De Ferran not in IROC / staying in CART?

[BootsOntheSide]

The entry list for the IROC will again not includie reigning CART champion Gil De Ferran, as all four rounds clash with CART events. This is an interesting point. Firstly, doesn't it mean that the entire 'International' field will be American? Secondly its strange that CART has not taken this hugely popular seires into account when schedulign its races, perhaps thigns like this contribute to its lack of popularity in the US. But thirdly, and perhaps most tantalisingly, does this mean Penske are not leaving CART? Or is it jsut a publicity stunt from Roger, to give him more time to make a decision?

[Liz]

Good news about Gil not driving in IROC -- he's never raced in fender cars and would not do well in a series where ramming people is the way to get ahead.

As far as your other points, a quick poll among my friends revealed that none of them had heard of IROC and when it was explained that it was fender cars, they replied, "Well, I'm an open wheel fan, why would I care about that?" So I don't think that would be a big problem, having it an All American series, although it's funny to call it INTERNATIONAL when nobody but Americans race in it, don't you think?

[KC]

I don't see the IROC as hugely popular. It has been a shadow of its former self since it became an oval only, stock car race. No disrespect to any of the drivers, but it has become a NASCAR love fest.

[djb]

To give you an idea of what IROC means to me, unfortunately it is only 80's memories of identical Zed-28's and Camaro's running as a sort of pre-show to other races. Didn't they used to have "celebrities" running in them as well? Was surpised to read that it is an oval-only series now, as my memories of them are of cars kabounding off cement street course walls predominately.