to the success of the Series, and feel as though the Series will be able to use the savings from the cancellation to continue to move the series forward.

We deeply regret the situation and understand the frustration of our teams and competitors, but feel as though this was the best decision for the
Series.

We are currently working on an alternate plan, to benefit those who wish to compete.

Fan · 29 Mar 2005, 12:57 (Ref:1264250)

Ah bugger. What's next for Alex Mr Jinxx?

Mike.ca · 29 Mar 2005, 21:05 (Ref:1264662)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Jinxx

We believe the poor response was largely due to the significant amount of scepticism from to the history of the series in North America. No doubt many were waiting to see the V6 and FR2000 cars running before moving forward with their plans.

Is cancelling Homestead the way to dispell skepticism about the PanAm series or will it reinforce that skepticism? Will those who remember the previous management's pattern of promises made = promises broken see this as confirmation that the new management is no better than the old?

When I first read about the new series, I was very enthusiastic. I've seen the FR2000s in action. They provide great racing. All they need is a well run series to showcase them. The V-6s look like they could provide some spectacular racing. So why aren't people joining up? I suppose the bad smell left behind by the prevoius management is part of it. I don't think the new group did itself any favours by announcing that it would race at the Canadian GP then cancelling the date. The GP weekend is a major showcase for all of the drivers and a major selling point with sponsors. Losing it created a bad impression.

Although the FR2000 and FRV6 series are relatively inexpensive, drivers and teams who want to compete in them will still need a fair bit of money. For all but a lucky few, that means sponsorship. Is this a series that appeals to sponsors? A sponsor's return on investment is never that great with feeder series. With Canada-US-Mexico or a South and Central American series you would at least have have an integrated market. I don't know about Latin American sponsors, but it's hard to see the ROI for most Canadian and American firms with regard to the races in Costa Rica, Argentina and Brazil. It would be tough to sell the series to a Canadian sponsor with only two races here. It would be an even tougher sell to an American sponsor with one date. I wonder how many Canadian and American drivers actually had rides lined up for the two series?

North America is overloaded with feeder series. FR2000 has a tough competitor in FBMW. The V6 series has a good window this year with Toyota Atlantic's problems (BTW, it's rumoured that Toyota is planning a new 400-450 HP version of T-A for 2006). Both series have to establish their credibility quickly and get some of the better known rising stars from the countries they're racing in on board quickly. I don't know if they've done that. Cancelling Homestead (which has led some people to wonder if the series will collapse) won't help.

foreversideways · 30 Mar 2005, 15:18 (Ref:1265378)

Organising P**s ups in breweries springs to mind here.

Boro · 30 Mar 2005, 17:32 (Ref:1265500)

There's a huge stink over at www.panamracing.com.

Wait, correction, there WAS a huge stink. Whomever was manning the forums over there decide to just wipe out the entire thread that was discussing someone's complaints on the late notification of the event cancellation.

Mike.ca · 30 Mar 2005, 17:48 (Ref:1265513)

Wiping out all of the questions and criticism from the publicly accessible forums - yes, that's how you restore credibility

. I saw some of those messages before they were censored. One was from one of the people who didn't know that Homestead was cancelled until he showed up there. He wanted to know if there would be any compensation for the time and money he had wasted. No response. I wonder what's being said on the teams-only forum?

Boro · 31 Mar 2005, 02:33 (Ref:1265866)

I think that thread we saw was moved to the private area.

which makes the rest of the forum a waste of space IMO.

newoutsider · 31 Mar 2005, 07:43 (Ref:1265975)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreversideways

Organising P**s ups in breweries springs to mind here.

Excuse me, I said that last week!

foreversideways · 31 Mar 2005, 22:38 (Ref:1266684)

My appologies new outsider, i had missed that one but great minds do truly think alike.

newoutsider · 1 Apr 2005, 15:00 (Ref:1267206)

That's OK mate - as you say, great minds think alike (or is just such an utter shambles)

Redracer77 · 1 Apr 2005, 15:08 (Ref:1267214)

Is the Championship cancelled or just the test - If it is cancelled will Alex and Danny get the £4,000 back from Silverstone as they paid that is good faith for getting a free drive and if the free drive does not happen then.........

Kicking-back · 1 Apr 2005, 15:48 (Ref:1267257)

They say the championship is going ahead.

DEADDUCK · 1 Apr 2005, 15:56 (Ref:1267263)

With how many drivers and teams I wonder.............

DEADDUCK · 11 Apr 2005, 15:44 (Ref:1275609)

It has gone very quiet about this championship and the shoot out.

Marcel ten Caat · 11 Apr 2005, 18:40 (Ref:1275742)

The list with interested drivers is impressive though

http://www.panamv6.com/drivers.php

Some weird nationalities for several drivers though.

Peter Sundberg Spanish? Sarah Kavanagh French?

mrinvader · 11 Apr 2005, 18:58 (Ref:1275760)

This was released before Pan-Am's little problem.

Net-Ranger · 11 Apr 2005, 19:24 (Ref:1275791)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEADDUCK

It has gone very quiet about this championship and the shoot out.

I still think that Renault pick the wrong people and a wrong aproach to organize the series...

If the series is pan-american oriented, they have to consider about the economic situation of the latin-american region, they are not a lot of drivers/teams capable of made the investment to made the series(Cars, Transportation,logistics, spares, etc), and i am not talking only of the V6 series, also the FR2000 as well, also the marketing issue, because Renault not sell in USA/Canada region, and almost all the teams are from that region

Corona Cup Series (Mexican Formula Renault 2000/Clio Cup Mexico) enjoys a big success in Mexico, the series itself prove to be a big asset in marketing and sales for Renault in Mexico, just have to take a look to their sales numbers of last year(they are selling Renaults like hot-cakes), as well was for CORONA and other sponsors like Nextel, this year the series and Renault Mexico announce the addition of the FR1600 to the Corona Cup series

This year they will expand their operation to central-america region under the aprove of Renault, the philosophy that the series oficials are applying is one very simple, just contain costs, give the chance to drivers/teams to compete under the same rules that use in Europe with razonable costs according the economic situation of the region, this rule has prove to be a success in Mexico, and if you add to that the support that Renault will give to the series in Mexico and in the other countries where Renault is present and where they will host races(Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala)

Right now Corona Cup has between 10 and 15 mexican drivers confirmed and several from central-america region, also the FR1600 has already quite a few mexican drivers confirmed and again several central-american drivers with the intention to race on, but it's not the end, also we have to add the good number of mexican drivers in the Clio Cup and again...several foreign with the intention to race in the Clios

A V6 series is not even been considered for the Corona Cup oficials, simply because they are not teams/drivers in Mexico or central-american region, maybe with the excepcion of 2 or 3, capable of operate the costs of such cars and their logistics.

e12 · 13 Apr 2005, 13:22 (Ref:1277164)

Net-Ranger-

What are some of the teams that compete in the FR2000 in the Corona Cup?