Little & SBR part ways

[barra]

It is now official that Campbell Little has finished with SBR to join another race team in 2004. Campbell has finished with the team now, and won't be partaking any further testing or racing with the team.
No word on where he is going, but logic would have to say 888.

[Vee8]

Just heard it's definitely 888.

[smithers]

Can we make any interpretations with this info in regards to 888 drivers for next year?

[GTRMagic]

http://www.v8supercar.com.au/news/la...y.asp?gid=8974

Interesting.....

[tiko]

So maybe the Ambrose/Little move to 888 for 2004 wasn't just a rumour that allegidly started in the Holden Motorsport camp to unsettle the SBR operation...

[jetsetter]

It's going to be interesting to see what unfolds regarding the make up of the 888 team for next year.

[Onlooker]

I thought that C Little had said that he wanted to wait untill the season was over??????????

[GTRMagic]

Congratulations to Mr Kruk, again a brilliant motorsport strategy gone wrong. You have learned from the master well.

Paying 888 a motza to stay with the Ford brand, and allowing that team to use that small fortune to hurt the current (and still not over the line) championship contender is a very clever move.

If Ford loses the series at Eastern Creek, the buck must stop with you! And Ford fans have every right to expect your head on a platter.

Well done to all. The buck stops with Kruk!

[Conrod Kieron]

Originally posted by tiko
So maybe the Ambrose/Little move to 888 for 2004 wasn't just a rumour that allegidly started in the Holden Motorsport camp to unsettle the SBR operation...

We already knew that the Cambell Little part wasn't a rumour, it appears to me someone decided to tack the Ambrose rumour onto the CL story in an attempt to destabilise him which is rather unsporting.

[jetsetter]

Kieron, ever thought that the Ambrose part of the rumour is true as well & that they may go to 888 as a package. I agree with GTR that if Ford lose the championship Kruk will have to take sole responsibility.

[Conrod Kieron]

I'm not an insider, and don't get all the gossip beside from here and on TV so I only going by what I have seen/heard jetsetter.
Little at GC confirmed he was being chased by 888, Ambrose said he wasn't then a post on a forum says that the Ambrose rumour came from someone under the Holden badge. So i'm prepared to believe this story atm.

Did Kruk give 888 the go ahead to chase Little? if not was he aware 888 were after him?

[GTRMagic]

Ford supplied the cash to 888 to spend on their race team. Prior to the Ford involvement with this team, 888 received Ford parts assistance, as offered to other private teams running that brand.

Thinking broadly, if a team was already able to operate with the commercial funded from Betta/LG/Sunbeam, any new, additional funding would logically be spent on fast tracking new car developments in the team.

So the logical immediate choice for a team with a mountain of technical equipment & expertise based in the UK, and with this new influx of funding from the motor manufacturer, would be to find the local equivalent of Ludovic Lacroix to head up the team here on a full time basis. Which the team's owners mentioned in the press recently as being a front of mind goal for immediate satisfaction.

Now it is highly unlikely there would be accomodation in the regular Betta/LG/Sunbeam budget to afford a mega-engineer, and the costs that come with that, especially at the reported numbers from AA/MN. Which means that the Ford cash would be the device that enabled 888 to activate this plan

Now whether Ford were specifically aware that 888 were going after Campbell Little, or indeed Eric Pender, Wally Storey, Rob Starr, Oscar Fiorinotto, Greg Wheeler or indeed John Russell, they had to be aware of the dynamics of what I have just described, and being a business partner of 888, known first hand of 888's immediate intentions. If they were unaware, then it shows a level of ignorance bordering on naivete.

Some commercial transactions occurred in late October to suggest that SBR has had knowledge of this change for some time prior. Has this been the distraction that has impacted their championship assault in recent rounds? It is more than possible.

[Conrod Kieron]

Is Ford actually a business partner with 888 or simply a sponsor?
I could see your point if it where applied to FPR. I can't see Kruk being very happy about it, but if he is not involved in the running of 888 then he can't stop it happening, it would be interesting to here Kruks view.

Are those Oct transactions Ford to 888 money?

[GTRMagic]

A sponsor is a business partner when you get in as heavily as the dollars would suggest. They dont have equity, but as a major commercial supporter would have a surprising level of influence. Or indeed should have. Maybe that is the issue.

The release in AA last week suggesting Mr Kruk was pleading with the teams to leave SBR staff alone until after the season supports the Machiavellian intrigue of the new deal.

[Wizzby]

Hmmmm, that'll make it rather interesting....

[kiwi_flier]

guess the odds of Ambrose winning champioship arent as good today as they were yesterday when Little was still apart of SBR........

And after such a promising year for it to potentially end up like this is very very dissapointing for all ford fans.

[Grimace]

Devastating !

[TSR]

It is a shame, but these things do happen remember the OF left ooMotorsport to go to TDR. It will be interesting to see how SBR bounce back from this, and I reckon it's not what MA and RS wanted b4 the most important race of the year. Plus how will this affect SBR in 04.

[GTRMagic]

At least Oscar had the decency to plan his departure at season's end, and most certainly not at a crucial point in the championship.

Everyone is ultimately replaceable, but the timing stinks to high heaven.

[TSR]

YES true GTR, but this is not the first time Mr Little hasleft on team to go to another, remember he was employed by BH BMW and move to PMMS for a little while I think b4 going to SBR. Could he be heading to DJR instead of 888 in 04

[GTRMagic]

The 888 thing is absolutely assured, as is the whopping great signon fee (courtesy of the Blue Oval). Quite a clever way to make a non-team owner a millionaire virtually overnight because of this transaction.

[prn 31]

Gees GTR you are making a lot of assumptions here. Lets not forget that Ford has ramped by SBR's kitty as well.

I suspect that the Stones operate a little like Frank Williams, not the biggest budget, an emphasis on engineering with plenty of depth and drivers who are racers more than stars - they will bounce back. As for the Championship I think its more of a mental thing for Marcus as opposed to an engineering issue, though Little's leaving may effect his confidence.

If GTR is to be believed, then the $$$ for 888's Eurostar second driver may well be out the window. I'm betting that canto may retain his seat - management have been talking him up of late.

[GTRMagic]

I am taking a relatively simplistic leap of faith here, and I understand that there are many people in an industry capacity on both sides of the fence that seem to concur with my assessment. Whether they are game to admit as much in public is for them to decide

[Alan Jones]

Jesus, what away to start the weekend.
I'm spewing.
After so long waiting for FORD to finally get back on the money and take the fight to the Lion, we are finally looking like a winner. Then along comes 888 and a bucket load of money and once again we're looking like yesterday's hero. I really hope that Marcus and SBR can rise above what must be a devestating moment in their careers and take out the title , regardless of Campbell's departure.

[kiwi_flier]

I so agree with Allan Jones......

97 was the last time ford won the Championship
98 was the last time ford won bathurst

2003 was the best chance ford had to win either of those, they came soo close at bothurst, please please ford dont doi the same and come 2nd in the championship !!! we need something to show off about to the holden supporters !!