Looks like lights out for USF1

Senninha · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:04 pm

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/ ... ream-over/

The media in Argentina is reporting that the US F1 team has ground to a halt – and that Jose Maria Lopez is now trying desperately to find an alternative seat for this season.

It’s said that ‘with tears in his eyes’ USF1 guiding light Peter Windsor told Lopez, his father and his close associate – F1 TV producer Felipe McGough – that the team will miss the first three races of the season and probably thus the whole championship.

The Argentine government was among Lopez’s backers, and had reportedly already paid nearly $900,000 of a promised $2 million.

Lopez has reportedly already headed for Europe to try to find another seat. The only one still vacant is that at Campos Meta, but the team’s own future remains under question, despite ongoing negotiations with several potential saviors.

There could also be a possibility at Stefan GP alongside Kazuki Nakajima. The team does not have an entry for its Toyota-built cars, but there remains the possibility that Bernie Ecclestone could negotiate a deal that sees the Serbian team in effect take over the USF1 entry and associated paperwork.

It was widely reported today that Youtube founder Chad Hurley had backed out of US F1 due to its lack of progress. He has been already linked with Campos but sources suggest to SPEEDtv.com that he may be more likely to take his funding to an established team.

Bandman · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:13 pm

stunner

RusH · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:07 pm

It will be a Campos team with Senna/Lopez.

Who cares about Peter Windsors pipe dream...no `mericans anyway.

Bandman · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:17 pm

Who gets the refrigerator?

Spartan · **Posted:** Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:12 am

A mild setback to my Formula One ambitions.

Johnny Bud7 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:13 am

Stay the course Spartan.

Bandman · **Posted:** Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:21 am

You can always pilot the flying dildo around the Brickyard!

PenskeFan · **Posted:** Thu Feb 18, 2010 12:10 pm

What's gonna happen to all those toasters?

2fast4you · **Posted:** Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:57 pm

I'm shocked... SHOCKED! How could something like this happen?! Peter Winsor had a picture Jim Clark on the wall and a Dell notebook on his desk... isn't that enough for a F1 team? I'm already heartbroken that Danica Patrick and Kyle Busch won't be on the grid this season (but they will definately be there next season, just you watch!)... now the team won't make it to the grid for the first race?

I don't know if I can go on watching racing...

Johnny Bud7 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:52 pm

I don't know about the rest of it, but man I'd pay to see Danica come up and shove Kyle Busch after an on track incident.

That would be fascinating to watch.

trish · **Joined:** Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:13 pm **Posts:** 7140

Johnny Bud7 wrote:

I don't know about the rest of it, but man I'd pay to see Danica come up and shove Kyle Busch after an on track incident.

That would be fascinating to watch.

You can see that in the Nationwide series.

Johnny Bud7 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:00 am

Well I guess I can. Not the same as teammates throwing each other into a spin at Singapore but yes. Hopefully Danica can get herself somewhere close to Kyle and wreck him and then JR can slip past for the undeserved win.

Senninha · **Posted:** Sat Feb 20, 2010 10:25 am

Jesus, can you imagine? ESPN has fake cheering every time Junior takes the lead as it is. If he passed Danica to do it, they might just have to break out the orgasmic porn star in the first few seconds of "More Human Than Human."

2fast4you · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:13 pm

Uh-oh... things aren't looking good at USF1... Peter Winsor has some s'planin' to do with the FIA. From ESPN F1:

Quote:

The FIA has sent technical delegate Charlie Whiting to inspect US F1's factory, after reports suggested the Charlotte-based squad is way behind on its chassis build and in financial trouble.

US F1 currently holds an entry to the 2010 world championship but has asked to skip the first four races of the season to get back on schedule. Leaks from inside the team suggest that the situation is as bad as is being reported, and with the season opener just two weeks away, the FIA has decided to act.

The story goes on to mention...

Quote:

Whiting was later seen leaving the Charlotte facility with a toaster and some freshly baked baguettes.

Fekking hell.

Senninha · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:15 pm

Is this the same moron who inspected the facilities in October and deemed them to be on track for Bahrain? Is he stupid or corrupt or both?

RusH · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:48 pm

Cue the Rob Zombie music

EBSNASCAR · **Posted:** Tue Mar 02, 2010 10:34 am

And it gets more interesting....

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100228/F1/302289999
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100301/F1/100309998

RusH · **Posted:** Tue Mar 02, 2010 10:32 pm

buh bye...I`ll miss the youtube videos

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/formula-1-new ... ry-closes/

Bandman · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 12:03 am

So. Do we know what went wrong, or is it all a mystery?

Senninha · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 10:01 pm

They started in thinking there'd be a cap. There wasn't. But they kept on thinking that they could sell their place on the grid to one of the teams that didn't make the cut. Unfortunately, when all of the manufacturers bailed out, spots on the grid opened up and they didn't have anything worth selling.

2fast4you · **Posted:** Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:33 pm

Bandman wrote:

So. Do we know what went wrong, or is it all a mystery?

There's no mystery... Ken Anderson is a con man. He thought he could use some Google/YouTube money and pay-to-play drivers to build a car. In hindsight, it seems the whole thing was a scam... I hope Peter Windsor can get his job back at SPEED before next week.

Bandman · **Posted:** Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:35 pm

Let's race. Screw 'em.

Senninha · **Posted:** Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:45 pm

They've already hired someone to replace Windsor at SPEED. Hopefully they'll utilize the new guy more.

Spartan · **Posted:** Sun Mar 07, 2010 11:50 pm

Hopefully Windsor comes back.

trish · **Joined:** Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:13 pm **Posts:** 7140

Spartan wrote:

Hopefully Windsor comes back.

From Argentina?

“Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor will travel to Argentina in the coming days to give us an explanation about everything that has happened, since the sole responsibility is theirs',”

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/157382/1/lpez_manager_blasts_main_culprit_andersons_deceit.html

RusH · **Posted:** Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:10 pm

Never trust a guy who designed crapwagons.

And who cares about Peter "Brokeback for Hamilton" Windsor.

When they go down there, they should get a tour of an iceburg.

Senninha · **Posted:** Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:25 pm

The thing that should not be.
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 6149_n.jpg

2fast4you · **Posted:** Sat Apr 03, 2010 12:09 am

It's officially over. From the Charlotte Business Journal:

Quote:

A Charlotte-based Formula One race team has ceased operations.

USF1 was scheduled to make its debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the season-opening race held March 14. But the shop sent its employees home and went dark in early March.

Ken Anderson, president and chief executive of the team, e-mailed employees today with a permanent layoff notice, citing “serious economic and funding challenges.”

At least nine employees have filed wage complaints in March with the N.C. Department of Labor because they had not been paid.

Thursday’s permanent layoff notice said employees could be rehired if business conditions improve. The letter was signed by Anderson, who could not be reached.

Looks like lights out for USF1

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