Dean Canto v Garry Rogers
April 11th 2008 05:31
Former Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Dean Canto has spoken out following being dumped from the team and replaced with 2007 Fujitsu Series runner-up, Michael Caruso, for the 2008 V8 Supercar championship.
In an interview for the V8 Insiders Podcast show, Canto pointed the finger, stating there were a number of drivers in the main championship who were not there on talent alone, buying their way into major teams and pushing out other, less cashed-up, drivers, like himself and Steve Owen.
Canto and Owen have both been relegated to the Fujitsu Series this season, in an effort to try to earn their way back into the V8 Supercars main series in 2009.
“There are probably about 10 or so drivers in the main series who are bringing money and that makes it tough for guys like Steve (Owen) and myself,” Canto said. “The most we can do is turn out the best lap times we can achieve (in the development series) and show the team managers we have got it.
“I got cut short (at GRM), and there was money involved. That saw me booted out of my seat. Motorsport is getting too expensive for the team managers and finding corporate sponsorship in Australia is pretty tough. If a driver can put up some money even if they aren't 100 per cent talented, teams will take them.
“I'm working to get back into the main series and the development series is a very good platform for that. Most of the champions there have been getting into the main series.”
Owen, who is currently sitting on top of the development series table on 534 points, is optimistic that a good showing in the development series can open other doors for him.
“It's no secret I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to Adelaide to do the Fujitsu Series,” he said. “I didn't think it would open a whole lot of doors given that Dean (Canto) has won it twice before. But it's been really good in opening doors in other categories.
When you run 15th or thereabouts in the main series people forget you can win races.”
Dean Canto is placed in tenth position in the Fujitsu series so far with a number of DNFs to his name in the 2008 championship.
Following the Canto revelations, Garry Rogers has responded with a candid interview of his own, stating firmly that he is, and always has been, against recruiting drivers just because they can pay their own way and drivers are hired purely on potential and talent.
“I've always had the belief that I would much sooner have a driver who can drive than a driver that's got money because if your results are good enough you will attract the sponsorship,” said Rogers. “But if your driver is not good enough to get you the results, regardless of how much money he's got, he's no benefit to the whole team.
“The most important thing is the person's history and if his history has shown he can perform, and we believe we can do something with him, then that's the person we want. If during that negotiation we are able to secure additional sponsorship not for the driver but for the team as a whole on both our cars then that's just normal commercial reality.”
In response to Canto’s claims that he lost his drive with the team because “there was money involved”, Rogers, who has a reputation for giving emerging drivers a start in a sport they would otherwise find near impossible to break into, has denied money played a role in Canto’s dismissal.
“With due respect to Dean, the reason Dean was chopped was because I just got sick and tired of the crashing and the non-finishing,” said Rogers. “Clearly I was sorry to see Dean go but he wasn't up to it as far as I was concerned and I thought I'd given him more than an ample opportunity.”
What about the accusations that Canto’s replacement, Caruso, was selected due to the size of his wallet?
“No it certainly was not [a factor] and the fact is he's not a paid driver,” said Rogers. “Probably the person most responsible for Michael's opportunity at my place would be [Bathurst winner] Kevin Bartlett.
“The fact that Kevin spoke so highly of Michael; he's a young bloke that really knows not only how to drive a car but how to get a car setup properly. Particularly in his Formula Three days, what impressed me as with all these young blokes that come from open-wheeler backgrounds is they have a very good understanding of a car and that was my main reason for choosing Michael.
“I think at this stage I'd be proven to be right, I don't think Michael's finished much further back than Dean [did last year] and other than Michael's first race in Adelaide I'd say that his finishing rate goes already better,” added Rogers.
My thanks to V8x and Garry Rogers Motorsport for the images.
Dean Canto
In an interview for the V8 Insiders Podcast show, Canto pointed the finger, stating there were a number of drivers in the main championship who were not there on talent alone, buying their way into major teams and pushing out other, less cashed-up, drivers, like himself and Steve Owen.
Canto and Owen have both been relegated to the Fujitsu Series this season, in an effort to try to earn their way back into the V8 Supercars main series in 2009.
“There are probably about 10 or so drivers in the main series who are bringing money and that makes it tough for guys like Steve (Owen) and myself,” Canto said. “The most we can do is turn out the best lap times we can achieve (in the development series) and show the team managers we have got it.
“I got cut short (at GRM), and there was money involved. That saw me booted out of my seat. Motorsport is getting too expensive for the team managers and finding corporate sponsorship in Australia is pretty tough. If a driver can put up some money even if they aren't 100 per cent talented, teams will take them.
“I'm working to get back into the main series and the development series is a very good platform for that. Most of the champions there have been getting into the main series.”
Owen, who is currently sitting on top of the development series table on 534 points, is optimistic that a good showing in the development series can open other doors for him.
“It's no secret I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to Adelaide to do the Fujitsu Series,” he said. “I didn't think it would open a whole lot of doors given that Dean (Canto) has won it twice before. But it's been really good in opening doors in other categories.
When you run 15th or thereabouts in the main series people forget you can win races.”
Dean Canto is placed in tenth position in the Fujitsu series so far with a number of DNFs to his name in the 2008 championship.
Following the Canto revelations, Garry Rogers has responded with a candid interview of his own, stating firmly that he is, and always has been, against recruiting drivers just because they can pay their own way and drivers are hired purely on potential and talent.
“I've always had the belief that I would much sooner have a driver who can drive than a driver that's got money because if your results are good enough you will attract the sponsorship,” said Rogers. “But if your driver is not good enough to get you the results, regardless of how much money he's got, he's no benefit to the whole team.
“The most important thing is the person's history and if his history has shown he can perform, and we believe we can do something with him, then that's the person we want. If during that negotiation we are able to secure additional sponsorship not for the driver but for the team as a whole on both our cars then that's just normal commercial reality.”
In response to Canto’s claims that he lost his drive with the team because “there was money involved”, Rogers, who has a reputation for giving emerging drivers a start in a sport they would otherwise find near impossible to break into, has denied money played a role in Canto’s dismissal.
“With due respect to Dean, the reason Dean was chopped was because I just got sick and tired of the crashing and the non-finishing,” said Rogers. “Clearly I was sorry to see Dean go but he wasn't up to it as far as I was concerned and I thought I'd given him more than an ample opportunity.”
What about the accusations that Canto’s replacement, Caruso, was selected due to the size of his wallet?
“No it certainly was not [a factor] and the fact is he's not a paid driver,” said Rogers. “Probably the person most responsible for Michael's opportunity at my place would be [Bathurst winner] Kevin Bartlett.
Michael Caruso beiing welcomed into the Garry Rogers Motorsport family
“The fact that Kevin spoke so highly of Michael; he's a young bloke that really knows not only how to drive a car but how to get a car setup properly. Particularly in his Formula Three days, what impressed me as with all these young blokes that come from open-wheeler backgrounds is they have a very good understanding of a car and that was my main reason for choosing Michael.
“I think at this stage I'd be proven to be right, I don't think Michael's finished much further back than Dean [did last year] and other than Michael's first race in Adelaide I'd say that his finishing rate goes already better,” added Rogers.
My thanks to V8x and Garry Rogers Motorsport for the images.
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