The Godfather said:
in regards to Msport - 3rd paragraph: At the end of that season, Ford selected the team to take over the running of its WRC programme, Malcom wilson is just the boss of that team he runs it with the support and backing of FORD.
same deal with Neal bates - i dont doubt there is a neal bates motorsport but the fact is that TRD developed the car and engine, neal bates just told them what he wanted and said he would pilot the car.
http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/toyotatrdcorolla.jpg this is the ARC rally corolla not one covered in "neal bates motorsport" decals.
Msport have designed built and run the Ford WRC program since the focus entered the championship. The ford motorsport arm oversee the project and provide funding, but it is Msport who actually design, built and run the program, just in the say way Prodrive ran the Subaru rally program.
The Godfather said:
same deal with Neal bates - i dont doubt there is a neal bates motorsport but the fact is that TRD developed the car and engine, neal bates just told them what he wanted and said he would pilot the car.
http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/toyotatrdcorolla.jpg this is the ARC rally corolla not one covered in "neal bates motorsport" decals.
Sorry but not correct there, Neal Bates (as in Neal Bates Motorsport) Toyota provided funding to run the program, but the cars both the GpN(P) and the S2000 cars were fully designed and built in house by Neil Bates Motorsport.
Gooch said:
He gets assistance from Toyota but only with bits and pieces, I was there when the last WRC corolla was un-competitive cause it was way too heavy and he requested that Toyota help him out by sending him every nut bolt and washer to be made in light weight titanium. They did but remember that when Neal was developing the 2000 corolla there was no spending on other motor sport except F1 all the money was going into that venture.
There was some off road stuff but similar deal to Neal they will help out where possible.
You will find other 2000 corolla's across the world and all have originated from the Neal Bates workshop yes he has built them for others. He has a good relationship with Toyota and TRD and as such will get help but it is not a case of Toyota come to him and say I have a car for you to develop. Its mostly him! and in any case he would not bite the hand that feeds him so putting TRD stickers on the car is more beneficial to him than putting nb stickers on there.
Not sure where you got that all from but its not quite true.. Toyota would not have produced titanium parts as a one off for the Australian Program, due to the fact the all cars that have ever run in the ARC have been homologated, so you can just go and modify them as you see fit.. when CAMS banned WRC cars from the ARC, toyota would have pulled ther ARC program as they had no car eligible for the ARC, at that point CAMS created a new rule to allow a GroupN(P) (prototype) class for cars to be built to N4 spec (ie turbo 4wd) where no road car existed for homologation.
Toyota then provided funding and resourses for Neal Bates to Design the Group N(P) corola... same deal with the S2000, toyota provided funding to Neal Bates to design and build the cars in house..
Toyota provided significant funding for Neal to run the team (meaning cars for both him and also Simon Evans, and also a 3rd car back in 2005) In the ARC untll the point when they withdrew from the ARC at the end of 2008, hence the reason Neal is not competing this year which is a real shame, but the sort of dollars that toyota were providing is not easy to find!!
Finally your incorrect about the S2000 corollas across the world being NB designed cars, Neal put foward to the FIA to have his (4 door) S2000 cars homologated for both Asia Pacific and also world wide, as did Toyota South Africa (for both 2 and 4 door versions), unfortunatly the FIA granted the homologation to Toyota South Africa for all championships world wide, meaning that the australian built cars are eligible in Australia only, and all other corolla S2000 cars are built by the South African company....
The Godfather said:
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haha how many points did your mate have to earn for that?? is it like fly bys points? woulda taken your mate like 5 yrs and 400 wins to get that free gearbox.??
the point im trying to make once again is that i just think mitsubishi should be doing more in the WRC after all thats what their cars are all about.. thats what made ralliart to begin with. they were just no good from the sec the evo7 came out it went downhill in WRC for mitsubishi.
As Rob said, finish in the top 3 in any State/Club level event or higher and you recieve credit on your account, We recieved nearly $1000 in assistance througn the scheme last year, which for a state level team is pretty good value!.. Ralliart & MMAL provide alot of support, and we are very thankful for it!!
Finally Simon & Sue Evans decided against running in a new racetorque built Evo X in this years arc.. and are using his brother Eli's 2006 Spec C STi that he ran in the ARC last year. as Eli is driving the Civic this year
