Pacific Coast Motorsports quits ALMS

[FCYTravis]

Per a DSC.com report, PCM has withdrawn their GT1 C5R from the rest of the season and is looking to sell it to a Corvette collector :(

The team is investigating options for next year - they have a downpayment on a Pontiac Riley DP and are talking with Aston Martin about GT1.

Apparently they were frustrated racing a three-year-old car against the best that Pratt and Miller can produce, and were told at Road America that they would not be sold a C6R next year. So they saw no point in continuing to be lap traffic for the factory.

Sucks, I was looking forward to seeing them at Laguna Seca.

[RHR_Fan]

Shoot, that sucks. I enjoyed seeing them at RA. Any word on if they'd come back to Atlantics in '06? I wonder why they left in the first place?

~Nicole

[extramundane]

If GM truly refused to sell them a C6R, then GM needs to pull its collective head out of its collective bum. :thumdown:

Ironic, though, that after getting burned so by GM, they'd turn around and go after another GM-powered car. I know it's the engine to have and all, but still...

[Gnam]

What about Figge and Dalziel? They gonna stick around to race DP's?

[FCYTravis]

I can't copy the entire thing as it's from a pay site (no, not THAT pay site), but I'll paste some pertinent quotes:

"We had originally believed that this would be a transition year, and that next year we might have an opportunity to step up to running a C6.R, but we found out at Road America that this option was not going to be available to us," Tyler Tadevic said. "We had gone from racing in a series where everyone is able to acquire similar equipment, and where in house talent made the difference, to racing in a series where we were limited to results that would be appropriate for our three year old car racing against state of the art equipment."

"We want to stick with GM power, as we're proud to be affiliated with the company and want to continue to represent them."

Credit to Paul Collins of www.DailySportsCar.com.

[coolhand]

they should come back to atlantics with a 2 car team.

[Dr. Corkski]

they should come back to atlantics with a 2 car team.No reason for them to.

[Easy]

Alex Figge probably doesn't want to return to Atlantics. Therefore PCM will not be returning to Atlantics.

[Sean O'Gorman]

What about Figge and Dalziel? They gonna stick around to race DP's?

Why not? They spent all year racing against nobody, might as well go to race cars of similar speed where they actually will have competition.

[Gnam]

How does Alex Figge feel about Champ Cars?

[extramundane]

How does Alex Figge feel about Champ Cars?

If someone ponies up sponsorship bucks, I'm sure the entire Figge family would feel quite positive about Champ Cars.

[extramundane]

"We want to stick with GM power, as we're proud to be affiliated with the company and want to continue to represent them."

Credit to Paul Collins of www.DailySportsCar.com.

Strange. Clearly there's some really interesting stuff going on behind the scenes.

[coolhand]

No reason for them to.

2 million dollars towards a Champ Car ride?

[FCYTravis]

What's the point in spending two million to get two million?

[coolhand]

What's the point in spending two million to get two million?

To get a champ car ride. :cool:

or run one car and have it be 1 million. thought i think the costs will be a little less

[FCYTravis]

Not if you're Pacific Coast Motorsports. Every year someone (usually a series PR release) says Atlantic costs will be less. Every year they're making it up. You've got a new $175,000 chassis to buy, engines to lease, etc. Current Atlantic equipment is relatively cheap (there's a glut on the used market) and fully depreciated.

Easy's probably on target, as usual.

[Jervis Tetch 1]

I thought that Tyler Tadevic, the main principal behind PCM wanted to do Champ Car? Guess he found out the grass isn't always greener in another series.

[Dr. Corkski]

I thought that Tyler Tadevic, the main principal behind PCM wanted to do Champ Car? Guess he found out the grass isn't always greener in another series.Tadevic does what Figge wants him to do.

[Sean O'Gorman]

2 million dollars towards a Champ Car ride?

Figge, an Atlantics champion? :laugh:

[coolhand]

Figge, an Atlantics champion? :laugh:

no his teammate :gomer:

[Sean O'Gorman]

His teammate is just there to help Figge become faster. Pacific Coast isn't going to fund him into Champ Cars.

[Dr. Corkski]

no his teammate :gomer:Yes, Figge's teammate is going to just give him the $2million so Figge can move up. :rofl:

[Fio1]

I think what GN is stupid. Look at Porsche, it has 'factory' teams and customer ones as well. Their modo is, why race against our customers. That is the right approach. If Corvette want to keep winning, they either have to step up their game, Aston Martin are catching fast or win by numbers. I.E sell cars to teams and provide them assistance. If Aston Martin are willing to supply teams, then Corvette will lose their edge real soon. And, then they'll bail....

Funny enough, but Pratt & Miller provide a Belcar team with the goods. One of their cars won the 24 Hours of Zolder. Another team runs strong FIA GT using one of the newer cars as well. So, basically what are they afraid of? That Pacific Motorsport will beat the factory team? :rolleyes: I guess so! :cool: Take it as a compliment boys, you scared them into not selling you their cars. Move on and kick a$$!!!!!!!! :p

[coolhand]

His teammate is just there to help Figge become faster. Pacific Coast isn't going to fund him into Champ Cars.

if this was in place for the 04 season fogerty might have gotten in.

[nrc]

so is the 2 million prize for the driver or team?
It's the driver. It's not a cash prize, it's funding that can paid to select Champ car teams if the driver gets a ride.

[coolhand]

It's the driver. It's not a cash prize, it's funding that can paid to select Champ car teams if the driver gets a ride.

yeah, its more like a scholorship.

[Easy]

How well is this all (New Atlantics) going to work when $2mil could buy you a full or almost full season in CCWS with a partially sponsored team and it will take $1.5 to run up front in Atlantics?

I swear the powers that be still think its 1994.

[coolhand]

Pacific Coast withdraws from ALMS Pacific Coast Motorsports ("PCM") has announced today its withdrawal from the 2005 American Le Mans Series ("ALMS") with immediate effect. The team contested the first seven rounds of the ALMS campaigning the #5 Menards-Yokohama Corvette C5-R in the GT1 class but has decided to cancel its program prior to the end of the season.

The Oxnard-based team, the reigning Toyota Atlantic Champions, will use the time gained by not concentrating their time and efforts on the three remaining ALMS events to evaluate its on-track options for 2006 and beyond.

The decision to leave the ALMS, where the team scored its first GT1 podium finish with Alex Figge and Ryan Dalziel in Portland at the end of July, is based purely on the desire to channel the resources available to the independent team into a more competitive racing program.

Team Director Tyler Tadevic explains, "Put simply 'You can't fight City Hall!' As a privateer team we just don't have the resources to continue to compete in the ALMS and hope to win races against the factory-backed entries."

"Our decision to leave is in no way a comment on the series, we've absolutely loved running in the ALMS but we're a team used to winning and as a privately funded organization we can't hope to run as competitively as the teams in the series who enjoy manufacturer backing."

He continued, "I'm delighted that we've been able to represent General Motors and the Corvette brand by extending the life of the C5-R chassis into the 2005 season. I'm proud that as a team we were able to join Corvette Racing on the podium in July and our thanks go to Doug Fehan and Gary Claudio for their encouragement and for the support from Pratt and Miller and Katech Motors as well as from Art Michalik and Cheech Yamauchi at our tire partner Yokohama."

"There are no hidden politics behind our decision to leave the ALMS," Tadevic said. "We just believe our resources, and those of our corporate partners, will be better served competing in a series where we can utilize our skills and experience to maximum effect! I'm delighted that Menards and Ironclad have supported us throughout the year and we look forward to further developing our relationships with them. The lead time we've now established to prepare for 2006 will keep the team together and hopefully increase our ability to be competitive come the start of our next campaign."

Alex Figge will continue to race with PCM while his ALMS team-mate, Scotland's Ryan Dalziel, also has an offer to continue his relationship with the squad into 2006.

Reflecting on PCM's time in the ALMS Tadevic concluded, "Don Panoz and Scott Atherton have put together a first rate organization and it goes without saying that if we had the opportunity to return to the series with manufacturer support then we'd jump at the chance. Our decision to leave is based purely on the resources we have available to us and the responsibility we have to our corporate partners to be competitive - we race to win it's as simple as that."

PCM's Corvette C5-R chassis is for sale immediately, interested parties should contact the team for further information.
--------------------

one more thing left to do for me to be correct :)

[Gnam]

"Our decision to leave is in no way a comment on the series...as a privately funded organization we can't hope to run as competitively as the teams in the series who enjoy manufacturer backing."
I like how they comment on the series after saying this isn't a comment on the series.



"There are no hidden politics behind our decision to leave the ALMS," Tadevic said. "We just believe our resources, and those of our corporate partners, will be better served competing in a series where we can utilize our skills and experience to maximum effect!
Does "maximum effect" mean race wins or sponsorship exposure?

[FCYTravis]

Sponsor exposure tends to go along with race wins.

[cameraman]

Probably both. Your sponsor does not get much exposure when you are several laps down. Winning = exposure

[Gnam]

Well if they were concerned about competition, racing against teams on equal footing, Grand Am or Atlantics would make sense. But if a sponsor was mainly concerned about exposure, maybe they wanna go to INDY. Isn't Menards their sponsor?

[NismoZ]

So they go into a season with a "transition year attitude" then complain when their 3 year old car can't compete with state of the art equipment? If they go to DPs they shouldn't have to worry about that.

[Sean O'Gorman]

So they go into a season with a "transition year attitude" then complain when their 3 year old car can't compete with state of the art equipment? If they go to DPs they shouldn't have to worry about that.

Exactly. I hope this is clicking with some of the Grand-Am haters.

[Easy]

Exactly. I hope this is clicking with some of the Grand-Am haters.


DP would also cost the family less money than Atlantics.

But could they sleep at night knowing that they are traitors to real sports car racing and real racing in general? After all the ALMS, the series tied to the category's traditional big-daddy race is the natural ally of ChampCar. :sarcasm:

Oh and I hope Dallara doesn't get a shot at the new Champ Car chassis contract because they don't build quality race cars.

[racer2c]

DP would also cost the family less money than Atlantics.

But could they sleep at night knowing that they are traitors to real sports car racing and real racing in general? After all the ALMS, the series tied to the category's traditional big-daddy race is the natural ally of ChampCar. :sarcasm:

Oh and I hope Dallara doesn't get a shot at the new Champ Car chassis contract because they don't build quality race cars.


Calick, Calick. :gomer:

[coolhand]

Exactly. I hope this is clicking with some of the Grand-Am haters.


what? how any schmo can show up with a DP and compete in a tube framed stock block powered car? :gomer:

and to the rest of you, MarkC is backing up my PCM to Atlantics wish, look out :cool:

[coolhand]

double post

[Dr. Corkski]

and to the rest of you, MarkC is backing up my PCM to Atlantics wish, look out :cool:It's more like he "borrowed" it. :gomer:

[Easy]

what? how any schmo can show up with a DP and compete in a tube framed stock block powered car? :gomer:

and to the rest of you, MarkC is backing up my PCM to Atlantics wish, look out :cool:


If Grandprix.com picks it up you'll have the Fan Fiction web site market cornered.

[FCYTravis]

NismoZ, they bought a three-year-old car with the expectation that it would be a learning year toward purchasing and campaigning a "state of the art" C6R for 2006.

They were told at Road America they wouldn't be "allowed" to buy a C6R for 2006.

So they won't be worrying about "learning" anymore.

[Racing Truth]

DP would also cost the family less money than Atlantics.

But could they sleep at night knowing that they are traitors to real sports car racing and real racing in general? After all the ALMS, the series tied to the category's traditional big-daddy race is the natural ally of ChampCar. :sarcasm:

Oh and I hope Dallara doesn't get a shot at the new Champ Car chassis contract because they don't build quality race cars.

Heh. :D

So MarkC now has a PCM-Atlantics rumor. Well, shoot, I'M SOLD!!! :gomer:

[Sean O'Gorman]

PCM moves up to Daytona Prototypes:

http://www.grandamerican.com/News/Article.asp?ID=5145

[extramundane]

PCM moves up to Daytona Prototypes:

http://www.grandamerican.com/News/Article.asp?ID=5145

Either way, they're still racing for 3rd place.

Good luck to 'em.