Austin Coil Gone From JFR (1 Viewer)

[Gregg Pickens]

I think something is being missed here. About a year ago John moved the majority of his operation to Indy. I recalling him saying that would save him several million dollars per year. That means all of the machine equipment and people that Austin uses to make all of the components they use on their engines is now in Indy. Remember JFR makes almost everything on their engines themselves. With all of those resources in Indy it would have been hard for Austin to manage all of that manufacturing from California. I know Austin is a Chicago guy but he has lived in California for the last 25 years. Maybe he didn't want to move?

 

[megadeth]

I think the days of open check books or name your price days are long gone!

 

[mick]

- castrol guilty by association with bp oil spill?

- mac tools left kalitta as primary, why would JFR be treated any differently?

- Ford was primary on neff's car for a while, then no longer

many reasons why the JFR budget is less now than before

 

[SundayNiagara]

I'm wondering if Castrol is beginning to micromanage the payroll department of Force Racing like the insurance companies micromanage healthcare. I don't think John would cut anyone's pay. It's getting to the point I believe that the actual racers have become corporate employees. Todays crew chiefs might be tomorrows Walmart greeters at the hospitality tent.

I've been told the big bucks come from Ford!

 

[SundayNiagara]

sure is odd force hasn't came out and said anything about the person who helped him the most to get where he is today. i'd like to see him come back with a fresh new driver and do it again. have fun on vacation austin but hurry back. this sport needs you and a few others.

Force being the highly emotional person that he is, is probably tearing himself apart.

 

[Professor Dave]

Force being the highly emotional person that he is, is probably tearing himself apart.

Check out John's answer to the last question at the Champion's Teleconference call on Tuesday. If this was a resignation long in the planning, someone forgot to tell John!

Transcript of the Champion's Teleconference

 

[n/a]

Wow is right-tell us how you really feel Austin.
If he just said "i need time off"-"its time to do something different" anything like that NO-ONE would fault him one bit. But to openly *itch about pay-and behind door treatment from the boss-that comes off as pretty bitter. Musta been sitting behind Shirley in charm school...

Let’s see. He felt he should have been treated differently, spoke up and came off to some as bitter. Spoke straight up as to how he felt. No BS, no candy coating. Didn't seem like he was lying either. I'm missing where this is wrong. What, just because he's not plastic or PR? Guess it's just me. I like the Austin's, Connie's, WJ's, Shirley's, Whit's, etc. No gray area just the truth straight from the heart. Don't have to agree with them but at least you know you got their honest point of view.

 

[mick]

Check out John's answer to the last question at the Champion's Teleconference call on Tuesday. If this was a resignation long in the planning, someone forgot to tell John!

Transcript of the Champion's Teleconference

have to say i admire the part where john talks about 'doing something for his
sponsors in exchange for longevity'......as in, 'i'll take less this year'.............
that is a two way street over there @ JFR and i'm also sure that it's probably
one of the more unpopular decisions with the team members.....tough deal.

 

[willy]

At this stage on Coil's life..geez.

Maybe a Tom Motry Drastic Plastic altered, eh? They were members of the same Chi-Town Hustler..and who Lisa was driving for.

I haven't read anything yet..so did Austin sign with another team already?

 

[sdwarf36]

Let’s see. He felt he should have been treated differently, spoke up and came off to some as bitter. Spoke straight up as to how he felt. No BS, no candy coating. Didn't seem like he was lying either. I'm missing where this is wrong. What, just because he's not plastic or PR? Guess it's just me. I like the Austin's, Connie's, WJ's, Shirley's, Whit's, etc. No gray area just the truth straight from the heart. Don't have to agree with them but at least you know you got their honest point of view.

I have no problem with drivers that cut thru the crap-prefer it actually.
If Austin was with his close friends in a bar one nite + told the tale--or if a reporter got it out of him 6 months from now talking of it as past history, that might be one thing. But to do it in one of your 1st interviews 1 day after you left? Maybe the reporter had an electric cattle prod and had to drag it out of him (I hope.)

 

[afx421]

i wish austin the best with his time off, im sure zippy will jump in and do great as crew cheif, i think austin will be back in 2012!

 

[Randy]

I have a few questions. Everyone wants honesty and accuracy in drag racing news. And sometimes life in NHRA drag racing gets tough and involves changes.

Just exactly how does a crew chief go about quitting without getting trampled on in this web site? Especially when they are honest in expressing their feelings about why they left.

Just exactly how does Shumacher or anyone release a driver without getting skewered on this web site?

Just exactly how does a sponsor, who was with a team for several years, decide to go a different direction without getting threats of boycots, etc. on this web site?

Just asking.

 

[none]

How about another question? Why do we care about so much about people that most of us have never met or spoken to...that we have only seen on t.v. and really know very little about...
and not be as invested with our spouse, kids, friends and neighbors who we live amongst everyday?

 

[mick]

fascination with celebrity provides most of us drama that is absent in our
daily mundane lives; these folks do more, see more, say more, experience more
than most ever will; don't care if it's drag racing or the college physics club;
whatever trips your trigger will entice some sort of knowlege of participants.

 

[Buns]

I have a few questions. Everyone wants honesty and accuracy in drag racing news. And sometimes life in NHRA drag racing gets tough and involves changes.

Just exactly how does a crew chief go about quitting without getting trampled on in this web site? Especially when they are honest in expressing their feelings about why they left.

Just exactly how does Shumacher or anyone release a driver without getting skewered on this web site?

Just exactly how does a sponsor, who was with a team for several years, decide to go a different direction without getting threats of boycots, etc. on this web site?

Just asking.

Welcome to the internet. The safe haven for whiners and complainers of all types.

 

[Toejam]

How about another question? Why do we care about so much about people that most of us have never met or spoken to...that we have only seen on t.v. and really know very little about...
and not be as invested with our spouse, kids, friends and neighbors who we live amongst everyday?

Russ, you gotta figure since its the Marque team of the sport that everyone is gonna talk about it! Plus, now that it is the End of the season it' s just gonna get worse!

 

[Toejam]

I have a few questions. Everyone wants honesty and accuracy in drag racing news. And sometimes life in NHRA drag racing gets tough and involves changes.

Just exactly how does a crew chief go about quitting without getting trampled on in this web site? Especially when they are honest in expressing their feelings about why they left.

Just exactly how does Shumacher or anyone release a driver without getting skewered on this web site?

Just exactly how does a sponsor, who was with a team for several years, decide to go a different direction without getting threats of boycots, etc. on this web site?

Just asking.

RG, explain Trampled? Discussing future job opportunies or the reasons behind the move? I really haven't seen anything Rude or in Bad taste! Maybe I missed some posts but I'm not seeing what your referring to.

 

[n/a]

RG, explain Trampled? Discussing future job opportunies or the reasons behind the move? I really haven't seen anything Rude or in Bad taste! Maybe I missed some posts but I'm not seeing what your referring to.

Hi Joe. I read Randy's questions as pertaining to this site not just this thread. All of what he asks have happened in the past and probably more than once. Recently Don S got pretty trampled as did Fram for the change with Kory over there. To answer Randy's questions I'd say; He/She doesn't. Seems that no matter what changes are made the keyboard's will beat your azz to a pulp. It's the nature of the internet beast.

 

[mw6789]

I have a few questions. Everyone wants honesty and accuracy in drag racing news. And sometimes life in NHRA drag racing gets tough and involves changes.

Just exactly how does a crew chief go about quitting without getting trampled on in this web site? Especially when they are honest in expressing their feelings about why they left.

Just exactly how does Shumacher or anyone release a driver without getting skewered on this web site?

Just exactly how does a sponsor, who was with a team for several years, decide to go a different direction without getting threats of boycots, etc. on this web site?

Just asking.

Excellent post (as usual) from you sir. It was refreshing to me to hear Austin Coil actually give the real reason and not some canned BS. And I sure get tired of Don Shumacher getting skewered on here, especially in light of the fact that he has taken the time to respond to some of the comments. One thing for certain---things change. And that includes drivers, crew chiefs, and sponsors. This sport is BUSINESS---plain and simple.

 

[clwill]

If a company/owner/person is doing what they need/want to do, precisely what difference does it make that ~1500 people in some corner of the internet like/don't like what they're doing?

And if, for some reason, they do have some misplaced sense that this tiny group is somehow opinion leaders or spokespeople (for a sport that attracts hundreds of thousands of fans and tens of thousands of participants), they can do what DonS and others do: come on here, state their case, and get fawned over.

I fail to see the problem with a bunch of keyboard crew chiefs blowing off a little steam here. It's just the modern version of the watercooler where everyone can listen in. Largely a bunch of blowhards (me included) who deserve no more credit than the clowns on any of the other thousands of forums on any topic under the sun. Their, and our, opinion is worth precisely what it costs: nothing.

Chris