Rocketsports/Team Brazil thread

[Muzza]

Folks,

I'm sorry. but the 2006 CCWS Silly Season thread has gotten so long and has so many intertwined subjects that it is rather difficult to follow - thus I'm opening a thread dedicated to Rocketsports/Team Brazil.

According to this article on the website Grande Prêmio even though Pizzonia would have "impressed" team owner Paul Gentilozzi in recent tests, he is only confirmed to race at Long Beach. Pizzonia himself has been quite mute about a season-long agreement with Rocketsports, and it seems indeed that such contract has not been signed yet. Personally I believe that the Brazilian investors that are backing the creation of a Team Brazil at Champ Car are having trouble finding sponsor to close the deal with Gentilozzi. The talk in the Brazilian racing scene is that they haven't been able to raise anything as of yet.

Additionally, when talking about yesterday's Rocketsports press conference the same article indicates that "There were no statements on Bernoldi. Sources disclosed to Grande Prêmio that the favorite for the second seat is the American Ryan Hunter-Reay."

Regards,


Muzza

[racinthestreets]

Thanks for the update Muzza. It seems that every year for the last few Brazil is either going to host a race or offer up sponsorship. It appears that the sponsors feel that they will get the most of their advertising dollars elsewhere. Maybe if Bruno can win the title, it will spur interest in this series from Brazil again as it was in the days of the Brahma sponsorship.

[pink69]

Ryan deserves the seat. He's done a solid job since coming into the series, surprised a few people along the way too. Plus its good for the series to have an American driver in it.

[mountainstar]

A Brazil race would probably help some. Remember the days when we had 7 or 8 drivers from Brazil?

[Snrub]

I guess any ride is better than none for RHR, but it would be a shame to see him stuck at Rocketsports again. He clearly cannot thrive there.

[Muzza]

Originally Posted by racinthestreets

Thanks for the update Muzza. It seems that every year for the last few Brazil is either going to host a race or offer up sponsorship. It appears that the sponsors feel that they will get the most of their advertising dollars elsewhere. Maybe if Bruno can win the title, it will spur interest in this series from Brazil again as it was in the days of the Brahma sponsorship.

Hi Racinthestreets,


Good to hear from you, my man.

Indeed the situation of Champ Car is Brazil is near pitiful. From a series that once almost rivaled with Formula 1 for tv audience (something alike to unthinkable), triggering close following by hundreds of thousands of fan and receiving large press coverage, it has been reduced to a blip in the radar. Example: nowadays the main Brazilian newspapers show two or three paragraph-long (if so!) articles on Champ Car races. Champ Car has fallen from a firm second place in the heart of most Brazilian fans to a very faint sixth or seventh, behind Formula 1 (of course), the local Stock Car series (which, once again is akin to DTM and not to NASCAR!), truck racing, IRL and other local series, etc. Sincerely I don't think this situation can be ever reverted, because Stock Cars and truck racing has carved a fantastic niche in the Brazilian audience, taking more than 40.000 spectators to any single race and receiving extensive press coverage.

A title by Bruno would undoubtedly help, but much more would be necessary for Champ Car to become just a shadow of what it used to be in Brazil. May I add one would have a very tough time trying to sell Champ Car as a viable alternative to potential sponsors. Very tough.


Muzza

[Net-Ranger]

Originally Posted by Muzza

Hi Racinthestreets,


Good to hear from you, my man.

Indeed the situation of Champ Car is Brazil is near pitiful. From a series that once almost rivaled with Formula 1 for tv audience (something alike to unthinkable), triggering close following by hundreds of thousands of fan and receiving large press coverage, it has been reduced to a blip in the radar. Example: nowadays the main Brazilian newspapers show two or three paragraph-long (if so!) articles on Champ Car races. Champ Car has fallen from a firm second place in the heart of most Brazilian fans to a very faint sixth or seventh, behind Formula 1 (of course), the local Stock Car series (which, once again is akin to DTM and not to NASCAR!), truck racing, IRL and other local series, etc. Sincerely I don't think this situation can be ever reverted, because Stock Cars and truck racing has carved a fantastic niche in the Brazilian audience, taking more than 40.000 spectators to any single race and receiving extensive press coverage.

A title by Bruno would undoubtedly help, but much more would be necessary for Champ Car to become just a shadow of what it used to be in Brazil. May I add one would have a very tough time trying to sell Champ Car as a viable alternative to potential sponsors. Very tough.


Muzza

Sadly, sound very familiar to the mexican media coverage to champcar

and worst, here NASCAR hands are deeply inside pulling the strings of mexican stock car series trying at all cost to kill open wheel racing in Mexico, and the idiot factory of Televisa (largest TV-media station) is putting his hands to make this possible.

TV-Azteca that once upon a time not too long ago use to broadcast the races is completely aimed to broadcast as much soccer as they can to steal Televisa audience

If we were lucky we will knew something, WTCC, and WRC broadcasts in TV Azteca are in the same case

[luke]

NICKY PASTORELLI of Holland signed this weekend with PAUL GENTILOZZI's Rocketsports Racing for the remainder of the 2005 Champ Car season. Gentilozzi laughed at the suggestion that Pizzonia was being replaced by Pastorelli because Pizzonia's money hadn't come through. "I don't know where people get this stuff. I'm confident that the deal will come through."

http://www.crash.net/feature_view~t~...~3~id~8949.htm

[Muzza]

Originally Posted by luke

http://www.crash.net/feature_view~t~...~3~id~8949.htm

Thanks for posting this, Luke.

It confirms that:

1.) The Brazilian investors who are launched Team Brazil are having a tough time to find sponsors and keep the concept afloat (note Gentilozzi's remark "I'm confident that the deal will come through" in reference to that).

2.) As several people (included myself) had warned, reports that Enrique Bernoldi had signed/was about to sign with Rocketsports were way off the mark. I "hate to say I told you so", but as usual there was too much wishful thinking in the off-season...

Cheers,


Muzza

[BootsOntheSide]

Hopefully they can get a second car out there in the time after the opening race. Pizzonia has settled in quite well anyway.

[Muzza]

Just following up on my last posting above, Pizzonia confirmed to the Brazilian press after the race that he needs to "finds sponsporship to continue to race in the championship". Thus the revolving chair at Rocketsports continues to be the same.