Interview with PG and KK

[Ac.]

Here is an excellent interview full of great information!

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto...ar/9211/?from=[HOME]

Answers to lots of questions regarding TV coverage, the schedule, and the IRL!

[Emfa]

Apart from the very encouraging content, it's also good to see that these guys are happy and keen to feed the media.

Well done to Margot too for scooping this (http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=47804)

[Omega99]

A very interesting read. The interview gives a pretty good idea of what the intentions of the OWRS group are, and their enthusiasm is very encouraging.

I found this pretty interesting:

But, your question relative to the IRL is one we get a lot, and I have the same answer. I consider Tony George a friend. I was around Tony when he first formed the IRL, I was involved there as an engine builder and as a part supplier, and I was with Tony when he made his first visit to Dallara to get chassis built. I understand his vision and his enthusiasm toward what his product is. We have had occasion to talk recently about the philosophy of open-wheel racing in North America and around the world. They’re always intriguing, engaging conversations, but at this point it is just two guys talking.

There's definitely some info in there I was not aware of...
Antother tidbit, while talking about TransAm:

The exceptions to the Champ Car schedule will be, we were successful last year racing at Sears Point with Winston Cup, and we will conclude the season in Puerto Rico at a new race this year that was another huge success.

Maybe Champ Cars could be successful in Peurto Rico as well? It's an airport course, similar to Cleveland.

But we are also investigating doing an event in conjunction with a major casino in a facility adjacent to the Strip.

If they raced in conjuction with this casino, they'd have a prommoter, and a casino could bring in the cash! Imagine having Casino sponsorship replacing Cigarette companies as team sponsors...

[The Snout]

This bit I loved, cracked me right up.


...First of all, it’s a private business, so that’s our business...

[enemy-ace]

I'm really very happy these days!

[Dov]

A very good read, thanks for the link, Ac.! Is it just me or does KK & PG look like twins!? It must be the baldness and the facial hair...

[Dov]

Originally posted by The Snout
This bit I loved, cracked me right up.


...First of all, it’s a private business, so that’s our business...

That was funny!

[indycool]

Gentilozzi may be a lot of things, good and bad, but I question this statement, and others he's made, about him being buddy-buddy with TG. A year ago, he was deciding whether to go IRL or CART. He went CART.

[Liz]

He didn't say he was 'buddy-buddy' with TG. I think he said that they were "two guys talking".

Calling it 'buddy buddy' when two people "have occasion to talk" is kind of like saying because I talked to you, we're planning to be married.

[Ac.]

True Liz, but I have no doubt that PG, KK, and GF have discussed all of the possibilities of the future. One of the many future paths available is bringing Champ Car and the IRL together.

That said, I think that the new owners of Champ Car plan to reunify openwheel racing by returning Champ Car to it's former glory and then waiting for TG to finally fold his tent.

[Liz]

One of the "possibilities" certainly, and the one I am personally going to pray for.

However, as I've said before, the fact that all Christian churches believe there ought to be one Church Universal and Triumphant in no way signifies that they agree which Church that one ought to be. The same for Open Wheel Racing, IMO.

[indycool]

Agree with your last one, Liz, not the next-to-last one. Gentilozzi, in the Portland Oregonian, responded to a writer's question about whether or not TG would help them by saying, "No and if anybody thinks so, I'll give them Tony's cell number." He is trying to leverage more money out of Portland.

Kalkhoven, in a SPEEDTV interview, as if he knew anything at all about it, said Tony's family was pressuring him about the IRL. Kalkhoven, in an Indianapolis Star interview, said Tony wouldn't want to get involved in this case and bankrupt a series.

IMO, they're turning up the PR wick, as Pook and others before him did with half-baked statements to try to leverage TG publicly. IMO, from past practice, it doesn't work because the lefthanded "olive branch" mentality is recognized as such and dismissed.

The IRL has gone its own way on ovals and with its series. The Three Amigos are trapping themselves with these statements and thinkin' the same as their predecessors did.

[Liz]

Indycool, you sound more like Saruman every day.

There are times in life when compromise is the wrong idea. This is one of those times. If we wanted to sell out to TG, we could have done so at any time in the past 10 years. We never have and we will not do so now.

Why don't we just let the two series go their own way and let everybody enjoy what they enjoy? You people who enjoy the IRL can go ahead and enjoy it; the rest of us can leave it alone.

[indycool]

Not knowing who Saruman is, can't respond to that one!

Of course you're right that CART could sell out to TG, if TG wanted to buy. I've said all along that, since the IRL runs ovals, CART should become a road/street-course only series and build on that identity.

Overall, watching different series, I've probably attended about 50-50 road courses and ovals over the past 10 years. If the two series would go their own ways, that'd be fine with me.

Unfortunately, as I said before, Kalkhoven and Gentilozzi seem to have the same preoccupation with lassoing Indy that their predecessors had. That stands in the way of them building a healthy road-racing series, as it did for Pook, Craig, etc.

[enemy-ace]

Personally I think ChampCars should stick to Road/Street Courses and Ovals and build on that identity. The diversity is ChampCars biggest selling point they just need to market it to a largely ignorant public.

[Liz]

Someone (arguing a completely different hypothesis) described oval racing to me last night as "swinging a group of balls on the end of a handful of ropes." He didn't add "until the rope breaks and one of them flies into the crowd" but the thought occurred to me.

The world has room for lots of racing series and those who like ovals certainly have plenty of them to watch. I'd just as soon not see another one, thank you. So my vote would be for CCWS to stick to road and street courses and leave the roundy rounders to others.

[Mags]

"He didn't say he was 'buddy-buddy' with TG. I think he said that they were "two guys talking".

Calling it 'buddy buddy' when two people "have occasion to talk" is kind of like saying because I talked to you, we're planning to be married."

Why Liz.. I didn't know you where thinking about getting married?? And to Tony George?? Can I take the pictures??? Will OB Tom be invited??

[indycool]

Gentilozzi said in the teleconference that he and TG were "good friends."

He also said in a Portland Oregonian interview, when asked if TG could help bring a race to Portland, that TG would not and "if you want to confirm it, I'll give you his cell phone number."

Whatever his association with TG is, he's overplaying it publicly and trying to use it as a leverage tool. It won't work. It didn't for anyone else running CART and it won't now.

[gttouring]

everyone else running CART had beef with TG, Paul and Crew have to revive one half of Open Wheel in North America, and while IRL continues to gather steam, the 2 will find a common ground somehow and tony george will be on a triumverate board with a couple guys, it will work this way it must, I love the 2 series (more one than another) but the rival power they had globally to be The race series is too much to ignore, and it can happen again. I still have hope.
2 entities can do well but not in the same market,and cheap turbo package may work to TG's liking as cosworth has shown they are almost the perfect race engine for this kind of racing, stronger than his 3.5 litre oh 3.0 litre V8's and easier to control in power. Champcar has the goods, and IRL now has money manufacturers and the momentum.
Champcar wll do well on its own but enough that a merger will be high profile enough to make people take notice, TG and PG will be the saviors and IndyChampcar world Series will be back in world dominating form witha 25 race schedule. and 5 manufacturers, GM, Ford-Cosworth, Toyota, Honda, and BMW to start with in 2006.
stick this pipe dream in you collectives and smoke it.

[Dov]

That's a nice dream you have, gt, now it's time to WAKE UP!!!

[gttouring]

do you have to spoil it- it is the holiday season you know.

[Dov]

Originally posted by gttouring
do you have to spoil it- it is the holiday season you know.

Sorry about that, gt, as one of AeroSmith's song says....."Dream On".....