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Old 12 Sep 2003, 16:31 (Ref:716629)   #44
gaines
Racer
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location:
Columbus, OH
Posts: 153
gaines should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
The thing everyone is forgetting in questioning not changing the format is that this format ruled the racing world in the 90s, Robin Miller said so himself in the article earlier in this string. Read that article again. It wasn't the freaking format that ruined CART it was the idiots in charge.

Fans just didn't say "I hate this, let's watch NASCAR!" They said, "Split?! What the Hell! Where's the best competition, why aren't the best drivers in the INDY 500, what the Hell is the IRL?" After a few years they got sick of infighting, backbiting, bullcrap that saw owners fighting amongst themselves over their own selfish agendas instead of what was best for the sport. In the meantime they saw an upcoming Stock Car series that was unified, raced at Indy now, had the young hotrod open wheel drivers jumping over and saw such big Indy names as Penske, Ganassi and Foyt becoming key team owners. Also NASCAR runs Big Ovals, Small Ovals, short tracks, road courses. They have colorful drivers, a great television package and they are very fan friendly. It's not that much different than what CART was when it was at it's peak. Sure the racing and the cars are very different but the excitement is there, the young hot drivers are there, the Indy Legend names are there(Andretti, Fittipaldi, Foyt, Mears.) Stock Car racing did well on it's own but there is much more Indy influence there than most will stop and recognize.

Why aren't Mears, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Foyt, etc racing in an open wheel car? In fact why are big stock car names like Gordon, Stewart, Newman and Gordon driving around in open wheel cars? Because driving for a bunch of political asses who drove the fans, media and cash away isn't an option. NASCAR had better take a close look and make sure they don't get the big head like CART's BOD did. You **** off the fans, you lose big time and somebody will, guaranteed come along with fast cars and the fans, manufacturers, drivers, owners, sponsors and media will follow. It happened to CART and it's starting to happen to Formula One(That's why they changed the racing rules, and are talking fan friendly for the first time ever.) Racing fans are loyal to no end as long as you give them quality. CART forgot that and it killed them...almost. Pook did a hell of a job running a series with no sponsors. If he had sucked as bad as his predeccesor we'd have folded a year ago. Now let's hope the new owners will do what's right and get back to quality.

It wasn't the format that sucked my friends, it was the people. Now let's make some good decisions, get some more manufacturers in here, get a new engine, some new sponsors and a business gameplan that's thought out and long term. Let's act like we've got some sense, by God, and get back to hard racing.

Long live CART!
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