Is it time?

[Bizzo5000]

Merger in open wheel's future?
By Robin Miller
Special to ESPN.com


They're all smart guys who've made gobs of money in the real world but, of course, history has shown us that means absolutely nothing when it comes to motorsports. Think John Menard.

That's why anybody with a business degree, or even a calculator, is trying to understand why Gerald Forsythe, Kevin Kalkhoven and Paul Gentilozzi are spending millions of dollars to keep the CART Champ Car series out of the grave.

It looks like a cod-lock loser since they must pay to be on television, are scrambling to field enough cars and have no title sponsor or national media following to speak of. Oh, by the way, it was such an expensive proposition in 2003 that CART spent $100 million and turned out the lights.

So why would this seemingly intelligent trio that comprises Open Wheel Racing Series (OWRS) dig so deeply into their pockets? Ego? Delusion? Old football injury?

"We think it's a better product," said Gentilozzi. "It's (Champ Car) at the lowest tide it could be right now and with a good business plan we could make it flush again. Will our business lose money in 2004? We're braced for a deficit in '04 and we know what we have to do to change it.

"We know how to make money and we have a plan that takes us in that direction."

Gentilozzi didn't share that plan with the national teleconference Wednesday but he pretty much laid out a bottom line the night before. He knows open wheel can only heal if it's under one roof again and this is the chance to rescue some excellent venues, keep road racing alive and end a war that's decimated open wheel racing in this country.

"I've said that repeatedly to Tony (George) and I told him it's never going to be easier than it is now," said the owner of RocketSports, whose team built early IRL engines at his shop at Lansing, Mich.

"He's not going to find three guys with less ego than Gerry, Kevin and myself and we don't need to be the big dog."


Racing at the Milwaukee Mile is in the cards for Champ Cars and IndyCars.


George, who founded the all-oval series in 1996, had a contentious relationship with many of CART's old guard (many of whom are now in the IRL) but Gentilozzi considers the Indianapolis Motor Speedway president his friend and says they've met once in the past couple months and talked on the phone a few times.

"I aven't been in open wheel very long and I don't pretend to have Roger Penske's knowledge or experience," continued the longtime Trans-Am driver who now co-owns that series. "But everyone takes this thing way too personally and we've got to stop fighting.

"This isn't about egos or territory. This is about what fans will pay to see because, last time I checked, this is a business that works off admissions."

The assets purchased by OWRS include seven profitable events at Long Beach, Calif., Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Mexico City, Monterrey, Mexico and Surfer's Paradise, Australia, that draw big crowds. Cleveland made a bit of a comeback this season and Elkhart Lake remains the truest test of road racing in North America. St. Petersburg showed great potential in its debut.

They're all worth saving, plus Milwaukee, which the IRL is already going to for the first time in 2004.

Putting those 10 with the IRL's best tracks (Texas, Kentucky, Kansas City, Chicago, Phoenix, Fontana, Motegi and Indy) might be the kind of mix that would reinvigorate fans, manufacturers, drivers and sponsors.

"Let's go by the theory that open wheel racing will be unified again," said Gentilozzi, who does most of the talking for OWRS. "We need a 20-race season with 10 great road courses or street circuits and 10 great ovals.

"I look at it as 14-6, heavy on road courses, and naturally Tony looks at it as 3-17 but if we had that balanced diversity we could get back to the heyday of what open wheel used to be."

Of course, this is all Gentilozzi's hope. Bobby Rahal, Barry Green and Derrick Walker worked with George on a merger back in 1998 but it didn't happen.

But the longer this open wheel chasm exists, the further NASCAR pulls away and the tougher it is to get people interested in Indy or Champ Cars.

"Look what's happened since the split," said Gentilozzi. "The Champ Car series was effectively competing for the leadership position in North America and the split diminished its ability to compete (with NASCAR).

"This used to be a successful business and it can be again if we're cost efficient and effective."

And the future for open wheel?

"We'll have bludgeoned each other by then and we'll be together," replied Gentilozzi. "We need to be and we all know that."

Robin Miller covers open wheel racing for ESPN and ESPN.com.


Do you guys think it's time to talk merger again and would it be right?

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by Bizzo5000
Merger in open wheel's future?
By Robin Miller
Special to ESPN.com

The assets purchased by OWRS include seven profitable events at Long Beach, Calif., Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Mexico City, Monterrey, Mexico and Surfer's Paradise, Australia, that draw big crowds. Cleveland made a bit of a comeback this season and Elkhart Lake remains the truest test of road racing in North America. St. Petersburg showed great potential in its debut.

They're all worth saving, plus Milwaukee, which the IRL is already going to for the first time in 2004.

Putting those 10 with the IRL's best tracks (Texas, Kentucky, Kansas City, Chicago, Phoenix, Fontana, Motegi and Indy) might be the kind of mix that would reinvigorate fans, manufacturers, drivers and sponsors.

"Let's go by the theory that open wheel racing will be unified again," said Gentilozzi, who does most of the talking for OWRS. "We need a 20-race season with 10 great road courses or street circuits and 10 great ovals.

"I look at it as 14-6, heavy on road courses, and naturally Tony looks at it as 3-17 but if we had that balanced diversity we could get back to the heyday of what open wheel used to be."

How about 10-10? Since there are 7 profitable races, 1 "bounce back," one "great potential," and Road America, that's 10 CART races.

Which 10 ovals? Robin listed 8, not including Milwaukee.

Both series are struggling for entries (although CART more than IRL at the mo). What choice do they have, really? If CART folds, it's a pyrrhic victory for TG anyway...

I'm not really an oval fan, but I can see how this might work for North America and for me personally.

[Bizzo5000]

Well CART has the attendance, Indy has the cars and the money. It's the only thing that makes sense. As for the last two ovals, I see a great homecomming back to Michigan and as you said, Milwaukee.

[GP Racer]

Finally a voice of reason here! I've been kind of laying low since OWRS buyout was announced, because I didn't want to be the D&G guy at the party.

I've been saying that one series is the way to go for quite some time now, simply because there is no future for two series, and now is the best time to get it done! Perhaps the worst thing that can happen now is for this buyout to work, because its just delaying the inevitable, which is open wheel racing in North America disappears completely. CART is a basket-case right now, and quite frankly its probably past the point of salvation. This Road America problem that just came up is just one of many to come, and you can't convince me that Spike TV is going to be good for this series either. As they always do during bankruptcies, lawyers will be the only ones to gain from this mess. All the other players, fans included, are the losers.

I can't think of many companies that ever found there glory days after going Chapter11. Just look at America's once great airline industry, a mere shadow of its former self. Chapter11 or Asset Buyout or whatever you want to call it, is just a losing proposition. Even if this somehow works, OWRS will be a mere shadow of its former self also.

We need to get past our distrust and dislike for Tony George and we need to start moving in one direction. TG and PG seem to get along well, and they are both smart businessmen, and whether you agree or not, thats what this is, a business. PG can talk all he wants about money not being the issue, that its all about the series, but I'm not buying that. He has no history with CART. He needs to make money with this, just like anybody going into business, and I think he knows that he can't the way it is right now.

I think that in the end OWRS is going to make a deal with TG, because these are different times and different men at the helm now. They can get it done.

Sorry if I rained on the parade...

[sr230772]

no way there gonna go down the same path as cart has not now but in two years as for the ovals leave them to the irl cart belongs on street circuts now that the old guards gone lets get going carts gonna be great again

[Liz]

The rock in the road as always is Tony George's desire to be Unlimited Dictator for Life of Open Wheel Racing.

When Tony George goes to that Roundy Round in the Sky, perhaps we can revisit this 140,000th reiteration of the same old song, if by then it appears to be necessary. Until then, unless OWRS is willing to allow Sauron, er, TG to rule alone and forever, it's doomed.

Meanwhile, let us concentrate on rebuilding the greatest ROAD RACING series in the Western Hemisphere and let them put their own house in order. Now that they don't have to waste so much time hammering nails into empty coffins and shoveling dirt into untenanted graves, perhaps they will be able to shore up their failing series, too.

[Bizzo5000]

Well I'm not sounding the death bells for CART yet. They have a plan in place, the car count is good, and attendance is still up(minus ovals). While not out of the woods yet, signs are pointing to bringing the series back to where it was. But the thing is, it needs to be brought to were it can be. Both series have holes the other can fill. Attendace is embarassing in the "other league" and CART can't be seen on TV. Combine the car count and weed out the "pay for players" and you can have a reasonable 30 car count for each event with big attendance and that is actually shown on TV with out having to pay for it. While it still wouldn't compete with NASCAR, it would still draw some big numbers and turn a couple of heads. The thing is, it would have to be complete 50-50. I don't think either side is willing to tear down their own league for a merger.

[Bizzo5000]

Did we ever have(from CART's side anyway) such willingness to at least open discussions of it? I'm pretty new to the sport and can't comment on history.

[Testure]

Have to agree with Liz. For re-unification to happen (as opposed to CART dying), it'll come down to Tony George wanting to be top dog. If the OWRS guys and the teams are happy to live under his thumb, then all well and good. If their not (and I can't believe they're rebuilding CART just so they can hand it over to TG), then things will stay as they are.

[GP Racer]

What exactly is so wrong with Tony George being the top dog anyway?

Let me quote PG, "he's (meaning TG) not going to find 3 guys with less ego than Gerry, Kevin, and myself and we don't need to be the big dog"

Gentilozzi has been saying all along that they are looking for somebody else to run the series. Don't you think that somebody else could be TG?

Another PG quote, "but everyone takes this thing way to personally and we've got to stop fighting. This isn't about ego's and territory. This is about what fans will pay to see, because last time I checked this is a business that works off admissions".

Sounds like he's beginning to set this whole thing up to me. He seems to be softening the blow that many will feel when TG is named King.

Again PG on the future of OW, "we'll have bludgeoned each other by then and we'll be together. We need to be and we all know that".

It maybe time to take off the rose colored glasses folks, because its coming...

[Dov]

If you prefer the IRL brand, then that's what you will get from a IRL/CART merger run by TG! We have tried to make peace with him before....it's never worked!!! The Snout and myself worked hard this past spring/summer trying to convince people that CART & IRL fans should unite and demand that our two different series be united as one. I started a thread in the IRL forum called "One United Open Wheel Racing Series In North America", which out of came some good ideas and interesting views. Three weeks to a month and a half went by and someone from the CART forum started a petition to get fans from the two series to sign to try and get TG/IRL and CP/CART talking again, but the petition just recieved over 100 signatures! Of course I want and think we need one open wheel racing series in NA, but it's got to be 50/50 down the line and we would need NEW owners to run the series because most CART fans don't trust TG and most IRL fans wouldn't trust OWRS. It's not as simple as you make it out to be.....

[Omega99]

I'm all for a merger, but not at the expense of road racing. Actually, the only thing that worries me about the merger is that I've never really shared TG's vision about open wheel racing, and if there was a merger that created a single series that was still mostly ovals, it would lose many of the CART fans to F1. It would have to be about 50-50, but not more than half ovals. Miler's list of "profitable events" looks nice, but with a few events missing. So here are the events that I propose:

Long Beach (Street)
Monterrey, Mexico (Road)
Cleveland (Airport/street type thing)
Toronto (street)
Vancouver (street)
Montreal (road)
Road America (road)
Laguna Seca (road)
Mexico City (road)
St. Petersburg (street)
Surfer's Paradise (street)
Seoul (probably street)
Milwaukee (oval)
Fontana (oval)
Michigan (oval)
Indy (oval)
Homestead (oval)
Phoenix (oval)
Motegi (oval)
Texas (oval)
Chicago (oval)
Kentucky (oval)
Nazareth (oval)
Kansas City (oval)

There. A 24 race schedule (in no particular order, of course) with 12 ovals, and 12 road/street. The three pacific rim races would make for a handy month overseas. Of course, I'd like to see Mid-Ohio and Portland back on there, and maybe a Las Vegas Race. Also, a race in the Denver area would be a good idea, either at Pike's Peak or on some road/street course. Europe would be a nice place to look in the future as well... But at any rate, there's some solid potential for one spectualularily awesome series in the future.

[Hazza]

Sorry, but when I read the proposed statement of the merger and a 10/10 race series I was drooling on the keyboard...

but hey, what about this for a calander:
http://www.racingcircuits.net/_series/cart/1995.html

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by Dov
If you prefer the IRL brand, then that's what you will get from a IRL/CART merger run by TG! We have tried to make peace with him before....it's never worked!!! The Snout and myself worked hard this past spring/summer trying to convince people that CART & IRL fans should unite and demand that our two different series be united as one. I started a thread in the IRL forum called "One United Open Wheel Racing Series In North America", which out of came some good ideas and interesting views. Three weeks to a month and a half went by and someone from the CART forum started a petition to get fans from the two series to sign to try and get TG/IRL and CP/CART talking again, but the petition just recieved over 100 signatures! Of course I want and think we need one open wheel racing series in NA, but it's got to be 50/50 down the line and we would need NEW owners to run the series because most CART fans don't trust TG and most IRL fans wouldn't trust OWRS. It's not as simple as you make it out to be.....

Dov, I appreciate that you made an effort to bring the two series together, I really do, but this is far bigger than any of us here on the forum. This involves huge money, and in the end money will rule. Guys and gals posting on a forum aren't going to mean much to these guys.

Dov, you need to read those comments by PG again. They are revealing as to whats really happening here...

[Dov]

Originally posted by GP Racer
Dov, I appreciate that you made an effort to bring the two series together, I really do, but this is far bigger than any of us here on the forum. This involves huge money, and in the end money will rule. Guys and gals posting on a forum aren't going to mean much to these guys.

Dov, you need to read those comments by PG again. They are revealing as to whats really happening here...

I agree with you to certain degree, but I still feel that the hardcore fans can make a difference....let's not forget that it is us the fans who by the race tickets to our local ChampCar events, some of us spend alot of money to travel to other citys/countrys to see races live, we buy the racing and the sponsors merchandise and we are the ones who watch the races religiously on TV! That's were their (OUR) money is coming from! Just my 2 cents....

GP, there's two important questions that need to be answered:

(1) Are PG, KK and GF on the same page regarding the merging of the two series?
I'm not 100% sure they are!?
(2) What gives you the impression that TG will have a sudden change of heart? He hasn't said anything that would lead me to that conclusion.

[Dov]

Sorry about that last thread, I hope you get the jest of what I was trying to say. Sometimes the thoughts in your head are too fast for your hands to type them down in time....I really hate that 10 minute edit rule! But I understand why we have it, Macdaddy.

[GP Racer]

Actually Dov, I do think there on the same page, and that this could have been part of the bigger picture all along. Remember, from the beginning, OWRS said they were looking to have somebody else run the series. And PG says very plainly that "we need to be together and we all know it".

On your second point about what gives me the impression that TG will have a change of heart. Well nothing really, except he's a sharp businessman, that isn't showing his hand yet. To think that OWRS and TG aren't talking at this point would be somewhat naive. If OWRS knows that there can only be one successful OW series, than you can bet TG knows it too, and they will work together to make it happen. Remember there's alot of money riding on this thing and they won't blow it.

These are different men, and different times...

[Bizzo5000]

There is no doubt that it has to be a 50/50 situation and it can't be under TG's rule totally. I'm hoping and maybe a little faith that enough time has passed and he realizes that he is a couple seasons away from the same fate as CART. He doesn't have unlimited funds and has to be bleeding to keep his car count up. Hopefully he can keep his ego in check and come to some kind of compromise.

[Dov]

Thanks Macdaddy for fixing up my thread! It's really appreciated!!!

[Dov]

Originally posted by GP Racer
To think that OWRS and TG aren't talking at this point would be somewhat naive.

To think that OWRS and TG are talking (SERIOUSLY) at this point would (I think) be somewhat naive.

Originally posted by GP Racer
These are different men, and different times...

I sure hope your right!

Paul Gentilozzi
"This isn't about egos or territory. This is about what fans will pay to see because, last time I checked, this is a business that works off admissions."

[macdaddy]

Quite the fascinating thread to stumble upon! Wasn't here when I went to work! Let me tell ya that the people on this forum are great. Just about every post I've read has made me think.

That link to the 95 schedule that Hazza posted sure made me reminisce.
(sp?)

I love CART for a number of reasons.

The cars are purebred.
The drivers can downshift, brake, and accelerate.
And they can put fear aside and run against a wall at incredible speeds.

What I want is ChampCar with some of Tony's tracks. Again, like Hazza's link brings us back to. I'm not afraid to tell you that I enjoy ovals, but that's not to say that I don't enjoy RA and Cleveland just as much.

Bizzo5000: "Both series have holes the other can fill."

Testure: "I can't believe they're rebuilding CART just so they can hand it over to TG."

Dov: "Are PG, KK and GF on the same page regarding the merging of the two series?"

Regarding Dov's point: It wasn't all that long ago that Russo was the only one talking IRL. Within a week he was nowhere to be found. To the best of my knowledge, OWRS never released any kind of a statement that Carl was out of the picture. I still find that weird.

With CART/IRL staging an exciting battle for second, NASCAR is pulling away.

[Bizzo5000]

Just the fact that we have something TO merge is a cause for celebration. Add that to we're looking at 2A and 2B compaired to NASCAR, with NASCAR with a sizeable lead, means something needs to be done just in the common interest of open wheel racing in North America.

[Dov]

Paul Gentilozzi
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.

PG's and TG's conversations don't sound that serious yet. Finally, until TG makes a public statement regarding the possible merging of the two series, then I think we are just wasting are breath! I do hope for all Open Wheel fans in NA that TG does finally come to his senses....

[jjspierx]

hmmm...interesting thread indeed. I however do not subscribe to the notion that the IRL and CART have to merge, and unite etc...I think CART or OWRS, on its own is a package that can sustain itself in a few years with some money put into it, if its marketed properly. Maybe more overall people would watch it if the series were to merge, but its just not worth it if we have to go back to almost all, or 1/2 oval tracks, and lose all of our beloved street and permanent roadcourses. Also if we lose our Lola and Reynards for those ugly-ass IRL cars(no offense to IRL fans, I'm not dogging the series, I just think the cars are ugly as sin). Not to mention that fact, that I would find it extremely hard to watch a series run by Tony George. I know thats pride talking, but I have such a dislike for TG, that if he were to run CART(or whatever you want to call)I would not be as interested in watching it. Some fans would be alienated from the sport, like myself.
I know my opinions are a bit different from many of you on here. My opinions come from the fact that since 1985, when I saw my first car race on TV, the Indy 500 when "spin to win" Danny Sullivan won, I have wanted to race cars for a living. Now I'm 23, and I do race cars(not for a living yet)and I'm trying to get into professional racing still. I watch racing more to keep up on the different series, drivers, and happenings to increase my awareness and chances of getting involved in the sport. Sure I love to watch racing and goto races as entertainment as well, but thats just secondary to me. So I guess the way I look at CART, and its future, are just my opinions of how I would like it to be if and when I race in it.

[Liz]

I don't like the fact that TG has never ceased to hammer away at the idea that his vision includes obliterating CCWS. The dreamers are thinking of a series in which former series would have equal power -- a "merger" -- and TG is thinking "cherry pick the things I like and dump the rest," or "acquisition." Having been through three things billed as "mergers" which turned out to be "acquisitions" and having seen the culture and vision of one side obliterated by the other, I have no interest in seeing CCWS resurrected and rebuilt only to be handed over to its destroyer.

Sooner or later you have to admit that the truth is true.