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does anybody know the real reason why this team pulled out of the championship 
mitsubishi rally team
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Something about Mitsubishi being almost bankrupt (if they're not already).
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When you're so screwed financially that you get shot down by your parent company for a financial bail out and have to go and offer an incredible warranty to sell cars its hard to have small race teams.
Mitsu sales were good when they were kicking ass and taking names in WRC, they are back in that game to try to boost global sales because it was working before.
I'll be amazed if Mitsu manages to turn around financiall in the next 5 years....
Mitsu sales were good when they were kicking ass and taking names in WRC, they are back in that game to try to boost global sales because it was working before.
I'll be amazed if Mitsu manages to turn around financiall in the next 5 years....
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- Mitsu Car Co may be near broke (although they just got plenty of $$$ from other sources when going-for-broke Daimler-Mopar fiasco couldn't help....) but "Mitsu WRC Rally Team" is more than OK. They have tested more than Ford and Sube together this year. Sube WRT is broke if anyone... No new parts, no testing, no budjet to do anything this year except trying to survive.
- Mitsu US went out of rally business thanks to poor management (remember those irritable "music" ads?) and trying to build an 400-HP killer car when a good GrN had been enough.
- Mitsu US went out of rally business thanks to poor management (remember those irritable "music" ads?) and trying to build an 400-HP killer car when a good GrN had been enough.
WRC program is not too hot either.
From www.worldrallynews.com:
Mitsubishi future called into question
19 Jul, 02:26
The French press has cast doubt on Mitsubishi?s continued participation in the 2004 World Rally Championship.
The rumours, published in the newspaper L?Equipe, suggest that the Japanese team may withdraw following the Deutschland Rally at the end of August - a fortnight before the first ever World Championship rally in Japan.
Mitsubishi Motor Sports? results have not been good since the launch of the Lancer WRC04. Moreover, the company?s image in Japan has been severely damaged by revelations about accidents involving its lorries in the 1990s. Taking part in a rally at home might be deemed inappropriate under the circumstances, despite its long and successful tradition in the sport.
Entries for the Rally of Japan close on July 26.
From www.worldrallynews.com:
Mitsubishi future called into question
19 Jul, 02:26
The French press has cast doubt on Mitsubishi?s continued participation in the 2004 World Rally Championship.
The rumours, published in the newspaper L?Equipe, suggest that the Japanese team may withdraw following the Deutschland Rally at the end of August - a fortnight before the first ever World Championship rally in Japan.
Mitsubishi Motor Sports? results have not been good since the launch of the Lancer WRC04. Moreover, the company?s image in Japan has been severely damaged by revelations about accidents involving its lorries in the 1990s. Taking part in a rally at home might be deemed inappropriate under the circumstances, despite its long and successful tradition in the sport.
Entries for the Rally of Japan close on July 26.
but "Mitsu WRC Rally Team" is more than OK
Are they? http://www.worldrallynews.com/artman/publish/article_457.shtml
They have tested more than Ford and
>Sube together this year.
Because they have to, the cars are not up to snuff
Sube WRT is broke if anyone... No
>new parts, no testing, no budjet to do anything this year
>except trying to survive.
??? They brought out new cars for Mexico
>
>- Mitsu US went out of rally business thanks to poor
>management (remember those irritable "music" ads?) and
>trying to build an 400-HP killer car when a good GrN had
>been enough.
>
To be clear, it was not poor management of the rally team though. A new CEO was brought in to clean up Mitsubishi USA, and he started with the uneccessary expenditures.
As I heard it, those ads were pretty successful (at least in the beginning)
Weren't those US cars essentially Group N cars with more power and bigger brakes?
Are they? http://www.worldrallynews.com/artman/publish/article_457.shtml
They have tested more than Ford and
>Sube together this year.
Because they have to, the cars are not up to snuff
Sube WRT is broke if anyone... No
>new parts, no testing, no budjet to do anything this year
>except trying to survive.
??? They brought out new cars for Mexico
>
>- Mitsu US went out of rally business thanks to poor
>management (remember those irritable "music" ads?) and
>trying to build an 400-HP killer car when a good GrN had
>been enough.
>
To be clear, it was not poor management of the rally team though. A new CEO was brought in to clean up Mitsubishi USA, and he started with the uneccessary expenditures.
As I heard it, those ads were pretty successful (at least in the beginning)
Weren't those US cars essentially Group N cars with more power and bigger brakes?
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Mitsu isn't exactly having a "nothing" season this year...look at the Evos cleaning house in WRC Production Class (Group N).
They swept top 3 Group N positions at Rally Argentina.
Evo Gp N pilote Dani Sola is leading PWRC by a mile or more.
Sheet, Gilles Panizzi made a fully credible showing with the Evo WRC, 7th overall in the toughest car-breaker rally of the season in a car still in its teething stages...THIS is bad??
Dave G
"...Embrace loose gravel, beware big trees..."
They swept top 3 Group N positions at Rally Argentina.
Evo Gp N pilote Dani Sola is leading PWRC by a mile or more.
Sheet, Gilles Panizzi made a fully credible showing with the Evo WRC, 7th overall in the toughest car-breaker rally of the season in a car still in its teething stages...THIS is bad??
Dave G
"...Embrace loose gravel, beware big trees..."
Mitsu pulled out because the new CEO was anti-motorsports, and vehemontly anti-rally. Same guy who axed Hyundai's program. It was last minute, and it royally screwed the drivers (Diggins had already turned down other rides) and Vermont SportsCar.
The official line is financial troubles, but if you ask me it all stems from marketing. The only successful car they have is the Evo, and besides the Fast and the Furious the only successful thing they've done with it is rally it. They spent like $2+ million dollars on the championship, creamed everybody, but then didn't bother to air one friggin commercial touting their victories????? The problem wasn't the rally program, but when times get tough it's an easy scapegoat to blame.
Latest rumor is that Mitsu will pull out of the US altogether, where their market share is less than 1%.
Dennis Martin
[email protected]
920-432-4845
PS. The cars were essentially GrN shells with drivelines and brakes. Not cheap, but probably one third the cost Subaru's detuned WRC cars they used. Why Diggins isn't in the WRC befuddles me.
The official line is financial troubles, but if you ask me it all stems from marketing. The only successful car they have is the Evo, and besides the Fast and the Furious the only successful thing they've done with it is rally it. They spent like $2+ million dollars on the championship, creamed everybody, but then didn't bother to air one friggin commercial touting their victories????? The problem wasn't the rally program, but when times get tough it's an easy scapegoat to blame.
Latest rumor is that Mitsu will pull out of the US altogether, where their market share is less than 1%.
Dennis Martin
[email protected]
920-432-4845
PS. The cars were essentially GrN shells with drivelines and brakes. Not cheap, but probably one third the cost Subaru's detuned WRC cars they used. Why Diggins isn't in the WRC befuddles me.
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I seem to remember Diggins not getting a shot at the Mitsu WRC car and that he is leading the BRC by a respectable lead so far.
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And the big reason he didn't get a shot as a driver is that Mitsu USA did everything at the last minute, way too late to find another ride.
-Mark Holden
-Mark Holden
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Diggins sure kicked all of our butts but I don't know if he is a better driver than brother Mark...or Alister...or Matt Johnson. It woulda been nice to see him get a chance however.
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but not Miggens?
Philip J. Boer
grinner323(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
Philip J. Boer
grinner323(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
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3,740 Posts
No way to tell unless he tested against them, he didn't even get a shot at the ride, who knows if he could have beaten some of the drivers that went for it or not....
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