Korea

[macdaddy]

This link that luke provided in another thread stated:

A Champ Car race scheduled for October of this year in South Korea was canceled...

I can find nothing to substantiate this claim. Anybody know anything?

[icemachine]

I'm guessing they must have confused last years cancelation. I googled that when I saw it, and couldn't find anything about this years race, CCWS still has it on their site, although there is nothing in the way of ticket or track info for it.

[StickShift]

In one of his season preview articles about a month ago, Robin Miller mentioned that the Korea race would not happen. And just a few weeks ago Autoweek predicted that the race would be cancelled as well.

Do you think it's something that Champ Car would want to make front page news?

Edited for Links:

Robin Miller: "...providing Korea comes off (and it won't)."
Autoweek: "Champ Car officials are holding “serious talks” about a Phoenix street race in fall 2007. Meanwhile the series is expected to announce shortly it is dropping the Oct. 15 race in Ansan, South Korea."

[Amar7605]

It looked like that the construction of the Ansan track were proceeding smoothly last year. If the race is cancelled, then what happened?

[drewdawg727]

If Korea is canceled in 2006, that will make it the third time.
I guess "Third time's a charm" doesn't apply in this situation

[mandretti39]

It appears to still be on. During the US coverage of the race on SPEED, they showed the schedule a few times, with the Korean race still being mentioned.

[luke]

I personally can't see any point to a race in South Korea other then America continuing it's involvment in the growth of South Korera in my humble opinion...it's an Asian market, but so what? Other then Japan who really follows Champ Car or much motorsport there?

[Razor]

The only thing I know about Korea, they make good food and their language. I haven't heard anything about the Champ Cars canceling their trip. I reckon it will be great for the Champs to go to Korea, as Iheard it is a good place to be in.

[2112]

IMO, Korea is not going to happen. I heard reports that they have missed a deadline to pay CCWS to go? I don`t know if that is true, but they should concentrate where they need to be, North America.

[luke]

On the monitor where the current results are shown it still has the SOUTH Korean race as listed and to go ahead.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by luke

Other then Japan who really follows Champ Car or much motorsport there?

Outside of Japan I dont know enough about indavidual countries to really make a comment regarding what nation has what. What I do know however is that motorsport in general is becoming much bigger in general in Asia at the moment, they have a Asian F3 championship which is fairly good and also a good ATCC championship as well as a new for 2006 Formula Renault V6 Asia championship which isnt a million miles away from Champcar performance.

Added to that Japan's very strong motorsport industry with Japaneese Formula 3 and Formula Nippon/Super GT and the new JLMC it is clear to me that Asia will soon have a very important role to play in motorsport in general, perhaps not as strong as Europe and North America, but close.

[macdaddy]

I've always figured that the Korean race had something to do with a prospective new engine supplier. And if so, the closer we get to a merger the farther we get from Korea.

[Amar7605]

IMHO, having a race in Korea was a reaction to the IRL being in Japan when CART used to be there. So, to keep a foothold in the Asian market this Korean race popped-up.

Now that unification might happen (and I say that reluctantly - don't want to start any wild rumors now), a Korea race is not needed. Nor a Japan street race, for that matter.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Champ Car still seem to have aspirations of being a genuine world series rather than just settling for being the "American F1".

Someone in South Korea seems to think that a Champ Car event is worth investing in and promoting so I can't see the harm in travelling out there to give it a try, with motorsport interest on the rise in the entire region it could be a gamble that pays dividends in the long run.