Semi-offical ALMS thread
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,298
Likes: 0
From: C-Squat, NY
Not really suprising that in a recession no one is jumping at the chance of running a LMP2 car that costs over $1m.
Penske lost their primary sponsor with DHL folding up their US ground service and couldn't find one to fill the gap. Dyson got Mazda money and some Lola coupes to boot and the CET/Solaroli project never got off the ground. The rumor mill was spinning with some hope of Walker Racing picking up a Spyder and giving it a run next season, but that seems to have evaporated.
Penske lost their primary sponsor with DHL folding up their US ground service and couldn't find one to fill the gap. Dyson got Mazda money and some Lola coupes to boot and the CET/Solaroli project never got off the ground. The rumor mill was spinning with some hope of Walker Racing picking up a Spyder and giving it a run next season, but that seems to have evaporated.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,091
Likes: 0
forgot to post this the other day...
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72530
Chevrolet pull out of Le Mans
Thursday, December 18th 2008, 12:24 GMT
Chevrolet will not return to the Le Mans 24 Hours next season, according to this week's Autosport magazine.
The American manufacturer's Corvettes have won at La Sarthe four times since 2000 but has been told to reduce its racing budget next year.
The GT1 programme has been scrapped so Chevrolet can concentrate on the new GT2 Corvette, which will be introduced in the second half of the 2009 season.
But Steve Wesoloski, road racing boss of Chevrolet's parent company General Motors, denied that a decision had been made.
"We are still going ahead with our plans for a reduced programme of Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans," he said. "No one has told me otherwise. We are, of course, prepared for all eventualities. It all hinges on what happens in Washington."
This is the only article I've seen so far. I would have expected Marshall Pruett to have written something on Speedtv already.
As much as i hate corvette, i want them to stay so Aston Martin can beat them at Le Mans and so Porsche, BMW and Ferrari can beat them in GT2.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72530
Chevrolet pull out of Le Mans
Thursday, December 18th 2008, 12:24 GMT
Chevrolet will not return to the Le Mans 24 Hours next season, according to this week's Autosport magazine.
The American manufacturer's Corvettes have won at La Sarthe four times since 2000 but has been told to reduce its racing budget next year.
The GT1 programme has been scrapped so Chevrolet can concentrate on the new GT2 Corvette, which will be introduced in the second half of the 2009 season.
But Steve Wesoloski, road racing boss of Chevrolet's parent company General Motors, denied that a decision had been made.
"We are still going ahead with our plans for a reduced programme of Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans," he said. "No one has told me otherwise. We are, of course, prepared for all eventualities. It all hinges on what happens in Washington."
This is the only article I've seen so far. I would have expected Marshall Pruett to have written something on Speedtv already.
As much as i hate corvette, i want them to stay so Aston Martin can beat them at Le Mans and so Porsche, BMW and Ferrari can beat them in GT2.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,298
Likes: 0
From: C-Squat, NY
Originally Posted by Birel186' date='Dec 24 2008, 02:13 AM
But Steve Wesoloski, road racing boss of Chevrolet's parent company General Motors, denied that a decision had been made.
"We are still going ahead with our plans for a reduced programme of Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans," he said. "No one has told me otherwise. We are, of course, prepared for all eventualities. It all hinges on what happens in Washington."
"We are still going ahead with our plans for a reduced programme of Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans," he said. "No one has told me otherwise. We are, of course, prepared for all eventualities. It all hinges on what happens in Washington."
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,091
Likes: 0
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72687
The reorganised Drayson Racing team will enter their Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in the full Le Mans Series season in 2009, and hope to add the Le Mans 24 Hours to their schedule.
Last year the team, running under the Drayson-Barwell banner, focused primarily on the American Le Mans Series, but this time they only plan to participate in three ALMS races - the Sebring 12 Hours, the Petit Le Mans and the season finale at Laguna Seca - around their European campaign.
I was hoping Aston would run the car this year with a bigger factory effort to compete against Porsche, BMW...
The reorganised Drayson Racing team will enter their Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in the full Le Mans Series season in 2009, and hope to add the Le Mans 24 Hours to their schedule.
Last year the team, running under the Drayson-Barwell banner, focused primarily on the American Le Mans Series, but this time they only plan to participate in three ALMS races - the Sebring 12 Hours, the Petit Le Mans and the season finale at Laguna Seca - around their European campaign.
I was hoping Aston would run the car this year with a bigger factory effort to compete against Porsche, BMW...
Former Moderator
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 45,694
Likes: 1
From: Oxfordshire
I think they are hampered by their relatively small size. Whilst they will still receive pseudo factory support from Prodrive, it is too expensive for them to compete in the ALMS vs the longer races of the LMS.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,305
Likes: 287
From: Bellefontaine OH
I've heard that Aston's blitz for LeMans is on-again, off-again, on-again?
Nice set of four articles about the cost of sportscar racing
http://lastturnclub.com/index.php?option=c...id=525&Itemid=1
Nice set of four articles about the cost of sportscar racing
http://lastturnclub.com/index.php?option=c...id=525&Itemid=1
Former Moderator
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 45,694
Likes: 1
From: Oxfordshire
Originally Posted by pgarratt' date='Jan 9 2009, 09:59 PM
Nice set of four articles about the cost of sportscar racing
http://lastturnclub.com/index.php?option=c...id=525&Itemid=1
http://lastturnclub.com/index.php?option=c...id=525&Itemid=1
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,091
Likes: 0
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,305
Likes: 287
From: Bellefontaine OH