Silly Season Update...

[sgw2]

macdaddy,

This requirement definitely existed for Fontana (gone now) and Mexico City. I found both contracts in the SEC filings. In fact for those two events the requirement was 20, with a finacial penalty of $200K per car under 20 for Mexico City and IIRC $100K per car at Fontana, plus an additional penalty of 200K if Fontana is not the last race. If the car count is below 20 but 16 or more the promoter has the option to cancel. It isn't clear below 16, but it seems to be implied that CART would not be in compliance below 16 and the contract void. I would assume that the Monterrey, Mexico contract is similar since GRAND is the promoter for both Mexican races.

I don't know what the Molson deal is in Canada, or the Dover Downs deal, or the individual deals with Laguna Seca and Road America. I do know that St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Laguna Seca have a network TV requirement.

Bottom line, 20 is required to get the full sanctioning fee everywhere, 18 for many races, and 16 is something of a drop dead number.

[macdaddy]

Thanx.

[evo]

Roberto has confirmed that he will not be back at Herdez Competition next year.

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_s...me=auto_racing

[jetsetter]

As big a shame as it is that Moreno's CART career looks over, at 44 he's had a long career & things can't last forever.

[Tenoch]

I think that herdez never really the intention of retaining Moreno, its a real shame because he did so much for that team and now Super Mario is going to be the veteran, which is just so damn crazy.

[Tailwind]

That’s really going to bug me if RuSPORT can’t find the money to run Champ Car in 2004 and takes the Toyota money for a run in the IRL. I understand that if you have a choice of a well financed team or paying out of pocket, the choice is pretty clear. Still, it would just be sad for them to not be able to get the funds. Coors is based in Colorado and so is RuSPORT. Coors sponsored Scott Dixion in a one off race at Denver in 2002. They were a partial sponsor of the 2003 Denver race. It just seems like a good fit. The kid shows a lot of promise. He came up the C^RT ladder series with the goal of landing in Champ Cars. I would sure hate to see him go somewhere else. Here’s an idea. The New Belgium Brewing Company is based out of Fort Collins Colorado. They aren’t mammoth like Coors, Miller, or Anheiser-Busch, but they have gone nation wide. They make “Fat Tire” plus a bunch of others. Now “Fat Tire” painted on a car with tires as wide as the slicks on a Champ Car would be sweet.

[429CJ]

Let's hope there will be a seat for JJ Lehto, too!

[macdaddy]

Thinking about the AR1 rumour that KOOL will sponsor Forsythe next year...

When they signed PT, he was pretty much able to dictate what he wanted. (Lola, ect.)

If there is any truth to the story, perhaps PT can do it again?
"Find somebody else!"
Surely he hasn't forgotten about the "gag order" already!

I doubt if there's any basis to the rumour in the first place.

[Liz]

Is JJ looking for a CART drive?

Wouldn't Forsythe have to move his outfit to the USA in order to run tobacco sponsorship?

[evo]

I believe Forsythe's team is based in Indianapolis. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Jay]

Forsythe's outfit is already based in the states...Indianapolis to be exact. It's only his sponsor that was from Canada. I see no reason he couldn't have tobacco sponsorship from the US...except for the US tobacco laws...which will soon make all tobacco sponsorship illegal there too. Bring on the breweries!

[429CJ]

Originally posted by Liz
Is JJ looking for a CART drive?

What I've heard he had some negotiations with Stefan Johansson, but when the situation there is what it is now, I'm not sure if there is a drive anymore.

[Martin]

The American Spirit has been drank dry now, it's unlikely that they'll be back. Lehto will have to stick to sportscars.

Have Haberfeld or Servia been linked ot otehr drives, given that they're likely to lose their current ones?

Is there naything more on the rumour of Newman-Haas running 3 cars, the third for Ryan Hunter-Reay?

[macdaddy]

Welcome to the forum, Martin!
I haven't heard the names Haberfeld or Servia floated about in connection with any other rides, and your post was the first I've heard about N/H running three cars.

[jjspierx]

I've heard rumour about N/H running three cars as well. I believe the rumour started from this site.

http://www.champweb.net/silly/index.htm

[indycool]

I don't think anyone knows what N-H is going to do, and I'm not sure they know. They're testing IRL cars at several tracks. Last year, N-H was last to announce its plans after Pook patched a grid back together. IMO, like others, they're waiting to see what happens and hedging their bets.

[kmchow]

There were rumors that Roberto Moreno was goind down under to race in their V8 Supercar series. It's similar to Nascar in terms of sponsors and popularity. However, they use 4 door sedans and the bodies are more production based compared to Nascar's silhouette series construction.

[Jay]

Well...if Paul Newmann has any say in it, they'll have two cars in CART as always. He was very adament about that on Letterman last night, and it was a subject that he brought up, not Dave.

[Omega99]

Letterman is sure doing a lot to help promote the series lately. Bringing on Paul Newman (not just because of his racing connections, I realise), Paul Tracy, and I think Jourdain was on there a while back if I'm not mistaken. Good to see.

[Tailwind]

It won't be long I'm sure until the law makers start trying to ban alcohol advertising "for our own good" as well.

I see no reason he couldn't have tobacco sponsorship from the US...except for the US tobacco laws...which will soon make all tobacco sponsorship illegal there too. Bring on the breweries!

[Tailwind]

Here's a few new rumors from Champ Web:

Rumors have surfaced that Paul Tracy may be looking to buy out of his Forsythe contract...

Considering the season he just had, I don't know why he would want to do that.

With regard to Patrick racing:

Champweb has learned that Paul Tracy may take a minority interest in the team as a silent partner.

If he has the money, he and Vasser could run a team.

And ASTJ:

Word is that Ryan Hunter-Reay will continue with ASTJ as a one car operation. Along those lines, it is also said that a team principal has been let go, who will remain anonymous until further information.

This implies that ASTJ is still planning on running in 2004. I wonder who the team principal is.

[indycool]

Think that'd be Johansson. He and Nick Hunter-Reay are said to be not getting along.

[Tailwind]

So would the team then be ASTHR? American Spirt Team Hunter-Reay?

Sorry...
That would be strange to start the team and then get booted by your own team.

[macdaddy]

Thank goodness for a few spicy rumours... otherwise we'd have nothing to talk about for another month!

PT opting out of Forsythe, to buy into Patrick? No doubt he'd be one of the team's drivers, given that scenerio. But (for the time being at least) I'll classify this one as "extremely unlikely"...

The ASTJ rumour is much more believable.

[Snrub]

Purely speculative: Jimmy and PT have to have a fair bit of money together. I don't see why PT couldn't get involved in his friend's venture while remaining at Forsythe. Recall one of PT's earlier ventures involved a certain karter who is now trying to get involved in the series. Is it impossile to suggest RuSport's troubles could be aleviated by joining forces in CART with the troubled Patrick team?

The way things are looking there will be little finacial assistance so the preliminary OWRS schedule will have have to be chopped and some teams may have to band together to survive.