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Hey, something that I agree with you on. Awesome. Just how you'd probably liek to see CC to go under, and I th IRL, we can both agree, both will not go under. There is too much support behind each series for either to go under.Quote:
Originally Posted by indycool
What's the rush of knowing the schedule for next year?
It'll be the same day as today of next year yet schedules are still not finalized. Cancelled venues, postponed....what the heck....wat's the rush?
Point taken. If it IS announced, what does it mean?
Anyone cares more than the teams and CC fans that the schedule has to be announced? I don't see any point of announcing it now or November of 2008. Makes no difference to sponsors, promoters, medias, realists....no difference at all.
This late in the game, it really doesn't matter other than to give us hope there will be a season. The entire business plan, schedule, technology changes, etc. at the series level for next year should have been finalized months ago. Of course not a single one of us knows that it hasn't, but teams, sponsors, venues and fans sure would like to know. Maybe KK et al have finally learned to keep their cards a tad closer to their chest with the rate at which the competetors have taken their ideas and strategies.
As silent as CC is, one wonders what's done and what's not done. I understand the PR department at CC is now empty, the final two people having left for other things.
Rumor or FACT.Quote:
Originally Posted by indycool
"I understand" implies rumor probable picked up from another forum.
With all the negative comments regarding the PR department it may be a great idea to dump them all and start new.
Well, I haven't heard Sid Priddle, who was hired as a consultant, has left, so maybe he's still there. My source is a good one, but call the CC HQ and ask if you don't believe me.
And they HAVE "lost," not dumped, pretty much the whole PR department this year. Erik Mauk left for Rahal-Letterman. Merrill Cain left for the Detroit IRL race. The latest are a guy and a gal, one headed to the NHRA, one getting out of racing. They DID pick up Nate Siebens for some website work at some point along with Priddle, but I don't know how much time Priddle spends there -- he lives in Toronto -- or even if he's still aboard and Siebens lives in Florida and does a contract deal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by heelntoe
Time will tell as far as the settlement in this case if there is one, but as usual, you do not accept the completely incorrect angle to guilt...it is not a grey area! As to what it has to do with the CCWS series, only time will tell...personally, I think KK has already decided to close up shop and NHL's departure will finalize that closing. As far as IMG. CCWS is likely to lose that race by all that is known today and again, we'll wait and see. Again, I'm pretty comfortable with the 60 day timeframe I laid down.
Originally Posted by
heelntoe
Status: Online
Posts: 304
Join Date: Oct 2005
Originally Posted by
4th Oct 07, 11:06
Originally Posted by sanguin
In your opinion.
CC can wait to see how the cash outlay works for the other series.That will be very telling. I don't think CC has anything to worry about. IMO
CC Cannot wait another year...it can't wait another 60 days without proving to its teams, sponsors and venues that it has the money to do so.
30 days and counting on this prediction.Quote:
Originally Posted by sanguin
No malicious rumor...Priddle was let go in early september - told he was no longer needed...same day another young lady was fired, one of the remaining two has left which leaves the boy wonder from tennis (vp of strategic development) & one other person. They borrowed from the Atlantic's for the aussie race & Nate has been helping out. PR Dept was seriously undermanned even with Eric Mauk...Priddle was given a mandate to upgrade...Mauk got a better job offer & priddle's plan was scrapped when tennis boy was hired.
Has anyone else picked up the latest issue of UK-based Motor Sport magazine? In it is a one-page article by (IIRC) Gordon Kirby which paints a bleak picture for OWR in the US :dozey: It includes comments from Paul Newman, Chip Ganassi and a realistic assessment from Bill France (told to GK before his death) that OWR would implode and NASCAR would benefit.
The article also includes the news that Justin Wilson will not be going to NHL, but is heading for AGR in the IRL and/or ALMS :dozey:
haven't AGR filled their seats in the IRL..... Kanaan, Marco, Danica and the new signing. unless they are going to field 5 cars justin isn't going to their IRL operation.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArrowsFA1
Nice...Quote:
Originally Posted by BobGarage
Not if Marco winds up alongside Graham Rahal.
Updates on KK court trial, very relevant to CC's future:
http://www.crash.net/motorsport/cham...the_stand.html
http://www.crash.net/motorsport/cham..._to_close.html
"During all his time at JDSU, Kalkhoven said he worked hard, and was with the company for eight years, retiring in May 2000 at the age of 56, leaving the firm in the 'good hands' of Strauss, Charles Abbe, and Robert Muller, all co-defendants in the current case. Since his retirement, Kalkhoven said he'd been 'relaxing a bit, engaged in the motorsports business, doing philanthropic work and investing as a venture capitalist', none of which, he said, 'required the amount of time he spent at JDSU - even all combined together'."
Lol, I'm rooting for that CC race at Laguna Seca, but there's no way anyone with a sense of humor can resist this, hilarious, and telling...no wonder CC is in the crapper with him at the helm.
Now to the non-racing portion:
"Kalkhoven signed a consultancy contract with JDSU when he retired, which compensated him $400,000 pro rata per month plus health benefits. He also signed a routine non-compete clause. He was still subject to the company trading windows, but denied that he received inside or adverse information about JDSU after he retired. He thought JDSU 'had stellar promise', but exercised $158 million in JDSU stock options between 31 July and 31 August 2000, another $198 million in September the same year, $105 million in the October and eight million in November. Just prior to the JDSU teleconference on 25 January 2001, Kalkhoven sold an additional $55 million. The figure of $558,500 million was mentioned in court as the total stock sales. The net proceeds of the stock sales were invested in and allocated to KPLJ or diverted for philanthropic work.
Kalkhoven said his financial advisors had been telling him for some time to divest in order not to keep all of his eggs in one JDSU basket. He says he chose to sell about 50 per cent of his stock as it 'sounded like a good number', albeit less than his advisors had wanted him to sell. He kept more than three million shares."
Be your own judge on the above.
Is Rahal moving to AGR/IRL? I haven't heard that rumor.Quote:
Originally Posted by weeflyonthewall
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoss Ghoul
More than one poster on the forum has claimed that Champcar is just "a hobby for a group of rich guys." If the statement above is accurate, then that kind of effort has no chance of getting CC anywhere near to CART of the nineties.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike15
Exactly!! Their PR department needs to be much bigger, and much much better!!
Spend the money!!!
Jimispeed,
It would appear that money is in short supply in the CCWS. The owners do not show any sign of loosening the purse strings any time soon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlatChatRacer
And, I'm not showing any sign of going back to work yet either. Just because they're not showing a sign right now, doesn't mean that's all we're gonna get!
If Champcar doesn't step up to the plate though, and put together a phenom team for their PR/Adverts, then they might as well step down!! Champcar is an awesome product that deserves to be heard/seen by all!! I hope we see Champcar being pumped to the masses during this off season!!
CC needs:
Blank check from the owners
GP and SJ gone
A new CEO
New PR dep't
New Sales dep't
New Marketing dep't
New owners by the end of the year.
Come on, CART750...let's be realistic about this. How are you going to get a blank check from the owners and then ask them to step down after thay have delivered that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cart750hp
I think, personally, that you have seen the end of the great infusion of money into CCWS.
It worked last year; you'll see it again this year. There won't be any great infusion on money from the series. And the series will wear the fact that it's not infusing money into the series like a badge of honor, just like they did last year.
You know why? Because there ain't no check coming. Either they have a check or not, the series need a new ownership and management.Quote:
Originally Posted by tbyars
I couldn't agree more. 2007 was their huge chance to turn the series just because of their new chassis and good new locations.......poooooooofff!Quote:
Originally Posted by tbyars
Reading this latest batch of letters I feel such frustration at the CCWS situation. Not only does it seem likely that no great amount of money is being pumped in but worse, I get the feeling that the powers that be don't even understand why we are ASKING for a lump of money to be pumped in. Its like we are all privy to some billionaire boy version of the SCCA...all sitting around the table toasting with "heres hoping it works lads or what about rocket plane races toasts.
Sad and pathetic.
Well, Petit is a great example. He owns a piece of PKV but buys RuSport to keep it alive and runs one car, then combines with Rocketsports in some awkward form to field a two-car team with a net loss of two cars. Then comes unglued with Rocketsports and folds his team for a net loss of another car.
Now comes word that he, CDW and Wilson are headed for Forsythe for what most probably is a second car paid for, which is what Forsythe wanted at the start of last year, for a net loss of one more car.
And all these are series owners.
I would give massively detailed replies to this thread, and specifically Jack himself (his original post anyway)...if I wasn't unsure of the response to a "rank n00b" at these forums for being the one doing so, and the possibility of hazing swiftly resulting.
As it stands, I'll quietly state, for the moment, that the Great Civil War was created by circumstances quite resembling the one America had from 1861-1865:
1. Wildly divergent philosophies on absolutely fundamental issues.
2. A very long list of grievances, by both sides, that were almost universally ignored by the other.
3. A gradually developing hard-headedness and/or passionate fanaticism, again by both sides.
4. An equally developing sense of 'moral superiority' by both for the kind of actions (sport) that they enjoy/support.
5. The sparing of no expense by either side to portray the other as not only their opposition, but a true threat to the sanctity of everything they hold dear and/or have grown up with (thereby bringing a family values angle into The Struggle).
6. The embracing of true hatred for the other (for "messing up what [they] had," among other things, in one overall era or another), the longer the struggle has ground on.
7. And lastly, pride; pride on either side that they do not need the other, and that the world would be a better place if the other did not exist, even if that means they themselves have to die, too.
With that in mind, how long has it taken for America to get over its differences? Last I checked, when someone in a private plane flew over a NAS track with a sign following that proclaimed, DON'T FORGET YOUR ROOTS, with a Confederate flag attached...a very long time indeed.
I wonder if the true hatred exhibited by both for each other, for 1.5 decades and counting, can ever be erased, at least within twice as long, or longer, a period. If not, a merger would only be a success on the surface...a lot like Otto von Bismarck's 1871 unification of Germany "by blood and iron." Extreme example, but hatred creates extremes.
Very well-pointed out, Wraith. We now have half a generation of fans who are polarized and potential fans who don't even know about the split except what they hear or read on racing forums. And for some who have followed it all these years, merger would not solve their problems.
You still might when the JDS Uniphase stuff is settled. It could be, he wasn't spending money that he would have to return.Quote:
Originally Posted by tbyars
Sometimes I get to thinking....this lawsuit is just right on time. KK may sell his portion of the series or even sell the entire series to another. Sweet.Quote:
Originally Posted by nanders
If, and it is a huge if....Kevin Kalkhoven were to sell his stake in the CCWS, then there are only two potential buyers that would make me feel things could get better.
1. Gerry Forsythe - Probably the only person who could run CCWS as an effective dictatorship ala Bernie Ecclestone and F1.
2. Tony George - Whilst not my preferred option, it would lead to a de-facto merger and end the split in one fell swoop.
Now that KK is the prime owner, still, it's dictatorship. If there's someone who can turn the series around it would have to be one of the owner of the teams in Champ Car or former teams who are now in IRL. Just makes me wonder why they never got themselves involved of purchasing the series instead of heading to IRL.Quote:
Originally Posted by FlatChatRacer
Me too. But by Long Beach 09 and still no changes.....I'd pick #2.Quote:
Originally Posted by FlatChatRacer
And the band plays on ..............Quote:
Originally Posted by indycool
Umm, if you recall, they DID own part of the series and they all divested themselves of that ownership to cash in BEFORE they went to the IRL. The three Amigos were originally what, 18 or so "amigos", although not all of them were exactly friendly all the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cart750hp
Why not divest oneself of a venture that is losing money? I think the consensus is pretty universal, no matter if you hate/love either side, that the "Amigos" keep everything afloat via deep pockets.
EDIT: And on the other front, via nanders... If they just flat merge, straight out, potential future fans are going to have a world of fun trying to get past the venom and hate people would be screaming at each other, from stuff all the way back to 1979, nevermind just 1996.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wraith
Oh please, you have to be kidding about the 1979 bit. From 1990 to right before the split when was there EVER a cross word spoken about the "stuff all the way back to 1979"? Without a doubt there will be some venom that would linger about the split, but over time even that will fade. And to be honest, I think 99.99% of that will be reserved for "...king George" himself. I know I harbor no ill will over the split with any of the teams, owners or drivers. I also know that that sentiment is NOT shared by all the folks who lined up on the CART side of the split.
Gary
According to you and many others, CC is worthless -- if I were to believe most of the negative diatribe posted on the world wide blog, that is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cart750hp
When we look at the situation from a business perspective, the rebuilding process has taken longer than most expected. Also its safe to assume the Champ Car principals anticipated much less resistence in getting US-based open wheel racing repositioned in the motorsports market. Meanwhile, they have invested an incredible amount of money in not keeping the series from folding, but more importantly they are creating a bankable foundation for the future.
The good news is the Champ Car Atlantic Championship has passed the litmus test and proof the foundation in progress is good for open wheel racing fans and drivers wishing to develop their skills. Two Mansell lads on the CCAC grid in 2008 is further evidence to just how far the development series has come in just 3 years.
Yes, Champ Car will answer the bell in 2008! The circumstances are also there for a corporate White Knight to make his move and it won't be Tony George.
It has not been a rebuilding, it has been a redesigning in a European image. I'll get back to you on this when some ovals appear on the schedule. 4 ovals sound pretty good.Quote:
Originally Posted by pits4me
IMO, it's just been a fast change from U.S. street courses to an international focus on permanent road courses.
At another location I heard it stated directly that "the whole idea..." of a certain form of...'logic'...they were using...was "...to get Indycar racing back to being the supreme class of midget and sprint car racing." The logic in question involved the abolition of the wings, rear-engined cars in entirety, and several other "purifications" they apparently "demanded" if they were going to stay interested in open-wheel.Quote:
Originally Posted by garyshell
Off and on in these sorts of discussions, mention was regularly made to "Dan Gurney and the other cronies," and their presentation of the White Paper to USAC as destroying what they felt to be what was good in American open-wheel racing. I.e., the establishment of CART being, for them, something they sought the negation of, henceforth from that moment. These people furthermore had apparently come to believe that Tony George had betrayed "the vision" of American open-wheel racing "by Americans, and FOR Americans" (...only?) in favor of more internationalist ("derned feriner"), CARTish views.
The irrational individuals in question do exist, I have exchanged messages with them on forums such as this.
In completely other news, some of us favor an exact 50/50 split between road/street courses and ovals in any theoretical united series, so as to work against either side feeling short-changed...just with the proviso that they aren't boa-constrictive and heinous to drive a race car on, like Belle Isle.
Hail far son, that's the perfect set up of an US vs Them battle! :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Wraith