Are BMW afraid of Audi R8

[Splatz]

BMW have decided against appearing in Adelaide for the LeMans series race on Dec 29-31. I started to think about why they wont come, and what if anything is stopping them.

I was immediately disappointed by they're non-attendance because I have pit straight tickets and wanted to see and HEAR them rrroooaaar past with that fat V12 sound.

Also I will miss their mechanics repairing extensive mid-race body damage normally aquired by crashing into Porsche GTs or driving McNish of the road (Laguna Seca.)

Even though the car is a bit long in the tooth compared to the Audi R8, or new Panoz, it is still speedy. Adelaide is a pretty flat circuit so cars havent flipped there for a while. The long straight is good for the big BMW engine, although it would lose time through the sharp bends. I can only think that if it was fast at Mosport, a technical track, surely it would be competitive in Adelaide, a much simpler track.

Financially, BMW is hardly a minnow in the sport. Although they are concentrating on F1 racing for next year, the 2000 season isnt over. So it looks very much like BMW have spat the dummy like a crying baby, or 'taken theyre bat and ball and gone home.' I think this is pathetic and they look silly for it, for at the same time, Panoz builds another car. Cadillac are still TRYING to build a fast car after a horrid year but most of all, in the entry list for the Adelaide LeMans race in Australia, is a PILBEAM run by the factory. It has Nissan power and makes the LMP675 category on its own.

Now I'm a BMW 5 series driver, so biased, but with due credit to Pilbeam, I still say; if Pilbeam can make it so can BMW. Stop sulking BMW, you like foolish.