Quote:
"We all made mistakes. We all know that. But we're learning from those mistakes. It's hard to get into Asia, but we'll do it. We've learned that Europe really likes us, so we'll push on that. We've learned that there are other parts of the world, as Formula One departs, that have a great interest.
"And we've also learned, frankly, that they actually like the American approach to it. They like the open paddock. They like the accessibility of the drivers. They like the fact it's American. I mean, we tend to sometimes think that, you know, Formula One, because it's European, is the most sophisticated, all the rest.
"Talk to the people again. Why are these sponsors here? You'll find they like the American -- they like the fact we're American. They like the friendly approach. They like the accessibility of the drivers. And actually in a strange sense, you look at some of the stuff out there, there are Harley Davidsons out there.
"There is still a feeling about America that is positive. Because of other political issues, we tend to forget. When it comes down to it, people like American drinks, they like American television, they like American movies, they like American."
We then asked Kalkhoven, why not just come right out and say your Mission Statement is to become a true global world series?
"Until we have a schedule that's absolutely solid, until we know that the FIA approves it, we are not ready to make the -- because when you play international, you're playing to a different set of rules. The schedule itself will make that statement. You can follow it up.
"I'm not going to be here, nor is anyone else, going to make a statement till we've got an international schedule that works.
But even if it's not next year, if your goal is to become a true World Series, that message needs to be hammered out over and over and over again we added. Fans need to know it around the world, promoters, drivers, everyone involved.
" think drivers do. I think a lot of the promoters do. But the proof of the pudding is going to be when we actually have a solid schedule that is international with international sponsors. We've got good international drivers. For too long I think we've had the ability to overestimate some of the things that we said we'll do," said Kalkhoven
"They're hard. Getting into China is hard. Getting into Korea was clearly hard. A lot of these things are hard and we've made mistakes. But our commitment is still there to do it. But we have to back up that commitment with solid facts this time."
"You guys have seen the evolution of what we've done. We've come a long way and we've made mistakes, but we have come a long way. And I think '08 will prove to be another step forward.
"Some of the things we've done are really, really hard. We talked about Asia. We talked about the car. I remember people saying, you know, after our first race in Vegas, you know, The car is a piece of ****. It will never work. It's going to be unreliable. They went on and on and on. Look at those times out there. I think it's actually -- if you exclude Sebastien, I think the first 12 cars are within a half of a second of each other."
"And look at the different winners we've had this year. The cars have been remarkably reliable. A lot of people said, Why are you doing it? What's wrong with the Lolas? Why are you spending that much money?"
"We all recognize our marketing has to be better."
Is the Las Vegas race going to be okay we asked?
"Again, you're going to have to wait for the schedule. But I don't see a problem with that one," said Kalkhoven
"They're good guys. They're smart businessmen. Before the train wreck (Phoenix), if you have a chance to prevent it, let's prevent it.
"A lot of this goes back to the schedule. A lot of it -- I mean, there was always a certain element of criticism about having a season that ran from here to out there. So, you know, we're going to submit our schedule to the FIA. We're going to see how it all works out.
"But I think, to be really positive about this, we've taken some big gambles that have worked. We've taken some that haven't. I think when you see what has happened here in Essen, when you see the cars, and you realize that fundamentally we've also got a budding new star in Graham, things are actually pretty okay.
"Now, we have to perform for next year. But I think they're pretty okay. If you want to look at the glass half full, you can see a glass half full.
You guys are still committed? There are predictions out there that you guys are going to get tired of doing this, I pointed out.
"Any time anyone wants to ask me that question, I will respond to it the same way. We are committed. We have to do better.," said Kalkhoven.
"You know what happens, this is a little earlier than the normal, The Sky is Falling," said Gentilozzi. Every year something happens that spins everybody up. It spins through the media, spins to some team owners. Then, geez, the whole thing is falling.
"That's because you have factions in the United States, like NASCAR and IRL, that want to see you dead.
It's mostly marketing. Global marketing. It's one thing to market in America, where you live every day, you're there every day. It's easy. To now become a World Series and market in all these countries, like Formula One does, you're talking about a many magnitudes higher budget. From a marketing perspective is what I'm getting at.
"You can't buy the marketing. The marketing has to come from the guys in the press room," said Gentilozzi
"Formula One has 400 journalists that go to every race. Bernie [Ecclestone] doesn't spend a whole lot on marketing. When was the last time you saw an F1 ad? Never."
"Here is an anecdote, very funny. We go into St. Petersburg last Sunday, the day of the Zolder race. We get in there and I switch on the television. Being me, I'm flipping through the channels. The third channel I flip to, there's our race. Now, I don't know how many people are watching at midnight in Russia, but it was there, and it was around Russia," said Kalkhoven.
We've seen the Denver race go into some sort of limbo. We've seen the Phoenix race for a variety of reasons, probably largely scheduling, but it does cost a lot of money to put on a street race. Can you talk about this concept of the street race festival changed to it point where maybe it's not quite the central focus of the series the way it might have been in the past and that point of the right time and the right race?
"Did you actually look at our schedule in the past? We don't actually have, never have had, a majority of street races. So there's a perception there we're a street race. It's not factually true. We've always had a balance between different types of road racing, if you like, turning right as well as left.
"And certainly they are hard to put on. But based on my experience in things like Long Beach, which is now back to the year 2000 attendance numbers, you can make them into great events. That's what we talk about, we talk about the events, not about street races.
"Let's look at we're not a street racing series, never have been. The majority have always been non-street races."
"Somebody wrote that we were in negotiation with the IRL to leave the month of May open," said Gentilozzi I think it's an Indianapolis-based journalist who shall remain nameless. The word they have in England is poppycock or something like that. It's not entering into our schedule [a May Indy 500 gap].
"I can absolutely tell you that no one in Champ Car management or I or Paul or Dan or Jerry have had any conversations with the IRL in a year," said Kalkhoven. "Anything else you may hear s a fairytale. Now, were there other people who would still like to put it back together? And are those people frustrated because it won't come back together? Yes. But they're not in this room."
I asked, What is the top three priority things for you for the series, that you want to accomplish?
Schedule, television, both domestic and international, improving it, and commercial success, sponsors," said Steve Johnson
Will there be a series sponsor in 2008?
"That's the tough one. We are working towards that. I am not going to jinx anything right now. That is front and center and something that we got several folks on right now," said Johnson
"The biggest mistake we could have done was not to try to do things, change. In so doing, you make a mistake every now and then. But the biggest mistake would have been not to try," said Kalkhoven.
