Back From the Dead: Lexus ALMS Effort Revived

Lexus could yet race in the ALMS with a GT2S class IS 350 next season. It had planned to join the series this season with Chuck Goldsborough’s Team Lexus squad.

The IS 350 never appeared this year, although it was close to a first test when the project faltered. Lexus motorsport boss John Faivre says the company has split with Goldsborough, but the program could resurface for 2007. A decision is due in the next few weeks.

My.IS has reported the rumo(u)red possibility that Tom Milner's Prototype Technology Group (PTG), BMW's primary U.S. motorsports research and development team for the BMW M3 since 1995, would take over Team Lexus. There is another possibility, however, that cannot be ignored: Chip Ganassi. Ganassi, along with business partner Félix Sabatés, are surely best known to my.IS readers as the principals in the CompUSA-sponsored team that runs the No. 01 Lexus Riley Grand Am Rolex Series sports car, driven by Scott Pruett and a rotating cast of drivers that has included Max Papis and Luis Díaz.



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trackturtle - 10/24/2006 2:08:10 PM

+3 Boost

The PTG group eh?.... How did BMW let that group go? They do so well for BMW.

AmazingBimmer - 10/24/2006 2:18:58 PM

+3 Boost

irrelevant racing series.. thats why. all eyes on f1 after a great first season.

AlexTx - 10/24/2006 3:26:59 PM

+2 Boost

Can't say that BMW did well in F1 this year...
This year was better than the previous seasons, but all eyes are really in DTM.

chewy - 10/24/2006 3:30:22 PM

+2 Boost

Let's just say that Lexus didn't show up this year, even tought they had a car built. I wonder why?

Autoegr525 - 10/24/2006 5:09:28 PM

+2 Boost

wonder if they'll take the traction control out of the race car

AmazingBimmer - 10/24/2006 5:22:56 PM

0 Boost

alex.. r u insane. first year for bmw finished fifth.. beating toyota and close to honda.. it only goes up from here. and dtm is larely irrelevant on the worlds stage as is alms

S4cabriofox - 10/24/2006 9:32:44 PM

+1 Boost

That's all BMW propaganda.

I could do the same thing by saying LeMans is the only important thing because Audi keeps winning.

It's just stupid.

matt635 - 10/25/2006 5:32:18 AM

+2 Boost

Well F1 is a far more international sport than either AMERICAN lemans series or DEUTSCHE touring masters.

And there is no doubt it gets more viewers than ALMS and DTM put together, so from a marketing point of view it makes more sense to be in F1 - from BMW's POV they want motorsport to raise their profile across the world -- the reason why they compete in the WTCC, and so many other regional touring car championships.

And also BTW .. BMW finished a long way behind Honda, and only just in front of Toyota... let's be honest about this. It was a good result for their first season as a new team. Top 3 next year hopefully.

Agent009 - 10/25/2006 10:01:21 AM

-1 Boost

BMW finished 5th that is correct. The only problem was only 6 teams participated in all races.

matt635 - 10/25/2006 10:57:31 AM

+1 Boost

Agent009. What planet are you on? Part of the sporting regulations state that to be in F1 a team must be able to field 2 cars for every race....

11 teams.. 22 cars.

Midland Spyker MF-1 changed mid-season, but there were still 11 teams on the grid every race... not 6.

Constructors Championship Standings

Renault F1: 206 pts
Ferrari: 201 pts
McLaren-Mercedes: 110 pts
Honda F1 Racing: 86 pts
BMW Sauber F1: 36 pts
Toyota: 35 pts
Red Bull-Ferrari: 16 pts
Williams-Cosworth: 11 pts
STR-Cosworth: 1 pts
Spyker/MF1-Toyota: 0 pts
Super Aguri-Honda: 0 pts

chewy - 10/24/2006 6:52:48 PM

+1 Boost

I have read about that. But that is very, very lame. I think that one has to think if it had enough performance.

Agent009 - 10/25/2006 10:03:20 AM

+1 Boost

From what I read Lexus wanted to rebadge the engines as Lexus powerplants and drop the Toyota name altogether even for racing Toyotas. TRD had severe issues with that.

bauxzaux - 11/11/2006 5:06:58 PM

+1 Boost

Don't know how these internet rumors become "facts". TRD hasn't had any involvement in ALMS GT2S program. The only connect between TRD and Lexus Motorsports is John Faivre. He used to be the track support manager for TRD. He now works in some capacity at Lexus Motorsports overseeing the ALMS program. That is the extent of TRD's involvement, if you can call it that. If Team Lexus couldn't work with and please Lexus Motorsports, who fund the entire program, then the program should have been closed down a long time ago. All of the propoganda coming from Team Lexus sounds like sour grapes to me. Team Lexus would have been crushed on the race track by the Porsches as well as the BMWs.