Well, welcome to another edition of the weekend sports cars podcast part of the Marshall Perot podcast collection. Well, I'm Graham Goodwin and sitting next to me is AI Marshall Perot, otherwise known as my deputy here at Delhi sports car, Stephen Kilby. Stephen, great to have you with us and in particular with us again, because we have been having some technical issues with the new recording set up trans-contilentally with MP, but we hope to get that sorted and to have the big man back with us for another edition very soon indeed. Time to say a big thank you to our show partners on the Marshall Perot podcast, starting with FAFT Technologies. Build to print composites manufacturing company. They're specializing in medium to large scale automotive motor sports and military applications. Visit FAFTechologies.com. It's PFAFF Technologies.com to learn more about their services and how they can benefit your business. Next, it's the Justice Brothers. Makers of premium additives, lubricants and cleaners and servicing the automotive and motorsports industries for more than 85 years. The victories in all the biggest North American motor races, including the Indianapolis 500, the 24 hours a day toner, the Justice Brothers products are truly race-proven. Learn about their vast history and range of offerings at justicebrothers.com. If you're fond of awesome motor racing collectibles, including FAFT motorsports McLaren, Gear and Goodies, pay a visit to torontomotor sports.com. And finally, you have a new online merchandise home for the podcast, the pruitstore.com all the show stickers, models, racing memorabilia, trying to sell and put towards our fund to buy a house is now live and rocking. The pruitstore.com. But, Stephen, we thought we'd get this edition in the can because it comes sort of friends you've used coming at us today, recording this on Wednesday. That, after a pretty stellar weekend for the European Le Mans series, they've been on to the race meeting, and the first and the last for a while, at least at Mugello in Tuscany and Italy. Great stuff there. Lots and lots of news brewing and keep an eye on racer.com and delisportscar.com because trust me, we've got some absolute loo-loo's of stories that are going to be with us online in the next few days and weeks. Portageous if you can hear a little bit of noise in the background, we've got new daily sports car Husky, Taz, with us in the office. And suffice to say, his level of self-control is currently a little less on the scale than perhaps his predecessor, the much-missed, much-loved Oscar the Husky was. He is a bundle of joy, but also a bundle of mischief. So you might well hear that's a bit of a sneeze for him because he's trying to eat dust at the moment. Well done, boy. But Stephen, today in particular, lots and lots of news. In particular, want to kick off with the European Le Mans series calendar. Why use it, you might say? Well, because there is actually some bona fide news there. There is one change. It's a pretty major one, and it marks the return to the United Kingdom of any form of ACO rules racing and almost any form of international sports car racing for the first time since 2019. Yes, so we're going back to Silver Stone next year. It replaces a like-for-like swap with the race that we just went to at Magello. We say like-for-like. I think the restaurants in Magello are marginally better. And the background scenery, the mountains. Yeah. So the sweeping hills of Northampton toaster, not to your liking. So we're going to replace, let's be clear, some epic pizzerias, trattorias with a chip shop and a Chinese takeaway in toaster. And a decent pub. There's quite a few pubs. And a service station ice cream fridge replaces the trattorias. Yeah, that's a bit of a kick. That's a massive blow, isn't it? But fair to say that the news has been welcomed by fans in the UK. Should go through some of the reasons why we've been away for so long. Pretty clearly a big part of it was the COVID pandemic. That made Trans border logistics significantly more complicated. There are also, of course, post Brexit, United Kingdom Leave in the European Union. There are also some concerns and some challenges for teams bringing their kit caboodle across into and back out of our country, for which we apologise profusely for the stupidity of, at least I do, stupidity of very many of our country men and women. But it is good to have it back. It's also going to be two firsts at that race meeting. And that is the first time that the Emissional and Ammon Cup has raced in the UK. And the first time that the Asia European Series will have raced in the UK. And that's because the Asia European Series post dates the last time we were here. And the Emissional and Ammon Cup, this was always the round that was missed because it was always the double header with the F5 World Endurance Championship. That leaves the question open. Is this a precursor for the WC to return? And I think you've got an answer to the immediate future for that. And it's not one that's going to please our listeners. Yeah, I mean, speaking to a few senior members of the paddock and the race organisers in the last week or so, it became pretty clear that while they've been fighting to get a championship back to Silverstone for a while and it's something that's been on the agenda for many years, this isn't being done because they wanted to trial howling or holding race at Silverstone. So then immediately bring the WC back in like 2026. We should treat those two things separately. So clearly, obviously, there is an appetite for them to go back to Silverstone. They have talked about it. They've come close in the past since we were last there in 2019 about going back there. But this Elam S weekend that they're holding there is not connected to a future deal for the WC. It's not to say that Silverstone is off the table for the WC going forward, but it's for the moment with the way that the circuit contracts are in the WC. We've immerled a lockdown for a long-term deal. Spa clearly is a traditional race. It's not going anywhere. Le Mans is not going anywhere. They'd have to add an additional European round and make it a nine-race calendar to fidded in, which I don't think is going to be possible at least for the next year or two. When you see it hearing some of the conversations that we've had in the paddock ground about budgets. Food sheet is all about budgets. It's all about budgets from some of the hyperguard teams, but principally the Elam GT3 teams. There is going to be a bit of analysis from as a DSC in the next few days from some pretty epic stories coming out of both the food G and the majello paddocks, which you will not want to miss. The bigger ones, those stories will also be featuring in separate tales told for our friends and colleagues at racer.com. Keep an eye on the two major news outlets that we service in the next week or so for a lot more detail on some pretty heavyweight stories. Principally good news stories, not exclusively good news stories, but principally good news stories. That's Silverstone. Delighted we're going back. Not necessarily my favourite circuit to work out, but I've seldom, if ever, seen a bad sports car race there. I am absolutely delighted for the super loyal UK sports car fans and would say, you know, whether or not this is an immediate precursor for a WC return seems the answer that is most likely it's not. Showing your support for this form of racing is a good tick in the box for the planning for the future. And frankly, in any case, I mean, you can mean a lot. I call it take these races. You watch these races in the same way that a fan does, or principally from the press room. I know what I think of the quality of racing in the European world, so there's a few words from you on it. Yeah, no, it's spectacular and I don't think it's ever been better to be honest. The driving standards, while at times can be a little bit shaky here and there, the odd silly incident. As a whole, there's so many quality drivers and teams in it now that you just, these races, and it shows in the stands when you say that the fans turned up from the yellow, they've been turning up all year at circuits all of a sudden. People starting to trickle in in decent numbers. We're seeing tens of thousands of people come into these races now, which just wasn't the case. And that's because it is, and it's hugely entertaining and the four hour format works a treat. It always produces drama in the final sort of half an hour, 45 minutes. It doesn't matter what circuit we visit. Every race seems to go down to the wire and it's just become such an amazing breeding ground for talent in our sport. It really has. Yeah, I mean, I think the official numbers at Michelle, obviously a circuit without the heritage with these cars. And Michelle, by the way, nestled between two different places in Tuscany. It's between no and it's between where. So it literally is the middle of nowhere. And there were 8,000 people pay for tickets on the day there, which is no bad crowd there for what is not a known quantity. So if you are in the UK, or you want to come for a trip to the UK, why wouldn't you? It's marvellous. Did I sound sarcastic there? I mean, I'm genuinely really excited to see the LMS back at Silverstone. You sound excited. I'm hugely excited. You put me off now, but my part was going to be that showing your support to this event and going along will go a long way improving that there's a future for this longer term. Whether that's just an LMS, or whether it's for the WC as well in the future, because Silverstone is one of these circuits that appears on ACO calendars, which has to pay for itself. Ticket sales are really important. The money they get through the door from fans for these races are more important than when the WC visits guitar Bahrain, where it's the other way round. The higher ups at LMEM have made it clear in the past that the only reason we can go to places like Brazil is because we've got a racing guitar. It's not easy to host these events and the prices of everything going up all the time it seems now. It's never been more important for people to actually show their support for these European races at these traditional circuits where there isn't tons of money flowing around. Completely right. We'd love to see WC back in the UK. It's been one of its traditional homes. We'd love to see it back in this amazing era. But for the time being, 40 odd cars in the European Le Mans series, which is kind of a sort of a junior WC. I'm not having to travel aboard for a race for the first time in a long time. It'll be six years since I've covered a race in the UK. Same with me. That is an extraordinary fact. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that chip shop now. No gelateria. I'm not bitter. I'm still going to Emmila though and that your favourite gelateria is my favourite. It is my favourite gelateria. It will be fine. You will be serviced. Just come, come on. Right. I'll do other things. Excuse me. You're just off a call with Porsche. Yes. And that's relevant, not just for the end of the WC season, at the end of the season still to come and a bit more news on that shortly. But because they had something to say after a pretty extraordinary series of post race checks after the Battle of Bricks, the indie Six Hours of Emmila, where one of each of the GTP cars was impounded for basically a tear down test. I don't think they did the actual tearing, but tear down test. That led to post race penalties for one of the accuras, more particularly in the case of this call, one of the Porsches. Fess up, spill the beans, what was this highness thing? They put an overboard engine, was it kind of five and a half liters? Was it a third turbocharger? What had they boosted the hybrid system up to, I don't know, 300 horsepower? What had the blatant cheating that clearly went on, outrageous. I'm surprised that there aren't people falling on their swords at Penske and Porsche Motorsport over this. Just tell us what highness crime it was that led to that decision. Essentially, the wiring loom and the right hand side pod of the car was not homologated. It's the wiring loom that... So there's a massive performance gain from them. Yeah, because it concerns the transponder on the right hand side of the car and the leader lights. It was an update that they'd rolled up to the car but hadn't properly completed the paperwork for it and homologated it and it'll allow all be sorted in time for road, road Atlanta and for Bahrain for all of the cars. So no performance game, what's wrong with that? No, it's just an error. You might have got a flicker in the leader lights. Yeah, potentially. Are they doing the traditional thing? No, they wouldn't have because they've put the update in to prevent other cars by flicker in the leader lights. It's one of these things. They were surprised when they announced that they were going to do these checks. The Penske guys were not in any way worried and going, oh no, they're going to find the wiring loom when it happened. They just went, ah, oops. So they've basically gone back and said it's all bad. Yeah, 100% and Jonathan Duga, the manager at Team Penske, was very clear and it was very honest and open about everything we need to ask a few questions about it and he made it very clear that Porsche totally supports IMSA doing these sorts of checks now and in the future and while it's frustrating, they're being consistent as what he said in terms of dealing up penalties like this. So, yeah, they're frustrated but ultimately they completely accept it. They know they're at fault. It's just one of those things, isn't it? So I'm completely wrong. Yeah, you're completely wrong, right? So Jonathan Duga had done bad, but not in a way in which it was, yeah, of course I knew that. I don't know what you, Graham, but I'd almost like to see more of this because we've seen occasionally, like, races like the ROCs 24 hours, major penalties dealt after the race of effect the result of some of the biggest races of the year. I'd like to see more of this sort of stuff because it's going to make teams more on the ball. When it comes to things like this especially, it's like they're so unnecessary. Yeah, and you know, we've had, it was Cadillac, wasn't it, but disqualified. That was non-conforming bodywork and they again put their hands up and said, "Our quality control, I'll get that word out eventually." Quality control process sort of fell them. So it's often the case that there are ways in which you can sidestep the regulations, but in other cases, it's simply its process, its procedure. So that one we put behind us, that's a quick word about Petitlemon. So Petitlemon has got their entry list out today, Wednesday, and not a massive number of unexpected changes, 54 cars, capacity grid, couple of notable things in there, including Dragon Speed stepping up to GTD Pro with Thomas Lloyd-Bauer. Yeah, it's Vylanda and Vance on a Braille. And Vance on a Braille. So that's a cracking squat for that. The regular crew of additional drivers for the Tenar Race at Petitlemon, which always provides an absolutely fantastic end to the aim of the season. We'll say more about that, I think a little bit closer to the time, but again, another of these major races, Stephen, that is, you know, absolutely in its pump. Yeah, it's become a regular topic conversation. Anywhere you go in sports car racing now, which is Garage Space, because everyone's just over subscribed, isn't it? And it's great to see an event like Petitlemon like I remember, years ago, but not that long ago, when they were scrabbling together like 30 cars and struggling to do that, and some of those were if you entry. And now you've got 50 plus, and you know, they could, it's almost like if they had unlimited garage spaces for Daytona backroom, so I could just keep filling. Yeah, and the vast majority, full season entries, or at the very least full endurance cup entries, and it's the same, isn't it? You know, we're going to be putting some stuff together about the WC in 2025 the next few days. You're being Le Mans series, the teams that look like they are not going to get a place on that grid. It's, you know, we're not going to name them at the moment, but pretty beyond belief. And it's not just a team, it's multiple teams, you know, with cars that they're going to struggle to find a place on any grid, because we're talking here about homologated prototype teams, as well as LGBT three teams. You know, it's both fantastic, but also perplexing that there's not a plan B for some of those teams with those cars. I think that might more become a topic of conversation in the weeks and months to come. Are we at a point now? Is there an opportunity now for somebody to provide an additional opportunity to race these cars? I think you've got to say, if there is ever going to be a time, it is now. Right. Yeah, especially when you look at the P2 field in the LMS, and we've got multiple teams, you know, some of the super teams in that championship, like United, all sports like Alhar Pro, into Europe, all that having to really fight to make sure they get like a second car on the grid next year, and it's the same in IMSA. It's not a given, you could spend millions investing like, like a United has, gone and built a new base in North Carolina, specifically to run a two car ins a program out. And there's almost like, for a long part of this year, there was no guarantee that get both spaces for next year, just due to the sheer amount of demand there are for entry spots. And that's the team like United. There's a Le Mans winning team, it's championship winning team, and it's kind of the same conversation everywhere. So I think if there ever is going to be another space to race on the P2 cars, be it something that's on a support package for a championship that we've already got, like an opportunity to race on the P2 cars on the support build free in the mess for aspirin teams that are just stepping up into it, I don't know. But they're certainly, they can't build Oracle 7's quick enough, can they? They can't, I mean, there are not enough, there isn't enough space on their production schedule to provide all the cameras that all the teams that want to enter next year are going to need what they want. And that's going to include, for instance, what we know is going to be part the winding up of the Genesis Hypercar/GTP program. They will be practising some of their team in an L&P2 environment, more of that in a story to come. But beyond that, we then get into teams that are announcing their intentions today. We've heard that Rexy and Spike for a race, I'm going to be back in the interest of whether to export a scholarship that's been a regular flow of teams confirming their return. One team, though, that has confirmed that it's stepping up, it's efforts. That's had a kind of supplementary announcement. So let's say first that Paul Miller Racing will be stepping up to GTD Pro BMWs next season. That's great news for a team that's always been, always provided really high quality entries wherever they've come to in themes of whether to export scholarship and machine fund its predecessors. But there's a knock-on sort of effect of that in that's the first of what are going to be two significant drivers this week that have announced the end of their professional driving careers for the time being at least. That's Brian Sellers. Brian Sellers moving to a management position at DXDT who are currently bossing it in GT World Challenge America. And Brian, one of those guys, everybody in the paddock and a fair number of the fans know how good this guy has been for as long as I can remember. But he's always been one of those quiet guys. Yeah, I've got a lot of time from there, just oozes talent in these. I think he's probably underrated when you look back at his career. I think he's one of these guys that has been there and been in his prime for a long time winning a lot of good races and being involved in a lot of great programs. So yeah, it's cool to see that he's moving into the next chapter with what seems like a really cool program with DXDT have got. With the Corvettes, of course. And for Paul Miller Racing, that's a big investment by them and their backers in what should be a very serious effort indeed. We wait to see just exactly who they're going to feel for that. The same with a Racing and GTD Pro with Rexy GTD Pro looking pretty secure. There was that first year where it was like, "Is this a good idea? Isn't it a good idea?" More people than ever by the way in the paddock and amongst our media colleagues asking whether or not there might be space, buried in by the budgets that are coming their way, for the LMGT3 paddock to start thinking about whether or not a Pro class might be something for the future. I don't see that happening in the immediate future, but there's some challenges ahead for what we believe is going to be 10 efforts manufacturers in LMGT3 next year. I'm pretty sure that Mercedes-Benz will find the way into the Fi World Insurance Championships LMGT3 class next season. There's certainly space for them to do that. Stephen's not as convinced? No, it comes down to proton getting a second car, which I think is highly likely and whether the likes of Lamborghini say it. It's hard to stay because otherwise if proton get the second car and everybody that was going to come, minus Mercedes comes, it's 39 cars. Yeah, well I saw a quick chat about that in a moment, but for the moment good news for Miller, delighted Brian Sellers has got the next chapter of his story written. There's another chapter that ends today, a surprise timing for an announcement that we had been expecting at the end of this season, a social media post. I'm really, if you do get a chance to see it, it's embedded in the daily sports car story. Nico Lapierre announced today on Wednesday the 2nd of October the end of his professional driving career. Has not yet confirmed what he's doing. There are media reports from friends that suggest he may well be stepping up to a CD management position with the Alpine effort that he's been the development driver for the hypercar program and that's going to be gone strong right now. They've got correctly huge aspirations for that. But just a word or two about Nico, he's been around for as long as you've been writing Steven. Yeah, and just awesome, awesome to watch. Lovely guy to chat to. There's another one of these guys who just, I mean, he's won practically every major race he's ever been entered for. We were looking back at, I think you had to look back at what he's driven and that's just a pretty remarkable stat, isn't there, about how much he's driven that's been? Well, look, I mean, he, first and foremost, a single-seater career that included a win at the Macau GP. That doesn't come the way of untalented drivers, the A1GP Championship for Team France, of course. But then in his sports car career that started back in 2007 at Le Mans in Antarctica, built and entered Celine, including that race, if my figures are correct, he has raced 183 times in sports prototypes or GT cars. Of those 183, 176 are with cars and/or teams that where the car has been built by Orica or in teams that have been supported by Orica, principally to because you're racing. It is, I think I'm right, eight overall WC race wins, a further nine class wins, LNP2, four class wins in LNP2 in at Le Mans, three other class podiums, including two overall podiums, both for Toyota again, two wins at Sebring, one famously for Orica where the product entered, older car beat the new car for the factory in 2011, and then much more recently, 2018 with Patron ESM in the, well, the very few races that he raced with, with not an Orica, and that was the the Nissan DPI. And then, of course, more recently, wedging together his duties as a driver with team management, his C-elect racing outfit, so as provided for cool racing in recent years and bringing together some very talented crews indeed and taking race wins and LNP3 championship wins for cool racing in his time. We'll miss seeing you at a driving suit, but he's exactly the kind of guy, I hope it is right about our team, it's exactly the kind of guy we need in the Fi World Endurance Championship with that effort. Someone who understands how important it is to put that professional face on the way in which a manufacturer team present themselves. He's proven, he's proven himself at cool racing as an E with what he's done with that team. They are one of the best LNP2 teams on the planet and that is in large part due to how well how big of a role he plays behind the scenes and the experience that he brings to them. So 100% if that's what he's going to do and he's going to be at the top of our team, that'll be a natural fit, I'm sure. Final bit of news to kind of cover up, we'll brush across the Michael Andretti stuff. If you want to know what's going on with Michael Andretti, keep reading Marshall Prud stuff on racer.com and that's all about stepping away from an operational role to a strategic role and depending on how cynical otherwise you are, it's to do with keeping a live aspirations for that team and all sorts of other shenanigans that go on. But we've got to deal with for me what is the biggest piece of driving news this week and indeed in any week because what we're going to see this weekend I think and right is a brand new Toyota driver. I don't believe this guy's ever driven a Toyota in competition anywhere else at all because for the Toyota GR Cup this weekend at the Indianapolis 8 hours, step up, Keanu Reeves. Yeah, fantastic. I love these stories. I mean, we know Julia Roberts is going to step in through the leisure European series next year, that's a given and I have heard that Denzel Washington almost certainly a shoe in for Mustang Challenge and beyond that I have heard George Clooney may be stepping into the VP Sportscom challenge next year. There's a pattern here. Yeah, but he didn't really raised it. Come on. I have seen some of the footage by the way, it is absolutely awesome. Is it? Oh, I'm not allowed to tell you how and why I've seen it, but I've seen some of the Daytona footage. It's completely amazing. Oh, really? Like in a in a fast and furious driven company or in a genuinely genuinely absolutely more than Grand Prix. It's really, really good. Honestly, you are going to be blown away by it if that makes the final cut. But for now, we need to talk about Reeves. As soon as his first step on the Sportscar ladder, I think we're going to be talking about him potentially in a hypercar within about five, six minutes of the start of that race. But the first thing is about car choice. Now, how are they going to pick the car for Keanu Reeves? Well, they're going to ask him if he wants the red Supra or the blue Supra. Well, that would be fine if actually it was a Supra. Is he not in a Supra? That was tier 86. It's a really good line right up until that point. But look, joking aside, because of course, I don't want to be sued by Julia Roberts. It is great news to see someone of the awesome talent and profile of Keanu Reeves in the Annapolis this weekend, a real coup for the GR Cup that's, I think he's going from strength to strength. Good numbers there. I mean, in fairness, we've seen countless times now, actors come into this and actually get some results and make a career out of it and really enjoy the racing. I'd love to see Keanu Reeves. Would you just properly have a go at this like Patrick Dempsey and Nagar Fassbender and Klimas High is like events like the Lamontany Frowers or the Rolex for the Frowers? It would be epic. Wouldn't it just be? He's been there talking. He's one of, was that rather odd year where we had Jackie Chan. Brad Pitt was there. Oh, what? Jason Statham? It was at the Lamontany Frowers. I think he was there. He was there. Pretty certainly was there. Maybe that's where this comes from. Just like going to that sort of event and seeing the racing, I don't know. You think Nick DeFries and Brendan Hartley and Sepiwany would be looking over their children thinking he's in its own? They already are. They're coming for us. They're coming for us to see a way. Maybe it'd be a bit of a codus for the name. He's the one. He is the one. Jesus Christ. No, no, it's not that. He may be the one. That's a completely different than one. That's it, I think, for the moment. It's just going to be a quick filler edition before we hopefully can get back to a listener question driven show next week. Before Petite. I think I'm right in saying that when our listeners see the stories that are coming, they're going to want to ask questions. Yes. We're about to take the lid off something. What? Blendy sticks? No, no, no, don't tell them about the Blendy sticks. They're secrets from the Japanese 7/11 instant, sweet and white coffee. Sounds revolting, actually, amazing. But we are sitting in a couple of stories that are truly exciting and come completely out of left field. Watch this space. Watch out too, by the way. And this is an opportunity for us to plug some stuff on Deli Sports Car. We're entering into a new partnership with the PMW exhibition in Cologne, which is industry only technology exhibition. And as part of that arrangement with PMW, have a look at Deli Sports Car for more details of that. If you are a professional in the sport and you can make it, please do, because there's all sorts of goodies there to do with advanced powertrain, symposiums, etc. essential attendance with all the huge changes happening in our industry. But a new angle to some of our coverage with a series of exciting technical features coming through your mind Lawrence Butcher. You'll be putting together a technical column for us. So about a half a dozen already planned with some really excellent insight into a number of the technical questions that the sport is asking itself. Look out for something on hydrogen, look out for something on the balance and performance processes that come forward. Look out for a technical analysis of a car that I've not seen yet. I'm not going to say any more about it than that. But look out for some different reporting from DSC. Playing to strengths that that's people aren't, neither you nor I have. Our brains are not as big as Lawrence's. No, they're not as big as Lawrence's. And you can tell that his brain is that big because it's pushed all the air out of the top of his head down to his chin. Yes. So let me go. For now, we're going to say a fond farewell stick with us this week and next. I've been Graham Goodwin he's still Stephen Kilby. Marshall Pruitt is still Marshall Pruitt, but we can't talk to him at the moment because they seem to be kind of nice in the pipes. This has been the Week in Sportscars. Part of the Marshall Pruitt podcast series and we will be with you next week.
