Sweet looking car she was driving yesterday!
http://66.223.111.192/Images/2009/IR...eIndyTest1.jpg
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Sweet looking car she was driving yesterday!
http://66.223.111.192/Images/2009/IR...eIndyTest1.jpg
I'm thinking teams don't usually full out paint a car simply for a test?
Typically no, teams don't go through the extra cost of painting a car, but if they're being paid to test a driver, and whomever is paying wants to film the car for whatever reason, normally a commercial or a movie/television plot tie in. As far as "Lets go test a driver," no, normally they don't skin a car for that.
For those who are curious. Stargate Resistance is a new model to the Stargate Worlds game franchise that dramatically increases the game's playability.
I get that MGM owns the franchise, but I don't get where the $4 million or so it would cost to sponsor that ride is coming from. I get that Simona has investors, but how does the ad buy for a game come in? There is a new Stargate show, and I understand there are plans for a series of Star Gate movies, but this seems odd. Some of her Atlantic team is helping with the test, so I think its something of a joint venture/rental situation between Stargate Worlds and HVM. So the livery could be part of presentation to whomever is paying for the Stargate support of "This is what your team could look like if you choose to fully fund an IRL operation," kinda thing, which would mean that the deal isn't done, and all this is a mockup.
From the Catchfence:
http://www.catchfence.com/tag/team-stargate-worlds/Quote:
“Simona has been impressive in Atlantics and could certainly have a future in IndyCar,” said Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing team principal and owner. “This trip to Sebring is going to be sort of a litmus test to see if there’s potential for future collaboration with her and Team Stargate Worlds.”
I hear ya, but I am really hoping that one day we get to the point to where we wont see drivers that are not qualified to race in IndyCars.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chamoo
But then again, we had such illustrious pilots as Dennis Vitollo and King Hero when CART was in it's hey day :)
Pretty car. It must have been painted up for PR of some sort. Hope we see it on opening day!!
I understand, and I thought about the fact they may be doing PR work after I posted. They may well be filming an online commercial of some sort.Quote:
Originally Posted by MDS
HVM did say they were doing this as a joint test with Team Stargate Worlds. I'm thinking Stargate Worlds will be represented in 2010 in the Izod Indycar Series somehow or other, either attached to HVM as their second car, or as a two car effort by themselves.
I could see MGM throwing out the cash needed to sponsor the cars for this venture. If they own the franchise, and you would think they generate revenues from the game, they could very well be interested in using the IRL as a means to advertising the game. I know I never would had heard of it if they didn't sponsor the team in Atlantics last season.
From Wikipedia.
"With the partnership with Pacific Coast Motorsports dissolving in 2009, US RaceTronics quickly signed Atlantic Championship series regular Simona De Silvestro and resigned Frankie Muniz to complete in the 2009 season. Imran Safiulla joined the team as Team Principal and together with Seneviratne the team signed Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, FireSky as Major Sponsors and Mechanix and Meguiar's rejoined the team. The team underwent a name change to Team Stargate Worlds. Stargate Worlds is the name of the upcoming Massive multi-player online game due to be released by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment. Both De Silvestro and Muniz will play actual characters in the game.
De Silvestro will participate in an IndyCar Series test on December 8th & 9th at Sebring which will be a joint effort between HVM Racing & Team Stargate Worlds."
Yeah, there could be some MGM money into this, but that hasn't been how movie studios have operated in the past. Normally they'll do a couple special promotions around the release date. Also, why promote the game and not have any signage for Stargate Universe, the new show on the SyFy channel?
I don't get it, doesn't mean there's something wrong with deal, but I don't get it. Also, there's no way I see Team Stargate Worlds coming in with two cars full time. They don't have the engineering support to break out with two cars, and its a little late the game to start buying chassis. It seems to make sense to me that HVM partners with their ownership to run Simona. Keith Wiggins has show he's more than open to taking on partners on a short term basis in the past; Cedric The Entertainer and Frank Stoddart.
Actually, it's Paul Stoddart, the former-current owner of former F1 team Minardi that was Keith Wiggins partner. Frank Stoddart is a NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chief and now, I believe, team owner.Quote:
Originally Posted by MDS
The more I think about it, the more I think this isn't a PR move. If they wanted to film or take pictures with Simona in a Stargate Worlds car or Stargate Resistance car, why do they need to run a Dallara to do it? They already have a partnership with an Atlantic team, why spend the money to get Simona in an HVM car when they can just run an Atlantic car.
That leads me to believe there is more then just PR behind this.
I have to agree here. I mean if they wanted to do all this for an photo opp it would have been much easier and much cheaper to photo shop it, but they paint up a car, put associate sponsorship decals and all new number (as see here on it for just a 2 day test?Quote:
Originally Posted by Chamoo
They don't even need to photoshop. They have 2 Atlantic cars sitting in their shop right now that are already painted up.Quote:
Originally Posted by gofastandwynn