Champ Car European Cup

[luke]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61656

The Champ Car World Series is introducing a new contest called the European Cup for its forthcoming Zolder and Assen races.

Similar to the Canadian Triple Crown competition for the team who proved most successful in the Mont-Tremblant, Toronto and Edmonton rounds, the Phanos Resorts-sponsored European Cup will go to the team whose drivers achieve the best average finishing positions in the European events.

[Knowlesy]

Gimmick city. Seems to be all the rage this year!

[luke]

I think its good. Brought extra interest for me anyway to the races with the Canadian triple crown. I think its cool along with the Vanderbilt cup.

[Knowlesy]

I dunno, not convinced. All I think about is the championship to be honest!

It's not even as though they make a big thing of these themed cups. They are just....there!

Still, if it brings interest to one or two people, then it's working in some respects.

[Dutton]

It's just North America, Knowlesy. We do stuff like this over here: it will be a means to make the European rounds grab the attention of the public here more than Europe (if the rounds aren't based over here, well, the interest levels drop).

I may be wide of the mark, but it seems this way to me.

I entirely agree they are merely gimmicks, and ideally I would rather not have them, but, in the end, if they help "the cause", I can easily live with them.

[BootsOntheSide]

Fine if they had 4 races, but a bit silly for only 2. It only takes one misfortune to take a team out of contention for it, and it's not as if a European is more likely to win this than the main title. If it was an attempt at getting teams to run an extra car for these 2 rounds, it doesn't seem to have worked. Rather than congratulating yourselves about having 10 European drivers, the issue should be how to get more than 2 US and 2 Canadians.

[Dutton]

You miss the point, Boots.

It is about getting NAm people to watch.

It is no reflection on the people as individuals, but the media only pays attention to domestic/US-Canada things.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Dutton

It is about getting NAm people to watch.

Vietnamese?

[luke]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

I dunno, not convinced. All I think about is the championship to be honest!

It's not even as though they make a big thing of these themed cups. They are just....there!

Still, if it brings interest to one or two people, then it's working in some respects.

It's better than nothing and adds interest, can't see what the problem is. Not harming anything.

[D.R.T.]

Adds something, not alot though but its got a few talking so I think its a good addition.

Someone will get a nice holiday out of it aswell

[Purist]

If we get another European race or two for 2008, then yeah, it will make more sense, but whatever. It has gotten people talking, so that's good.

[norman-normal]

Well, in as much as we don't have any drivers getting arrested for dog fighting, drunk driving, wife beating or brawling, I guess we just have to think something up.

[theracegypsy]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Someone will get a nice holiday out of it aswell

Yes, me

[Red Bulldog]

It seems to me that these European races are very important to Champcar in terms of getting more international interest and improving the show for NA fans.
So why is there virtually no coverage of these races in North America (well Canada anyway)? Particularly the Assen race which is on a non-F1 week-end.