Walker Racing reported to become "Team Australia"

Chris - Melb · 22 Mar 2005, 22:19 (Ref:1259256)

Australian's two major motor racing magazines (Auto Action and Australasian Motorsport News) today ran stories suggesting that Craig Gore has been involved in securing a controlling interest in Walker Racing.

The deal apparently cannot be officially announced due to consideration to government involvement. Auto Action reported the official team launch will be on March 29. I presume this means that the Queensland Government wishes to make the formal announcement at that time for promotion of the Gold Coast Indy race.

Auto Action suggests that Derrick Walker is one of Gore’s partners in the venture, along with someone else.

Australasian Motorsport News reports that WPS may also be involved, which it you would obviously expect.

The exciting news for Australians is that the reported plan is for two Australians to make up the driver lineup eventually, may be as soon as next year!

Chris - Melb · 22 Mar 2005, 22:31 (Ref:1259263)

Postscript: Tagliana and Marshall are reported to be the drivers for this year.

D.R.T. · 23 Mar 2005, 01:57 (Ref:1259391)

Well Tagliani is married to an Australian, so the way us Australians call celebrities from other countries our own, I see no reason why Alex wont be known as "Aussie Tags" forming a two car Australian Team in 2005 with Marshall.

Just a side note, does Walker know what he is getting himself into by going into business with Mr Gore.

Dov · 23 Mar 2005, 03:06 (Ref:1259411)

Does that mean that Tagliani is longer Canadian?!

Snrub · 23 Mar 2005, 05:26 (Ref:1259459)

Lol, sounds like Ausis are like Canadians. In the media, etc. if you lived here for one second you're a local.

Tagliani will be born in Canada, living in the US and a favorite son of Australia?

You know this team Australia thing with Walker would actually make a lot of sense. He comes to the media and says it's virtually over. Suddenly he's awash with sponsors and hope and announces plans. What changed? He has had some Ausi cash influx, but would that alone be enough? It seems like this partnership would require substantial concessions like starting up an Ausi team.

Raglanparade · 23 Mar 2005, 06:27 (Ref:1259481)

Do WPS operate in the US though... what advantages does US exposure do to them ?

Robert Ryan · 23 Mar 2005, 06:59 (Ref:1259492)

Jason , Craig Gore is using his racing activities to build his finance and property busines. Yes he has plans for the US. He said there are several series he would love to get involved with in the US, plus his Aussie interests

marcus · 23 Mar 2005, 07:10 (Ref:1259495)

well are WPS spreading themselves to thin I wonder ??

seriously is Gores involvement in Champcar a good thing or a bad thing ?

For the non Aussies out there that dont know much about Mr Gore firstly is is very wealthy and has bought into the ever popular V8 supercar series (the race teams website is at www.wps.net.au) there actually maybe news about the champcar thing i havent looked at it for 4 or 4 days.

but my point is while everyone may think "oh great another big time invester pouring money into champcar this has to be good for the series"

is that really the case with mr gore ?

he has seriously underperformed in V8's and his team is regarded as somewhat of a joke with 18 million drivers per year (including a fraught run with Alex Yoong at the end of last year) and their cars are nowhere near any decent kind of pace and just dont seem to be improving and then there is the political stuff Craig likes to get himself invovled in.

may sound like Doom and Gloom and i for one dont like that kind of stuff but I do hope this is a serious effort on WPS's part and they give it everything they have for the sake of Champcar.

I would have thought they get their V8 team performing to a good level before branching out into something else.

but hey I could be wrong (and I certainly hope I am) this could be fantastic with his financial status and resources that he can get hold of we could see a real mighty team with some great aussie talent flowing through it and thats not only good for Champcar but even better for Aussie motorsport ( a long time coming)

we will just have to wait and see how this pans out but I hope Derrick Walker stays involved somehow and takes a firm grip of the team and lasy down the law on how it should be done.

Good luck to all concerned

Kicking-back · 23 Mar 2005, 07:13 (Ref:1259496)

If Derrick Walker's running the show and WPS is just writing the cheques, it should be fine.

marcus · 23 Mar 2005, 07:27 (Ref:1259505)

that would be the perfect solution KB

Dov · 23 Mar 2005, 07:28 (Ref:1259506)

^^ Exactly..... as long as Gore takes care of the financial side and Walker is left alone to run the team then all the pieces in the puzzle will fall into place.

Chris - Melb · 23 Mar 2005, 20:35 (Ref:1260161)

Well, it actually basically started back with this thread last year...

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61252

"I did not hear it with my own ears but it has just been announced on ABC radio (Aust national broadcaster) that Craig Gore (from WPS, who sponsored David Besnard effort at Surfers) has done a deal to run a team in Champ Car in 2005!

I think it will be a one-car team (but I am not sure) and the driver will not be David Besnard."

mac · 23 Mar 2005, 21:19 (Ref:1260197)

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcus

well are WPS spreading themselves to thin I wonder ??

seriously is Gores involvement in Champcar a good thing or a bad thing ?

I don't have a problem with a guy with a heap of cash and a passion for motorsport getting more involved in the sport.

So, he speaks his mind as well .... big deal.

And I don't think the Alex Yoong saga can be a slight on WPS Racing - he was about 6 seconds slower than his team mate!

macdaddy · 24 Mar 2005, 05:03 (Ref:1260390)

From a link that marcus posted five months ago, one that I've long-forgotten about:

Quote:

Gold Coast businessman Craig Gore said he had met with the owner of the Champ Car World Series, Kevin Kalkhoven, and they had agreed Australia should be represented by a full-time driver in the championship.

"There will be one driver in the Champ Car World Series that's an Australian," he said.

"I can confirm that today. I did a deal with Kevin Kalkhoven and we will have an Australian in the series."

Pains me to say it, but this is probably what's keeping Walker afloat.

Quote:

Chris-Melb:

Auto Action suggests that Derrick Walker is one of Gore’s partners in the venture, along with someone else.

"Auto Action" can't figure out who that "someone else" is?

Snrub · 24 Mar 2005, 06:08 (Ref:1260440)

Wild stuff, so are the series owners contributing for an Ausi to be in the series? The logical question must be asked, what about a Mexican?!?

Chris - Melb · 24 Mar 2005, 07:14 (Ref:1260471)

macdaddy, the other partner was reported to be an Australian businessman from the Gold Coast.

Mr A Pie · 24 Mar 2005, 08:48 (Ref:1260505)

Marshall, Tag and................ Davison

motormad · 27 Mar 2005, 00:55 (Ref:1262649)

Oh and by the way team Australia will not have WPS livery, Gore and his mates intend to sell a lot of Aussie wine. And good luck to them.

StickShift · 27 Mar 2005, 01:07 (Ref:1262652)

So, if Marcus Marshall is horribly off the pace, can we expect him to get the hook quickly?

motormad · 27 Mar 2005, 01:37 (Ref:1262664)

Marcus has proved himself to be fast in open wheel cars and already at sebring was,nt far off the top pace, he will be fine. Some drivers struggle to cross over to tin tops and vise versa. Both Yoong and Mcfaddon were good open wheel drivers, and in some cases quick, but when they could,nt see the front wheels they struggled to even get on the pace. At Sandown last year driving besnards car, Mcfadden (in the two practice sessions he drove) he was over 5 seconds of the pace. I dont know about you but I live in a world where if I cant do my job properly I should,nt do it or I should be prevented from doing it. They have a name for it when you take on more than you can handle. (the peter syndrome)

Quote:

Originally Posted by StickShift

So, if Marcus Marshall is horribly off the pace, can we expect him to get the hook quickly?

Kicking-back · 27 Mar 2005, 14:22 (Ref:1262907)

Marcus - are you Marcus Marshall then?

Seriously, I've always had enormous respect for Derek Walker and it gives me great pleasure to see his team back on the way up - I think they'll do very well this year.

**GTRMagic** · 28 Mar 2005, 01:16 (Ref:1263281)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Marcus - are you Marcus Marshall then?

I thought he was Marcos Ambrose

Actually that begs a question... if Marcos Ambrose is the #1 cardholder for WPS's new credit card venture, and he is wandering away to the US to race in NASCAR... it makes me wonder whether WPS would either assist the NASCAR effort... or indeed whether Mr Ambrose may slot into a ChampCar at some stage.....

Dov · 28 Mar 2005, 08:29 (Ref:1263357)

Thanks to 'racing-torque' from CCF/CW:

What?
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie will announce the first-ever full-time Australian team and Queensland driver to contest the Champ Car World Series this year – the series that includes the Lexmark Indy 300 on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Queensland driver Marcus Marshall will be introduced, after just returning from preseason testing in the United States.

When?
1.30pm tomorrow, Tuesday March 29

Who?
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie
Queensland Deputy Premier Terry Mackenroth
Queensland driver Marcus Marshall
The new Australian team owners and sponsors
Lexmark Indy 300 Chairman John Cowley
Lexmark Indy 300 General Manager James O’Brien

Source - BAM Media Release (Media People for Lexmark Indy 300.)

Will keep you all posted on exact content, but this will be the official annoucment of Craig Gore's involvement in Walker.

**GTRMagic** · 28 Mar 2005, 08:49 (Ref:1263368)

I will be curious to see whether Mr Walker has further involvement in the squad that currently bears his name... Noise from this end of the earth suggests that the current crew chief on the Supercar effort may be being promoted to look after the American interests....

In any case, the team is likely to be rebranded, presumably in the name of the naming rights sponsor/investor in Wright Patton Shakespeare....

bahodie · 29 Mar 2005, 04:39 (Ref:1263941)

Gorey's on ABC Coast FM right now - streaming...

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