2006 Infiniti Pro Series

[Allan Craighead]

Thus far Alex is showing he's the real deal, posting the fastest time in the first qualifying session and second quickest in the second. A couple strong races is sure to get some attention over here in North America.

Cheers,

Al Craighead

[foreversideways]

Very pleased for him, he has not been in any form of racing car for at least seven or eight months and not completed more than a handfull of races since his Formula Renault year. Keeping my fingers crossed for the first race later. Just as an aside i think the indy car website is really poor and very slow as well. I am also supprised there is no live webcast as we see in DTM and Euro F3.

[Redracer77]

how much does it cost to race in IPS? I noticed on the website from Sugar Rays link that they get very good prize money? Even last place gets $10,000!!! I think Jay Howard finished in 3rd and took home a healthy $21k in prize money in round 1. Could you run a season on your prize money?

[Redracer77]

sugar ray - http://www.indycar.com/timing_scoring/

[danieljboys]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

how much does it cost to race in IPS? I noticed on the website from Sugar Rays link that they get very good prize money? Even last place gets $10,000!!! I think Jay Howard finished in 3rd and took home a healthy $21k in prize money in round 1. Could you run a season on your prize money?

The answer to that is a definite 'no chance'. I'd guess you might get half your budget back if you won everything in sight but that's the best you're likely to do.

If you could run a season on prize money I'd be there like a shot!

[foreversideways]

Originally Posted by Redracer77

sugar ray - http://www.indycar.com/timing_scoring/

Found that one earlier. As to your other point , it appears to me that there is more money about in the states for racing sponsorship.

[No 4]

As ever budgets vary from team to team and at what point pre-season/during the season a driver goes to a team. Circa $500,000 is ballpark. Less if a driver kicks back his prize money into the team. Re sponsorship, yes is around, but US companies are very marketing savvy and want a lot in return, so few 'easy' deals around - as Jamie has found out!!

[okeefe]

Originally Posted by No 4

Yes, good luck Alex. Sadly he will not be joined by Jamie Morrow, as although Jamie got his rookie licence for Indy pro road and oval circuits at the Homstead the other week, his expected sponsor cash has not come through. Very, very frustrating for him.

Please tell Jamie that his Canadian friends' hearts are with him still - and when he makes it there - it will be even sweeter for him! I'm sure it is very frustrating and he certainly is deserving of having his hard work pay off into his dream come true. I plan to still see great things from Jamie Morrow into the future.

[No 4]

Thanks OK, great to have your support. We're not giving up and will get there!!

[okeefe]

Originally Posted by No 4

Thanks OK, great to have your support. We're not giving up and will get there!!

That's music to my ears! Please keep me updated at my new e-mail address that I'll pm to you! Best regards to you, Jamie, and family!

[foreversideways]

Congrats to Alex. A solid start to the season after no real time in the car. Indy next, now that will be a learning curve

[Kebab]

I'd been wondering what had happened to Alex! This is great news: http://www.indycar.com/pro/news/story.php?story_id=6352

I can't believe you sold your house Mr Jinx, that's amazing dedication! I really hope it pays off for you all!

[foreversideways]

Great news for Alex and a fantastic reward for his debut weekend at St Pete's. i look forward to some great results to relaunch his career in the USA. Hope to be at Indy to see his oval debut.

[No 4]

Originally Posted by Kebab

I'd been wondering what had happened to Alex! This is great news: http://www.indycar.com/pro/news/story.php?story_id=6352

I can't believe you sold your house Mr Jinx, that's amazing dedication! I really hope it pays off for you all!

Thanks Mr Jinks. The pressure is now on from Jamie for me to sell my house!! Only joking (well I am, Jamie isn't), hope Alex has a good season.

[Andy Roberts]

My folks contemplated that when I was looking at doing Barber Dodge in 2003. A lot of ideas got flown around on how to raise the cash as we had some thing in place which would have been amazing if we had the money in time but it was not too be.

As a side note, when I was at Sebring with the BDPS in 2003 I joked with one of the driver coaches maybe I should rob a bank to fund the year. They came back with as funny as it sounds they had known that in the past!!

Apparently several years ago (think it was 98) the feds turned up and arrested a driver at a meeting. This driver always paid in cash but never raised any suspiscion. Turns out he had been robbing banks in the vicinity of the race meetings and had been wearing his race balaclava. The feds clocked what it was and realised it was happening around race meetings so it was only a matter of time!

Anyway, all the best Alex, I envy you loads for getting to drive at Indy. When I first went there in 2001 (watched on TV since 93) I got chills and always wanted to race there (even have the wing and wheel on my helmet). All the best!

And No4, Jamie got anything else sorted for the year?

[foreversideways]

Perhaps this house selling thing will catch on. Well if it was good enough for Nigel Mansell i guess it's good enough for anybody. On the crime issue, quite a number of driver have funded their racing on the procees of crime. One UK guy was moving drugs around in his race equip while he was competing in Europe. I don't think he did much driving in prison though. Going back even further i am sure the getaway driver in "The Great Train Robbery " was a racing driver. This racing bug is hard to get rid of.

[Mr Jinxx]

The house-selling thing is real, yes.

Frankly, the money we could put in doesn't cover more than a few races, but it gives a driver the chance to get in a car and demonstrate what he can do in and out of it, and maybe most importantly, it demonstrates committment and support, from the driver and his family. In fairness, that seems to get you nowhere in the UK - we've been doing our best for over 2 years, and you get loads of nice words but no concrete support ... but in the US, there appear to be people who can and will back up those words.

[Mr Jinxx]

Anyway, it;s early days ... it may not work out, who knows.

There have been a lot of people who have said wonderful and encouraging and supportive and enthusiastic things over the years, but these kind words butter no parsnips, as a friend of mine's grandmother used to say.

However, the right words at the right time from the right people to the right people may not butter parsnips, but they might grease passages. So to speak. I really hate my visuals sometimes, sorry.

[Mr Jinxx]

I can't put my finger on it exactly, but moving and committing totally to the US seems to be exactly the right thing for Alex to do, and he seems to have met exactly the people with whom he can go forward. Much as I love the IOM and the UK, more than life itself, I wish it was me moving there, not him!

Anyone want to buy a house next to a railway line? Needs to sell quickly!

[No 4]

And No4, Jamie got anything else sorted for the year?

Andy,

Jamie's busy instructing with Porsche and Bentley at Goodwood, then in France and finally for two weeks in Las Vegas. However, this is clearly no substitute for racing. Therefore, there's still a lot of work going on to try and get him out in some of the road course Indy Pro races. Fingers crossed.

[Andy Roberts]

Originally Posted by No 4

Jamie's busy instructing with Porsche and Bentley at Goodwood, then in France and finally for two weeks in Las Vegas. However, this is clearly no substitute for racing. Therefore, there's still a lot of work going on to try and get him out in some of the road course Indy Pro races. Fingers crossed.

Vegas, nice! I only do instructing as a part time weekend thing to keep on the track and in the hope I get some rich fella in the car I can butter up Working full time 40hr weeks apart from that so I know what you mean as its no subsititue for racing.

My Pro Mazda deal fell through as the sponsors I was working on kept wanting things we just couldn't offer. There may be a chance for the F1 support race at Montreal but even thats looking unlikely now so I'll probably be out for yet another season.

Gutted! Will keep trying though and its nearly the Month of May so Indy time again! Would have liked to have gone this year but have to wait for another year, just wish SKy would show the qualifying highlights again.