Road America, CART might split

[¡As-de-mim!]

As part of his vision for the future of CART, second-year CEO Chris Pook is looking toward cities, where more residents mean more potential fans.

Even more important, a large population center provides a greater opportunity to turn a race into a civic event. That's exactly what Pook accomplished as the longtime promoter of the Long Beach Grand Prix in California.

The obvious question, then, for folks in this area, is where does this all leave Road America?

The four miles of asphalt in Elkhart Lake have provided one of the most challenging and picturesque venues for motorsports anywhere for five decades. The track has been part of the CART circuit since 1982.

Yet it's an hour from Milwaukee, the closest sizable city. And that doesn't quite fit into Pook's line.

"That's something we have to discuss, where we are and where they want to be," Pook said Thursday. "Do they want one of our races or do they not want one of our races? We've got to work our way through that process."

Road America's contract with the series, signed in 1999, is up after this season.

The track's CART stop is set for Aug. 3 this season, two weeks earlier than its traditional position on the calendar. By changing the date after CART had announced its schedule, a presumption could be made that the track and series are headed in different directions.

"That's the message," Pook said, "isn't it?"

[DNQ]

Road America is the Spa of CART - it has to stay on the calendar.

[BootsOntheSide]

I'd be gutted if we lost Road America, it's perhaps the highlight of the series. I'm sure they still want the race, and CART should as well.

[indycool]

Throughout its history at Road America, CART has jerked that track around. There IS no traditional date. It's varied from July to October. With Portland now signed as a CART promotion deal on a one-year contract, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca are ALL looking for Promoter Pookfare and those races aren't solid yet even for this year. The Road America scheduling snafu is a big factor there.

[Lee Janotta]

That's it, I'm calling for Pook's resignation RIGHT NOW!!!

This is quickly becoming a case of burning the village to save it, destroying everything Champcars is to make it more profitable!

[Tiresmoke]

I agree, you can't leave Road America. If RA were in North Dakota, CART should still be racing there.

[Jordi]

Let's wait and see. Any decision taken, we'll have no influence on it, whether Elkhart Lake stays or leaves.

And it's Elkhart Lake. Road America... I hate that name.

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by indycool
...Road America, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca are ALL looking for Promoter Pookfare and those races aren't solid yet even for this year.

It was a dangerous precedent. I guess it just goes to show that Champcar's sanction fee is too high.

The reason I like Champcars is because they've got road racing. I've only gone to the Toronto race once, because it's a street track, and there aren't viewing areas in the sense that I prefer (such as at Mosport).

If Pook turns this into an all-street series, I'll just stop watching top-flight open wheeled racing altogether.

[uar6]

Road America is the best track in the world, as far as Im concerned. And eatting the brats all week end are only part of it.........

[Bizzo5000]

Ehhhhh. No offence, but that "article" seems to have a touch of bogusness to it. Those quotes seem way out of place and out of context. I think that first one was the same thing he said about Miami or Houston last year.

[veeten]

question for As-de-mim!,...

from where was this excerpt taken from, what news service?...

[deloreanboy]

i wouldnt worry about elkhart lake, it one of carts crown jewels, id say easily up there with long beach. i think pook is too smart to make cart an all street racing series--it would alienate way too many fans.

[¡As-de-mim!]

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online. From none other than Dave Kallmann

[Snrub]

CART cannot, I repeat CANNOT lose Elkhart. I agree that it is important to build fan base and big cities facilitate this. But does Pook want people to merely attend one race a year or does he want them watching on TV as well? You cannot have a dedicated fan base by getting people interested in your product for two hours a year. Elkhart is a race for dedicated CART fans. The 4 different types of venues are important for a reason other than bragging rights. It's interesting that CART goes to your local track of any format, but the big reason is to keep fans interested. When you think road course you think Elkhart (or maybe Laguna).

A few years ago Elkhart, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Mid-Ohio, Clevland were all scheduled close together. This wasn't the best plan, but I doubt any fan who watches races consistantly would trade Elkhart for all of them together.

[Bizzo5000]

<'Yet it's an hour from Milwaukee, the closest sizable city. And that doesn't quite fit into Pook's line.

"That's something we have to discuss, where we are and where they want to be," Pook said Thursday. "Do they want one of our races or do they not want one of our races? We've got to work our way through that process."'>

What the hell does that quote mean to the question above? Me thinks Pook is being misquoted here. Seems to me that Mr. Kallmann better match up his stolen quotes better. Ahhhhhh!!! I hate shoddy journalism(for once it's not from Jack Arute though).

[Bizzo5000]

Mr. Pook, Do you think you will be racing on Mars in 2005?

"That's something we have to discuss, where we are and where they want to be," Pook said Thursday. "Do they want one of our races or do they not want one of our races? We've got to work our way through that process."

Mr. Pook, what do you think of the invitation by Sadam to race in Iraq?

"That's something we have to discuss, where we are and where they want to be," Pook said Thursday. "Do they want one of our races or do they not want one of our races? We've got to work our way through that process."

See what I mean?

[sgw2]

Laguna Seca, Road America and Mid-Ohio are all in danger of being dropped. The rumors are not new for any of these three. They fall outside the urban venue that Vannini and Pook talk about. Pook intends to expand CART's European schedule in 2004 to four or five races. There is little doubt that these additions will come at the expense of some/all of these three circuits.

Only Fontana and Long Beach made money last year. CART is committed to Portland, Cleveland, Denver, Miami and St. Petersburg, and has invested in Milwaukee as well.

Come on people, get the picture! CART has signed eleven drivers to date, not one an American. Pook has been talking up the increased European ownership and claims there will be more next year. When Robin Miller was saying CARt needed to sign three or four young American drivers "if they have any sense left", Pook retorted by saying, look for sigings of Latin and European drivers.

All Kallmann has done is state an ediorial opinion (it is an op-ed piece, duh) Road America doesn't fit CART's model, and that they MAY split with CART (obviously in the future). This is not an unreasonable conclusion based on what Pook has said and what has to date transpired.

But don't take it as fact ... yet.

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by sgw2
Laguna Seca, Road America and Mid-Ohio are all in danger of being dropped. The rumors are not new for any of these three. They fall outside the urban venue that Vannini and Pook talk about. Pook intends to expand CART's European schedule in 2004 to four or five races...

Makes you wonder if Spa was ever seriously considered. Brands has easy access to large populations, but, ultimately, Spa is in the middle of nowhere (from a European perspective).

[Bizzo5000]

That was an editorial? Coulda fooled me. Read like an factual article to me. How often do you see quotes in op-ed pieces like he used?

[sgw2]

All the time actually. This mornings Mercury News Sports page has four such columnist articles ... but they are on Football.

[Bizzo5000]

Those quotes just seemed WAY out of place to me, like he wasn't even answering the same question(not the first time this was done)

[Snrub]

Are you serious that virtually none of the American races made money? I don't get how you can loose money on Elkhart. Get the track signed up promote it and everyone gets a cut of the action. If you were to rent the track (Mosport is ~4k CDN on a weekday, even if the weekend was $40k), so it would seem the track owners aren't looking for unreasonable $$$). Obviously if the promotion went over the profits you lose, but that would seem strange that it happened at ALL of those races.

[Lee Janotta]

Only Fontana and Long Beach made money? That's absolutely impossible, Montreal at least must have made a profit!!!

The cost of the Mid-Ohio race is almost nonexistant, but attendance was strong, I can't believe that it didn't make money.

[Jay]

lol.... as long as a race can draw a crowd there will be a race there! relax.. If nobody wants to go to Elkhart Lake, than Cart shouldn't race there. But, that doesn't seem to be the case, so we're safe.

btw, there will be at least 2 American drivers in the series. Maybe 3...

[Lee Janotta]

Yeah, but we need an American driver who's talented enough to win a championship, for marketing purposes at least.

Vasser's overrated, Herta's fast but he doesn't have anything special to dig out under pressure, which is why Zanardi made him look so average, and I don't think Hunter-Reay is anything special.

CART missed a huge opportunity not signing up Jeff Gordon years ago, and missed again on Paul Edwards, who would have been perfect for this series, but who will instead be wasting his talents with Red Bull.