2008 ALMS rumours

[canam]

Originally Posted by SebringMG

Intersport are the closest to being competitive but really could do with persuading Richard Berry to step away from the vehicle.....

Without Mr Berry's cash, Intersport would not be racing. Simple. It is so easy to throw stones when you are not under pressure to make it (a full season of racing) happen. Look at Cytosport. Without Mr Pickett, it would not be here either yet if he stepped away from the car, they would be truly competitive.

[The Badger]

Whatever happened to Bananna Joe's sponsorship , didnt Field own that ?

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Whatever happened to Bananna Joe's sponsorship , didnt Field own that ?

Yes they also own Marshel Fields Department stores.

For the best interest of the Field's companies, it was decided to not use company money but their own Fields family money and get sponsorship money from AN OTHER COMPANY.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Yes they also own Marshel Fields Department stores.

Is that a big department store . I used to spend a lot of time up in Wisconsin , dont remember seeing one of those . Feild is from Ohio or ?

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Is that a big department store . I used to spend a lot of time up in Wisconsin , dont remember seeing one of those . Feild is from Ohio or ?

YES. Fields is from Ohio. There use to be a huge MARSHAL FIELDS department store in Downtown Milwaukee on Wisconsin Ave.
I grew up in Wisconsin.

[The Badger]

Ooooyaaaaahh ...... a real cheesehead !!! I used to be quite a lot around the Greenbay area , never made it down to Milwaukee . Had some nice beer there too , Leinenkugel or something like that . Never did get to see Elkhart lake either .

Who says all American beer is like water !!!

[canam]

Originally Posted by The Badger

They finished 3rd actually . Which would have been hard "not" to do with respect to the competition they had . Intersport swapped from LMP2 into LMP1 , didnt they ?

They got an invite cuz only one car from each team/championship gets a free by . But well done to them .

I think Mike Lewis was referring to Autocon (the team) finishing P2 in LMP1...as it did...not the position of a particular car or driver entry.

[The Badger]

Im thinking that Creation wont get 2 entries for LM . On past results they really havent done very much . So you may see 1 Creation and 1 Autocon ?

Just my 2 pence is all .

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Ooooyaaaaahh ...... a real cheesehead !!! I used to be quite a lot around the Greenbay area , never made it down to Milwaukee . Had some nice beer there too , Leinenkugel or something like that . Never did get to see Elkhart lake either .

Who says all American beer is like water !!!

Yes, Cheese heads, Wisconsin Brautwerst and Leinenkugel. GREAT BEER The Wisconsin's beers are OLD German style beers and brewed from recipes of the old German brewers that immigrated from Germany to Wisconsin.

Green Bay is only 100 km north of Road America ( Elkhart Lake Wis ), if that.

Did my first three races on Road America in 1978. Planning on getting back there this coming Aug to watch the ALMS race and put on a Driving school the two days after the ALMS race weekend.

[The Badger]

Johnsonville Brats and Leinenkugel ..... cant beat that !!!

I was sitting in the cab of the Johnsonville 40 foot grill trailer at Sebring in 2003 . The drivers name was Dale , If you ever come across him at an event , say Hi from me . Thats what I ate for a week .....

I must admit , Le Mans has a few things to learn about track food !!!

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Johnsonville Brats and Leinenkugel ..... cant beat that !!!

I was sitting in the cab of the Johnsonville 40 foot grill trailer at Sebring in 2003 . The drivers name was Dale , If you ever come across him at an event , say Hi from me . Thats what I ate for a week .....

I must admit , Le Mans has a few things to learn about track food !!!

Man after my own heart.

I dont live in Wisconsin any more and I can get J-ville brats here, but I have good freinds up near the j-ville plant that sends me several dozen packages of FRESH brats a few times a year.

Now if I could only get fresh Leinies


YES ppl FRESH Brats off a grill, Fresh BEER that is RACE FOOD. . . . Ok as a spectotor, not a driver. But still great food.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by joeb

Well, that depends on what you mean 'fairly competitive'. There was an interview with Mike Lewis in 2007 in a San Diego newspaper and he said his team has little chance of winning with the $1-$2million budget they work with on the Autocon team. That being said, they did finish 2nd in ALMS P1.......

But if you had a dozen P1 entries, they'd have an intense battle to be the best of the privateers, giving them some motivation and interest.

As it is, they're competing against themselves, that must be hard.

In the LMS the Lola Aston has genuine aspirations of competing with Audi and Peugeot, the Charouz/Cytosport Lola will be looking for top six positions, maybe a podium, while Chamberlains aspirations will be a little lower, but all will have 3-4 competitors who are on a similar level, maintaining interest, and possibly attracting more teams with differing levels of competitivness.

[TWK]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Whatever happened to Bananna Joe's sponsorship , didnt Field own that ?

Mostly, if not all, shut down.

[TWK]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Yes they also own Marshel Fields Department stores.

For the best interest of the Field's companies, it was decided to not use company money but their own Fields family money and get sponsorship money from AN OTHER COMPANY.

Wrong. They have nothing to do with Marshall Field's (now Macy's) and they never have.. Duncan Dayton has more to do with Marshall Field's than the owners of Intersport do, and that's no longer anything at all.

So, wherever you got that song and dance about "...it was decided not to use..." you got a load of hogwash...I'd ask for my money back, if I were you. That's an oddly authoritative statement for having no relation to reality at all.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by TWK

W

So, wherever you got that song and dance about "...it was decided not to use..." you got a load of hogwash...I'd ask for my money back, if I were you. That's an oddly authoritative statement for having no relation to reality at all.

Have a nice day.

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by canam

Without Mr Berry's cash, Intersport would not be racing. Simple. It is so easy to throw stones when you are not under pressure to make it (a full season of racing) happen. Look at Cytosport. Without Mr Pickett, it would not be here either yet if he stepped away from the car, they would be truly competitive.

Yes I know Mr. Berry writes the checks that STILL doesn't mean he needs to DRIVE THE CAR! Fund a driver, other rich people do it!

ALMS does not have the NASCAR tie-end so sponsorships like Castrol, Ruby Tuesday (which is no better than Marshall Field in terms of size IMHO) Target and other sponsorships. However Tracy Kron spends quite a bit of money on his DP operation and still drives the car, but has a lead car that goes for victories.

There is no magic "fix" to the problem. Th simple and hard answer is to sit all these people down and say look, if you're going to own a P1/P2 team it has to be on pace. If that means you vacate the car, then so be it.

Problem is Rich People can't be told what to do with be their money, so you make a speed rule, you have to be within 1% of Pole time or something, that is a rule they used to have in F1.

ALMS needs one like that.

You wouldn't miss them anyway save for the paddock when its time to talk to teams, drivers and get autographs and that's understandable, but on TV, we never see them, unless they cause an accident....

[TWK]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Have a nice day.

You're quite welcome for the advice, of course. I would think you would be very, very happy to know that your source for that is really questionable. I know I'd want to get that feedback. Don't you?

It would make me think twice about using such information the next time.

I would expect that you really want to know about the veracity of your information. I know I do.

[Option1]

Originally Posted by dj4monie

Yes I know Mr. Berry writes the checks that STILL doesn't mean he needs to DRIVE THE CAR! Fund a driver, other rich people do it!

ALMS does not have the NASCAR tie-end so sponsorships like Castrol, Ruby Tuesday (which is no better than Marshall Field in terms of size IMHO) Target and other sponsorships. However Tracy Kron spends quite a bit of money on his DP operation and still drives the car, but has a lead car that goes for victories.

There is no magic "fix" to the problem. Th simple and hard answer is to sit all these people down and say look, if you're going to own a P1/P2 team it has to be on pace. If that means you vacate the car, then so be it.

Problem is Rich People can't be told what to do with be their money, so you make a speed rule, you have to be within 1% of Pole time or something, that is a rule they used to have in F1.

ALMS needs one like that.

You wouldn't miss them anyway save for the paddock when its time to talk to teams, drivers and get autographs and that's understandable, but on TV, we never see them, unless they cause an accident....

I'm left speechless by this. Simply stunned by such ...

Nicest thing I can say is that you might like to put aside the emotion and think it all through again.

Neil

[TWK]

Originally Posted by Option1

I'm left speechless by this. Simply stunned by such ...

Nicest thing I can say is that you might like to put aside the emotion and think it all through again.

Neil

Why? As far as I know, rich or not, owner or not, George Steinbrenner never played third base for the Yankees.

Why should owners always be forgiven for the delusion that they know how to drive. With the racing world filled with Andy Wallaces, and Allan McNish's, and Romain Dumas', and Dindo Capellos, then why should we put up with bozos that "have to play fricken third base."

Not me - I'll never put up with them. They're all a bunch of bores, and represent everything that is wrong with this sport at its professional level...fine if they want to drive in the minor leagues, but when they get in a car, crash spin out, take out real drivers when I've paid $75 for a ticket for something that I have a right to expect is a true professional sports event? Then, yes, it's personal.

For the arguement that "we need them for the survival of the sport," then screw it, it doesn't deserve to survive.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by TWK

Wrong. They have nothing to do with Marshall Field's (now Macy's) and they never have.. Duncan Dayton has more to do with Marshall Field's than the owners of Intersport do, and that's no longer anything at all.

So, wherever you got that song and dance about "...it was decided not to use..." you got a load of hogwash...I'd ask for my money back, if I were you. That's an oddly authoritative statement for having no relation to reality at all.

Who rattled your cage ? A bit over the top TWK .....

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by TWK

Why? As far as I know, rich or not, owner or not, George Steinbrenner never played third base for the Yankees.

Why should owners always be forgiven for the delusion that they know how to drive. With the racing world filled with Andy Wallaces, and Allan McNish's, and Romain Dumas', and Dindo Capellos, then why should we put up with bozos that "have to play fricken third base."

Not me - I'll never put up with them. They're all a bunch of bores, and represent everything that is wrong with this sport at its professional level...fine if they want to drive in the minor leagues, but when they get in a car, crash spin out, take out real drivers when I've paid $75 for a ticket for something that I have a right to expect is a true professional sports event? Then, yes, it's personal.

For the arguement that "we need them for the survival of the sport," then screw it, it doesn't deserve to survive.

TWK and CMK my favorites!

I didn't forget you Bob...

Why do poor people love Rich people? This not off-topic....

Yes I believe ALMS is viewed as "bit less than" professional from the outside.

Until your like Justin Wilson and jump behind the wheel of a car from a better than decent operation and find yourself running no better than 4th or 5th, with no "Sebass" in sight...

At the very top, you'll be hard pressed to find a better set of teams and drivers in all of motorsport.

Its the "middle" and the "end" that are my problem.

Dyson and Field kids aren't far off the pace, but they are far enough off the pace that they get in the way most of the time. Why should that be acceptable to fans?

How many times will you see "shaken fist" before you see "Your Number 1" on TV because one of these "rich people" got into the way again?

Autocon should be FUN at Le Mans, I just hope they don't kill themselves.

Greg Pickett understands his limitations, he is a racer first, business man second. I bet he'll put in some early stints in the day time, try not to get too far behind and one stint at night and I bet you he'll never touch the car again at Le Mans...

Your a FAN, how is this NOT personal?

I want to see the ALMS crush GARRA (they are in the way) they are more relevant than OWR & IRL at this point and more closely aligned with what you see on the roads of America and Europe.

Why let a couple of "Gentleman Drivers" cause the discussion to always turn into "let them play" & "let them be competitive"?

We have enough "human interest" stories but none here because is anybody struggling to pay their bills???

So I again pose the question -

Why Do Poor People love Rich People?

[Adam43]

Oh what a friendly forum we have. You'd never guess we were all fans of the same thing.

Thread Closed.