r/IMSARacing • u/donaldgoldsr • Oct 19 '23
Future Interest I think we all saw this coming. Alpine possibly to IMSA with MSR
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u/bual96 Oct 19 '23
that pink MSR would be a perfect fit for Alpine. just like their f1 car.
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u/V8-Turbo-Hybrid Rolex 24 - 2024 Oct 19 '23
Alpine uses part of pink because their biggest sponsor, BWT requires for that.
Pink is BWT iconic color.
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u/XsStreamMonsterX Oct 20 '23
BWT also only sponsors the F1 team, and only because of former team principal Otmar Szafnauer's relationship with them (he brought them over from Aston Martin/Force India).
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u/NoExcuse3655 Oct 19 '23
Aren’t the Acura and Alpine on the same chassis as well? Would def make an easy learning curve for MSR
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u/Michal_Baranowski Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 #14 Oct 19 '23
If Alpine seeks for a way to race in IMSA, this is probably the best option and possibly - the only sensible one. Like Famin said, Alpine won't have a big customer program and that potential IMSA team may be the only one in the end.
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u/donaldgoldsr Oct 19 '23
It does make sense. A very successful, experienced team with a familiar chassis is a win win for both parties.
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u/ClassicMach Oct 19 '23
Seems like a sensible partnership. If this was a possibility in the background I definitely see why MSR would rather take a year off and then link up with Alpine than take whatever they can get to field a car in 24.
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u/IrishTiger89 Oct 19 '23
It’s sounds like they made a push to get a 963 (per Hindy @ PLM) but that didn’t pan out
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u/The_Reelest Oct 19 '23
I hope MSR gets an Alpine program and gets back in the grid. Yes, they cheated, but they didn’t deserve to lose their program over it. I’m purely speculating, but I think there was some behind the scenes fuckery going on between Acura and WTR. I think both Acura and WTR wanted the second car and the cheating provided a convenient excuse and PR cover to take the program from MSR.
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u/jcforbes Oct 19 '23
As an insider who has seen similar go on I wouldn't doubt this take for a moment.
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u/Ldghead Oct 20 '23
While I can definitely see that as a possibility, let's be careful to not make MSR out as a victim.
We all know how seriously Honda takes not only their motorsports, but also their footprint in the sport, and the perception they leave in the sport.
MSR (or rather, a rogue Engineer?) Cheated, and Honda wanted it to be very well known that this is not how they do business. They would rather lose fairly, than win by cheating.4
u/The_Reelest Oct 20 '23
I never said MSR was the victim. I said they shouldn't have lost the program over it. Them cheating cost them the championship and the win should've been stripped from them. If Honda was really that serious about cheating then why didn't they pull the Indycar engine lease from them as well? That's why I think there is more to the story.
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u/Spezisstilltrash Oct 19 '23
This is the right take. Racing is about racing to the finish line, not following the rules blindly hoping to beat the other guys trying to bend the rules.
Punishment when caught is appropriate, but it’s literally in the DNA of the sport.
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u/MoMedic9019 Oct 19 '23 edited Oct 19 '23
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO
no.
Acura is funding that program heavily (>80%) and if they wanted MSR out they didn’t need any sort of a scapegoat to make that happen. The loss of that program was 100,000,000% on MSR and the data manipulation that goes way deeper than just Daytona this year.
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u/wolfpack_57 Wheelen Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi #31 Oct 21 '23
Yeah, but if Acura/Honda is partially paying to operate the team, it's their decision. "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying" may be a prevalent attitude in some parts of the sport, but MSR knew they weren't working with Smokey Yunick when they decided to cheat.
On a personal note, seeing Mike Shank rant about how everyone's against him when he got caught cheating makes me support Acura's decision more.
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u/mikePTH Oct 20 '23
The Audi RS6 parked right all last weekend right below the tower with the license plate ALP 1 probably had nothing to do with this, but the first time I saw it I thought "huh. I guess Alpine is talking to someone..."
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u/MoMedic9019 Oct 19 '23
Lol…
I absolutely said this weeks ago and had downvotes rained upon me.
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u/donaldgoldsr Oct 19 '23
I mean, yeah you were right because this is the most obvious choice for both parties.
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u/Cool10YearsAgo Oct 19 '23
I'm doubtful of this, only because I don't see Alpines being sold in the U.S.
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u/MoMedic9019 Oct 19 '23
You shouldn’t be.
Alpine is planning on selling cars in 2027
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u/Cool10YearsAgo Oct 19 '23
They've been selling cars since 1955 and have never come to the U.S., as we can't count Renault badged cars because IMSA wouldn't. I'm not saying it'll never happen, but they haven't even communicated a desire to. And that Sportscar365 article is nothing more than a website thought to click & read as far as I can see.
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u/MoMedic9019 Oct 19 '23
I..
Yes they have. https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a42592285/alpine-america-2027/
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u/Cool10YearsAgo Oct 19 '23
I'm because that's one I haven't seen. In Vegas I'm still betting my chips that it won't happen.
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u/MoMedic9019 Oct 19 '23
K.
A motorsport program leading a marketing segment to build brand hype has absolutely never happened before, nope.
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u/Cool10YearsAgo Oct 19 '23
mK.... maybe you missed them doing this before. And a F1 team looking to boost U.S. awareness of their brand to gain marketing dollars in newly expanded FIA territory hasn't happened before either. Nope.
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u/MoMedic9019 Oct 19 '23
You should probably take some time and research who Jim Meyers is tennis partners with.
Then lemme know if you still think this is all hogwash.
Mind you, I heard about this at Road America had talks have been ongoing since MSR got dumped earlier in the year.
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u/Cool10YearsAgo Oct 19 '23
Hey man, it's all good. All I said is that I'm doubtful that it happens. If you're looking for an internet boxing match, I'm not your guy.
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u/donaldgoldsr Oct 19 '23
Actually this old news. In the early summer they stated their intentions to market the Alpine brand in the US. That's when John Doonan said they'd be welcome in IMSA.
I believe their plan is full dealership integration by 2027.1
u/agoia Corvette Racing Z06 GT3.R #3 Oct 20 '23
All electric by then so no A110s are coming over. I suddenly got a whole lot less excited.
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u/redhatch Oct 19 '23
Waivers are possible. Ford was granted one back in the mid-2010s to run the GT GTE car before it was produced in sufficient numbers.
I agree this seems like much more of a stretch, though.
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u/MJC561 Oct 21 '23
How realistic is this? Like MSR having a car for the Rolex 24? That would be so sick
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u/donaldgoldsr Oct 21 '23
In '25, i think it's very realistic.
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u/Paige578660 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3EVO2 #83 Oct 19 '23
Sounds good to me. I think they'd work well together.