Afternoon chaps.

Is it true that Morgan will only be entering the French GT3 championship this year.

That what it looks like from the web site.

Nogaro French GT Race

First Race: Corvette Z06 1st and 2nd.

Aero SuperSport (JAB Racing) - 18th (2 laps behind) Martin / Lesoudier

Second Race: Corvettes 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Aero SuperSport (JAB RAcing) - 28th (22 laps behind) Martin / Lesoudier

Not a great start to the season...

Folks,
This looks like a shakedown race for the team in advance of the GT3 series which starts on May 3 in Silverstone -- and to be on Motors TV I'm told.

I expect the team were using this as a test so I wouldn't get too worried yet!! At least I hope so!!!

Tut, Tut, Probably been tinkering with the car again.

I also heard from my dealer that Morgan had not entered the GT3 series this year, and were only running in France.

I was enquiring about pit passes to silverstone this year, as had already booked accommodation- have now cancelled as not that interested in watching the other manufacturers ;-)

The GT3 entry list has closed for this season, and Morgan aren't listed on it(though you're never sure with the FIA who may allow a late entry)

I guess it will be a journey out to France sometime in the summer to catch a race.

V. disappointing as went out to Zolder, Belgium to watch the racing last year and it was good fun.

I wonder if it was a financial decision or issues with the reliablity, as to why they didn't enter a team in the series this year??

At Geneva this year, I did ask some senior team members whether they would be running in GT3 this year and was told that is was 'pretty unlikely'. The feeling seemed to be that Morgan had been unfairly treated last year in Portugal and that consequently they would only be running in the French GT Series this year.

I did ask if this was a permanent decision and was told that 'talks with the FIA were ongoing' and that no final decision had been taken for the future.

Anybody got any update on this information?

Brian

Shame, a lot of people recognized my car long after the Zolder race last year. Once you see/hear a GT3 Morgan racing, your life is never the same again.

Just catching up with this for the first time.........as I am now getting more and more deeply involved professionaly in the world of international motorsport (GT racing in particular) I thought it would be worth adding my two pennies....

Firstly there has been alot of issues with the FIA GT series over the winter. The organising compnay SRO have been concetrating alot on their new world series for GT1. To such an extent that they have dropped the GT2 series and are just running GT1 and GT3 in 2010. From the laymans perspective there is little difference to see externally bar the GT1's being faster than GT3. However GT3 has provided the closer racing in the past.

FIA GT is not the only race series this type of car can run in. There is also the International GT Open and Spanish GT series run from Spain. Both competitive and in the Open case a European wide series. The Spanish have for some time had ambitions to run the FIA championships as well and no doubt are watching very closely what happens to SRO's organised championships this year.

However what I think far more significant from Morgans point of view is what is happenign with the Le Mans Series or LMS for short. One of the big gripes teams have had with the FIA championships is constantly changing rules. On the back of the problems with FIA GT2 the LMS has welcomed with open arms a number of GT2 teams who have moved across to the LMS. The french (note french) organisers of the LMS have gaurenteed rules stability for a number of years now to ensure they maximise grids. The series provides very competitive racing and of course all the races are endurance (typically 6 hours) not sprint liek the current GT3.

From a marketing point of view it makes sense for GT manufacturers to look at the LMS as it gives stability of rules and the opporunity to go for glory at the holy grail of sports car racing - the Le Mans 24 Hours itself.

There is also of course ALMS - the American Le Mans Series, run to bascially the same rules but in the USA. Giving a good marketing outlet for anyone who has significant sales in the USA too.

From my point of view it would make very good sense given the uncertainty over FIA GT that the Morgan team take a year out to look at developing a GT2 spec car to run in LMS and maybe ALMS. Not the least as they are a french team and the french write the LMS rules...

An interesting insight Phil, however don't forget that 2009 spelt the end of GT1 machinery in the French GT Championship meaning an all-GT3 future awaits from one of the most hotly-contested domestic series.

The GT3 class has boomed in France in recent years, with Dodge, Corvette, Aston Martin, BMW and Audi all represented last year and looking forward to challenging for the overall title in 2010, so Morgan is in very good company.

We shouldn't forget either that the team is sponsored by Baring Banks Sturdza not completely altruistically I would guess and marketing-wise France is tangential to both Switzerland and Monaco, where no doubt many of their wealthy private clients reside.

Very true Brian and not just in France. The British GT championship is booming simmilarly based on GT3 and here in Portugal they have a new GT3 Championship this year which they want to extend across into Spain next year too. However you need lots of local teams willing to buy cars to get international coverage that way. Plus you dont have a car you can enter Le Mans with....yet..



I had not forgotten that but perhaps what you might not be aware of is that last year (not sure this) Barings also sponsored the works Aston Martin prototype team in the LMS.