Where to for Lowndes and Crompton?

Airhead · 23 Oct 2000, 01:29 (Ref:44170)

Does anybody know ahead of time what these two will be doing next year? Lowndes is reportedly leaving Holden Racing Team while Ford Tickford Racing are without Crompton next year.

If you do not know, interesting or silly suggestions will suffice.

Crash Test · 23 Oct 2000, 02:21 (Ref:44173)

Crompton: I thought i saw him signing up for a mircowave cookery class the other day... although in his spare time he might have a steer in a second Rodney Forbes Racing Commodore...

Lowndes: Is there any drive he has not been connected to? Apparently he is a definate starter at DJR, but i doubt that. He wont be at Kmart, he wont be at Perkins. Shell and FTR are the only Ford teams that can afford him. I have this strange feeling he wont be going anywhere...

As for who will replace Crompton: Ambrose and Canto seem to be in the picture.... a shame, because WW remains without a level one drive! Wake up team owners!

Airhead · 23 Oct 2000, 04:18 (Ref:44178)

If Lowndes went to DJR who moves, or are we talking three cars?

I guess WW is Woolongong Wiz? I'd like to see him in a Ford. I'm just not cinvinced he'd do any better than Crompton.

**gomick** · 23 Oct 2000, 07:17 (Ref:44208)

heard lowndes might be going to a satellite hrt team - cant see the point though.
would like to see ambrose in 2nd ftr...

jason bright should drive with radisich at bathurst!
who is wakefield driving with at bathurst - could be his place to really impress crashtest!

awaugh · 23 Oct 2000, 09:27 (Ref:44218)

Craig lowndes being part of a satelite team next year makes a lot of sense to me. He can i guess base the team in queensland where he lives as well as have all the help from hrt he needs.

Crash Test · 23 Oct 2000, 12:00 (Ref:44240)

I guess WW is Woolongong Wiz?

WAYNE WAKEFIELD!!

The latest is that the deal for him to run with Graphic Skills has fallen through for Bathurst ($$$) but he has picked up a drive somewhere else...might be a second JFR car...

HRT satelite team....was it a slwo week over at AA again last week??

elephino · 23 Oct 2000, 12:26 (Ref:44251)

A very slow week...they couldn't even get the easy stuff right.

Airhead · 23 Oct 2000, 21:09 (Ref:44347)

Ouch, my earns hurt. Wayne the Commodore driver in the lites series? Seems to be regularly beaten by Canto and Besnard.

A second car for Faulkner Racing - the Assian economic crisis must have past.

Crash Test · 23 Oct 2000, 22:37 (Ref:44373)

Sorry to sound like Hitler, but around here people don't rag WW while my ears are open

WW would have done a lot better in the series had he not had some absolutely shocking luck...and Besnard in an SBR prepared car...with all due respect a shaved ape could have won in it. WW's car is the one Tomas Mezera wrote off in his barrel roll at Bathurst 97, not exactly a top mount by any standards..

Enough leturing for today.

I heard that Faulkner's sponsorship was in a fair bit of trouble. Apparently Mr Faulkner is not the nicest man to get along with, and a fair few of his people have moved away from the team this season. Saying that, he was recently reported as saying that he has the budget for 1.75 cars for next season, and Macrow needs to find the 0.25.

Will try and find out the latest gossip on the weekend out at Lakeside...

Airhead · 25 Oct 2000, 07:25 (Ref:44627)

Hopefully Lowndes' satellite team can be placed in orbit around the moon.

Crash Test · 25 Oct 2000, 07:36 (Ref:44631)

Does this wreak of John Bowe or what? Go from the security of one of the top 2 teams to a complete unknown...whoever it is must have some $$$ behind them (if they exist). Could it be Bill Gates stepping up to the plate?

Airhead · 25 Oct 2000, 10:08 (Ref:44651)

If Lowndes was to leave HRT he is leaving the most consistent and professional team (in terms of results) in the business. To go where? He is also (I thought) contracted to Tom Walkinshaw for a period of 10 years. He must be at the end of the third by now, so some one would need to buy him out. On the other hand he is a commodity being very popular with the public (even us Ford fans to some extent) and would be an asset to any team.

Crash Test · 25 Oct 2000, 10:36 (Ref:44656)

From what i read a while ago, Walkinshaw doesn't want him any more, I think he was signed in 96, so there are 4 years down, 6 to go.

A few of the rumours:
Leaving HRT because they didnt treat him very well after his Calder stack last year.
Definately going to DJR.
Going to FTR because it is not HRT, they can afford him and they have a spare seat (a little daft).
Going to SBR because it is a local team.
Going to Ford so he can get a foot in the door with respect to an international drive.
Going to Kmart, which was near certain until they didn't want him.
This satelite team, he stays with Holden but not with HRT.
He wants more $$$ but HRT wont pay it.
Going to Larry for some unknown reason.
Stay where he is.
He hasn't talked to any of the Holden big wigs since he got a new manager.
His wife wants him to stay close to home.
He has been seen at a Ford dealership.
A Ford has been seen in his drive way.
No Ford team can afford him.
He's going to Indy Lites.

Blimey i don't know...

Airhead · 25 Oct 2000, 11:21 (Ref:44673)

Far out - Crash Test, that really covers the options. For Craig I hope it is Indy Lites. As for Wlkinshaw not wanting him - how come, so he made a mess of an OS open wheeler drive, this was surely due to circumstances and not a lack of talent. Walkinshaw still needs someone to put in the second HRT car. Even I can see he has the talent to succeed over seas.

The only reason the Ford team thing might hold water is they (Ford) need a charasmatic name. I really like Seaton, have since he drove for his Dad, but he is hardly Mr Personality! And calling Radisich the Rat my work with kids but notme. Can't see the tie up with DJR though..

Maybe in addition to picking the first three finishers at Bathurst we should have a competition with the most likely place for Lowndes in 2001. It won't be Scott Dixons' Indy Light seat would it?

Crash Test · 25 Oct 2000, 11:36 (Ref:44680)

Apparently Mr Walkinshaw was peaved that he paid several million for him to do F3000, and got nothing for it. After that, he said that if he wanted to go his own way, it wouldnt bother him as he had spent all the money he will on Craig.

If Craig were to cut it in Europe he would have had have made it with all of the locals talking a different language, and a one bedroom appartment, and a non-family styled team....that's what it is all about over there.

I don't really think Mr Lowndes is also known as Mr Charisma...how come he doesn't do too many speaking roles on ads, or the goofies bit before the races for 10? The last time i saw him speak in front of a camera was at the Lakeside Lites round....and he made an absolute mess out of everything he said....and subsquently it wasn't shown on Tv. Admittedly HRT has groomed him well, back in 94 he could barely string 2 words together without stuttering or giggling like a school girl. If Ford want him, they want him for his driving talent. And possibly the knowledge he has of the hottest team in the field...

elephino · 25 Oct 2000, 12:55 (Ref:44712)

I won't go into the rest of it, but just to clear something up. Lowndes contract with TWR is management only not actual racing so he is not tied to HRT in any way other than his current contract which will be ending this year.

Airhead · 25 Oct 2000, 21:14 (Ref:44783)

Elephino,

thanks for the management versus team clarification. Now please go into the rest of it.

Crash Test · 25 Oct 2000, 22:28 (Ref:44796)

The latest is that Lowndes will be staying with HRT. Apparently HRT will over ride the management contract, as TWR will be devoting more of it's tiem concentrating on it's F1 project, thus will leave HRT to run itself so to speak, and if they want Lowndes they can have him.

**gomick** · 25 Oct 2000, 23:46 (Ref:44824)

after all the talk lowndes has to go now - another year at hrt is boring, go to ford for the hell of it craig...get a % of all the merchandise you will help ftr sell....$$$$$$ for you and nat!.....

awaugh · 26 Oct 2000, 10:11 (Ref:44900)

well who the hell knows what lowndes is doing next year. It could be Indy Lites or could be the ALMS or could be the great old V8. Time will tell and it could be a big surprise or could be just Hrt again. Whatever happens it will be for the best decesion for him (or not).

But a lites drive does make sense. Remember last year when he went for a test OS when Jason Bright did and he was only a fraction slower then Bright?

Then theres the ALMS drive in December and if he does well in that he could be sitting in one of those big beasts next year.

Well im sure we will find out soon what his plans are.

Airhead · 26 Oct 2000, 10:25 (Ref:44905)

I got it, maybe he'll retire!!

Alan Jones · 26 Oct 2000, 11:09 (Ref:44918)

UPDATE ON CROMPTON !!!!!!
He's starting a new lifestyles show on 10 about the couples he meets in his new business of nappy washing. Go Neil!!!
NOw.....
Then again, on a serious note he could replace Bazza in the commentators chair and put him back calling the bikes which at least he knows about.... Bazz still hasn't gotover saying what a great series this is, how close they are , How we alllove AVESCO............ how much is he paid to talk this thing up HUH?????

Airhead · 26 Oct 2000, 11:27 (Ref:44923)

I thoght Bazza crapped on about how great it all was because he really belived in the Shell girls. It is somewhat suspect having channel 10 being a partner in the series. RPM is then one long commercial. No investigative or editorial content is shown regarding the behavour of drivers or AVESCO. If the decision was made to have the last race held in the local McDonalds car park Bill and Bazza would think it was all for the good of the sport.And in their best John Laws tradition they do not state their financial interest ( or rather that of the stations) before the telecast.

I guess I am still ****ed being relegated to the middle of the night broadcasting 3 guys running around in 10 year old "super tourers". Now there's a contradiction in terms. The only upside to this is the smile being wiped off Peter McKay's face when the low tech neanderthal series forced the super tourers into having to pay there relatives to watch them race.

This lead to a lot of family breakups.

You can now buy a second hand Australian super tourer for the price of a 10 year old taxi.

elephino · 26 Oct 2000, 12:20 (Ref:44948)

Lowndes will not be going overseas unless he can get a drive at Le Mans, in which case it would be for Le Mans only (not ALMS).

Danielsun · 28 Oct 2000, 11:10 (Ref:45369)

I guess that will depend on how he goes in Adelaide on New Year's Eve...

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