2005 Endurance Event Thread (Merged)

[GTRMagic]

HRT has already announced their 2005 enduro drivers, and many other teams have drivers in place... so its only fair to take these for a tickle, despite being 7 or so months to Bathurst time

#1 - Pirtek (SBR) - Marcos Ambrose/Warren Luff BA
#2 - Mobil (HRT/HMS) - Mark Skaife/Todd Kelly VZ
#3 - SponsorTBA (LSR/Tasman) - Jason Richards/Jamie Whincup VZ
#5 - Caterpillar/FPV (FPR) - Alain Menu(?)/Cameron McLean BA
#6 - Caterpillar/FPV (FPR) - Jason Bright/Greg Ritter BA
#7 - Autobarn/Castrol (RNR/Perkins) - Alex Davison/Tony Longhurst(?) VZ
#8 - Wright Patton Shakespeare (WPS) - Craig Baird/David Besnard BA
#9 - Caltex (SBR) - Russell Ingall/Luke Youlden BA
#10 - Orrcon (LMS) - Jason Bargwanna/Mark Winterbottom BA
#11 - Wright Patton Shakespeare (WPS) - John McIntyre/TBA BA
#12 - BOC Gases (BJR) - John Bowe/Brad Jones BA
#15 - HSV (KRT/HMS) - Rick Kelly/Garth Tander VZ
#16 - HSV (KRT/HMS) - TBA/TBA VZ
#17 - Westpoint (DJR) - Dean Canto/David Brabham BA
#18 - Westpoint (DJR) - Glenn Seton/Steven Johnson BA
#20 - Orrcon (LMS) - Matt Halliday/Mark Larkham(?) BA
#21 - BOC Gases (BJR) - John Cleland/TBA BA
#021 - SponsorTBA (TKR) - Alan Gurr/TBA VZ
#22 - Mobil (HRT/HMS) - Jim Richards/James Courtney VZ
#23 - SponsorTBA (LSR/Tasman) - TBA/TBA VZ
#24 - Castrol (Romano/Perkins) - TBA/TBA VZ
#25 - Fujitsu/Adrad (Britek) - Steve Owen/Jose Fernandez BA
#29 - Sirromet (PMM) - Paul Morris/Paul Radisich VZ
#33 - Repco (GRM) - Cameron McConville/Andrew Jones VZ
#34 - Repco (GRM) - TBA/TBA VZ
#43 - Castrol (Perkins) - Steven Richards/Paul Dumbrell VZ
#44 - Dodo/Roadships/Alphawest (Dynamik) - Simon Wills/Will Davison VZ
#45 - Dodo/Roadships/Alphawest (Dynamik) - Dale Brede/TBA VZ
#50 - SuperCheap/PWR (PWR) - Nathan Pretty/TBA VZ
#51 - SuperCheap/PWR (PWR) - Greg Murphy/Paul Weel VZ
#52 - Fujitsu/Adrad (Britek) - Matthew White/TBA BA
#75 - Toll Ipec (PLR/Perkins) - Anthony Tratt/Tomas Mezera(?) VZ
#88 - Betta (888) - Yvan Muller/Adam Macrow BA
#888 - Betta (888) - Craig Lowndes/Steven Ellery BA

There arent many slots free considering how long there is to go before the enduro season....

[buza]

kenny brack possibly at hsv racing i hope at least
and would pretty race with grm

[Lowndesfan6]

Grant Denyer at DJR car 18 with Canto.

[Mattracer]

Interesting car 18 (DJR) Seton/Johnson as you have it. Seton/Johnson car 17??

Go Seto!!!

[Wrighty05]

Andy Prilaux is also highly rated at KRT, would probably depend on his availability overseas.

[James63]

Would TKR really loan Radisich out to PMM? I realise they have formed a close relationship between the 2 teams, but really would they?

[buza]

it would be good to see andy back in a v8supercar
they have a record of bringing drivers from os for enduro's
so kenny brack with andy would be a good bet

[retro]

Originally Posted by James63

Would TKR really loan Radisich out to PMM? I realise they have formed a close relationship between the 2 teams, but really would they?

Sponsors permitting I believe??????

[pete55]

I'm not sure Denyer will be with Canto. Unless he proves to be pretty good before then.

[Frosty]

morris will be car #67 and they (morris and rat) wont be paired.

[pete55]

The Rat and Morris are supposed to be paired.

[racer69]

Christ, gone are the times we only worried about this stuff once the sprint races were finished.....

There is no clash between the 1000 and the WTCC or BTCC this year, so hopefully this will lead to some of these drivers heading out for go.

Andy Priaulx
James Thompson
Jason Plato

I'm not sure of the DTM schedule, but when will Tom Kristenson get his stated wish to have a crack at the race.


Would Allan Simonson figure at GRM again this year?


WPS Line-up, aren't we getting abit ahead of ourselves here, will Baird or Besnard make it through until the enduro's without getting fired????

[barney551]

I dont think the pairings have been settled at DJR and believe there is a good chance that Seton and Canto is a real posibility.

I also understand that Mad Dog has only been given the drive in the development series and that Brabham is an almost definate starter for the other endurance drive...

Waiting for the official announcement next week from DJR about the Development driveas, cars etc.

[Joe5619]

There is no way, share or form that 'if' Seto & jnr team up they will not have the #17 on the side.. They might actually be using the #18 car, but you'd be a fool to think they wont have #17 on the side (that's if they drive together)

And I have Camern Mclean in the other DJR car with Dean

[smithers]

Mclean is definetly playing with FPR this year.

[racer69]

Why does Brabham push on with DJR? He could surely pick up a much better ride.

I'd find it unlikely Menu would wind up at FPR, considering he is in a Chevy in the World Touring Car Championship

[F J Nedos]

I have a spanner to throw into the works...

Should teams be so concerned about finding drivers from overseas? I would have thought there are quite a few issues with them which would render them less of a priority than a locally based driver.

Example - long distance travel. I know the OS guys do arrive in australia well in time to avoid jet lag, but I would have thought it be a slight concern or distraction. They often leave Australia the night after the race too, no time for post race briefings etc.

In series like the BTCC, there are no cars which compare to a V8 supercar. Those cars, to the best of my knowledge, are front wheel drives. The skillset which these drivers hold differ from those required to effectively pilot a V8 around bathurst. Even though these OS guys are full time professionals, it can take time for a home grown hero to get to grips with a V8 at bathurst. Let alone an OS driver who would only get a few sessions over a race weekend. Hardly enough time in the car to be able to sufficiently obtain the knowledge required to squeeze a 10th or two out a lap time. I always notice that the OS driver in a pairing would be a second slower than their local team mate.

I know a lot of teams are finding drivers from the development series, but are there good drivers there still without a ride? Its where I would look if I were a team owner.

Overseas drivers do bring good exposure to their native land, so I dont discourage the practice. A full time OS driver here I think is a good thing.

But then, Maxy Wilson.........

[racer69]

Who is more likely to bend the car?

An inexperienced rookie who is out to make a name for himself and impress;

or

An experienced overseas driver who is out here for the challenge and knows how to go about it.

They would probably set the same laptimes though.

Plus who attracts more media coverage.

[F J Nedos]

I think both types of drivers would potentially bend the car.

Point taken about the media coverage.

Imagine if a rookie posted a a top 3 qualifying time? That would get media coverage. Bargwana did that in the HYL car when he first started out. Shame about the warmup prang though...

But that is unlikely to happen these days so the OS driver would generate more media interest just by being there.

[pete55]

Luke Youlden has apparently now been confirmed at SBR for the enduros.

[William Dale Jr]

Originally Posted by racer69

Who is more likely to bend the car?

An inexperienced rookie who is out to make a name for himself and impress;

or

An experienced overseas driver who is out here for the challenge and knows how to go about it.

They would probably set the same laptimes though.

Plus who attracts more media coverage.

The theory makes sense, but who was the last young rookie to bend a top car, and how many star internationals have done just that in the last few years?

[resisturban]

Gurr

[Also a Believer]

You have kids like Wimmer and Co that ran both Bathurst and Sanddown finished the races adequately and donr get a look because of the overseas connection, I just thought it was an aussie series.

[William Dale Jr]

Originally Posted by resisturban

Gurr

Hmmmm, touché

[F J Nedos]

Yeah but in the same race you have Plato and Cleland...