Petit's future

[D.R.T.]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63578

[paul-collins]

[mod hat on]
Point of form (and this isn't aimed strictly at you, DRT) but could people please attempt to use proper excerpting along with the link? You should at least have an idea what the article is going to say before clicking on the link.

Something like this:

Dan Pettit confirmed last Sunday that he will close down RuSPORT, after one year at the helm of the Colorado-based team - but is looking to find another business partner.

Although the RuSPORT team members were given notice that November 15 is their final day, Pettit has declared his intent to stay within the Champ Car World Series.

He said: "I am planning to stay involved with a team, but put simply, it makes no business sense for me to independently run a race shop out of Loveland, Colorado. I want to find a solution that makes sense."

That's what I'd consider fair use, and provides a good glimpse of what forum members would likely find in the story as they went to autosport.

[/mod hat on]

Would Pettit's addition to PCM or Conquest result in an additional car (ie preserving the ex-RuSport seat)? That's unclear from the article. Also, just where Jeremy Dale ends up, should he end up the RuSport owner, is an interesting question.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Well, if he joins up with Conquest it would be a two car team:

It's understood that the series co-owner's two most likely options are to either join forces with Tom Figge, owner of Pacific Coast Motorsports, or to partner Eric Bachelart in Conquest Racing, boosting the Indy-based squad to two cars.

But nothing on PCM. With Dale, as he is only buying the assets and not the company I assume that it would be a new team.

[Broken Wishbone]

That is such a shame to see them go after so much anticipation, enthusiasm and energy. Carl & his fledgling team came in from Colorado with AJ & then they showed just what they could really achieve with JW finishing runner-up to Seb last year.

Who knows what they could have accomplished under different circumstances? Certainly looked like a 'Tier 1' Champ car team to join NHR & FCR regularly winning races & competing for titles.

Another sad end to a promising team competing in Open-wheel racing...if that's how it's really all going to finish up !

Amalgamation...anybody up for it ??

[GTRMagic]

Without commercial backing, the smaller teams will die... just like this one... when CDW leaves for NHL and Mr Wilson as is rumoured, there is a HUGE hole in the bank balance for next year.

Does Mr Pettit's team have all the trappings of the bigger squads, like access to the 5/7 post rigs, wind tunnel & the like? If not... you can kinda see his point about the difficulties of being an independent operator

[mountainstar]

Rusport has/had a seven post rig.

[JohnSSC]

Except, GTRMagic, this one is/was owned by one of the owners of the series. If his resources are that limited that he cannot keep a one car operation open in Colorado or anywhere else, then his resources must also be limited insofar as helping to keep CC afloat.

With Forsythe seemingly much less interested than he has been in the past, that seems to leave only KK actively writing checks. With the JDS/Uniphase thing ongoing and a burn rate of $600 or $700 per hour per attorney plus costs, the impact on his ability to finance CC has to be eroding.

With the case scheduled to be completed by December, one could anticipate a verdict by around New Year. If KK loses (note: I am saying IF) then the potential award is going to be a concern. Even with appeals, sooner or later you have to pay it if the verdict is not overturned. If his side wins the other side will appeal and you go back to burning $600 + per hour. An expensive scenario.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Except, GTRMagic, this one is/was owned by one of the owners of the series. If his resources are that limited that he cannot keep a one car operation open in Colorado or anywhere else, then his resources must also be limited insofar as helping to keep CC afloat.

Might just be me, but I understood such a statement ti imply that it made little sense to have a 1 car team based in Colorado, as opposed to say participating with a 2 car team in Indianapolis ?

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

With Forsythe seemingly much less interested than he has been in the past, that seems to leave only KK actively writing checks.

Not sure if anyone can seemingly conclude that Forsythe has begun turning away $$$ from the series or his team, especially with the advertisement for new team personel in Autosport.

[JohnSSC]

In re: Forsythe - general absence, desire to run one car team, etc would lead one to the logical conclusion that he is less interested in writing checks...

An ad for personnel may mean nothing more than they have lost people to another group and wish to replace rather than add staff.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

In re: Forsythe - general absence, desire to run one car team, etc would lead one to the logical conclusion that he is less interested in writing checks...

But then Forsythe running two cars in CC, recently announcing an Atlantic deal in 2008 leads to another logical conclusion

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

An ad for personnel may mean nothing more than they have lost people to another group and wish to replace rather than add staff.

True but is also can be mean adding staff.

[Mystery]

Ok then so we've established we dont actually know Forsythe's intentions......

[indycool]

....or Petit's....or, I guess, KK or PG, either.

[Mystery]

Have to say I see the loss of R(u)Sport(s) as a bit less of a blow for the series at this time than I had originally. I sense as an observer that the team as it was had the heart ripped out of it when Russo sold up anyway, but if bits of the team could say contribute for Conquest resulting in a second car appearing then that would be no worse than a neutral position.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by indycool

....or Petit's....

I would have thought Petit's intentions were outlined in the article that started this thread.

[indycool]

"I plan to stay involved with a team."

Intentions? That statement broadly spans from co-owning a team to selling a team's crew members chewing gum at the counter of a 7-11.

No, I don't think that tells us what the level of his "involvement" is going to be.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by indycool

"I plan to stay involved with a team."

Intentions? That statement broadly spans from co-owning a team to selling a team's crew members chewing gum at the counter of a 7-11.

No, I don't think that tells us what the level of his "involvement" is going to be.

By planning to stay involved with a team, is that not his intention to stay involved with a team.

Furthermore these comments should help you

Pettit stated: "I'm talking to all the obvious candidates and I have several options. Now I have to decide which one to take."

It's understood that the series co-owner's two most likely options are to either join forces with Tom Figge, owner of Pacific Coast Motorsports, or to partner Eric Bachelart in Conquest Racing, boosting the Indy-based squad to two cars.

Pettit reiterated his desire to stay involved in Champ Car, stating: "I will continue to own a percentage of the series because I believe in it and it is a great product.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Mystery

Ok then so we've established we dont actually know Forsythe's intentions......

Oh I think we do as they are openly recruiting for more staff.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

In re: Forsythe - general absence, desire to run one car team, etc would lead one to the logical conclusion that he is less interested in writing checks...

An ad for personnel may mean nothing more than they have lost people to another group and wish to replace rather than add staff.

Not true.

[mountainstar]

Repeating what I said before about the difficulties of running a shop from Colorado. I was speaking with a nascar friend today and off the cuff he began telling me of a friend who currently owns a nascar team and the difficulties of running such shop outside of north carolina or indy. He said " you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get simple things like fasteners". I enquired further regarding fedex/ups and he said "sure you can have all that sent to you, but in racing you need parts and fabrication stuff NOW, not later" and by being in such "industry hubs" you can get the people, knowhow, parts and services you need to stay in business. That particular driver/owner is moving their shop to north carolina soon.

I think some have tried to mark this as another conspiracy, but it doesn't make sense. Rusport was carl's deal and he's gone now. Petit doesn't live there and it's hard to run a team from there. Why continue? Why not get involved in a more sensible arrangement.

Petit already has said he will remain involved, so let's stop trying to twist and shout about his intentions.

[indycool]

D.R.T., none of those quotes say what he's going to do with a team.

[D.R.T.]

It might be just me but when an article uses words like "joining forces", expanding to two cars and talking to candidates, buying into a team seems the most likely outcome.

Added to that his ownership in ChampCar, would you say that quote shows his intentions, Indycool.

[indycool]

Well, with other people doin' the talkin', I would agree, D.R.T. But Petit has taken over RuSport and cut it to one car, merged it (sort of) with Rocketsports, another team with a series owner that cut back to one car, unmerged it (definitively) with Rocketsports, then closed the doors on the team. He took an ownership position somewhere along the way in the series and between the time he took over RuSport and the upcoming Nov. 15, CC will have lost two cars from one series owner's team and one car from another series owner from '06.

None of that tells me that saying the right things now is going to result in the execution of something good later.

[JohnSSC]

Ya gotta wonder how those crazy CASCAR teams get their fasteners then, what with being located in Canada and all. Many ARCA teams are located outside of the Carolina's and manage to not only find fasteners, but even complex devices like lug nuts and such. I can hear it now: "Couldn't make the race this weekend 'cause we couldn't get fasteners. Whatever happened, by the way to inventory management where you calculate what you need and have it on hand before you need it??

Funny how when things are extrapolated to a negative conclusion for CC (ie Gentilozzi and Pettit being part of series ownership, yet scaling back to one or in Pettit's case at present no cars), then those positing that are informed that their conclusion cannot possibly right even when the end result is apparent.

We are then asked by the same folks to believe that things are going just fine based on what we should infer from what the writer (as opposed to the principals) speculates as to what options Pettit is considering. Oh yeah, and the expansion we must anticipate because Gerry has a want ad in Autosport.

The facts are right now that you have Gentilozzi, GF, KK and Pettit involved in series ownership. One has gone to one car, one essentially has nothing going on, one is fielding two cars and the other planned on only one car last season.

This is not what I would interpret as an ownership team that believes strongly in their product.

I am just going to nip away for a moment to check on how many fasteners I have in stock...once everyone moves to the Carolinas I will complete my takeover of the fastener manufacturers and then make everyone move to Pittsburgh in order to get them...

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

The facts are right now that you have Gentilozzi, GF, KK and Pettit involved in series ownership. One has gone to one car, one essentially has nothing going on, one is fielding two cars and the other planned on only one car last season.

This is not what I would interpret as an ownership team that believes strongly in their product.

The business model built by the 3 Amigos (later to become 4) would likely have assumed that the series and the cars and teams participating in it, would wash its own face financially.

It is clear that this isnt the case, with most of the teams being funded by their patron owners.

Indeed even Team Australia is funded by Mr Gore's business interests, while the second car was paid for this year to some extent by Mr Pagenaud's Atlantics prizemoney.....

Piddling away a lazy US$5m on a 1 car team out of your own pocket seems to be the measure you are using to determine support for the series...

.. yet the team owners are already doing it...

At some stage, you have to draw the line, and stop spending the kids' inheritance!

[JohnSSC]

That is my point. The owners are in a position (imho) where they cannot secure sponsorship for their own teams outside of whatever their own business interests can provide. You can only throw your own money at a problem for so long as the supply is not inexhaustible.

Failing to secure outside sponsorship is the biggest problem this series has and the owner's pockets are only so deep. When two of your four stakeholders are struggling to field teams you've got problems. Further, when even such well-connected folks as we are led to believe they cannot secure sponsorship, what does that say for the series and what does it portend for the smaller operations?