SEOUL Cancelled & St.Pete the closer ?!

[zerO]

My latest spew at www.champcarfan.com ?!
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This may not come as a shocking news, but this concept has been bandied around for a few weeks now. The story is that OWRS have come to understanding with the Seoul race organizers and this year's planned Grand Prix race in the streets of Seuol has been cancelled. The reason for it being that the requirements of city ordinances can not be met in time. In the meantime there is a permanent road course being build that shall be the venue for Champ Car next year.

Many may wonder "what now ??" - it's very simple: Seoul has been cancelled and it becomes just another weekend off, rightfully needed after the glamourous and exhilirating trek to Australia at Surfers Paradise.

And while all those Korean decisions were taking place the representatives of OWRS (previously CART) have settled the outstanding dispute with Mr.Begley of St.Petersburg and soon we shall have an official announcement from the Champ Car Troika that not only SEOUL has been cancelled for this year but also that the November "TBA" date shall belong to St.Pete ?!
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btw, this happened before Cleveland (ie: July 4th) ?!

zerO

[Dov]

zerO,
You better be right about St. Pete or I may have to start telling some Polish jokes around here.

[macdaddy]

Don't all seouls have to make their way past Saint Petersburg?

This is bad news and good news, all wrapped up into one. Korea would've been interesting (and still shall), but St. Petes is far-and-away my favourite street venue (in terms of track layout).

[gttouring]

Macdaddy- the Goat says your puns are Baaaaa-ad...

[indycool]

If they've made a deal with Begley, the St. Pete race will likely be another self-promote.

As far as Korea goes, it's been on the ropes for some time and sounds like the right people weren't "greased" over there.

[f1manoz]

I would have liked to have seen a race in Korea, but if a proper road course is being built for 2005, best to wait then.

As for St. Pete's, will be interesting to see how this story develops, particularly after all the garbage at the beginning of the season.

[zerO]

Originally posted by Dov
zerO,
You better be right about St. Pete or I may have to start telling some Polish jokes around here.

Don't worry, Dov... my partner lives in Tampa and he's been on this from the get-go... should this turn out to be a Pookie then you're welcome to hit me with the kielbasa jokes... hihihaha... and I've got some geese ones as well, btw... hihihaha...

zerO

[Amar7605]

Originally posted by macdaddy
Don't all seouls have to make their way past Saint Petersburg?

But stick with your day job.

[macdaddy]

Yeah, it was pretty bad.

[zerO]

Originally posted by macdaddy
Yeah, it was pretty bad.

I typed "Seoul" so many freakin' times yesterday... well, I goofed with one and didn't see it 'til you've pointed it out - like it though and don't feel like going back to the site and fixing it - 9 out of 10 won't even feel it... hihihaha... love that Pearly Gates remark, btw - it's healthy to have a sense of humor ?! :mrgreen:

zerO

[zerO]

...and we're really going to be in a world of spelling kaka when and if a third race in Mexico is added in the city of "Guadalajera" or something... hihihaha...

zerO

[Fogelhund]

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=91970

Perhaps a bit more confirmation of zerO's info.

[indycool]

Perhaps....that race has been mystifying ever since the talk started......

[Amar7605]

Hahaha... I find it funny how one news agency is quoting another news agency. Talk about redundancy. And the sad thing is that it happens all the time!

[Tim Northcutt]

This weekend's Indy Star says that St. Pete is apparently negotiating with the iRl to run thee in 2005....

Is this November TBA still a possibility???

It sure is a good race circuit...

[indycool]

I don't think this November is a possibility for ANYONE to run in '04.

[brightline]

I wouldn't hold my breath on St. Pete this year considering it took almost two months to set up all the concrete barriers and fencing. Not mention less planning time for the commuter airport which shuts down one runway for the weekend plus set up time. So chances are slim to none it could happen.

[coolbear]

St. Pete is currently in heavy negotiations with the IRL for a date in April between Motegi and Indy.

[indycool]

With the schedule announced today, I can believe that, coolbear.....

[Dov]

From the stpetersburgtimes.com:
http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/200...rs_new_r.shtml

St. Pete ponders new race partner

Indy 500 organizers are trying to persuade the city to open its doors - and streets - to them.

By CARRIE JOHNSON and BRANT JAMES
Published August 3, 2004

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

ST. PETERSBURG - The organizers of the Indianapolis 500 are trying to secure a deal to hold one of its first-ever street races in downtown St. Petersburg.

The Indy Racing League, North America's dominant open-wheel racing organization, said Monday they are talking with city officials for an April 1 race.

"We need more warm-weather facilities," said Fred Nation, IRL's vice president of corporate communications. "It is a separate market from our other Florida venue in Homestead-Miami, and it should be an attractive venue for our sponsor and partners."

Mayor Rick Baker confirmed the city is talking with IRL, but said it also has reached out to the sponsor of 2003's race, now known as Champ Car. "My desire continues to be to bring a Grand Prix race back to St. Petersburg," Baker said.

While the 2003 Grand Prix generated positive publicity for the city, a deal with IRL could be significantly more advantageous. The league is more financially stable than rival Champ Car and has more high profile sponsors and drivers, including two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves.

"It's the granddaddy of auto racing," said City Council Chairman Bill Foster. "To have an IRL event in St. Pete, that's like a Super Bowl or a Final Four. The economic impact would be huge."

While no formal negotiations have occurred with either group, IRL has been seriously considering St. Petersburg since a promoter began facilitating a deal between the racing league and the city, Nation said.

"Before that point, there have been a lot of venues we have been interested in, but that does not mean there was the chance there of making it happen," said Nation, who declined to identify the promoter.

He said a deal to bring a race here would likely be finalized within a few weeks.

The IRL was created in 1994 and is owned by Hulman & Co. The company also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Most importantly, the league has the Indianapolis 500, one of the most famous auto racing events in the country.

The IRL has specialized in oval racing, but recently expressed a desire to add up to four street or road courses to its schedule. That may give an edge to St. Petersburg, where the street course won raves from drivers in 2003.

"The event Champ Car had there was a good event," Nation said.

The 2003 race also drew about 50,000 racing fans to the downtown waterfront, but lost a reported $1.3-million and plans for a 2004 race ran into obstacles.

While Champ Car expressed interest in returning to the market for 2005, the slow pace of recent discussions with the city had prompted the league to postpone plans.

Champ Car president Dick Eidswick said he would not blame the city if it was seeking a more profitable deal. And if the IRL is willing to take a chance on an immature but potentially prosperous market, he said, so be it.

"It's a free world out there and if they're willing to pay for it, it's up to them," Eidswick said. "It's pretty clear that it is going to take an investment to get that race where it wants to be, to get it established as a marquee event and get local business behind it and get people to come."

Denis McGlynn, CEO of Dover Motorsports, which promoted the 2003 race, said St. Petersburg remains a viable market if fan interest can be rekindled after what would be a two-year absence of racing.

"They might have to grow it a little bit, but I think they could make it work," he said. "It depends on the date."

Last year, Dover pulled out of preparations for the 2004 race, leaving it in the hands of cash-strapped Championship Auto Racing Team. CART officials then announced they were filing for bankruptcy and postponed the race indefinitely. The future of the race also has been entangled in a financial dispute between the former local general manager of the race, Tom Begley, and Champ Car.

The city recently received a big bargaining chip that may help lure the IRL. At its July 15 meeting, the City Council voted to accept $1.5-million worth of equipment, including concrete barriers and ramps, a donation from Dover Motorsports.

As a city with its own racing equipment, St. Petersburg could become an even more attractive site for a race, Foster said.

"I think that could be very important," he said. "We're not an Indianapolis. ... We have to work a little bit harder to make a deal. But we'll get there."

[SPRacer]

Here I registered for the site just to post this interesting article from my local newspaper and Dov beats me to the punch!! Oh well. I'm still holding out hope for a CC race in St. Pete, but it looks like I may have to settle for the IRL...

St. Pete has a lot of race fans and anyone who can establish an annual race here will surely benefit!!

[macdaddy]

Welcome to 10T's, SPRacer!

[Dov]

Sorry about that, SPRacer and welcome to 10/10th's. Btw, if the IRL comes to St. Pete that doesn't mean you have to settle for it!

[indycool]

Welcome, SP.......

[Kicking-back]

It won't be on April 1, that's a Friday. April 3rd maybe.

They mean the race weekend would start on April 1.

Just for clarification.