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View Full Version : Here is a wild idea to expand and save CCWS for the future



SoCalPVguy
7th February 2008, 17:47
Background: While reading the other thread re. Sebring Atlatantics (CAC) tests and Champ Car (CC) tests, I had an idea that could become a platform to save, and even expand CCWS.

Sebring tests, CC best times at about 50-sec. per lap (14-cars).
CAC had twenty five cars (25!!!) best times about 57-sec. per lap.
I understand that in past tests, the Indy Car ICS cars lapped Sebring at about 3 or so seconds per lap slower than CC. So that would indicate a relative speed per lap of...
CCWS 50-Sec
ICS 53-Sec
CAC 57-Sec.
Note that frankly I doubt the average person would note the difference of 7 seconds per lap, heck I'll bet a NASCAB would be a lot slower and plenty of people go out and watch those things drone around. In fact the CAC cars are less than only perceptively slower than the competition, i.e. ICS cars at 3-sec. per lap.

My idea is to disband the CC portion of Champ Car World Series and combine all assets and teams into Atlantics. Call this formula now "Champ cars". I would estimate that after a few weak sisters dropped out, you would have a field of about 30 or so cars. Expenses will be much lower, so full paying sponsorships will be much easier to find. The average fan cannot tell a CAC car from an F1, GP2, or ICS from 50-yards on out anyway. (Formula BMW, Barber Dodge that is now an irrelevant dupication or whatever becomes the feeder series). Smaller cars can run on the smaller road courses and street courses that are now unsuitable for te larger CC cars.

After one or two years of the current formula, I would suggest bumping up the engine size and power so that, for example, Sebring laps into the 53-second range are acheived, thus putting them on par with an ICS car. Also, management needs to grovel and beg and become the companion event at the Indy 500 or Nascab 400 at Indy on the road course on the same day as the main event, thus showcasing its product while not in competition.

Maybe taking a step back in order to take two steps forward in the future should be considered.

Lousada
7th February 2008, 18:14
The problem is that Atlantic and also IPS are only flourishing because the stakes are low. If Atlantics became the premier series, it would get more coverage (I assume). This would make the sponsorship more valueable, which in turn allows the topteams more development, raising the bar for everyone. The poorer teams would fall out of the series quickly. In a few years you'd be back were you started. Another problem is that whatever way you look at it, folding the topseries now to concentrate on Atlantics will be seen as a surrender. Atlantics won't suddenly be viewed as a topseries, but merely as a feederseries with no direct toplevel. A bit like IFM and WSbR are in Europe.

I believe the problems with Openwheel racing in America are much deeper than the costs. The Panoz isn't very expensive considering what you get for that money.