Nigel Roebuck on C^RT/OWERS.

[mapguy]

Once again Nigel nails it in his latest Ask Nigel segment on Autosport.com (http://www.autosport.com/featuresasknigelitem.asp?id=26100&s=5&l=4)

Here are some excerpts for those who do not want to regester.


Most of the significant teams which were once intrinsic to CART have left for the IRL, and I must say it disgusts me to hear one-time CART stalwarts now rubbishing what used to be the greatest out-and-out racing series on earth. Of late there will, I imagine, have been some interesting conversations between the Andrettis, pere et fils...


I was always a huge fan of CART, who put on some of the greatest races I've seen anywhere, but...money talks, doesn't it? In part, it fell apart because of the advent of the IRL, but in part, too, it was because of the greed of certain team owners. It's poignant now to think that, a decade ago, the series was at its peak, truly thriving.

[Brickman]

Indeed.

The team owners were given the highway to greed when they went public with CART.

But the past is just that.

[RichK]

The more I think back to CART a decade ago, the more I realize that big time formula car racing is dead in the US.

It sucks that I have to travel so far to see some of the best formula car drivers in the world race on a world-class track, when all I had to do 10 years ago was drive for an hour. I hope auto racing history books in the future will accurately record what team owners (as well as TG) have done to the sport.

Perhaps ChampCar can resurrect what once was.

[racer2c]

Indeed.

The team owners were given the highway to greed when they went public with CART.

But the past is just that.

The past it may be, but it's refreshing to see the media start to focus on the causes, because one of those causes still has his hammer firmly in his hand (with the wormtongues telling him when and where to strike). It is important for the media to detail the true history so that Tony and his many visions can be discounted quickly.

[JT265]

Agreed R2C.

I could care less who moved to earl, but to have the two-faced bastards slam CART and its "greedy" owners is a bit slimy IMO.

Especially when it's the same group of owners that raped CART to begin with.

[Madmaxfan2]

That group of team owners think they ARE Top Level Formula Car racing, and the "cars and stars" are attached to them, and decide which series is the top series. It was CART, then they got pissed and changed thier minds and went with the IRL. Small problem, the fans did not buy thier BS. OWRS should be glad to be rid of them.

[Brickman]

The past it may be, but it's refreshing to see the media start to focus on the causes, because one of those causes still has his hammer firmly in his hand (with the wormtongues telling him when and where to strike). It is important for the media to detail the true history so that Tony and his many visions can be discounted quickly.

I agree.

I think reasonable people can agree with most of his comments.

Concerning Safety: Quote: "So I think that is a very weird way to start, and I can't imagine the drivers in the series are going to be too thrilled about it, either."

Logic dictates that it would be better to have the A team in, but the B team is better than the F-rance team. Fans would be smart putting their paranoid complex behind and distinguish between opinion (such as his) and a four barrel shot gun attack that the change obviously didn't deserve or get.. from anyone....

Concerning the "Indy Machine" Quote:
Most of the significant teams which were once intrinsic to CART have left for the IRL, and I must say it disgusts me to hear one-time CART stalwarts now rubbishing what used to be the greatest out-and-out racing series on earth. Of late there will, I imagine, have been some interesting conversations between the Andrettis, pere et fils...

Personally I don't think they rubbish it, and almost no one that I can recall were rubbishing the product (chassis, engines, venues). Some like Cheever thought different, that the "duckies" were all in a row because of the product, but he learned that it was the track. Sure some have been blunt that Champ Car's days are through. It's not like Las Vegas odds would be low for a resurgence. But even Helio today (even though he adopted the party line about a single series under George) didn't trash CART.

"Q. You obviously used to race in CART, but now you're with the IRL. Did you ever expect that this dispute between the two would go on this long?

HELIO CASTRONEVES: In my opinion, that obviously does not change whatever happened right now in my status of a race car driver. I don't think only myself, but a lot of people would like to have seen one strong, open-wheel series. And that's what I wish, and I don't know when, I don't know how, I don't know what kind of name, honestly. I just wish that one strong open-wheel series happens, and if it doesn't happen this year, I think time will tell. Tony George definitely did whatever he could do to make that happen. I don't wish anything to the other series, either. When the political thing comes a little bit aside, and we are just trying to make harmony much better, I'm sure it will benefit not only us, but the press, the public and the sponsorships, which we always need."


Concerning greed Quote:
I was always a huge fan of CART, who put on some of the greatest races I've seen anywhere, but...money talks, doesn't it? In part, it fell apart because of the advent of the IRL, but in part, too, it was because of the greed of certain team owners. It's poignant now to think that, a decade ago, the series was at its peak, truly thriving.

IMHO...More so because how the system was set up that greed became the BIG factor. Going public unlocked the door to leave with suitcases full of cash. Owners voting for an opening date to race at Indy. Manufacturers having owners by the ***s when it came to paying for their operation. It's the only thing I agree with George about.

"DD>> We don't want you to be the leader, some people will say. The cart structure, and I have been on record, is in my mind fundamentally flawed. You can't have the cart owners running the series. Is that your point with the guy with the biggest fish, the indy 500 is better equipped to run this thing?
TG>> It is not about me. The structure that we set up works. I think it's worked well. It's worked well in nascar with central decision maker that makes decisions. I think it's worked well in formula one."

Although I disagree with "TG>> There's not a lot of conflict of interest, you know, decisions can be made quickly" There is a conflict, the momentum racing sucks and it is geared to his 2.5 mile track. Fans from either board(s) could come up with a better independant specs.

IF there was never an IRL how would things have shaked out? We will never know. The media wants a good story, but I think they are far and few between. Stories about Tony would be as interesting as stories about Howard Dean. People may just end up looking back with fond memories, maybe paper's book will find it's niche among fans looking into the past, because the future is too bleak.