We're getting closer:
OregonianChamp Car schedule remains on hold The Champ Car schedule for 2004 was not announced Tuesday night at the organization's awards banquet in Palm Springs, Calif. CART officials indicated the release was a few days away. Incoming chief executive Paul Gentilozzi said Portland has been given a June 20 race date even though CART and race organizers are negotiating a $1.1 million sanctioning fee.
But....but....Jim
I thought the announcement of the schedule at the C^RT banquet was just a figment of your imagination.
So do you think other non probable races will be on the schedule?
I do.
Jim did you see in the Star the following:
So the star says two weeks. If we subtract LV, Fontana, and Portland from a 16 race schedule, we get 13.Pook said CART's 2004 schedule and television package are due to be released in the next two weeks. The schedule will be 16 or 17 races, he said. The TV package includes events shown on CBS and a cable network that has not been announced.
Last edited by Tara; 11-07-2003 at 08:56 AM.
Tara was the name of our cat.
LINKPook said CART's 2004 schedule and television package are due to be released in the next two weeks. The schedule will be 16 or 17 races, he said. The TV package includes events shown on CBS and a cable network that has not been announced.
You may now hold it against him.
http://motorsportsblog.blogspot.com/
Originally posted by Jim Wilke
We're getting closer:
I believe there is a major factual inaccuracy in the quote you provided. AFAIK, Paul G is not the incoming CEO. Paul G will be the CEO if the buyout is approved, but as of now, he's just a big mouth with a checkbook. Later on, he'll be a big mouth with a checkbook and a title.
So, using the logic displayed by many, wouldn't this single factual error render the entire article untrue?
Pook's statement in the Star has started the clock. I give even money they miss the deadline and an 90% chance that at least two races on the schedule gets scrubbed. (100% chance that one race does - Fontana).
Pook from the IndyStar article:
"We've taken it from the brink of death," he said. "It is now on a solid launch platform again."
I would say the Pook has taken CART to the brink of death, not from.
TMS was once on the Cart announced schedule. And Fontana was on the announced Cart schedule this year.
They can announce all the races they want. I'm waiting to see the races get run with a full field of race cars.
If it happens I will be impressed, very impressed.
jjj, agree on all....the "Gennies" have already started.
Gentilozzi sounds like Heitzler: Everyone has to step up and pay us.
One thing out of that story: If CART/OWRS is jacking the freight by $1.1 million there after CART lost on this year's race as the promoter, how logical is it for Portland to go and find the money and take the risk? If they're doing this with other promoters, how logical is it for them? I think they're farther from a schedule than anyone anticipates.
They will release a schedule but a number of the dates will be tentative at best. As of today, Vegas has a deal but has seen no money and there is little chance that LVMS will let them release a schedule showing their track with a race without seeing a check. Portland and Fontana have problems, there are no promoters for Milwaukee or Cleveland, Miami is a huge money pit, things are still very much unsettled at Road America.
My guess is that every one of those races will be on the schedule and, when pressed, Pook will say that the remaining problems will be worked out when OWRS takes over. I don't see CART actually running more than 12 races: 2 Mexico, 3 Canada, Surfers, Korea, 3 Dover races and maybe Cleveland and R-A.
Jim, I don't think Bruton Smith will sign that Vegas deal until he knows who he's dealing with. He has said he had a deal for CART to run Vegas but it's not signed yet. It isn't going to be signed for a good long while.
if the deal to run Vegas is with OWRS and not CART can it be signed sealed and delivered before the buyout?
Could be, Fry Sauce, but Smith indicated that SMI was not at risk on this deal so it's probably a track rental of some kind. And OWRS probably wouldn't commit to something until they de facto own the series. Plus, Gentilozzi's comments immediately after the "confirmed venues" announcement that indicated Vegas could be a street race confused the issue, too.
I'm savin' that one, I just E-mailed the link to myself, under "what Pook said." There is a lot of meat in that sandwich, when you give a man enough rope...
This is the one I like,
I have said all along that in the end, Pook is posturing this to where it wasn't his fault."We've taken it from the brink of death," he said. "It is now on a solid launch platform again."
IMO, he has "taken it from the brink of death," and killed it! It is at Pook's direction that somewhere close to 90% of the "war chest" has been burned.
The issue is money. CART and/or OWRS can sign as corporations, Kalkhoven or Gentilozzi can sign as individuals and LVMS/SMI doesn't really care as long as there are sufficient guarantees and a large enough deposit check. Then, if one of them wants to transfer responsibility to another at a later date, no problem. As it currently stands, CART and the various parties have all said the deal is a go, they have apparently signed contracts but have sent no money. A well-connected poster on the CART board says that LVMS has attempted to contact CART several times but nobody is returning their calls.Originally posted by The Fry Sauce King
if the deal to run Vegas is with OWRS and not CART can it be signed sealed and delivered before the buyout?
Bruton and SMI are not that crazy about doing business with CART. If they think they can wait for the buyout to go through, find a promoter and sponsors and then mail a check, that is not going to happen and the recent Fontana events does not help CART's reputation.
I've seen a lot of questions about Miami....apparently there's another issue down there along with all the rest.....
http://www.cfrscca.org/info/Editors_Rant.html
I believe that this is about the 2002 event. For that event, CART really treated the SCCA people like crap - even worse than they typically treat them.Originally posted by indycool
I've seen a lot of questions about Miami....apparently there's another issue down there along with all the rest.....
http://www.cfrscca.org/info/Editors_Rant.html
It came back to bite CART in the arse in 2003. I heard CFR took a pass on staffing the St. Pete event. SCCA National had to step-in and get people for the event.
SCCA volunteers, the unsung heros that make so much of racing possible in the U.S.
Now, in the current edition of NSSN, Chris E. mentions that CART is in trouble over the cancellation of a support race at "Surfers." Supposedly, the race wasn't run and either the racers took in the shorts over expenses, or the promoter paid the purse and now wants compensation. Sorry, I read the issue and trashed it, so I don't have the exact quote.Originally posted by jjjanos
I believe that this is about the 2002 event. For that event, CART really treated the SCCA people like crap - even worse than they typically treat them.
It came back to bite CART in the arse in 2003. I heard CFR took a pass on staffing the St. Pete event. SCCA National had to step-in and get people for the event.
SCCA volunteers, the unsung heros that make so much of racing possible in the U.S.
Surfers wasn't self-promoted by CART so any problems would be the responsibility of the promoter. Typically, the headliner is guaranteed X amount of track time and if they run long because of weather or stopped sessions, the support races take it on the chin w/o recourse.Originally posted by Mackie
Now, in the current edition of NSSN, Chris E. mentions that CART is in trouble over the cancellation of a support race at "Surfers." Supposedly, the race wasn't run and either the racers took in the shorts over expenses, or the promoter paid the purse and now wants compensation. Sorry, I read the issue and trashed it, so I don't have the exact quote.
I wish I had saved the paper, so that I can give you a better quote, but CART had something to do with it and they are being blamed.Originally posted by jjjanos
Surfers wasn't self-promoted by CART so any problems would be the responsibility of the promoter. Typically, the headliner is guaranteed X amount of track time and if they run long because of weather or stopped sessions, the support races take it on the chin w/o recourse.
I had a lousy day at work today. It's CART's fault.Originally posted by Mackie
I wish I had saved the paper, so that I can give you a better quote, but CART had something to do with it and they are being blamed.
Strange. I worked four CART events this year (paid my way to three of them on vacations) and got nothing but respect from the drivers and officials. In fact, from what I've been told this year's CART is a huge improvement from last year in terms of worker relations.
There were a BUNCH of pissed-off folks in SFR after last year's Laguna Seca race, but this year I didn't get that feeling at all. A lot has to do with Jimmy being up in the booth.
Firing Irene and putting Jim Swintal (a former F&C official) in charge of the workers and the landline as Clerk of the Course was probably the best thing the new Champ Car regime did.
Was the Road America debacle a PITA? Heck yes... and as far as I and most of the other workers there were concerned, they should have raced... but chalk that one up to whiny, bitchy drivers. Kneifel needed some balls there.
Aside from that, as a worker, I can't really complain too much (well, the participant pins could have been a bit niftier) - and I certainly never heard any disrespect from the Simple Green guys.
Last edited by FCYTravis; 11-11-2003 at 08:19 PM.
Originally posted by Mackie
I wish I had saved the paper, so that I can give you a better quote, but CART had something to do with it and they are being blamed.
"Seems like trouble finds CART these days. Just before its Fontana difficulties arose, Australia’s PROCAR Series principals threatened to sue CART over its surprise cancellation of their 8:40 a.m. Nations’ Cup final Oct. 26th at Surfers Paradise, charging breach of contract. The loss of at-track and TV exposure was costly said PROCAR exec Ross Palmer, indicating contestants are now demanding payment from his group for expenses.. This series features a variety of small-bore sedans. The same day the Poolrite V8 Brutes SUV race was red flagged due to a first-lap crash and never restarted. Delay after delay plagued the day. On the way to Australia one of the 747s chartered by CART to transport cars and equipment had to be diverted to Fiji to make an unscheduled fuel stop because its heavy load increased fuel usage. Snipped from Aussie papers: Queensland’s Beattie government, in a move to alert all to the Surfers Paradise event, gave 5,500 students from throughout the territory a day off from school and bused them to the track to see opening day activities; Carleton & United Breweries trucked in 200 tons (eight trailer loads) of beer for the weekend; U.S. driver Jimmy Vasser, commenting of Tony Renna’s death, told newsmen it is no secret that CART cars are safer than IRL cars. “The IRL cars have flat bottoms which allow air underneath and they can become like a piece of plywood at high speeds.”; Chris Pook, asked to rate his 18-month tenure as CART president, said “I’d give myself an A-minus.”; Driver Oriol Servia said he has a lot of mates in the IRL but, “They’re not enjoying it. They were forced to go, they had no choice...they were tied to manufacturers.”
Source: National Speed Sport News - Editor's Notebook by
Chris Economaki
jcr
"Forced" to go? Baloney and BS. I am "forced to go" when somebody shoves me off the side of the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building. Servia -- and Gugelmin before him -- can weenie all they want for The Great God CART but nobody has been "forced" to do anything.
That's funny. I was in the garage all year and I don't rememebr seeing Jimmy under a car looking at the undertray.
They were forced to go because most of them have a nasty habit: eating. The choice was go to the IRL and get paid or stay in CART and be asked to provide a bunch of money.Driver Oriol Servia said he has a lot of mates in the IRL but, “They’re not enjoying it. They were forced to go, they had no choice...they were tied to manufacturers.”
"Forced to go"
Man, I really feel for those guys. They just have it so bad. Too much money. Too much fame. Too many beautiful women. You just know they are dying to get back to their real dream of being carpenters and masons.
First, thanks for the quote jcr. As for Vasser, if he does manage to luck into an IndyCar ride next season, I will provide a picture of them stuffing him, kicking and screaming, into an IndyCar at the Fontana portion of the TitW next February. I was there when he tested for Rahal in 2002, it seemed to me that he got in the car willingly.
Note to Jimmy, flat-bottom my azz, the IndyCar undertray is much the same as the one in the CART cars, with "tunnels," they only differ in size.
There is a photo of one here, in a piece I wrote.
http://openwheelracing.com/March%206...son%20OWR.html
Originally posted by jcroche
"Seems like trouble finds CART these days. Just before its Fontana difficulties arose, Australia’s PROCAR Series principals threatened to sue CART over its surprise cancellation of their 8:40 a.m. Nations’ Cup final Oct. 26th at Surfers Paradise, charging breach of contract. The loss of at-track and TV exposure was costly said PROCAR exec Ross Palmer, indicating contestants are now demanding payment from his group for expenses..
The promoter is the one who creates and revises the schedule. They might want to sue CART, but it's the organization that puts on Surfers Paradise that is responsible. Typically, the amount of green track time each series gets is specified in the contract.
From Australia and for the record.
There was a bomb scare at the race track in Surfers which caused the cancellation of the PROCAR Nations Cup race. The race was due to start at 8.40am but because of a delay when police were forced to inspect a suspect package found under a grandstand, it was decided to cut the Nations Cup from the program.
PROCAR is taking legal action against the Gold Coast Motor Events Company and not CART.
Any 'journalist', or poster here that is trying to blame this CART into this is simply lying. There is often good reason for legitimate CART bashing, but this 'story' is just the product of those that really need a new hobby.
Link
PROCAR website
Last edited by hikari; 11-12-2003 at 05:10 AM.
Good point, rrrr......the tunnels on an IRL car are even a little bigger than a CART car, if Vasser chose to look at the undertray.
Somebody tell Jimmy there's milk under there to get him to take a look.
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