Andy Granatelli says adios until mid-August

[MrIndy500]

In as much as I really do love talking about auto racing, I must do so in my leisure. I work regularly six days a week doing what I believe in as being very important. I am a mentor and speak to troubled kids who need help in numerous ways so that hopefully they will grow up as productive, positive adults. I also work hard being involved with many charities and boards, which I do without compensation. And then there is the running of my own life and the time with my family. I have found in my golden years that the time I spend with my family means more to me than almost anything.

When a friend sent me an “on-line” article that had been written about me, I responded as I would to any writer. And while I understand the internet somewhat, I am unfortunately computer illiterate, and have never “surfed” the internet and don’t type. (Now I understand why many of the postings are so short - - it is difficult to type fast when you don’t know how.) And it doesn’t help right now that my secretary is out of pocket until August 16th. The on-line forum web sites are new to me. With so many people responding to just one posting, I find answering each posting almost impossible. I had no idea that so many people would read and then write back on each posting. The comments are stimulating, interesting, funny, off the wall, and some, well, not worth commenting about. I wanted to put on one more posting to say that I do appreciate all the fun it has been with the first posting (even the lemming ones were hilarious), but I am not in a position at this time to keep up with the communications.

I truly wish this type of communication had been around years ago, because I would have really made good use of it. For now though, it is something I can do only in my leisure time, which isn’t as much as I would like. I will have my secretary check on the postings again when she returns in mid-August. My initial thoughts of this experience are that most all of the people who responded are as passionate about racing as I am. There is a lot of passion and increasing power through awareness that should be put to positive uses and not wasted on the negative ones that hurt the enthusiasm for the sport of open wheel auto racing.

Meanwhile, I intend to continue doing whatever I can to help CART and IRL both be successful preferably working together. They are both very much a part of open wheel racing and are needed to fulfill the demands of true open wheel auto racing fans. In this respect, in communications with Bobby Rahal and Tony George, it appears to me that they are both generally in agreement (save a few reservations) with my concept of IRL doing all the oval races and CART doing all the road and street races. Don’t consider this as meaning that it is going to happen for sure because nothing is for sure until it happens. Let’s just say it’s a start to reconciliation, which is imperative if open wheel racing is to stop deteriorating. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. I will write more when my secretary returns the middle of August, and also address Ed Donath’s two questions in his posted response to me.
Until then, adios and best wishes,
Andy Granatelli