Rahal Speaks in Car & Driver

[nrc]

The March 2003 issue of Car & Driver has an interview with Rahal titled "A Foot in Each Camp".

Rahal still talks like a CART supporter even though he's taking the Honda money.

He claims that a two car CART team budget is still $20 million plus zero to $6 million for driver salaries and that an IRL budget could be close to what a CART team budget was two years ago. Frankly I think those figures are inflated for the benefit of the sponsors. That's a four new Lolas and develop your own parts kind of budget.

His other opinions are is pretty much as we understand things.

- Bernie is using CART as a backup.

- CART team owner greed paralized it with infighting and self-dealing.

- He likes having a voice but they need to turn decisions over to Pook.

- He says that sponsors love the city events. "You tell a sponsor 'Bring your customers to Nazareth,' and he says, 'Where the hell is Nazareth?'

So Bobby, where the hell are you going to be on August 24th?

[pchall]

C&D still publishes?

I thought they went the way of Sports Car Graphic ages ago. Last I saw of the C&D logo it was being used to market cheap motor oil at Target.

Or maybe it is only that SCG had the decency to die while C&D goes on like a zombie making some bucks for some corporate publisher.[i]

[TRDfan]

I liked (most) of what he said about Danica, not pushing her into a situation that she wasn't fully ready for. I wonder who he was referring to ? ;)

Noting that next year she might be running a few CART or *** other races.

All in all I thought it was a nice piece.

[RaceGrrl]

For a guy who has supposedly been pro-CART, he's still too Indycentric for me. He's a fence sitter.

[Foxman]

Originally posted by RaceGrrl
For a guy who has supposedly been pro-CART, he's still too Indycentric for me. He's a fence sitter.


I agree, Rahole is a fence sitter, CART owners need to either choose to give into their Indy lust, or move on with CART's direction. I don't think there is any room in the series for someone who can't choose one or the other, CART needs people with it's best interests at heart, not owners who have dual agenda's.

[Don Quixote]

I'm not sure if we are quite there yet, but there will soon come a day when C^RT can show these fence sitters the door.

[Turn7]

Rahal was a very big proponent of the 3.5 N/A motor. He wants to have the ability to easily race in either series.

I think he has Indyitis and should be watch as if he has the plague.

[rabbit]

I'm trying to remember. Help me out here. Who's bright idea was it to go to TMS?

[Napoleon]

Originally posted by rabbit
I'm trying to remember. Help me out here. Who's bright idea was it to go to TMS?

Bobby, who made the decision in his typical shoot from the hip manner.

[Turn7]

There was nothing wrong with the idea of going to TMS. The idea only became a bad one when an alternate wing package was not mandated for the race. TMS could have been a great race, instead it turned out to be a great embarassment.

[rabbit]

Originally posted by Napoleon
Bobby, who made the decision in his typical shoot from the hip manner.
I know. ;) I forgot to add the tags.

[JT265]

"- CART team owner greed paralized it with infighting and self-dealing"

STAND AWAY FROM THE CASH REGISTER, AND KEEP YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!

Nice take, Bob. How 'bout giving some back?