Minardi Team USA (merged)

[dedalus5150]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Katherine Legge has also been mentioned as a possibility. Has Stoddart actually mentioned Philippe or Clarke directly?

From press conference:

Q: Is there a chance Katherine Legge could be part of your lineup?
PAUL STODDART: There is a chance that Katherine, together with several other drivers, could be a part of our lineup. I think the only hint I've given on that so far is to say that there's somebody who has driven a Minardi likely in the lineup at some point next year.

Q: Paul, in the beginning you alluded to two drivers being confirmed, with a possibility of more. Can you talk about if the drivers from last year, Nelson Philippe and Dan Clarke, are in the mix or not? And the second part of the question is, you mentioned the possibility of a third car, is there any possibility of a fourth car or is three your absolute maximum?
PAUL STODDART: It was actually two cars that were confirmed with a possibility of a third. In terms of drivers, yes, for sure, both Nelson and Dan are still in the picture. And in addition to that there are at least two other drivers that we are talking very seriously to and one or two that we are in earlier stages of negotiations with.
So it would be wrong for us to go into that today other than to say that we are actively talking to four and more. And a fourth car, I think that would be a bit much for next year. I think a third car is what we're aiming for and if we can see that we've got three drivers that will complement each other, complement the information and data feedback to the team, you know, then it's a possibility.

[indycool]

Okay.

[EuropaBambaataa]

"I think the only hint I've given on that so far is to say that there's somebody who has driven a Minardi likely in the lineup at some point next year."

I hope there's a chance, however slim, for Tiago Monteiro. He was a Minardi test-driver in 2004, and has Champ Car experience from 2003. I think he could have had a better season if it wasn't for the Reynard chassis, and I'd rather see him fighting in the first half of the grid than wasting government funds, sorry, sponsorship money in the back of F1's grid.

[gttouring]

sheeesh with Minardi pockets in champcar- they can easily dominate...
go PAUL!

of course if the drivers are rubbish in the new cars then- Go PAUL!
Minardi team USA will undoubtedly have superior results to mere points finishes like in F1

[indycool]

Why? The only things changed so far are the owner and the name of the team. What should be different about performance from that?

[NoGuts-NoGlory]

Originally Posted by indycool

Why? The only things changed so far are the owner and the name of the team. What should be different about performance from that?

With respect indycool, your sentiments are rather simplistic. Stoddart brings a wealth know-how, capital and international racing contacts both in the corporate and racing fraternity. CTE-HVM Racing were a team that were always struggling to stay afloat in champcar and there have been a number of seasons when Keith Wiggins barely keep the ship afloat.

Stoddart's purchase of the team now gives it financial stability for the future and less time spent trying to find money to go racing. The cars will be better prepared and developed than they ever have been within the limits of Champcars guidelines and restrictions. They became instantly with Stoddart's involvement a team that can rub shoulders against the likes of Forsythe and NHR. The Champcar series as a whole was also strengthened with Stoddarts involvement.

Moreover, the addition of the Minardi name to champcar will bring further recognition to the CCWS the world over. In fact, this has already started, the euro based f1 sites are all talking about the Minardi to champcar news. if you read the euro f1 forums as I do, all sorts of f1 fans are saying they will now tune in to Champcar next year because of Stoddart's and minardi's involvement.

[enemy-ace]

Originally Posted by NoGuts-NoGlory

They became instantly with Stoddart's involvement a team that can rub shoulders against the likes of Forsythe and NHR.

I agree with everything you said except maybe this. While the possibility does exist, the certainty does not. The HVM-CTE team has good potential though and with the Minardi team I would expect them to be stonger. Budget doesn't win races though, just ask Toyota.
Mind you with the new car everyone starts from scratch. For all we know Newman-Haas may struggle at the outset while Minardi may flourish.
Either way the coming season will be ripe with possibilities and I can't wait for it to start.

[NoGuts-NoGlory]

Well, stoddart had a reputation for fostering the most loyal and hardest working crew in F1 against insurmountable odds. His organization skills along with his financial resourcefulness bode well for Minardi USA to not just compete in Champcar , but to challenge for podiums in my view.

We shall see soon enough I guess!

[Nado]

With Power, Briscoe and Stoddart in, I'm definitely tuning in next year, particularly with the new car. I tuned in for a few of the early races this year but got disinterested quickly unfortunately.

[Pro Racer]

Briscoe not in yet.

[indycool]

NGNG, I, too, have seen it well-publicized on all the F1 sites. The way it's being done, you'd think it was Enzo Ferrari instead of Paul Stoddart. In non-U.S. countries, and this forum is probably the most international of any forum, this means a lot more than it does in the U.S. Although the USGP at Indy is always in the top three attendance-wise for F1 with more than 100,000 on Race Day, F1 has little prominence here and the general race fan probably hasn't heard of Paul Stoddart.

But to think a last-place car owner in F1 is going to be a microwave to a midpack CC team is, IMO, a bit much. CC may be F1 Lite to some, but I don't think a car owner who was the "litest" in F1 knows any more than the brick-and-mortar guys who have been running that team, some of whom also have F1 experience.

Sure, he provides money. How much? How is it to be spent? Rumor has it that KK was backing that team, so did he just buy KK out and everything else stays the same? As far as teams looking for money, teams are ALWAYS looking for money and Stoddart isn't going to be any different in that respect.

Just IMO, but I don't think this translates to the race track at all.

[EuropaBambaataa]

Originally Posted by indycool

But to think a last-place car owner in F1 is going to be a microwave to a midpack CC team is, IMO, a bit much. CC may be F1 Lite to some, but I don't think a car owner who was the "litest" in F1 knows any more than the brick-and-mortar guys who have been running that team, some of whom also have F1 experience.

Stoddart is a much more well connected guy than Wiggins. Keep in mind that Stoddart is a businessman, while Wiggins has always been primarily a grease monkey (and I mean this in the least offending possible way).

So, as someone else has said, Stoddart brings in much needed finantial know-how, and Wiggins is now free to do what he does best, run a team.

As for backmarker teams making it big in "lite" championships after dropping out of F1, it's nothing new. Scuderia Italia has won the FIA GT Championship. Zakspeed has won the DRM, the DTM, the Nurburgring 24 Hours and V8 STAR. Osella are still a successful prototype manufacturer.

[enemy-ace]

Originally Posted by EuropaBambaataa

"I think the only hint I've given on that so far is to say that there's somebody who has driven a Minardi likely in the lineup at some point next year."

I hope there's a chance, however slim, for Tiago Monteiro. He was a Minardi test-driver in 2004, and has Champ Car experience from 2003. I think he could have had a better season if it wasn't for the Reynard chassis, and I'd rather see him fighting in the first half of the grid than wasting government funds, sorry, sponsorship money in the back of F1's grid.

It may happen as it appears the second seat has gone to somebody else.
I think Monteiro would certainly be a strong candidate.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56078

[indycool]

Europa, that those other teams have done well in other championships is fine. All of those were TEAMS changing series. This is just an owner and name change. There's a difference.

[enemy-ace]

Originally Posted by indycool

Europa, that those other teams have done well in other championships is fine. All of those were TEAMS changing series. This is just an owner and name change. There's a difference.

The nucleus of the CTE-HVM team was strong however and the possibility of Stoddart adding former Minardi (maybe current) employees is fairly strong I would suspect.

[Snrub]

Originally Posted by indycool

Sure, he provides money. How much? How is it to be spent? Rumor has it that KK was backing that team, so did he just buy KK out and everything else stays the same? As far as teams looking for money, teams are ALWAYS looking for money and Stoddart isn't going to be any different in that respect.

How many of the teams have enough sponsorship to be able to pay their bills? Even NH was couldn't cover its own expenses in 2006. It's pretty obvious that KK/GF must contribute a significant amount to each team. I suspect how much depends on the team's independant resources. It would appear that KK/GF make sure that each team can show up to each race and compete, but that's about it. The better teams have more equipment, more people, higher paid people which all translates into more performance.

Recall that TA spent most of its money towards the end of the year on improving its shock/suspension performance to increase the chances of success with the curbs at Surfers. As a result they did not complete a track test session that was available. A team like NH or Forsythe would do both.

More importantly a good manager knows how to utilize resources, get the right people together and get people to work together well, etc. Minardi under Stoddart didn't beat factory teams just because they were lucky, they brought everything together.

[indycool]

What factory teams did Minardi beat regularly?

[JohnSSC]

I think we need to get a grip here and look at this from the standpoint that simple involvement in F1 does not make someone an improvement over current personnel.

I think, IC, that based on what I have seen on the F1 forum here is that there was a certain "romance" regarding Stoddart and Minardi as he was the "last of the privateers." Now, what this made Peter Sauber or for that matter, Frank Williams is beyond me. My take on Minardi was that they were underfunded and really did not belong in F1.

Let's take the rose-colored glasses off a moment. The cars were crap running 6 seconds or more off the quali pace on a regular basis. Even after "the radical new Minardi" (their words, not mine) was introduced the gap was still in the 4 to 6 second range. During the time PS owned Minardi, his team became sort of a Dale Coyne Racing F1-style. Bernie Ecclestone put his own money into the team to keep it afloat and the major qualification to be a driver there was the ability to bring wads of $$. Also during his time there PS had his airline go bankrupt and he really brought no new money to the team for an increase in the funding levels. God bless Red Bull for buying the team and putting it out of it's misery. The point totals for the team during Stoddart's tenure speak for themselves.

Now we have PS coming to ChampCar and the assumption is that somehow he has more expertise to run a successful team in a spec series than all the other fellows who have been running a team in a spec series for years. further, somehow it is presumed that he will automatically be bringing more $$ and et voila, instant success. I have news for him: there are some rather clever chaps already here who might have a bit to say about it!

Well my friends, PS has a history. That history (in F1) was to bring in Just Enough $$ to keep the team afloat. I suspect that he has raised Just Enough $$ to buy out KK's ownership of this team and fund it for the season.

I doubt very much that he is going to dramatically raise the performance bar for this team and I solemnly swear on a stack of whatever you all hold sacred that if his team wins the Championship I will apologize and admit I was wrong right here in this Forum.

[Coyote99]

I would very much like to have proof that KK owned or partially owned this team. Please post a credible source which outlines this or please stop spreading rumors af it it was almost certainty.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by indycool

What factory teams did Minardi beat regularly?

It knocked around Jag at the start 02.

CTE this season had very good car speed. Stoddart brings extra $$$ and resources, so dramatically improving results will be difficult. What I do think he will bring is consistency which over time should lead to dramatically improved performance ie. challenging the top 2

[alonso11]

dunno if it was posted before , but Dornbos refused Stoddart's offer loud and clear. Yesterday, his manager confirmed the talks and was quoted as saying in Formule 1 Race Report "We are not going to America, we stay in F1"

[JohnSSC]

Being your basic techno-dolt, Coyote, I do not do the "linking" thing well. However, KK's ownership/support of a number of teams has been documented on both Speed TV and also Yahoo's motorsports sites including Yahoo UK which is where I go to keep up with F1 and Football.

And yes Alonso, I saw Doornbos' statement that he is staying in F1.

Yes, Minardi did at times in 2002 annoy Jag but really that proved what exactly as it is not like Jag was a regular visitor to the points or the podium. In most cases they were another postal delivery zone distant from posting times that did anything but threaten a return of the 110% rule.

[luke]

Originally Posted by Coyote99

I would very much like to have proof that KK owned or partially owned this team. Please post a credible source which outlines this or please stop spreading rumors af it it was almost certainty.

Agreed!

KK did help out some teams financially in 2004 and a few other teams in years but I believe there will be none next year with the new formula am I right?

Also Indycool where did you get that rumor KK owned or partially backed CTE/HVM?

[Coyote99]

JohnSSC,

A rumor is a rumor and that is all those sites have said. A rumor based on a rumor which becomes fact and becomes part of someones arguements is what toubles me. I have no doubt you saw such acticles but they were based on rumors just like there were rumors at some point that D & R would switch over and it ends up it was all false. Ownership or even part own ownership is much different than been given help by KK. If this is called ownership than I know another OW series who has a team owner with much "ownership" in other teams. I hope we can at least agree that the teams this year in CC, in general, will be healthier this year than last. There will also be more cars on the grid.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

In most cases they were another postal delivery zone distant from posting times that did anything but threaten a return of the 110% rule.

Actually you look at when Minardi had proper steerers in the car (no harshness intended) For example Alonso, Webber, Wilson etc. They were easily within the 107 % rule.