Is It True?

cartpix · 26 Mar 2004, 03:46 (Ref:919781)

Honda bought all Fernandez's & Rahal's Lolas, so no one in CC could get them. They claim they wanted them for their museum. This would be the last straw for me. I've seen it a couple of places but it might have just travel from one to the other.

Jeff

Muzza · 26 Mar 2004, 03:58 (Ref:919788)

Hello, Jeff,

I know that Fernández Racing had kept their Lola. Maybe it was not kept, but "kept"...

I don't think there is any risk of a lack of tubs to serve Champ Car: first, there is a lot of Reynards available (granted, no one wants to race them - and I understand that that was a point of contention between Coyne and Gentilozzi). Second, Lola - that needs to boost its sales - would be glad to offer new material. They can put one together pretty fast.

Cheers,

Muzza

Amar7605 · 26 Mar 2004, 07:10 (Ref:919844)

Honda has a kick-ass museum near the Motegi track in Japan. And as far as I know they have some of the former Target Ganassi cars. Weren't they Reynards?

Kicking-back · 26 Mar 2004, 10:46 (Ref:919957)

Ganassi used Reynards with Honda then switched to Lolas when they used Toyota engines.

weissbrewer · 26 Mar 2004, 14:10 (Ref:920125)

I thought that MI Jack Could Not find any lolas so they will run a split effort this year?

Muzza · 26 Mar 2004, 16:15 (Ref:920220)

Quote:

Originally posted by weissbrewer
I thought that MI Jack Could Not find any lolas so they will run a split effort this year?

My understanding, weissbrewer, is that Conquest would prefer to buy a second-hand tub instead of getting a new one - a wise idea in the current scenario. The problem is that, with all deals closing so late, it is quite unclear who would be willing to sell one.

cartpix · 26 Mar 2004, 16:25 (Ref:920230)

Quote:

Originally posted by Muzza
Hello, Jeff,

I know that Fernández Racing had kept their Lola. Maybe it was not kept, but "kept"...

I don't think there is any risk of a lack of tubs to serve Champ Car: first, there is a lot of Reynards available (granted, no one wants to race them - and I understand that that was a point of contention between Coyne and Gentilozzi). Second, Lola - that needs to boost its sales - would be glad to offer new material. They can put one together pretty fast.

Cheers,

Muzza

The smaller teams would want to save money, by buying used tubs. With those cars, not on the market, it would make it harder for the smaller (re: underfunded) teams to put a team together. This would make it harder for Champ Car, to reach that magic number 18. I truely believe they will, but this wouldn't help.

Jeff

Muzza · 26 Mar 2004, 16:38 (Ref:920236)

Right on, Jeff - and that's why Conquest is fielding one Lola and one Reynard.

climb · 26 Mar 2004, 16:52 (Ref:920253)

Quote:

Originally posted by weissbrewer
I thought that MI Jack Could Not find any lolas so they will run a split effort this year?

BTW great nick wb!

JohnSSC · 27 Mar 2004, 03:39 (Ref:920873)

Now this is getting a little carried away! Next thread topic will be: "Toyota buys entire production run of Bridgestones so OWRS can't roll!"

But then again I never would have imagined Chevrolet buying Cosworths and re-badging them as Chevrolets.

I cannot fathom why Honda would even contemplate doing such a thing.

x_dt · 27 Mar 2004, 16:00 (Ref:921332)

Why would Honda want Rahal's Lolas? Rahal didn't use Honda engines in CART after 1994.

cartpix · 27 Mar 2004, 17:19 (Ref:921379)

If they did, indeed, buy the Lolas, they could paint them in any livery. Just because they bought Rahal's cars, doesn't mean they have to be displayed as Rahal's cars.

Jeff

Ac. · 27 Mar 2004, 23:51 (Ref:921623)

Quote:

Originally posted by x_dt
Why would Honda want Rahal's Lolas? Rahal didn't use Honda engines in CART after 1994.

Exactly x_dt. The only reason Honda would buy the chassis would be to prevent a Champ Car team from running them this year.

The Snout · 28 Mar 2004, 02:55 (Ref:921708)

But but but but 'it's only business'. Isn't it ?

sgw2 · 28 Mar 2004, 04:40 (Ref:921740)

IIRC the Lolas Ganassi had were bought by Toyota. However Ganassi was allowed to sell them to Kalkhoven last year. SO much for the conspiracy theory here.

Rahal owns all his own equipment, and his contract with Honda for IRL came about from Kenny Brack who apporached Rahal - it was Brack's deal not Rahal's. Rahal had a special deal with Ford for CART and even got them to help with Danica's effort in (gasp) Toyota Atlantics.

Fernandez also own his equipment. However in his case Honda sent a semi to pick up their engines and other equipment after Fontana in 2002. I think its safe to assume he owns whatever Champ Car stuff they left.

As for selling equipent -as if there were any buyers in the first place- Honda may or may not have a non competition clause. At least that is the rumor about Haas and running a 3rd car.

As it is we have thirteen Lolas -fourteen once Gigante and RuSPORT announce- in the field, plus a Reynard from Conquest, and two more cars for DCR (Reynard's from Forsythe? Are his Lolas now with RuSPORT?). That makes the field more Lola heavy thn last year, and that is just using the existing stock.

This is a non-issue. Were there active buyers, it might be, but there aren't any.

JohnSSC · 28 Mar 2004, 05:04 (Ref:921746)

sqw2, it is all part of the very obvious international world-wide consipiracy, don't you know?

I can see the folks at Honda explaining to the Auditors the open-ended Purchase Order for Lola chassis'. "Well you see, we have had secret meetings with the IRL brass and we are buying into (literally) a program where we will purchase and then hide on public display in our museum every available Lola in the World in order to ensure annihilation of OWRS. What is OWRS? Well..."

Heck, where I am at ordering an extra toner cartridge for the laser printer causes Auditing to spring into action.

The Snout · 28 Mar 2004, 05:28 (Ref:921752)

But but but but there were no shots heard from the grassy knoll. You're all mad...nothing to see here....carry on, carry on.

JohnSSC · 28 Mar 2004, 05:35 (Ref:921755)

I heard that Chevrolet bought all the Ford Cosworth engines in the whole wide world (race fans turn and look toward grassy knoll as a semi loaded with Cosworths pulls away...).

The Snout · 28 Mar 2004, 05:38 (Ref:921756)

Was it a Hertz Penske Van pulling away ?

JohnSSC · 28 Mar 2004, 05:42 (Ref:921758)

The Hertz Van was driven by Chip with Roger riding shotgun. Some reports have stated C. Haas was running behind, clicking his heels saying: "I want to win Indy, I want to win Indy..." B. Rahal and A. Fernandez were seen loading the engines and then driving away in a 1986 Honda Accord with what looked like a Lola (or maybe a Van Diemen) in the trunk.

Very, very suspicious.

The Snout · 28 Mar 2004, 05:49 (Ref:921763)

If only they could fit some fans in that truck, then they'd have taken it all.

Muzza · 28 Mar 2004, 07:01 (Ref:921788)

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnSSC
The Hertz Van was driven by Chip with Roger riding shotgun. Some reports have stated C. Haas was running behind, clicking his heels saying: "I want to win Indy, I want to win Indy..." B. Rahal and A. Fernandez were seen loading the engines and then driving away in a 1986 Honda Accord with what looked like a Lola (or maybe a Van Diemen) in the trunk.

Very, very suspicious.

Ssshhhh... John, don't tell anyone, but it was Tony George who jump-started the ignition of the van.

Michael Andretti was seen cleaning its windscreen. Mo Nunn was holding the bottle of Windex for him.

Sshhhhh...

JohnSSC · 28 Mar 2004, 14:12 (Ref:922069)

Muzza:

It will be our little secret!

Was that Derrick Walker I saw holding the paper towels to wipe the window??

The Snout · 28 Mar 2004, 22:48 (Ref:922357)

I think I see a trend here.

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