The Indy 500 *is* Today!

[TLK]

Uncommon ground

By Mike Chambers
Denver Post Staff Writer


The late Marlon Brando, who played Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather," would have appreciated the effort: the heads of the two biggest families, discussing business territorial differences over coffee and cookies.

Roger Penske reportedly played Brando's role last weekend in Indianapolis, where leaders of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series met on Penske's behalf to discuss a unified North American open-wheel series.

Afterward, the rival circuits released the same statement that basically said the parties agreed to disagree.

"We talked about what would a schedule look like, what the rules look like - pretty basic, but important, stuff," said Champ Car co-owner Paul Gentilozzi, who was in Denver on Tuesday to meet with Grand Prix of Denver promoters preparing for the third Mile High street race Aug. 13-15 around the Pepsi Center. "We got through some hurdles, but there were some that, at this point, we just couldn't overcome."

Gentilozzi doesn't foresee another meeting until after the season, but that's what Champ Car prefers, he said.

"The fact that we survived surprised them," Gentilozzi said of his organization's ability to remain a viable circuit after winning a bid for the race assets of bankrupt CART, which formerly owned Champ Car. "We kept on going, and they do enough underground work to know that there is a whole bunch of successful things that is going to happen. There is good news coming."

Gentilozzi declined to be specific, but said, "There is a better future sooner than I figured."

IRL vice president Fred Nation, whose circuit competes at Pikes Peak International Raceway on Aug. 21-22, said last week's meeting ended with two familiar obstacles - international races and leadership - preventing an agreement.

The IRL makes a token stop in Japan to appease its Japanese manufacturers. But unlike Champ Car, which will compete in Canada (three times), Mexico (twice), South Korea and Australia this year, Nation said IRL's sponsors want to remain in the United States.

"We're talking about Toyota, Honda, Firestone, General Motors and the rest of the United States marketing arms," Nation said. "The money that helps fund their efforts to fund the Indy Racing League doesn't come (outside) the United States."

The geography problem might not be the toughest issue. Finding a president for a unified series is. Gentilozzi co-owns Champ Car with fellow car owners Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven.

"Champ Car is following the model of an owner-owned model that went bankrupt earlier this year," Nation said, referring to CART. "These three gentlemen think they can reinvent that model, but we want ownership control that doesn't have the conflict of car owners making the decisions."

Later, he said, "We are comfortable with our structure and see no reason to change, no reason to share ownership with others."

Tony George, whose family owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway, founded the IRL in 1995 as an oval-only alternative to CART. George does not own an IRL team.

Gentilozzi seemed to take a swipe at George when asked if Champ Car could work under the IRL founder.

"I don't take the Fifth very often, but that's a sensitive issue," Gentilozzi said. "Somewhere there is a guy who is really (capable) of doing this. You don't make bold leadership decisions by birthright, but by good business."

It seems the only things the circuits want to share is attendance and television deals.

Remove the Indianapolis 500 from the equation, and Champ Car's attendance figures more than double those of the IRL. But the IRL has a contract with ABC through 2009 and Champ Car events are available on only HDNet (live) and Spike TV (delayed).

The IRL holds an advantage in sponsorship revenues, primarily from renowned engine manufactures Toyota and Honda, and it has a regular starting field of 22 cars. Champ Car has an 18-car contingent.

"We're basing our future without a reliance on anybody else," Gentilozzi said. "We're not relying on Toyota and Honda to subsidize our teams. What has happened is (Honda and Toyota) has CART-ified the IRL. All the stuff that was bad about us three years ago is now bad about them.

"So in our minds, if there is a little crack in that dam: If they lose any of that support, they could fall apart like CART. When you sell your soul to the devil, he eventually wants it."

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0...2289222,00.html

[TLK]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

Finding Memo

Written by: David Phillips

Pittsburgh, Pa. – 7/16/2004

Gidley qualified 5th for the Vancouver race Sunday.... thumbs up Memo...

		Vancouver

SP		#		Driver		Residence		Sponsor (Engine/Chassis/Tire)		LT		Mph		km/h
1		1		P. Tracy		Las Vegas, NV		Indeck (F/L/B)		1:00.870		105.333		169.628
2		3		R. Lavin		San Luis Potosi, Mexico		Corona (F/L/B)		1:00.980		105.143		169.322
3		2		S. Bourdais		Tampa, Florida		McDonald's (F/L/B)		1:00.974		105.153		169.338
4		55		M. Dominguez		Mexico City		Herdez (F/L/B)		1:01.168		104.820		168.802
5		17		M. Gidley		Indianapolis, IN (USA)		LeasePlan (F/L/B)		1:01.365		104.483		168.259

[TLK]

INDY RACING NEWS

Two Road Course Events Highlight ’05 Schedule

By Dave Lewandowski indyracing.com Tuesday Aug 03, 2004 When Indy Racing League officials sought to complement the exciting IndyCar Series oval schedule with road courses for 2005, Watkins Glen International and Infineon Raceway were at the top of the list. On Aug. 3, the historic facilities officially became hosts of the first road course events in IRL history. League officials announced a 16-race schedule for 2005 – the 10th season for the IRL -- highlighted by the road course events in Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen, N.Y., and the 89th Indianapolis 500. The IndyCar Series will run the 3.4-mile, 11-turn long course at Watkins Glen International on Sept. 25 -- the weekend long associated with the United States Grand Prix (1961-80) at the facility in south-central New York. Indy-style cars haven’t competed at The Glen since 1981. The course will include “the boot,” which is part of the traditional grand prix circuit. A modified 1.77-mile, 10-turn course at Infineon Raceway – formerly Sears Point Raceway – will be used for the race Aug. 28. It will feature "The Chute," as well as modified sections at Turn 9 and Turn 11. The event will be the first Indy-style race at the facility since Dan Gurney’s win in a USAC Indy Car race in 1970. “As we look ahead to our 10th year of competition, we are excited that we have the opportunity to add two historic road circuits to our schedule,” said Tony George, President and CEO of the Indy Racing League. “International Speedway Corp. (owner of Watkins Glen International) and Speedway Motorsports Inc. (owner of Infineon Raceway) have been an integral part of our growth, and this is further evidence of our continued commitment to add strength and value to those relationships.” For the fourth consecutive year, Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the season opener -- the Toyota Indy 300 on March 6. The season will end with the Toyota Indy 400 on Oct. 16 at California Speedway. It will be the first time the two-mile D-shaped oval will host the IndyCar Series finale. “The addition of Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International is being warmly accepted by all of our partners, drivers and teams,” said Ken Ungar, IRL Senior Vice President, Business Affairs. “Bringing the season finale to the southern California market where open-wheel racing has such a rich tradition is especially gratifying.” Though most of the events remain near their traditional dates, there have been a few date changes. The second race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway will be run March 19, while the IndyCar Series’ third visit to Twin Ring Motegi in Japan moves to April 30. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will announce its complete schedule for the 89th Indianapolis 500 (May 29) in the near future. Absent from the schedule are events at Nazareth Speedway, which is ceasing operations this year, and Texas Motor Speedway in October. The June dates at Texas Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway and the July event at Nashville Superspeedway remain the three twilight races on the schedule. Infineon hosts NASCAR Nextel Cup, National Hot Rod Association and American Le Mans Series events, among others. Track President and General Manager Steve Page said the lack of an open-wheel event was “the one hole in our schedule that we’d like to offer our fans.” He filled that void with the Aug. 3 announcement. The facility, constructed on 720 acres north of San Francisco, hosted its first official event -- an SCCA Enduro -- on Dec.1, 1968. "I've been at this track for 13 years," Page said. "From the first day I got here, one of my objectives was to bring IndyCar racing to this track, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Sacramento markets, which is where our fans come from. There is a lot of interest in this series coming to this track. It's a very exciting day for us." The first post-World War II road race in the United States was run on the streets of Watkins Glen, N.Y., on Oct. 2, 1948. In 1957, The Glen hosted its first professional race, a NASCAR Grand National Stock Car event won by Buck Baker. True international competition began in 1958 with the running of a Formula Libre race. "Given our open wheel heritage and unique track history as the home of American road racing, our staff, fans and surrounding communities have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to return Watkins Glen International to its roots," Watkins Glen International President Craig Rust. "We are looking forward to a strong partnership with the Indy Racing League as they branch out to newer markets and continue to grow their Series." In 1997, International Speedway Corporation became sole owner of the facility by exercising a stock option buy-out of Corning Incorporated. “The addition of road courses will bring even more variety and challenges to IndyCar Series drivers and teams,” said Brian Barnhart, IRL Senior Vice president, Racing Operations. “We are working closely with the teams and manufacturers to bring the same excitement of our oval events to road racing.” IRL officials emphasized radical changes to the IndyCar Series formula won’t be needed to go road racing. “We’ll have a basic oval package to run on ovals and a road course package,” IRL Senior Technical Director Phil Casey said. “It won’t affect the handling of the cars. They should be very good on the road courses and still be very good on ovals.” Teams will have to alter the powertrain, suspension and brakes (see “What’s needed to go road racing graphic on home page). By scheduling the events late in the season, chassis and engine manufacturers will have extra time to develop their road racing packages. The wings currently used with the Series’ short-oval package will be used as part of the road course package. IndyCar Series drivers, many of whom have road racing experience, welcomed the news of the schedule additions. “The IRL has big sponsors, huge factories and manufacturers and the only thing missing is road courses and they’re coming,” said Felipe Giaffone, driver of the No. 24 Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone. “It should be a great move for the League in picking up more fans and more sponsors that enjoy that type of racing. It couldn’t be a better move.” Townsend Bell, driver of the No. 2 Menards/Johns Manville Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone, attended the announcement media event at Infineon Raceway. The California resident said it will be a welcome challenge. “Personally, I can’t wait to get started," he said. "It’s going to be a whole new challenge. It’s going to be a challenge for the teams to make the adjustment to doing both types of tracks, ovals and road courses. I think it’s going to be a huge step forward for the Indy Racing League.” The IRL, which in May announced a contract extension through the 2009 season with ABC Sports and ESPN, will announce its 2005 television schedule in the immediate future.

from early this week....

[TLK]

Notes from Road America fan forum.....

quote:

---

This week's guests for the Champ Car fan forum at Road America were Paul Gentilozzi, John Lopes, Jimmy Vasser, Danica Patrick, Two reps from Formula BMW Jonas Krauss and Alex Schmuck, and Bruno Junqueira.

Paul Gentilozzi: "When you buy a company you have to have either a great product or great clients. We are working on making the product better and we already have great clients - fans."

"First priority is 2005 schedule, second is an improved TV package for next year, third is attracting more teams and expanding the field."

"We have 21 races on the rough 2005 schedule and will probably get it down to around 16. We compete for fans time and we have to put on an event so that fans come back in the the big numbers of the past."

John Lopes: "We hope to have news on the final TBA race on the schedule in two weeks."

Paul Gentilozzi: "Tracks like Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio and Road America are the core of the Champ Car culture, and we'd like to always race on them, but they need to be appropriately promoted to make business sense, since they're on remote locations."

"We intend to be back on Eurosport next year for our fans throughout Europe. A percentage of 2005 races will be on network TV (CBS) and the rest on a more accessible cable channel in the USA."

"In next two weeks you will see announcements about Commercial partners who will promote Champ Car the much needed TV and other advertising media." Q: "Who?" A: "We all like fast food."

"We will keep the existing formula next year and announce both a new engine and new chassis in the spring of '05 for the 2006 season."

John Lopes: "There's a lot of manufacturer interest in the series, and we'll attract them once we have a new formula as long as we keep putting more and more butts on the seats and eyeballs on the TVs."

Jimmy Vasser: "We have found something with our damper program and it's showing here."

Paul Gentilozzi: Q: "Why can't someone hire Memo Gidley?" A:"We're working on program next year to have Memo Gidley back in Champ Car in 2005."

Q: "Why isn't there any merchandise?" A:"With the series getting more and more stabilized, Champ Car should have a full line of team merchandise on Speedgear next year."

Q: Is Champ Car going to become a feeder series for F1? A: "We are not feeding anyone. We want drivers to make a career here."

Q: "Ever drove a Champ Car?" A: "No. But I'll probably get a chance later this year."

Q: "What about creating an IROC open wheel series on road courses and sending the NASCAR driver's home with their tail between their legs?" A:"Champ Car drivers can beat Cup drivers anywhere, even if it's a 100-yard dash. Have you ever seen Jimmy Spencer run?"

John Lopes: "After the Canadian fans' outcry at Paul Tracy's absence from IROC this year, IROC might consider inviting the 2004 Vanderbilt Cup winner for next season."

Q: "Will there be push to pass in Las vegas?" A: "We won't use push-to-pass in Vegas because drivers will run full throttle all the way around for 20 laps or more."

Danica Patrick: Q: "Which series would you want to drive?" A:"Without a doubt road racing is what I love most, it was what I have always done. However, we will have to see where my sponsors want me."

"One secret to a fast lap at Road America is to get a tow from the car in front of you so I try to suck up to the guy in front of me..." (snickering from crowd)

---

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

"We intend to be back on Eurosport next year for our fans throughout Europe.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eurosport did a terrible job last time they had the rights. Time and again the live motor racing would be preempted by highlights of marathon running or ski jumping (in the summer!!!!).

Champ Car needs Road America.

[TLK]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

Champ Car needs Road America.

Friday, August 6, 2004




By John Oreovicz
Special to ESPN.com



If there is one thing that brings a smile to the face of any Champ Car driver, team member, official or fan, it's a visit to majestic Road America. The appeal to the drivers is obvious: Near Elkhart Lake, Wis., Road America spreads its 14 corners over four miles, making for an average lap speed of more than 140 mph -- faster than some ovals.




"It's phenomenal, the best track in the United States of America, by far," says Ryan Hunter-Reay, who paced Friday's provisional qualifying session for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America. "Tracks like this make me jealous of Formula 1 and European racing. It's such a great feeling to get it right in the high-speed corners, so rewarding. But it's easy to get too greedy and throw it away by sticking your car in a sand trap."

For the rest of us, Elkhart Lake offers something different. There is just something about the place, whether it's the sound of engines ringing through the hills and trees or the smell of charcoal-grilled bratwurst wafting through the air, that makes Road America the most enjoyable place to watch road racing in America.

Last year, Road America's future with CART was very much in jeopardy until Mario Andretti stepped in and helped mediate a new two-year agreement for 2003 and '04. The Indy Racing League's move into road racing has naturally led to a new round of speculation that Road America's days as a Champ Car venue are numbered, particularly when Champ Car is looking to shake up its 2005 schedule both domestically and internationally.

But track general manager George Bruggenthies indicated this week that if this year's event is a success, he is interested in crafting a new deal with Champ Car's owners.

"Our focus is on producing a good event this weekend," Bruggenthies told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "If everything is successful and we're both smiling, we'll be talking. It's as easy as that."

Champ Car president Dick Eidswick had never been to the picturesque Wisconsin circuit until this week. His early impressions were good.

"The simple math is that in order to put on the show, we really have to be paid for it, and that's going to determine where we race in the long term," Eidswick told the Journal-Sentinel. "But in the short term, especially with something that has tradition like this one, we're willing to make sure both the promoter and Champ Car do all right with the thing."

Eidswick will be getting help making those decisions from a new source. Champ Car announced on Friday that it has hired Joe Chrnelich as its Executive Vice President of Development, Government Affairs and Planning. Chrnelich will wrap up a stint as the CEO of the Wisconsin State Fair Park and the Milwaukee Mile on August 15.

The former University of Wisconsin basketball star became immersed in auto racing promotion when he served on the Wisconsin Sports Authority transition committee which transferred promotion of Milwaukee's racing events from GO Racing to Carl Haas. He then worked with the State Fair Board to reacquire the promotional rights from Haas in May 2003.

In addition, Chrnelich served as the elected head of the creditor's committee during CART's bankruptcy proceedings in late 2003 and early 2004. His testimony was a key element in Judge Frank J. Otte's decision to favor Open Wheel Racing Series LLC's bid to continue the Champ Car series over a competing bid from the IRL.

As such, Chrnelich is well-versed in the politics and business of planning, promoting and staging races, and his initial task is to finalize Champ Car's '05 race schedule. An announcement is expected in early September.

"I am very excited about the challenges of the new position," Chrnelich said. "It presents a different variety and scope of responsibilities compared to my job at the State Fair Park. I think this is a great fit, especially considering my years of experience understanding the promoter's perspective and the requirements for producing a quality event.

"My top priority will be to establish and build long term relationships with our promoter partners while providing world class racing events for the Champ Car organization. We need to prioritize our short-term and long-term target markets, reach out to our local contacts to find out what each needs from us to be successful and then make well-informed choices of venues that complement our vision. Once we accomplish that, I suspect we will have built a solid schedule and a series that everyone can be proud of."

In an interview with Milwaukee media earlier in the week, Chrnelich said his experience in working with Champ Car throughout the bankruptcy process contributed to his decision to go to work for the series.

"These guys (OWRS principals Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi) are competitive, and they are going to grow this series to where CART was many years ago," he said. "They're going to bring it back to prominence, and the product will be very distinguishable in the industry. Champ Car views itself as a world series, as well as the premier street-course series in the world."

Chrnelich's first task will be to wrap up a contract extension for the Toronto and Vancouver races. He is well placed to do that, having established a relationship with Molstar Sports and Entertainment V-P Bob Singleton during the CART bankruptcy.

Doubts still remain about whether Champ Car will be able to race in South Korea as scheduled in October, and Chrnelich will be charged with determining whether a Korean event is in Champ Car's best interest. Plans are reportedly advanced for a race in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while Kalkhoven has spoken for almost two years about his desire to bring a Champ Car race to San Jose, Calif. Kalkhoven had hoped to run the race on a former airfield outside of the city, but more recently a street race has emerged as the favored plan.

St. Petersburg, Fla., remains in the mix for both Champ Car and the IRL, and media reports in Portland suggest that Champ Car could still return to the Rose City after plans for a proposed IRL race in '05 fell through. Champ Car is pushing for a multi-year deal, whereas the city wants a short-term contract to keep its future options open.

"We're interested in hearing what the city is proposing," said Champ Car V-P of Promotions Tim Ramsberger. "A three-year deal is still a possibility, but we'll see how it goes. We still have some flexibility with our schedule." John Oreovicz covers open-wheel racing for National Speed Sport News and ESPN.com

[TLK]

AUGUST 14, 2004

Cosworth renews Champ Car deal

Our sources in the United States are reporting that the stability of Cosworth Racing has been bolstered in recent days by a new agreement to supply engines to the Champ Cars series in 2005. The Ford-badged engines will remain much as they have been for the last two seasons. The company will also be continuing its involvement with the Chevrolet-badged engines which are used in the Indy Racing League. The company is expected to continue to supply F1 engines to Jaguar Racing, Jordan and Minardi and could even supply a fourth team if one emerged. This is not likely to happen although one or two of the Formula 3000 teams are looking at a switch to F1 as they do not consider the new GP2 series to be economically viable.

[TLK]

best open-wheel race I've seen in a while today.... good event, lots of pasiing and a good finish...... SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS WINS CHAMP CAR EVENT IN DENVER
		Sunday, August 15, 2004
Champ Car World Series Points Leader Sebastien Bourdais Survives First-Turn Spin, Climbs Through Field to Score Victory at Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver DENVER (August 15, 2004) - Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald's Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) won today's Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver, but leaving it at that would be like saying that Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to take a little stroll up Mount Everest. Bourdais used a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon in Denver to show why he is atop the field in the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford standings, surviving a first-turn spin that left him deep in the field to come back and claim his fifth victory of the year. The victory is the eighth in the young career of Bourdais and allowed him to widen his series lead to 56 points over teammate Bruno Junqueira (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone). Ironically, it was the two Newman/Haas Racing teammates that were embroiled in the first-turn melee, as Bourdais and Junqueira went into the tight first turn side-by-side at the drop of the green flag. Junqueira used a good start to pull alongside the polesitting Bourdais at the start but the two cars could not hold position through the turn, resulting in light contact that sent Bourdais into a spin. Junqueira stayed on course and took the lead with Paul Tracy (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) slipping into the second spot. Bourdais would plummet to 13th after getting his car pointed in the right direction, and immediately set sail for the front. He was up to eighth after just 10 laps and had climbed to fifth by the time the first set of pit stops rolled around. The first of pit stops saw the second lead change of the day as Tracy was able to save enough fuel to allow his Forsythe Championship Racing team to get him out in front of Junqueira on lap 40. Tracy would hold the lead for the next 40 laps and appeared to have things well in hand as he chased the win. Mario Dominguez (#55 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) was four seconds behind Tracy after making an inside pass on Junqueira in Turn Five, a move brought about as Junqueira was suffering brake problems with his car. Bourdais had beaten Oriol Servia (#11 YokeTV.com Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) out of the pits on his stop to claim fourth, then outgunned Junqueira in Turn 1 on Lap 55 to snare the third spot but was still 11 seconds behind the leaders with 25 laps to go. Salvation came in the form of a Ryan Hunter-Reay (#4 Herdez Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) spin on Lap 73 as, although Race Control tried to avoid breaking out a full-course caution, the yellow banner waved to bunch up the field while Hunter-Reay's stricken car was towed out of Turn Nine. Tracy and Dominguez lined up ahead of Bourdais on the Lap 79 restart, but that order didn't last long. Bourdais went inside of Dominguez into Turn One and this time survived a brief bit of wheel banging to take the second spot. Two laps later Bourdais took advantage of a rare Tracy braking miscue to close the gap, then made the pass in Turn Nine to claim a lead that he would never relinquish. Once in front, Bourdais turned up the wick despite having minor suspension problems as a result of his contact with Dominguez. The Frenchman turned the race's fastest lap on the day's penultimate trip around the 1.657-mile street course, and beat the field to the line by 7.446 seconds. Tracy settled for second with Junqueira rounding out the podium in third. Dominguez would bring his Herdez car home in the fourth spot, giving him back-to-back top-five runs for the first time since the Monterrey race. Rookie points leader A.J. Allmendinger (#10 Western Union Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) scored his third top-five finish of the season as he brought his RuSPORT machine to the line in the fifth spot. The finish allowed Allmendinger to widen his rookie points lead to 13 markers after nine events. His closest pursuer, Justin Wilson (#34 Mi-Jack Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), finished in seventh place for the second consecutive event, marking his fifth top-10 finish of the 2004 season. Servia showed why he was one of the more sought-after free agents in the 2004 Champ Car preseason as he used his skills to score a sixth-place finish for the Dale Coyne Racing machine. Servia ran in the top five for much of the day and then kept his mount on track despite battling a stuck air jack that caused his car to smoke under braking for the last 20 laps. The finish is the second consecutive top-six finish for Servia and vaulted him into the top 10 for the first time all season. Mario Haberfeld (#5 Cummins Ford-Cosworth/Reynard/Bridgestone) made up spots from his starting position for the eighth time in the season's nine races, earning an eighth-place finish while Patrick Carpentier (#7 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) settled for ninth on a day where he started fourth but battled handling problems throughout the first part of the race. Road America winner Alex Tagliani (#8 Johnson Controls Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) rounded out the top 10. The series takes a week off before heading to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on the Ile. Notre-Dame for the Molson Indy Montreal August 27-29. The time won't be all restful however, as most of the teams on the circuit will journey to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Wednesday's day-long test on the 1.5-mile superspeedway oval. QUOTES FROM THE TOP THREE FINISHERS SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (#2 McDonald's Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone): "It is a beautiful win today. To start on the pole, then it was difficult to work your way back to the top, and win, it is a great feeling. I had to pass guys on the track and earn my way back to the top, and we were able to do that in the McDonald's car. When I was running in 4th, I realized I could possibly win this, but it was not going to be very easy. This is the best street race in a long time and it is a terrific weekend. I am very, very happy." BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (#6 PacifiCare Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone): "It was an ok race. I did not have good balance with the PacifiCare car. I ran into traffic before the first pit stop and Paul (Tracy) was able to close in on me heading in to the first stop. Tracy had a good pit stop. After that, the car wasn't as good; I had lots of traffic, and brake problems. I couldn't attack the corners and I was just trying to keep the car on track. This is an ok result; we didn't have the car to win today." PAUL TRACY (#1 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone): "It went better I expected. The car was not handling well. I thought that we had the race until the yellow came out. The car was ok, but it was not that fast. It was adequate enough to keep a consistent pace. The Indeck team did a great job on the first stop allowing me to get out ahead of Bruno (Junqueira). There was not much I could do when Sebastien (Bourdais) came up behind me. I gave way to him, he had a better car then I did. I just wanted to be sure to have a good finish. This was definitely one of the best street course races we have had in a long time and it was definitely a good show." NOTEWORTHY Sebastien Bourdais earned the sixth win from pole in his Champ Car career, making him just the seventh driver in the Champ Car Modern Era to win as many as six races from pole. Rick Mears leads that list with 14 wins. He also becomes the 28th driver in all of Champ Car history to win at least 10 poles, tying such legends as Dan Gurney, Nigel Mansell and Alex Zanardi for 23rd on the all-time list with 10 poles. Oriol Servia has given Dale Coyne Racing three top-six finishes this year. This is the first time in the 19-year history of the team that a Dale Coyne car has earned three top-six runs in the same season. Paul Tracy led 40 laps today in Denver, pushing him over the 3,600 mark for his career. Tracy is second on the Modern Era laps led list with 3,614, trailing only Michael Andretti. Bruno Junqueira led 39 laps on the day, marking the third consecutive year that he has led in Denver. Of the 296 total laps run in the last three Denver races, Junqueira has led 215 of them.

[TLK]

hopefully a big announcement coming today....

WHAT:
Champ Car World Series Sponsorship Announcement

WHO:
Kevin Kalkhoven, co-owner Champ Car World Series
Paul Newman, co-owner Newman/Haas Racing
Dick Eidswick, President, Champ Car World Series along with representatives from sponsor

WHERE:
Driver interview room, first floor of Media Center Tower in paddock, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

WHEN:
Friday, August 27, 12:30 p.m.

[TLK]

damn..... a series sponsor would of been nice..... but we get....

Dick Eidswick, Paul Newman, Kevin Kalkhoven, McDonald's Senior Director of Alliance Marketing John Lewicki, Carl Haas and Sebastien Bourdais were on hand today in Montreal to announce that McDonald's would be the Official Fast Food Restaurant of Champ Car through 2006.

[TLK]

Champ Car now in fast (food) lane
McDonald's joins as series sponsor

Bourdais fastest in early qualifying




RICK MATSUMOTO
SPORTS REPORTER

MONTREAL—Sebastien Bourdais continues his assault to wrench the Champ Car title away from defending champion Paul Tracy. Make that a Mac attack.

Two hours after his team sponsor, fast-food chain McDonald's, announced it was widening its support to include the series as an official sponsor, the 25-year-old from Le Mans, France picked up another point towards the championship by capturing the preliminary pole for the Montreal Molson Indy.

He now has 249 points, 57 more than teammate Bruno Junqueira and 69 ahead of Tracy. Final qualifying is this afternoon with the 69-lap race around the 2.7-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve slated for a 2 p.m. start tomorrow.

McDonald's decision to expand its sponsorship beyond its support of Bourdais' car is seen as a major boost for the series, which rose from the ashes of the bankrupt CART circuit last winter.

"It's great for the series," said Bourdais, who is in his second season in Champ Car.

"If McDonald's does a good job of promoting the series it will bring it back to where it belongs."

The series is expected to announce other major sponsors over the next few weeks including AOL Time Warner, which could wind up as the title sponsor.

Series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven declined to comment on the sponsorship speculations except to say:

"Isn't it something that we're talking about sponsors coming on board just eight months after we took over."

Kalkhoven and fellow series team owners Paul Gentilozzi and Gerald Forsythe bought the assets of CART after winning a court battle with the rival Indy Racing League.

Actor Paul Newman, co-owner of Newman/Haas, was instrumental in getting McDonald's to sponsor one of his team's two cars last year and he persuaded the company to step up to the next level of sponsorship.

The original tie between Newman and McDonald's was through the restaurant's use of the salad dressing which bears his name.

"I'm trying to get them interested in cross-dressing," Newman joked.

"I want them to use a little dressing on their salads and a little salad dressing on their hamburgers."

Turning serious, Newman said the McDonald's sponsorship should have "a powerful influence on our team, Champ Cars and racing in general."

One of the criticisms of some of Champ Car's previous major sponsors has been the lack of marketing and promotions away from the racetrack.

John Lewicki, McDonald's USA director of alliances, said that will not be the case with his company's commitment.

"Our development of the marketing plans are a little premature, but our desire is to use the assets of Champ Cars in our commercials," said Lewicki.

Tracy, who finished second to Bourdais last week in Denver, could manage no better than the seventh fastest time, .925 seconds behind Bourdais.

"It was not a good day," he said. "I never put a good lap together."

He hit his right rear wheel off the wall on his final lap ruining the gearbox on his Ford/Cosworth-Lola. Quebecer Alex Tagliani, who won his first career race three weeks ago at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., had the second-fastest qualifying time yesterday just 0.096 second slower than Bourdais' one minute, 21.695-second run.

Montreal's other hometown hero, Patrick Carpentier failed to get in a qualifying time when the Ford/Cosworth engine let go just five laps into the session.

"It's a sad thing to have the same thing as last year here," he said.

"But we did finish on the podium (third), so I'll be looking to do the same thing this year, I guess."

NOTE: Andrew Ranger, the 17-year-old sensation from Roxton Pond, Que., was second quickest on the first qualifying session in the Toyota Atlantic series. He was .126 behind early pole sitter Ryan Dalziel's time of 1:34.187.

Additional articles by Rick Matsumoto

[General Mike]

I got comped so I'm going to the Nazareth Indy 225 today. Take that for what it's worth.

[TLK]

sorry to hear that.... good luck

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

sorry to hear that.... good luck

Redneck Central.

[TLK]

It's pretty sad that the only time the IRL makes the local news around here.... is when there is a bad accident or they set one of their pit crew members on fire....

here's an article covering the latter...

Hornish too quick at Nazareth

By DICK BRINSTER, AP Sports Writer

August 29, 2004

NAZARETH, Pa. (AP) -- It certainly looked as if Sam Hornish Jr. was about to give car owner Roger Penske an emotional victory Sunday in the final race on the track he built 17 years ago.

Not so fast! No, maybe too fast.

Hornish attempted to leave his pit stall before refueler Chris Seaman disengaged the hose. Methanol fuel, which burns invisibly, spilled out and Seaman had to be doused with water to avoid injury late in the race at Nazareth Speedway.

``It's a shame what happened,'' Hornish said. ``I made a mistake and tried to leave the pits too soon.''

But that was just the beginning for the two-time IRL champion, who wound up 11th in the Firestone Indy 225. Another unpleasant surprise awaited Hornish after he pulled away.

``When I went back out on the track, I realized the car was on fire,'' he said.

``I had to pull back into the pits, and the crew put it out.'' Hornish lamented the loss, in part because he's winless since taking the season's first race in February. But he was happy no one was injured by his mistake. ``They did a good job all weekend,'' Hornish said of the crew. ``It's too bad that the driver screwed up.''

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

At least Dale Jr. won at Bristol.

[TLK]

IT'S STILL NEWMAN-HAAS

Carl Haas doesn't want to talk about it yet but Paul Newman made it official over the weekend at Montreal.

"Carl and I are together forever," said Newman in response to the future of his 21-year partnership with Haas in Champ Car. "Now the cat's out of the bag."

Haas had received a large financial offer from Tony George and Honda about jumping to the Indy Racing League but they demanded he close the doors of his Champ Car team.

Newman, easily Champ Car's most vocal and visible supporter, vowed to continue the team if Haas left for the IRL but they've decided to stay together.

"I haven't said anything yet and I won't," said Haas.

An official announcement is expected next week and there's a good chance Cristiano da Matta may be in a third Newman-Haas entry in 2005 with Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira.

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/12697/

[TLK]

Saturday, August 28, 2004




By John Oreovicz
Special to ESPN.com

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and Indy Racing League founder Tony George took time out to talk to ESPN.com's John Oreovicz on the eve of the IRL's 100th race, running Sunday (ABC, 3:30 ET) at Nazareth Speedway. George expounded on a variety of topics related to the League and American open-wheel racing.




ESPN.com: I'm sure it's hard to quantify, but do you feel like your plan for the League is on schedule?



George: The plan has changed from time to time. Right now, it's easy to say I would have envisioned the League being where it is today four or five years ago, but hindsight is 20/20. We're pleased with where we're at and just stay focused on where we are today and where we want to be tomorrow, not worry about what could have been. This 100th race of the Indy Racing League is considered by some as a milepost. Certainly to those of us who have been here since Day One, since the first race, it probably means something more than to others who haven't been here from the beginning, whether it's their second season or their 12th or 13th race. It means different things to different people, I guess. I think the addition of road courses to our schedule next year sort of ushers in a new era for the League. We'll try to continue to provide close, exciting racing on track and see what opportunities going into a new discipline and new markets will present us. I think we have to do a better job of telling our story and getting connected with the public. That's our biggest challenge today.



ESPN.com: Obviously, the hallmark of the League is the close racing, especially on the big ovals. When you watch the cars running so closely together, what kind of feeling does it inspire in you?



George: I guess at different times I feel different things. It's not the same every race. I get some of those same feelings watching a race at Richmond or Nazareth that I do at the big tracks. Clearly, the side-by-side racing that the mile-and-a-half and two-mile tracks have produced has been good for the League from the standpoint that the rules package keeps our cars close. Success at the end of the day is often determined by the preparation of a given team on that weekend -- whoever works the hardest and has the best strategy, or adjusted the car to be good all day and be there at the end for the win. The best teams generally end up coming out on top. But it's that close, side-by-side racing that gets my blood flowing and generates a lot of different emotions. I've always believed that oval track racing provides a great opportunity for an entertaining product, and we've been able to establish and keep that.



ESPN.com: Why are oval tracks so important to you and the League?



George: As I said, I think ovals provide great entertainment for the viewing spectator. It's also something that can be covered cost-effectively for television. It lends itself to close racing. It's a uniquely American discipline, and for those reasons, it's important to me. The Indianapolis 500 has been run on an oval track for almost 90 years and the Indy Racing League was created to build on the history and tradition and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 and it is a very meaningful part of the American motorsports scene. When we started the League in '94, it was with the hopes that we would encourage more oval tracks to be built. In a small way, I think we have been able to play a part in that renaissance of being able to build and develop new tracks. Certainly a lot of tracks have been built in the hopes of getting a NASCAR race but many of them haven't ever received a Cup date. We want to provide quality inventory for those racetracks to hopefully make money and provide a return on investment. There have been some great tracks built in some exciting new markets and we have been fortunate enough to take advantage and be a part of the business plan of many of those tracks.



All the while, we said we would be interested in running road courses as part of our schedule. We always said that if and when the right opportunity presented itself, we would consider it. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't know, it has taken us until now until we could work out a deal and add them in 2005. But we've had several starts and stops, beginning with Chris Pook before the IRL even turned a wheel. Back in 1994-95 he was a part of some of the formative meetings of the Indy Racing League and he contemplated Long Beach being part of our schedule from the beginning. For whatever reasons, that didn't work out and that's all part of history. We've gone on to build a great series that I think has a bright future. Now that we're ushering in a new era of running on road courses the challenge will be to continue to provide the same quality and entertaining product on road courses that we do on ovals.



ESPN.com: It seems a key change in public perception over the last couple of years has come from the fact that many of the top drivers, sponsors, manufacturers and teams in American open-wheel racing have decided that it is better for them to do business in the IRL rather than Champ Car. Can you discuss the impact that these known quantities have made on your series?



George: For the most part, the partnerships that existed between teams and sponsors and manufacturers existed for a reason and had an objective. By and large, the ones that came over here had the objective to be in the American markets. Most people would enjoy running a race in Canada or Mexico, but clearly, North America is where their focus is. They are not interested in globetrotting and going all around the world because of domestic budgets and domestic business they are trying to build or awareness they are trying to create. Our television partner wants many of those same things, and as a result, that coincides with our objectives too. I think we've tried to create an environment for these teams to do business. Many of them who came over here with a bit of trepidation have come to enjoy it and genuinely like it. It's something that we hope remains the case for many years to come.



ESPN.com: One of the themes of 2004 has been the performance of the Honda engine. Do you think the League needs to take steps to restrict Honda, or assist Chevrolet and Toyota?



George: I think by and large Honda and Toyota recognize that Honda did a fair amount of homework in the offseason and has come out with a strong package this year. They all tend to be competitive and Brian Barnhart or any manufacturer has not made me aware that they are asking or looking for any kind of assistance or relief or tightening down on one manufacturer as a result of their success on the track. I think there is a system in place to deal with that if requests of that nature come about, but to my knowledge, no one has come to Brian or me with any request. I think a lot of it is attributed to their respect of the job Honda has been able to do.



ESPN.com: How important was it for the League to identify and develop an American star to become the identity of the IRL? I'm talking about Sam Hornish Jr.



George: I thought you were talking about Buddy Rice! I'm just pointing out that there is a lot of American talent out there. Sam is a great talent and a great race driver. I recognized it early when he was with PDM. Panther gave him a great opportunity and they had a lot of success together and it was important for us to try to keep him involved in IndyCar racing. Obviously, Roger recognized that and offered him a situation, which to Sam, I'm sure, fulfilled a lifelong dream. We're happy that Sam is there, hopefully for the long term, and we wish him continued success. I hope there is a lot of competition on the track to make him work for his successes and hopefully there are more Sam Hornishes out there to come along in the future.



ESPN.com: In creating the additional races you now run at the Speedway you have worked closely with Bill France Jr. and Bernie Ecclestone. Are there any lessons you learned from those respected businessmen that you were able to apply to the IRL?



George: There are always lessons to be learned. You live your whole life learning new things. I've learned a lot since 1990. Since the early '90s, I really started developing a relationship and a dialogue with those guys and I guess there are lessons I've learned from them -- though I'm not sure it is appropriate to share. But it's all a part of business. I think there are some things we have taken from Formula 1, some things we have taken from NASCAR, some things we have taken from CART as we were looking to put our series together.



I think Formula 1 has been a challenge to develop in the United States because of the business model. Likewise, you can look at the success of NASCAR in the United States and try to formulate a model for international expansion and it becomes more challenging. I guess with IndyCars, CART always tried to do that and we want to try to find the right balance or the right mix and position our series as an eclectic international series with true international interest. It is an American product that we want to export on a limited basis by doing races outside the country, but we also want to make it something that through other forms of medium, take it to the world. Television obviously plays a big part in that, having the right partners. It helps to have international stars when you are doing that. I think we're just trying to find the right balance.



ESPN.com: The France family kind of created a blueprint where they own Daytona and run NASCAR. As the steward of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, do you feel that it is your right or your responsibility to lead open wheel racing in this country?



George: I have a responsibility being in the position I'm in at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With the position I was offered in 1990 came a great deal of responsibility and opportunity. So I tried to take that seriously and position the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a leader in sports entertainment and do some things beyond opening up the gates one month a year to run a race. I think my grandfather always tried to be a benefactor of racing and he supported it at many levels. I think we have expanded on that legacy and tried to continue to provide some leadership and direction in growing motorsports. You know, motorsports was becoming very popular in the late '80s into the '90s. I guess I just came along at a time when our family was sort of looking to broaden its horizon. With the Formula 1 race and the Brickyard 400, we wanted to expand our base and introduce new fans to our facility, and certainly having those races has accomplished that. We have a very diverse group of fans that come through the gates every year for our three races. At the same time, it has been fun and challenging being a part of those and starting the League.



ESPN.com: You mentioned earlier that building a fan base was the toughest challenge. Has it been harder than you expected in that respect? Has there been more backlash then you expected from what seems to be a very loyal Champ Car fan base?



George: Yes, but I think the IRL has a very solid core group of fans. I think CART or Champ Car had a very solid core group. I think both have a lot of casual viewers that we need to connect with. Before Marlboro was here, reaching out to their consumers and bringing them to our races and introducing them to the experience here, they were doing that at CART races. The challenge when you have a sponsor who helps connect you with their consumers is to convert them into ticket buyers going forward. That's probably a challenge that both CART and IndyCar have had.



It's the vocal minority that have sort of fueled the back and forth verbal barrages over the last nine or 10 years that really turned a lot of people off. It wasn't so much the racing -- it's the territorial nature of fervent fans who follow it. I think both organizations would have been better served by trying to just stick to their business and not try to go tit for tat. The people that work for me have really tried to do that. I can't control the people that support us as racetrack owners or promoters or car owners or drivers, but as far as the League is concerned, we've really tried to worry about our own business. It has created some distractions that haven't allowed us to focus on developing our fan base. If CART or Champ Car was as strong as it believed it was, it wouldn't see the erosion that it has today. There is a lot to be said for maybe trying to have coexisted peacefully instead of allowing so much emotion to enter into it. Again, you can't control all the other people. You can only control things you can control.



ESPN.com: Given that the so-called reunification efforts that took place this summer have ended, are you optimistic that the two series can coexist peacefully?



George: I don't know why not. As it was laid out to me last fall, clearly their vision and their business plan for the future is inconsistent with ours. That's why things didn't lead to a unification. If they are true to their word, they are going about doing things differently than us. So I don't know why we couldn't coexist. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Their plan or vision for a unified series was different than mine. I think you'll see us focusing more on our business and developing future opportunities that are unique to us. I have encouraged our people to stay away from anything that might look like we're sitting around trying to pick at the bones of the CART carcass. That's people's perception. We don't make phone calls to race promoters trying to steal races. On occasion we take phone calls when they call us. But one thing I am not interested in is being played off CART anymore. That has happened since Day One. I started with Chris Pook when he sat in on the formative meetings of the IRL and I'm just not interested in playing that game anymore.



ESPN.com: Clearly, you have invested a great deal of money in forming and sustaining the League and you have been personally attacked for doing it. Has it been worth it?



George: Yeah. I mean, I haven't missed one of these races because I enjoy coming to them. If I didn't enjoy coming to them and being a part of it, I would miss one every once in a while. But I genuinely enjoy it. It has all been worth it. Maybe it's a good thing that I don't know everything that everyone has said or has thought about me. I know of some of it. I've had personal close contact encounters with angry fans over the course of the years and I have always tried to either try to personally respond, whether in an e-mail or face-to-face response, to an angry fan because I think it's important. If they are sincere, then they deserve a sincere response from me. If they are insincere, I generally don't give them the benefit of a personal response. But I have tried to be accessible and personal in my response to many of the people who have expressed their displeasure with me personally or with the League. On occasion I have just tried to explain things from my point of view. Sometimes they see it and sometimes they don't, but that's okay.



Part of the learning experience for me is having people have a different perspective and sharing it. Not everybody likes NASCAR at the Speedway, not everyone likes Formula 1 at the Speedway and not everyone likes the IRL, but they are entitled to their opinion. On balance, I think that myself and the organization at both the Speedway and the League have been able to add value to the motorsports equation -- more so than detract from it.



John Oreovicz covers open-wheel racing for National Speed Sport News and ESPN.com.

[TLK]

Motorsports: A Golden Future? Champ Car's new McDonald's relationship has potential

AUTOWEEK
Posted Date: 8/31/04


There is no doubt CART and its reformation as the Champ Car World Series has had a tough couple of years.

Yet after its race in Montreal, where the series again drew in excess of 100,000 fans for the weekend, Champ Car shows all signs of succeeding where many thought it would fail.

The value of the new McDonald’s relationship for the series will ultimately be demonstrated next season and beyond; its real potential varies depending on whom you ask and how it gets spun. Still, the relationship is significant and the chatter in the Montreal hospitality tents indicates more is on the way. At the least, doubts about Champ Car’s buoyancy—or the commitment of its new owners—should be quelled.

Arch this

Perhaps now we know one reason team owner Carl Haas passed on an offer to join the rival IRL (AW, Aug. 30). For weeks the rumor floated that McDonald’s would join the Champ Car World Series in some large capacity. In so doing, Mickey D’s represents the first significant new marketing partnership Champ Car has arranged in years.

On Friday before the Montreal race, McDonald’s announced it signed as the series’ official fast food restaurant through 2006. The world’s largest restaurant chain will also remain as primary sponsor of one of Newman-Haas Racing’s Champ Car entries through 2007.

What does it mean to be the official fast food restaurant, and how much will McDonald’s spend? "We never discuss financials," said John Lewicki, the company’s senior director of alliance marketing. "You’ll see some results of this for the balance of this year, but really we are getting our plans in place for a kickoff in 2005."

McDonald’s joined the series last season, when it was still CART, as part-time sponsor of one of the Newman-Haas cars. It signed on with the team full time this season. Clearly, the latest deal was personally influenced by Newman-Haas co-owner Paul Newman, who supplies McDonald’s with salad dressing and other products through his Newman’s Own nonprofit company.

"Paul opened our eyes to this," said Lewicki. "We’d walk through a wall for Paul. Now we see the value here and we want to take it a step further. We can certainly benefit for this series’ international reach."

McDonald’s subsidiaries in Canada and Mexico readily signed on with the program, according to Lewicki. He concedes it has been a more difficult proposition in the United States, where NASCAR reigns. Nonetheless, the McDonald’s franchise council in the States has approved the program and will participate.

"It would be our desire to use the Champ Car logo and series in [U.S.] television advertising," Lewicki said. "We’ll likely see the logo in our restaurants for periods of time, certainly in connection with race markets."

What about a full title sponsorship?

"We’re kind of taking it one step at a time," said Lewicki. "There may be an opportunity for that at some point."

Next?

McDonald’s is the first new consumer-based company to take a major role in Champ Car since the heyday of cigarette and beer brands. Series sources also said in Montreal that Champ Car is negotiating with "a prominent consumer company" to be the series title sponsor.

"It’s all about momentum," said one. "I think people are going to be surprised."

In Montreal, neither Paul Gentilozzi nor Kevin Kalkhoven, two of Champ Car’s three owners, would let on as to whom that sponsor might be. But other sources indicate Champ Car is in discussions with America Online, and that talks center around joint marketing programs between the series, McDonald’s and AOL.

No race in San Juan

The proposed Champ Car World Series race in San Juan, Puerto Rico, won’t happen this season. Series officials say they still hope to put the 10-turn, 1.6-mile circuit at Isla Grande Airport on their schedule in 2005.

The Trans-Am series used the San Juan circuit in 2003, but the late effort to move Champ Car there this year came up short. While the FAA has not quashed the plan (Isla Grande is a working airport, like Cleveland’s Burke Lake-front), agreements and arrangements with local authorities, including Puerto Rico’s tourist board, could not be ironed out in time for a November race.

With few options at this point, it is unlikely Champ Car will fill the open date on its
calendar in November. Expect the season to end Nov. 7 in Mexico City after 14 races.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=100736

[TLK]

Two articles worth a read.... hard to argue with anyof the points brought up in either article....

News
Motorsports: The confusing face of open-wheel



AUTOWEEK
Posted Date: 9/7/04
It's all looked rosy for big-league open-wheel racing the last few weeks. The Champ Car World Series nailed down a new long-term deal with Portland International Raceway and a potentially significant marketing partnership with McDonald's. The series is deep in negotiations with AOL as its new title sponsor and promises to release a 2005 schedule Sept. 30 with 16 or 17 races chosen from 21 possibilities.

The IRL, meanwhile, released a 2005 schedule with the first two road races in its nine-year history. Last week, the League confirmed that it will indeed race in St. Petersburg, Fla. on April 3, 2005.

The IRL will run its first street race at Albert Whitted Airport on the same circuit CART used in St. Pete in 2003. Honda will be title sponsor, and the event will be promoted by Andretti-Green Promotions, new subsidiary of Andretti-Green Racing, headed by long-time CART team owner Barry Green, who sold his race team to Michael Andretti (with Honda carrying the paper) at the end 2002.


Good thing, isn't it? Certainly it seems so for IRL fans and participants, at least from the racing perspective. Most of the IRL's premier teams, including Ganassi, AGR, Rahal and Fernandez were road racers first and foremost, as were nearly all of the IRL's current drivers. It also seems to push the political pendulum in the IRL's direction, because the League now has a toehold in what was Champ Car's last clear domain of superiority: well-attended street races--call them happenings--in key urban markets. But even for IRL fans, is that really good?


Not sure. In the micro view, IRL and Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Tony George is the financial backstop in St. Petersburg, and ultimately his money will balance any red ink the race generates. History has proven that even the most successful street races take at least three years to reach critical mass and generate a profit. In the short term the IRL's first street race is at best an investment in the future, and at worst another financial drain.


The macro view looks more pessimistic, and let it be clear what we think on this score: If open-wheel racing in the United States has any hope of unsubsidized commercial success in the face of the NASCAR monolith (not to mention renewed vigor and real GROWTH), the prospects increase exponentially with a single, premier series. Those are our politics.

But let's work with prevailing conditions, because that's what we live with. The recent developments offer reason for hope--hope that each open-wheel series can build a more viable brand, or niche, and peacefully co-exist with the other. Each claims it's doing exactly that. Even with a couple of NASCAR-style road races, the IRL could continue to shape its brand as a predominately oval, more traditionally American open-wheel series. Champ Car, meanwhile, keeps a couple of ovals and pays lip service to diversity, building its brand with cosmopolitan urban venues and a more pronounced international flavor. The problem is that the IRL in St. Pete muddles this scenario further.


Let's face it. Hard-core racing fans--those who know the history--have long since chosen sides. In the process that fan base, like the talent and financial resources in each series, has been diluted. The battle from here out rages for the hearts and minds of casual race fans or people simply looking for an interesting place to spend their time and money. So which series is racing here this weekend, Jane? Is it the oval guys who race at Indy or that series that does all the street races? No, Joe, Dale Jr. races in NASCAR.


You can be sure the France family does not distribute its wealth keeping NASCAR in the black, and NASCAR is way in the black. You can be equally sure that George has subsidized the IRL since its inception, and continues to; that Champ Car (or CART) hasn't made a dime in at least three years, and won't anytime soon. And if you think Champ Car's new owners don't have the resources to subsidize for the long haul, you should have your medications re-evaluated.


Both sides can keep themselves in business for five, ten years or more, if they choose to, at some functioning level of mediocrity. Regardless, the current environment is not conducive to making big league open-wheel self-sustaining again, much less to restoring a situation where open-wheel more often than not beats NASCAR in television ratings. The IRL in St. Pete does nothing to improve the environment.


Most confounding of all, the men who run Champ Car and the IRL have publicly agreed on ONE thing: That a single North American-based series is ``the optimal situation.''

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD

Given recent retrenchment in both Champ Car and the IRL, it's easy to forget that less than two months ago the two series were flirting (briefly) with unification. In the interim, enough people have talked to reconstruct what happened with some accuracy.


After an initial meeting between Champ Car honchos and Roger Penske, who took the job of intermediary, the two sides met aboard Penske's jet at the airport in Toronto after the Champ Car race there July 11: Penske, Champ Car owners Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi and Kevin Kalkhoven, and Craig Brighton, general counsel for Indianapolis Motor Speedway, representing IRL boss Tony George.


Brighton traveled with the task of exploring how much it might take to "merge'' by writing Champ Car a check. The Champ Car trio made its baseline clear at the start: 50-50 ownership and control, and a hired CEO to run things (as opposed to George).


That firm position cooled things quickly. With greetings and small talk, the meeting lasted no more than 20 minutes. Three days later, Champ Car and the IRL simultaneously issued the only "joint statement'' ever released by both series. It read:

``While the ownership representatives of both series agree that one open wheel series is the optimal situation, it is the belief of all involved that the time is not right for further discussion of unification. Both parties appreciate the efforts of Mr. Penske, and both parties believe that each has a better understanding of where common ground exists.''


Is anyone laughing at this? We can think of at least few people who might be.

[TLK]

Indianapolis Confirms Schedule Changes

Written by: RACER staff Indianapolis, Ind. – 9/14/2004

The Indy 500 has made a series of changes to its schedule for 2005. (LAT photo)




Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials have confirmed a number of changes to the schedule for the 89th Indianapolis 500 next May 14.

The race is scheduled for Sunday, May 29. Opening Day is scheduled for Sunday, May 8, with a full three weeks of activity during the traditional Month of May at the Speedway.

Changes include:

* A new start time of noon local time, one hour later than in past years. The new start time is intended to move the event into a better time slot for national television viewers and also provides more time for hundreds of thousands of race fans to arrive at the track on Race Day morning. Of course, it will also make things a bit more problematic for drivers like Robby Gordon who attemnpt to race in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

* A new qualifying format was announced that is intended to ensure bumping on each day of qualifying (click here for details). There also will be a return to the traditional four days of qualifying, expanding from the three days of recent years. MBNA Pole Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, with Second Day Qualifying on Sunday, May 15, Third Day Qualifying on Saturday, May 21 and Bump Day on Sunday, May 22.

* A new date for Miller Lite Carb Day, which shifts to Friday, May 27 from its past Thursday date. The Menards Infiniti Pro Series’ Futaba Freedom 100 also moves to Carb Day.

* A new schedule for practice days, with on-track activity taking place from noon-6 p.m. each day except for May 8-9, one hour less of track time per day than in past years. Track activity will take place from noon-5 p.m. May 8-9.

* A new schedule for the Rookie Orientation Program, which returns to its traditional Month of May slot, as ROP will take place during the first two days of practice, May 8-9.

“While making the schedule for the 2005 Indianapolis 500, we’ve listened closely to competitors, fans and community leaders because we know how important the Month of May is to them for so many reasons,” said Tony George, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and CEO. “Our goal was to provide a schedule that balances the best interests of each party and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway while maintaining the traditions of the event and the exciting buildup to Race Day during the entire month.

“We believe the schedule achieves those goals while providing even more excitement with the new race start time, qualifying format and Carb Day date.”

[TLK]

I need to hear this.... nice job

Las Vegas Promotion Begins

---

My friend emailed me that he heard a commercial for the Las Vegas race on the radio today. KK mentioned that the Las Vegas tourism people were going to begin pouring some money into the LA market, so I guess this is the first sign.

Here is my friends report:

"It starts with the announcer saying “this is for all you nascar fans out there” Then some redneck talks about loading the cooler with beer and heading out in the pickup for an evening of racing. Then the announcer says “this message is for the champcar fans” You hear some preppy Harvard guy talking about getting some brie and chardonnay and heading out in the Volvo for an evening of racing. It was really funny."

[TLK]

Newman optimistic Champ Car moving in right direction again

Newman optimistic Champ Car moving in right direction again


Sept. 15, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

For a series that was almost dead and buried nine months ago, the Champ Car World Series is showing some real signs of life these days.

Eleven races into its first season under the stewardship of owners Kevin Kalkhoven, Paul Gentilozzi and Gerald Forsythe, the Champ Car series has a highly competitive 18-car field, a compelling championship battle between Newman-Haas Racing teammates Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira, big crowds at most evemts and, most important, some new interest from corporate America that could bode well for its future.

"Everything I see out there right now is positive," said Paul Newman, co-owner of the Newman-Haas team, as well as racer, businessman, Academy Award-winning actor and Champ Car's biggest cheerleader.

Newman, whose energy and determination belie his 79 years, has always tried to keep a low profile in racing. But he has recently, and reluctantly, taken a leadership role in the battle to get the once-moribund open-wheel series back to the prominence it enjoyed as Championship Auto Racing Teams before the rival Indy Racing League began competition in 1996 and split both allegiance and the fan base.

"I didn't have to be involved before," Newman said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I could simply be kind of an absentee landlord, but I have a vested interest in this series and its future. And I wouldn't be here if I didn't think this offered great promise."

Newman said he is delighted that fellow team owners Kalkhoven, Gentilozzi and Forsythe stepped up to buy the assets and form a new company to run the series after CART declared bankruptcy late last year.

The series has been losing top teams and big-name drivers to the IRL for years, its television ratings have been nearly invisible -- at several races in 2003, there were fewer TV viewers than spectators at the event -- and teams have been struggling to attract sponsors.

Meanwhile, NASCAR has continued to grow in popularity and the IRL has kept the pressure on in the battle for existing American open-wheel fans, a job made easier with former CART championship teams like Penske Racing, Team Rahal and Chip Ganassi Racing now in the rival series.

Even Carl Haas, a longtime CART stalwart, Newman's partner and the guy who has run the team on a day-to-day basis since they got together in 1983, acknowledges he was thinking about joining the IRL this season -- a move that would likely have ended the long partnership.

"Four months ago, I was a little pessimistic over it, but I see a lot of good signs right now," Haas said. "The whole job isn't done, but I think it has a good chance. It has become a lot better. I want to be optimistic about it."

And things are looking up for Champ Car.

Newman-Haas got fast food giant MacDonald's to sponsor Bourdais' car -- thanks to Newman's relationship with the company through his Newman's Own food conglomerate -- and Champ Car recently announced that the international company has signed a three-year deal to be the official fast food of the series.

The current TV package is on cable's Spike TV, but a new deal, which would put at least some races back on network television, is in the works, as is a deal for a new title sponsor.

"The general feeling is good and we're starting to make some progress on what I call real strategic pieces of the puzzle," said first-year series president Dick Eidswick. "At this point, we're concentrating on 2005 and beyond."

Newman said there is a lot more going on behind the scenes that can't be talked about in detail.

"It would be premature to say that everything is wonderful," he said. "Some of this stuff is going to work out and some of it isn't, but I think there's going to be enough of it that's going to work out that the series will be stronger next year and stronger the year after that.

"I look forward to things improving and I want it to be so good that Rahal, Penske and Ganassi and all those guys will come back so we can run against them," Newman added. "I miss them."

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

[TLK]

Ford’s future

Will Ford be back in the Champ Car World Series next season, beyond its role as engine supplier through its Cosworth subsidiary? At the Champ Car opener April 18 in Long Beach, Ford Racing boss Dan Davis said,"Let’s
wait and see." With the season winding down, Davis was back in the Champ Car paddock at Laguna Seca, and apparently likes what he’s seen so far.

Davis wasn’t ready to confirm Ford’s return as one of Champ Car’s presenting sponsors, nor rumors Ford will step up its marketing program (and cash contribution) in 2005. But Davis’ tone, and his affinity for long-term contracts, suggest Ford will be involved in Champ Car for at least a few years.

"Before this season they went from near-extinction to life-support," Davis said. "Now they are off life-support and growing, and they are listening to us and considering what we need.

"Don’t get me wrong. There’s still a lot of things that need fixing, but there’s some confidence that they will be fixed. We like what we’re getting here."

[TLK]

almost ironic after my last post in this thread....

Jaguar Pulls Out of Formula 1

Written by: RACER staff Coventry, England – 9/17/2004
The end is nigh for the Jaguar F1 team (LAT Photo)




Jaguar are pulling out of Formula 1, with Ford announcing it is putting the team up for sale.

It had been widely expected that the team would be rebranded as Ford for 2005, but Chief Technical Officer Richard Parry-Jones said on Friday that was not viable.

"In order for Formula 1 to pay-off for Jaguar, it needs to able to win," said Parry-Jones. "Jaguar just cannot afford the escalating costs required to win in F1. We looked at rebranding the team Ford, but it did not create a compelling business argument."

To further add to Formula 1's plight, Parry-Jones also confirmed that Cosworth – which supplies customer Ford engines to Jordan and Minardi – is also being put up for sale.

"Supplying subsidized engines for teams is no longer possible,” said Parry-Jones. “We have talked to Jordan and Minardi and we intend to work with them to find a solution."

The Jaguar brand entered F1 in 2000 when Ford bought the Stewart Grand Prix team. It has had mixed fortunes and has never achieved the success of similar manufacturer rivals.

In the immediate aftermath it is unclear what the impact of Cosworth being put up for sale will have on the Champ Car World Series.

[TLK]

---

INDIANAPOLIS (September 17, 2004) – What follows is a statement released by the Champ Car World Series concerning today’s announcement by series sponsor Ford Motor Company that it was putting the assets of Cosworth Racing Inc. up for sale. Cosworth Racing Inc. is the exclusive engine supplier to the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. The statement should be attributed to Champ Car President and CEO Dick Eidswick.



“It comes as no surprise that Ford has decided to take these actions. It is important to note the Champ Car World Series owns the Cosworth XFE engines our teams currently use and that this decision will not impact Champ Car’s ability to compete now or in the future. We’ve been very pleased with our partners at Cosworth and anticipate the continuation of our relationship as both companies move forward with plans for the 2005 season.

---

[TLK]

CHAMP CAR LAS VEGAS PRE-EVENT PRESS CONFERENCE NOTES
		Thursday, September 23, 2004
The Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford held a press conference Thursday morning at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino as part of the pre-race activities for this weekend's Bridgestone 400 Presented by Corona. What follows are a few of the key points addressed in the press conference by Champ Car World Series co-owner Paul Gentilozzi. 2005 Schedule - Management had targeted the end of September or the first weeks of October for the release of the 2005 Champ Car schedule. Factors involved in putting together a quality schedule have meant that the release of schedule will take a little longer than anticipated. Canadian venues - Recent media reports about Champ Car not returning to Vancouver have been misrepresented. Vancouver's preparation for the Olympics will have little effect on Champ Car's events in the coming years. 1Champ Car will run at least three races in Canada next season. Bridgestone Award - Bridgestone has announced a $10,000 award to be given to the polesitter for Saturday's race. The Bridgestone Pole Award is of great value to our drivers and teams and Champ Car is very pleased to have the support of Bridgestone as well as all of its partners and sponsors. 2005 Television Package - Champ Car is currently working on a new television package for 2005 that will involve both cable and network exposure, but can not discuss the elements of the new package until the race schedule is finalized. Korea Event - Champ Car will not compete in South Korea this year as previously scheduled, leaving three races remaining in the 2004 Champ Car season. The season will end with the November 7 event in Mexico City.

[TLK]

I'm not to quick to bash CART/OWRS/ChampCar, but I will say.... please put out a schedule... ASAP.... every other major series has their schedule out, and it's been out for month or so..... Let's get it out there guys....


:from what I hear (and I don't belive this ):

Argentina (???)
Long Beach (April 10)~
Monterrey (May 22)
Milwaukee (June 4)
Portland (June 19)
Clevland (July 2)
Toronto (July 10)
Vancouver (July 24)*
San Jose (Aug 7)
Denver (Aug 14)
Montreal (Aug 28)
Calgary (Sep 4)
Laguna Seca (Sep 11)
Las Vegas (Sep 24)
China (Oct 16)*
Surfers (Oct 23)
Mexico City (Nov 6)


China won't happen next year..... but the rest looks good to me... Who knows? maybe I'm wrong about China...

[TLK]

Carpentier grabs pole in inaugural Las Vegas Champ Car race

By TOM GARDNER, Associated Press Writer September 24, 2004 LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Patrick Carpentier, coming off his first victory of the Champ Car season, won his first pole of the year Friday with a 206.186 mph run in the series' first outing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. ``We tweaked it a little bit this morning. We thought we needed more speed,'' he said. http://personals.yahoo.com/us/common/quicksearch method=get target=_blank> I'm a: ManWoman Seeking a: WomanMan Age: to City or Zip: The point he received for the pole moved him into a tie for fourth in the series standings with Paul Tracy, who qualified 11th. Jimmy Vasser made it an all Las Vegas front row with a speed of 205.495 mph, followed by series points leader Sebastien Bourdais at 205.323. Vasser, who's 11th in the standings with three races to go, said he was pleased that the run came together well for his team. He said Saturday night's race would be an unusual challenge for drivers more accustomed to racing on streets and road courses. ``You're going to have to keep your foot down all race long,'' he said. Bourdais, who won the last Champ Car superspeedway race a year ago in Germany, agreed with Vasser. ``We know it's going to be a different affair tomorrow. We have to keep ourselves out of trouble. I can only put the throttle down and see what it does,'' he said. Despite winning four consecutive poles, early race problems have relegated him to finishes of 15th and eighth in his last two races, cutting a one-time lead of 58 points by more than half. Bruno Junqueira, who is second in the standings 24 points behind his teammate, qualified fourth at 205.245 followed by Michel Jourdain Jr. at 205.19. The champ cars are sharing a rare doubleheader under the lights on Saturday with NASCAR's Craftsman Trucks. The trucks are scheduled to race at 7 p.m. PDT, followed by the open-wheel cars at about 10 p.m.

[TLK]

JOE HAWK: Wheels in motion to make Las Vegas Champ Car haven










The smooth racecourse with its ample room for passing. The bright desert sun with its warm, chamber-of-commerce welcome.

Race fans cheering their favorite drivers from temporary grandstands. A black-tie gala the night before that drew celebrities from far and wide.

Two decades have passed. Hundreds of like races have since been run.

But Paul Gentilozzi remembers well the last motorsports venture that used the Las Vegas Strip as its glitzy backdrop and, frankly, he can't get the neon vision out of his mind.

"It was all overwhelming," Gentilozzi says of the 1984 Caesars Palace Grand Prix. "There was a lot of Hollywood glamour and international flavor. Just really neat stuff."

Which is why Gentilozzi, co-owner of the Champ Car Series that races tonight in a double-header event with NASCAR's Craftsman Trucks at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has designs -- early though they may be -- on bringing open-wheel racing back to the city proper.

No, it won't be on the Strip -- "That would be like closing Fifth Avenue in New York or Lake Shore (Drive) in Chicago," Gentilozzi acknowledges -- nor will it be on a temporary course set up in a hotel parking lot, such as the four-year Caesars Palace Grand Prix was.

Rather, Gentilozzi is eyeing service roads just off the Strip, still with the glorious resort skyline as a backdrop, for a possible road race in 2006.

"Every day in Vegas, there's something special going on. We think we could be one of those special things," he says unabashedly.

Just the mention of a possible road race in the resort corridor brings back fond memories of the Caesars Palace Grand Prix, first held in 1981. It was a special event at a special time in the city's history. It was a grand local production at a time when the city was beginning to spread its wings internationally.

Today, what happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas. But in the early 1980s, advertising wasn't so coy: What happened in Vegas was fodder for conventional international marketing.

When Watkins Glen fell off the schedule after the 1980 season, Formula One racing used the opportunity to further cultivate the western United States. Whereas Long Beach, Calif., started the organization's 1981 race season, a new venture in Las Vegas was set to conclude it.

With a winding but wide 2.3-mile course constructed in a parking lot where today the Forum Shops sit, the first two Caesars Palace Grand Prixes featured spirited racing and were a huge success with the 30,000-plus fans annually, many of whom traveled from France, Italy, Argentina, Brazil and even Australia to support their drivers with the series championship on the line.

The event wasn't so popular with the racers, however. First, there was the counterclockwise driving, which put a tremendous strain on their necks. Then, with the 1981 event being held in October and the '82 event contested even a month earlier, the lingering desert heat was troubling. When Nelson Piquet of Brazil won his first world championship by placing fifth in the 1981 race, it took him 15 minutes to recover from heat exhaustion after barely making it to the finish line.

Still, moments after Strip entertainer Diana Ross stood on the winner's platform and toasted both Italy's Michele Alboreto, who won the 1982 race, and Finland's Keke Rosberg, who captured that year's points title, then-resort president Harry Wald announced the signing of a deal with NBC to televise Las Vegas races the next two years.

The deal, however, would not be consummated -- not with Formula One, that is. Formula One dropped Las Vegas from its schedule, but CART, then a 4-year-old version of open-wheel racing, gladly jumped aboard.

The Caesars Palace Grand Prix was run two more years as a CART event, with Mario Andretti winning on a revamped 1.125-mile course in 1983 and Tom Sneva winning in 1984.

The relationship ended soon thereafter when the resort decided to use the parking lot as the site for its high-end shopping mall.

The idea of returning open-wheel road racing to the Strip was broached several times in the late 1990s. But with the heavy traffic the resort corridor creates, all the marketing in the world -- or world marketing, for that matter -- couldn't convince hotel executives to shut down the Strip for a weekend of racing.

"And we understand that," says Gentilozzi, a former drag racer and road racer, who took in the 1984 Caesars Palace Grand Prix as an observer. "You have to compromise. But at the same time, we want to create something that won't be a compromise in terms of racing or racetrack.

"We've found a couple of locations that stay off the Strip and use low-service roads. We have some ideas that offer some real challenges for the drivers and great viewing for the fans."

These ideas have been zipping through Gentilozzi's mind at 200 mph since he and fellow Champ Car owners Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven bought the bankrupt CART racing series at the start of the year.

"We've only been going for eight-plus months so we haven't been able to get everything done," Gentilozzi explains. "But this is in our plans for 2006. We hope there are people out there who understand the creativity it takes to create the financial impact of a venture like ours (estimated $20 million in nongaming local revenue this week)."

Gentilozzi says the Champ Car Series could come to Las Vegas twice each year, with a race at the Speedway and one off the Strip.

"I really think it can be done," Gentilozzi says of the latter venture. "All it takes is a little bit of an open mind. It would draw world attention. ... When people think of street racing, most think of Long Beach or Monte Carlo. This could be both Long Beach and Monte Carlo."



Joe Hawk's column is published Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. He can be reached at 387-2912 or [email protected].

[TLK]

Chevy announced today that their done with the IRL after 2005.... it breaks my heart...

[TLK]

Bourdais wins Champ Car title, Mexican GP By JOHN RICE, Associated Press Writer November 7, 2004 MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Sebastien Bourdais took his first Champ Car title, beating teammate Bruno Junqueira with a flag-to-flag victory Sunday in the Mexican Grand Prix. Frenchman Bourdais managed to win despite a slide on the 42nd lap that cost him about 12 seconds of the lead he held over Newman/Haas teammate Junqueira. The Brazilian finished second in the standings for the third year in a row and wound up second in the race, more than 5 seconds behind. Bourdais scored 369 points to 341 for Junqueira. Rookie of the year A.J. Allmendinger was third in the race, just ahead of rookie Justin Wilson. Patrick Carpenter wound up sixth and held off Forsythe teammate Paul Tracy to finish third in the points races. Tracy, who won the title last year, wound up 10th in the race. Bourdais steadily built a lead of nearly 18 seconds over Junqueira through the first 41 laps on the 2.786-mile road course. But Bourdais put a wheel onto the grass and took a spin just before the track cuts through a baseball stadium. Tracy's day hardly went well. A bump from another car put him in the grass coming out the first turn on the opening lap. Two laps later, he scraped against Roberto Gonzalez, who had been turned into the wall, and found the grass again on the 17th of 63 laps. Updated

[SunDancer]

Miss alot of the action on TV this year, but I think they did quite well. I read that Cristiano da Matta (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?id=1917174) might return. I love the Vegas idea. I think it would be the best thing for ChampCar.

[TLK]

Champ Car “Silly Season” Warms Up as 2004 Season Concludes
Written by: David Phillips
11/7/2004
The season closed on an optimistic note for the Champ Car fraternity in Mexico City.

A year ago in Mexico City, the hot topic of conversation was the survival/future of CART and the Champ Car World Series. This year, with the survival of the Champ Car World Series secure -- at least for the foreseeable future -- conversation has turned to more conventional and, at least from a race fan’s standpoint, interesting topics.

In other words, there is a silly season of sorts in the Champ Car paddock at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with the ’05 plans for drivers like Michel Jourdain Jr., Justin Wilson, Oriol Servia, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Roberto Gonzalez -- among others -- in play, along with those of teams such as Herdez Competition, Mi-Jack/Conquest, RuSPORT, PKV and Forsythe. Not to mention, of course, 2004 championship Newman/Haas Racing which is widely expected to run a third car for Cristiano da Matta in addition to Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira.

Jourdain’s position at RuSPORT has attracted a lot of attention in the midst of news that Gigante may not renew its sponsorship agreement with the popular Mexican in the face of disappointing earnings. Although neither Jourdain or RuSPORT team owner Carl Russo would make ironclad commitments regarding ’05, Jourdain seems likely to return for a second year there.

“We’ll have two cars, maybe three,” said Russo.

2004 rookie of the year A.J. Allmendinger is contractually locked in at RuSPORT for the near future, but what about Jourdain in the face of the potential loss of Gigante?
“Gigante is not 100 percent either way,” said Jourdain. “But my relationship with RuSPORT is not dependent on Gigante.”

Russo as much as seconded those sentiments, saying “We value continuity highly . . . We cannot allow our team to be driven by any one sponsor or (our) business model would begin resembling that of a prep shop. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s not consistent with what this organization represents.”

Next door to RuSPORT’s hospitality operation stands that of Herdez Competition. Herdez (which owns a large stake in the team) announced earlier this year that it will be drastically reducing its involvement in the team, if not bowing out altogether, at the end of this year. Nevertheless, managing director Keith Wiggins is cautiously optimistic about his team’s prospects for ’05.

“I’d be lying to you if I told you it’s cut and dried,” he said. “But we’re moving forward on the sponsorship side of things. There are two more years remaining on Mario’s (Dominguez) contract. The second car? We’d like to maintain continuity and have Ryan (Hunter-Reay) back, but there are money issues.”
Wilson’s name is commonly mentioned in connection with Wiggins’ team for ’05, right?

“I’ve heard that,” Wiggins grinned. “It’s no secret we had an option on Justin’s services two years ago but Herdez made the decision to employ Roberto (Moreno), which is perfectly understandable.

“I thought pretty highly of Justin then and nothing he’s done this season had changed my opinion but, as I said, it comes down to money issues.”

“I’m talking to a few people,” said Wilson, “but I’ve got nothing settled as of now. But people seem interested, so it’s looking good. Who with and how I don’t know but I aim to be back in this series next year.”

Gonzalez, who is largely responsible for the Nextel (Mexico) sponsorship at PKV Racing, is also thought to be in the frame at the team about to be formerly known as Herdez Competition.

As for RHR, he has received entreaties from at least one Toyota-powered Indy Racing League team for 2005, but has made no decisions about next year as of yet.

“I’d like to stay in Champ Car with Herdez,” said RHR. “Outside of the Milwaukee race, we haven’t had the season we hoped for, but it’s a good, growing team, and road racing is my first love.”

Sponsorship will also be a deciding factor at Mi-Jack/Conquest where Wilson did a stellar job this season on a modest budget; so stellar that his name is being mentioned around the paddock, most often in connection with Herdez but also at RuSPORT, perhaps in that third car Russo hinted at….

“I want to run two cars again,” said Mi-Jack/Conquest’s Eric Bachelart, but at the moment I don’t have the budget in place. We’re working very hard, and we have some promising prospects but nothing had been closed.

“I’d very much like to keep Justin. He’s very, very good, but I’m sure he’s attracted interest from other teams, so we’ll have to wait and see.”

As for young Nelson Philippe, Bachelart remains a strong supporter. “Nelson is young (18 years old) but he has a lot of potential. He makes mistakes, yes, but that should not be a surprise. He has good chemistry with the team and I hope we can put together something to run him again next year.”

Then there’s Forsythe Racing. Although Patrick Carpentier is as good as gone to the Indy Racing League’s Team Cheever, Gerald Forsythe says 2003 champion Paul Tracy will be back along with Rodolfo Lavin and sponsor Corona. Beyond that?

“We’re looking at the opportunity to run a couple of young Czech drivers,” said Forsythe, “and we’re also going to test David Martinez (age 21) who won the Cupa Corona here in Mexico and deserves a chance.

“I’ve spoken with (vice president of operations) Neil (Micklewright) says it’s almost cheaper to run four cars than three. More than that and we would have to expand our facility in Indianapolis . . . and we’re considering that.

“I’m dedicated to making this series a success and we’ll do whatever need to be done to support it. If we have the ability to run more than three cars and do it well, we will.”

Perhaps it was Servia who best summed up the situation, not only for himself and for a number of other drivers, but for the series as a whole. “People are excited,” he said, “and there’s a lot of talk, but it all depends on getting the funding together. But it definitely feels better than the end of last year.”

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/13818/

[TLK]

by the way.... here was the schedule announcement from when the board was down...

INDIANAPOLIS (October 28, 2004) – The end of the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season is rapidly approaching with just one week left before the season finale in Mexico City.

But in auto racing, the end of one season simply signals the beginning of a new one, and the Champ Car World Series today marked the start of the 2005 season with the announcement of 14 race dates for next year.

The current schedule features events on three continents and five countries as the worldwide appeal of the premier open-wheel racing series in North America continues to grow. The calendar features seven races in the United States, three in Canada, two in Mexico and one each in Australia and Korea. It gets underway on April 10 at Long Beach, where the 2004 season opener drew 170,000 fans for the three-day event, and closes with a November 6 event in Mexico City.



“This is a schedule that really shows the international flavor of our series, and is one that we think will make our teams, sponsors and fans very happy,” said Champ Car President and CEO Dick Eidswick. “In our last race, drivers from seven nations were among the top eight finishers and it is diversity like that which helps broaden our appeal and makes our series attractive throughout the world. We believe that this year’s schedule will develop awareness of Champ Car even further.”

The 2005 schedule welcomes three new events to the Champ Car World Series. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada will host its first Champ Car race on July 17, running on a temporary airport course similar to the one used for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland. The series will also travel to Ansan, Korea for a race on October 17. In addition, a race will be held in California’s Silicon Valley on July 31.

“We’re very pleased with the interest we have gotten from venues around the world and the fact that we have added three new venues speaks to the strength and attractiveness of the Champ Car product and we believe that the ones that are currently on the schedule provided Champ Car with the highest potential for long-term growth,” said Champ Car Vice-President of Development, Governmental Affairs and Planning Joe Chrnelich. “We are in discussions with other potential new venues for the future as well as we strive to build the best series possible for our teams, sponsors and fans.”

Consequently, this schedule may see some other additions before the beginning of the 2005 season. The outcome of these negotiations will determine the final number of races on the 2005 schedule.

The new venues are liberally mixed with a number of long-running events on the Champ Car calendar. Long Beach returns for its 22nd year on the Champ Car schedule, while Cleveland will host the turbocharged Champ Cars for the 24th time, moving up a week from the Fourth-of-July weekend where it had run the last two seasons.

The venerable Milwaukee Mile will again see the Champ Cars in early June as it has for 56 of the last 57 years, while teams will battle through the Festival Curves of Portland International Raceway for the 22nd consecutive season. Toronto will celebrate its 20th anniversary of Champ Cars this year and Surfers Paradise, Australia will look to keep the longest streak of different race winners in the series alive for the 15th straight year.

Successful recent additions to the Champ Car calendar such as Denver, Montreal, Monterrey, Mexico and Mexico City will also return to the schedule as will Las Vegas, which hosted the Champ Cars in front of 80,000 fans in September.

2005 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford Season Schedule


April 10 Long Beach

May 22 Monterrey

June 4 Milwaukee

June 19 Portland

June 26 Cleveland

July 10 Toronto

July 17 Edmonton

July 31 Silicon Valley

Aug. 14 Denver

Aug. 28 Montreal

Sept. 24 Las Vegas

Oct. 16 Korea

Oct. 23 Australia

Nov. 6 Mexico City

[TLK]

and an article on future of Toyota in motorsports

Toyota's NASCAR Plans Steady; IRL in Question
Written by: Ben Blake
11/6/2004 What Toyota will do next was the burning question at Phoenix.


Chevrolet's announced departure from the IRL Indy Car series after this season created a buzz around the NASCAR garages at Phoenix Friday, with many wondering what could result for Chevrolet, and hence Toyota, in the respective series.

Arising in reference to the Chevrolet reports were compounding reports that Toyota could withdraw from the IRL as well after 2006, perhaps as a prelude to involvement in NASCAR's primary series, Nextel Cup, by 2007.

And on top of all were reports that Kevin Kalkhoven, one of the leaders of the Champ Car group -- bitter rivals to Tony George's IRL, could be in line to purchase Cosworth, which has manufactured the Chevy-badged Indy engines for the past 16 months or so. That could indeed tilt the balance back in favor of Champ Car -- much at the expense of the IRL -- and put Toyota in a dictating position with the IRL.

The ramifications are well beyond what I should be discussing, as I am not up enough on the full scope in open-wheel. However, Toyota racing chief Lee White, on hand for the Craftsman Truck race at Phoenix this weekend, indicated Toyota could not express commitment to the IRL beyond 2006, until it knows what the engine rules will be.

"We're committed for next year and the year after," White said Friday. "Beyond that, we don't know what the [IRL] rules are, so I can't really comment. I don't know what their plans are for the future. We don't know what the rules are, so I can't really comment.

"We're concerned about cost, cost vs. return, and the business model is not what was lined up for us three years ago. I'm not going to sit here and tell you there is not concern.

"Hopefully we'll be able to have discussions with them to address that. We're certainly open, and we've told them we're open, to do anything to sit down and try to help create a condition more of what we signed up for in cost vs. return."

Although IRL officials apparently have not yet begun to put the 2007 engine plans on paper, Toyota, and likely Honda, appear to be in position to help write those rules and make those drawings, with the apparent Champ Car/Cosworth transaction as a trump playing card.

Ford has announced that it intends to sell the Cosworth engine unit, which specializes in race engines. Chevrolet's in-house Indy engine program had lagged, and it finally agreed to have Cosworth create its IRL engines in 2003 and through this year.

Toyota, meanwhile, has not done particularly well in IRL this year, being outrun by Honda in most of the races. Again, I will not pretend to know all that is going on.

White, meanwhile, did not indicate Toyota has immediate plans to develop its Truck program to Cup, although most believe 2007 or so is the target date for introduction of the first offshore model into the "native" series. White indicated that Toyota has built solid relationships within NASCAR, and that the Truck program, despite some setbacks, was accomplishing its corporate aims.

He said Toyota has no plans to expand into the Busch (car) Series in 2005, although he added he would not be surprised to see an additional two or three Toyota Truck teams next year. Bill Davis, Toyota's ball-carrier in NASCAR, has hinted that Toyota might want to try the Busch Series with a NASCAR-approved model in 2006. It it not known what that model might be.

As for the future in NASCAR -- the question from the start -- White would not commit. "This is still a Truck program," he insisted. "[Busch
is] too far out for next year. Sorry."

As to whether a possible pull-out from the IRL could be a signal that Toyota was ready to commit fully to NASCAR, White added: "No, those are two completely separate things."

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/nascar/13806/

[SunDancer]

King,
I'm am excited. It seems across the pond, F1 is going to be thrown up in a battle as well. How is ChampCar doing stateside in ratings and attendence in the US races?

[TLK]

The television ratings were terrible this year. The deal with Spike ended up being a nightmare, as the production qualities were almost unwatchable. If nothing else, the ratings did rise, over the year, which isn't bad for a dead series. Next years television package will be announced shortly and look for it to include at least six network races with the rest being shown on Speed.

Attendence for the US races was about the same as it has been, which is a good thing. There are exceptions though, such as Road America, which loooked like a ghost town on race day. ChampCar won't be racing there in 2005. Cutting all the money losers will be important to ChampCar's survival, and although RA is a beautiful track, if people won't come, why waste money putting on the race?

[SunDancer]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

The television ratings were terrible this year. The deal with Spike ended up being a nightmare, as the production qualities were almost unwatchable. If nothing else, the ratings did rise, over the year, which isn't bad for a dead series. Next years television package will be announced shortly and look for it to include at least six network races with the rest being shown on Speed.

Attendence for the US races was about the same as it has been, which is a good thing. There are exceptions though, such as Road America, which loooked like a ghost town on race day. ChampCar won't be racing there in 2005. Cutting all the money losers will be important to ChampCar's survival, and although RA is a beautiful track, if people won't come, why waste money putting on the race?

I couldn't barely watch the Spike network. I also really didn't see much promotion by the network as well. Sucks that I don't get Speed, but I think it would be a better move for the series. Road America is a cool course, but it seems that the street circuits, Vegas, and the international courses were pretty good attendence. Any news on the Vegas street circuit? That would be a perfect season ending series, with a banquet in town and all.

[TLK]

They're shooting for a 2006 street race in Vegas, but not on the strip. They plan on using the service roads to one of the off-strip casinos. If it happens it would still be pretty cool, with the strip as a backdrop. They said that this would be in addition to the oval race at LVMS, with one in spring and the other in fall.

[SunDancer]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

They're shooting for a 2006 street race in Vegas, but not on the strip. They plan on using the service roads to one of the off-strip casinos. If it happens it would still be pretty cool, with the strip as a backdrop. They said that this would be in addition to the oval race at LVMS, with one in spring and the other in fall.

Sweet. The LVMS turned up a good crowd, didn't it? I always like the track too, its pretty fast, long enough, and lot of action, but not a super speedway.

[TLK]

It was hard to get a good read on the crowd because the event was paired with a NASCAR Truck race. I'm guessing that there were more people in attendence for the Truck race, but at least they stayed around and watched the CC race. The released figure for the night was 80,000 which isn't too shabby.

[SunDancer]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

It was hard to get a good read on the crowd because the event was paired with a NASCAR Truck race. I'm guessing that there were more people in attendence for the Truck race, but at least they stayed around and watched the CC race. The released figure for the night was 80,000 which isn't too shabby.

Not too bad at all. Is the roster lineup pretty stable for next year?

[SunDancer]

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/13842/
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/13847/

F1 seems to be interested in CART's champion and Mexican stud.

[TLK]

I'd hate to lose either Dominguez or Bourdais. Add to them Ryan Hunter Reay (rumored to Ganassi of the IRL) and Justin Wilson, who may not be in next years field. However, DaMatta and Bjorn Wirdham (2003 F-3000 Champion) could be added to the ChampCar lineup as early as this week. In all reality, I don't see Dominguez or Bourdais going anywhere this year.... maybe next. I'll get a silly season list going soon.....

[TLK]

Bourdais is on Letterman tonight....

[TLK]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

Bourdais is on Letterman tonight....

Bourdais was an excellent guest and representative of ChampCar. He said he'd love to have a shot in F-1, but realizes that it's a business, and he won't always get what he deseves. He then confirmed that he would be returning to Newman/Hass in 2005.

[TLK]

forgot about Carp... not really a big deal because he wouldn't of had a ride in ChampCar but here's the release....

By MIKE HARRIS, AP Motorsports Writer November 9, 2004 Patrick Carpentier will drive for Red Bull Cheever Racing next season and Toyota will supply the team's engines, a source close to the team told The Associated Press. Carpentier will make the switch from the rival Champ Car World Series, joining holdover driver Alex Barron, and Toyota will replace Chevrolet as the team's engine supplier, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Team owner Eddie Cheever will announce the moves Wednesday. Carpentier, a 33-year-old Canadian, has driven in Champ Car for eight years, the last seven for Forsythe Racing. He has five victories, including a win this year at Monterey, Calif. He will replace Ed Carpenter, the stepson of IRL founder Tony George, on the Cheever team. Carpentier had nine top-5 finishes in 13 races in 2004, finishing third in the season points, trailing only Newman/Haas Racing drivers Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira. That matched Carpentier's career best in the Champ Car series. Carpentier said after the season-finale last Sunday in Mexico City that he had been negotiating with three IRL teams because he wants to drive in the IRL's Indianapolis 500 and do more oval racing. The Champ Car schedule is mostly road and street courses, while the IRL is adding its first three road races to a previously all-oval schedule in 2005. One of Carpentier's victories came in 2001 on the 2-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway. Cheever used Chevrolet engines the past few seasons, but General Motors announced last week it is withdrawing from the IndyCar Series, leaving Japanese companies Toyota and Honda as the IRL's only engine suppliers. Carpentier and Barron are both former champions in the developmental Toyota-Atlantic series.

[TLK]

The Season That Almost Wasn't

Written by: David Phillips Pittsburgh, PA – 11/9/2004 All in all, 2004 was a successful season for the Champ Car World Series; particularly when you figure that, eight or nine months ago, the number of people on the planet who'd have bet money there was even going to be a 2004 Champ Car World Series was pretty much limited to Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi and Kevin Kalkhoven.

Yes, there were some hiccups, mis-steps and outright blunders. Remember the new qualifying procedure rules instituted for about a minute and half in Monterrey? The mis-treatment afforded Patrick Carpentier in the run-up to the season? The lack of respect by all too many drivers for the Champ Car officials? The on-again, off-again Seoul race? The dwindling attendance at Road America and Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, two showcase events in Champ Car World Series-past? A points system dictating that a driver who won six of the first 13 races (four more than anyone else) and finished on the podium in all but four of them went into the 14th and final race of the season with his title in jeopardy? Television ranging from mediocre to worse on a niche cable network? The curious lack of interest in retaining Carpentier's services after he finished third in the championship?

But the 2004 Champ Car World Series' shortcomings were offset by positive developments. Like push-to-pass on the Ford/Cosworth XFE engines and option tires from Bridgestone (even if it did take a couple of stabs to get their sidewalls red enough!); like a thoroughly revitalized Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver; like establishing a toe-hold in the entertainment capital of America - Vegas (even if it did take officials 21 laps to figure out who was leading the race at one point); like, with a handful of notable (and noted) exceptions, attendance ranging from good to overwhelming at most events; like continually strengthened relationships with series partner/sponsors Bridgestone and Ford as evinced by the fact that upwards of a dozen senior Ford executives from throughout North and South America were in attendance at the Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante.

Heck, the fact there were 18 cars on track at the season-opening Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was a victory in itself.

Competition-wise, we were treated to Sebastien Bourdais' brilliant season, highlighted by that stunning charge through the field at Denver. Bruno Junqueira, perhaps doomed to be the perennial bridesmaid, drove well enough to earn his third straight runner-up Champ Car World Series finish in a season in which Newman/Haas Racing was clearly the class of the field.

Still… as Oriol Servia and Dale Coyne Racing, and Justin Wilson and Mi-Jack/Conquest Racing proved, talented racers driving for modestly funded teams could compete -- at least for podium positions -- in the brave new Champ Car World Series of spec engines and (nearly) spec chassis.

Nobody will mistake RuSPORT for being modestly funded, but that takes nothing away from the team's outstanding first season of Champ Car racing or the indisputable fact that rookie of the year A.J. Allmendinger is the real deal.

And, in his inimitable fashion, Paul Tracy represented the series well as defending champion, driving with characteristic verve for Forsythe Racing on the race track and speaking his mind with equal force off the track.

Other highlights? Ryan Hunter-Reay's crushing performance at Milwaukee; Alex Tagliani's long-awaited first win at Road America and Michael Valiante's impressive debut at Mexico City with Walker Racing.Sure he 'only' finished 14th, but he out-paced vastly more experienced teammate Mario Haberfeld throughout the weekend and qualified 12th… in a Reynard, no less.

Substantial challenges await in the coming off-season. With Newman/Haas poised to expand to a three car operation for Bourdais, Junqueira and a returning Cristiano da Matta, Forsythe Racing mulling a similar expansion and RuSPORT and PKV Racing only figuring to get stronger, the gap between the top teams and the small teams figures to grow.

As well, a number of teams -- Herdez, Rocketsports, Walker, Mi-Jack/Conquest and even Forsythe, PKV and possibly RuSPORT -- will be challenged finding or replacing departing sponsors.

The television package must be upgraded -- although if rumors of some combination of NBC, CBS and a cable outlet (including a possible return to Speed Channel) come to fruition it will be a major step in the right direction. The provisional '05 calendar has few apparent weaknesses, apart from the fact that it is not yet complete. New events in San Jose, Edmonton and (again) Korea appear promising and two or three more races figure to be added within the coming weeks.

The technical package remains sound, competitively and financially, and only figures to be enhanced should rumors of Kalkhoven's purchase of Cosworth Racing bear fruit.

All told, when you think back to the state of the Champ Car World Series on November 9, 2003 -- and knowing now that the worst was yet to come -- it's hard to judge the 2004 season, the season that almost wasn't, as anything less than a success.

says it best, from an unlikely source....

[TLK]

holy shit.....

"According to the latest issue of NSSN:

"Cosworth Finds New Life Under Kalkhoven

MEXICO CITY -- Twenty-two months ago, Kevin Kalkhoven was a restless venture capitalist with no previous involvement in professional auto racing. Now the Australia native is on the verge of becoming one of the most powerful men in the sport. National Speed Sport News has learned that Kalkhoven has completed an agreement to purchase engine builder and developer Cosworth Racing from Ford Motor Company. Kalkhoven was scheduled fly to England Tuesday to meet with Cosworth's 550 employees at the company's Northampton headquarters early on the morning of Nov. 11 to inform them of the new ownership.""