SurfaceUnits
06-18-09, 03:50 AM
Robin showing more love for the misunderstood inheritor
But the real story of this mid-season handoff seems to be the apparent change within the Hulman/George family's dynamics about spending money.
Think not? Let's examine the facts as we know them.
IZOD, which agreed to pony up $6 million in marketing and promotion this season for IndyCar in addition to continuing its personal service deal with Hunter-Reay, was understandably upset and nervous as the season opener approached because RHR had no ride.
So George came to the rescue just before St. Pete, put RHR in a second entry at Vision Racing and immediately was rewarded with a second place.
But, since then, the 28-year-old who won for Bobby Rahal a year ago at Watkins Glen has been uncharacteristically uncompetitive on all the ovals.
Even though IZOD supposedly threw in a little extra to sponsor RHR at Indy and Milwaukee, TG was funding the car out of his pocket, which could also be called the family fund since it's believed the IRL/IMS/Clabber Girl/Hulman & Company is all one big pot.
Word is that TG wanted in the neighborhood of $750,000 from the IRL/IMS coffers to run RHR the rest of 2009 and was, ostensibly, denied by his sisters who comprise three of the six votes on the IMS board.
And that would support the assumption that while Mari Hulman George's son still retains the title of IMS president, he no longer controls the checkbook, as SPEED reported late last month.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-aj-and-hunter-reay/
But the real story of this mid-season handoff seems to be the apparent change within the Hulman/George family's dynamics about spending money.
Think not? Let's examine the facts as we know them.
IZOD, which agreed to pony up $6 million in marketing and promotion this season for IndyCar in addition to continuing its personal service deal with Hunter-Reay, was understandably upset and nervous as the season opener approached because RHR had no ride.
So George came to the rescue just before St. Pete, put RHR in a second entry at Vision Racing and immediately was rewarded with a second place.
But, since then, the 28-year-old who won for Bobby Rahal a year ago at Watkins Glen has been uncharacteristically uncompetitive on all the ovals.
Even though IZOD supposedly threw in a little extra to sponsor RHR at Indy and Milwaukee, TG was funding the car out of his pocket, which could also be called the family fund since it's believed the IRL/IMS/Clabber Girl/Hulman & Company is all one big pot.
Word is that TG wanted in the neighborhood of $750,000 from the IRL/IMS coffers to run RHR the rest of 2009 and was, ostensibly, denied by his sisters who comprise three of the six votes on the IMS board.
And that would support the assumption that while Mari Hulman George's son still retains the title of IMS president, he no longer controls the checkbook, as SPEED reported late last month.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-aj-and-hunter-reay/