Anybody at home ?

[seppefan]

So Pat Caporali turned up for work Monday 11th. Is she still there or are the rumours correct. If she is still there ( and I will call later when the ofice should be open ) where is the statement to say what is happening. Why are drivers, mechanics, owners all being left in the dark. Where is Paulie G string now. Why have KK and GF not held a press conference or issued a statement explaining what is happening. Do these people have any idea how to run a business. If I was KK after pumping in over $50m in 07 and some say $100 m I would not be hiding at home but telling us how it is. " GF is looking to buy my equity, we are talking to TG, we are not talking to TG !"
Looks like TG has completly screwed KK/GF after the good Sebring tests and he has now flown to the UK to Dixons wedding leaving the mess behind and he will pick up the remnants. Very clever and it just shows how the total lack of leadership has ruined the series. I had lunch with a guy yesterday who is negotiating with a number of teams over the driver he represents. None of the owners have a clue what is going on. Some joke.

[MarcoCheever]

he has now flown to the UK to Dixons wedding.

Something to keep in mind. For gentlemen of this stature, flying to the U.K. is like us going to Mug 'n Bun it's no big deal.

A NASCAR weekend is here and Monday is a holiday we're not going to hear anything so grab a malt beverage of your choice and enjoy the weekend !

[tbyars]

Looks like TG has completely screwed KK/GF after the good Sebring tests and he has now flown to the UK to Dixons wedding leaving the mess behind and he will pick up the remnants.

Wait a minute, seppefan....where and why has TG screwed ANYONE? It looks to me like he has done nothing but try to insure that this entire thing happened.

KK says there is no deal until Motegi gets moved, so TG goes to visit Honda. He comes back and does not air the dirty laundry in the press, he just says "maybe this will happen and maybe it won't."

And the losers will be the teams of that series that trusted them.

[seppefan]

Wait a minute, seppefan....where and why has TG screwed ANYONE? It looks to me like he has done nothing but try to insure that this entire thing happened.

KK says there is no deal until Motegi gets moved, so TG goes to visit Honda. He comes back and does not air the dirty laundry in the press, he just says "maybe this will happen and maybe it won't."

And the losers will be the teams of that series that trusted them.

I take your point but it depends on your personal view of events. I think TG saw a good chance to undermine and that is what he did, in my view. Whose fault is that? KK et all by allowing themselves to be pushed into a corner and for allowing any semblance of trust between owners and the teams to go up in a puff of smoke.

[Turn-In]

"Have learned that one small item in RM's latest rant is not true - Pat, the new PR director did not report for work & told to get her old job back. Fact is she decided to sit back & wait for the fall-out - . One small item to be sure but if one fact is wrong, how may others? The gist of Robins column could be true - he is afterall a good reporter & a good reporter gets his thrill from the chase."

From another poster at another website...interesting. If I wasn't passionate about Champ Car, I would say that is good reporting if you wanted to see it fail or have negative press.

"Have learned that one small item in RM's latest rant is not true - Pat, the new PR director did not report for work & told to get her old job back. Fact is she decided to sit back & wait for the fall-out - . One small item to be sure but if one fact is wrong, how may others? The gist of Robins column could be true - he is afterall a good reporter & a good reporter gets his thrill from the chase."

From another poster at another website...interesting. If I wasn't passionate about Champ Car, I would say that is good reporting if you wanted to see it fail or have negative press.

Not sure that deciding not to start a job until the fall-out has settled is actually any better than being told to see if you can get your old job back.

I suppose the first option is slightly more promising, but if a new employee has that little faith.......

[cartpix]

Not sure that deciding not to start a job until the fall-out has settled is actually any better than being told to see if you can get your old job back.

I suppose the first option is slightly more promising, but if a new employee has that little faith.......

And you also have to wonder, the validity of the claim. There have been NO statements saying any of this is untrue. You don't know who to believe. I think the fact that Champ Car has been VERY quiet, makes me wonder if anyone is alive, there. No one is confirming or denying whether GF has "aken over", KK is there or gone, or anything.

Jeff

[Sandfly]

The CC owners are in an internal struggle to either regroup or give in to the IRL's offer - and tell the teams to take the ragged out Dallarra and 1.2 Mil from TG( which will get then to the first crash at Homestead).

Untill they figure out what is happening, we may as well just watch NASCAR - and get used to it - because without a miracle thats all thats gonna be left anyway if this thing goes thru

[seppefan]

from AR1 dated 15/2

Champ Car to file for bankruptcy to facilitate merger UPDATE #9We are hearing that Champ Car employees were told to CONTINUE, not resume (i.e. they never stopped), work on the 2008 season and that an ex-Champ Car official has suddenly quit the Andretti Green Racing IRL team and could possibly be returning to Champ Car. Could this be another sign the merger is off for 2008 and will instead happen in 2009 like it should?

Who is this person. A name would make it believable.

I find it unreal that ChampCar does not make a statement of anykind. Nothing. It is incredible that these guys are so bad at PR. Seems they need Pat Caporali to turn up for work fast.

[seppefan]

Walker, however, acknowledged he has had some sponsors default on payments from last season and that he had to contact the league office to get last year's prize money.
"That's news to me,'' Kalkhoven said.
But Walker said he's not alone.
"The only thing I know for sure is that about a month ago there were several teams that had never been paid prize money,'' he said. "Whether that was resolved, I don't know.''
Plus, Walker said he's heard little from league officials and more about the departures of employees.
The combination was enough to make Walker reassess his team's plans, and refocus .
++++++++++++

I know we have seen the above quote already but the fact that the owners to not officially refute or explain these kind of allegations is a worry to say the least. Clever way to run a business....

COME CHAMPCAR TELL US IF THE STAFF ARE STILL STAFF. IF THE PRIZE MONEY HAS BEEN PAID and on and on.

[indycool]

IMO, there are some lawyers working on this holiday weekend. No one has announced what happened at Motegi, or if there were alternatives or what they were. No one has announced if the ownership structure of CC is changing or not but a lot of speculation. No melding of the two series has been announced.

Marco Cheever's "got it."

[sanguin]

from AR1 dated 15/2

Champ Car to file for bankruptcy to facilitate merger UPDATE #9We are hearing that Champ Car employees were told to CONTINUE, not resume (i.e. they never stopped), work on the 2008 season and that an ex-Champ Car official has suddenly quit the Andretti Green Racing IRL team and could possibly be returning to Champ Car. Could this be another sign the merger is off for 2008 and will instead happen in 2009 like it should?

Who is this person. A name would make it believable.



Speculation- "could be John Anderson, who came to Andretti Green Racing after a two-year stint as director of operations for the Champ Car World Series
Prior to joining the staff at Champ Car, Anderson spent two years at Team Green (2001-2002) as a consultant and race strategist for driver Paul Tracy."

[sanguin]

No one has announced what happened at Motegi


Except tickets went on sale for Motegi for April 17-19.

[indycool]

Expansion: No one has announced what happened at the MEETING at Motegi.

[sanguin]

Speculation- "could be John Anderson, who came to Andretti Green Racing after a two-year stint as director of operations for the Champ Car World Series
Prior to joining the staff at Champ Car, Anderson spent two years at Team Green (2001-2002) as a consultant and race strategist for driver Paul Tracy."

Scratch Anderson, I just found out he went to Gil de Ferran's ALMS team. sorry.

[Chaparral66]

Expansion: No one has announced what happened at the MEETING at Motegi.

I've been looking on seveal sites I regularly get racing news from and the silence out there about what state the merger talks are in, and what happened with TG's meeting at Honda about Motegi, is deafening. I suspect Robin Miller will know something as soon as anyone; but, apparently, the news blackout that both series have agreed to (speculatively speaking) has extended even to his ears as well. Nothing from Curt Cavin at the Indy Star either. If anything, my hope is that cooler heads have prevailed in that they are aiming this thing for 2009 as oppose to this year, which would be chaotic. A progress report would helpful, obviously, but then by being silent about it, they have taken a small (VERY SMALL) piece out of the Daytona 500 hype.

[dataman1]

Sanguin,

The John "Ando" Anderson story is true. He is starting an ALMS team with Gil de Ferran.

Could it be that this AR1rumor is messed up? Paul "Ziggy" Harcus has left Champ Car to work at Andretti Green, assuming he will take Ando's spot. Lord knows lots of rumors are inaccurate, why not this one too. Also, Steve Johnson has been telling the troops that there would be a 2008 season. (I'm not saying he knows for sure, just pointing out that this rumor is suspect.)

[seppefan]

Scratch Anderson, I just found out he went to Gil de Ferran's ALMS team. sorry.

Well thanks for trying to work it out. Appreciated.

[seppefan]

I've been looking on seveal sites I regularly get racing news from and the silence out there about what state the merger talks are in, and what happened with TG's meeting at Honda about Motegi, is deafening. I suspect Robin Miller will know something as soon as anyone; but, apparently, the news blackout that both series have agreed to (speculatively speaking) has extended even to his ears as well. Nothing from Curt Cavin at the Indy Star either. If anything, my hope is that cooler heads have prevailed in that they are aiming this thing for 2009 as oppose to this year, which would be chaotic. A progress report would helpful, obviously, but then by being silent about it, they have taken a small (VERY SMALL) piece out of the Daytona 500 hype.

Sensible to do what your suggesting they are doing ( radoi silence ) but what annoys is that they are not consistent. No strategy and or no communication between the series owners leaving the paying public and the team owners, mechanics, SPONSERS ( oh, they left the room when i was not watching ... ) wives, mortgages, etc in the dark at the most important time. Imagine the number of people waiting to know what these arrogant men are going to do so that they can work out their own agenda, job .. it stinks and while i love Champ Car i will never hold any of the series owners in respect. they are loosers and that is the inherant problem for all involved.

[Easy Drifter]

The silence is disturbing. I felt from the beginning there was not enough time to get it done this year and it seems I am right. Next year makes more sense with both series plodding through this year.
Further on the Motegi situation even if they had come to an agreement approval would be needed from the FIA so silence there really means nothing at this stage.