Let the flames begin

[Wabbit]

.

[Methanolandbrats]

I would prefer one Minardi hot lapping for two hours to that.

[lone_groover]

This is crazy talk....

:saywhat:

[Dirty Sanchez]

www.champcarfanatics.com :gomer:

[Jdcooperclan]

The Wabbit is wight on the money.

Champcar and IRL have a unique opportunity on their doorsteps. They must put their differences aside and act for the good of the sport. History will not judge their stewardship of the sport kindly if they fail to seize the day.

As for the flame-meisters out there: they will learn to revel in change
or they will be consumed by it.

Carpe diem, boys !

[RaceGrrl]

:rolleyes:

[Gnam]

Indy only works for tintops. Can Road America handle F1?

[pchall]

Indy only works for tintops. Can Road America handle F1?

The late, great Denny Hulme thought that the USGP ought to be run at Road America. But that he said that in 1970.

Got a corporate sugardaddy with the tens of millions Bernie and Max will demand for "upgrades" to the facility? Would you like the circuit shortened for enhanced TV production values and turned into a stadium complex like Hockenheim?

Don't wish F1 on any road course in the US. Road racing has enough problems in this country right now without killing of a great circuit with the burden of F1.

[trauma1]

the big question is with RA ever be a player in open wheel racing again? i don't see it in the near future with thier present BOD and management :shakehead

[Insomniac]

the big question is with RA ever be a player in open wheel racing again? i don't see it in the near future with thier present BOD and management :shakehead

I don't think they want anyone to run there. Even TG didn't go there after CCWS left.

[Insomniac]

OK, looks like F-1 might be toast at Indy. We'll see. But, I have an idea for a replacement race. IRL vs CART.

Run the road coarse. 2 Winners - Best Finisher, and Best Finisher for series. This would be a fun race, and a step towards working together. With most of the teams based at Indy, transportation costs would be minimal. The only real costs would be to busted up chassis since you know it will be no holds barred race. Do it at the end of 2006, since both series are getting new cars for 2007, the cars will be junk anyway.

It's a nice dream, like ALMS races it would be 2 classes. But why limit it to just that? Open it up to every race on both calendars. It would be interesting to see since the classes would only be defined by series. Each one would want to be thought of as the better class. However, never going to happen when Nelson Phillipe will finish ahead of the IRL drivers. :)

[trauma1]

pretty sad isn't it, just wonder how much longet RA can survive on the club racing????????

[KLang]

I don't think they want anyone to run there. Even TG didn't go there after CCWS left.

There was a rumor a year or two ago that the earls contract with Milwaukee precludes them from racing there. No idea if true.

I wonder how much RA is worth?

[Sean O'Gorman]

pretty sad isn't it, just wonder how much longet RA can survive on the club racing????????

Club racing is what a track makes its money on. Haven't you noticed how many more club circuits there are than "pro" circuits?

[trauma1]

yeah right on that, but RA has to be hurting, isn't there a new track in the chicago area that just opened this year for club racing???

[Methanolandbrats]

pretty sad isn't it, just wonder how much longet RA can survive on the club racing????????Forever. They are busy everyday with club events, skippy's driving school, pro events and karting. Here is the club schedule
http://www.roadamerica.com/2005/races_clubs.htm

Here is the pro schedule. http://www.roadamerica.com/2005/races.htm

Busy place, eh?

[KLang]

Busy place, eh?

They won't see any more of my money until they bring back Champ Car. :(

[trauma1]

Forever. They are busy everyday with club events, skippy's driving school, pro events and karting. Here is the club schedule
http://www.roadamerica.com/2005/races_clubs.htm

Here is the pro schedule. http://www.roadamerica.com/2005/races.htm

Busy place, eh?
it is busy however just how much of a hit is it not to have ccws there? i'm sure thier making a bit of $$, but at some point not having a big time race there is going to start hurting,

[KLang]

I suspect the nearby businesses are the one's taking the hit.

[nrc]

Here is the pro schedule. http://www.roadamerica.com/2005/races.htm

Busy place, eh?

Yeah. The local indoor karting track is pretty busy, too. Tracks get by on track rentals. They aren't going to pay for maintaining a track as a first class venue for professional events that way.

For a supposedly "world class" road course, that schedule is really just pathetic. Maybe that's just a reflection of the state of the sport.

[dreamracer]

RA can go on for eternity without a major series.

The CC race at Portland makes up a whopping 6% of the tracks annual income and I suspect for RA it was the same.

[Wabbit]

What a way to hijack a thread. :shakehead

[The Doctor]

With regards to a lack of a major series at RA -- There have been talks about bringing World Superbike to Road America. But, again, it's just been rumor and speculation up to this point and past attempts at bringing SBK or MotoGP to RA have been bungled and failed.

[pchall]

It's not like the IRsmelL v. Champ Car could be anything like F1 v. U.S. F5000...

This forum could use an "eject" button.

[RaceGrrl]

What a way to hijack a thread. :shakehead


I guess the hijack shows you what the forum members think of the idea. You will not find support here for any kind of capitulation or cooperation with Tony George.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Yeah. The local indoor karting track is pretty busy, too. Tracks get by on track rentals. They aren't going to pay for maintaining a track as a first class venue for professional events that way.

For a supposedly "world class" road course, that schedule is really just pathetic. Maybe that's just a reflection of the state of the sport.

Hey, the tracks are in it to make money. Maybe once they become profitable by focusing on club events, they'll decide to return to Champ Car. :p ;)

[oddlycalm]

Champcar and IRL have a unique opportunity on their doorsteps. They must put their differences aside and act for the good of the sport. History will not judge their stewardship of the sport kindly if they fail to seize the day. I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone else who hasn't been paying attention; there is only one person that's not willing to be reasonable and it's the Idiot In Indiana.

TG has been given a good dozen chances to meet with CART and Champcar and act reasonably. He has been urged to come to the party by virtually everyone involved with the sport, yet he has made it crystal clear every time that the only terms he would consider are total capitulation of Champcar (or CART before them) leaving him in charge of all professional formula car racing in North America. All this simply because he happened to inherit a race track, nevermind the contributions of thousands of others over the years who risked their lives or fortunes.

If that's what you consider a unique opportunity, then we have a starkly divergent view of the situation.

oc

[RichK]

Nobody cares enough about either series...they'd never get 140,000 people (or whatever F1 gets) for both series running an infield road course.

CC going back to Indy would also be dumb.

[oddlycalm]

Tracks get by on track rentals. They aren't going to pay for maintaining a track as a first class venue for professional events that way.

For a supposedly "world class" road course, that schedule is really just pathetic. Maybe that's just a reflection of the state of the sport. Right, and it is the same at every road course that doesn't have a Nextel Cup race. Here at PIR once the Champcar race stopped bringing in serious money the major improvement schedule here at PIR became a page of wishful thinking posted on a wall somewhere. Hey, RA is getting fancied up crappers, what more could you want... :shakehead

As I've posted here and on 7G for the last few years, many of the people that formerly spent big money on attending road racing events, and more importantly renting chalets to host friends and customers at roadracing events, lost progressively interest when the big name Champcar drivers retired and IMSA and Trans Am virtually disappeared. Instead they started spending their money on their own cars, track events and participation in these events has grown at the same time attendance at road course events has dropped. The two are definitely linked. If a person runs with their own club as well as with clubs that offer reciprosity it's possible to run 10 or more days a year without traveling to another track. Lets be honest, it may be fun to watch a race, but it's simply a lot more fun to be doing it yourself with your friends. These aren't parking lot races, you're on the track at Road America, Laguna Seca, Mid Ohio, Portland, VIR, Thunderhills, Texas International, etc. and you are wide open at 150mph+.

I really don't know how you every get this group back to spending money at races, but I know that if you don't you aren't going to rent nearly as many chalets or sell as many high end tickets. If you doubt what I'm saying, trot on out to the local track whent he BMW, Alfa, Porsche, Ferrari or Lotus club is there and talk with the folks that show up. I predict you'll be stunned at the number of cars, and that most of them "used to go to the races" in a big way.

oc

[Racing Truth]

I guess the hijack shows you what the forum members think of the idea. You will not find support here for any kind of capitulation or cooperation with Tony George.

:buildingbunkeraswespeak:

Now, I don't disagree, necessarily, with oc, but IFFFFF Tony George has a moment of revelation, you wouldn't even ATTEMPT cooperation? Seriously?

Not that TG will have such a moment...

[RaceGrrl]

If the idiot grandson has control over anything but IMS, forget it. The man is an incompetent asstard.

I don't want to watch some dumbed down gimmicky race between IRL and CC. If that happens, in my mind ChampCar is well and truly dead and I'll be spending a whole lot more time outdoors.