Audi and Honda Motorsports Announcements Plus aLittle Bit More

by 4ever3 on Dec 6, 2008 9:39 PM EST Comment 2 comments

This just in from the Associated Press:

"FRANKFURT, Germany - Audi says it is pulling out of the American Le Mans Series after nine years.

Audi motor sports chief Wolfgang Ullrich said Friday the German car maker wanted to concentrate on Europe "in these difficult economic times."

The announcement comes on the same day that Honda said it was pulling out of Formula One, as car makers around the world battle with massive drops in sales amid the global financial downturn.

Audi cars have won nine straight LMP1 class championships.

Audi will continue to race in the 24-hour race in Le Mans, France, and will also keep its cars in the German touring cars (DTM) series, as well in the 12-hour race in Sebring, Florida." - go here for the article.

and this by Jim Armstrong also of the Associated Press;

"TOKYO (AP) — Honda has pulled out of Formula One racing, the Japanese automaker saying Friday it needs to focus on its core business amid the slowdown in the global economy.

Honda CEO Takeo Fukui told a packed news conference the company was unable to continue backing an F1 team because of the tougher economic times. He said Honda was open to selling the team.

"The automobile industry is experiencing very difficult times," Fukui said. "Demand started to dry up in November and we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel." - go here for the full article.

Oh and there is more;

I also know that there is serious talk about those yellow corvettes that run GT1 in the American Le Mans Series not making a full schedule this year, if they run at all. I got this info from a very credible source inside the team - more on that another day - so I wouldn't class that as a rumour. But I would speculate, and this is just my assumption, that if GM decides to run in the GT1 class (limited or otherwise) I would think they will only run one car and not the two.

OK, all I've got to say is, "When is something like this going to hit NASCAR?"

Speaking of GM, here is a cost cutting measure that just breeds inefficiency:

On Friday I had to call someone at GM - not my GM racing source mentioned earlier - and the phone just rang and rang. I figured that no one was around to answer the phone since I was calling at 12:10 pm (lunch) so I just waited for the automated message to come on to direct me to a voice mail box.

Well it didn't happen.

Not at all.

I called back two hours later and got the person I was looking for after 4 rings. After speaking with her I told her that I called earlier during lunch and that the automated operator never picked up and you know what she told me?

You guessed it.

In an effort to cut costs GM got rid of their voice mail system, at least for that office anyway as I can't speak for elsewhere, not even an answering machine was provided.

I don't know about you but I think that would just make the office less efficient thus driving up production costs while at the same time creating less productivity.