GM confirms Chevy withdrawl from IRL at end of year

[Fogelhund]

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=134133

[Alex K]

At the end of this year, but who of you know if they won't come back in 2007?? That is possible, with anti-lease engine programme, they might come back!

[Snrub]

Team boss Roger Penske recently met with GM officials and indicated he would dump his Toyota engine in favour of Chevy if they stayed.

That's quiet the incentive! I'm surprised that GM turned it down. The way Toyota is going a serious effort by GM teamed with Penske could seriously outclass Toyota.

Team owner Chip Ganassi has reportedly pleaded with IRL officials to work with Champ Car to try and unify the two sides. "These guys better start smelling the roses, quit this tit-for-tat stuff and get this thing together - both sides," Ganassi tells the Indianapolis Star. "(My sponsor) isn't dissatisfied with the IRL, it's dissatisfied with the powers-to-be in open-wheel racing."

I'm quiet surprised at those comments. Perhaps Target's dissatisfaction helps explain why Ganassi fired Manning.

[Hazard]

I think Chip fancies his chances better in Champcars, but doesn't have the financial incentive to go back.

So he can make money being in the middle of the IRL, or watch it fly away leading in Champcar.

[macdaddy]

I must wonder what the Toyota execs are thinking in regards to Roger's comments?

[Alex K]

Toyota will be out at the ned of next year, Penske must has some engine after Toyota era.

OMT> Penske is the best Toyota powered team, it would be better to toyota exacs not to think but build a better engine, because AFAIK Penske is tunning Toyota's in house. Other TRD teams are way down the grid, these days, eben Chevy engine is better, more powerful. Let Toyota be happy that Penske is still with them...

[macdaddy]

Thanks Alex. That last post of mine saw my fingers typing much faster than my brain was thinking.

[mountainstar]

GM is in deep financial doo-doo and can't afford to be spending money on Indy programs. They are better off racing, as they currently are, in production based racing to get cars moving out the door. The corvette in ALMS and FIA GT, the Pontiac Monaro(GTO) in Speed GT and Grand Am, the Cadillac CTS in Speed GT, all these programs I believe provide more bang for the buck than any Indy program. After seeing the Monaro last weekend race in Speed GT, that sealed the deal for me and I've decided to buy a Monaro at some point. Any chevy win at Indy would not have driven me to buy a particular GM product.

[BSchneiderFan]

According to www.autosport-atlas.com, Honda is hinting that it might stay in the IRL. Might that sway Chevy to look at a swift return?

[Pete Fenelon]

> Might that sway Chevy to look at a swift return?

Can't see why. In fact, I can't see why Honda should want to stay either, as it's not competing against anyone.... unless it wants to badge the whole series as "The Indy Racing League By Honda" - which it will probably be able to do at a bargain price next year.... of course it's the final nail in the coffin of Tony George's vision of it as an AMERICAN series

[BootsOntheSide]

Not neccessarily Pete - the championship almost entirely races in the US, and msot of the top teams have at least 1 US driver. Tony Geroge's stated intention was always to get more US drivers into the Indy 500, which he has done, not to have a purely US series.

[Tim Northcutt]

I expected Chevy to stick with their decision not to return....

Brian Barnhart is looking at the option of not having manufacturer badging for the 2007 engine package, thus Penske's Illmor and the Cosworth engines could stay.....

I also anticipate them moving away from the leasing side of this, and allowing builders to do their thing for teams, as they did prior to the arrival of Honda and Toyota....

[sr230772]

i think its very ironic that use cosworth engines dont you think.this post is sounding like a song

[mountainstar]

Regardless of what the 2007 regs are(which should have been announced months ago) it would appear the subsidies are getting sucked out which is going to cause some problems for teams that are so dependent on them. With no other manufacturers in the series, Honda will have no reason to write $20 million checks to teams, that is if Honda stays.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

I also anticipate them moving away from the leasing side of this, and allowing builders to do their thing for teams, as they did prior to the arrival of Honda and Toyota....

I certainly hope so - it would push down the costs and most likely open up for some smaller players coming in again, much like in the late 90's.

Would be sweet to once more see something like we saw at Las Vegas in 1997, with 37(!) cars taking the green flag.

[macdaddy]

Robert Clarke, Pres. of HPD:

I can tell you that we've been very pleased with the relationship we've had with the Indy Racing League, what we've gotten out of it today. We're not looking to leave.

Now that the direction of things seems to be more clear, it's time for Honda to consider what they are going to do.

TSN Story

[Snrub]

Does anyone have any idea how much GM pays Cosworth? It would be interesting if the IRL could somehow further limit what Honda and Cosworth would be able to do to improve their engines in the future. I wouldn't be surprised if Honda and Cosworth both spent say $5M on development if Cosworth's engines were better.

Take a look at what Cosworth has done in F1 this year. For 1/3-1/2 the expense of the big manufacturers they're able to get pretty close to them.

[macdaddy]

Nobody ever mentions Ilmor. Let's not forget who essentially owns that company. And 2007 is a long way off.