What Happens Next?

[indycool]

Well, one of 'em will change by a week, in all probability, and it'll probably be Motegi on Masters weekend because it can't possibly draw bigger TV ratings against it. Long Beach couldn't. That one is easy.

[Chaparral66]

I hope LB can survive the IRL takeover in the coming years,past history has shown other events haven't faired so well. It will be curious to see what happens with the Motegi date in 2009.

Long Beach will be just fine. Since this race has origins in F1 and CART's glory years, this race will whether the transition better than most. Besides, the reality of the new series is already settling in. Schedules in the coming years will work to maintain what they have, wherever they race. Some races gone from this year are expected to return, such as Cleveland and Portland, and hopefully, Leguna Seca.

[indycool]

I know we all like those venues, Chap, but finances and a promoter's decision to undertake the risk of finances for an Indycar race at all three of the venues you mentioned are very suspect and the IRL has a multi-year deal at Infineon for the same market as Laguna. I can understand traditionally CC fans hoping some of their favorite races come back -- some were races I enjoyed, too -- but those with the desire and the bucks will get races and those with OUR desire and not enough bucks won't.

[Chaparral66]

I know we all like those venues, Chap, but finances and a promoter's decision to undertake the risk of finances for an Indycar race at all three of the venues you mentioned are very suspect and the IRL has a multi-year deal at Infineon for the same market as Laguna. I can understand traditionally CC fans hoping some of their favorite races come back -- some were races I enjoyed, too -- but those with the desire and the bucks will get races and those with OUR desire and not enough bucks won't.

I understand what you're saying, but if you worked the schedule right, you could accomodate both Infineon and Laguna Seca. I have to believe that the venues that were with open wheel in the past now want a part of this deal if the IRL can be counted on to manage the series at a respectable level. Mid-Ohio used to co-exist just fine with Cleveland in the past under CART, I see no reason that can't happen again if they are spread apart enough. Of course, money talks; but if the IRL can avoid going NASCAR on venues in terms of sanction fees, bringing those traditional venues could work and it would help rebuild the new series creditability among longtime fans and help attract new ones. Yeah, I'm treating the glass as half full, but we're starting with a clean sheet of paper, no idea is too far outside the box.

[garyshell]

I hope LB can survive the IRL takeover in the coming years,past history has shown other events haven't faired so well. It will be curious to see what happens with the Motegi date in 2009.

Past history is pock marked with venues going away in BOTH series. You make it sound like this is the sole provenience of the IRL. You know very well that is not the case. Besides didn't we just see an event a week or so ago that was once a CCWS event that became an IRL event. And didn't we see a former CCWS driver win his first race there? And didn't we see a new contract signed to extend that event well into the future? And wasn't said event a street race just like Long Beach? Yep, you're right as always sanquin, the signs all point to LB going under next year.

Next...


Gary

Oh by the way what happend to your old tag line? Remember, it's all about the racing and the racing is good.

[nanders]

Long Beach will be just fine. Since this race has origins in F1 and CART's glory years, this race will whether the transition better than most. Besides, the reality of the new series is already settling in. Schedules in the coming years will work to maintain what they have, wherever they race. Some races gone from this year are expected to return, such as Cleveland and Portland, and hopefully, Leguna Seca.

Chap,

I've seen that Portland wants to be back on the schedule, but as of yet no one is stepping forward with a sanctioning fee. I haven't heard too many favorable things, do you have linkage to an article, or is this insider information?

A race fan friend from Cleveland tells me that real estate developers are trying to buy Burke airport to build high-end condo's or town homes and his impression is that, that race will never make a come-back. Do you have linkage?

Laguna would be wonderful. I believe that area of the country could sustain two race events per year. And even though Sears Point is in the "Wine Country" and has NASCAR amenities, the Monterrey area has more going for it as an IndyCar venue.

[nanders]

Yep, you're right as always sanquin, the signs all point to LB going under next year. Next... Gary

It's good to see Gary and sanquin back together again.

[garyshell]

It's good to see Gary and sanquin back together again.

You noticed in my first reply I had some restraint. I though, ok, the writing is on the wall, maybe the leopard will change its spots. So I backed off. Then he came forth with his usual drivel, so...

Gary

[Chaparral66]

Chap,

I've seen that Portland wants to be back on the schedule, but as of yet no one is stepping forward with a sanctioning fee. I haven't heard too many favorable things, do you have linkage to an article, or is this insider information?

A race fan friend from Cleveland tells me that real estate developers are trying to buy Burke airport to build high-end condo's or town homes and his impression is that, that race will never make a come-back. Do you have linkage?

Laguna would be wonderful. I believe that area of the country could sustain two race events per year. And even though Sears Point is in the "Wine Country" and has NASCAR amenities, the Monterrey area has more going for it as an IndyCar venue.

I was just offering an opinion as to what the IRL should consider doing, Nanders. Part of the deal with the merger is that some of the courses that Champ Car was successful at, such as Road America, would have an opportunity to get back in at some point. If Indy Car is to be successful, I hope that they can realize the traditional value of a Cleveland, Road America, and Laguna Seca. For that matter, Michigan and Fontana, too.

[indycool]

Chap, "traditional value?"

CART moved Road America all over its schedule from July to October for years. Its fans tired of it and started coming in less numbers in the late '90s and early 2000s. It eventually became a track rental situation with CART and a lawsuit between Pook and RA that Mario fixed. CC dropped it. Then picked it up as a track rental. Then lost money.

This was a track, like Phoenix and Laguna, that circumstances and management of either both promoter and sanctioning body or one or the other, effectively just screwed up. "Traditional value" to us. Headache for the principals.

Same with Cleveland, which has had SEVEN different promoters play hot potato with it, literally, in some cases, giving it away. As much as I think Cleveland is the BEST road course around because a fan can see it all from the stands, that view isn't shared in its accounting office, whoever the promoter is.

Laguna was a wonderful place with "traditional value," but that was long ago, before Pook screwed it up by moving its traditional October date to June. After that destabilized the race completely, there was a try to move it back to September but the damage was done to "traditional value." Then CC abandoned it for San Jose because it just couldn't pay any more. It'd take a lot for the management there to put itself in that horrible position of almost going bankrupt again because of an Indy car race.