Indystar.com Blurb on Honda Trying to Broker Unification

[Qdoba Addict]

Not sure if this has been posted yet:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...TS01/506030436

Honda chief hopeful
Busy schedules on both sides have kept the principals in the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series away from the negotiating table, but a stakeholder in the possible reunification of open-wheel racing remains optimistic.

Robert Clarke, general manager of Honda Performance Development, has met with leaders on both sides and believes the climate is right to get something done.

"Very much so," Clarke said. "Since the split (10 years ago), it's never been more possible than it is today."

With the IRL futures of Honda and Toyota very much up in the air after their contracts expire next year, Clarke said he has delivered no ultimatums and his message to both has been one of cooperation.

"What we've told them is that we are willing to be flexible with our objectives if it helps the two series come together," Clarke said. "It's not our style to threaten, but we've let them know how we feel."

[jonovision_man]

"What we've told them is that we are willing to be flexible with our objectives if it helps the two series come together," Clarke said. "It's not our style to threaten, but we've let them know how we feel."

"We're not threatenning you... but if you don't merge we're out."

jono

[jonovision_man]

(BTW - that sounds great... especially the line "it's never been more possible than it is today")

jono

[SLKRR]

"It's not our style to threaten, but we've let them know how we feel."

Translation:

We're going to make them an offer they can't refuse.

[Aero Dependent]

Champ Car loses or wins nothing on this Honda deal. Nothing. Without a shred of $$$ or support coming from Honda into Champ Car - KK holds the ball.

On the other side of the table, Honda sounds desperate to get something done. The statements strong arm Tony more then KK imo. Indy doesn't equate to %50 of the deal, far less if both Honda and Toyota leave.

You know what they say - where theres smoke, theres fire.

note: To clarify, [in my opinion of course] these unifcations talks, again are coming from the IRL side of the table.


I take Clarks words as a 'threat' to someone more then anything...

[Chris Paff]

Honda is a separate company then the IRL/IMS.. so there is not any coming from the IRL

[Jim Wilke]

KK holds the ball.

Good for him. It's been working out just great so far.

[Radny]

From the same article:

"Dan Wheldon has plans for his share of the $1.54 million purse he earned by winning the Indianapolis 500. "I'm going to buy some toys," he said. "I'm going to get a boat, strap two big Honda engines on it and go tear up the water."


Shades of Darryl Waltrip "I'm gonna buy me a boat."

Randy

[jonovision_man]

Originally posted by Aero Dependent
KK holds the ball.

That's laughable. Both series may not be doing well, but the IRL is certainly in the better position.

Losing all manufacturers would put them down close to CCWS's level, and even then they'd have the 500 in their pocket.

jono

[AdamM]

Just a little speculatin..

Notice you don't find Toyota saying boo about reunification. Either they are toast and don't care or the new IRL specs are Chevy/Toyota friendly stock blocks that teams buy and require much less factory investment. So Honda moves into plan B which is to broker a peace and get a new shot at the specs?

However it turns out, the not so veiled threat by Honda is typical of their bologna and puts TG on the spot big time.

[Racing Truth]

Originally posted by Jim Wilke
Good for him. It's been working out just great so far.

I never agree with Jim. I don't dislike KK. But that cracked me up.

[Racing Truth]

Originally posted by Radny
From the same article:

"Dan Wheldon has plans for his share of the $1.54 million purse he earned by winning the Indianapolis 500. "I'm going to buy some toys," he said. "I'm going to get a boat, strap two big Honda engines on it and go tear up the water."


Shades of Darryl Waltrip "I'm gonna buy me a boat."

Randy

Who's Dan Wheldon?

[Vogler fan]

"Indy doesn't equate to %50 of the deal, far less if both Honda and Toyota leave."

That's laughable, Indy is Openwheel. CCWS won't surpass Indy in ratings with all their races combined this year. Heck. the Indy 500 took a 24 year old company out of business. Son, Indy is openwheel.

[Racing Truth]

Anyway, this sounds promising. It needs to get done. Danica or whatever, we can't be divided and grow.

[Aero Dependent]

Originally posted by Chris Paff
Honda is a separate company then the IRL/IMS.. so there is not any coming from the IRL

Laughable.

Honda is the middle man in this. I suppose Honda powering IRL cars don't mean much then huh?

Toyota spends $100,000,000+ in the IRL.
Honda spends atleast that. Even if it was half - you better let Honda speak on the IRL's behalf, its their money and motors that will vanish.

If IMS slammed the door in Clarks face, taped a note on the front door that said "Please dont enter and ZERO talks of unifiation" then I would say the IRL isn't in this, but thats not the case.

[Shadow101]

Originally posted by Aero Dependent
Laughable.

Honda is the middle man in this. I suppose Honda powering IRL cars don't mean much then huh?

Toyota spends $100,000,000+ in the IRL.
Honda spends atleast that. Even if it was half - you better let Honda speak on the IRL's behalf, its their money and motors that will vanish.

If IMS slammed the door in Clarks face, taped a note on the front door that said "Please dont enter and ZERO talks of unifiation" then I would say the IRL isn't in this, but thats not the case.

Wow, those guys spend $200 million dollars on the IRL. Is that real money or Monopoly money? If it's real money then I guess our fears are unfounded. They can hire 40 Danica Patrick's and tell F1 and NASCAR to buzz off. We've been duped - or A certain someboDy has....

[WheelerDealer]

Originally posted by Aero Dependent

Toyota spends $100,000,000+ in the IRL.
Honda spends atleast that. Even if it was half - you better let Honda speak on the IRL's behalf, its their money and motors that will vanish.

I wish...

How about this? IRL has two engine specs for 2007. One if Honda wants to bail and one if Honda wants to stay. Maybe that is why Honda wants this worse than anyone else.

[Chris Paff]

i say we tell Honda and Toyota bye bye and run engines like we did from 1997-2002 when we had almost full fields and alot of bumping at Indy. Remember then we had American drivers and not drivers picked by the engine companies.

[Aero Dependent]

Originally posted by Chris Paff
i say we tell Honda and Toyota bye bye and run engines like we did from 1997-2002 when we had almost full fields and alot of bumping at Indy. Remember then we had American drivers and not drivers picked by the engine companies.

Its good to hear someone not begging to keep them.

The only problem with that theory is you will be losing millions and millions and millions of dollars, hand over fist if they bail.

The mega Honda 4 car AGR superteam? poof.

Likewise for the rest of the teams. There is no feasible or logical way to fund these megga high-dollar teams and drivers that the IRL allowed in.

I agree, they need to go. And NO I dont want them near Champ Car, CART was enough, now its the IRL.

[Chitownfan]

Originally posted by Vogler fan
That's laughable, Indy is Openwheel. CCWS won't surpass Indy in ratings with all their races combined this year. Heck. the Indy 500 took a 24 year old company out of business. Son, Indy is openwheel.

You got that right. Anyone who disagrees is a fool. Indy is the race for OW. Rahal was on Chicago radio this morning because his driver raced in the INDY 500. Not Long Beach, Indy. I have yet to hear a driver say, "You just don't know what Long Beach means."
This year's Indy finally had NO ONE talking about Champcar. No one cared that they weren't there.

[jonovision_man]

Originally posted by jonovision_man
laughable

Originally posted by Vogler fan
laughable

Originally posted by Aero Dependent
Laughable

Well, at least we're all in a good mood.

jono

[Jakester]

i say we tell Honda and Toyota bye bye and run engines like we did from 1997-2002 when we had almost full fields and alot of bumping at Indy. Remember then we had American drivers and not drivers picked by the engine companies.

1997
Claude Bourbonais
Alessandro Zampedri
Fermin Velez
Marco Greco
Roberto Guerrero
Affonso Giaffone
Stephan Gregoire
Eliseo Salizar
Vincenzo Sospiri
Scott Goodyear
Kenny Brack

[Chitownfan]

Originally posted by Aero Dependent
The mega Honda 4 car AGR superteam? poof.

AGR has 28 sponsors. Dario's sponsor is in the process of merging with the NYSE. I stayed in his suite at the Chicago race. He loves the IRL. You are a small thinker.

[Chris Paff]

The mega teams can still run the cost to run will go way way down. Even if AGR dropped down to 2 cars. With the reduction of costs new teams will pop up and you will have the smaller teams come back and compete with popular American drivers. If you think AGR is good for Indycar then I disagree.

[Toonces]

100,000,000?? Is that Yen?

[Shadow101]

Originally posted by Toonces
100,000,000?? Is that Yen?

No it's the three day total, choose your favorite currency.

[Scott]

What exactly is left of CART to unify with?

They are running 17 cars this weekend, most of the drivers are has beens or Euro Formula series dropouts for which this was the last chance at a paying gig. The SCCA club racers can put together better fields than this.

Sponsors- do I even need to elaborate

Tracks - they don't run tracks anymore, the IRL can make their own deals at real venues like RA, Mid Ohio, Laguna Seca and ignore the downtown parades

Teams - NH already runs Indy and the rest of the teams are either owned by or have their hand in KKs pocket, the IRL doesn't need teams that can't support themselves

TV - see Sponsors above

[Aero Dependent]

Originally posted by Chitownfan
AGR has 28 sponsors.

And so? b2b's? 7-11, how many are tied to them? PLENTY. Any $$$ amount of those sponsors? To say that them little Hershey, Frito lay stickers on AGR's cars are going to pick up the Honda tab when they leave (if) is irational.

You implying that Honda isn't the mega chunk leads me to believe that you've missed the last year of discussions and media reports regarding the insane cost of running in the IRL and small teams knocking the big guys because they dont have the budgets of the big guys.

Dario's sponsor is in the process of merging with the NYSE.

And? What sponsor is that? Is this gonna drop a large nap sack of cash in Darios lap? Its hard to imagine so with the uncertainty of the league.

I stayed in his suite at the Chicago race. He loves the IRL. You are a small thinker.

He loved CART to, before the Honda money train left. It appears to me that you think there is driver loyalty these days, there isn't. Its CASH. And when the Hondayen faucet is closed, him splitting wouldn't surprise me one bit.

I can post pictures of Kennys wife and Ashly wearing "I LOVE CART" shirts if you'd like. Of course, thats when the money was there.

You get my drift.

[Chris Paff]

1997

Tony Stewart
Robbie Buhl
Buddy Lazier
Mark Dismore
Jimmy Kite
Scott Sharp
Sam Schmidt
Steve Kinser
Eddie Cheever
Billy Boat
Paul Durant
Jim Guthrie
etc

[Gomer Simpson]

Originally posted by Aero Dependent

You get my drift.

Just speaking for myself but... Nope.