Something is wrong with Miller!

[fullmetal]

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/22350/

But while Kalkhoven may not be familiar with the lump in your throat or goose bumps you can get when the balloons follow Back Home Again in Indiana, he's quite well versed in business and bottom lines.

That's why he's the latest to make a push for unification with George. My guess is that he's spent a helluva lot more money on teams, television, tracks and payroll than he ever imagined and he's not seeing much hope for return unless there's a drastic change in the game plan.

What happened to Millers Tony and the IRL sucks party line?

Man that whole article really paints a dark picture for the future of Champcar.
Did Miller get fired from the Champcar website or something? Or does he know something about Champcars finances that we don't? Are they really hemorrhaging money that bad ?

[Gomer Simpson]

I gotta admit, I was getting the exact same feeling while reading this.

[hdolan]

Wow, that Robin Miller is a swell guy

[jetdoc]

Okay.....where's Robin Miller and what have you done with him?

[Spike]

What happened to Millers Tony and the IRL sucks party line?

Man that whole article really paints a dark picture for the future of Champcar.

If you actually read the whole article (instead of posting one quote) you'll find it "really paints a dark picture of the future" of the IRL as well. It's a balanced piece that correctly points out neither side is healthy and each needs the other.

For example:

On the flip side, George manages the race track that used to be the world's biggest ATM machine, except it inhaled money instead of paying out. But the millions he's spent keeping the IRL going likely offsets some of the month of May revenues, while the August cash cow (Brickyard 400) is somewhat neutralized by the money-sucking U.S. Grand Prix.

Nobody in motorsports is more needy than open wheel. They need cars, sponsors and people to care that they exist. Champ Car needs the Indy 500 to have any credibility and presence in the USA. George needs those 18 cars to restore competition and credibility to a race that's bleeding from all four corners.

We so desperately need each other it isn't funny," said Derrick Walker, an owner who's competed in both camps during the past decade of decomposition and also tried to orchestrate peace in 1998. "Tony (George) can't be happy with where the IRL is right now and we certainly can't be satisfied with Champ Car.

There's no surrender because one side didn't beat the other, they both lost to NASCAR. And just getting back together isn't going to turn things around, that's going to be a long haul.

[OWNUT]

Maybe Robin is just tired of all the BS and is calling everyone out. It sounds like he is telling KK take the deal and move on. He really did not attack the IRL is this one. Just the state of the 500.

[Electrocuted]

Almost lost my socks....

I think Miller really knows the OWRS series will never make it,, he did write the "KK already spent over $50 million dollars in the first year" article.

It's just way to easy to take a good educated guess,, with the public CART reports as reference,, to know KK will always have to pay out big money every year. He'll never see a penny of that money back. It's a product / drivers that nobody wants to follow. When only 400,000 different people go to the USA events per year and with their low tv ratings,,, sponsors will never pay enough to cover the team or series costs.

[RusH]

You can define RM as an Indy 500 fan above all else over the years. Not very hard to see.

[Grinder-Tank]

There comes a point where Robin has to start looking out for Robin. It's not a matter of being a "swell guy" but one of self preservation.

[Chitownfan]

There comes a point where Robin has to start looking out for Robin. It's not a matter of being a "swell guy" but one of self preservation.

Maybe TG offered him a job.

[indycool]

It IS a certainly different Robin that we've been reading the last month or so.

[speedster3000]

Maybe he has his own opinions. Maybe alot of folks can't see that and assume when he writes something they don't like, he's on the take for those "agin em". When he writes something they do like, he's on the take "fer em". Personally, I think he took a check from both sides to write the article. The IRL paid for the CC negative stuff and CC paid for the negative IRL stuff.

"Maybe Robin is just tired of all the BS and is calling everyone out. It sounds like he is telling KK take the deal and move on. He really did not attack the IRL is this one. Just the state of the 500."

Why can't it be as simple as this? Why can't he be just as tired of the silliness like everybody else? He's probably thinking they are closer than ever before and with his "own" opinion of the landscape is calling it as he sees it.

[JBaiza]

I'm sure Robin's doing exactly what he's been told to do.

[sweaty]

Again....................







Who cares what Robin Miller says.

[kikigirl]

It's not Robin
Aliens have taken over his brain!
(or course, some people might say "what brain", LOL )

Seriously, I was rather taken aback by that article.

[fullmetal]

Maybe he has his own opinions.

HAh Robin having an Opinion....That's an understatement.
Evidently his opinion is changing. Remember he was just on wind tunnel not to long ago trashing the IRL and Tony, saying how Rosy and healthy Champcar was. And the majority of his articles in the last 6 month preached and predicted doom and gloom and nothing but problems for the IRL in one way shape or form.

As the topic states "Something is wrong with Miller!"

But then again he is aware of the car count for Homestead and for Indy at this point. Maybe since his IRL predictions for the most part went up in smoke he is gonna play it safe now and suck back up

[DKessinger]

Something is wrong with Miller

It took you this long to figure out something is wrong with Miller?? I thought this was common knowledge to any race fan

Okay.....where's Robin Miller and what have you done with him?

This was my second thought

[Cant_hit_apex]

Miller's not moderating. There was some compelling reason for him to write this and it probably hurt. I've never seen any objectivity in this reporter and there's no reason to believe that he's changing his stripes.

Ooops. I forgot. IWARM.

[hdolan]

I was a fan of Miller even back when I was one of the staunchest IRLista on the forum...I've always felt he pretty well has stated what goes on...it's funny, depending on what he says one side or the other think he's an idiot...he's done foolish things, but, understands open wheel...he has never been more on the mark that with this...

"And just getting back together isn't going to turn things around, that's going to be a long haul. "

The potentates who have nearly destroyed open wheel in this country should be ashamed...personally, I doubt they ever get it out of the toilet...

[Chitownfan]

personally, I doubt they ever get it out of the toilet...

C'mon, don't be a fairweather fan. Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor?

By the way, I was watching Fox Business News this morning and they said stay away from ISC stock. Revenues and ratings are down. Nascar is doomed.

[SamC]

It's a balanced piece that correctly points out neither side is healthy and each needs the other.

Contradiction in terms. A balanced piece is not one that points out that two sides need each other. A balanced piece calls on one series to accept reality and disolve itself.

[jdessar]

So, if KK is financing the grid in ChampCar to get to 18 cars, and he makes a deal with TG, how will ChampCar be bringing 18 cars to the IRL?

Why would KK do a deal just to keep spending the same money?

It doesn't add up.

[Spike]

Contradiction in terms. A balanced piece is not one that points out that two sides need each other. A balanced piece calls on one series to accept reality and disolve itself.

A rational mind is one that accepts reality and doesn't believe that if one series were to disappear the other would magically be healthier and suddenly "successful."

[SamC]

A rational mind is one that accepts reality and doesn't believe that if one series were to disappear the other would magically be healthier and suddenly "successful."

A rational mind is one that accepts the reality that merging a series that has lost the attention of all but a tiny niche of fans into sanctioned Championship Indianapolis Car racing will make the thus "merged" series healthy or successful.

A disolution is far preferable to a so-called "merger".

[Chitownfan]

even back when I was one of the staunchest IRLista on the forum...

The potentates who have nearly destroyed open wheel in this country should be ashamed...personally, I doubt they ever get it out of the toilet...

I guess I am starting to understand how you feel towards TG and the IRL. I am a Republican starting to feel the same way about Goerge Bush.

[stretch51]

Maybe TG offered him a job.

next thread will have rev-ed discuss his thoughts of the book of Revelation.

As far as 18 cars coming over - ummm..no...

I would say 10 could be added to the 20.

[flatlander_48]

A rational mind is one that accepts the reality that merging a series that has lost the attention of all but a tiny niche of fans into sanctioned Championship Indianapolis Car racing will make the thus "merged" series healthy or successful.

A disolution is far preferable to a so-called "merger".

OK, I wouldn't reccommend it, but you can disolve whenever you want...

[SportscarBruce]

Something is wrong with Miller!

Looks like something's right with Miller.

[Saw150]

Miller's just positioning himself to stradle the fence.

He's just sucking up to both sides...just buying more time...

[Scott]

Now that it appears that the predicted death of the IRL is not happening according to schedule, Miller has to do something in case it is CCWS that dies instead. It was just a few weeks ago, that Miller said the only thing that could fix OW was to hand everything over to Kalkhoven and have Tony be involved as a track owner only.