Why don't the Champ car teams take part in this year's Indy 500?

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Kieran20

erm no, its happened before.

Well that was then, and this is now. I'll ask again, where is the money going to come from?

[climb]

Originally Posted by Xpunk75

This is plain and simple and a stupid idea, and I can say this because Luke is one of my best friends. Luke you should know better then to wish for such horrible thing to happen. I never want to see another Champ Car team run in a IRL race ever again.

That's exactly what Cart tycoons said about Indy some yrs ago. we all know how it went

[Kieran20]

Originally Posted by Dudley

As Philneast implies, the reason is simple, last time they tried, some amateur **** who shouldn't have been allowed near the car destroyed the season and possibly the career of one of their top drivers.

well thats not really anything to do with the race itself. just one stupid driver. that could of been anyone, but it happened to be bruno, bruno was unlucky, but for an accident like that to put of teams racing in the 500 then maybe if they are so concerned with safety as PT said "go home and get a dog"

on a more serious note, it realy could have happened to anyone, if this guy is such an ameteur why was he racing?, and is he still racing? who was it?

i cant see how this makes indy a bad place to go for champ car teams, i agree with you craig, money is an issue, but if we are talking about teams like newmann haas, who can probably afford it, as they did in 2005, then maybe its possible.

[Dudley]

AJ Foyt IV

He was racing because he's AJ Foyt. At Foyt's team. Where he performed so badly even granpappy dropped him. I think he's tooling around in some sub-ARCA stockcar series these days.

[luke]

And now unfortunately found a drive for a team I can't remember again in the IRL...

[JohnSSC]

He is driving for Vision, as you know full well luke since you participated in the thread discussing that fact.

And by the way, no need to knock ARCA as they put on some really good racing. Caught a few on Speed TV last season - not Nextel Cup for sure but good racing.

[Dudley]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

He is driving for Vision, as you know full well luke since you participated in the thread discussing that fact.

And by the way, no need to knock ARCA as they put on some really good racing. Caught a few on Speed TV last season - not Nextel Cup for sure but good racing.

I want to be clear I'm not knocking ARCA. At all.

But the point is, he went out of arguably the top line open wheel in the US and the place he could find a drive was many steps down, which of course ARCA is.

[luke]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

He is driving for Vision, as you know full well luke since you participated in the thread discussing that fact.

I forgot please don't stone me! who AJ racing for was not on the top of my priorities...

[stradlin21]

AJ did no worse in the Foyt car then Bucknum did, athough thats not really saying alot

Vision are a mid pack team and can even run near the front, as Ed Carpenter showed at the back end of the season

lets see how AJ gets on this season in a better car

its boring now that Champ Car fans are still bitter about the Bruno incident

nearly two years have passed now, GET OVER IT!

[Kieran20]

Originally Posted by stradlin21

AJ did no worse in the Foyt car then Bucknum did, athough thats not really saying alot

Vision are a mid pack team and can even run near the front, as Ed Carpenter showed at the back end of the season

lets see how AJ gets on this season in a better car

its boring now that Champ Car fans are still bitter about the Bruno incident

nearly two years have passed now, GET OVER IT!

indeed. the incident was an incident, that could have happened to anybody. racing is dangerous and there will always be a chance that you will be injured, driving round a high speed oval like indy.

bruno, indy 500 = an unfortunate accident. end of.

[Dudley]

Originally Posted by stradlin21

AJ did no worse in the Foyt car then Bucknum did, athough thats not really saying alot

Vision are a mid pack team and can even run near the front, as Ed Carpenter showed at the back end of the season

lets see how AJ gets on this season in a better car

its boring now that Champ Car fans are still bitter about the Bruno incident

nearly two years have passed now, GET OVER IT!

Yes, who cares that Bruno's career will never recover.

bruno, indy 500 = an unfortunate accident. end of.

Not when it was caused by someone who has no business being on the track.

[Kieran20]

Originally Posted by Dudley

Yes, who cares that Bruno's career will never recover.



Not when it was caused by someone who has no business being on the track.

and what is anybody meant to do about that? whoever it was caused by, it was still an incident, that unfortunately happens, the fact it happened to a champ car driver, everyone seems to think champ car should not go to indy again. why? they think racing is dangerous? well thats racing, if they dont want to compete because of the danger, they should be in the sport. however i dont think this is how the teams see it, only the champ car fans.

Bruno as far as im concered is fine. he just needs the time to find some speed again. problem is hes not with newman haas anymore is that right? well that will be if any his only problem the fact hes in a new team, that are probably not as good as NH.

[SurfaceUnits]

Simple: They are competing series, going after the same crumbs of the pie. Why would CC want to support the other series? If the inheritor would sell the indycart league to Joie Chitwood and Jonathan Byrd, then the 500 could become a common race for both racing series. Simple.

[Dudley]

Originally Posted by Kieran20

and what is anybody meant to do about that? whoever it was caused by, it was still an incident, that unfortunately happens, the fact it happened to a champ car driver, everyone seems to think champ car should not go to indy again. why? .

Because they let people on the track who shouldn't be there.

[rush1]

Originally Posted by luke

If nearly all the Champ Car teams and drivers take part in this years Indy 500 it would be a giant step IMHO into a brighter future.
I'm sure the most fanatic of fanatic supporters would strongly detest this but I personally would love to see this considering I was too young to remember what the great days were like...
It would be a step closer in terms of unification, (ps this is not a merge topic) it would show that things are possible. Afterall both need as other as much as they need themselves.
I know this year there is the China race in May about a week before but for sure it would be nice to see a strong field of 33 drivers for once and bumping in terms of what it used to be as much as 50 people trying to qualify...
I think KK and TG were thinking about some CC teams taking part, although it is more difficult then ever, but why not? Champ Car no longer has any oval races.
I sure would love to see Wilson, Tracy, Bourdais, Rahal, Power, maybe even Vasser making a last ever apperance...
Champ Car needs more sponsors, racing at Indy would definately help attract more. Plus both series are on the same channels again....
Would be nice to see it happen. I don't know if I speak for myself.....

Anyone concerned about Indy car racing would want this. Its all just turning into a hobby sport of billionare tycoons, fighting over a diminishing pie. Lack of sponsers, drivers using the league to race in other series with more money, lack of interest in the sports most profitale market, the US - lack of interest in F1 crazy Europe and Asia.

Its main card is the Indianapolis 500, and some open wheel players are too dumb to realize even this.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by Dudley

Because they let people on the track who shouldn't be there.

If he had met the requirements for the relevant licence needed to compete at Indy (as he had done), then why shouldn't he be there?

It certainly wasn't the smartest move pulled on a race track, but plenty of more experienced drivers have been in situations like that before.

[Craig]

What a load of rubbish and sour grapes. It's exactly as racer69 says. The requirements are there for all to see and, if the other drivers weren't comfortable with them, then they shouldn't have entered. Is that what is keeping the Champcar drivers away now? I don't believe it is, even for a fraction of a second. Are they staying away because of the 'history' between the two championships? No, I don't believe they are, even for a fraction of a second. They're staying away because, at this time, it's not financially viable for them to run there. If a sponsor were to come along who wanted them to do it, then they would, but that's the problem, isn't it..? Finding a sponsor who will pay for them to run a full season in Champcar is next to impossible, finding one who wants to pay to equip the team to run a one off race of little current importance just isn't going to happen, I'm afraid.

[JohnSSC]

Spot-on, Craig.

[2112]

The Money comes from sponsorship. Once it`s established that a CC team will attempt Indy, someone opens up a checkbook.
Thus helping CC`s sad state of sponsorship, and Indy`s sad state of bumping.

[Craig]

Do you seriously think the guys in charge of finding sponsorship haven't thought of that and tried that angle with sponsors?

[rush1]

Originally Posted by Craig

What a load of rubbish and sour grapes. It's exactly as racer69 says. The requirements are there for all to see and, if the other drivers weren't comfortable with them, then they shouldn't have entered. Is that what is keeping the Champcar drivers away now? I don't believe it is, even for a fraction of a second. Are they staying away because of the 'history' between the two championships? No, I don't believe they are, even for a fraction of a second. They're staying away because, at this time, it's not financially viable for them to run there. If a sponsor were to come along who wanted them to do it, then they would, but that's the problem, isn't it..? Finding a sponsor who will pay for them to run a full season in Champcar is next to impossible, finding one who wants to pay to equip the team to run a one off race of little current importance just isn't going to happen, I'm afraid.

I agree with you. Its all about funding because racing is so expensive. That is why we need a merger now. Indy car racing needs a a boost, something positive that gets them a little publicity. As any American here will tell you, NASCAR has complete satuation of the US market. The two NASCAR series (Nextel and Busch) are leaving very little room for additional open wheel sponsorship among corporations. Remember all those rumors about Danicka Patric going to NASCAR. I remembers comments such as her popularity would be great for the series or losing toyota to NASCAR.

And the leaders of Indy car racing can't even present a united front.

[Craig]

I absolutely 100% agree, a merger needs to happen. But is it too late? It should have happened five years ago. I love Nascar but I really, really miss Indy racing of old. I would dearly dearly love for common sense to prevail.

[rush1]

Originally Posted by Craig

I absolutely 100% agree, a merger needs to happen. But is it too late? It should have happened five years ago. I love Nascar but I really, really miss Indy racing of old. I would dearly dearly love for common sense to prevail.

It should have happened but it didn't and while both series still have a heart beat in can still happen. It just seems the alternative is the status quo.

I know this has gone on for years, and people get tired talking about it. So much in open wheel racing is negative, not enough teams for Indy, Ford leaving Champ Cars, cancelled races, poor TV numbers etc...

All of this is a result of not having one single open wheel indy car series.

[Alwaysfirst]

Wouldn't it be nice if both series included a couple of joint events on the calendar? The CCWS teams could join the IRL teams for the Indy 500 & the IRL teams could in return join the CCWS teams at a road course event on one of the longer road courses. A bit of adding on to the end of the Road America pit lane could soon allow it to cope with that number of teams & drivers. An Indy style bumping off the grid could even be used if necessary. Boosting grids, improving matters for spectators & allowing more drives available for talented drivers not on the full time grid. And just to keep teams interested the points would count for both series (using the correct points scoring in each championchip of course!) Panoz could update their old IRL chassis & as part of the deal for a CCWS chassis suppply there would be that one oval chassis provided as well & I'm sure a similar thing could be worked out for the IRL as well.

Common sense...but it still won't happen.

[JohnSSC]

That proposal has popped up a few times here, Alwaysfirst, and personally I like it!

You are right though: it actually makes sense and will likely be avoided!