Fernandez to IRL

[GBoehm]

NEWS
"Fernández to Contest 2004 IRL IndyCar® Series"

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 11, 2004) – Fernández Racing today announced that owner/driver Adrián Fernández will compete in the 2004 IRL IndyCar® Series beginning with the Indy 200 Copper World Classic in Phoenix on March 21. Fernández will drive a Hondapowered Panoz G Force chassis on Firestone tires with sponsorship from long-time supporters Quaker State, Telmex and Tecate and new partner Aceros Vilag.

“ Obviously this is a big move for us particularly at this late stage,” said Fernández. “We have reviewed a lot of things the past few days, and had to take a hard look at what we know at this point in time to determine what is best for our sponsors and the future of Fernández Racing. With the support of Quaker State, Telmex, Tecate and Aceros Vilag, we have made the decision to enter the IRL.
“ Personally, it is never easy to make a decision like this particularly when you factor in the friendships and relationships that have developed over many years for not only myself but everyone at Fernández Racing. I will always be thankful for my years in Champ Car racing – where they have taken me in my career and for the tremendous support of the fans along the way.”

Formed in 2002 by ex-Formula One driver Aguri Suzuki, the Super Aguri Company, Adrián Fernández and Fernández Racing, Super Aguri Fernández Racing entered the IndyCar Series in 2003. The team currently fields rookie Kosuke Matsuura in the #55 Panasonic ARTA Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone entry. Fernández’s campaign will be run under the Fernández Racing banner.

“ We are extremely excited to once again have our team’s efforts focused on one championship which includes the Indianapolis 500,” said Tom Anderson, team owner and managing director. “This is a tremendous step reuniting our great sponsors from Japan and Mexico. We sincerely appreciate the effort all of them have put forth in order to make this possible.”

Fernández will make his IRL IndyCar Series debut in the Indy 200 Copper W orld Classic– the second event on the 16-race 2004 IndyCar schedule – at Phoenix International Raceway. Fernández last competed on the one-mile oval in 1995.

“ It is an understatement to say we have a lot of work to do in the next 11 days,” added Fernández. “I’m sure there will be challenges but we have a very experienced team in both Fernández Racing and Super Aguri Fernández Racing and will be able to help each other. It will definitely be an asset to run a two-car team and be able to build off each other.

“ I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends next week at Phoenix – Tony [Kanaan], Dario [Franchitti], Helio [Castroneves], Bryan [Herta], Darren [Manning], Michael [Andretti]… I am also looking forward to returning to Motegi next month where I have won twice, and also to the month of May and the Indy 500. We are hitting the ground running and I know we will have a lot of
support along the way.”

[GBoehm]

This has got to be some of the worst new ive heard in a while....
.. This sucks... the site is www.fernandezracing.com..... I hate this news..... sorry guys....
Greg


This post has been edited due to comments that were uncalled for.
If you wish to refresh your memory on the rules of the two open wheel forums then I suggest that you read this thread http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...endly+reminder

[The Snout]

Well it's enough to tear your heart out, never would have been good news if he left, but really disappointing he left it until so late in the game.

[GBoehm]

www.fernandezracing.com This link will work better

[The Snout]

Rumour I hear (only a rumour) is that AF had a driver lined up for his 2nd car and one of the OWRS owners poached him from under Fernandez, and that was the last straw. Again only a rumour.

I wasn't really much of a AF fan, but from a Champ Car community point of view this is heartbreaking.

[Flatspot]

Well, this is a bummer but good luck to Adrian. I enjoyed watching him race and unfortunately won't be doing that any more. I think I just drank my last Tecate too.

[Mags]

Who's Adrian? Another one bites the dust. He's in my prayers. I don't have much respect for someone that looks in my face and lies to me.

[Muzza]

First, let's not bash Adrian. When Honda left CART for the IRL this Japanese manufacturer waved a big check in front of him - and he decided to stay at CART and only build a side-team in the IRL (Super Auguri Fernández). He sided with CART in the "top-brass forums" and several times he had his neck under the blade in the IRL because of that.

As I wrote to a few of you in private messages (quite interesting that a few people saw this coming), Adrian was in very difficult situation. I wrote this earlier today...:

"The trouble is that Adrian loves Champ Cars and is not fond of Tony George at all, but he is almost to the point of not being able to justify why he is not running two cars in IRL (and becoming a definite force to reckon in that series) while keeping a car in Champ Car. Businesswise the most logical decision would be to drop Champ Cars and jump to the IRL, but Adrian is too much of a fair person to do that."

I believe Adrian when he says he loves Champ Cars, but the situation became unbearable to his means. Also:

1.) His IRL team made money last year, the CART one lost

2.) Tecate cut its sponsorship to some 25% of what it was last year (that means, a 75% drop)

3.) It was very stressful to Adrian to manage two teams - and race in one of them himself. Also, the pelvic fractures he suffered in the startline crash in Surfer's Paradise still cause him pain.

4.) Adrian's goal was to build a "Mexican team" in Champ Car, and he was very disappointed that he could not achieve that. Lav�*n was impossible due to sponsorship conflicts. D�*az, who Adrian rate highly (and who seems to be the best amongst young Mexicans) has no significant budget behind him. Adrian had his eyes set on Roberto González, but when this went to PKVR this was too much... (The Snout, that's what people have been talking about; it was reported in Mexico)

5.) Adrian had considered retiring and "handing the wheel" to upcoming Mexicans. He was frustrated that this has not happened

Again, think twice before bashing the guy. The fact that this happens so late speaks for his efforts to stay put in Champ Car.

I am sad to hear this, and I wish all the best to Fernández Racing in its 2004 IRL campaign.

[jjspierx]

This is truely sad news indeed. Especially this late in the game. Either way, PG guarantee's 18 cars, and I think we will have 18 cars. It just means that Forsythe, NH, or PKVR might have to field a 3rd car.

[indycool]

Snout's post about Kalkhoven presumably poaching Gonzalez has merit, and is part of a broader picture.

Each of the three OWRS owners have picked up a second "pay" driver, one whose sponsorship could've helped a struggling unfunded team put a car on the grid for the series.

The announcements of Gonzalez with Kalkhoven and Lavin with Forsythe, going along with Gentilozzi's signing of Phillippe's money, sent a message earlier this week that these three guys don't give a bleep about the other teams. They just expect them condescendingly to become field fillers for their highnesses however they might be able to fend for themselves and get there.

If you're a non-OWRS owner, you hafta look at these pay-driver signings and think, "they're just off to see their own wizard and don't care if I'm there and don't care about the broader view of the series." PARTICULARLY when Forsythe owes Tracy money, boots Carpentier and takes Lavin's money when he's supposed to be the gazillionaire leader of the band for everyone else.

Not pretty.......and I doubt if Fernandez is the only one who perceptionally could feel this way.

[Mags]

Originally posted by Flatspot
Well, this is a bummer but good luck to Adrian. I enjoyed watching him race and unfortunately won't be doing that any more. I think I just drank my last Tecate too.

How can you wish him luck? This is the man that was the FIRST off the starting block to put his faith in the new OWRS, now he has bolted? This man hates ovals. He is a road racer. He looked me IN THE EYE and said he had total faith in CART and these men. I'm appalled. You do not build a mountain in a day. He told me Honda doesn't pull his strings. Now I wonder.

[indycool]

Whoa, Mags, how long ago did you have that conversation and what has happened since then? Circumstances may well have changed a lot.

[Mags]

Originally posted by indycool
Whoa, Mags, how long ago did you have that conversation and what has happened since then? Circumstances may well have changed a lot.

Indycool; our series of winter interviews that we have done with just about every CART and ALMS driver that is running.

[Snrub]

Man this stinks. A big part of what was keeping CART going was Mexican support and Mexican races. I bet this means a substantial reduction in the crowds in Mexico, Mexican TV viewership and as a result mexican sponsorship dollars, both direct to CART teams and otherwise.

We all try to stay positive but the bottom line is that if Fernandez can't legitimately run in CART and Forsythe can't run two legit cars, how the heck is this thing going to happen? Indeck sponsorship for PT is a bit of a sham. Most likely Forsythe coudln't get anything else. These are the last peices holding CART together.

I really think it was a big mistake to plan to run 16 races. Sure OWRS saved a bunch of money by waiting to buy the jewels in the pile of rubble, but ISC and TG stalled it further. Waiting so long has probably prevented any chance of getting sponsorship.

I really hope I'm wrong. Really.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by indycool
Snout's post about Kalkhoven presumably poaching Gonzalez has merit, and is part of a broader picture.

Each of the three OWRS owners have picked up a second "pay" driver, one whose sponsorship could've helped a struggling unfunded team put a car on the grid for the series.

(...)

Not pretty.......and I doubt if Fernandez is the only one who perceptionally could feel this way.

Interesting and well-supported thoughts, indycool.

Answering your last paragraph... No, Adrian is not the only one feeling that way. Bobby Rahal is very disappointed and - as I have ad nauseam repeated in this forum - is not interested at all on running a second car. Why?

Well, because Rodolfo Lav�*n approached Team Rahal in the second weeke of January and a deal was almost stroke - but somehow, when everything seemed set, he ended at Forsythe.

Bobby said that during the Team Rahal press conference when he just stopped short of mentioning "this driver's" name (that he was keen to leak out after it). Thus the series as a whole lost a car, as Lav�*n took Carpentier's seat, a and racing stalwart - with a team in the IRL... - was made mad.


Muzza

[The Snout]

This could be the catalyst for a couple of teams to leave, potentially I see Team Rahal moving Jourdain across to the IRL if he doesn't see the car count either or doesn't believe in the OWRS running of the CCWS. That isn't what I hope for, I just see a danger there, I may be overreacting.
For some reason this team leaving right now leaves a pain in my stomach. And I'm not usually a drama queen.

[Muzza]

Ops, Robin Miller is on air NOW on Speed Channel and said that he just heard that Bobby Rahal is next.

Miller is usually not wrong.

[indycool]

Okay....before or after the bankruptcy hearing, for example? Before or after the delay in schedule and TV? Before or after the OWRS principals signed pay drivers?

I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but these are factors that could change a viewpoint from Fernandez based on what he told you at one time and what happened since.

For example, his belief in the OWRS owners may have changed and he felt screwed by Kalkhoven poaching Gonzalez. The delay in schedule and TV could've affected his sponsors' plans and cash to change his perspective. Yes, Honda dollars could've been involved but if that was a deal-breaker, it would've happened a long time ago.

His faith could well have been shaken by some of this, judging from Robin Miller's piece on speedtv.com. That does NOT make him a liar. I can say I'm going to play golf tomorrow and there could be a thunderstorm that changes my mind.

[Mike.ca]

Originally posted by Mags
I'm appalled.

Should you be appalled with him, or with the big three for squandering his faith in the new series? I can't believe that he did this lightly, or on a whim. He's always been an honourable man in the past. He must have had a very good reason for doing this when he did. Frankly, I doubt that it was Honda. If they were going to push him into the IRL, they would have done it before now.

[indycool]

Rahal's name cropped up almost instantly in the wake of this and Herdez' holdup on signing Hunter-Reay is qustionable under the circumstances.

[Dov]

At first I was mad with Adrian, but now after reading all the threads, I blame OWRS!!! If Rahal leaves that could very well signal the end of Champ Cars.........

[sgjb]

Adrian has been nothing but a supporter of CART all along. He obviously had to make a very difficult decision but knew only one decision could be made.

I can say one week ago I felt good about OWRS, but today I am not sure, not because of this announcement but because of the issues surrounding the series that have recently come out. It feels as though they have a long way to go. Adrian changing his mind is probably with a very heavy heart.

I can say I am unsure whether I will support the series with only 5-6 real racers and the rest rent-a-racers filling the field. I have attended 4-6 races per year for the last 10 years but am unsure if I can support this any longer. Who is now left as paying drivers-Tags, Paul, Bruno, Sebastian, Jourdain and Vasser? How long till Rahal jumps ship, it is only a matter of time. If he were to lose Gigante he would be gone hands down.

Good luck to Adrian and the rest of his team!

[The Snout]

This house may be on the way down folks. If Fernadez and Team Rahal go, ok, perhaps that will force OWRS to field 3rd cars, but if this starts a mass exodus then that will be it for Champ Cars. Grab a raincoat and the kids and start running.

[Mags]

Originally posted by The Snout
This house may be on the way down folks. If Fernadez and Team Rahal go, ok, perhaps that will force OWRS to field 3rd cars, but if this starts a mass exodus then that will be it for Champ Cars. Grab a raincoat and the kids and start running.

I for one will be there!! I'm taking my beautiful new digital camera, and I will be there reporting, doing interviews, and be cheering ALL My Boys on the grid at Long Beach!! Come ON everyone!! This has been a VERY bad time. Deserters WANT us to be gloomy. Let's NOT feed the frenzy!!!! There may NOT be "18" cars there - SO WHAT!!!! At one point, I think there were 14 cars on the F1 grid, and look at it now!!! Look On The Bright Side!!! We have teams struggling, trying to make it WORK!! Lets SUPPORT the teams TRYING!! Let's go HURRAH!!! to the Jimmy Vasser's out there, the PG's, The Gerry Forsythe's!!! Look at Tag!! BE POSITIVE!!!!!!

[Fogelhund]

Well, this is a very disappointing development. I guess Fernandez's team/people/sponsors were similarily looking/expecting for more at LB. It's time to pull some rabbits from a hat here.

A Rahal departure would be a bitter blow at this point.

I guess we shouldn't really have expected more, OWRS has done nothing to change the financial realities of this series.