2005 Champ Car Preview and Season Thread

[TLK]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Care to give more info on those five? How long is Bruno out? What is his condition?

Bruno is out until at least October... according to whom I have talked to.

Haberfeld- raced in CC the past two years with moderate success. He was in a slower Reynard, and a chance in a Lola will push him near the top.

Gidley- Memo has been all over the place but has never had a full season shot at Champ Car. He's a crowd favorite, with decent results.

Fogerty- Fogerty won the Toyota Atlantics Series twice and is unemployed (besides ALMS) at the moment...

Dalziel- Employed as PKV's third driver and will be in the series next year in a PKV car. A future star.... no doubt.

Valiente- Valiente has been extremely successful in Toyota Atlantics and should get a ride in Champ Car soon.

[TLK]

Other drivers who might get considered for the ride:

Christian Fittipaldi- Champ Car and NASCAR reject. Name value but much not much else.

Robero Moreno- The Super Sub from a few years ago. In his 40's... does he still have it?

Michel Jourdain Jr.- This would be great... but his commitments to NASCAR (BUSCH) make this difficault.

Antonio Pizzona- Has shown intrest in Champ Car, but has a contract with Williams

Jos Verstappen- No idea here....

Buddy Lazier- Kill me now... If it happens... kill me now.... (and it might)

Al Unser III Why not? He just jumped over from the IRL.... this would be perfect, but not in a Newman/Hass

[TLK]

from OffCamber:

Local sports radio station FAN 590 reporting today that "according to our sources", the 2 organizations are close to an joint agreement for shared participation in 6 venues for 2006:

Long Beach
Indy 500
Toronto
Mexico
Chicago
Dallas

No other details yet.

[Galaxy]

You mean ChampCar and IRL? What does "shared participation" mean?

[Craptacular]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

Any type of merger now is purely cosmetic. I don't think the old fans will come back, but it will put closure to this mess, and allow the unified series to grow and look for new fans.... something both series have been lacking for some time.

I'd probably come back, as long as TG is not heavily involved in anything but Indy. I'd have a hard time forgiving guys like Andretti and Rahal for jumping ship to EARL, but a unified series would be great. Open-wheel racing is so much more enjoyable than stock car racing, but I've barely watched any of it in the last few years.

[Galaxy]

Anyone watching the race on CBS now? Only one caution so far.
I hope ChampCar starts to draw bigger-name sponsors.

[Galaxy]

SPOILER ALERT:











Not a bad race. The last 75 laps were fun. Tracy got some competition from AJ. That last restart, AJ laid back way too much. Servia was pretty good for his limited experience with the car.

[Craptacular]

Sorry for the tardiness ...

I watched the entire race at The Mile (on TV, I wasn't there). It was the first race I've watched in a while, and I enjoyed it. However, it really showed why we need one league. With less than 20 cars on the track to begin with, they were spread out a little too much, even on a 1-mile oval. In the heyday, they were usually in the mid-20s, which kept the cars a little closer together and resulted in more exciting racing. Let's fill these tracks with the best drivers in the world and then see what happens.

[TLK]

Blah.... the race sucked. Though all of this crap, Saturday was the first day where I was embarrassed to be a Champ Car fan. Even with masive promotion, there were no more than 15,000 in attendance. That combined with the final yellow, that was as contrived as an IRL race, runined what was a decent race.

I have to wonder if Milwaukee will be on the schedule next year. The contract runs through 2006, but the attendance was poor enough to dump it early. I almost wonder if it would be smarter to go back to Road America and promote the hell out of it.

[TLK]

WGN revs up reality 'Race'
Superstation gets real with racer Tracy

By JOHN DEMPSEY


NEW YORK -- The WGN Superstation is going for speed, greenlighting its second original series, "Race Car Driver," a weekly reality half-hour that will go behind the scenes with star driver Paul Tracy. Show is WGN's second commissioned original following the previously announced "Ultimate Arena Paintball," another reality half-hour. Both kick off in the fall.

WGN general manager Bill Shaw said he's nurturing a strategy that will add exclusive firstrun shows to the superstation's usual mix of theatrical movies, sports and off-network series such as "Moesha," "Becker""Becker" and two that premiere in September: "Sex and the City""Sex And The City" and "24."

"Driver" follows Tracy as he and the Forsythe championship-racing team travel the circuit of the Champ Car World Series of Racing in locales including Las Vegas, Montreal, Mexico City and parts of Korea and Australia.

WGN reaches more than 66 million U.S. households.

The AMS Production Group produces "Driver." Executive producers are David Willox and Jay Gillian.

Well this should be good.....

[TLK]

Teammates Wilson and Allmendinger to start in the front row
By ANNE M. PETERSON, AP Sports Writer

June 18, 2005

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Sebastien Bourdais is causing a stir at the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland.

In first-round qualifying on Friday, he had to forfeit his best lap because he came out of the pits at the same time another car was passing. Then he contested second-round qualifying results Saturday, claiming a power outage at Portland International Raceway meant his best lap wasn't timed.

The drama took away from Justin Wilson, who won his first pole for the race Sunday. The other front-row spot will go to RuSport teammate A.J. Allmendinger.

``I'm obviously really happy for all of the team to have an all-RuSport front row and hopefully we can drive it home to 1-2 tomorrow,'' Allmendinger said, ``But I'll take the `1.''

Bourdais, the defending champion, contested that his best lap of qualifying -- which would have put him in the No. 2 position on race day -- came during the outage that disrupted the timing system.

After a lengthy review, Champ Car officials stood on the initial results, which gave the outside spot for Sunday's race to Allmendinger based on his best lap on the 1.964-mile road course Friday. Instead, Bourdais will start fifth.

Wilson won the provisional pole Friday when he toured the road course in 57.597 seconds (122.756 mph). That guaranteed him a front-row spot and earned him a series point.

He also had the fastest lap on Saturday at 57.808 seconds. But Bourdais claimed he was running a 57.791-second lap when the outage occurred.

Wilson still earned the pole, because he had the best lap for both rounds, but Bourdais' claim called into question the next spot. Allmendinger was second-best on Friday in 57.816 seconds.

Wilson's first Champ Car pole also was a first for the 2-year-old RuSport team.

``I was halfway through my first run on the standard tires, so I only got two or three laps on those. But I presume everyone else is in a similar situation,'' Wilson said about the outage. ``I think the lap I was on was slightly quicker than my previous, so I was still building up and getting quicker, but at the end of the day it didn't make that much difference.''

The second round of qualifying, which was delayed for 5 minutes by the power outage, ended with rookie Ronnie Bremer crashing into the tire barrier on turn 10. He was alert and moving, but was taken to a local hospital for precautionary X-rays, which were negative. He was cleared to race on Sunday.

Bourdais also grabbed attention when he had to forfeit the third-fasted lap Friday because he surprised Wilson by coming out of the pits just as the No. 9 car was passing. Champ Car rules forbid interfering with a driver running at full pace.

Bourdais insisted the move was inadvertent, but he fell to fifth after the first round. Paul Tracy will start the race in the third position.

Bourdais won the race from the pole last year, finishing ahead of Newman-Haas teammate Bruno Junqueira. Bourdais led for most of the race and won by 1.247 seconds.

Junqueira was leading the series in points this year before he broke his back at the Indianapolis 500, where he and Bourdais were the only Champ Car drivers in the 33-car Indy Racing League lineup.

Junqueira fractured two vertebrae and underwent surgery the next day. There is no timetable for his return. Oriol Servia is taking his place on the team.

Wilson's lap Friday established the record on the road course, which was modified and shortened slightly, smoothing out the Festival Curves.

Wilson, who started second at Monterrey, has finished fourth in each of the first three Champ Car races this season.

``Yesterday we started the deal and today we closed the deal on qualifying,'' RuSport team owner Carl Russo said. ``Our first pole and out first 1-2 qualifying represents a great reward for a great effort by a great team of people.''

Race on CBS at 3:30 EST....

[TLK]

Uneasy rider
A few laps around Burke Lakefront Airport in a specially designed Champ Car give an apprehensive reporter an appreciation for the performances of a car and its driver.


Thursday, June 23, 2005
James Ewinger
Plain Dealer Reporter

Champ Car drivers and bullets.differ only a little. Both go very fast and are assured of a complete stop when they hit something.

The drivers are re-usable, they are fully aware when they wrench forward from a dead stop, and they are in control. Generally.

Bullets are just along for the ride. So the Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland gave reporters, race sponsors and public officials a chance to be bullets on June 7, over part of the course on the runway at Burke Lakefront Airport. This was so they could tell everyone else how it feels to defy physics, death and common sense before the big race Sunday. But bullets are pleasantly unaware of their career path.

The back-seat drivers, as they are called, know entirely too much. They know that they have signed waivers of liability, that they are climbing into an open-wheel racer that has no reverse gear, six forward speeds and a top end of 175 mph.

The guest riders are advised that they might be thrown around inside the car as it goes into a turn, or that wind pressure might make their helmets feel like they are going to fly off, or that there’s a panic button they can hit to tell the driver they don’t feel well.

The riders sit behind the driver, are isolated from him and cannot speak or even thrust a hand out to seek help or to hurl one last bit of invective. They are alone, in a fiberglass womb, but aware that if a major change occurs, it is not going to be birth.

And then there are the revelations when the car moves.

Physicists will tell you that something cannot start instantly at a high speed, that it must climb up to it.

Physicists have never been in one of these cars.

One moment it is perfectly still, and silent. Then it is started and makes a noise so loud that all of Ontario can hear it across Lake Erie, and war with Canada is a distinct possibility. Then it is going 60, with no preliminaries.

And that’s just the beginning. Next you are rattling around (was it trembling or engine vibration?) as the car hits 130 mph and approaches a wall of tires with a bunch of curious people behind the barrier.

Obviously these are people who have never bowled, otherwise they’d realize they could be displaced by the roaring yellow sliver heading toward them and the only source of suspense is whether it will be a strike, or a split.

You are hoping that Mayor Jane Campbell has a stoplight camera nearby and legal intercession is at hand.

Instead, the skilled foot of Sebastien Bourdais intercedes, and the car slows as unnaturally as it took off. Then you are going into a right turn that mom’s Buick couldn’t make if it drove off a cliff.

And you find out later it’s between 70 and 80 mph. During the turn. In a radius that looks like it could fit inside a two-car garage with room left for the mower.

Bourdais’ foot is the right one for the job. He is 26, the defending Champ Car World Series Champion. And he has the reflexes of the deer that never gets hit by a car. “When you have a day off you don’t have a day off,” he says. “You work out. Running, bike, swimming, weights.”

Appropriately, he is from Le Mans, France, home of the endurance race that lent its name to a style of start in which the drivers run to their cars, get in and roar off – not exactly a biathlon but close.

By the first turn, it is clear that auto racing is an endurance event because you have to retain control of the car and yourself and resist gravity and inertia.

And the impulse to pray to every pagan god who could possibly cheat motor racing’s actuarial tables.

Actually “you” don’t.

Bourdais does.

But the Champ Car people still advise you to tense up in the turns and tip your head forward to resist lateral force and wind pressure.

To this end, the passenger climbs in and is strapped in the way they used to secure people for surgery before there was anesthesia.

You aren’t going anywhere, pal.

Then the cockpit is assembled around your head as three pieces of foam- and kevlar-reinforced fiberglass are emplaced about your head like form-fitting bricks. This process takes about four minutes, with the help of two technicians.

The trip, four laps totaling nearly as many miles, takes two minutes. You peek out of the car the way allied troops peeked over the top of the trenches at Verdun – what’s happening outside is coming on too fast to process, you can’t control it, and it might end badly. But you don’t want to miss a second.

That was the opening act. The next was a few turns in a pace car.

Much tamer, but only relatively.

The two pace cars on hand are 2003 Mustang Cobras, supercharged, 32-valve little snapdragons that feel like they have major-league baseball bats where the shock absorbers are supposed to be.

The only pre-flight instruction is to put your cell phone in your pocket. And the car doesn’t have to be assembled around you. Genteel, family transportation without the kids or groceries. You could chat pleasantly with the driver, for example, as she accelerates toward the wall of tires.
You are in the front seat. You can see a dash board. And the instruments.

The little needles are jumping up and down at different rates, like the arms of a drum major at war with himself.

Then the tire barrier is still coming, the speedometer is still climbing, you haven’t stopped or turned and its 95 mph.

This is slower than the Champ Car ride, but still no slower than 60, and in a space no wider than a Giant Eagle parking lot.

But Linda Pobst, one of the pace-car drivers, is a pro, has been doing competition driving for 30 years, and she projects the Zen-like serenity that most of us reserve for stop signs. Her eyes don’t leave the track.

But she smiles. Her passenger smiles, too. But only after a complete stop.

The only mishap on June 7 is cosmetic. The radiant sun-yellow Champ Car has a ding in the driver’s cockpit, from the steel stairstep that allows guest passengers to climb in with their dignity intact.

The technicians talk about touching it up and rubbing it out. What kind of paint, they are asked.

“Oh, Sherwin-Williams,” one says, aware that the Cleveland based coatings company is right behind U.S. Bank in sponsoring the race this year. He laughs nervously, like someone who just walked away from a car that raced up to a barrier and made the turn.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-3905

Cleveland Rocks....

[TLK]

Well..... Toyota annouced it's departure from the IRL.... and Honda is soon to follow.

ChampCar is rumored to be talking to ALMS about six spilt races among the organizations. CC might be back at Mid-Ohio, Road America and their debut at Sebring... with ALMS running at Long Beach, Montreal and Mexico City.... Sounda good to me.

[TLK]

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/17918/

[Ryan S]

On autosport.com right now. (I think you need to be a magazine subscriber to view the story)

Former Indy Racing League championship-winning team Panther are in talks about making a high-profile defection to Champ Cars, according to a report in this week's Autosport magazine.

The team's sponsor Pennzoil is believed to be keen to make a return to Champ Cars after eight years in the IRL, and senior figures from the outfit are believed to have held talks with Champ Car president Dick Eidswick.

Panther Motorsport co-owner Doug Bowles told Autosport: "We've got a lot of unanswered questions, the first being what's our engine situation going to look like.

"We wanted to create a relationship with Kevin (Kalkhoven) and Gerry (Forsythe) since we're carrying their flag in the IRL with the Cosworth."

There is a possibility of the team fielding entries in both the IRL and Champ Cars next year.

"Some of the potential sponsors we've been talking to also wanted us to look at both series."

[TLK]

One rumor debunked... a new one started....

Panther staying in IRL

Panther Racing has declined an offer to join the Champ Car World Series in 2006, opting to remain in the IRL for what will be a ninth season.

Team co-owner John Barnes said Panther would "absolutely not" be changing its status at the end of the season. He refused to detail the financial offer made by the owners of Champ Car, citing a confidentiality agreement he signed.

One part he did confirm was an agreement to run Champ Car teams in next year's Indy 500, much as Panther did in 2003 with Michael Andretti.

Barnes said he doesn't know which engine manufacturer his team will be partnered with in 2006. His staff will meet with top General Motors officials this week in an attempt to convince them to keep their Chevrolet brand with the league beyond this season.

Barnes said he has a group of Chevrolet dealership owners that wants the manufacturer to stay in Indy-car racing. But if GM doesn't come back, Barnes said his team will become a Honda outfit.

Barnes said Chevrolet officials have met with their Cosworth counterparts in England about extending their contract, although an agreement has not been reached. Cosworth has helped build Chevrolet's IRL engines since the middle of the 2003 season.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.d...D=2005507250377

We were sworn to secrecy on this one, but since someone else let the cat out of the bag......The July issue of PRN (Performance Racing News).has an article written by Cathy Haag in her Caution Period column: It says, and we quote, "Cedric Kyles announced his intentions to start a Champ Car team in 2006. Kyles, better known as "Cedric The Entertainer", starred in the recent Honeymooners remake and is a regular on the "Tonight Show" with car guy Jay Leno. Kyles met with Paul Newman to get the ins and outs of running a team. There's been no speculation on who might be the driver." AutoRacing1.com will tell you part of the story, but not all. Cedric won't start a new team, but will buy into an existing team, a team that is good, but just needs a co-owner with resources (i.e. money) and a name to attract sponsors. We won't tell you what team it is, but we were told by a source to expect an announcement this weekend in San Jose. Mark C

http://www.AutoRacing1.com

[Galaxy]

Who won the Edmonton race? How was it and how was the attendence? It was on SPEED, which I don't get.


Also, I see that alot of the drivers in IRL are voicing their displeasures with Patrick and her hype (which I think she is overhyped to a big extent).

[TLK]

Edmonton was a huge success in every form. Attendance was announced at over 200,000 for the weekend, with the 78,000+ for the race. The race was very good for a new course, with Bourdais taking the win. Both RuSport drivers made mistakes to hand the race to Bourdais. The event had it's contract extended until 2010 after the race. San Jose, another new event, is up this Sunday.

[Galaxy]

Nice.
Is San Jose on any regular channels besides Speed?

King, what you think of the Toronto race? Was very good race. I'm really enjoying this season, and the rise of the series.

[TLK]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Nice.
Is San Jose on any regular channels besides Speed?

King, what you think of the Toronto race? Was very good race. I'm really enjoying this season, and the rise of the series.

San Jose is only being shown on Speed, with the exception of NBC in San Jose showing it on tape delay (because their a sponsor of the event). ChampCar only has one race left on national television, with that being Montreal.

The Toronto race is quickly becoming my favorite street circuit. I had the opportunity to attend this year, and passed it up. After watching the race and seeing the crowd.... I was kicking myself. The race was very good and had a little something for everyone.... (passing, pit strategy, accidents….etc)

[TLK]

CC announced the new formula for the Atlantics feeder series. There are a few modifications to the chassis, and a completely new engine powered by Cosworth (of course) was added. Also announced was a program to help the stars of the Atlantic series make the move up to CC. Something like this has been missing for a while and will assist the drivers that need help securing a ride.

Top Atlantic Competitors to Reap Benefits from Champ Car Incentive Program
July 30, 2005
SAN JOSE, California (July 30, 2005) - The top driver in the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic championship will enjoy an unprecedented opportunity to showcase their skills the following season in the Champ Car World Series, under the new Atlantic Incentive Program announced by series officials today.

Further demonstrating its belief in the talented drivers produced by North America's top open-wheel development series, Champ Car has agreed to provide a $2 million bonus to next season's Atlantic series champion to help to secure a ride in the Champ Car World Series for the 2007 campaign.

The impressive championship award follows the unique Champ Car opportunity earned by this season's Atlantic titlewinner. Champ Car officials announced last December that the 2005 Atlantic champion will compete at the Gran Premio de Mexico season finale of the Champ Car World Series in Mexico City, November 4-6.

"We're very proud of the talented drivers that have emerged from the Atlantic Championship in recent years," said Champ Car President Dick Eidswick. "All too frequently we've watched these impressive racing stars struggle to secure sponsorship to compete at the next level. With the Champ Car Atlantic Incentive Program that will be in place for next season we've created a way to ease the financial burden and make the transition smoother for the driver that's earned the right to compete in the Champ Car World Series."

Throughout its rich 32-year history, the Champ Car Atlantic Championship, as it will be known beginning in 2006, has produced some of the top stars of open-wheel racing. From Jacques Villeneuve to Danny Sullivan to Jimmy Vasser, the Atlantic ranks have proven to be the best training ground for the future champions of racing. In recent years, the series has produced such rising stars as 2004 Champ Car rookie of the year AJ Allmendinger and Champ Car race winners and current competitors Alex Tagliani and Ryan Hunter-Reay. This season, two of the top rookies in Champ Car - Andrew Ranger and Ronnie Bremer - both graduated from Atlantics in 2004. The Champ Car Atlantic Incentive Program and similar initiatives will ensure that the top Atlantic talents will continue to get the opportunity to shine at the next level in Champ Cars.

"We want to thank Champ Car for providing this tremendous opportunity for the 2006 Atlantic champion," said Vicki O'Connor, Managing Director of the Atlantic series. "Clearly, this incentive demonstrates the level of commitment and belief that Champ Car has in Atlantics and the ability of the series to continue producing the next generation of Champ Car stars. We know that next season's champion will certainly make the most of this unique opportunity."

In addition to the awards and opportunities awaiting the driver that will wear the 2006 Atlantic crown, Champ Car officials are also discussing a detailed off-season testing program that will clear the way for this season's top Atlantic performers to test with Champ Car teams in hopes of creating more opportunities for series drivers in 2006.

The Champ Car Atlantic Championship continues to be the premier open-wheel development series in North America. The championship is noted for its long history of graduating its stars into Champ Car competition and has helped produce past Champ Car champions Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vasser, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Michael Andretti and Jacques Villeneuve. For more information on the Atlantic series, please visit www.champcaratlantic.com.

http://www.toyotaatlantic.com/News/Article.asp?ID=1829

[TLK]

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Extends Title Sponsorship Agreement for Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

Wednesday August 3, 2:51 pm ET

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2005--The Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, LLC announced today that it has reached a five-year agreement with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. and the Southern California Toyota Dealers Association to continue as the title sponsor of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The extension of the previous Grand Prix title sponsorship arrangement ensures that Toyota's 31-year relationship with America's premier street race will continue through 2010. Toyota has been title sponsor of the event since 1980.

"Toyota is proud to continue our relationship with one of America's premier motorsports events," said Les Unger, Toyota national motorsports manager. "The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is believed to be the longest running motorsports title sponsorship in this country, and we are enthusiastic to continue to be a part of such a great event."

The centerpiece of the 2006 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is the Champ Car World Series, which has been featured since 1984. The race weekend will also present the 30th anniversary running of the ever-popular Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, pitting Hollywood celebrities and sports stars against professional drivers in identically-prepared Toyota vehicles.

"We are absolutely thrilled to continue our relationship with Toyota Motor Sales and the Southern California Toyota Dealers Association," said Jim Michaelian, CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "They have been an extraordinary partner in our event from the very beginning, and we look forward to extending this relationship to new heights in the coming years."

"We are proud to have a company like Toyota, with its rich history and tradition in motorsports, continue as title sponsor of our cornerstone event," said Kevin Kalkhoven, co-owner of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, LLC. "Their involvement ensures that the event will continue to grow in the future."

In addition to its 31-year sponsor relationship with the Grand Prix, Toyota has a long-standing association with the City of Long Beach. Toyota owns Airflite Aviation Services, a full service, private jet fixed base operation (FBO) facility at the Long Beach Airport, and TABC, Inc. In addition, the Port of Long Beach is utilized extensively by the company, bringing in over 350,000 vehicles each year. Toyota is also involved in a number of philanthropic activities in the city, including, but not limited to the support of the Long Beach Museum of Art, California State University Long Beach Foundation, Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach Public Library, Aquarium of the Pacific and the Long Beach Symphony. Last year, Toyota was title sponsor of the Aquatics Festival which included the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials.

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is owned and operated by Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, LLC, and features the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford, Formula Drift, the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, the Champ Car Atlantic Series and other support events during its three-day race weekend.

More good news....

[Galaxy]

Nice,
Do you think Toyota might look at badging the ChampCars?

Also, how was the San Jose race?

[TLK]

The San Jose race was horrible. As an event, it was a slam-dunk. The track will need to be completely redesigned if they plan on returning next year, which they will. The track was the worst I have seen. The railroad tracks on the street caused a huge bump, that had cars in mid-air. The raced finished with half of the field out with banged up suspensions. Thankfully most of those in attendance didn't know what to expect, and most went away happy. The mayor and city spoke very highly of the event.

Toyota will completely leave open-wheel after 2006, so I can't see the badging an engine for CC (although they could do it on 10% of their IRL budget). The fact that they will continue to sponsor Long Beach was a surprise, and they had signage all over San Jose, so who knows for the future.....

ChampCar's 2006 schedule is supposed to be released next week (Tuesday...maybe). A new race that might be announced is a street race in Philadelphia. Paul Newman & CC reps were in Philadelphia to talk to the city council about the race. Rumor has it that it's a lot closer to being done, than anyone knows. We'll have to wait and see...

Good things are happening.... I think.

[TLK]

The San Jose "bumps"





Nothing like PT in 2002 though.....


That has to be my favorite open-wheel pic... just crazy.

[Galaxy]

Damn...
I've heard the views were terrible are bad as well.

[TLK]

I think San Jose will work out okay. Many first year street races have problems, Long Beach and Denver come to mind. The good thing is that CC pulled off a successful event and avoided a USGP or Texas incident. With the city fully behind CC, I think that we'll see a longer, wider, more fan friendly track for next year. As bad as the race was for San Jose, they are a hell of a streak from Toronto, to Edmonton, and San Jose.

[TLK]

I just want to add that I'm more optimistic now, than I have been about the future of ChampCar. There have been some things that I have scratched my head over the past few years, but I know realize that Kalkhoven is in for the long haul. He had an opportunity to sell to the IRL at a price that probably would have benefited him... and he passed it up. I like what I'm seeing and hope it continues.....

[Galaxy]

Great to hear...

Is the IRL starting to lose steam again, with the Danica "hype"?

Do you see the series expanding internationally more? Do you think they'll get bigger tv (more "premier") deal, and capture US fan base? Sponsorship seems to be growing as well.

[Galaxy]

How much is Kalkhoven worth?

[Galaxy]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../26994391.html

[TLK]

Champ Car's future keeps getting brighter

By John Oreovicz
Special to ESPN.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- After 20 months under its current owners, if the Champ Car World Series hasn't completely turned the corner yet, it is certainly past the apex and hard on the throttle. By revealing its 2006 race schedule on Aug. 13, Champ Car is two to four months ahead of where it has been for the last few years when the series was in survival mode. People talk in terms of "when" and not "if" when assessing the future of Champ Car in August 2005, which is a big turnabout from recent summers. Aside from its 15-race slate for 2006, which includes the addition of a revamped Houston Grand Prix, Champ Car announced a management succession plan that will see Sports Car Club of America president and CEO Steve Johnson take over Sept. 19 from Dick Eidswick as Champ Car's de facto leader. Eidswick, a turnaround specialist with a long association with Champ Car co-principal Kevin Kalkhoven, will remain in the background as CEO and chairman of the board. Johnson joined the SCCA in 2000 after a stint with the National Hot Rod Association and he guided the non-profit group through a period of sustained growth. Now boasting nearly 70,000 members, the SCCA stages more than 2,000 professional and amateur-level road racing events every year. Last year, Johnson held his own on a panel of racing luminaries at the annual SAE Motorsport Conference that included FIA president Max Mosley, NASCAR president Mike Helton and IndyCar Series founder Tony George. He said the opportunity to take the reigns at Champ Car at a time when the series appears poised to take off was too good to pass up. “ The results they are getting aren't by accident. Champ Car's business model realizes that fans want entertainment, not just racing. ” — Steve Johnson "Kevin is so passionate about the product that I was sold from day one and I'm not an easy sell," Johnson remarked. "I've followed very closely what has happened in the series since he and his partners [Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi] took over after the CART bankruptcy. After they shared their vision, I realized it was an incredible opportunity for me. They aren't distracted by what NASCAR is doing or what the IRL is doing. They're totally focused on the Champ Car World Series and where it's going." This summer, Champ Car has averaged more than 150,000 fans for its races in July and August, including popular new events in San Jose, Calif., and Edmonton. "The results they are getting aren't by accident," Johnson said. "Champ Car's business model realizes that fans want entertainment, not just racing. The races at Edmonton and San Jose were great examples from that standpoint because those are events that people were talking about at the water cooler on Monday morning, telling their friends, 'You need to be there next year.'" However, Johnson realizes that Champ Car's outlook isn't completely rosy and said one of his first priorities is to put additional cars on the grid in 2006. "So many things are going right, but the main thing that needs to happen is we need to work with our teams to help them out financially in terms of finding sponsors," said Johnson. "We need to have the right number of cars out there. But when you're averaging 150,000 fans for a weekend, that adds to the return on investment for sponsors, teams and partners. So we need to work harder on the marketing and sponsorship side. We want to offer value and keep sponsors wanting to stay for the long term." Since he quietly arrived in American open-wheel racing as a Champ Car team owner in early 2003, Kalkhoven has demonstrated two things: He's not afraid to think big and he's a man of his word. Not only has Kalkhoven saved a historic form of open-wheel racing from execution, he and his partners have laid the groundwork to restore the popularity Champ Car racing enjoyed in the 1980s and '90s before America turned into NASCAR Nation. "The fan base is developing very rapidly," said Kalkhoven. "I think it's obvious that if we bring racing close to urban centers, whether it's a permanent track like Montreal or Portland or a street course, if you turn it into a three-day festival, the fans and the families will come. You don't have to stand out in some mud-ridden field to watch cars come by. "The winning formula we've got is this urban approach, allowing the fan base to grow, which will in turn complete the prosperity of the city, the promoters, and our own race series." John Oreovicz covers open-wheel racing for National Speed Sport News and ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/s...art&id=2136902

Good words from the IRL's television partner..... gotta love it.

[TLK]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Champ Car Public Relations

SUPERSTATION WGN GIVES FANS AN ALL-ACCESS PASS TO LIFE ON THE CHAMP CAR TRAIL WITH SEPTEMBER 7 DEBUT OF ‘RACE CAR DRIVER’

INDIANAPOLIS (September 5, 2005) – Fans of the Champ Car World Series are well-versed in what goes on during the two hours that their heroes are strapped into their 750hp turbocharged scream machines on race day, but not much is known about the behind-the-scenes efforts that go into a race weekend on the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford trail.

Starting Wednesday September 7, Superstation WGN will shed some light on what it takes to be a part of the premier open-wheel racing series in the United States with the premiere of its new prime-time reality show Race Car Driver. The 30-minute show takes fans around the world with the drivers and teams of Champ Car, chronicling every aspect of making a successful – and sometimes not so successful – race weekend.

The show has closely followed the exploits of series legend-in-the-making Paul Tracy and his Forysthe Championship Racing teammate Mario Dominguez from the drop of the green flag in Long Beach, and will take viewers beyond Pit Lane and into the minds of everyone involved in the team’s quest for another championship. Fans will be able to watch strategies develop, see problems solved, and experience how victories are celebrated as well as how losses are dealt with. The weekly show will give fans a better insight of why talent is only a part of what it takes to compete at the top of the motorsport ladder.

The show does more than focus on the Chicago-based Forsythe squad, as Race Car Driver sheds insights on nearly every team and driver in the series, from perennial championship contender Newman/Haas Racing and its 2004 series champion Sebastien Bourdais to PKV Racing with veterans Jimmy Vasser and Cristiano da Matta and all stops in between.

“We couldn’t be happier with Race Car Driver and we expect that the viewers will come away with a new appreciation for our drivers, our teams and our sport,” said Champ Car President Dick Eidswick. “We are sure that once viewers get a look at the show, they will want to keep watching not only Race Car Driver but Champ Car racing as well.”

Episodes are broadcast weekly across the USA on Superstation WGN on Wednesday nights at 8pm ET beginning September 7th immediately following “Will & Grace" and "Home Improvement" and repeated on Saturday evenings (check local listings).

I'm looking forward to this....

[TLK]

Huge night for ChampCar...

Mazda has already been leaked as the title sponsor of the Atlantic division.... more to come tonight.

[Craptacular]

Not that we haven't heard these rumors before, but from a little blurb in the latest ESPN the Magazine:

American open-wheel racing could finally be headed for a merger in 2007. EARL founder Tony George and ChampCar owner Kevin Kalkhoven both acknowledge recent meetings, though they've yet to divulge details.

[TLK]

Champ Car, IRL in preliminary talks about merger By Gary Graves and A.J. Perez, USA TODAY
It's been a rite of spring for more than a decade.

Dozens of reporters gather for the Indianapolis 500 each May, and stories soon flow that the two sides of American open-wheel racing may be ready to merge. Weeks pass with no resolution, and the respective series continue on divergent paths.
This time, news that the IRL and Champ Car could be headed toward reconciliation didn't even wait until the start of spring. A report in AutoWeek last month inferred a deal was in place to bring the two sides together, ending the split that began when Tony George founded the IRL in 1995.

While Champ Car World Series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven characterizes discussions with George as informal meetings at ski resorts, he says they have broadened communications between the series enough that they plan to continue talking in the coming months. But he suggests it would be 2007 at the earliest before any settlement.

"I think we all recognize the virtue of bringing the two series together, but the most difficult thing isn't doing (the deal) but what happens afterward," Kalkhoven says. "It's a matter of Tony and me getting to know each other. We keep talking, and that's good and things are moving forward. I can't say if it's this year or next, but progress is being made."

"The most important thing is to get it right, because the worse thing is for a merger to fail. All the details have to be agreed upon."

Kalkhoven says being new to ownership and not having a personal history of the animosity between the series have helped him keep an open mind during talks with George, whom some blame for the split that has allowed NASCAR to become racing's premier series. And in acknowledging that fans on both sides might maintain hard feelings even with a resolution, he believes the enmity will evolve into acceptance whenever racing's longest standoff finally ends.

"It's been 10 years since the split, and you're not going to repair that overnight," Kalkhoven says. "But we've got good teams and good partners and the spirit of willingness and cooperation, which is great."

Of course, before there's reconciliation, one major element needs to be agreed upon.

"Historically, the biggest stumbling block has been the different philosophies on how to run series," IRL president Brian Barnhart says.

But more specifically, it will come down to who will run the series. Once that's settled, all the details — combining the two schedules, choosing a race car and uniting personnel — will likely fall into place.


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor...l-merger_x.htm

Everything I've heard is that the "merger" is a done deal and will be announced during the month of May. Rumor has it that both sides have made major concessions, so May will be an interesting month.

[TLK]

CRISTIANO DA MATTA JOINS DALE COYNE RACING FOR 2006


Fontana, California...........Dale Coyne Racing proudly announces the addition of Champion driver Cristiano da Matta for the 2006 Champ Car World Series.

Da Matta brings an outstanding record to the efforts of Dale Coyne Racing. "Dale has consistently produced competitive cars as shown by the results good drivers have experienced in the past," commented the popular Brazilian. "I am excited about this opportunity and we are both committed to putting out a competitive effort for 2006."

Cristiano da Matta represents the strongest driver yet to drive for Dale Coyne Racing. Da Matta ran two years with Newman/Haas Racing, which included 10 race wins and a Championship winning season in 2002. His solid efforts for the Toyota powered team vaulted him to the newly formed Toyota Formula 1 effort, where he showed his expertise during a development program in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, the 31 year-old returned to Champ Cars driving for PKV Racing winning one round in Portland and finishing 11th in the season points battle.

"Our team has smelled victory in the past, it is now time to taste it," commented team owner Dale Coyne. "I am very proud to have Cristiano join our efforts for 2006 and look forward to an exciting season." Dale Coyne Racing has campaigned cars in the Champ Car World Series and CART since 1984. Scoring multiple top tens with an array of drivers, podiums with Roberto Moreno and Oriol Servia and near wins with Alex Barron, the team is now poised to have its best season ever.

Da Matta will drive the entire 2006 season in the teams #19 entry. Sponsorships continue from several loyal sponsors including Northern Illinois Steel, Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q, Vernon & Maz, Aurora Bearings and a few new surprises to be announced prior to Houston. David Watson returns to the team to engineer the effort headed by Chief Mechanic Andy Greene and crew.

The team is currently in Fontana for a two-day test. Cristiano will take the wheel of the Coyne Lola for the first time in preparation for the first race next week at Long Beach.

Definitely a holy shit moment. A past series champion signing with the perennial worst team on the grid. It will be interesting to follow da Matta and see how he does in that car. It would be a great moment to see Coyne in the winners circle after everything he has done for ChampCar.

[Galaxy]

Nice...Any major TV channels picking up the series this year?

[TLK]

Half of the season will be on network television, with the rest on Speed.

NBC- Long Beach, San Jose and Montreal
CBS- Portland, Cleveland, Toronto, Edmonton
Speed- Houston, Monterrey, Milwaukee, Denver, Road America, Ansan, Australia, Mexico City

http://www.champcarworldseries.com/Event/TVSchedule.asp