All I can say is, I hope not
 

A few years after the split happened, all I wanted was for the two sides to get back together. Now all I want is for Chump Car to go away. Die off, never see the light of day again, just go away. I don’t agree with their philosophy on how racing should be promoted. All they want are races in large cities where they can put on a party. They don’t want race fans. They just want people who want to party that will spend money. I don’t want to see the IRL bring in ANY of that it.

I by no means agree with all IRL decisions, they make mistakes all the time (drivers in the seats is #1). However, they by far have the better product. They are at least in the race promoting business. I just don’t want to see the IRL become a street race festival. I think a 70/30 split ovals/road course is fine. All ovals would be my choice, but those days are over so there is no reason to complain about it. If the IRL ended up being CART of the 80’s and early 90’s, I could live with that. At least Indy Cars mattered then (it would be nice to get more names in there we can identify with). I know the IRL sees it, but they don’t do anything about it. Road to Indy needs to mean something again.

I wouldn’t give them anything if I where TG. They are going to die off on their own. Even millionaires run out of money if they are spending and not making any back and that’s what Chump Car is doing. Bring in some of the teams...fine. Leave all their dumb ass ideas for promotion out of it.


CHAMP CAR: Tony George Makes an Offer for Unity
Written by: Robin Miller Indianapolis, Ind. – 1/23/2008


Free cars. Free engines. Long Beach, Toronto, Edmonton, Mexico City and Australia added to the Indy Racing League’s schedule. A unified open-wheel series for 2008.

SPEEDtv.com has learned that’s what Tony George proposed to Champ Car’s ownership group several weeks ago during meetings here in Indianapolis.

According to a well-placed source inside the open-wheel community, George presented his plan to Gerald Forsythe, the primary co-owner of Champ Car with Kevin Kalkhoven, along with minority owners, Dan Pettit and Paul Gentilozzi.

George, who was unavailable for comment on Wednesday, reportedly offered to supply Dallara chassis and Honda engine leases to any and all Champ Car teams willing to commit to the entire ’08 campaign. It was also thought he was willing to move the Motegi, Japan race in mid-April back to the fall to accommodate the annual Long Beach Grand Prix.

When asked to confirm or deny this offer was made, IMS executive vice president of communications Fred Nation replied:

“Tony (George) has had continuing dialogue over the years with the owners of Champ Car, but for reasons of confidentiality we don’t comment on the substance of those discussions.”

Forsythe and Pettit did not respond to emails but longtime Champ Car lynchpin Carl Haas admitted he’d had discussions with the IRL founder to switch series.

“It hasn’t happened yet but we’ve certainly considered going,” said Haas, who along with Paul Newman and Mike Lanigan own Champ Car’s most visible and successful operation. “It may not happen this year, but it’s highly probable we’ll do it in 2009 because there needs to be one series.”

During the 13-year war between the two groups, there have been many meetings and attempts to unify, some brokered car owners and manufacturers or even by a legend like Mario Andretti. But, with both series facing meager car counts this season, George’s gesture would seem to be the most magnanimous, if not practical way to try and strengthen a discipline of motorsports that’s been losing fans, viewers and sponsors at an alarming rate.

“We’ve got to find a way to make a deal with Tony George,” said Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 CART champion who also co-owns PKV Racing with Kalkhoven.

Along with Vasser, some of Champ Car’s little guys – Derrick Walker, Keith Wiggins and Eric Bachelart – say they were unaware of any blanket offer from George.

“I was never consulted on anything that had to do with the Speedway but anything we can do to get this thing together is a no-brainer,” said Walker, who is trying to find funding to run a second car for Team Australia. “We’re all strapped for cash on both sides, and if there’s a package that can help you keep going, you’ve got to do it.”


Walker had talked earlier to the IRL with regard to its new $1.2 million incentive program, but said it wasn’t enough to jump. But adding a free chassis and engine? “That would get it close and I’d certainly have to think about it,” he replied.

Wiggins, whose HVM team was rescued from financial quicksand by Minardi’s Paul Stoddart in 2007, said he didn’t think anybody could not be impressed by George’s offer.

“Both series still depend on support from the owners because nobody has any sponsorship to speak of, and that’s why I’m back looking for drivers with funding,” said Wiggins, whose team won twice last year with rookie Robert Doornbos. “I know Paul (Stoddart) feels like the two should unite and he’s concerned about the whole thing.”

Bachelart would usually welcome a helping hand but his recent partnership with Opes Prime Group has him sitting pretty for a change.

“This is the best situation we’ve ever been in as a team,” said the Conquest Racing owner. “I just ordered a new car, I have a new partner and we have a good package in Champ Car.

“The problem I see is that the IRL and Tony would want control and that’s tough for the Champ Car guys.”

That could be why Forsythe supposedly rejected George’s offer on his second visit to Indy before Christmas – control and money.

“I think Kevin and Gerry want an equity position in the deal,” said Vasser. “Maybe that’s the hangup.”

Counting television, payroll, Cosworth, propping up teams and promoting races, Kalkhoven and Forsythe have spent an enormous sum of money since claiming CART in bankruptcy court in 2004.

It’s believed they want George to pay them as much as $100 million, in addition to providing free equipment and paying to sanction those five races. Also, one or both requested a seat on the IRL board.

Kalkhoven and Forsythe met Bachelart on Tuesday in Indianapolis and convinced him everything will be fine in 2008.

“Champ Car has a bit of a crisis, no doubt, but Kevin and Gerry are still motivated and I have faith in them,” said Bachelart.

“It’s too late to do anything for 2008 but Tony’s plan is a good idea for 2009.”

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

What a joke! No wonder Chump car is the worst racing league around. This is what you get when you have brainless fools running the show! If they hesitated on THAT offer, I'd take it off the table. Let them go into bankruptcy again and let them beg to come aboard.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

I agree. I think Tony should tell them to take their $100 million buyout fee and tell them to shove it. As much as I would like to see one (predominantly oval) series, I think CCWS is on it's death bed. The only decent official they had (Tony Cotman) has jumped off the sinking ship and Haas is discussing jumping ship. If Haas would come over to the IRL, goodnight CCWS.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

I never liked Champ car and think IRL has gone against most of the things it' was founded upon.

Indy used to be about inovation, From the first MIRROR to a turbine engine to normally asperated Mecedes. When they quit taking the best of the best PROVEN racers and limited themselves to two chassis and one engine.

A LOT OF INDY DIED!

The names Unser, Foyt, Parsons, Carter were known before they entered the class, Better yet, It was the crown jewel of short track racing to achieve and those who got there usually earned it. IRL tried to bring some of that back and achieved limited success with Stewart, Boat and some others but it's gone right back to what Cart was in a sense, Bring money and lots of it and you can run. Now even those are defecting. In tthe developemental leauge it's hard to get a ride and tougher keeping it even though there on the track performance certainly is respectable.

I don't know what the fix is but a connection with the AMERICAN short track IMHO is the only answer!
Nascar is running this campaign now trying to tie it's image to Short track racing while practicing Cart tactics IMHO. (Bring Money)

Chuck, who thinks it's wise not to have two simular series in the US It basically ripped whatever loyalty was left right out of OPEN WHEEL.
.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

[QUOTE]
CHAMP CAR: Tony George Makes an Offer for Unity
Written by: Robin Miller Indianapolis, Ind.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

If ChampCar was half as good as they think they are, they would be terrible.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

The best part of the union would be to watch Paul Tracy retire.......which he said he would do before he ran another IRL race

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

The terms TG has put forth in the proposal are very generous indeed. I would love to see a return to what the IRL was suppose to be.

My question is why couldn't TG do this for teams like Kelly, Menard, PDM and Hemelgarn? They bought into his plan of the IRL and sadly they were priced out by the influx of CART teams like Penske, Ganassi, and RLR.

:confused:

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

Ouch! :rolling:

I fell out of love for Indy Car racing when CART replaced the likes of Foyt, Mears and Rutherford with King Hiro, Didier Theys and Dennis Vitolo. I fell back in for a while with the founding of the IRL but now they replaced the Laziers and Billy Boat with the princess, some guy named Mutoh and a driver named Briscoe that drives more like Jimmy Spencer. Along with spec cars, rental engines and an increasing number of street races it's meet the new boss same as the old boss time.

I guess I will follow the IRL IF the "Road to Indy" for our guys mean more than a Cup ride for the Brickyard 400 but I won't hold my breath.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

It's called economics. It's like anything else. It costs a lot of moolah to run a race car. Because of the economy, you can't find sponsorship unless you someone who knows someone. Every story I've heard of big time sponsorship coming to racing is because of friendship or family. Unfortunately, the open wheel drivers will always be considered the low end of the totem pole. Times change, as well as the drivers, and Indy had to go that way.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

That's my point. TG should give them NOTHING because they bring NOTHING to the table. They will die on their own. I say this is the last season for them regardless....if they even make it through this one. I wouldn't give them a voice on anything because there is no need to. I followed it for a while when guys from the old CART days still ran. Tracy is the only one left and I'm not much of a fan of the Jimmy Spencer of open wheel so I have zero interest.

An all road course (mostly made up of street circuts), 1 American, races on three or four different networks, and running over half the events outside the US is not the way to build a following in the US even for the most dedicated fan. :idea::doh: How hard is this to figure out? Makes me wonder how these dumb asses made millions to spend on trying to keep this crap afloat in the first place.

Cotman quitting to me was the last nail in the coffin. Miller thinks this guy is as good as it gets in running a race orginazation. Since RM hates everything, that makes me think he's pretty sharp. Rumor is he will be coming to the IRL.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

Tony George went to the Flea Market , walked around , took a look at what was there , didn't see anything worth bringing home ...

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

IMO both sides are at fault. Is it not over who controls it? For the fan its all about Indy, tradition and mostly good racing. I believe and support the IRL :headbang:...Champ car and the late CART org. seems to want to create some international "spec" series giving oppurtunities to many forigien drivers that I frankly have never heard of.
Though the last few seasons i never seem to know when the races are on TV . As a fan and a racer I would like to see them both succeed but that could only be in a perfect world, And we all know that isn't the case. There are some great money teams in Champ car that could accent the IRL, And that is greatly needed.
I don't believe that NASCAR is out to do in INDY car racing in this day but I sure the hell feel that they don't mind watching them bleed either. I read in a earlier post that Paul Tracey has no intrest in racing in the IRL. Like him or not thats really to bad as he is exciting and fast. That couldn't hurt the IRL at this time. We all have are takes on what the problem really is. All i can do is speculate but unification would be a great step in moving forward in modern day Indy car racing. I would love to see bump day at Indy be exciting like in the past rather than a dog and pony show. This could happen if only the powers that be agree on one direction. Is that possible??? :confused:

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

IMO Nascar is out to crush everything but in doing so, They are doing some of the very things that killed Cart and the IRL. Different networks, different dates, Lack of dates. They even promote Short track racing then move five events to saturday nights. Taking it off or making it unaffordable for a network to carry it.

One of the things that built it was SUNDAY 1PM RACING ON CBS! no frills! No Bull, No gouging The racers and the races are what built the sport, Not marketing. Now Nascar is micro managing to get every dollar possible and ruining it in the process

Make it easier to follow, know about and learn about. Have people in the cars THOUSANDS know about from their past and grow it from there

Chuck

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

FYI I was speaking of Champcar in that vien. NOT CART! I live in the USA.We might see it a lot different-Tom

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

A lot of things different I say. When a American series has less than half a American driver representation. There is naturally a move away from the sport in THIS COUNTRY, By god and maybe it's unfortunate but we don't know where they came from. In many Cases like the Guy whos family owned Panasonic, He was there only because he had the resources to do so.

Chuck, I highly doubt the WOO would be very popular here if 80 percent of them wern't american or even Nascar for that matter.

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

IRL vs. CCWS............same ole, my lousy series is better than your lousy series!!!:headbang::angry-smiley-007::thumbsdown:

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

Free Chassis, Free Engines, If Tony would throw in the tires too I'll run the entire IRL schedule this year:rolling:
well Jake or Clint would have to drive since I am spacially challenged.(thats Politically correct for too fat to fit in the car.):crying:

Re: All I can say is, I hope not
 

Here is his latest, dated 1/28.
Another very good article, but it is about IRL vs CCWS again.