Could Ganassi, Andretti-Green, Rahal-Letterman go to Champ Car ??

[drewdawg727]

I really think that it's just publicity to get rumors started...i really doubt there will be any moving to Champ Car for the three top teams in IRL

[Michael Edick]

Originally Posted by Cowboy

IMO the irl will run in 2007, but at about the 99% series funded level. Also in 2007 they will have time to chissel the Headstone and draw up the Closed sign for 2008. They are on borrowed time until the end.

from your mouth to god's ears...

someone once said that contracts usually are not worth the paper they are written on, so if it takes a couple of broken promises, a few teams jumping over from IRL to Champ Car sooner than later to get TG's attention that his vision is toast, so be it...it's well past the time to settle this dispute as "gentlemen" and for some cut throat tactics if open wheel racing is to survive...viva la revolution!

I don't know if we can wait until 2008 for the IRL to go away...

[baclightning]

Chip Gannassi's statement, as released yesterday:

“Target Chip Ganassi Racing has no plans nor have we entertained any plans of leaving the Indy Racing League for any other league or organization. Further, we have had no contact at all with either Bobby Rahal or Kevin Kalkhoven regarding our team’s future racing plans. We wish nothing but the best to Kevin and Champ Car and to Bobby and his son, but we are part of the IRL and have no plans of changing that.”

[luke]

So from what Chipy has said. That means he's going to Champ Car next year.

[deejay]

no plans of leaving the Indy Racing League for any other league or organization

Could he be preparing to leaving open-wheel racing altogether after 2007?

[Dennis H.]

Originally Posted by Cowboy

IMO the irl will run in 2007, but at about the 99% series funded level. Also in 2007 they will have time to chissel the Headstone and draw up the Closed sign for 2008. They are on borrowed time until the end.

That is a riot, IMS could fund the IRL indefinitely with the money they get from the NASCAR race alone. Keep dreaming.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by luke

So from what Chipy has said. That means he's going to Champ Car next year.

If you go back and look at when chip has come out and vehemently denied something, it usually means quite the opposite. Not to say that will happen this time, but there is a track record there. chip dismissed the montoya rumor as pure fantasy and practically the next day the deal was announced.

[drewdawg727]

No use dragging out this issue..only time will tell...

[luke]

Originally Posted by Dennis H.

That is a riot, IMS could fund the IRL indefinitely with the money they get from the NASCAR race alone. Keep dreaming.

The 500 could stay, but there is no asurance with the IRL. Why? Because the teams need funding. And the money from Indy wouldn't be able to fund the teams to do a season.

[Tim Northcutt]

F-1 is likely to come back, and the brickyard is a money machine....keep counting the $$$, luke....

Bikes are coming to Indy in 2009, according to good sources here....that'll be even more income....

Both sides are shelling out big money to stay in business....they need to merge...

[marcus]

wow are the bikes going to run the oval turn like the F1 cars ?

[luke]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

F-1 is likely to come back, and the brickyard is a money machine....keep counting the $$$, luke....

Bikes are coming to Indy in 2009, according to good sources here....that'll be even more income....

Both sides are shelling out big money to stay in business....they need to merge...

Tim I very very very much doubt F1 will be at Indy next year. Why? Because Tony couldn't be bothered to talk to Bernie and countine negotionations. He felt there was no point coming to the meeting in London. Speaks for itself if F1 will be there next year.

What type of bikes? AMA US Superbikes? World Superbikes? MotoGP?

[luke]

Originally Posted by marcus

wow are the bikes going to run the oval turn like the F1 cars ?

If they do it is possible. British Superbikes have used part of the oval of Rockingham and the Wolrd Superbikes have used part of the oval of Lausitz as you probably know. I guess it wouldn't be a huge opstical.

[norman-normal]

I don't see a merge coming, not even a shotgun wedding, TG seems incapable of making real concessions and KK doesn't have to. Time is on KK's side.

[stradlin21]

Kalkoven seems to be the one incapable of doing anything

He saw the impact Danicamania had so he did the same thing by getting Kathrine Legge to race for his OWN team! Danica races for RLR not TG's Vision racing.

The longer Kalkoven keeps up this stupid behaviour, the longer this sillyness will continue

[luke]

Originally Posted by stradlin21

Kalkoven seems to be the one incapable of doing anything

He saw the impact Danicamania had so he did the same thing by getting Kathrine Legge to race for his OWN team! Danica races for RLR not TG's Vision racing.

The longer Kalkoven keeps up this stupid behaviour, the longer this sillyness will continue

Oh so this is where you're taking it? A dig at the God KK and lady Kathrine?

Danica had nothing to do with Kevin bringing in Kathrine Legge. He has British heritage and he brought Kathrine over to the U.S. in the spring of 2005. Note she was racing in Atlantics just before DANICAMANIA started.
Kevin was impressed with Kathrine since the start. Probably by the fact she won on her debut. She was already in his Atlantic team and PKV were expanding to three cars in 2006. That's why he brought her up. As she was the first choice.

[stradlin21]

Originally Posted by luke

Oh so this is where you're taking it? A dig at the God KK and lady Kathrine?

Danica had nothing to do with Kevin bringing in Kathrine Legge. He has British heritage and he brought Kathrine over to the U.S. in the spring of 2005. Note she was racing in Atlantics just before DANICAMANIA started.
Kevin was impressed with Kathrine since the start. Probably by the fact she won on her debut. She was already in his Atlantic team and PKV were expanding to three cars in 2006. That's why he brought her up. As she was the first choice.

of course she was brought in to stop Danicamania!

Kalkoven saw the impact that Danica had made and he decided he wanted some of it

Hence why he signed Legge for his OWN team, no other team would take her on! There is many other drivers he could picked for his third seat who would have done a better job but made less of a commercial impact

Kalkoven displayed his soreness this season by producing a Champ Car schedule in such a way that his teams couldnt compete in the 500 after Bourdais embarrasing performance last year.

[luke]

Originally Posted by stradlin21

of course she was brought in to stop Danicamania!

That is nothing more then opinion. And a wrong one btw.

Kalkoven saw the impact that Danica had made and he decided he wanted some of it

And you've based that from what?

Hence why he signed Legge for his OWN team, no other team would take her on! There is many other drivers he could picked for his third seat who would have done a better job but made less of a commercial impact

Errrrrr yo, like I said she was in his team in Atlantics. She already had good contact with him and this was all before DANICAMANIA!!!

Kalkoven displayed his soreness this season by producing a Champ Car schedule in such a way that his teams couldnt compete in the 500 after Bourdais embarrasing performance last year.

Soreness? Lol. All he did that was different from 2004, 2005 was that he added a race in Houston to fill the huge huge what ten week gap between Long Beach and Monterrey. Last time I checked Houston is in the first or second week or May and didn't clash with the Indy 500 on the 29th. And they cut the indy 500 schedule this year also.
Bourdais' embarrasing perfromance? That he was running fifth untill the last 5 laps, with Newman / Haas who have been a stranger to Indy apart from '04 since the 'split'. Running fifth for most of the race especially with the lack of Seb's oval experience in his first Indy 500 is hardly embarrasing. And this is coming from me who I dislike Bourdais.

[mountainstar]

who cares about danicamania? It didn't even last 15 minutes.

[drdisque]

Legge competed in a PKV test against Giorgio Pantano and Charles Zwolsman. Both of them recorded faster times during the session than Legge and were much more consistent. Yet Kalkhoven chose Legge over both of them. This was obviously a marketing decision in an attempt to create "leggeamania" as it wasn't simply Atlantics influencd since Zwolsman was from Atlantics too and finished ahead of Legge in the championship.

Unfortunately, Katherine isn't as pretty and she isn't very media friendly. She is a good driver though (she showed a LOT of natural ability at Milwaukee and I'd like to see her on more ovals) and I'm glad Charles found a Champ Car ride after she got picked up by PKV as he deserved it more in my opinion.

Giorgio Pantano is a very talented driver and he will eventually find his spot. I believe he could do very well in a post-merger world.

[luke]

Originally Posted by drdisque

Legge competed in a PKV test against Giorgio Pantano and Charles Zwolsman. Both of them recorded faster times during the session than Legge and were much more consistent. Yet Kalkhoven chose Legge over both of them. This was obviously a marketing decision in an attempt to create "leggeamania" as it wasn't simply Atlantics influencd since Zwolsman was from Atlantics too and finished ahead of Legge in the championship.

Unfortunately, Katherine isn't as pretty and she isn't very media friendly. She is a good driver though (she showed a LOT of natural ability at Milwaukee and I'd like to see her on more ovals) and I'm glad Charles found a Champ Car ride after she got picked up by PKV as he deserved it more in my opinion.

Giorgio Pantano is a very talented driver and he will eventually find his spot. I believe he could do very well in a post-merger world.

Pantano and Zwolsman were faster yes but I don't agree about her not being media friendly. She is the most popular driver in the paddock because everyone loves her because she is such a nice person and has time for everyone, so I have heard from fans who have met her.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by luke

Bourdais' embarrasing perfromance?

Obvioulsy this guy didnt watch the race.

Originally Posted by drdisque

Legge competed in a PKV test against Giorgio Pantano and Charles Zwolsman. Both of them recorded faster times during the session than Legge and were much more consistent.

Did Zwolsman test for PKV? I remember Pantano, Briscoe, Legge and Dalziel all tested.

I think it was Dalziel that deserved the seat the most.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by luke

Tim I very very very much doubt F1 will be at Indy next year. Why? Because Tony couldn't be bothered to talk to Bernie and countine negotionations. He felt there was no point coming to the meeting in London. Speaks for itself if F1 will be there next year.

What type of bikes? AMA US Superbikes? World Superbikes? MotoGP?

IMS President Joey Chitwood was quoted laast week in the Indy Star that F-1 discussions were going well, and that he was confident that a contract would be signed inthe coming weeks.

He attended MotGP at Laguna (IIRC), and is interested in bringing them to Indy in 2009...it was in the same article.

Believe what you want, Luke, but the IMS feels that F-1 will be back

[norman-normal]

drdisque, I agree completely. But we should keep in mind that winning a first race on a track you've never seen before had a huge impact.

While Keven was an amateur racer, his forte is business and he is a PRO