'04 OWRS (exCART) Schedule ?!?!

[zerO]

According to many sources the next year's schedule will be announced at Miami on Sep.26-28 ?!

Seems like almost everybody is quite convinced that the European swing will be gone from the schedule for at least next year. Theoretically (ie: financially) speaking - that is a good assumption. But, we also should keep in mind that part of the buy-out agreement is OWRS' promise to continue the Champ Car series along the same path that Pook's "Vision" has taken us so far. I wouldn't discount Europe that easily - after all, the Kalkhoven, Forsythe & Gentilozzi Inc. do intend to implement the "new engine formula" by '06 and with foreign engine manufacturers FOREIGN RACES is a must. Example: want AUDI or Mercedes - race in Lausitz or Hannover, want Renault/Nissan - race in Marsilles or Pau (and Estoril, btw - Monteiro/Renault link here). So, to sum it all up - a one year hiatus from Europe will be the max.

On the other hand, besides Brands Hatch and Lausitz, most venues on the current 19 race schedule already have contracts in place for the next year (including Fontana, btw). Here's a sample of how those contract holders look at it = ROAD AMERICA

There is also the concept of NEW venues/races added next year. Pook had been pursuing and in contract negociations with Estoril, Chicago, St.Louis and Houston. Michigan and Watkins Glen has been contemplated as well, btw. And all that will hopefully be transferred over to OWRS and considered by them.

I have a strange feeling that the announced schedule will have 19 items on it and 4 of them will be with question marks/asterisks next to them. That would be the most logical move, IMO.

zerO

[DNQ]

Well, there's been talk of a 14 race calendar, but I think 16 is FAR more likely. That'd just be the current schedule less the Euro rounds and perhaps Mid-Ohio.

[gttouring]

will it be called CHAMPCAR or owrs?

[varsitypride3]

I wonder what I'll have to call it if it's not CART anymore. I had enough trouble describing CART to people before... OWRS will be even harder.

[corkholio]

Pook's "vision" so far has been to spend and spend and spend, and nothing but a short term solution to make the series attractive for potential buyers. If the new owners want to keep things around long term the Pook plan ain't gonna work unless sponsors come pouring in immediately. Hence the Euro-swing is unnecessary since the new owners haven't said a thing about the next set of chassis and engine specs, and the current specs are far too expensive for any manufacturer to get involved given the exposure in return. Mercedes got involved long before there was even a Euro-swing, so I don't see why it's absolutely necessary. In fact, Mercedes bailed out the year before the first Eurospeedway race. Manufacturers are smarter than to spend millions on a program for nothing other than a home race.

Michigan won't happen because of ISC, and Watkins Glen for the same reason, and even if ISC does let CART race there there is no way that track is ready for Champ Cars, unless "O" wants a few injured or dead drivers so he can go around and pimp his rumor mill.

[indycool]

Corkholio, agree that the Pook plan ain't gonna work. All it did this year was blow the cash to put OWRS in position to buy.

OWRS will theoretically be hooked up with Trans Am and it should be rebuilt in North America with that package unless it gets unlikely immediate deals to run in Europe similar to their Surfers Paradise agreement that gets things paid for.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by zerO
(...)According to many sources the next year's schedule will be There is also the concept of NEW venues/races added next year. Pook had been pursuing and in contract negociations with Estoril, Chicago, St.Louis and Houston. Michigan and Watkins Glen has been contemplated as well, btw. (...)

Hello, zerO (and welcome to the Forum!)

I beg to disagree. Chris Pook has not contacted Michigan or Watkins Glen about races in these venues. I heard this from Pook myself, and he repeated the same words to other people.

CART, under pook, did approach other track owners, and detailed studies (including racing simulation) about places like Road Atlanta and Sebring were prepared - but Michigan and Watkins Glen have not been considered.

Cheers,


Muzza

[Jay]

I dont think they'll be any new races next year. They were talking about Chicago, but I haven't heard anything new on that front lately...so it's probably a 'maybe next year' thing... Cart needs to build on its strengths, and make a racing series that's financially viable, then we'll think about possible other overseas races. If they could race at somewhere like Michigan, great! But, I can't see it happening. Watkings Glen just a death trap for open-wheel cars.

I think it'll be a streamlined schedule next year, maybe some asterisks, but apart from a few more off weekends, I can't see next year feeling much differen than this year, as far as teh racing is concerned - a good thing .

[zerO]

Hey Muzzy,
thanks for a welcome... have been reading 10/10s everyday for two years now... and a couple weeks ago decided to stick my 2 cents in here now and then (do my fulltime "brainwashing" at a couple of other sites)...

The reason I wrote "Michigan and Watkins Glen were contemplated, btw" is because somewhere along the line they were - how far and how much is a different story. Heard a bunch of stories: Michigan wanting to lure CART back, WG planning on upgrading (out with Armco) - most probably to lure IRL fartmobiles, even some ramblings from CART offices. In reality - it's very unlikely for Champ Cars to ever grace those two tracks, but with the new ownership and direction coming in - no one really knows what's ahead.

BTW, two new tracks will be opening in '05 or '06 that might attract Champ Cars in a future hopefully:

1. BOUNDLESS MOTORPLEX near Dallas

2. HOUSTON SuperSpeedway

If Santa will be good to us and let us see the buy-out finalized by Xmas, then maybe a few years from now Santa will get us one of those new venues.

zerO

[zerO]

Those two links are goofy nowdays - here are better ones:

1. BOUNDLESS MOTORPLEX

2. HOUSTON SuperSpeedway

Enjoy dreaming (like I do).

zerO

[Ben 93 325is]

CART will never race at Watkins Glen. The Glen is a great track and one of my favorites, but it is VERY behind the times safety wise.

[Dov]

That BOUNDLESS MOTORPLEX looks like a fantastic road course and the best thing about it is it's only 25 minutes outside of Dallas. They will probably have bus shuttles to take fans back and forth between Dallas and the track. As a fan of SuperSpeedways (Michigan/Fontana), I'm already dreaming about the ChampCars flying around the new Super Oval in Houston.....I have my fingers crossed.

[macdaddy]

Thanks for those links, zerO. Boundless looks great, and although Houston also looks superb, IMO 1.367-miles does not constitute a "Super"-Speedway.

[Tailwind]

Thanks for the links zerO. I didn't know anything about the BOUNDLESS MOTORPLEX. It's designed to meet FIA requirements? That means it's can run both Champ Cars and F1. Is that a possible new venue to run the USGP? If you look at the renderings of the track, one shows Champ Cars, no question about it. They had to have us in mind when they designed it. If you run a race at Dallas and another at Houston, are they too close to each other? If you run them in different parts of the season would it then be OK? Now, are either of these tracks owned by ISC?

[zerO]

OK, guys... the Boundless thingy is my baby for quite some time - when I'll hear something new I'll start a whole thread about it - when this baby gets built it will be the BEST road course in US (if not the world - next to Paul Ricard) - no doubt about it... BTW, Boundless MotorSports has purchased "World of Outlaws" and a bunch of other sprint/dirt track series - those guys have plenty money to burn and they are as unstoppable as Dietrich Mateschitz (Red Bull) in the rest of this planet... BOUNDLESS WILL HAPPEN !!!

As for Houston SuperSpeedway - a funny thing to note: during the groundbreaking ceremonies Johnny Rutherford was present (he works for IRL nowdays), also they are going to utilize the "Soft Walls" whose patent basically belongs to IMS or IRL, but the ownership of the Houston SuperSpeedway consists of a few guys who are currently in CART (have a feeling that Mario Andretti is a silent partner here, he's also trying to have a short oval built in New Jersey, close to NYC)... so, combine that with HSS having Lolas in their logo - pretty sure that we'll see Champ Cars there one day... a ten times more logical choice than a Houston cement tunnel race ?!?!

zerO

[Snrub]

It takes money to run a series when sponsors are not paying the bill. You can SEE how much money is spent because CART has published the figures. It is nieve of certain troll posters to believe that the IRL hasn't done the same. Recall how many sponsors were on the cars St. Pete. How do people expect those cars to be on the track without money comming from somewhere. The Pook philosphy was to run a series. A non-Pook philosophy involves 19 drivers sitting at home. Could he have saved a few million extra and still run the series? Sure, but that would have ment cutting past the bone. They knew at the start of last season or earlier that that the series had to be bought out.

[zerO]

Re: LAGUNA SECA ?!
==================

There have been many rumors/speculations concerning the schedule for next year. Besides the European trek getting dropped, Fontana, Mid-Ohio, and Laguna Seca have been mentioned. We do know that from these three only Mid-Ohio doesn't have a contract in place for next year. Also, Pook had said at one of the Town Meetings that most probably the Laguna Seca race will be moved back to it's original slot on the schedule around Sep/Oct. And that is what I believe.

But, now this kaka comes out ?! - consider it a pro-IRL/anti-CART spin that doesn't really say anything, but where does the idea for the headline comes from ?? Maybe Laguna Seca isn't written in stone either ?! :confused:

zerO

[Flatspot]

You have penned the more appropriate headline..."This Kaka Comes Out".

Laguna Seca will run if C^RT runs in '04, which I think we all beleive it will, it's just a matter of where in the schedule.

[zerO]

Latest rumor on the schedule to be announced tomorrow (or Sat) - it will be 16 races - with Brands Hatch, Lausitz, and Mid-Ohio gone - season to open at St.Pete and close in Miami (after the Fontana 500) with Laguna Seca moved to Oct.

zerO

[Dov]

Preliminary 2004 CART Schedule to Include 15-18 Races

Written by: David Phillips

Miami, Fla. – 9/27/2003

Championship Auto Racing Teams will release tomorrow a preliminary list of events expected to make up the 2004 schedule. The list will be broken into two categories, including 15 events CART either has existing contracts with or definitely plans to include on the schedule, with another category reserved for five other events under consideration. The final schedule is projected to consist of between 16 and 18 events. According to a highly reliable source, one of the events mentioned in the '04 "pre-schedule" is a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway….

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/8267/

[muggle not]

As I thought the schedule will lean heavily toward the street courses.

CONFIRMED VENUES FOR 2004

California Speedway - Fontana, California - Superspeedway
Burke Lakefront Airport - Cleveland, Ohio - Temporary road course
Denver, Colorado - Street course
Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Las Vegas, Nevada - Oval
Long Beach, California - Street course(scheduled for April 16-18 according to LBGP site)
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez - Mexico City, Mexico - Permanent road course
Miami, Florida - Street course
The Milwaukee Mile - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Short oval
Fundidora Park - Monterrey, Mexico - Temporary road course
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - Montreal, Canada - Permanent road course
Road America - Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - Permanent road course(this event is marked as August 5-8 according to the RA website)
St. Petersburg, Florida - Street course
Surfers Paradise, Australia - Street course
Toronto, Canada - Street course
Vancouver, Canada - Street course

DATES TO BE CONFIRMED

Brands Hatch, England
East Asia
EuroSpeedway Lausitz
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Portland International Raceway

[zerO]

OK, let's look at the possible schedule:

St.Petersburg
Monterrey, Mex
Long Beach
Las Vegas
Brands Hatch, Eng ?
Laustitz, Ger ?
Portland ?
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Toronto, Can
Vancouver, Can
Road America
Mid-Ohio ?
Montreal, Can
Denver
Mexico City, Mex
Beijing, China or Seoul, Korea ?
Surfers Paradise, Aus
Laguna Seca ?
Fontana
Miami

That's 15 guaranteed and 6 possibles - and 2 or 3 of 'em shall materialize: most probably Portland and Laguna Seca, maybe Mid-Ohio ?!

zerO

[zerO]

Chris Pook had said today that sometime "within one week" the above "schedule" will be (kind of) finalized and have actual dates next to the venues, thus becoming a REAL SCHEDULE ?! - mention of that is in this article ?!

zerO

[Jay]

That better happen soon...usually by now I've got most of my plans for next year sorted out (hotels booked) - this year none. I hate to think of how it is for the teams looking for sponsorship...

[paul-collins]

Just a note - ALMS has announced their 2004 schedule, and Miami is not on it.