Robin Miller on the IRL bid

[Tailwind]

It appears Indy Racing League founder Tony George will be going for the jugular here next week in bankruptcy court but the principals of Open Wheel Racing Series (OWRS) say they aren't concerned about what promises to be Bloody Wednesday.

George indicated late Thursday afternoon he had filed a bid to purchase certain assets of Championship Auto Racing Teams in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Jan. 28. OWRS, comprised of CART owners Gerald Forsythe, Kevin Kalkhoven and Paul Gentilozzi, has already submitted a bid to run a series in 2004 using most of the venues on CART's 2003 schedule.

Fred Nation, vice president of corporate communications for IMS/IRL and George's spokesman, claimed the bid was "substantial" but refused to give any details in an email message sent to several IRL constituents.

But SPEEDTV.COM has learned that George is only bidding on the Long Beach Grand Prix, CART's engine lease program and possibly some equipment.

It had been assumed that George's all-oval circuit wanted to take over one of CART's Canadian dates (Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver) and Mexico City, which drew nearly 200,000 on race day last year, in additon to Long Beach.

Since taking over for Formula One in 1984, CART's cornerstone event has been the spring street show at Long Beach. It's the second biggest open-wheel race in this country behind the Indianapolis 500 -- usually drawing more than 150,000 spectators in three days.

Sponsored by Toyota, one of the IRL's engine suppliers, Long Beach is scheduled to celebrate its 30th anniversary April 18 when OWRS opens its season.

The IRL, which competes at Motegi, Japan that weekend, has publicly stated it will not be possible to race on road courses or street circuits in 2004. But there has been speculation that the Rolex Grand American Road Racing Series, owned by International Speedway Corporation and partners with George at several IRL tracks, could also make a run at Long Beach and other CART venues by Friday's filing deadline.

It's also possible that George could offer to pay the LBGP Association several million dollars in lieu of a race in '04 and add it to the 2005 IRL schedule.

But the most critical battle could be over power, literally.

CART owns all the turbocharged Cosworth engines that OWRS plans to use and last year they were leased to the teams by CART. If George, whose series uses normally-aspirated engines manufactured by Honda, General Motors and Toyota, would out-bid OWRS for the engines that would effectively end this eight-year war.

Judge Frank Otte will rule on the bids Wednesday and Forsythe feels confident OWRS will win the right to continue CART's 25-year tradition.

"My read is that the judge will throw their (IRL) bid out because there is no way anybody can come up with as competitive a bid as we have," said the longtime car owner from Chicago who captured the 2003 CART championship with Paul Tracy. "He's got to look at the whole picture and we've got a comprehensive business plan that we've been working on for seven months.

"There are obligations to race promoters, sponsors and investors and the IRL could be looking at huge claims against them. I feel we have all our bases covered. I'm extremely confident."

OWRS has the opportunity to increase its earlier bid of $1.6 million prior to Wednesday's hearing and Forsythe said his group has Plans "A through D" ready.

But one CART owner, who requested anonymity, cautioned that "We may not be prepared for the amount of money Tony will spend to try and kill us."

During an OWRS meeting in Indianapolis last week Kalkhoven said George's intent should be obvious. "He wants to shut us down and we want to build CART back up."

The Civil War that has been IRL vs. CART since 1996, mostly verbal along with some high-profile defections, will bring out the heavy artillery Wednesday. And it's a battle that will likely hold the future of open wheel racing.

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Most of this is nothing new, but id does clairify TGs intent.

[Mags]

Thanks for sharing.

[Ac.]

TG must be crazy. It's obvious that he is going after LBGP because Toyota wants him to, and to bid on some trailers and equipment...well he does run a racing series, but to bid on CART's engines....the only reason he would do so is to run CART/OWRS out of business.

Whether he wins or not TG has just slapped the face of every CART supporter around the world. How can he possibly think that a move like that would help his plans?!?! All he is doing is driving away more fans and teams from ever participating in the IRL.

[Fogelhund]

Do keep in mind, this may or may not be true... we shall see though.

[Hegarza]

Hope TG not get nothing.

If he get Mexico City. There will be no support for the IRL.

According to a newspaper in Mexico City. The sponsors will get out if CART-OWRS not come! They not want IRL in Mexico

[Testure]

Originally posted by Tailwind
But SPEEDTV.COM has learned that George is only bidding on the Long Beach Grand Prix, CART's engine lease program and possibly some equipment.

Yikes! Bidding for the engine contract would be a seriously nasty tactic. There's nothing - nothing - he could want with that other than as a means of killing off the series. I mean, at least the IRL would have a legitimate interest in the race contracts, especially Long Beach. The bad feeling this would generate among the remaining teams, drivers, fans, etc. would be absolutely enormous and considerably prolong US open-wheel's problems. Talk about digging your own hole! I'd hate to think Tony George is that stupid.

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by Testure
Yikes! Bidding for the engine contract would be a seriously nasty tactic. There's nothing - nothing - he could want with that other than as a means of killing off the series. I mean, at least the IRL would have a legitimate interest in the race contracts, especially Long Beach. The bad feeling this would generate among the remaining teams, drivers, fans, etc. would be absolutely enormous and considerably prolong US open-wheel's problems. Talk about digging your own hole! I'd hate to think Tony George is that stupid.

Well, after reading some of the posts here lately, especially from some of these new guys, is there really anything that TG could do or say to make things right?

He will be the villian no matter which move he makes, so I guess he's just going to go after it.

[SurfaceUnits]

Originally posted by GP Racer
is there really anything that TG could do or say to make things right?

There is, but TIG, AKA clabber boy, doesn't have it in him, and neither do those around him.

[Mags]

Originally posted by SurfaceUnits
There is, but TIG, AKA clabber boy, doesn't have it in him, and neither do those around him.

You have THAT right!

[gttouring]

well if he bids the engine contract, and ges it OWRS can still hang on to Formula atlantic and turn it into a new F5000- by stuff crate V8's in the chassis with superchargers to get them up to the needed powere, and in the small Atlantic chassis- it would be one heck of a show, so all is not lost and building these little engines for under 10 grand each is easy for these teams.
an option perhaps- all is not dead.

[Testure]

Originally posted by GP Racer
Well, after reading some of the posts here lately, especially from some of these new guys, is there really anything that TG could do or say to make things right?

Good grief, of course there is! There's a million ways this could end up good for everybody involved. For example, if he bought the entire thing as a going concern and consulted with the CART teams on a plan to integrate the two series over a couple of seasons, I think he'd win friends. But this - this is guaranteed to make a lot of people very, very bitter for years. Worst possible decision the IRL could make.

[jjspierx]

Originally posted by GP Racer
Well, after reading some of the posts here lately, especially from some of these new guys, is there really anything that TG could do or say to make things right?

He will be the villian no matter which move he makes, so I guess he's just going to go after it.

I don't understand that statement. Just cause he's already disliked by a lot of people, does not make it a smart move to do something to **** off even more people, and to further **** off the already ****ed. We really don't need people to come over the Champcar forum and try to justify actions that are anti-Champcar. :confused:

[Mags]

Originally posted by jjspierx
I don't understand that statement. Just cause he's already disliked by a lot of people, does not make it a smart move to do something to **** off even more people, and to further **** off the already ****ed. We really don't need people to come over the Champcar forum and try to justify actions that are anti-Champcar. :confused:

I don't undersand why anyone could possibly not understand why an open-wheeled racing fan ISN'T upset with TEO. He split our series, and caused all this trouble. If he had not done that, we wouldn't be in this mess. I don't have a TEO voodoo doll. I don't wish him any harm. But I sure don't want anything do to with the IRL, and I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would waste thier time coming over here and taunting CART fans. I don't do over there. Let's just hope the judge does the smart thing and all of this is over soon.

[rush1]

The NFL here in the States worked to kill off the USFL in the 80's. The XFL failed and none of this hurt the popularity of the NFL.

In basketball, the ABA and NBA went after each other in the 1970's. That civil war makes this look like a garden party. The NBA finally killed the ABA and went on to bigger and better things.

The series formerly know as CART faces the same fate as the ABA and USFL. It has lost this sporting civil war. But the victors always write the history. The IRL Indy Car World Series will be around long after CART ceases to exist. Fans just want to see cool cars, loud sounds and speed. No one but a handfull of people care what its called and who controls it.

[SurfaceUnits]

You were partially right: No one cares. Who's your Daddy?