Supercars out, real Supercars in at AGP?

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally Posted by PVDA

Interesting thought there IPL and if VESA try to prevent the V8 drivers earning their living by driving race cars on a weekend that doesn't clash with their series I'm sure the ACCC will fish out their Restraint of Trade statute books to see what could be done about it

Valid point there PVDA, unless the drivers employment contracts specifcally such preclude extra curricular activities.

[pete55]

The more F3 cars the better.

[Chucky]

Originally Posted by Notso Swift

(RE Monaro's
Not with those motors

Of course, they're 7Litre and over the limit. I forgot all about that.

[Chucky]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

I agree, it would be great to see the Asian F3 cars added to our field, it would certainly make the races a lot more interesting/watchable.

Does the interesting/watchable part extend to the 20 minutes of marshalls sweeping up the shards of carbon after each session! From your comment, i can safely assume you've never seen an Asian F3 race.



It sounds more like one of Goddards fishing expeditions rather than any sort of reality.

[Alan 52]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

Valid point there PVDA, unless the drivers employment contracts specifcally such preclude extra curricular activities.

Most of the contracts require them to get permission from their teams to race in outside series or events.Teams with contracts with Ford and Holden (i.e. nearly everyone) also must get permission from them to release their drivers.Also since Day 1 of his involvement it has been a mantra of The Artist that "his" drivers should only compete in "his" events.Maybe someone like John Bowe might be appearing but I think you can forget Lowndes,Kelly etc.

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally Posted by Chucky

Does the interesting/watchable part extend to the 20 minutes of marshalls sweeping up the shards of carbon after each session! From your comment, i can safely assume you've never seen an Asian F3 race.

I've been to enough AGPs to know that there is plenty of time between races to sweep the track.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by Alan 52

Maybe someone like John Bowe might be appearing but I think you can forget Lowndes,Kelly etc.

I could see bowe there. A few holden drivers drove at the Bathurst 24Hour a few years back, so hopefully there not stopped from taking part.

[Senna05]

Best bet for a Holden guy is to jump into a GM branded Chev....

OR a non-factory guy to drive something else, as long as it's not an aston, jag or other FOMOCO branded vehicle.

[00 XR8]

Originally Posted by Chucky

Of course, they're 7Litre and over the limit. I forgot all about that.

And to have a sequential box the car must be 2L or under doesn't it? This rule was made so that the Super Tourers could race I seem to remember.......

Originally Posted by Senna05

OR a non-factory guy to drive something else, as long as it's not an aston, jag or other FOMOCO branded vehicle.

Surely Mr Gore can hook something up for Bargs and Max to jump into a WPS branded Chrysler Viper for the event.............


Also, Saward reports on grandprix.com that "The plan at the moment is for the F1 race (AGP) to be supported by the Porsche Supercup........".

I assume wires have been crossed and it is really the GT3 Championship that is coming.................... or will we possibly have four overseas categories at the 2006 AGP?

[racer69]

The Supercup has come out before, but i'd find it an interesting move to have both the International Supercup & the local version competing seperatly on the one program.

[Richard Craill]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns17733.html

Would be great to combine their 15 cars with our 15 and have a full field.

Anyone heard anything else about this? It was certainly a suprise to me when I saw it.......

Australian Formula 3, as in 2005 and 2006, will be a support category at the '07 AGP. Not Asian F3.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by 00 XR8

Surely Mr Gore can hook something up for Bargs and Max to jump into a WPS branded Chrysler Viper for the event.............

Hadnt thought of that angle but that would be awesome.

Throw in some Prodrive Astons for the FPR guys and we are set.

[inpitlane]

From the not so fast Mr Walker file... F1 Supremo Bernie is rumoured to have told the Grand Prix corp, a definate NO to FIA GT3 at AP.
Mr Ecclestone who is well known to try and kill off any International category that he doesnt make direct money from, also apparantly has some serious issues with Stephan Ratel.
A group from the AGP will be at Sandown tomorrow to have a first hand look at the F5000s who could be a last minute addition to the card. Other talks will go on to try and solve the impass.
Rusty French has already lent the Grand Prix corp his Ferrari 430 to put on display for the official launch on Monday. Perhaps they might have to hide it now.
I wonder if Aussie Bernie may have had a hand in all this as well.

[RS500]

Scince when has Rusty French had a 430?

wasn't he building a new viper a little while ago?

[D.R.T.]

Very sad if true in regards to GT3 at AGP. I dont think Bernie has to much to be worried aboot GT3 but then he does work in mysterious ways.

GT3 would have been a great shot in the arm for the AGP and the domestic GT championship. Very disappointing.

RS500, with French its why have 1 car when you can have 2 or 3 etc. I remember in 2003 he ordered a couple of Vipers from the US (I believe their origins were) only to find out that once delivered they would have been about Group 2 speed and didnt give them a run in the Nations Cup season.

[RS500]

I agre with DRT it will be sad if this doesn't happen.

I would have come over just to see these cars out there

[inpitlane]

One thing's for sure, if it doesn't happen the F5000s are not going to take their place. The Grand Prix Corp guys were out at Sandown today and announced that it wouldn't be happening.
There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes to save the GT3 concept including the possibility of just renaming it as something else and having the local GT championship guys run it albeit with plenty of "invited" Internationals. Anyway I suppose we'll all know tomorrow lunchtime when the official launch takes place.

[pete55]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes to save the GT3 concept including the possibility of just renaming it as something else and having the local GT championship guys run it albeit with plenty of "invited" Internationals. Anyway I suppose we'll all know tomorrow lunchtime when the official launch takes place.

I thought that had been on the agenda for few weeks now.

[Chucky]

What a joke! Big Bernie is all afraid of a bunch of "gentlemen drivers" having a play with their toys. I can understand him having an issue with Ratel as he is possibly the next smartest operator in international motorsport.

I think he's getting a bit old and frail, time for a change.

[Chucky]

Is this another broken contract debacle on the horizon?

[Alan 52]

Press release from the GP Corporation seems to confirm no FIA-GT cars.The only change from 2006 supports is Aussie Racing Cars replacing V8 Supercars.(see GrandPrix.com.au).What a pity!

[racer69]

Originally Posted by Chucky

What a joke! Big Bernie is all afraid of a bunch of "gentlemen drivers" having a play with their toys. I can understand him having an issue with Ratel as he is possibly the next smartest operator in international motorsport.

I think he's getting a bit old and frail, time for a change.

He was doing the same thing 20 years ago, doing his bit to kill off Group A Touring Cars and Group C Sportscars.

Why have money from manufacturers & investors going into developing GT3 cars or whatever when that money could be going into Formula 1?

[inpitlane]

Just got back from the Grand Prix launch. Definately no GT-3, in fact no major support category change apart from Aussie Racers.
Interviewed Tim Bamford from the Grand Prix Corp for tomorrow's show, lots of spin and plenty of squirming before the minders dragged him away.
The mainstream media picked up on it as well so it may get more of a run. All in all a very lack lustre affair and there is the serious smell of death starting to develop around Albert Park.
Adelaide?, anybody else? want a race?

[Chucky]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

All in all a very lack lustre affair and there is the serious smell of death starting to develop around Albert Park.

Now there's an interesting comment.

[bazil]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

Just got back from the Grand Prix launch. Definately no GT-3, in fact no major support category change apart from Aussie Racers.
Interviewed Tim Bamford from the Grand Prix Corp for tomorrow's show, lots of spin and plenty of squirming before the minders dragged him away.
The mainstream media picked up on it as well so it may get more of a run. All in all a very lack lustre affair and there is the serious smell of death starting to develop around Albert Park.
Adelaide?, anybody else? want a race?

Aus Grand Prix without Supercar and a lacklustre support programme =

$175.00 for a 4day general admission pass no Schuey, no V8's and no decent supports sounds like fantastic value...