Haas to run 2 in IRL: Newman - Page 6

Tim Northcutt · 1 Sep 2004, 20:19 (Ref:1084119)

I have read mentions in "Pit Notes" concerning Chevy not being happy...

But that's typical of GM...their problem is that they had virtually no competition in the first years of the Series and did not develop their product the way they should have....

and last year, the competition clearly had them beaten...badly....

IMO, they hve no one to blame but themselves for the lack of results....because everyone was working under the same parameters to create engines for the Series.....

They have more money than Honda or Toyota....they are the largest car company in the world, for crying out loud...

Guess you get out of it what you put into it....

mountainstar · 1 Sep 2004, 20:43 (Ref:1084144)

And that's the question. Are they willing to continue that kind of investment when the cost/benefit ratio does not add up?

Tim Northcutt · 1 Sep 2004, 20:49 (Ref:1084156)

Guess we'll just have to see what they do....

But it is apparent that the IRL won't give them the huge break that they gave them last season by allowing them to change to the Cosworth in mid-season...

Bottom Line:

GM needs to get it together....

If they leave the Series, I'm sure that the IRL will find a replacement for them....

macdaddy · 1 Sep 2004, 20:51 (Ref:1084158)

I'm not-so-sure, Tim.
As you mentioned, GM is the "biggest"...
And if they cannot keep up with Honda and Toyota...
Why would anybody else want to even try?
Beating those two manufacturers seems like a money-pit.

Tim Northcutt · 1 Sep 2004, 20:57 (Ref:1084166)

I would think that a deal with Judd...badged as an MG...because they want to return to North America...would be a start....

The same engine CART was going to go to before they did their about-face shortly after announcing it a couple of years ago...

Their 3.4 L V-8 that they run in sportscars is an excellent engine....

But GM also gets a lot of perks via the exposure it gets for all of the IRL pace cars, courtesy vehicles and safety unit trucks they have as that supplier for the Series....

There's plenty of benefits to be derived from staying as well....

macdaddy · 1 Sep 2004, 21:03 (Ref:1084176)

Excellent points, Tim. Speculation is half the fun!

Tim Northcutt · 1 Sep 2004, 21:06 (Ref:1084180)

Sure is, isn't it????

We'll see how all of this plays out at the end of the season and into next year...

mountainstar · 1 Sep 2004, 21:27 (Ref:1084195)

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
I would think that a deal with Judd...badged as an MG...because they want to return to North America...would be a start....

The same engine CART was going to go to before they did their about-face shortly after announcing it a couple of years ago...

Their 3.4 L V-8 that they run in sportscars is an excellent engine....

But GM also gets a lot of perks via the exposure it gets for all of the IRL pace cars, courtesy vehicles and safety unit trucks they have as that supplier for the Series....

There's plenty of benefits to be derived from staying as well....

MG is having financial problems again so the NA plans are off the table for now. Let's hope they survive anyways. Their BTCC and lemans programs really stirred some interest and sales but once they pulled the plug on that, they went downhill again.

The exposure it gets for the pace cars etc. is minimal.

Tim Northcutt · 1 Sep 2004, 21:36 (Ref:1084206)

Guess we won't know until Chevy announces their plans, will we???

macdaddy · 1 Sep 2004, 21:56 (Ref:1084221)

Quote:

The exposure it gets for the pace cars etc. is minimal.

I got to be thinking about this, too. And I must agree with mountainstar here. The costs of developing and running in this (or any) series must be astronomical. Having sole rights to the pacecars seems insignificant in light of that. It's not like they get alot of TV exposure, yellows are often spent on commercial breaks, and even when they're not the cameras don't tend to focus on the pacecar.

Nor do the fans, really. Ask me what car paced any of the races I've been to, and you'll stump me.

It's a perk, needless to say, but I can't imagine that it would offset the enormous costs.

Toyota and Honda, historically, have a bitter rivalry. Not only ontrack, but in the boardrooms. They seem willing to dump mega-dollars into any project, just so long as they can beat the other. It's not as if GM has been spending peanuts here, they've been spending everything that headoffice has allotted them. I'm no marketing expert, but I have a hard time seeing how they're getting value for their dollar.

911gt1 · 2 Sep 2004, 01:07 (Ref:1084324)

Quote:

Originally posted by MLM
But wasn't there enough time or time ran out to make a deal with Lilly for 2004 because OWRS was rather late in forming?
Wasn't it like something that Lilly had to have their advertising budget in place and Haas couldn't cut a deal with them in time because of the delay in settling up the bankruptcy hearing?

You have that right. I'd expect to see the third NH car in Cialis colors next year with da Matta driving.

MLM · 2 Sep 2004, 01:43 (Ref:1084342)

Like macdaddy said...speculation is half the fun. And, IMO, there are some fairly astute members here@ten-tenths.

Which makes it even more fun, IMHO

Russfeld · 3 Sep 2004, 19:59 (Ref:1086267)

Lilly is out, had nothing to do with the politics of last year.

MLM · 3 Sep 2004, 20:49 (Ref:1086311)

Do we know that for sure?

Kicking-back · 3 Sep 2004, 20:53 (Ref:1086314)

Russfeld will know that for sure, yes.

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