Flying Lizard to quit Porsche

Just heard from Maroon92:

http://www.9magazine.com/flying-lizard-porsche-no-more.html

I'll have to ask Scott to get the scoop for next year. He is the truck driver/refueler for Frying Gizzards.

I just talked to a friend at Porsche Cars North America. I'm seeing if there's anything else we can publicly say at the moment.

I got an email from the team this morning about it. Basically the same statement that's in the article.

And the tea leaves say more info to come very soon.

I have probably said too much. If I don't arrive home by 6:00, well, they got to me.

Well, based upon their luck this last year and how many times they were forced out of the race I can't say as I blame them.

This may just be my faulty memory, but it seems they got forced out due to off front impacts that destroyed those little radiators and had to retire several times.

Those rads located on the front corners seem to be especially fragile on all the P cars.

That's going to make the Porsche forum mad.

I just reread the release from Flying Lizard. I must have missed the part where they say they're leaving Porsche.

In reply to David S. Wallens:

Perhaps they're leaving ALMS?

It's in the press release from Porsche, it's in the link at the bottom of the announcment on the Flying Lizard website.

Porsche was given the crap end of the stick as far as competition equality goes. They really needed a bump in power or decrease in weight to be competitive with Ferrari and Corvette and BMW

IMO

carguy123 wrote: Well, based upon their luck this last year and how many times they were forced out of the race I can't say as I blame them. This may just be my faulty memory, but it seems they got forced out due to off front impacts that destroyed those little radiators and had to retire several times. Those rads located on the front corners seem to be especially fragile on all the P cars. That's going to make the Porsche forum mad.

Actually, I don't think Flying Lizard dropped out of any races this year due to the radiator issues.

I kept seeing them out and seeing pics of Porsches with radiator problems so maybe I just thought it was them. I know I hear all about them on the Porsche forums so anytime they get punted out of a race it gets reinforced.

I think all the Porsches finished just several laps down. I remember what was it, Belle Isle(?), where they got collected up busting a radiator. I think they finished but never in contention for anything other then last place.

Ranger50 wrote: I think all the Porsches finished just several laps down. I remember what was it, Belle Isle(?), where they got collected up busting a radiator. I think they finished but never in contention for anything other then last place.

Grand Am was at Belle Isle this year, not ALMS.

carguy123 wrote: I kept seeing them out and seeing pics of Porsches with radiator problems so maybe I just thought it was them. I know I hear all about them on the Porsche forums so anytime they get punted out of a race it gets reinforced.

Well, you know what happens when you assume. On the plus side, you now have a fan at PCNA.

What the ALMS played favorites to certain manufacturers? No way!

I hope they don't leave the sport as they've always been one of my favorite privateer teams in the ALMS.

Maroon92 wrote:

Ranger50 wrote: I think all the Porsches finished just several laps down. I remember what was it, Belle Isle(?), where they got collected up busting a radiator. I think they finished but never in contention for anything other then last place.

Grand Am was at Belle Isle this year, not ALMS.

Ok, my bad. Too many similar series running too many similar cars on too many similar tracks.

I know I'll miss the lizards in p-cars. Here's hoping they come back for the 991 and the joint series in 2014.

I haven't rooted for a Porsche in any race series since the 962 went away. Not sure why. I guess it's a little like rooting for the Yankees or Apollo Creed.

The way I read the press release was that Porsche was stopping development of the current 911RSR, so FLMS would no longer be running that car. I didn't read anything about FLMS leaving Porsche......

Just a wild guess, but do a Google Image Search for "Porsche 918 RSR"...... (fingers crossed)

tifosi2k2 wrote: The way I read the press release was that Porsche was stopping development of the current 911RSR, so FLMS would no longer be running that car. I didn't read anything about FLMS leaving Porsche...... Just a wild guess, but do a Google Image Search for "Porsche 918 RSR"...... (fingers crossed)

918 RSR is a dead end project. It was shown at Detroit two years ago, and hasn't been heard from since.

It is highly unlikely that Porsche would develop three separate chassis for racing at the same time. They are currently working on the 991 RSR, and the LMP1 project, while still providing a modicum of support for the 997 RSR. If we see the 918 RSR hit the track, I'll eat my hat!

i lost a lot of interest in the ALMS , because they strangled Audi and the Diesel race cars.

yes i know!! RULES< RULES <RULES.

i saw the Audi diesel's run the wheels off Penski porsche's at road America ,2007, and next year Audi had to reduce engine displacment 50%, then each year, a whole other bunch performance reductions, so,for me, it became uninteresting,ALMS.

i now watch it , nothing else to watch, = forced TV.

Their team driver's and folks from Porsche talked at length about the upcoming ALMS/GrandAm merger at the race at VIR about 5 weeks ago. Porsche was trying to figure out what that would mean. Ya'll probably know better than I that Porsche don't much like series where they don't have a good bit of freedom within the rules to develop things. My guess is that tifosi up above is pointing at what will occur. While Porsche is up in the air deciding what it's going to do -- FLMS has got to go ahead, make some decisions and move forward.

It's always a challenge/balancing act for the sanctioning bodies. If development is wide open per the rules, then the teams that bring the most money always win. The fans/sponsors don't like that. Back in the day the 917 was like a virus - killing its host. On the other hand, if constant rules changes aimed at parody (fans generally like close racing) don't give the innovators a chance to benefit from their creativity - then the competitors grow weary. Somewhere between those 2 extremes lies a series that works. So the sanctioning bodies are constantly changing something to try and strike the right balance.

I personally love it when Porsche says 'it's my football and I'm going home.'

Looking at Patrick Long's twitter feed he is saying it will not be as bad as everyone is making it out to be.

petit 2012 practice