Steve Hallam to leave McLaren for NASCAR

[DaveKillens]

I believe what's relevant is Hallam's future relationship with Toyota. Michael Waltrip Racing has VERY close ties to Toyota, and that bond will continue to increase. And from Toyota's perspective, their NASCAR involvement has paid much better results than their GP effort.

[Hallam nephew]

Hello,

i am new to this website but can bring valueble information from mclaren. Steve Hallam is my Uncle thus my user name Hallam Nephew. Steve Hallam is leaving for NASCAR. He is going to a team called Mike waltrip racing as the team cheif engineer.

[Ciro Pabón]

Welcome, Hallam nephew, I hope you stay around for a long time. First time in my life I'm glad of nepotism...

"A team called Mike Waltrip" is the understatement of the year for some of us. Two times Daytona winner, racer, team owner, brother of Darrell, commentator, he has (maybe) the longest no-win streak in NASCAR. A guy I've seen fighting several times on and off the track (with fists and helmets!). A team that recevied a penalty for cheating recently.

I wish your uncle the best of lucks, I'm sure he has a lot to teach (and a little to learn).

[Hallam nephew]

i noticed your astuteness to the message. He is going to a nice new house in america and is leaving weigbridge. The new toyota engines are apparrently running great but the driver isn't so!

[NockX64]

If he's making them pay him in Euro's or Pounds, you'd be stupid not to take that deal! haha

NASCAR = Apples
F1 = Oranges

you can really compare the two in engineering efforts. Technological complexity?, yeah there's a big difference there but the effort a teams engineers put forth? i don't know.

Most likely Mr. Hallam has moved to the Charlotte NC are, which outside the metro area is a very nice place to retire! haha

[djos]

Im an Aussie who loves F1 & V8 Supercars (tell me 650hp from a 5ltr, fuel injected, natmo, 7500rpm limited, pushrod V8 isn't impressive!) and I started following NASCAR nearly 3 years ago when one of my fav V8SC drivers, Marcos Ambrose (2 time V8SC Champ), moved to the USA to drive in the Truck series where he did well enuf to graduate to the 2nd tier now known as the Nationwide Insurance Series.

In his first season of NNWS he finished 8th overall which is damned impressive considering he had never raced on ovals till the year before and this year he won his first NASCAR race at the Watkins Glen Road course and backed it up the next day with 3rd place in the top level Sprint Cup Series. He has run a few other Sprint Cup races as well and impressed enuf ppl that his team, JTG Daugherty Racing, have ditched Ford and joined forces with Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota Racing Dev to run the full 2009 Sprint Cup series with full factory TRD Engines!

Anyway, I find that NASCAR is a great series to follow, it's always interesting, the racing is close and damned fast and the "wrecks" are frequent and spectacular!

[Ciro Pabón]

i noticed your astuteness to the message. He is going to a nice new house in america and is leaving weigbridge. The new toyota engines are apparrently running great but the driver isn't so!

Oh, no, Hallam nephew, no astuteness intended. Open arms is all I have for you. Just to clarify a little my message, I've been following Nascar since Richard Petty's years, altough I confess I started to watch F1 races almost 20 years before that.

I truly love the series, almost as much as my wife hates it, and the many US forumers around here can be my witnesses. I'm not the kind of guy that believes your uncle is moving anywhere but to the most competitive, and, hopefully, well paid series in the world, with the most knowledgeable fans I've seen.

Besides, I really think that moving to America changes you in a good way: I was born in Spain and I feel as much at home in Europe as in America. I, for one, feel truly honored that a guy like you, that comes from a family of racing engineers, for me the most astute guys in the world, has time to share with us. Double welcome, mate.

BTW, djos, welcome too: I really love V8 Supercars altough I've seen them only for the last five or six years. What a series. As good (and better, from a mechanical point of view) as argentinian TC, with drivers that have the same kind of precission driving as DTM. They enjoy what they do.

Heck, I would love chariot racing, if given a chance to race on them.

[djos]

BTW, djos, welcome too: I really love V8 Supercars altough I've seen them only for the last five or six years. What a series. As good (and better, from a mechanical point of view) as argentinian TC, with drivers that have the same kind of precission driving as DTM. They enjoy what they do.

Heck, I would love chariot racing, if given a chance to race on them.

Thanks Ciro, I've been following F1 since it 1st came to Adelaide in the mid 80's (damn the thieving Victorians!) and I've been following V8SC since it formed in the late 80's.

The level of competition in V8SC is insane, in qually this year almost the entire top 20 (of 38) cars where within 1 second of pole at most events!!! The racing is close and fast and the Aussies drivers produced are prolly the best road course tin-top drivers in the world.

Guy's like Boris Said, Matt Neal, Max Wilson etc from Europe and the USA get a real shock when they discover how close the competition is here - even James Courtney (ex Jag F1 test driver) who is a bloody good and quick driver has only won 1 race in the 3 years he has been in the series (he has managed to be on the Bathurst podium 3 years running tho 3rd, 2nd, 3rd).

Btw there is a rumour going around that the DTM might get an invite to share equall billing with the V8SC for the annual Gold Coast Indy Street circuit event if the Indy boys dont pull their fingers out and show up! That would be cool!