Lola still wants in

[macdaddy]

http://www.autosport.com/newsitem.asp?id=20106&s=18

Lola is planning a new bid to be allowed to supply chassis to the Indy Racing League for the 2004 season and beyond.

Lola owner Martin Birrane is upbeat about his company's chances of selling chassis in the formula. "We had a line of teams queuing for our car," he said. "Now they've bought elsewhere, but bigger teams may feel we've done enough to warrant investing in our car for 2004."

[I Ate Yoko Ono]

It's hard to imagine why, of all organisations, Lola were unsuccessful in their 2003 bid for chassis supply. Was it price? Was it to give the MK chassis a year and thereby a chance of selling a competititive chassis?

Lola of all people could wipe the floor with the others. Since the demise of Reynard they fly the flag for British off the shelf chassis consruction and sales and it would be criminal to deny them the opportunity to compete against Dallara of Italy, G-Force of West Sussex, England (where I grew up) or MK of the US.

Once Lola are in I can see them destroying the opposition and turning things into a one make formula on merit alone and I wish them all the best.

I understand one of the stalling points in negotiation was that the car could not carry over one single feature of their CART chassis (inter series rivalry gone mad!). Perhaps it was thsi inter-series competition, rather than cost, or giving MK a chance, that made the final decision to exclude Lola from 2003 chassis supply so final.

I can't help feeling though that it was a little anti-Brit jealousy and a hope of MK success in the best traditions of "The USA believes in free trade as long as a US company wins the contract" that swung the decision.

I hope Lola slay Dallara/MK/G-Force chassi'd teams in 2004

[Muzza]

Originally posted by I Ate Yoko Ono
It's hard to imagine why, of all organisations, Lola were unsuccessful in their 2003 bid for chassis supply

Lola was simply framed by Tony George's anti-CART wrath.

IRL stated in the press communiqué about Lola dismissal that the reasons for disqualifying the British manufacturer were based on concerns that “the company [Lola] would not have the resources to supply the category [the IRL] as it is involved in another series” (I edited the text of the official press release for clarity reasons).

The IRL was hinted that Lola had considered using parts common to “another series” (CART) – whereas Lola has adamantly rebuffed these accusations. Lola had been quite careful on the design of its IRL car to avoid been caught on this rule, and that’s why the company is so disappointed with the IRL. It is rumoured that Lola has spent so far USD 3,700,000 in the design and bidding process.

Lola is bringing this issue back to the frontburner as it has lost quite some business perspectives for 2003. As CART froze up its rules for the next season, Lola lost a significant sort of revenue.

And with Audi looking more and more likely to sell most of its R8 fleet (*), there will be not many Lola sold to sportscar teams either.

(*) note: despite all messages that we have seen in the different Ten Tenths fora on this concern – several of them posted by myself – Audi is yet to confirm that it will indeed sell R8s to Prost, Rahal, Konrad, Goh and other teams that are knocking on its doors. The only team confirmed to have obtained a (second, as they already race one) unit is Champion.

[I Ate Yoko Ono]

Muzza,

I didn't realise about the Audi thing. Recent events in CART/IRL/ALMS etc have really damaged their core business.

They made some press releases recently about how they are diversifying into non motor racing areas such as defence. Perhaps this explains why.

[MaxSport]

It is not a anti Brit thing. It was an anti-CART and Carl Haas issue for TG.

KM