Your Opinion: Paul Gentilozzi's Credibility in Champ Car

[Snrub]

I thought it would be interesting to find out how much credbility people here think Paul Gentilozzi has with his affiliation to Champ Car. Evaluate his credability and capability as a series owner and team owner and vote for your choice. Discussion of why would be cool too, but let's keep it civil and constructive.

[macdaddy]

Good point, Snrub. "Let's keep it civil" !

[BootsOntheSide]

Less and less by the minute. He's attempting to stage-manage everythign to his favour, the way he seemingly did in the past. His treatment of drivers hasn't been great, Philippe acheived more for Conquest than for his supposedly-better team, and there is this case of poaching paydrivers from teams who need them, and then having to fund those teams out of his own pocket - a situation from which there have been no winners.

[Kicking-back]

Not much, I have a generally negative opinion of him.

[luke]

I voted Some, I have a generally positive opinion of him.

[2112]

Originally Posted by luke

I voted Some, I have a generally positive opinion of him.

Hey, I gave him the top mark, good to see there are some fans that don`t have total D&G around here, given recent threads. Kind of depressing.

[luke]

Originally Posted by 2112

Hey, I gave him the top mark, good to see there are some fans that don`t have total D&G around here, given recent threads. Kind of depressing.

Yeah I was going to put"Lots, he's helping to save the series" as he is, but I felt that "Some, I have a generally positive opinion of him." was the best way of describing my opinon of him.

[StickShift]

He's no worse than the other Amigo's IMO.

[enemy-ace]

I voted right in the middle.
Considering that I don't have all the facts, I can't honestly make a fair judgement.
The situation with Tag doesn't seem to me to be as evil as a lot of people are making it out to be. Listening to quotes from both sides, they both would seem to be taking a realistic view of the economic realities of the series and their positions in it.
This issue of poaching seems a little narrow in it's perspective to me as well. For somebody to be poached they must be willing to move/ or be poached as well.
Let's not forget that racing and the business of, is by it's very nature a shark infested water. A driver and his sponsor may very well have found the grass greener elsewhere and instigated any moves. I think it is pretty obvious that sponsors money rings the loudest.

[jjspierx]

Just because Gentillozi is part series owner, doesn't mean he's not going to act like other team owners. Any team owner wants to get the best bang for the buck. If they can get an equally talented, or more talented driver for less money, or even a driver who will pay for his ride, of course he's going to take that deal. It seems that some of you are upset because you think that the series owners act differently towards how they run their team than the other owners, when in reality they are acting like any other team owner.

[StickShift]

Looking at the past couple years....

Forsythe screwed Carpentier.
Kalkoven screwed Wirdheim.
Gentilozzi screwed Tagliani.

Newman-Haas have been honest.
RuSport have been honest.
Walker have been honest.
Herdez have been honest.
Conquest have been honest.
Coyne has had so many ride buyers, that I wouldn't dare touch that one.

[macdaddy]

I would...
Coyne has been honest.

[jjspierx]

Originally Posted by StickShift

Looking at the past couple years....

Forsythe screwed Carpentier.
Kalkoven screwed Wirdheim.
Gentilozzi screwed Tagliani.

Newman-Haas have been honest.
RuSport have been honest.
Walker have been honest.
Herdez have been honest.
Conquest have been honest.
Coyne has had so many ride buyers, that I wouldn't dare touch that one.

Ok, maybe Forsythe screwed Carpentier, but Kalkoven screwing Wirdheim? No, Wirdheim was looking for a ride, Kalkoven is a team owner. No agreement was made, Wirdheim didn't get the ride, there was no screwing over. Just because Wirdheim thought he was going to get the ride, even if Kalkoven said you probably will get the ride, it doesn't matter. A deal wasn't signed, it didn't work out. As for Gentilozzi screwing Tagliani? I dunno, we don't know the facts. Tagliani didn't have a contract, which was not a smart move at all, and Gentilozzi is running a team. Gentilozzi is doing whats best for his team. While it sucks that he made Tags believe he'd be there for 3 years, in fact I believe he probably meant it at the time, but things changed and Tags got the wrong end of it.

[macdaddy]

Tags and his manager have been in this business for long enough, that you'd think they'd want more than a "handshake". I know I would.

[GP Racer]

I voted zero credibility myself.

I have to look at his history at Trans Am, where his problems have been well chronicled, and his mastery of manipulation has left that series in a mess. His credibility there is really zero these days, and that is just carrying over to CC.

I also have to wonder why he has seemingly been muzzled by KK, and GF. Last season, he was the out front spokesperson, promising the world to everyone, and this season, he is nowhere to be heard. Maybe they got tired of his grandiose dreams and pronouncments too.

Lastly, it was the announcement of Gentilozzi as one of the three saviors of CC, that sealed my decision to look elsewhere for my racing loyalties. I felt that this series would never progress with him at the helm, and it would only be a very poor imitation of what Champ Cars used to be...

[Kicking-back]

Anyone of any ethical repute would not go back on a handshake-deal.

[GTRMagic]

Anyone with an ounce of business savvy would not make deals stick on the strength of only a handshake....

[JohnSSC]

I am with GP on this one. I am with K-B on the handshake thing. A man's word should be his bond. I don't care what the "realities" of the "business" world are these days but if looking someone in the eye and agreeing to something during a handshake is not enough to seal a deal (and to stand by it) then this world is in sorry shape.

I wonder what the reaction would be if Tags had given his "word" and then reneged?

Personally, with PG's hx with Trans Am I wonder how Kalkoven and Forsythe let him join them. He is not poor but certainly does not have the resources of those two - perhaps he charmed them into thinking that he had the knowledge base to run a series. An almost laughable notion if it weren't so sad for OWRS.

JJ, in re: team owners cutting the best deal. If The Amigos did not run the Series I would agree that it is a shark-eat-shark world in racing. It is a serious conflict of interest though and in my mind akin to insider trading that these three use their connection as Series owners to grab the creme de la creme of pay drivers.

With the Series in the condition it is in how many deals are there where they are not involved as their money props up other teams? They know who is looking for a ride and most importantly, who is writing the checks. So even though they can afford it, they get the talent that can best feed the meter at Laps R Us and the dregs go elsewhere so they can minimize their cash outlay - if they don't have to pay their own drivers then that leaves more in their own pockets. The lesser pay drivers have smaller personal budgets and so require less cash outlay to a DCR for example.

[mountainstar]

I don't have a problem with PG. Hunter Reay is already on "subsidy" therefore the 2nd seat went to a ride buyer. Understandable. And Tag got a ride anyways.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

I don't care what the "realities" of the "business" world are these days but if looking someone in the eye and agreeing to something during a handshake is not enough to seal a deal (and to stand by it) then this world is in sorry shape.
.

Yes agreed, unfortunately the world isnt the nicest/fairest places in this 21 century.

However if the hand shake deal had conditions, the goalposts move. Ie As long as the sponsors are here, I will have you race my vehicles for the next 3 years.

[macdaddy]

Absolutely. And it's been alluded to before. Tags doesn't seem to be showing any anymousity, why should we? Especially given that he knows the whole story, and we don't. In fact, we probably know very little. So we sit here in our armchairs and throw stones.

[Electrocuted]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

Tags doesn't seem to be showing any anymousity,

Tags kepy fairly quiet to get a ride. Didnt burn bridges. Inside I betcha he does feel unhappy/screwed. In fact, he DID state so on radio.

I voted that it would be better if KK and GF boughtout PG's small ownership.
If PG can find sponsorship he can stay as a team owner.

PG has to many people that dont like him and have no respect for him. And as noted above just look at how TransAm has fallen. Throw in the "owners" of the TA name, MotoRock, Miami debts, 17 year old Fabio, Tags, and PG's "history." Things would be better if he wasnt a part owner.

[Mosport67]

I listened to PG at a couple of fan forums last season. He is impressive and says the right things. Unforunately it doesn't then happen the way he said so his credibility is impacted.

I think the Tag situation is another example of the shifting sands. The deal changes as the dollars flow (or not). It is understandable why things have changed but how can you go back on a handshake deal and still maintain your credibility.

Still I give him credit for trying so I an in the middle on this one.