CC News & Rumours

[Mags]

Originally posted by BobbyB
Then we must not have been watching the same series. Howcome everyone is determined to pre-judge how Townsend will do in the coming year? Many seem to be stuck in the past here, which I find disgusting. I'll be laughing the loudest if he lands a ride and kicks some derrier.

I think we base it on past performances.

[spider]

Townsend Bell was average at best in F3000 against oppostition that as a whole I would describe as...underwhelming and uninspiring

[Dov]

Stolen from CW:

TOMORROW AT 10 AM (MEXICO TIME) JOURDAIN IN COMPANY WITH GIGANTE PEOPLE AND TEAM RAHAL, WILL ANNOUNCE THEIR PLANS TO WHERE IT WILL BE THIS SEASON. TODAY THEY ARE WORKING ALL DAY LONG TRYING TO MAKE THE MOVE TO THE IRL. I GOT IT FROM A VERY GOOD WORD. THE THINGS NOW ARE 70% IRL 30% CHMP CARS FOR JOURDAIN.


I'm so tired of all this **** and wish the season would just get underway!!

[muggle not]

I picked this up on the TAIL site:

It appears that Dover Downs desires to not hold the Grand Prix of Denver. On February 18th, Dover informed OWRS they would not proceed with the Denver event due to the fact OWRS had not produced a TV schedule, complete schedule or CART series title sponsor.

Now Dover has filed courts documents to seek the demise of Denver based on various bankruptcy issues. OWRS has counter filed, saying Dover must proceed with Denver or CART and OWRS will be out of business.

Also entangled is the Long Beach Grand Prix. Seems if Dover can be successful in not operating the Denver race, LBGP may be next due to the same reasons. OWRS is at this time not able to fulfill car count numbers, series sponsor and other issues as promised.

[indycool]

True and not a rumor....court docs are posted on another forum.

[zerO]

Originally posted by muggle not
I picked this up on the TAIL site:

It appears that Dover Downs desires to not hold the Grand Prix of Denver. On February 18th, Dover informed OWRS they would not proceed with the Denver event due to the fact OWRS had not produced a TV schedule, complete schedule or CART series title sponsor.

Now Dover has filed courts documents to seek the demise of Denver based on various bankruptcy issues. OWRS has counter filed, saying Dover must proceed with Denver or CART and OWRS will be out of business.

Also entangled is the Long Beach Grand Prix. Seems if Dover can be successful in not operating the Denver race, LBGP may be next due to the same reasons. OWRS is at this time not able to fulfill car count numbers, series sponsor and other issues as promised.

#1 - Dover Downs has (almost) nothing to do with race venues, it should have read Dover Motorsports ?! - those are two entirely different entities: Dover Downs is the horse race track and gambling operations while Dover Motorsports runs the 7 venues or rather 6 or even better 5 ?!

#2 - CENTRIX has purchased the rights to the Denver race and it looks like it is secure for a time being.

#3 - St.Pete is another Dover Motorsports venue that is currently being sold - to whom exactly ? - don't know yet, friend lives in Tampa and is looking into it...

#4 - Dover Motorsports have been for sale for quite some time and since there hasn't been any takers for the whole package they are selling it off piece by piece... and yes, Long Beach will eventually be sold to someone - let's just hope KK & GF will take it over ?!

zerO

[indycool]

Centrix has not YET purchased the Denver race. Last Friday, Centrix and Dover reached an agreement on a five-day extension of the due diligence process before final closing. They said an announcement would be made by Wednesday.

OWRS has filed a motion with the bankruptcy court to force Dover to run, through its subsidiary Long Beach GP Association, the Denver race. That ought to have a wonderful flavor and present a wonderful atmosphere at Long Beach.

St. Pete's ownership is in question because of the Begley suit. Depending on how that comes out, it could be Dover, CART or Begley who owns it. Dover can't sell it yet, and even if it could, it already relinquished it lock, stock and barrel to CART, so it probably is in the LEAST equitable position to wind up owning it.

[Dov]

From CW:

Journal de Montreal: 19 cars at Long Beach

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was reading the Journal de Montreal this morn and its usually verry neutral.

I read and I quote: ¨According to serious sources, Champ Car will be just fine, we expect 19 cars on the grid for Long Beach and, closer to us, RocketSport will annonce in Montreal early april that Tag landed a big local Sponser. That's only one of the good news to be. Bachelar will also make it official soon with a two car effort including F1's Justin Wilson. Pat could also end-up with a serious sponsor as talks are under way depending on the future of the series. Seemingly more dough's on the way and the worst is behind Champ Car... This all will for sure put more gaz on the CART IRL feud¨

I forgot one thing, they also said that Jourdain and Gigante will be at NH and F1's Firman to Coyne in a two car effort... Champ F1?

[Aus.CARTfan]

Does anyone know when Herdez will issue a press release telling us who they signed as their third driver?
I thought the statement was due early this week.......

[Muzza]

Originally posted by Dov
From CW:

Journal de Montreal: 19 cars at Long Beach

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was reading the Journal de Montreal this morn and its usually verry neutral.

I read and I quote: ¨According to serious sources, Champ Car will be just fine, we expect 19 cars on the grid for Long Beach and, closer to us, RocketSport will annonce in Montreal early april that Tag landed a big local Sponser. That's only one of the good news to be. Bachelar will also make it official soon with a two car effort including F1's Justin Wilson. Pat could also end-up with a serious sponsor as talks are under way depending on the future of the series. Seemingly more dough's on the way and the worst is behind Champ Car... This all will for sure put more gaz on the CART IRL feud¨

I forgot one thing, they also said that Jourdain and Gigante will be at NH and F1's Firman to Coyne in a two car effort... Champ F1?

Dear Dov,

I can only comment that I heard the same from "the highest possible source".

Things are very, very difficult, and it would be foolish for anyone to celebrate, but I can ensure you that there is some people working extremely hard to make Champ Car happen.

Even if I do not agree with some of the decisions taken by the leaders of the series, I have to recognize that there has been a lot of work been done backstage.

Don't believe everything you hear or read, but the article published by the Journal de Montreal is very close to the "truth".


Muzza

[Aus.CARTfan]

Muzza can you please expand on what "very close to the truth" is.
We all want to know where Champ Car is standing so please tell us more..

[Muzza]

Hello, Aus.CARTfan,

I understand your curiosity - I am as much as a Champ Car fan as you.

Unfortunately - and I say this will all sincerity, with no intention whatsoever of being seen as an "insider" (older members have known me for a while) - I cannot share more of what I have learned. Frankly I have said quite a lot in between the lines.

I give a hand to a few websites and we cannot publish some news either. Most of what we have "understood" in the last days is good, quite good indeed, but releasing this information can create more harm than help. Just to mention one aspect: Champ Car needs to establish credibility in the racing business. If expectations are generated, and then unfulfilled, Champ Car credibility goes down the drain - and this happened with CART a few times. It is a mistake not to be repeated.

Also, many times teams, drivers, organizers, sponsors and promoters share something with outsiders because, with time, a relationship of friendship - and trust - is build with them. Quite commonly you hear in the paddock things like "I will tell you, but please don't publish."

Take it like this: I know a little. Let's put it in a scale: I know, say, 3. The owners of these websites know more than me (say, 7), and I came to understand that, for the sake of the series - that is in a critical situation - they cannot disclose all that they know.

People above them know a little more: press officers, for example, know 10, and so forth. It is a like a ladder - the higher you are, the more you know - all steps of the ladder are linked by trust. And trust is a virtue that, once broken, cannot be re-established.

(by calling it a ladder I do not place myself above anyone in this forum, or elsewhere for that matter).

I beg your pardon for my half words, and I hope you will understand my dilemma. I can only say that:

- most of what has been mentioned by the Journal de Montreal is the same to what other people (working independently) has obtained fom the highest possible echelons;

- there are other things "on the making" that the Journal de Montreal has not reported.

- please read what I posted on the "News from Fittipaldi" thread.

- any celebration would be futile, but the support of Champ Car fans is very important for the survival of the series. There are scores of good things "just about to happen", but a lot of work is still required to make them become real. And, if they really happen, the 2004 Champ Car season has everything to be a stepping stone into a solid future.

Please do not believe everything you hear - either good or bad - and give yourself room to establish your own convictions on matters related to Champ Car future. I apologize if this posting disappoints you.

Best regards,


Muzza

[macdaddy]

Excellently-worded post, Muzza.
I'd have simply said, "No."
What you have divulged has been greatly appreciated.

[indycool]

Muzza, all well and good, Like yourself and the Jornal de Montreal, I really have little doubt that the Long Beach race will come off in some form with some number of cars.

Each passing day, though, increases doubt without something happening in the right direction. Each passing day decreases credibility as OWRS stuggles to get a field. Pook spent $50 million to get a grid last year. How these guys thought it would just fall off the turnip truck into their laps without spending similar kinds of money is incredibly naive. It wasn't a pig in a poke. The pig was standing there in front of the judge in bankruptcy court with all its warts.

I don't doubt that there's a whole bunch of deal-cutting behind the scenes to make it work. But it all boils down to money. Look at all the Fittipaldi rumors that have been going around over the last two months and Fittipaldi has been all over the world looking for money. everybody but my third cousin's pet gerbil has been rumored to be in his car and he's been rumored to be fielding as many as three. With all that smoke, he has no cars, no team and no drivers because he has no money.

All this drama does not enhance OWRS' credibility. It just looks like they're not getting the job done because they're working "on the cheap." They're acting like this is club racing. And because they haven't smoothly worked through these things privately -- as a private company can do and that element has been featured by all -- and met the problems head-on, it's all out there for everyone to see. They could've been working with -- and writing checks to -- the Coynes, Walkers, Bachelarts, Fittipaldis, etc., a month ago. They didn't. They haven't. They eventually will. But not before they've damaged themselves and turned everyone upside down.

As Fernandez said, "this is not the CART we all knew."

[Dov]

Another rumour from ChampWeb, so take it with a grain of salt!!

Rumor: Tecate Not Happy posted on 03-19 18:06

Who says your voices are not being heard?

The latest rumor coming out of Long Beach today is that Tecate will be continuing all of their sponsorship with the Champ Car series as if Fernandez Racing was still in Champ Car. As you can see, they are staying on board as the Rock & Roar Concert for Long Beach, and they will be taking on some race sponsorship for Long Beach as well.

With that said, we are told that head of all of Tecate's local distribution is ready to sue Adrian Fernandez. They are not at all happy with the decision by Adrian to go the IRL, and are said to be contemplating bringing their sponsorship to another Champ Car driver.

Stay tuned as this one unfolds!

[Cowboy]

Excellent!!! I wonder if Adrian still thinks the IRL is the cream of the crop. I wonder how long till he comes back knockin on Champ Car's door.

[Ac.]

Hey Muzza, do you double as a speech writer for president Bush? Seriously, thanks for relaying what you can, but I'm finding it more frustrating to know half the rumour. Can you at least let us in on when some of this stuff will go down?

[Mike.ca]

Excellent post, Muzza. You're right, cautious optimism is a good thing and, it seems, warrented. Unrealistic optimism (especially in unsubstantiated internet rumours) can often do more harm than good.

[JohnSSC]

Good post Muzza, hope springs eternal!

So can anyone tell me where I can find Adrian saying that the IRL is "the cream of the crop?"

Indycool, I heard that your cousin's pet gerbil is indeed being sponsored in a three car team to be sponsored by the folks who make exercise wheels. An anouncement is to be made from Habitrail Central first week of April...

[indycool]

Hey, John, just a "matter of days."

[JohnSSC]

So is the Gerbil going to have his helmet done up in his sponsor's colors and run a bare car? Will it be a Lola or a Reynard with the "run on the wheel faster to pass" feature?

It is just a matter of days for sure!

I thought it was shaky last year with "Pookfare" but geez, this year at the LBGP people will check in to the hotel and be told: "Here are your room keys, your helmet and your fueling rig. The car is in the lot space 47A..."

[indycool]

The gerbil's 52 business agents are in Brazil and South Africa looking for a sponsor. Depending on how much money the eventual sponsors put up will determine whether he gets a Lola on the expensive end or a Reynard on the cheap end. Helmet is plain white for the moment. But he's practicing in the wheel for the "run-to-pass" feature!

[JohnSSC]

Well, I will be carefull in my comments as negotiations are at a delicate stage, but my understanding is that an International Cabal that includes Central America's largest toothpick manufacturer, the Pacific Rim's largest ashtray exporter and a Cleveland, Ohio-based Polka CD promoter are working on team that will include three cars on even numbered race-dates, two cars on odd numbered and 5 cars for any race occurring in a month that ends in the letter "r."

Names linked to the ownership are Chim-Chim, Imelda Marcos (footwear sponsorship - massive budget), the comedian Gallagher and members of the Polka band "Dickey Doo and the Don'ts."

An announcement will be made any day now driving the car count to 20.

Rumored drivers include Your Cousin's Gerbil, my finch (Atticus), Diego Fiebles, Danny Ongais, Chris Pook and Joey Chitwood, Jr.

We are ready to Rock 'n Roll now, baby!

[indycool]

That's a scream!!!!!!!!

Ah, Atticus Finch, "To Kill a Mockingbird".....great movie....

[JohnSSC]

Well, imho things were getting way too "serious" here. Atticus is very excited about the opportunity though, and since he is all white, we can easily spray paint him in the sponsors colors.

And absolutely Great Movie - Much Better book!