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BimBo29
champcarnut
Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Posts: 2052
Location: Riverdale, Hell's Kitchen, Greenwich Village, Lower Eastside, Astoria, Flushing, Jones Beach, etc.
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KarnEvil9
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Joined: 25 Oct 2004
Posts: 1790
Location: Brain Salad Surgery at Fillmore East in NYC
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 Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:19 am Post subject: |
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| Autosport wrote: |
De Ferran team eyes IndyCar entry
The De Ferran Motorsports team is looking to expand into the IndyCar Series.
Former Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran, who set up his team last year to run a factory Acura in the American Le Mans Series, told this week's AUTOSPORT magazine that he has aspirations to extend his organisation beyond sportscar racing in the future.
"We are investigating growing into IndyCars," said de Ferran. "It would make sense, because having two programmes would bring economies of scale. It would also help us grow as a team in every respect.
"We are having a serious look at it, but we would only do it if it makes sense for us and we could put a strong team together."
De Ferran said he did not want to put a timescale on his team's IndyCar aspirations because he "doesn't like speculation". But he wouldn't rule out making the move in time for this year's Indy 500, saying "never say never".
Although he has returned to the cockpit in the ALMS, de Ferran confirmed that he would definitely not be part of the driver line-up if his team did enter the IndyCar Series.
"I am not looking to drive an Indycar again," he said.
De Ferran took the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car titles then switched to IndyCar, where he won the 2003 Indy 500 before retiring from driving. After a period working for the Honda Formula 1 team, he began his comeback as an ALMS owner/driver last season. |
Sounds like Gil is serious.  
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Ligier_AL
champcarguru
Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 1901
Location: Mid-West
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| Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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| ^ I hope so because I heard this before from the likes of Gerry Forsythe only to B.S. the press. |
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BimBo29
champcarnut
Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Posts: 2052
Location: Riverdale, Hell's Kitchen, Greenwich Village, Lower Eastside, Astoria, Flushing, Jones Beach, etc.
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Fuzzy15
champcarguru
Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Posts: 1619
Location: Baker, CA - entrance to Death Valley = aka BONNEVILLE
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:16 am Post subject: |
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| Ligier_AL wrote: |
| AP wrote: |
De Ferran playing catch-up in race for IRL debut
By Michael Marot
INDIANAPOLIS — Gil de Ferran's next big race is against the clock -- and he's already behind.
The soon-to-be retired sports-car driver is embarking on the most ambitious challenge of his career: Getting a new IndyCar team up and running in less than seven months.
"Time is against us," de Ferran said. "For us to be competitive, there are a lot of things we need to do. Because it's our first foray into IndyCar racing, we'll probably have to do twice as much work."
Working overtime is no problem for de Ferran.
It's the catching up that worries the Brazilian.
De Ferran is scrambling to find sponsors in this tough economy, drivers who can give the team instant credibility, and crew members with enough experience to decode a car's secrets. Established IndyCar teams have spent years fine-tuning their cars, collecting reams of computer printouts to make adjustments and developing, even funding wind tunnel programs.
But the 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner does have some advantages over most startup teams.
For four years, he got an inside look at the most successful operation in series history, Team Penske. Marketing his image as a no-nonsense winner with two CART points titles could help land funding. And at 41, his name still resonates with those in the auto racing community.
Those who know de Ferran best believe, despite the obstacles, he will have a strong two-car team in place next season.
"He'll put together a first-rate effort and he'll go into every race with an opportunity to win, that's the way he is," Penske president Tim Cindric said. "He's a first-class guy and he'll put together a first-class team."
Can he do it this fast?
Perhaps.
At his retirement announcement two weeks ago, de Ferran said he wanted to add a second car to his American Le Mans Series team and start a two-car team in the Indy Racing League.
Either venture requires a lot of time and money, but de Ferran is willing to try.
"We're flat out, doing everything we can," he said. "We feel like we have a good skeleton to work from."
He's not the first one to create a new team, of course. Sarah Fisher's team, now in its second year of operation, continues to run a part-time schedule.
And last year, Graham Rahal won the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Florida, 41 days after his bankrupt Champ Car World Series merged with the Indy Racing League.
"The biggest challenge is the equipment and getting up to speed with the people you have around," said Brian Barnhart, IndyCar president of competition and operations. "There's not a lot of running and there's extremely limited test time. It's not quite the same thing, but it's kind of like the Champ Car teams transitioning last year in that it's not a completely new experience."
De Ferran believes the technological experience the sports-car team has gained over the past two seasons will benefit his IndyCar team.
Competitors agree.
"That's a little different than a team rubbing nickels together and starting up," said Mike Hull, Target Chip Ganassi's managing director. "I'd say the rule of thumb is, ideally, two or three years to get a team up and running and be competitive."
De Ferran, however, wants his time in place for the IRL's first race in Brazil.
He's already started looking for drivers and though there have been no announcements, there has been plenty of speculation.
Some wonder if de Ferran would make a bold move to take New Zealander Scott Dixon, the defending series points champion and current points leader, from Ganassi. Dixon drove part-time for de Ferran's ALMS team last season and the two are friends. But Dixon is already under contract for next season.
Others believe he will move Frenchman Simon Pagenaud, his ALMS teammate, to IndyCars.
Hull contends de Ferran's immediate success in sports cars is an indication he could be successful quickly in the IndyCar Series, too.
It is possible, but only time will tell if de Ferran can win the race to race.
"The challenge is not so much putting a team together, the real challenge is competing at the front," Cindric said. "Gil won't be happy just participating, he'll want to be running up front." |
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2009-08-19-534573907_x.htm |
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Ruhiat.Ari
champcarguru
Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 1598
Location: Virginia Beach
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| Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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| SPEEDtv wrote: |
Sato Eyes GP Or IRL For 2010
Takuma Sato at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka Circuit last weekend. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Takuma Sato is confident he can bounce back into a Formula One race seat, after departing the paddock with the failed Super Aguri team mid last year.
After some tests with Toro Rosso over the pre-2009 winter period, the Japanese driver made his first paddock appearance of this season at Suzuka last weekend.
A Japanese sports newspaper said the 32-year-old veteran of 93 Grands Prix with three separate teams was "job hunting", sensing some opportunities with the turmoil of the 2010 driver market.
Sato told the Reuters news agency that he is in talks not only with the new teams but also existing ones, and also considers switching to the American open wheeler series IRL an option for 2010.
"I'm putting the same weight towards F1 and IRL," he revealed, admitting his appearance at Suzuka was to ensure his face is remembered at a time when teams are contemplating their line-ups for the following season.
"I've found sometimes you can't control all things by yourself ... You can't afford to be forgotten," said Sato. |
Sato may forget about F1 - now that he has Honda's "Formula Dream" backing he'll most likely wind-up with DeFerran's new team.
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KarnEvil9
champcarguru
Joined: 25 Oct 2004
Posts: 1790
Location: Brain Salad Surgery at Fillmore East in NYC
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| Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Autosport wrote: |
De Ferran: IndyCar plan still alive
By Matt Beer
Gil de Ferran says he still hopes to run a team in the IndyCar Series next year despite rumours that his de Ferran Motorsports squad was on the brink of closure.
De Ferran announced in the summer that he would retire from the cockpit and hoped to expand his successful American Le Mans Series team to run in IndyCar as well. But in recent weeks both programmes have appeared to be in jeopardy, and the team's lead ALMS driver Simon Pagenaud was allowed to accept a 2010 offer from the rival Highcroft outfit.
Amid suggestions that Pagenaud had been released because the team was closing down, de Ferran issued a statement today underlining that he was still working to keep his squad intact and was focusing on an IndyCar entry.
"At the time of writing I am working very hard to secure de Ferran Motorsports' immediate future and my plans to enter the 2010 IndyCar championship are still very much alive," said de Ferran.
"I have continued to employ our staff until now while working towards our 2010 goals but as of yet I am not in a position to announce anything further. The staff have been kept fully informed of the situation and the current status was communicated to them yesterday.
"In the meantime I am continuing to work on the 2010 programme and will release further information when our plans are finalised."
De Ferran Motorsports was formed as a sportscar squad last year, joining Acura's LMP2 line-up in the ALMS from mid-season. Along with Highcroft, it was then selected to move up to LMP1 with Acura in 2009. De Ferran and Pagenaud narrowly missed out on this year's ALMS title to Highcroft's David Brabham and Scott Sharp. |
Looks like this is it - "bye-bye" to ALMS and "hello" to IndyCar.
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Ruhiat.Ari
champcarguru
Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 1598
Location: Virginia Beach
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| Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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| SPEEDtv wrote: |
De Ferran And HPD Conclude Relationship
Honda Performance Development, Inc. announces an amicable and successful conclusion to the agreement under which de Ferran Motorsports served as the primary testing and development team for the Acura sports-car program.
HPD President Erik Berkman (L) and Gil de Ferran (R) will go their own ways in 2010 after two successful years in ALMS. (LAT)
The de Ferran team spent the past two motorsports seasons testing and developing Acura's ARX-01b and ARX-02a prototypes for American Le Mans Series competition. In 2009, de Ferran Motorsports played an integral role in helping Acura become the first manufacturer to win ALMS LMP1 and LMP2 prototype championships in the same season.
Beyond its testing and developmental work, the de Ferran team contributed to Acura's success by winning five of 10 ALMS LMP1 events during the 2009 season, and finishing second in the LMP1 team championship.
"Economic pressures have required us to change our plans, so we must regretfully conclude our testing and development agreement with the de Ferran Motorsports team," explained Erik Berkman, president of Honda Performance Development, Inc., the racing arm of American Honda. "Since beginning competition in the fifth round of the 2008 ALMS championship, de Ferran Motorsports has contended regularly for race victories, and waged a spirited battle in pursuit of the 2009 LMP1 championship.
"We would like to express our deep gratitude to the members of the de Ferran team for the countless contributions they made to our success in sports-car racing during the past two seasons," Berkman added. "We could never have accomplished our historic dual championships without the dedication and focus that every member of the de Ferran team brought to the program. We thank de Ferran Motorsports for its professionalism and commitment, and wish [team owner] Gil [de Ferran] and his team every success imaginable in its motorsports future."
Said Gil de Ferran, "I have a long standing and successful relationship with Honda, spanning over a decade in different guises. I was delighted that we were able to serve Honda's needs during the 2008 and 2009 Acura sports-car campaigns and it is unfortunate that our relationship could not continue under the current economic restrictions. Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Honda for its support and its part in making de Ferran Motorsports a reality and a successful team." |
Guess it's official now - DeFerran is out of ALMS.
Now let's see if he can scrape up enough $$$ for a single car in IRL.
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BimBo29
champcarnut
Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Posts: 2052
Location: Riverdale, Hell's Kitchen, Greenwich Village, Lower Eastside, Astoria, Flushing, Jones Beach, etc.
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Steppenwolf7
champcarguru
Joined: 24 Nov 2004
Posts: 1001
Location: Ege Bamyasi => Where the streets have no names
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| Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 11:11 am Post subject: |
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Latest word is that Takuma Sato will be DeFerran's driver and "Panasonic" will be plastered on the car. 
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