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Adelaide

ALMS

31/12/2000

Kerry Morse

'Tis The Season

Sitting here with the post Christmas angst blues, I suddenly snapped out of my fogbank as I heard the sound of an approaching fax.
Chugging out of a now obsolete piece of "this is the future technology", I became annoyed that I would have to get up to retrieve said document. The two pager, courtesy of the ALMS press office, informed me that the Panoz team were going crocodile hunting in the land down under. Huh? Oh yeah, that's right! I heard that there is a race going on in Adelaide this weekend.

For some reason, the idea of having this race seemed like a great idea at the time but as the season went on it was genuinely hard to maintain any real enthusiasm for actually going to Australia for it. Many of the teams and drivers I spoke with felt the same but due to contractual reasons, a number were on the roll call to make the long haul. Several of the fifth estate and elite media corps looked into the travel
packages but there was nothing close to matching the packages for the teams;
thus many hacks and shooters decided to stay home and then head for Daytona
next week for the test days for the 24 hours.

Maybe part of the reason for the lethargic approach for Adelaide can be determined to be the result of a Las Vegas hangover. The season should have ended at Laguna Seca instead of playing to thousands of empty seats north of the Vegas strip. It was a down note for almost everyone and the delay of truly ending the season until Adelaide, didn't do much to improve the mood. Two months is a long time in motorsport. Hell, two weeks is a long time. The silliness of not naming McNish the champion after Vegas makes the whole venue seem less serious than say……well you can fill in the blanks. But that has been the pattern of the ALMS since the start. One step forward, two steps back (remember San Diego? Scheduled twice and cancelled twice) and
three steps forward, etc.

So a look back at season of the faire with a few memories and observations thrown in to the mixing bowl.

Team of the year: I consulted the smartest and brightest people within the ALMS and discovered almost unanimous agreement.The team of the year has to be the women who work within the circus. Fiona Miller, Sylvia Proudfoot, Cara de Vlaming but the Oscar goes to Vanessa Weikart. To those in the know, Vanessa's Hospitality Service is the place to meet before, during and after a session. The fact that she travelled a long road to honing her operation is evident in the subtle touches that she displays in her set-ups. Vanessa and staff (most notably Tammy) understand the hours and distance from home and the effect it has on the teams. Vegas was a perfect example of Vanessa's work as a multitude of carved out pumpkins announcing Halloween greeted us upon arrival. A hilarious moment was punctuated when Jean Marc Gounon came bouncing out of the motorhome with a witch hat and fright wig on and made a beeline for the BMW tent. He had just left when Vanessa appeared shouting that he had forgot his broom. In a flash, Gounon returned, grabbed the broom from her and rode off. The fact the Vanessa puts up with the likes of Stuball, Brooksie, moi, and a seemingly endless army of hangers on has nothing to do with Vanessa being our favorite. Of course, Vanessa simply says that Larry makes it great. And who are we to argue?

The departure of Oreca and the factory Viper team means that Cara de Vlaming will not be with us for the upcoming season. Too bad, as she was one of the most liked personalities in the paddock. Change is not always good. We love you Cara !

Race of the year: If you don't count the final results which were a runaway for Audi, the season of individual laps were pretty damn good. Mosport comes to mind for sheer drama, Petit Le Mans was a bad script with great performances, Sebring for the will to win. Interesting that the namesake for the ALMS, that being the 24 Heures du Mans, was the only truly boring race of the season.

Drive of the year: Allan McNish at Sears Point. Any questions?

Drive of the year GT division: Ron Fellows in the ‘Vette at Daytona. Stirring, madman hustles hardware on the banks. Eh?

Team Manager of the year: Dave Price. I know that Reinhold Joest has been more successful, but the Audi effort simply has the best of everything in the mechanical dept. Pricey has been magnificent in running the Panoz cars. Driving talent between the Panoz and Audi teams is too close to pick, although Nishy might be just a bit quicker than Brabs. But then again, put 'em in the same car. Let's wait for Daytona....

ALMS Writer of the year: The silliness of Stuart Codling or Andrew Cotton and his press room observations. Hard to say, I demand a recount.

Photographer of the year: Our own John Brooks, but not for his pictures...

Book of the year: ‘Wine and Two Cheeses’ by Yawnos Zepplinn (get well pal, there are dozens of new cars being built with chassis numbers to record).

Special effects of the year: Cadillac... make it go away. Wayne Taylor is a driver, not a magician. Runner up goes to BMW and Schnitzer for imitating a race team for most of the season. The beautiful LMR deserved a more graceful exit.

Missing for most of the year: Well, he wasn't really sacked but the disappearance of Steve Soper after Sebring was a good indication of where BMW was going. However, the Soper charm has returned as he will be a force in the upcoming BTCC season aboard a Peugeot. This should do wonders for Anglo-French relations. What you mean?!?