The latest on Rahal

[power&glory]

This was posted at another forum at 2:44 pm, U.S. Central Time:

OK...This is for all the guys that dont believe in me before. Jourdain will stay in CART with Team Rahal sponsored by GIGANTE. Expect in a few hours the official Anouncment.

TRUST ME GUYS !!!

This guy is an insider of some sort, very close to the team or Bobby, and has been giving updates all day long.

He said earlier today that Rahal, a guy from Gigante and Kevin Kalkhoven had dinner last night in Mexico.

From what I have inferred from this forum, originally Gentilozzi was in Mexico, but then he left and Kalkhoven came in.

[codename_47]

You'll forgive me for not actually trusting any rumour recently, we've had everything from 25 cars at Long Beach with Mario Andretti running the series, to Long Beach being off and the demise of Champ Cars in the last two/Three days.....

But it's the first positive rumour in a few days...here's where THAT word comes in again, but I HOPE it's true!

[Fogelhund]

Rahal_Fan has been posting here

http://forums.motorsport.com/forums/....php?forumid=4

Frankly, he isn't believed as a credible person at that site, so take it with a grain of salt.

[Fogelhund]

and that official announcement... right, thought so.

[indycool]

Some consider him credible, others don't. There's another poster over there who acts credible that says the opposite. Bottom line is "we don't know."

[climb]

Ultimately it's just a matter of money: although Rahal was very clear earlier this year about his preference for having one sole series, I suppose that, finding a sufficient funding to run a driver in Cart, he'll just do it.

[Fogelhund]

On SpeedTV, there is poster that states that there has been an announcement on a Mexican radio station, that Jourdain and Gigante will be staying in CART. No mention of Rahal. They call it an "official" statement.

There is nothing on print to back this up as of yet.

[Amar7605]

There is a rumor going around that Jourdain and Gigante will be in the series, but not with Rahal. They might be signing on with Forsythe.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by Amar7605
There is a rumor going around that Jourdain and Gigante will be in the series, but not with Rahal. They might be signing on with Forsythe.

This is very strange... Forsythe has three drivers contracted (Tracy, LavÃ*n and Carpentier), has committed to run two of them (Tracy and LavÃ*n) and now would get a fourth under his wings?

It sounds unlikely to me.

[Amar7605]

I agree. I keep thinking Forsythe but I have doubts on that. It has to be another team. Maybe Rocketsports or something like that. After all, PG was in Mexico recently...

[Muzza]

Hello, Amar7605,

After all the flak they took for the "poaching" of pay-drivers I have serious doubt that either Forsythe, Gentilozzi or Kalkhoven would run a third, well-sponsored driver.

In my opinion, if Jourdain and Gigante were to be in Champ Cars but not with Rahal, they would not run for any of the Tres Amigos. It would be possible, though, that one of them - as Forsythe - would hire Jourdain and actually pay another team to run him (this has been done in the past a number of times, in CART and other series), but this is a little too far into conjectures.


Muzza

[The Snout]

Jourdain going to PG makes more sense than GF. But until something official comes out we won't know, he may still be at Rahal for that matter.

[macdaddy]

What if they exchanged Jordain for Carpentier?
Anything's possible - that's been proven time and again this year!

[Muzza]

Originally posted by The Snout
Jourdain going to PG makes more sense than GF. But until something official comes out we won't know, he may still be at Rahal for that matter.

Agreed, The Snout.

In the hypothesis that Jourdain and Gigante remain in Champ Cars but not with Rahal and that Gigante is to run for either Gentilozzi or Forsythe (and that's a very long if), Rocketsports would be more probable.

Rocketsports has seven tubs (chassis) and lots of spares (source: Paul Gentilozzi).

Forsythe has six tubs and not enough spares for all (I got this from Phil LePen, Forsythe manager of operations).

Cheers,


Muzza

[Amar7605]

Yeah but Patrick, God bless him, still has no sponsor.

[Fogelhund]

I'm undecided on whether one of the three amigos signing and running Jourdain would be better for the series long term, or worse then him going to IRL????

I can't see Rahal walking away from CART on his own accord, without Jourdain and Gigante, then running the Atlantic team and Formula BWM team with OWRS. That doesn't ring true to me.

If Rahal leaves, I would think it would be with Jourdain and Gigante. If Jourdain and Gigante stay, logic dictates that Rahal will be with them.

A very silly season.

[Amar7605]

This season isn't silly. It's INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!
OWRS really should pursue a series sponsorship with Excedrin Migrane tablets. The fans will LOVE to buy them like candy!

[carsten66]

But don't forget, Gigante is Jourdain's Sponsor – not Rahal's – and Jourdain said that he is not interested in running only leftside...

[indycool]

I can see this happening. Gigante and Jourdain opt out of their deal with Rahal and become free agents in OWRS, or "sign and trade" as they say in stick-and-ball sports. Forsythe and Heitzler do it because Gigante is a big sponsor of theirs at Monterrey and give 'em a sweetheart package deal to stick around to savethe $$$ for their race in Monterrey. Rahal adds a car in IRL and runs Yasukawa, who's signed for Motegi and Indy already, till Brack gets back, then has three drivers available for two cars, or runs all three the rest of the way and his race team is assured of running a series.

[The Snout]

Remember Rahal was quoted last week after AF left saying that he was 'sick of it all' more or less. May have meant he would rather just drop the Champ Car deal and focus on his IRL effort.

If MJ stays with Gigante and Rahal leaves it's the best deal all round. Rahal can focus on his one catagory, OWRS loses someone who's heart wasn't in it while retaining a driver sponsor who want to be with them. It's also being rumoured elsewhere that Newman-Haas have said they're staying, as they are testing at Fontana currently with Herdez on the road course.

[sgw2]

IC, Snout,

I think this is not the way it'll go down. Rahal may be sick of it, but if he turns a profit and Gigante wants to stay in OWRS then he'll run out the contract this year. The deal is EOL after the year anyway. Most likely Bobby will simply distance himself from the operation, and focus more on the IRL.

Were Gigante to move, based upon the comments Carpentier made, I dod not think Forsythe would be the team he'd run with. More likely PKVR, as Kalkhoven bought the resources of Patrick racing, as this is one of the shops Forsythe tried to sell Carpentier on moving to (I think Conquest is not acceptable). The only way I see Forsythe taking over the operation is if he buys the CART equipment and some staffing contracts from Rahal. Bobby is a businessman first.

But be that as it may, I think the reason PG and KK are in Mexico in the first place is because Gigante wants to pull the plug on OWRS. Were the issue Rahal, then they'd be in Ohio. Afterall Rahal was still very anti-IRL when he agreed to run Brack when the Swede came to him with the proposal. Business first. That is my WAG. And right now everybody is just giving a WAG.

[indycool]

Good points, sgw2. Another factor in the mix is Gigante is a big sponsor of the Mexican races and Forsythe and Heitzler would want to keep them down there. There are a lot of elements to this and where all of it lands is anyone's guess. If Forsythe signs Gigante/Jourdain for a car, it's no doubt a bigger deal with the Mexican race sponsorships. But does a guy like Jourdain want to go to Conqueste, either? Rahal could be like Fernandez....thinking the thing could go up in smoke any minute and bail. Both could've been watching what Patrick did, sell his equipment before his race cars and investment had a chance to be flower pots.

[power&glory]

According to several posters at other forums, a nationally syndicated Mexican radio station reported that Jourdain will be driving for Rahal with Gigante sponsorship in 2004.

[indycool]

Yes, I've seen that, and the guy over at Mtrspts forum. Time will tell.

[power&glory]

Actually, now I'm reading the opposite, that Rahal is gone but Michel and Gigante will stay together, just like you all have been saying.
Whatever...