ALMS 2012 Discussion

[MitchZ06]

Originally Posted by rich07

That would be great-I would love to see Saleen back in ALMS GT1 taking on the C6R and DBR9!

I'd migrate to the US and gypsy my way between races if 2005-2006 GT1 ever returned to ACO racing.

Viper could be likely after the whole SRT as a brand spin off, would give the Viper true pedigree.

[Catingaround]

Originally Posted by rich07

That would be great-I would love to see Saleen back in ALMS GT1 taking on the C6R and DBR9!

Ok in all seriousness I think its the Viper that is the big announcement. The R8 would be significant but without factory backing (something I think is unlikely) then it wouldnt be as big as Dagys is making out to be.

Should be big news either way.

Oddly enough Steve Saleen announced today that he has regained control of the Saleen brand. One could hope they go racing again. http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=...&id=a93b1d9be0

[joeb]

Originally Posted by TF110

If it's "big news" I can only think of the R8 or the Viper. If the R8 isn't big enough then a Viper program would be the only thing that I'd think would be bigger news.

I still think it is a proto. Possibly someone running a Lola Toyota in P1 or a Riley in P2!

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by Catingaround

Oddly enough Steve Saleen announced today that he has regained control of the Saleen brand. One could hope they go racing again. http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=...&id=a93b1d9be0

Comtinental Tires or Pirelli WC I imagine.

Originally Posted by joeb

I still think it is a proto. Possibly someone running a Lola Toyota in P1 or a Riley in P2!

Riley P2 is dead apparently. Lola Toyota makes sense, and is one of the few P1 options out there. Toyota vs. Honda vs. Mazda is quite appetizing. Of course it wouldn't be a factory deal I don't imagine, but would still be nice. That or factory Vipers I guess.

Chris

[Fogelhund]

The Viper introduction is Wednesday at noon. At some point there will be a racing program announced, perhaps even Wednesday. I've heard rumours of it being ALMS, can't wait to find out though.

[Fogelhund]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/wor...145779915.html

Tucker in court again.

WASHINGTON - A payday lending operation that offers quick cash over the Internet to desperate people, and the race-car driver allegedly running it, are under federal scrutiny after more than 7,000 complaints to authorities.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint in U.S. district court in Nevada against driver Scott Tucker, his brother and several Internet-based lending companies, including AMG Services, Inc.

Tucker has raced in the American Le Mans Series. The FTC charges that he and others controlled lending companies that piled on undisclosed and inflated fees — in some cases more than triple the amount borrowed — and then collected on the loans illegally by threatening borrowers with arrests and lawsuits.

In one example, a consumer was told that a $500 loan would cost him $650 to repay. Instead, the FTC says, the defendants attempted to charge him $1,925 to pay off the loan. The agency says he was threatened with arrest if he didn't pay that amount.

Payday loans are typically small, short-term loans with extremely high interest rates that are effectively advances on a borrower's next paycheque.

According to the FTC, the payday lending operation involving Tucker has claimed in state legal proceedings that it is affiliated with Native American tribes and therefore immune from legal action. Tribal affiliation does not exempt Tucker and others from complying with federal law, the commission says.

Over the last five years, more than 7,500 complaints about the operation have been filed with law enforcement authorities.

Tucker and his brother, Blaine, are accused of transferring more than $40 million collected from payday loans to consumers to another company, Level 5 Motor Sports, which is controlled by Scott Tucker. The FTC says the money was transferred as "sponsorship" fees for Tucker's racing career.

Tucker and his brother could not immediately be reached for comment.

[lms]

so that means he can buy some more hpds? maybe moving up to lmp1? (just trying to look at the bright side of this mess )

[Acid09]

Mike Fuller reports that Level 5 is done. Assets are frozen, no more racing.

Honestly, I'm glad. Sports car racing is nice but not if it's obviously based on ripping off gullible people with no choice. I'm fully aware that racing is often founded by money from shady sources but this one was too obvious to ignore.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Acid09

Mike Fuller reports that Level 5 is done. Assets are frozen, no more racing.

Honestly, I'm glad. Sports car racing is nice but not if it's obviously based on ripping off gullible people with no choice. I'm fully aware that racing is often founded by money from shady sources but this one was too obvious to ignore.

And a Level 5 pull-out from Le Mans, with Jetalliance gone, would also mean that the Status GP Lola is in the race.

[Simmi]

Shame to see such a 'slick' operation disappear but, as others have said, it can't be based around earning money that way.

Big hit for the ALMS. Must have been a bit of a moral dilemma for the drivers and staff if they knew this could all happen.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Doesn't Black Swan lease their car or engine from Level 5? Could this cause problems for that team as well?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Doesn't Black Swan lease their car or engine from Level 5? Could this cause problems for that team as well?

Good and relevant question. hmmm

[gwyllion]

This must be a blow for the honest people working for Level 5 and for ALMS.

However, I must admit that I am also happy with this verdict. At first I did not like how Tucker was buying himself a racing carrier by spending a ridiculous amount of dollars or switching cars 3 times during one year (open Lola -> closed Lola -> open HPD) and then when the payday lending/native tribe story came out, I liked him even less.

People who did not know about Tucker's dubious business, should read http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130325

According http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...n-lmp2-effort/ Black Swan bought the old Lola Coupe HPD from Level 5. So I hope that they are safe.

[Rodger Davies]

wow, can't condone what he's done but terrible news for the ALMS, what does it have to do to catch a break?

I suppose this means there'll be some cheap HPDs going if those assets are auctioned off any time!

[rich07]

Wow. So Level 5 is gone. I didnt see this coming to be honest, I knew there were mutterings about his businesss but I just didnt think that something like this would happen in the short term at least. Leaving aside the legal and ethics of his business, its gonna be a big blow for ALMS with such a highly funded professional team leaving like that. And not to mention the Sacred Monster, Christophe Bouchut is out of a ride .

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Doesn't Black Swan lease their car or engine from Level 5? Could this cause problems for that team as well?

Thats a really good question.

[merlot brougham]

*Face Palm*

We reap what we sow....

[KA]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

wow, can't condone what he's done but terrible news for the ALMS, what does it have to do to catch a break?!

I can't believe the number of dodgy team owners we've seen over the last few years- Loles, Tafel and now Tucker...

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

I suppose this means there'll be some cheap HPDs going if those assets are auctioned off any time

I guess that might depend on how long it takes all of this to go through the courts....

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by rich07

Wow. So Level 5 is gone. I didnt see this coming to be honest, I knew there were mutterings about his businesss but I just didnt think that something like this would happen in the short term at least. Leaving aside the legal and ethics of his business, its gonna be a big blow for ALMS with such a highly funded professional team leaving like that. And not to mention the Sacred Monster, Christophe Bouchut is out of a ride .

Scott Tucker is a convicted felon (of this sort of exact thing prior) and has been under investigation for this current case for years. It's one of the reasons he didn't attend any of the Canada rounds. None of this is exactly "breaking news", the guy is pretty much a scumbag all around.

Business ethics aside, this is the same guy that ran himself in two LMPC cars the entire season in 2010 so he could take the points of the higher finishing car, to guarentee a championship..in a class with 3 full time entries. This is the guy bringing a 400k Porsche GT3 cup car and full pro rig to the SCCA runoffs, an amatuer event, to win a 2 car class. The same guy and team who entered the minimum number of events last year in the ALMS to qualify for the championship, ran the 70% distance to qualify for points, so he could win the LMP2 title..in a class with no other entrants.

Yea, huge loss.

[Deleted]

So just as it seemed that there could've been some life in ALMS P2 after all, it has already lost 50% of it's potential participants...

I never liked the guy and his actions deserve to be punished, but shame to lose the team anyways.

[ubrben]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Good and relevant question. hmmm

Was Dempsey buying a new car?

Ben

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

Scott Tucker is a convicted felon (of this sort of exact thing prior) and has been under investigation for this current case for years. It's one of the reasons he didn't attend any of the Canada rounds. None of this is exactly "breaking news", the guy is pretty much a scumbag all around.

Business ethics aside, this is the same guy that ran himself in two LMPC cars the entire season in 2010 so he could take the points of the higher finishing car, to guarentee a championship..in a class with 3 full time entries. This is the guy bringing a 400k Porsche GT3 cup car and full pro rig to the SCCA runoffs, an amatuer event, to win a 2 car class. The same guy and team who entered the minimum number of events last year in the ALMS to qualify for the championship, ran the 70% distance to qualify for points, so he could win the LMP2 title..in a class with no other entrants.

Yea, huge loss.

I find it interesting that the write ups about him list his occupation as 'race car driver.'

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by ubrben

Was Dempsey buying a new car?

Ben

I don't know. I suspect Dagys would know. Seems to be some confusion as to whether Black Swans car is leased, or purchased.

Doors have been padlocked at Level 5.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by ubrben

Was Dempsey buying a new car?

Ben

Dempsey are buying a 2012-spec Lola-Judd as far as I'm aware, Level 5 never ran that kind of car.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Dempsey are buying a 2012-spec Lola-Judd as far as I'm aware, Level 5 never ran that kind of car.

Does Dempsey still proceed, given the drop in entries in class?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Does Dempsey still proceed, given the drop in entries in class?

That's the major question now, we'll probably have to wait for Laguna (since that's where they said they'd debut). If (and that's a big if) the Radical-Roush Yates materializes and Dempsey decide to join in, we'll only still be at 4 cars.