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Highlands Today

Privateers Feel Squeeze Of Economic Downturn

Jasmina Meyer, Highlands Today

Intersport Racing team manager Brian Alder replaces the steering wheel as he gets out of the No. 37 Lola B06 10 after an alignment on Thursday at Sebring International Raceway.

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: March 21, 2009

SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY - Brian Alder's black shirt looks like it's taken its fair share of laps around the washing machine.

His team's car - painted with three colors last year - has more of a monochromatic feel this time around, its sponsor and circuit decals accented only by a bit of grey vinyl.

The economic downturn is being felt across the globe, and although there will still be millionaires driving million-dollar machines today at the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh From Florida, the financial meltdown has certainly crept its way into the paddock.

"We've had to scale back as much as anybody," said Alder, the Team Manager for Intersport Racing, one of two American privateer teams competing in the LMP1 class today. "We're wearing our old uniforms and we don't have new fire-suits like we normally would.

"We just have to focus on the car, because we want it 100 percent ready to keep on the track. The rest is not as important."

The Dublin, Ohio-based team has three full-time employees and will employ about 10 crew members this weekend, a number that pales in comparison to manufacturer-supported teams like Audi and Peugeot, which can boast more than 50 crew members. For Intersport - which races the No. 37 Lola B06/10 AER - less hands (and funds) on deck means keeping an eye on the bottom line at nearly every turn.

"Every little bit helps," Alder says, sweat beading on his forehead after he climbed out of the cockpit. "This car is just as sophisticated as the Peugeot and Audi, but they just have all the toys and all the detail things that make it nice and easy for you.

"We just do what we can with the budget we have."

CHANGE OF TIRES? NOT SO FAST

During Monday's practice session, Joel Feinberg, the owner and driver for GT2 team Primetime Racing, was having some braking issues with his No. 11 Dodge Viper when he flat-spotted his tires.

"My instant reaction was, 'there goes $1,800,'" an animated Feinberg said on Wednesday before his team headed out for another practice session. "Last year, that never even entered my mind.

"Times are tight for everybody, so we're doing things differently than we have in the past, just not to waste stupid money."

Feinberg said some teams may go through $10,000 worth of tires in a day, putting on a new set with every session and driver change in the name of thorough preparation. With sponsorship money already stretched thin, Feinberg said that practice just simply isn't feasible for a privateer.

But any thoughts of his bank account quickly take a backseat when Feinberg takes the wheel.

"I'm probably more at ease with my car than I am with someone else's," Feinberg said. "If I wreck my own car, it's my car and I'm to blame. But at the end of the day, no matter what I'm driving, I'm trying to win.

"I'm just focused on taking it one corner at a time and running as hard as I can."

EVEN GOLIATH CAN BE VULNERABLE

Privateers may feel the pinch a bit more personally, but the big manufacturers that will battle for top honors today have also been affected by the economic slide.

Audi will head straight to Le Mans after Sebring, skipping the rest of the ALMS season to save costs. Acura has no plans yet to travel Le Mans, while Peugeot has reduced its program to focus on "des 24 Heures."

Audi driver Allan McNish said the Germans may be focused on Sebring and Le Mans, but with the new R15 TDI debuting, there are plenty of other issues to keep an eye on, no matter what the economy doing.

"Obviously, we've got a slightly reduced program," McNish said. "But I do know from Audi Sport's perspective, we're not considering the economic situation whatsoever. We came here with the goal in mind to try and win this event, and we're doing it to the utmost of our abilities, exactly the same as we would be in previous years."

Peugeot driver Nic Minassian said Peugeot's reduced program hasn't hampered any progress in the French team's paddock.

"We've reduced the program, but we've increased the testing," Minassian said. "Logistically, to do lots of races before Le Mans was very tough preparation for the car. I think at the moment, the decision is month-by-month, not really too far ahead. It will depend on how things are progressing in Europe - which is not good at the moment - after Le Mans. For now, we're doing Le Mans and nothing else is planned."

Audi driver David Brabham, meanwhile, said manufacturers see ALMS as an area where they can develop their cars in the most cost-efficient way.

"I don't think there's anything out there in the world that will be immune to the economic meltdown," he said. "Obviously, with the green movement going on at the moment and the Series aligning itself with that, that's given the Series a little bit of an edge in this downturn. At Acura, we have a full program this year, and we're absolutely focused on it.

"For sure, there have been cutbacks, but we're still racing and we will go about it as best we can."

ONE LESS LIZARD

Flying Lizard Racing ran three cars with plenty of success last year: They won the GT2 class overall last year in ALMS and finished 1-2 at Sebring.

This year, however, the team will run two cars, a direct result of the economic downturn, according to team manager and strategist Eric Ingraham.

"Last year we certainly made an all-out run at the championship," Ingraham said. "But for us this year, the sensible thing resource-wise is to run two cars and focus on two cars."

Flying Lizard faced a lack of sponsorship for part of the offseason, securing Redline coffee late in the game to keep the team rolling along.

Ingraham said sponsorships, obviously, are very important, but securing them doesn't signal a spending free-for-all.

"In a way, it's just a matter of tightening our belt," Ingraham said. "Anytime you can spend less and race just as effectively, it just makes sense."

Brian Gjurgevich can be reached at 863-386-5841 or bgjurgevich@highlandstoday.com. Read his "On Track" sports blog at highlandstoday.com.

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