Sorry, but I have 5-bucks that says Champ Car does not answer the bell in 2008...

Probably more than half the CC field's sponsors combined.

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Originally Posted by indycool

Probably more than half the CC field's sponsors combined.

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I would like to believe you, but they are honda's discount sponsor IMO.

IYO.

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Originally Posted by sanguin

How much do you think 7-11 is paying for sponsorship?

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Probably more than NHL is getting from McDonalds, Hole In The Wall and MediZone combined....talk about "phony sponsors", lets start in CC.

Oh, thats just what I hear. ;)

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Originally Posted by sanguin

no link, just some inside info. ;)

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But I thought you were "just a fan." Where does "just a fan" get real inside information?

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Originally Posted by mike15

These forums are full of Debbie Downers because that is the easy way out.

You can talk all you want about missed opportunities by letting CC drivers go but I have not seen the other OW series pick up those drivers.

Yep there were canceled races but when you ignore the reasons why they were cancelled, well there is the Debbie Downer direction once again.

If at some point in time Champ Car does fold, as far as I am concerned American Open Wheel Racing is finished and there are NO alternatives.

So with that said I will be backing Champ Car in 2008 and beyond. The 2008 schedule, venues will be added to the positive venues in 2007. Yes there were some poor preforming venues in 2007 and they possible will be eliminated in 2008. But the point of a good schedule is attendance, attendance is what builds venues and not TV ratings or because the venue is a forum favorite.

Yes in 2008 there will be new self sufficient teams and yes there will be drivers with sponsors.

But the bottom line is paid admission is what will build the series. A fan that purchases a ticket to see a race is more likely to stick with the series than a person that was given a free ticket.

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I think you would be very very suprised to see how little the paid admission really goes towards the series. You have to build something and then work like hell to convince potential viewers they have something good to watch, or what they are watching is good. The television pakage is downright horrible. At this point, they would be better served to tape delay the races and do some major post production work on the on air product, because their money is a waste of money for what they are getting.

Advertisers and sponsors spend money to get their brand in front of TV viewers first and foremost. NO TV, no sponsorships. Not for the series, not for the races, not for the teams, not for the drivers. You can harp on attendance figures all you want. If you have Zero TV figures, you get ZERO worthwhile sponsorship. You absolutely have to produce a good TV product that is well promoted. I don't care if you have 100k every weekend. NASCAR has that and sometimes double that for EVERY RACE day and there are 38 of them in CUP alone. What sponsors are after is the 10-20 million people at home on race day, and the additional mult- million that watch all the weekly coverage. The people at the track are a bonus.

There is little value in the in-person aspect of the sponsorship deals if there is no television exposure. After all, these companies are spending money to get their product on television during an event. How many of the hundreds if not thousand or so sponsors involved in NASCAR actually promote the rcaing at the track? not even a tenth. They are on the car to be on the TELEVISION. In replays, in driver interviews, in Newspaper nd magazine articles and advertisements. A series that commands no news reports, has no extended pre and post race exposure featuring the teams and their bilboards, I mean cars, and negligible television ratings is doomed to failure or club racing status.

Don't give me any bs about international TV numbers. CCWS is just as pathetic if not more with their international TV deals in important markets.

Who's selling onion gum now??

What about ALMS ,they have lousy ratings ,there was just an article on SPEED about how they depend on their fans attendance.

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/40755/

CC has a deal with Eurosport.

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Originally Posted by Rogelio

Of the three canceled races this year, the only 'real' cancellation was Phoenix. Denver was not going to happen from the start of the season. China, just like South Korea never got off the ground. Personally, the cancellation of the Chinese race was somewhat insignificant. Also, are we that concerned about the Chinese market? In the future, China may be a great place to be, but not at the current time.

On the other hand, the Phoenix cancellation sent shockwaves throughout the Champ Car community. I was looking forward to attending the Phoenix race. It would have been a great time to race because no other major series is racing during this time.

Surely, the cancellation of any race is bad for any series and even more detrimental to our series because of its current state. I was at the Vegas race this year and the race has a lot of potential. It would be sad for this event to end. The race needs to be held on another day other than Easter. There was a lot of excitement in the air and if the race is promoted well, it could easily be another Long Beach. Who does not want to be in Vegas for a race?

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If a race is published on the schedule prior to the season starting and it is then removed from the schedule, that is a CANCELLATION and it looks horrible, I don't care HOW you spin it. You say the chinese cancellation is insignificant, yet was the Pacific rim not central to their international expansion plans in 5 year plan version 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0?? That cancellation alone makes the series look bush league internationally. With TV outlets, with sponsors, with potential sponsors and with the FIA.
Personally, the series should have paid the freight to make sure the race happened hell or high water at that point.

Who wants to do business with a group that has it's principles as well as the series itself continually involved in contract lawsuits with multiple promotors? I hate to say it, but I wouldn't touch CCWS with a ten foot pole right now. I'd rather burn a $100 bill than spend it on race tickets for a race I'm more than likely never going to see.

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Originally Posted by sanguin

What about ALMS ,they have lousy ratings ,there was just an article on SPEED about how they depend on their fans attendance.

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/40755/

CC has a deal with Eurosport.

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Dude, this is the Champ Car forum. Stop dragging other series into the discussion.

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Originally Posted by garyshell

Can I get an AMEN, brothers and sisters? I think you can push that number a bit further even. Run them on one day at a given speed, and then a day latter at 4-5 seconds slower and 85-95% of the fans would never know the difference.

Gary

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Or better yet, just get it the hell over with and put them both on the same damn track at the same time. Both series are in survival mode. I've lobbied for years now, who cares which car is faster. 18+17=35 and no TV/sponsor confusion is ht eonly way either are going to survive with a product that has any relevance to North America.

International survival in my opinion is not survival, it's suicide for 90% of those currently involved in CCWS. It is not going to lure new North american based teams, nor is it going to lure new fans. I also wouldn't underestimate the significance of the A1GP deal wirth Ferrari. The Ferrari name alone commands attention in international racing. Who's going to watch a series no one klnows where the machinery comes from. So CCWS suddenly becomes a threat to GP2, luring European sponsors and TV viewers. Just exactly how long will BE and the FIA put up with that? Even if it is successful, noone here to speak of will care.