Tony George rejoins Hulman board

[bjohnsonsmith]

This is the man many people feel is responsible for the current state of American open-wheel racing. I was rather surprised when I read this but then it might be the case that if he's back on the board it will be easier to keep an eye on Tony?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89531

[Andy77]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

This is the man many people feel is responsible for the current state of American open-wheel racing. I was rather surprised when I read this but then it might be the case that if he's back on the board it will be easier to keep an eye on Tony?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89531

I am sure it won't take another 15 years to completely ruin american openwheel racing now.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Andy77

I am sure it won't take another 15 years to completely ruin american openwheel racing now.

Hopefully with the multiple aero packages/engines this will breath new life in the series and with Tony back on the board where he can be monitored, he won't go round meddling again.

[Canada ALMS fan]

If Bernard leaves because of this we're toast...

[HJJ]

Miller's take.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...00-family-fued

[Andy77]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Hopefully with the multiple aero packages/engines this will breath new life in the series and with Tony back on the board where he can be monitored, he won't go round meddling again.

Hmm Tony ain't much be monitored as they brought another three amigos of TG on the board. Easy to buy voices in case of tough decisions.

[JagtechOhio]

As tight as the two of them seem to be, I can't believe Miller would write such an inflammatory editorial without Bernard clearing it first.

To me, that puts a lot of weight behind RM's speculation...but I don't believe any of these people tell the truth about much. What a joke this series is.

[JagtechOhio]

This is even funnier:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...on-shuts-down/

Except for the mates who just lost their jobs, that is. Fans get their chains pulled and it doesn't mean much. Most everybody who invests time and money in this series loses.

[Andy77]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

This is even funnier:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...on-shuts-down/

Except for the mates who just lost their jobs, that is. Fans get their chains pulled and it doesn't mean much. Most everybody who invests time and money in this series loses.

What a shame

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

As tight as the two of them seem to be, I can't believe Miller would write such an inflammatory editorial without Bernard clearing it first.

To me, that puts a lot of weight behind RM's speculation...but I don't believe any of these people tell the truth about much. What a joke this series is.

You finally have seen the light.

The series will never right itself until it has successful, open minded new ownership. The current hulmangeorge clan is just riding coattails of previous, now deceased generations. Rodeo Randy isn't an idiot, but with people like tony george lurking around, not much he can do.

The sooner this dies a death, the sooner we can get back to normalcy.

As each year goes on and my interests drift elsewhere, I am pretty much at the point of indifference or caring about open wheel racing in the USA. I certainly wont be giving my hard earned dollars to the irl.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Andy77

Hmm Tony ain't much be monitored as they brought another three amigos of TG on the board. Easy to buy voices in case of tough decisions.

I didn't know those other guys brought on to the board were Tony's mates; that is a little bit worrying.

[bjohnsonsmith]

The way I see it there isn't alot Tony can do at the moment to "disrupt" things, even if he wanted to. The current season has yet to run and everything is being put into place for 2012. As for the 2012 season, it's an unknown as to whether it will be a success or failure so Tony can't do anything until the outcome is known and then only if it's a complete failure would he be able to create waves.

The other thing to bear in mind are the team owners, particularly Andretti, Ganassi and Penske. I don't think they would take too kindly to Tony messing things up again.

[Andy77]

Well, Andretti, Ganassi and Penske have been TG's biggest supporters into the downward way. And when I say Andretti I don't think of old Mario

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The way I see it there isn't alot Tony can do at the moment to "disrupt" things, even if he wanted to. The current season has yet to run and everything is being put into place for 2012. As for the 2012 season, it's an unknown as to whether it will be a success or failure so Tony can't do anything until the outcome is known and then only if it's a complete failure would he be able to create waves.

The other thing to bear in mind are the team owners, particularly Andretti, Ganassi and Penske. I don't think they would take too kindly to Tony messing things up again.

All the things he did over the years, set in motion a chain of events that brought about letting the sport drift from a known professional championship to an unknown collection of pay drivers and smattering of a glued together championship that few know or care about.

I would never rule anything out with that man.

I think if we sail into 2011 and tv ratings and crowd figures remain stagnant, the family will rupture, not to mention team owners. As we have seen already in the hulmangeorge clan, that many couldn't give a rat's behind about tony georges delusions of grandeur, they just want their money. They have their own dreams and wishes and would rather not see their money get flushed down the drain of more open wheel fantasies.

Last I heard dallaras factory has not been built and certainly no sign of the new car or what it looks like. honda has been quiet too.

I could be wrong but I don't think we have too far to go to the end. All sources of funding and assets seemed to have dried up or are drying up, it's known the irl has never, ever turned a profit, nor seems to have a chance doing so. Revenue from the brickyard 4hunnert and the indy 5hunnert has vaporized. It is said much of the family assets and real estate have long been sold off.

So I think the game of musical chairs is starting to get pretty intense and time and money is running out. I just can't see this status quo going on for years and years longer.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Andy77

Well, Andretti, Ganassi and Penske have been TG's biggest supporters into the downward way. And when I say Andretti I don't think of old Mario

No they are merely carpetbagger circus clowns, just better at it than others. When the open wheel war started, team owners played both sides and whoever bled more payoff money out on whatever side is where they went. Rather than a focus on a commercially viable sport, it just became a tug of love for whichever side could attract the circus clowns with more payoff money. CART collapsed because many of the team owners pimped the public stock up and then dumped it and then the car manufacturers paid out tens of millions in bribe money to move to the irl. Rahal and Fernandez were apparently paid close to $15 million to switch sides, Andretti i recall was getting $18 million a year from honda, pat patrick, mo nunn, the list goes on, were also getting manufacturer handouts.

Penske is the most notorious carpetbagger in the biz, he's probably been in bed with just about every tire company, oil company and car manufacturer out there over 40 some years.

People have to understand once penske and ganassi can't fund their ego building indy trophy collection off the back of B2B deals and their nascar teams and andretti doesn't have princess permapout to keep sponsor dollars rolling, they'll be gone too. andretti has been snooping around nascar BTW.

I think a lot of fans think all these circus clowns care about them and that they love the sport. Once you are in and around the business and got to know some of the people involved, the real reality is that for those circus clowns, it's all about being seen on pitwall and pumping their egos and collecting silverware and best of all making money to go with it. They don't care about you or I, there is no loyalty, they go where they get paid and where they can line their pockets, stack their shelves with silverware and end up with some purdy cars to put in their museums to their glory.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

All the things he did over the years, set in motion a chain of events that brought about letting the sport drift from a known professional championship to an unknown collection of pay drivers and smattering of a glued together championship that few know or care about.
I would never rule anything out with that man.....

So I think the game of musical chairs is starting to get pretty intense and time and money is running out. I just can't see this status quo going on for years and years longer.

I have read your post and there is a lot that I agree with. However there is news about the new car/chassis, in this article by Curt Cavin. I've even e-mailed him as to the progress of the Dallara factory.

http://www.indystar.com/article/2011...he-new-IndyCar