Champ Car's business is great

[luke]

Full article at theunionleader.com

For a series that was all but dead 18 months ago, the Champ Car World Series is showing some real signs of life.
In January 2004, team owners Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi bought the assets of the bankrupt Championship Auto Racing Teams and announced to the world they were going to keep the nearly moribund open-wheel series going. There was betting in some knowledgeable circles that the new series wouldn't finish its first year. Some observers were certain the Champ Cars would never get to their first race.

Last week, halfway through the second year of the reborn series, more than 152,000 people showed up over three days for the inaugural San Jose Grand Prix, run through the downtown streets of California's third-largest city. It was just the latest in a string of hits for Champ Car, which is committed to making races on city streets or downtown airports its trademark. That was followed by a race in downtown Toronto's Exhibition Place that drew 160,000 people over three days and a race-day crowd of 73,155, and new events in Edmonton, Alberta, at City Center Airport, that drew 200,052, including 78,080 for the race, and San Jose's big turnout.

Great publicity

[Tenoch]

This is awesome the more stable the seriesbecomes the more the teams will also become. now they have something solid to present to potential sponsors.

[luke]

Ok here's a better link to teh full article guys. Link

[Raglanparade]

They seem to be running it a lot more like the V8 Supercars is run in Australia. They bring the cars to the people via street races such as Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

The V8 Supercar/Champ Car double header at the Gold Coast every year is arguably one of the best motorsport events in the world at the moment, and it can only improve with Champ Car improving.

I think Champ Car needs to work on some more novel ideas. I actually enjoyed watching San Jose, i love weird street circuits that provide a challenge. Danger is what makes motorsport great.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by jasonhill9884

They seem to be running it a lot more like the V8 Supercars is run in Australia. They bring the cars to the people via street races such as Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

The V8 Supercar/Champ Car double header at the Gold Coast every year is arguably one of the best motorsport events in the world at the moment, and it can only improve with Champ Car improving.

I think Champ Car needs to work on some more novel ideas. I actually enjoyed watching San Jose, i love weird street circuits that provide a challenge. Danger is what makes motorsport great.

I'd agree completely.

Wouldn't it be great if the champcars took to the old gp circuit in Adelaide as well as the V8 supercars?

[Liz]

We had that article in the Toronto papers too. What a difference when you have businessmen in charge of the cash box, eh?

[f1manoz]

Great to see a positive article for a change. The plan is working.

[Kicking-back]

Yep. Very positive news there.

Now, if they can sort out the TV deals everything will be great.

But definitely moving in the right direction.

[N I Tram]

Big audiences for sure, but that San Jose race was pretty farcical from a racing perspective. Let's home some of the people who went along can show an interest for the rest of the year.

[Mosport67]

Good article. They are not out of the woods yet but are certainly going in the right direction. They need to bring in more sponsors so that they are not funding the teams and drivers. TV viewership needs to improve.

KK seems to believe that crowds at street races will do that. Lets hope he is correct.

Certainly we are going in the right direction (up).

[luke]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Yep. Very positive news there.

Now, if they can sort out the TV deals everything will be great.

But definitely moving in the right direction.

Well in Europe obviously it is great, as Eurosport shows it live for 54 countries.

In America they get most of the races live nearly all, but I understand some parts get delayed coverge.

It would be good for more countries world wide to get live coverege and CC is popular in Japan so it would be good for them to have coverge there again.

[Xpunk75]

Do you guys know if any new teams have jumped on board for next year because all this success? It be nice to see more teams and more drivers in the field, it would make the series more exciting.

Things are going great for Champ Car and they are building some good fan base. I they have won back most of their fans that they lost and they have won new fans as well with the race in San Jose and Edmenton Canada. It will be interesting to see what next year shapes up to be like with teams, drivers, and tracks but for right now im enjoying this seasons action.

[Hazza]

What we need is to keep the current teams in the game, as the last couple of years for every new team we get we've lost at least one. (Ie: American Spirit)

[mountainstar]

I think the current line-up will stay the same for next year, as next year will be the last for the current formula. But, with the flurry of new sponsors, it looks like current teams will strengthen which is good for all. I doubt any outside team will invest in all of the old equipment for one year, unless they can get a deal somehow.

[luke]

Originally Posted by Hazza

What we need is to keep the current teams in the game, as the last couple of years for every new team we get we've lost at least one. (Ie: American Spirit)

I think we will, and there are a number of rumored new teams to join possibly next year.

[racinthestreets]

I believe as has been posted that new teams will not arrive until 2007. To lease or buy the equipment necessary to comepte for only one year may be cost prohibitive. Possibly one more team, maybe one car will coem in for the one year then we very well may see several new teams for 2007.