CART owners upset with CART leadership.

[RFM]

SpeedFreaks (Still lookin' for Joe...)

Tara Munger from Seventhgear.com gave several reports indicating serious rifts were developing within the CART franchise board.

several CART owners at a closed-door Franchise Board meeting in Detroit this weekend said they were upset with CART leadership and what appeared to be a new direction within the racing organization.

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[FoytFan]

From the rumors page on 7th gear, owners are saying that they now have to pay for tires and may have to pay for shippping cars to Europe...What the heck is CART mgmt thinking????

[bkeske]

Originally posted by FoytFan:
From the rumors page on 7th gear, owners are saying that they now have to pay for tires and may have to pay for shippping cars to Europe...What the heck is CART mgmt thinking????

I get the feeling there are alot of 'shake-ups' going on behind CART's door right now. I do think the tire and transport issue has probably been over simplfied within that report, only two team owners were talked to regarding their supposed frustration. Perhaps some will get upset and walk, some will not, new teams are being formed also from what I have heard. This stuff has happened for a long time in racing of all forms, perhaps those frustrated are teams just are not in a position to maintain a team at the level required to participate successfully.

I believe it is possible that, just as Tony had to start with only a handfull of races, CART may just have to lose some venues, teams, sponsors, and manufacturers in order for a new direction to surface. I would call it a natural realignment scenerio. CART tried to maintain the 'old course' for a number of years following the formation of the IRL, I believe the time for a real comprehensive change in direction is necessary, and it will not make everyone happy in the process.

Here is one fan that hopes it can find itself, (finally), or else I'll simply throw my primary intrest back to F1, Sport Cars (ALMS/Grand Am/ELMS etc.), and the SCCA where I started as a fan in the first place. Those are starting to really look like the good old days more and more.




[This message has been edited by bkeske (edited 06-19-2001).]

[RFM]

"Perhaps some will get upset and walk, some will not, new teams are being formed also from what I have heard. This stuff has happened for a long time in racing of all forms, perhaps those frustrated are teams just are not in a position to maintain a team at the level required to participate successfully."

But remember some of the owners that are frustrated are also Board members so that would narrow things down just a bit.

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[bkeske]

Originally posted by RFM:


But remember some of the owners that are frustrated are also Board members so that would narrow things down just a bit.

Various Board members have also come and gone over the years.

[RFM]

That's true but I'm talking about the Franchise Board not the Delaware Board.
The point being that those owners are not the low budget teams that you imply. They are also very upset with the fact that CART told them at Detroit that they the Team owners will have to pay for the freight/shipping costs of getting the cars and equipment over to Europe. This was to be one of the benifits of having a franchise.

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[This message has been edited by RFM (edited 06-19-2001).]

[mac miller]

I always thought that FedEx was supplying the overseas shipping of the cars as part of their sponsorship of the series?????? I guess not..............Maybe cart will have to shop around for a better shipping rate than FedEx, if they are going to have to pay.
FedEx sponsorship has actually been kind of a joke.

[bkeske]

Originally posted by RFM:
That's true but I'm talking about the Franchise Board not the Delaware Board.
The point being that those owners are not the low budget teams that you imply.

I have no idea, the owners which made statements were not identified in the posting. Do you know who they were?

[Bozo]

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[TxIndyFan]

CART owners upset with CART leadership.

They should be...

CART has some top-notch racing teams and drivers, who have to deal with the garbage brought forth by CART management.

CART leadership has been too focused on fighting the IRL, when the IRL was doing their own thing and ignoring CART for the most part.

CART needds to do what's best for CART, just as the IRL has been doing what's best for them.

CART's image is rather tarnished right now, being one of arrogance, bumbling, and meanness rather than one of "the best racing in the world".

No flame, JMO.

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If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten

[Brian R]

Actually, it looks like the IRL is very cognizant of CART. Seems like the IRL is constantly being measured against CART both on and off the track, by fans and the media. TG can only be thankful that CART's management appears to suck so badly because his series is still chasing CART for on-the-track superiority.

[backstroke]

I think CART andthe IRL are constantly measured by fans and media. But I don't see that affecting the IRL's game plan.

CART has been very self-conscious, in my opinion, in reacting to the IRL- new oval dates, Patrick's subsidy of US drivers, etc.

The IRL, meanwhile, has pursued a course of action consistent with the premise of its origin, without reacting or changing to become more "CART-like".

Of course, this is all subjective. That's just what I see from here.