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22 Dec 2003, 23:00 (Ref:818534)
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 549
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SILLY SEASON pt.7 ?!?!
OK, "CART is Dead" & "Long Live Champ Cars" ?!?!
 According to Kevin Kalkhoven and Paul Gentilozzi there are 18 cars guaranteed to be on the track come April and Long Beach.  Here's how the picture looks like: 1. NEWMAN/HAAS - Sebastien Bourdais 2. NEWMAN/HAAS - Bruno Junqueira or Ryan Hunter-Reay ? 3. FORSYTHE - Paul Tracy 4. FORSYTHE - Patrick Crapentier 5. WALKER - Michael Valiante 6. WALKER - Jonathan Macr or Ryan Dalziel 7. HERDEZ - Mario Dominguez 8. HERDEZ - Roberto Gonzalez or David Martinez ? 9. FERNANDEZ - Adrian Fernandez 10. FERNANDEZ - Luis Diaz 11. RAHAL - Michael Jourdain 12. POLLOCK - Mika Salo 13. FITTIPALDI - Tiago Monteiro 14. FITTIPALDI - Tomas Enge or Rodolfo Lavin ? 15. GENTILOZZI - Alex Tagliani 16. BACHELART - Mario Haberfeld of Giorgio Pantani ? 17. COYNE - Joel Camathias or Tomas Enge ? 18. RuSPORT - A.J.Allmendinger Those are the 18 promised... now, here are other possibilities: 19. RAHAL - Andre Lotterer or Justin Wilson ? 20. POLLOCK - Jacques Villeneuve or Guy Smith ? 21. GENTILOZZI - Ryan Hunter-Reay or Bjorn Wirdheim ? 22. COYNE - Alex Yoong or Ralph Firman ? 23. NUNN - Felipe Giaffone or Hoover Orsi ? (for those who wonder - sources: SeventhGear, Jasper Race-By-Race, CART Brickheads, and ChampWeb) No, my dream of 23 (like I had last year) will not come true, but defintely 18 cars we shall have... there still are a few more interested parties and possibilities, we might see 20 Champ Cars come April, but at this moment we should be happy with just 18... btw, AJ.Allmendinger is testing a RuSPORT Lola already... Alan van der Merwe will test a PK car soon... Justin WIlson is planning a test with Rahal... etc, etc... We shall have a very fine season next year = 18+ cars, 16 or more races, CBS and Spike TV... MERRY XMAS ?!?!  zerO |
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22 Dec 2003, 23:20 (Ref:818551)
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#2 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 8,125
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Good list. But I think a second Rocketsport car is perhaps more likely than an second Fernandez. And PG has been quoted as saying that both Vasser and RHR will still be driving, albeit with new teams. Methinks that if Fittipaldi runs two cars (by taking over Patrick), Vasser will be a co-owner/driver.
Nice to talk about drivers for a change! |
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__________________
Don't make a fuss, just get on the bus! |
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22 Dec 2003, 23:25 (Ref:818554)
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#3 | ||
 Race Official1% Club
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 46,647
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I know I sound like a broken record, but are there any commercial sponsors lined up for these teams?
Most of the teams you mention from 2003, like Fittipaldi Dingman, like Dale Coyne, like ASTJ... ran thanks in no small way to the largesse of CART Inc... not a commercial enterprise. Bring Chipper and Roger back!!!! |
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__________________
Happy David Thexton Day, 21st March 2003 “I am not uncertain” - Dollar Bill Stern, Billions “Fear stimulates my imagination” - Don Draper, Mad Men “Everybody Lies” - Dr Gregory House |
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22 Dec 2003, 23:30 (Ref:818558)
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#4 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 8,125
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Who?
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__________________
Don't make a fuss, just get on the bus! |
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22 Dec 2003, 23:42 (Ref:818565)
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#5 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 549
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Quote:
Luis Diaz is already signed by Fernandez, not that it means much since Herdez has Gonzalez and Martinez signed (who'll get to drive is another ballgame)... on the other hand, Fernandez' sponsors are not keen on supporting a second car in IRL under the "Super Aguri Fernandez" auspices, so a second Champ Car is much more likely... Gentilozzi will most probably try to run a second car, but first he'll be preoccupied in ensuring an 18 car grid... then he'll most probably consider Ryan Hunter-Reay since he's got nowhere else to go and an American driver (especially one who won a race last year) is a commodity, Bjorn Wirdheim is PG's other option should a F1 testing role for him not matrialize... As for Jimmy Vasser - it looks very cloudy: Pat Patrick told him to "get lost" (that's the end of that relationship), the only other friend JV has is Bobby Rahal, but in order for a car materializing for Vasser he'll have to pay for his ride instead of getting paid - and even though he lowered his price to $3mil he can't get a ride when there is no seat available - so, who'll cough-up the money ? McDonalds ? a 3rd car at NHR ? don't think so ?!?!  Besides, Paul Newman and Paul Gentilozzi are still trying to "aid" Dario Franchitti in trying to get out of his contract with AGR/Honda in IRL... ...this ball of wax shall be fun for the next few months, stay tuned...  zerO |
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23 Dec 2003, 02:53 (Ref:818636)
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#6 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 8,125
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Quote:
And Pat Patrick may not be so quick to tell Vasser to "get lost" if Jimmy and Emmo want to buy the team. |
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__________________
Don't make a fuss, just get on the bus! |
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23 Dec 2003, 09:22 (Ref:818789)
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#7 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,508
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It's good to see some positive news regarding the championship, hopefully all the proposed teams & drivers come to fruition.
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23 Dec 2003, 11:27 (Ref:818847)
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#8 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 13,000
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To put it another way, Paul will want to ensure 16 cars from other teams before tying up a second car of his own. It's a shame we haven't had public confirmations of more of those cars, as we seem to be dealing largely in rumours, although there's plenty of time.
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23 Dec 2003, 11:42 (Ref:818867)
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#9 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 679
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Quote:
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__________________
"Drinking makes such fools of people, and people are such fools to begin with that it's compounding a felony." Robert Benchley |
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23 Dec 2003, 14:19 (Ref:819024)
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#10 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 153
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Sponsorship will continue to be an issue for the next few years I believe. Right now the only viable marketing tool within all of open wheel racing is the Indy 500. Like or not it’s the only race in both series that still pulls big television numbers. We need to turn Long Beach into a spectacle on a much grander scale and make it our marquee race. Sell it like it’s the Daytona/Indy or Champ Car and market it like crazy. Put it on CBS and pay for commercial time. Why not a Champ Car commercial during the super bowl? Sort of a “It’s coming….THE NEW CHAMP CAR! Open Wheel’s biggest race…Open Wheel’s brightest stars…Open Wheel’s fastest cars…The Grand Prix of Long Beach! COMING IN APRIL! Catch us..if you can!”
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"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older." - Mario Andretti |
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23 Dec 2003, 14:20 (Ref:819027)
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#11 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 153
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By the way, I forgot to mention. Notice the play on words: "Open Wheel's fastest cars.." Since our company is called Open Wheel it's a play on words. Whether F1 or IRL cars are truly faster doesn't matter. Compared to Atlantics, Trans Am and other "Open Wheel" owned racing series Champ Cars are the fastest! MESSAGE TO CART: I AM FOR HIRE!
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__________________
"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older." - Mario Andretti |
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23 Dec 2003, 14:29 (Ref:819036)
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#12 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,376
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IMHO, being aired on Spike TV, is going to present huge sponsorship problems for the series. Many sponsors will not want to be seen, or have a need to be seen on this low-brow "network" unfortunately.
Spike may reach more homes than Speed, but who really watches it? PS - gaines, you are correct, Long Beach HAS to become a marquee event, the Monaco of Champ Cars. |
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"I don't feel insecure about 'being girlie'. I do as much media as I can because I want this IRL series to be so kick-butt that NASCAR goes, 'Huh?'" Danica Patrick |
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23 Dec 2003, 14:30 (Ref:819037)
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#13 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,512
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heard that negociations between Patrick and Fittipaldi have failed; Emerson's 2nd car is in doubt.
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You got to learn how to fall, before you learn to fly P.Simon |
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23 Dec 2003, 14:38 (Ref:819042)
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#14 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,183
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The only racing website I have heard that on is AR1 under their rumour section which doesn't mean a hole hell of a lot!
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__________________
Give them good ol' boys the chrome horn PT! |
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23 Dec 2003, 14:38 (Ref:819043)
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#15 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,744
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OWRS will have to help pay for teams to run, so that helps with some of the sponsor issues, but certainly leave a big hole.
Are we sure Jimmy was told to get lost by Patrick? Patrick basically paid out of pocket for Jimmy to run. |
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__________________
No Rotor, No Motor. |
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23 Dec 2003, 15:31 (Ref:819070)
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#16 | |||
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Racer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 153
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Quote:
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__________________
"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older." - Mario Andretti |
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23 Dec 2003, 15:36 (Ref:819074)
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#17 | |||
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Racer
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 393
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Quote:
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__________________
In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. |
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23 Dec 2003, 16:31 (Ref:819118)
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#18 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,376
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Do you know how much a TV commercial costs during the Super Bowl? It's enough to put OWRS out of business before it gets started.
It would be far cheaper to put on a race in South Africa! |
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"I don't feel insecure about 'being girlie'. I do as much media as I can because I want this IRL series to be so kick-butt that NASCAR goes, 'Huh?'" Danica Patrick |
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23 Dec 2003, 16:38 (Ref:819126)
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#19 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 995
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zerO - why are speculating that Bruno Junqueira might be replaced by RHR? Its been confirmed for a LONG time now that Bruno will be driving in CHAMPCAR for NH.
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"You will never know the feeling of a driver when winning a race. The helmet hides feelings that cannot be understood." - Ayrton Senna |
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23 Dec 2003, 16:53 (Ref:819143)
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#20 | ||
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Rookie
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 32
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Swedish F3 driver Robert Dahlgren who drove in the english F3 championship this year said on an interview with a Swedish tv channel that there are teams in CART that are interested in him and he had been over there for a couple of meetings. So their is a possibility that he will race there next year.
Last edited by Nicke; 23 Dec 2003 at 16:53. |
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__________________
/Nicke Supporting McLaren, J. Villeneuve and Björn Wirdheim. |
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23 Dec 2003, 18:19 (Ref:819219)
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#21 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,153
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Quote:
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23 Dec 2003, 18:23 (Ref:819223)
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#22 | |
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,153
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On another note, now that Team American Spirit is gone, shouldn't Team Mi-Jack be fielding 2 cars with Jenuet Champagne as the sponsor?
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23 Dec 2003, 18:25 (Ref:819225)
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#23 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 343
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Ha ha ha ha ha! Good one cork!
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23 Dec 2003, 20:31 (Ref:819346)
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#24 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 549
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Quote:
zerO |
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23 Dec 2003, 20:39 (Ref:819352)
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#25 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 549
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Quote:
zerO |
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