What Happens Next?

I think (don't be angry at me) that the best desision is to sell it to TG. For the good of AOWR and i ngeneral. In that way we will have a 18-20 event IRL with probably at least 26 drivers (and all the main events in Toronto, RA, LS...) Who likes ovals - will watch ovals, who dislikes them - just don't care so much watching them (but EVERYBODY will watch Indy500). That is quite enough, at least for me, i don't care that TG is the boss. What matters that TG will be the boss? He IS the boss of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (and IRL) (or i'm wrong?).

A current Dallaras are a little bit ugly - so what? They can be redesigned in a .... let's say not exactly a month, but in less than a year.

Of course CCWS may go on, but they will not be a pinnacle of racing in NA (together with IRL).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChaimWitz

Me too mate! I can't wait to read how you spin it when it comes out. From what I am hearing it will require the world's greatest illusionists to make Champ Car look legit in the face what races are left when your cherished 2008 mini schedule is announced.

But, as you well know, there may still be some Eurosucker out there who doesn't read the motorsports news so you gotta keep the Farce Shields up in the hope this poor soul will fall for the blustering egobable that passes as Champ Car's five year plan.

The Champ Car G5 Airfarce is also a nice tool in sucking in the unsuspecting so I imagine that is what you and your pals are up to as we speak. Airfarce 1 is probably spooling up as we speak for one last desperate flight around the globe in search of the elusive promoter willing to lose millions (name your currency) just to keep the Amigos in the game and FerrariF1's and Sanguin's arguments alive.

My guess is that someone with a big ego and a lot of money (who doesn't speak English) is the next "mark" in the ever-shifting con game that the CCWS has become.

How did it all come to this? Why is there anyone still left who still believes in the unbelievable? The answer, my friends, exists somewhere between a place in our hearts called hope and a place called fear. I would put my money on the latter.

Perhaps the following will help those who are still in denial:

In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Swiss-born psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross outlined the five stages of grief of someone who is dying:

1) Denial and isolation: "This is not happening to me."

2) Anger: "How dare God do this to me."

3) Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my son graduate."

4) Depression: "I can't bear to face going through this, putting my family through this."

5) Acceptance: "I'm ready, I don't want to struggle anymore.

So, which stage are you at when it comes to Champ Car? I have progressed to stage 5 after experiencing the full agony of the prior four stages. My guess is that some we know and love will forever be stuck at stage 1.

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From looking at your previous posts, it's hard to find anything positive you have ever said about the Champcar World Series..... I'm dissapointed about how Champcar played out this year, but in the same breath, there were many great moments, very competitive racing and some beautiful new road courses!!


Put away the voodoo doll!!


Champcar is going to go wherever they go no matter how we try to color it!! Changes must be made!!!

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Originally Posted by ChaimWitz

garyshell, point taken about jimspeed. My apologies to both of you.

Call me sanctimonious but plase don't call me Sanguin.

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Trust me I would NEVER do that. :D

Look, my reply was NOT intended to be directed at you. It was to state that there have been a lot of FANS driven away here because the self claimed insiders have pretty much told them to "sit down, shut up and listen to me because I am an insider". And then they refuse to backup the insider assertion. I understand that they are reluctant to make their names or true status known. But they also need to understand that on the internet, no one can be trusted to be who they say they are, and that playing that "insider" card doesn't REALLY lend any more credibility. If anything it REMOVES some.

I've thought of packing it here myself. But where would I go the "cff fanatics" forum. No thanks. And, I admit it, I like hearing this talk from the "insiders" and providing the occasional tweak to them to remind them they put their pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us!

But what REALLY set me off was this: "We are the sum total of the handful of people left who still care about this once great series." As if some clique of folks here were the ONLY ones who gave a damn and the rest of us were just interlopers.

Rereading that comment in context and subsequent postings from you, I am inclined to think that your intent with it and my perception were not the same thing.

gary

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sanguin

That's what I hear from CC fans about this forum.

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Whoa! Don't drag ME into your fantasy world. I totally disassociate any comments I have made with, in any way shape or form, contributing to furthering the "opinions" you spew here.

Gary

Quote:

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Originally Posted by garyshell

Whoa! Don't drag ME into your fantasy world. I totally disassociate any comments I have made with, in any way shape or form, contributing to furthering the "opinions" you spew here.

Gary

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I don't agree with everything you post either, but about this subject, I've heard the same from other CC fans.

Below is some insight into the developing situation in Australia and Kalkhoven's focus on Europe:

from goldcoast.com.au

V8s lining up for more Indy cash

13 Oct 07

"V8 Supercars want a greater slice of the Indy financial pie as behind-the-scenes drama dominates talk on the eve of the major Surfers Paradise motorsport event."

V8s boss Tony Cochrane is in talks with the State Government to finalise next year's contract, and The Bulletin understands he is seeking a greater slice of the $12 million the Government pours into the event each year.

There has also been speculation over the International Management Group's continuing role with Indy, after The Bulletin was told the group and State Government were at loggerheads over a number of issues, including IMG's profit take from the event.

Late yesterday, Lexmark Indy 300 chairman Terry Mackenroth released a statement saying that letters of intent had been drafted between IMG and the Queensland Government for a joint partnership through to 2013.

"A deal has been done," he said. "I cannot understand where all the current rumour and speculation has been circulated from and take offence to such accusations of instability in regards to Australia's No 1 motorsport spectacular.

"Our current agreement will take us through to the 2008 event and we expect to cement a formal arrangement between the Queensland Government and our event partners IMG to take us through another five-year contractual period up to and inclusive of the 2013 event."

It is understood the Champ Car sanction fee and transport costs for Surfers Paradise are close to $6 million, while the V8s get a third of that in fees and TV rights.

The high-stakes game is being played out between the Indy board and V8 board, of which Mr Cochrane is chairman.

Mr Cochrane recently stitched up a lucrative deal with the Queensland Government to run a V8 race in Townsville.

He is arguing that the V8s should be given equal financial billing with the Champ Cars, saying he had independent research showing more people came to Surfers Paradise for the V8s than the Champ Cars.

The argy bargy over next year's Queensland Government deal with the V8s coincides with a massive planned revamp of the Indy series.

For the first time, Champ Car chairman Kevin Kalkhoven will not be at Surfers Paradise for next weekend's race, instead opting for a series of meetings in Europe with promoters.

There is speculation that the US-based series will broaden its global reach next year, taking in extra European cities, after the failure of China and Korea.

Mr Kalkhoven, the Aussie billionaire running the Champ Car series, has always declared Surfers Paradise the series' marque event.

Team Australia owner Craig Gore said the attractiveness of Indy was its international flavour, combined with the best V8 drivers in the country.

"I think that's a potent mix and to tamper with that would be crazy," he said.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChaimWitz

Below is some insight into the developing situation in Australia and Kalkhoven's focus on Europe:

from goldcoast.com.au

V8s lining up for more Indy cash

13 Oct 07

"V8 Supercars want a greater slice of the Indy financial pie as behind-the-scenes drama dominates talk on the eve of the major Surfers Paradise motorsport event."

V8s boss Tony Cochrane is in talks with the State Government to finalise next year's contract, and The Bulletin understands he is seeking a greater slice of the $12 million the Government pours into the event each year.

There has also been speculation over the International Management Group's continuing role with Indy, after The Bulletin was told the group and State Government were at loggerheads over a number of issues, including IMG's profit take from the event.

Late yesterday, Lexmark Indy 300 chairman Terry Mackenroth released a statement saying that letters of intent had been drafted between IMG and the Queensland Government for a joint partnership through to 2013.

"A deal has been done," he said. "I cannot understand where all the current rumour and speculation has been circulated from and take offence to such accusations of instability in regards to Australia's No 1 motorsport spectacular.

"Our current agreement will take us through to the 2008 event and we expect to cement a formal arrangement between the Queensland Government and our event partners IMG to take us through another five-year contractual period up to and inclusive of the 2013 event."

It is understood the Champ Car sanction fee and transport costs for Surfers Paradise are close to $6 million, while the V8s get a third of that in fees and TV rights.

The high-stakes game is being played out between the Indy board and V8 board, of which Mr Cochrane is chairman.

Mr Cochrane recently stitched up a lucrative deal with the Queensland Government to run a V8 race in Townsville.

He is arguing that the V8s should be given equal financial billing with the Champ Cars, saying he had independent research showing more people came to Surfers Paradise for the V8s than the Champ Cars.

The argy bargy over next year's Queensland Government deal with the V8s coincides with a massive planned revamp of the Indy series.

For the first time, Champ Car chairman Kevin Kalkhoven will not be at Surfers Paradise for next weekend's race, instead opting for a series of meetings in Europe with promoters.

There is speculation that the US-based series will broaden its global reach next year, taking in extra European cities, after the failure of China and Korea.

Mr Kalkhoven, the Aussie billionaire running the Champ Car series, has always declared Surfers Paradise the series' marque event.

Team Australia owner Craig Gore said the attractiveness of Indy was its international flavour, combined with the best V8 drivers in the country.

"I think that's a potent mix and to tamper with that would be crazy," he said.

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Excuse me, but can someone please tell me what in the heck KK is thinking!!! Not attending the most successful race in his own backyard because he has meetings with promoters!?! If you had a G5 and 250,000 coming to your own back yard, wouldn't you fly all of the bloody promoters in, wine and dine them and show them how you can actually do a race right? To me, this says that the Ferrari A1 deal has him scared and like some others, A1 will likely replace CCWS in Surfers...is this his conceding to this fact as Cochrane is now coming out swinging when he was supposedly a potential partner? I think the wagons are getting circled and KK is making a last ditch effort...but IMO, this is unbelievable

errggg more ego boosting European races- already in a very crowded market- F1, GP2, F3, Renault World Series, A1 GP, International Formula Masters etc- CCWS offers nothing that those series don't already provide- and those like RWS do it so much better- full grids, decent amount of sponsors and the might of Renault supporting it- even A1GP- long derided on this website has now signed a major deal with Ferarri- for engines and chassis....which one looks more likely to survive- the one with the Ferrari deal or the one without??

and CCWS is now arguing over money at Surfers Paradise- well I'm quite sure that Surfers would be a huge hit without the Champ Cars- the V8 series has packed grids and huge track attendance at every race it runs- so why does Surfers really need CCWS at all??

fan-veteran I totally agree with you- pull the plug on this farce, roll up the best races into the IRL, redesign the Dallara a bit and go racing- I loved CART- best racing in the world, but CCWS is just p*****g all over the legacy of that once great series and it should stop

Agree, heelntoe. Cochrane's been trying snatch more of that event for years and it's CC's biggest paycheck. Maybe KK has just given up on it because he's certainly not protecting his interests there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jimispeed

From looking at your previous posts, it's hard to find anything positive you have ever said about the Champcar World Series..... I'm dissapointed about how Champcar played out this year, but in the same breath, there were many great moments, very competitive racing and some beautiful new road courses!!

Put away the voodoo doll!!

Champcar is going to go wherever they go no matter how we try to color it!! Changes must be made!!!

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Jimispeed, I spent much of my professional life saying and doing positive things regarding Champ Car. As as for this year, I agree that there have been some bright spots (St. Jovite in particular), many good races and several interesting new stars in the making. As much as people bash Sebastian, he is my hero and his time in CCWS will long be remembered as will his and N/H/(L)'s fourth consecutive championship. All that aside, the sad truth is that the promise the season held has turned sour. I agree with you that "Champcar is going to go wherever they go no matter how we try to color it!! Changes must be made!!!" but I am not sure that is a good thing or that those changes will come soon enough. As for my voodoo doll, it looks an awful lot like a mini-Paulie G-String wearing a Motorock T-Shirt and a Hustler Clubs cap. I keep it on the same shelf as my God-awful Gene Simmons, Kiss action figure voodoo doll.