Road America on Pay Per View Only

[¡As-de-mim!]

The August 3rd airing of the "Mario Andretti Grand Prix" from Elkhart Lake could be in a form of pay-per-view deal, on HDNet, and not via the regular TV feed that Champ Car fans have become accustomed to. It seems that after the initial cancellation of the race earlier in the season, both SPEED and CBS filled the time slots with alternate programming.


Road America's Cheryl Barnes update regarding the TV situation with the race:

"The short answer is we do not have details at this time.

We understand that yesterday at the Motor Press Guild in Los Angeles
Chris said the Mario Andretti GrandPrix at Road America presented by
Briggs & Stratton will be broadcast in high-definition television.

It will be coordinated by Mark Cuban, founder of broadcast.com, also owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team.

I got that from our clipping service; it's on Racing Information Systems, posted by Michael F. Hollander.

Incidentally, we can use all the help we can get to

1) make sure folks know that the race is on

and

2) to sell tickets.

We are trying to make up two months' of sales time in short order and not all of the websites and printed materials have Road America back on the schedule. "

-Cheryl Barnes

[KC]

PPV is going to be the end of sports. Everyone likes to blame the demise of pro boxing on shady promoters, thug boxers and a criminal undercurrent, and to some degree it has affected boxing. But I think the biggest downfall of boxing is PPV fights. The price is far too high for the level and quality of the entertainment.

The excuse that Speed Channel and CBS have other programs to run are BS. Literally 1/2 of Speed Channel's programming is hucksters trying to sell you the latest gadget you cannot live without. Doesn't everyone need a rotisserie oven that can simulataneously cook six turkeys in five minutes flat? Don't you need that contortion device that is guaranted to give you six pack abs just by merely owning it?

In less than a week, CBS found a way to tape delay the Brands Hatch event on a Saturday at noon. Am I expected to believe that they have that ever important WNBA nail biter or Pro Bowling Grand Prix from Toledo that is just to important to bump?

Pay Per View is going to be the end of it if they continue down that path.

[macdaddy]

SV's website doesn't list any programming in August. Surely they'll work something out. SV might just have to reschedule the broadcast of a NASCAR race from 1982. And, considering the public outcry that put this race back on the schedule in the first place, I'd be surprised if CBS wasn't looking at picking it up, too.

The one thing CART doesn't need right now is bad PR, and a PPV from Road America would be just that.

[JonesF1]

If its only on PPV, so be it, theres going to be an extra charge on my cable bill.

I am curious why SpeedTV wouldnt drop the talking NASCAR heads or whatever else will be on at that time for a ratings fest like RA.

[Jay]

Good god....that would suck terribly... Any TV is better than no TV...and PPV is pretty much no TV. Even tape delayed the next day would be better than this.

For Canada, TSN will be showing it, but tape-delayed in the evening. Which isn't so bad, I can go for a bike ride during the day...

[Flatspot]

I'm with Jay on the tape delay being the better option. PPV is worse than no TV. Can't blame CBS or Speed for this one.

[Jack Man]

Thanks Jay my heart just started again.

[¡As-de-mim!]

You guys will have to tape delay it for those of us south-of-the-border. Although I hope to be there, I still would like to see the broadcast.

[Tim Northcutt]

I sure hope that this DOES get worked out!!! Elkhart Lake is always a good race....pay-per-view would drastically cut the audience for those who would want to see it...

[Jay]

To be honest, in some ways I think 'why bother?' if attendance is going to be low and it won't be televised. The only reason to run the race then is for the driver's own enjoyment.

[Jordi]

PPV hasn't worked for F1...

[corkholio]

Hawaii Super Prix anyone?

If you have seen any US Cable channel selections, you would know that there are more than 2 channels in the system. Since CART is buying the airtime anyway I can't see why they can't buy a timeslot outside of Speed or CBS. I am sure there is at least one cable channel that would be running infomercials at that time.

[Lee Janotta]

CART needs Speed to do the production, though. Speed and CBS have a unique arrangement that probably took quite a while to hammer out.

It'll probably be on FOX Sports Espagnol, but that doesn't do anything for those of us who don't get that channel (the language barrier is a secondary problem to the fact it just isn't in many markets).

[¡As-de-mim!]

How is anyone, other than those of us who frequent the boards, going to know the race is on PPV? At least on Speed or CBS they can stumble upon it while surfing channels.

[Crash Test]

Originally posted by Jay
To be honest, in some ways I think 'why bother?' if attendance is going to be low and it won't be televised. The only reason to run the race then is for the driver's own enjoyment.

Well then 97% of all motorsport should quite while it's ahead!

But really, should attendance be that low? Where is Elkhart Lake's primary market? Do they get a lot of people who have to take a week off work, and set off in the RV? Even if there is only a couple of months notice, whoever is running the show should be capable of whipping up enough publicity to tell the local punters that the race meeting is on. Most local people dont need more than two months notice simply to spend a Sunday at the racetrack...

[Jay]

That's true Crash Test... but for a series like Cart that needs exposure so badly, I'm not so sure.

[camcartfan]

Send off an email to SV. I'm going to right now.

[corkholio]

The attendance of RA will be lower than yesteryears because there is a big arse airshow in Oshkosh on the same day and booking hotels were a royal pain as it was, the date change just made it even worse.

[indycool]

Agreed, corkholio. The EAA Fly-In at Oshkosh is the world's LARGEST air show, attendance-wise. They'll have something like 12,000 private planes parked in rows on three airports up there. And it goes on for a week and draws a total of hundreds of thousands.

Mark C. posted over at his site that he thinks CART might get only 500-1,000 viewers on PPV.

[¡As-de-mim!]

This from CART regarding RA...

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Champ Car. Regarding your question/comments, while there have been no official announcements regarding television coverage of the Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America, Mr. Pook's comments from the Town Meeting in Cleveland are accurate in that we are pursuing this avenue as a possibility in addition to entertaining other options at this time. Please stay tuned until we make an official announcement, and thanks again for contacting us.

Feedback@CART.com
www.ChampCarWorldSeries.com

[gttouring]

that affords some hope As-De-Mim,
They got back to you and the word iis they don't know yet so let's hope for SpeedVision (Speed channel is the second worst name I could have thought for this channel.) Maybe Emporer Pook will relax his grip and give it to the masses.
Make Champcars the sport we all want. I should get a job there at the offices...