F1 Split = Bernie E. + CART?

[Dov]

There is an interesting article on F1 (possibly) splitting up written by Dan Knutson. Five of F1's manufacturers are not happy with the way the lucractive TV and commercial rights revenues are being distributed. In 2001, five of the manufacturers formed the Grand Prix World Championship (GPWC). Fiat/Ferrari,BMW,Ford/Jaguar,Renault and DaimlerChrysler/Mercedes. They insist the money that F1 generates must be distributed more equitably. If this does not happen, the GPWC will start its own F1 series in 2008. Some F1 insiders believe the reason Ecclestone and F1 are creating closer links with CART is to have a supply of teams and venues in place should the split happen.

If you want to read his article, just go to espn.com, scroll down the left side of the page and click on (more sports). Then on the next page click on Motorsports and that will take you to the rpm/espn.com page.

[¡As-de-mim!]

Originally posted by Dov
They insist the money that F1 generates must be distributed more equitably.

That's the same reason CART was started in '79

[Liz]

This is the same thing they have been saying for the last five years.

[Lee Janotta]

Yeah. Still makes me want to vomit every time it's suggested though (Bernie + CART. F1 breaking up, I could care less these days).

[Dov]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Yeah. Still makes me want to vomit every time it's suggested though (Bernie + CART. F1 breaking up, I could care less these days).

You should care. Bernie E. doesn't have to own CART, but if we (CART) keep strong ties with F1, CART will survive and even thrive in the future. If we don't stay close to F1, then the IRL might be the only open wheel racing series left in North America to watch.

[Lee Janotta]

CART and F1 were never close, they were direct rivals throughout the '80s and '90s. CART, you'll remember, STOLE Long Beach from F1!

F1's chocking on it's own excess, and rightly so, CART should stay as far away from Mosely, Eccelstone, Ron Dennis, and the rest as possible. The series will benefit from ties with other non-FIA "rogue" sanctions like ACO/IMSA (can anyone say "North American Rally Championship???)

The FIA has _never_ gotten any sort of grasp on how to suceed in western hemisphere markets. It's a vacuum CART, IMSA and their ilk can't afford _not_ to exploit. But to do so they need to maintain, and even build a totally separate identity from the European-dominated FIA.

[Dov]

Remember Lee that CART has become a world wide racing series, unlike the IRL. We race in North America, Europe and Austrailia. CART has lost engine manufacturers (Honda/Toyota) surprisingly to the IRL. We've lost company sponsors like Marlboro, Kool, Shell and a few others that I can't rememeber right now. Player's is leaving after this year. Chris Pook has done a great job so far and if CART can go it alone, then Im all for it. But this series needs more sponsorship and more manufacturers (engine/tire). You said that CART should have ties with IMSA and the North American Rally Championship. That alliance may help CART? But to what degree?

[Lee Janotta]

Worldwide, not quite. Every series has it's base. F1, WRC, FIA SSC and GT, F3000... They're all very-much based in Europe. Don't fool yourself, CART is based in the US and Canada, and has enormous potential to capitalise even further on Brazil and Latin American markets, and maybe add another race in Australia, which is also a market the FIA has never been able to crack (not that they've really even bothered). And handful of races in the saturated European market won't change that.

CART lost sponsors because it lost it's focus on it's strengths, it's home markets. Management got cocky, and believed the series could keep growing infinitely, until Penske, Andretti, Toyota and Honda all kicked the series squarely in the crotch. And while it was passed out on the ground, someone stole it's wallet, jewelry and keys. But the series still has it's home, it's bank account, and it's life partner Ford standing by it.

The factors that gave CART it's rise to popularity are all still there, but they have to be arranged properly.

To what degree could these alliances help? To the degree that CART can still win the war!!! Three series can share promotion, their fanbase, sponsor marketing, even talent switching between the series! (Imagine CART drivers showing up at Sebring, it'd be fantastic!)

CART needs backup. The IRL has NASCAR, the FIA is massive... CART needs to go private again, and build a CARTel!

And as for North American rallying, the potential is _huge_, and it's being squandered by the SCCA. If IMSA took it over and grew the series aggressively, they'd make a killing.

[Dov]

Im starting to agree with you Lee, but we'll see what the future holds. We all want what's best for CART. Hopefully Chris Pook will direct C>RT in the right direction. CHEERS!

[Jay]

For the most part I agree with Lee. Cart has to regain its North American market share, and for the most part I"d say their doing that. The one problem I see is TV; Cart has to get most of its races back onto the major networks and shown live or tape delayed by no more than a few hours. That's what I see as Cart's greatest weakness this year.

[Lee Janotta]

Agreed Jay... They need a better TV package. But at the moment, in the Pook era, they need to get all their ducks in a row, stop the bleeding... Line up a fresh generation of STARS, not just drivers (some of the more successful ones from this year, plus Allmendinger, Patrick, maybe Phil Giebler, and another English Canadian), and promote the hell out of them. Send them to Indy, maybe even Daytona, give them some exposure... That'll sweeten the TV drastically.

They need to get FOX to put a few races on FOX Sports or FX, they've got _much_ better market penetration than Speed Channel, I'm sorry to say.

And they desperatly need a couple Brazilian rounds, Jacarapagua and Brasilia both.

[The Snout]

I like the ideas a lot.

I believe that Brazil may answer the call next year with one race anyway, in time if successful then they may go to a 2nd in a few years. Cart needs as you say to make some more Stars and with so much focus on Cart this year to see how we travel,the new teams etc, the exposure we get may well get that rolling.

[Liz]

Send them to INDY?

Absolutely not. The divorce is final; let's stop showing up at the ex-wife's door with bouquets.

[Dov]

The question is how do we get the major sponsors back. The've all left CART for the IRL or NASCAR. We have a few small companys sponsoring CART, but that money won't last long or move CART forward. Anybody have any good ideas?

[The Snout]

Cart's doing everything it can to make itself look attractive to sponsors. I don't think too many good ideas are needed, we just have to work on having great racing, looking after the fans, and work on a better TV package over the next few years plus offer better value to our current sponsors. If all these fall into line, and Cart grows it's support and popularity, the sponsors will follow.

[evo]

...and another English Canadian...

Michael Valiante... or me! But I need a few years to get ready.

Valiante is ready now. Not only an Anglo-Canuck, but a Western Canadian, something we've not had since Greg Moore.

[Dov]

Originally posted by The Snout
Cart's doing everything it can to make itself look attractive to sponsors. I don't think too many good ideas are needed, we just have to work on having great racing, looking after the fans, and work on a better TV package over the next few years plus offer better value to our current sponsors. If all these fall into line, and Cart grows it's support and popularity, the sponsors will follow.

I totally agree. Nothing else needs to be said, except let's go racing. C>RT Keep on Rollin!

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by Liz
Send them to INDY?

Absolutely not. The divorce is final; let's stop showing up at the ex-wife's door with bouquets.

It's really more akin to putting sugar in the ex's gas tank...

The fact is, CART needs stars to get exposure... We can't make those stars unless they get exposure... So we've got to put them in front of an audience that's already there. That really means sending them to Daytona and Indy. If they perform well, people'll start following them back to CART, and we'll have a case for getting a better TV package.

The ship isn't sinking anymore, but it's still getting blown around by the winds and currents... It needs a tow!

[evo]

How bout Champ Car rides for guys who are big names in NASCAR and IRL? Could you imagine the exposure if guys like Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish left thier series to run CART full-time? That'd be great.

The question is how in the hell do you convince those guys to join CART?

[Jay]

Money, that's the only way with those guys. I'm not sure it'd be worth it though if they weren't competitive. Busch has almost no road racing experience and Sam Hornish Jr. wasn't anything special in Atlantic when it came to road/street courses. He did have one oval win though.

I think it's a better idea to promote the guys we have as stars. There's a lot of potential big names in this year's field.

[Lee Janotta]

Yeah, Kurt Busch isn't that big anyway... Though getting some guys out of USAC or the NASCAR feeder ranks might not be a bad idea. Lotta talent there.

Too many broken promises to guys in Atlantics like Rocky Moran, though. Those guys deserve shots already.

[pferrf1]

Sam Hornish? Really evo - the guy is a chump. He'll be Nascaring soon enough.

[evo]

Nono, I don't want Sam Hornish. But he is the IRL's biggest name. Kurt Busch was just the first NASCAR driver to come to mind (because of the test at Spring Training). But getting a big NASCAR guy in the series would maybe convert some NASCAR folk???

As for the IRL, the best thing that could happen there is for Scott Dixon to win the Indy 500 and the championship this year, and then say "see ya" and come back to CART. That would be awesome!

[Omega99]

Originally posted by evo
Michael Valiante... or me! But I need a few years to get ready.

Valiante is ready now. Not only an Anglo-Canuck, but a Western Canadian, something we've not had since Greg Moore.

Yep, I'd love to see it too, but I think it would be best for Valiante to spend one more year in Atlantics. He's still very young, and some extra development couldn't help. No doubt we'll see him soon though, most likely on Team Forsythe, if they find a new sponsor....

Hey, speaking of which, does anybody know if they have a sponsor lined up for next year!? (ie. Molson ) We better not loose this team...

[Dov]

(1)Im interested in hearing how Chris Pook will get more Americans into CART.(2)Their's a young Canuck from Vancouver,B.C. named David Rutledge who should have had a ride by now. He drove for Lynx Racing a few years back in the Toyota/Atlantic series. He finished first or second in the championship. But being a North American I guess he doesn't have the money behind him like most of the up and coming European racers do.(3)Am I the only one that finds it funny that Toyota supplies their engines to CARTS feeder series (Toyota/Atlantic). (4)I understand why Liz doesn't want the CART drivers to go back to Indy , but it's better for business (CARTS) if we put our personal differences aside.