Greg Murphy...The New Ford Saviour...

[retro]

linky...

Murphy urges Ford to poach V8 drivers
August 21, 2009 - 5:34PM

Despite welcoming Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup to the Holden fold, veteran driver Greg Murphy says their defection will create a lopsided V8 Supercars competition and has urged Ford to do some big name poaching of their own.

"I am a little bit shocked that it leaves a pretty one-sided championship which is a little bit disappointing. It's not what I want the championship to be," Murphy told AAP.

"I am interested to see what Ford counters with.

"It would be great if Ford decided to start chasing some Holden teams but it remains to be seen."

[STEALTHY]

Whincup and Lowndes for Murphy. ****ing epic deal Holdens way!

Ford can have the whinger

[bluesport]

Good on Murph for speaking up......as it stands for 2010 the category is a joke!

[sjames]

Maybe, but in all honesty i don't think any of the holden teams could do a better job the SBR, FPR & DJR, with exception of maybe TWR and and that wilol never happen and wouldn't be welcomed by ford fans if it did. If ford are to do anything maybe they need to find another 888, bring in another international engineering group with much greater resources than can funded soley through V8's, Penske racing anyone?

[Pro Racer]

while he is 100% right i hope he dosn't go as he is my favourite and i'm Holden through and through.

[retro]

It will be interesting to see if this brings about any more discussion from the other teams/drivers over the weekend...

[Pro Racer]

i feel if Ford wanted anymore teams or didn't give a flying **** if they lost any they would of made an off to 888 who are afterall the best in pitlane.

[retro]

Originally Posted by Pro Racer

i feel if Ford wanted anymore teams or didn't give a flying **** if they lost any they would of made an off to 888 who are after all the best in pitlane.

I think what Murph is mainly addressing is the imbalance in the number cars now...

How much would it cost to poach GRM over compared to signing T8....[just a thought].

[Chris - Melb]

Originally Posted by bluesport

Good on Murph for speaking up......as it stands for 2010 the category is a joke!

Relax a bit bluesport. Sure there will be many more Commodores next year, but the vast majority of them have got no hope of winning a race fair and square.

Even this year, the lower half of the result sheet contains mostly Commodores.

Next year the potential Holden winners are probably HRT cars x2, 888 x2 and Garry Rogers x2, 6 cars in total. Maybe the Kellys should be put in there, but not yet.

If the FPR/SBR alliance is successful, then we will have FBR x2, SBR x 2 and DJR x 2, 6 cars in total, so there should to be 'parity', or close to it.

It is popular to bag FPR now, but remember that it was one of the teams to beat just 12 months ago. I am sure they have not 'forgotten how to win' (I hate that cliche!), so give them time.

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for Ford to 'buy' new teams or drivers. I think they are more concerned about not ending up backrupt like GM did.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by Chris - Melb

Relax a bit bluesport. Sure there will be many more Commodores next year, but the vast majority of them have got no hope of winning a race fair and square.

Even this year, the lower half of the result sheet contains mostly Commodores.

Next year the potential Holden winners are probably HRT cars x2, 888 x2 and Garry Rogers x2, 6 cars in total. Maybe the Kellys should be put in there, but not yet.

If the FPR/SBR alliance is successful, then we will have FBR x2, SBR x 2 and DJR x 2, 6 cars in total, so there should to be 'parity', or close to it.

It is popular to bag FPR now, but remember that it was one of the teams to beat just 12 months ago. I am sure they have not 'forgotten how to win' (I hate that cliche!), so give them time.

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for Ford to 'buy' new teams or drivers. I think they are more concerned about not ending up backrupt like GM did.

My greater concern is for Bathurst where a couple of accidents and a couple of mechanical failures could leave the blue side very thin by the end of the day. That's when the numbers count the most.

[DV_08]

If Ford didn't want to put up the $$$$ to keep 888 and DJR I couldn't see them spending any money to bring a Holden team over. The only possibilty would be if a good package was on offer that could move a team up the grid.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by Chris - Melb

It is popular to bag FPR now, but remember that it was one of the teams to beat just 12 months ago. I am sure they have not 'forgotten how to win' (I hate that cliche!), so give them time.

Guess i missed a season. Don't ever remember FPR winning race after race/championships.

Unless you were talking winterbottom, although its not like he was dominating.

[DarthFalcon]

It's about time the series had a bit of a shakeup, and one massive shakeup would be Ford pulling the plug completely...

[retro]

Originally Posted by bluesport

My greater concern is for Bathurst where a couple of accidents and a couple of mechanical failures could leave the blue side very thin by the end of the day. That's when the numbers count the most.

Good point...

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by DarthFalcon

It's about time the series had a bit of a shakeup, and one massive shakeup would be Ford pulling the plug completely...

That's a good point. If Ford aren't at least as equally determined as holden about winning, they may as well get out altogether and minimise the damage that losing will do to their sales.

[Chris - Melb]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

Guess i missed a season. Don't ever remember FPR winning race after race/championships...

I guess you did; because FPR had race wins at Eastern Creek, Barbagallo, Hidden Valley and Queensland Raceway - often multiple wins.

FPR finished second in a series with Winterbottom, ahead of HRT.

Anyway Ford fans, how about looking at the glass being half full, not half empty...

[Silver GT]

Originally Posted by Pro Racer

i feel if Ford wanted anymore teams or didn't give a flying **** if they lost any they would of made an off to 888 who are afterall the best in pitlane.

should that be " if Ford wanted to be serious about racing"

[rdmdog]

Originally Posted by bluesport

That's a good point. If Ford aren't at least as equally determined as holden about winning, they may as well get out altogether and minimize the damage that losing will do to their sales.

Hmmm, dropped the Fairlane, got rid of the Fairmont nameplate (G6E = WTF?) 4 Cyl Falcon on the way (while there is a very viable V6TD engine (in current Landrover) that may even make it's way into the Terror-tree.

Any wonder they are loosing out here.

If Ford were to pull it, there would only really be an effect on four cars and then they could choose to try for Maccas sponsorship!

[TSR]

Originally Posted by retro

I think what Murph is mainly addressing is the imbalance in the number cars now...

How much would it cost to poach GRM over compared to signing T8....[just a thought].

Even though I am not his number 1 fan, this is the truest thing to come out of his mouth, Well SAID. And as I mentioned in another thread, imagne what the grid at next years Grand Prix is going to look like, very lobsided.

The T888 move has turned me off the taxi series, and I know alot of other people feel the same.

[Just Do It!]

"Pick me, Ford, pick me!!" or that's a bit how the intention sounds

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by TSR

The T888 move has turned me off the taxi series, and I know alot of other people feel the same.

Must say I feel pretty much the same , when Lowndes went out I thought "So What" -- when Whingecup started sliding on Tanders oil I thought "bin it" - I was hoping for a win for Courtney = all pretty sad for a mostly Ford supporter / sort of feel sorry for Lowndes as I don't thing he wanted to move from Ford and his support base is a bit shaky at the moment .
Lots of open space left at Willowbank today would suggest crowds are way down and I would suspect that the 888 defection has a fair bit to do with it.

[TS-Fitty]

The T888 move has turned me off the taxi series, and I know alot of other people feel the same.[/QUOTE]



Crap! All of these so called "other" people that are turned off the V8's is bull#$!@. Crowd numbers are up at most rounds, the V8 Supercars are just as popular as ever. The only people that will lose interest is a few Ford sooks that are having a dummy spit and most of them will get over it. If crowd numbers are down in Qld, it's because of the pedestrian racing circuit and poor standard facilities. There is a few whingers posting on various forums that they wont watch the series next year, they are all Ford supporters and I think the "lot of other people" that feel the same are imaginary.
V8 Supercars in it's current guise is not what it used to be when making comparisons to the old days of production cars and Group C. Unfortunately, we are not going to get those days back. It's a proven fact that no one wants to watch production cars these days with VW's, BMW's and Evo's and the like in this country. Gone are the days when someone like Murray Carter or Terry Finnigan could turn up at a few rounds and enter a car at Bathurst and get a start, so the good old days are gone for good. Just get used to what we are given because it's a business now. You'll still watch next year and so will all the other Ford supporters who can't get over the fact that 888 have opted for a better marque.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by Just Do It!

"Pick me, Ford, pick me!!" or that's a bit how the intention sounds

......or maybe it's a shot directed at holden for splurging on T8 instead supporting those that have loyally pedalled their product for many years.

[bluesport]

Originally Posted by xrystl

Must say I feel pretty much the same , when Lowndes went out I thought "So What" -- when Whingecup started sliding on Tanders oil I thought "bin it" - I was hoping for a win for Courtney = all pretty sad for a mostly Ford supporter / sort of feel sorry for Lowndes as I don't thing he wanted to move from Ford and his support base is a bit shaky at the moment .
Lots of open space left at Willowbank today would suggest crowds are way down and I would suspect that the 888 defection has a fair bit to do with it.

Is it possible to buy "vodafone sux" T-shirts?

[Pro Racer]

Originally Posted by TSR

The T888 move has turned me off the taxi series, and I know alot of other people feel the same.

Originally Posted by TS-Fitty

Crap! All of these so called "other" people that are turned off the V8's is bull#$!@. Crowd numbers are up at most rounds, the V8 Supercars are just as popular as ever. The only people that will lose interest is a few Ford sooks that are having a dummy spit and most of them will get over it. If crowd numbers are down in Qld, it's because of the pedestrian racing circuit and poor standard facilities. There is a few whingers posting on various forums that they wont watch the series next year, they are all Ford supporters and I think the "lot of other people" that feel the same are imaginary.
V8 Supercars in it's current guise is not what it used to be when making comparisons to the old days of production cars and Group C. Unfortunately, we are not going to get those days back. It's a proven fact that no one wants to watch production cars these days with VW's, BMW's and Evo's and the like in this country. Gone are the days when someone like Murray Carter or Terry Finnigan could turn up at a few rounds and enter a car at Bathurst and get a start, so the good old days are gone for good. Just get used to what we are given because it's a business now. You'll still watch next year and so will all the other Ford supporters who can't get over the fact that 888 have opted for a better marque.

i'm a Holden man through and through, nothing will change that, teams and drivers come and go, whether there is one Holden or 50 Holdens or even 0 i'll still watch the racing as i am a motorsport fan and love racing.