Paul G Interview

[Mags]

RFM has secured an interview with one of the Amegos.

I have a limited time but it's darn timely! Pointed questions and suggestions would be welcomed.

Mags

[Dov]

(1)How long is OWRS committed to making the CCWS work?
(2)Is unifying ChampCars & the IRL a priority for OWRS?

[flyfishr]

What is their reaction to fans who want OWRS to go it alone and take their product to the world where they are at their strongest.

[Purist]

Is OWRS seriously committed to maintaining the mix of oval, road, and street courses?

Are there well defined plans for an engine package beyond what OWRS has now?

[Adam43]

Do you fancy taking Jaguar and that V8 back to La Sarthe?
Perhaps in a prototype chassis. After all his team is gaining more and more international experience...

[Kicking-back]

Good question, Adam.

[macdaddy]

Congrats, RFM!
Although I've nothing to contribute at this time (that hasn't already been stated), I look forward to this and know that your questions will be well thought-out. Thanx for giving us the opportunity to give our suggestions.

Dov's question re: ovals, and Purist's re: engines (and tires) would have been tops on my list.

[BootsOntheSide]

Ask whether he sees Formula 1 as a direct rival?

And, who would he see as the ideal OWRS drivers? Yougnsters from Europe looking to F1? American youngsters? Guys with moeny and lcoal popularity? Or maybe some of the expericned guys racing the other series?

[Snrub]

1. The way that the OWRS guys subsidized teams by ensuring good drivers got a drive was a wise decission, but why did they pay for guys like Philipee, Mazzacane, Sperafico to have a ride and not American and Canadian Ladder series drivers Fogarty and Valiante?
2. I'd like to have some light shead on the situation that caused Rahal and Fernandez to leave the series. What was happening that prevented the OWRS guys from committing to subsidization funding on these two teams?
3. While more teams have sponsorship this year it's clear that they are not receiving full funding from sponsorship, have the OWRS guys managed to substantially reduce the amount of money required over the course of the year to run the series? (I realize being private they don't have to devulge such details)
4. Why is nothing done about the horrible blue flag enforcement in the CCWS? Both PG and Forsythe have complained about it, why don't they do something?
5. Is PG concerned about the lousy TV coverage? What does he plan to do about it?

[Mags]

I really want to ask about the TV coverage Snrub, but I've made the call not to. Everyone I ask gets so hostile about it.

[racinthestreets]

Thanks for the chance to have an input Mags.

1) Why make an annoucement at Long Beach that you will have something on Las Vegas within two weeks then go mute for over a month?

2) KK mentioned that a "big name" driver would be annouced in a short time - then the only driver change was Mazzacane.

The point is, if you are going to make these kinds of announcements, regardless of what transpires - please have some kind of follow up announcement to inform the people that are paying attention.

Thanks again Mags.

[jj2728]

when will ALL of you come to your senses and do something about merging top flight north american open wheel racing into ONE bona fide series?....that's what i'd ask him.....

[JohnSSC]

If I may be so bold, then journalistically speaking where there is smoke there is fire. If no one wants to talk about the TV then it would seem that there is indeed something to talk about. With TV revenue (in the future) being something the series would want, the current situation and how they intend to build from it is pertinent.

I mean, seriously if this a serious interview and not a PR piece than a fair question deserves a fair answer.

And then ask everything Snrub said!

[macdaddy]

Ask him if he can set me up with tickets to Toronto.

[zerO]

Hey Mags,

ask PG about Motorock and all the lawsuits regarding it, is the concept dead and buried yet ??, etc. and link that with the once floated idea of concert/race tv shows - we need more exposure ?! (and less "unification" nonsense from PG's mouth - that is IRL's free publicity gimmick, btw)

zerO

[Mags]

I agree Zero. And I bought into it for a moment, until I stopped and realised it was Paul that called Penske, not the other way around.

[zerO]

...and now Penske & Co are getting free headlines as being the good guys and we are the bad guys - freakin' incredible... and didn't KK tell PG to clam down on this subject a few months ago ?!... hihihaha...

zerO

[JohnSSC]

Excuse me, but who said anywhere that OWRS (if that is what you mean by "we") are "Bad" guys?

Touchy lot.

[Mags]

AND what about this TracyBruno debacle???

[JohnSSC]

Whoever invented that decision should be farmed out somewhere!

I would love to hear PG - or anyone - rationalize it! It would atleast be valuable for the laughter it would generate.

[Mags]

Originally posted by JohnSSC
Excuse me, but who said anywhere that OWRS (if that is what you mean by "we") are "Bad" guys?

Touchy lot.

This IS the Champ Car forum.... last I looked.

[JohnSSC]

I noticed that as well, but zerO's comment was that the (and I paraphrase) good headlines were going to Penske & Co and that "we are the bad guys."

My question then was where did anyone state that?

There are going to be lots of conflicting stories as to who contacted whom and when. However this pans out it will be a good while before the details reach the light of day.

In the meantime there are no good and bad guys for me, only the hope that open wheel survives.

[Omega99]

You should ask him something about future plans regarding the Molson Indy Vancouver. Given that the current track is the planned location of the Olympic village for 2010, does he plan to work with event planners to create a new track either at a new location in Vancouver or the same location but a new layout within the future olympic village?

I personally feel that if OWRS can find the support from the city (a big if) they can work to have roads built in the Olympic village with a track layout in mind, which could make a parkway-style street course, similar to Montreal or Albert Park.

Just might be cool to plant that idea in his mind.

[Mags]

It's over and done. We knew it was lost and there isn't a hope we can keep it. That would be a wasted question - I'm sorry.

[Omega99]

oh..... ok....