LG Motorsports

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72530

This was in Autosport magazine but there is no confirmation. See Wesoloski's comment.

But with what is going on, who can doubt this. LG

For what ever it is worth:

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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."

BrianCunningham

They were going to make the switch to GT2 anyways.

Given the current economics, GM may pull the plug on all racing though

rfn026

Last year GM spent $17,000,000 just on LeMans. That number comes from some pretty reliable people inside the caves of GM.

Now it looks like the current President is opting for what the White House calls an "organized bankruptcy - what ever the he*l that is. If GM goes bankrupt Pratt and Miller will have to get in line with all of the other suppliers. The will probably not receive anywhere near what GM owes them. Keep in mind though that Pratt and Miller is a Tier 1 supplier so they haven't had to wait very long for payment in the past.

On the other hand when your largest customer is going bankrupt you don't want to be taken down with them.

This is all going to get very interesting.

Richard Newton

joemoia

A response from Wesoloski in this autoweek story:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20081218/FREE/812189981

Z06_BluByU

Here is an except from the article that warmed my heart!! FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS!!

"Speaking at a GM press event in Detroit on Thursday, a high-ranking GM official said the company would quit NASCAR before it quit Le Mans."

micro

I would hope so. The new GT2 program would make money for GM and help take the Chevrolet Corvette to the next level.

There is no automotive relevancy in NASCAR except for the brakes.

Slalom4me

The brake systems used in NASCAR are relevant to current
consumer automotive practice ?

.

LG Motorsports

Detroit GP Canceled also.


http://www.autoweek.com/article/20081218/FREE/812189976



And GT2 will not make GM any money. (How can selling six, $500k cars to non existant buyers in this economy make money?....Oh yeah, the Euro is going up)

With the Corvette plant shut down and around 9000 corvettes sitting on dealer lots. it appears that the marketing from the GT effort can not over come the economic depression.

I was waiting for a ZR1 that I ordered, and it is now on the back burner at GM. It can't be built while the plant is closed, so I bought a Z06 while I am waiting.

The Dealer still had 08 Corvettes on the lot as well as 09s. They said at least 4 months for the ZR1 that I ordered to come in so I bought an 09 Z06 while I am waiting.
I sold the 08Z to make room for the ZR1 and 4 months with no Corvette is too long.
(Z06 will be for sale if the ZR1 ever gets built)

At any rate, it is hard to justify spending money on Lemans racing etc when last year's marketing/racing effort failed to help sell what they have built already.

I am just being logical rather than emotional. It still doesn't look good but never doubt the magic tongue of Doug F when it comes to making a case for racing even if it is not good business.


LG

micro

"...NASCAR iron discs are known to approach 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. Brembo engineers consider NASCAR the most severe application in race-car brakes. The cars are fast, heavy (3500 lb.) and restricted to 15-in. wheels which, in turn, limit disc diameter. This is countered by making the discs especially think: 40 mm, around 1.6 in. Calipers must be standard aluminum. Intensive Computational Flow Dynamics techniques are used to optimize cooling airflow around these components and also in defining the geometry of disc vanes."

- Road & Track September 2005

The GT2 program could make money if buyers step up.

heavychevy

GM should scrap GT1 and focus on GT2, I beleive I've heard that GT2 is a bit cheaper to run. If they were smart they'd steal some of the market share from Porsche for race cars by build spec Corvette racers like the cup cars and sell them. Then create a GM based track club for the Vette, solstice, cobalts etc. of the world. They could build a car just as fast or faster for much less and people would soak them up. The GT2 program would be a great launch for it because the production race cars would have the same chassis and developement, and corvette's involvement in GT2 could really pay off.

But of course this makes sense, so they wont likely do it.

rfn026

GM tried the kit car concept for the World Challenge almost a decade ago. At that time they were going to implement the Porsche business model for racing. Porsche racing has generally been a profit center and GM wanted to emulate that model.

The whole thing fell apart rather quickly. Lou can give you the details on how bad it was but my understanding was that the suits in Detroit never gave the people in the field the necessary resources to do the job properly. I think Gib H. finally just ended up totally frustrated.

Then the whole deal switched to Cadillac (and Pontiac in Grand Am). The Corvette focus centered on GT1 and the rest was history. Gary Pratt has become very wealthy on GM racing. The suits put the entire GM road racing effort in the hands of one company. Even Porsche uses more than one race team. And Porsche encourages customer teams.

GM tried the Porsche model for racing. They couldn't pull it off in a good economy. What hope is there when mere survival is the issue at hand?

If you want to see blood in the streets you should check on the prices for used Porsche Cup race cars. I run a Blog for used race cars and believe me the Porsche folks are way upside down at this point.

2008 GT3 Cup Car
2005 996 GT3

This is just a really bad time for racing and an especially bad time for GM. I'm hearing terrible numbers for the ALMS this coming year. Neither NASCAR nor the IRL will have full fields at most of the races. It's just plain ugly out there folks.

Richard Newton
Ultimate Garage Handbook

AU N EGL

Porsche folks are always up side down. so that is no different then normal ( expect MKelly. Hes Good ppl)

micro

The switch to GT2 will mandate GT2 customer cars due to the regulations.

http://www.americanlemans.com/news/Article.aspx?ID=4783

It isn't all ugly in ALMS and IRL with BMW returning to GT2 and Dario Franchitti back in the IndyCar Series with Ganassi.

cebars

That ALMS article of Sep 9, '08 CORVETTE RACING BACK FOR 2009
http://www.americanlemans.com/news/Article.aspx?ID=4783
harkens back to days of greater optimism for GM.

AverageVetteNut

that's the problem, though... that article was written 3 months ago...
Alot has changed since then.

I know Badboy Vettes.com have a posting saying that the rumor that Corvette racing was skipping LeMans was false, so only the characters behind the scenes really know what's going on. We'll know soon enough.

parkerracing

I wonder if the characters behind the scenes even know whats going on as there are still strings being put on the bailout loans. Lets hope theres a racefan or two in congress. /:\

HORNDAWG

Hmm, more recent? How about the fact that the article cited as the basis for this thread had a denial from Steve Wesoloski right in it! Then lets see, how about this;
@DSC

Or this; http://www.autoweek.com/article/20081218/FREE/812189981

Or this one; http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=5064

Is that current enough for ya?



L.P.

rfn026

The actual decision will be made well above Fehan's level. Doug will be notified of the decision is it's made. It's not his call on this one.

Richard