Gerry talks F1 Merger

[The Snout]

Some more food for thought.

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FORMULA FOR A MERGER
CART owners seek partnership with F-1

By DEAN MCNULTY, TORONTO SUN

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The most powerful owner in CART's Champ Car World Series went on the record yesterday touting a plan to join forces with Formula One.

Gerry Forsythe, the multi-millionaire Chicago industrialist who co-owns Players/Forsythe Racing, told The Toronto Sun there are too many benefits not to pursue such a plan.

Forsythe is also the largest single shareholder of CART, controlling 24.9% of the stock in the open-wheel racing series.

"I think a partnership between F-1 and CART would be totally beneficial for CART," Forsythe said.

And if that means taking CART private by involving other investors to gain outright control of the series, that's fine with him.

"I think that taking CART private would be a good thing," Forsythe said. "With the right partnership it would be much better for CART than the way it's structured now."

In October of 2002 when Forsythe upped his stake in CART, The Sun reported that a proposal was in the works that would have F-1 boss Bernie Ecclestone become a majority shareholder in CART.

Forsythe still believes such a deal is possible and mutually beneficial.

"There are a lot of synergies that could be put to work for both series," he said. "I put together 19 pages of what I thought would be the benefits for F-1 and CART (in October) in a partnership."

Forsythe said he is determined to follow up on the idea.

"At some point I would like to see that happen," he said.

He isn't the only CART team owner who is pushing to have a partnership with F-1.

Craig Pollock, co-owner of of PK Racing and a minority shareholder in F-1's British American Racing, told The Sun there could be only positive results from an F-1/CART merger.

"I think it's a good thing," Pollock said. "For CART there are some hugely positive things in a future that would see them as one entity (with F-1)."

Pollock, who doubles as agent for Canada's Jacques Villeneuve in F-1, said CART would have the best of both worlds in any kind of partnership.

"We can take the positive things from Formula One and build them into CART," he said. "And I think that's what we're going to do."

It's no accident that Forsythe and Pollock are on the same page about bringing together the two series. Pollock convinced Forsythe to invest in the fledgling BAR team in 1997.

"It was an investment I made with Craig to purchase a minority interest in BAR," Forsythe said. "Up until now that's all it was."

But with a foot in both camps, Forsythe and Pollock are well positioned to be key players in any merger.

CART boss Chris Pook is on record as saying he sees a huge upside to some sort of arrangement between the two series, but he stops short of talk about merger.

[Lee Janotta]

Kill 'em!!!!!!

[Snrub]

But where is the place for CART if it merges with F1? Will it still exist as it does today and the past or does it become F3000? Is it just cheap F1 for uninterested americans or is it competitor to some degree. I don't think CART needs to be or should be "equal" to F1, but it should certainly be considered along with it.

[Lee Janotta]

It'd cease to be CART in any way, shape or form. No ovals, a mostly European calendar, a series which costs way too much money and offers far too little real racing... Elitist drivers who don't want anything to do with the fans...

They just want to pad their pockets with a sellout to Bernie when the manufacturers start their own series.

[Snrub]

That's our all of our worst fears Lee. Speaking of driver relations, what did you think of the drivers going around on the truck immediately after the race, before the podium?

[veeten]

Mmmmmm...Kool-ade. Have a drink...

[Lee Janotta]

Pretty cool Snrub, as they had the headset getting passed around and the camera mounted on the truck. An interesting new practice.

[cybersdorf]

It'd be the best thing that could happen to F1. They should have adopted the CART rags years ago, the F1 system of each team building its own cars could have stayed in place but the racing would have been much better.
F1 = ChampCar: there could be have a North American Championship, a European Championship, and a World Champüionship. A league system with plenty of good venues. I like the sound of it.
Not that it will ever happen.

[Lee Janotta]

Would be fine if not for Bernie!

[The Snout]

This whole thing would/will be a easier of a sell if/when the powers that be put forward how exactly they see it working, what it means in real terms, how would the schedule be affected, what it would mean in budget costs. If they are able to outline the basics then people know what's going on so they don't feel left out of where it's all going.

Just the fact that the word "bernie" gets mentioned makes people p*iss their pants. Show me how it's intended Cart would look after such a merger, then I'll give an opinion on if it's a good or bad idea.

[Snrub]

Perhaps when and if CART gets some sponsors on some of those cars Gerry will change his tone. Other than Herdez and Fernadez, and maybe Rahal, did any car have a full compliment of sponsorship? Players has two sponsors...

[Russfeld]

I dont see what benefit it would have to F1

[Jay]

I think what they mean is that the product that is F1 Racing would be enhanced if they adopted a few things from Cart.

[Russfeld]

Highly unlikely

[Jay]

Oh right, F1, as a motorracing product is so much better than Cart. From my experience, everyone that has this opinion either has a personal (read: financial) interest in Formula 1 or it's the only form of motorsport they've been exposed to.

Also, judging by all the silly rules they're bring into F1 this year, they're completely desperate for any sort of change. So, with Bernie and Pook so close anything;s possible really.

[Russfeld]

And CART is somehow better than F1? At least F1 is pure and they dont **** with it using competition yellows or mandatory fuel windows or spec parts.

[Jay]

I could make the same argument with F1, especially this year with some of the rules they're bringing in this year. Yeah, that's "pure".

What I mean is give Joe Blow $200 to spend on Cart tickets for the weekend, then give him $500 to spend on F1 tickets for the weekend and see which weekend he enjoys more. I remember Montreal last year and I didn't hear a single "I liked the F1 race better". But I did hear a lot of "This is much better than the Grand Prix". Hence, I think it's pretty safe to say the product that is Cart is much better than the product that is F1.

[Snrub]

F1 looses it's purity of drivers racing. So yes in many respects CART is better than F1. That's why we watch CART. If I wanted to see a parade I'd go watch Santa.

Which street race would you rather watch St. Pete's or Monte Carlo. If you actually like racing it's a no brainer.

I can see plenty of benifits for F1 with CART being associated with F1. However, few of them are positive for CART.

[Russfeld]

You guys must watch a different CART than I do. Its as processional as F1 most of the time.

There was hardly any 'racing' today. I saw a lot of incidents that led to passing, but nothing that really inspired me; and I liked today's event.

I do agree on ticket prices, F1 is out of control. They could cut the prices in half, sell a ton more and still take home a large check

[Jay]

There wasn't a ton of passing in todays race (although it was still IMO more exciting than every F1 race last year, bar Silverstone maybe..granted I missed a few), and ticket prices aside, but what I'm speaking of is what the fans get when they're at the track. Like driver access, GA access, paddock access, pit access and such. The cars themselves -turbocharged, traction control-less, manual shifting, much more physical than the F1 cars.

And I don't think the yellows are such a bad thing either (although the mandatory pitwindow's one of the dumbest things in racing), as it makes the cars pit all pit at once which is more exciting than one at a time a la F1. Also, gives time for TV breaks.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by Russfeld
And CART is somehow better than F1?

Yes it is. Or rather, F1 is so much worse than CART these days.