KK On Windbag

[nrc]

Champ Car World Series co-owner, Kevin Kalkhoven, will be a featured interview on Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain tonight (Sunday, June 4) at 9 p.m. ET. We’ll talk to Kevin about his efforts to add a new Champ Car event in the streets of Phoenix, Ariz., an event which has recently received some strong opposition.

[coolhand]

Is there any gratitous and technically pioneering fellow who can record it and place it on youtube?

anyway, this wil be interesting, I don't think he would be on TV unless he had some good news to talk about.

[gjc2]

I don't think he would be on TV unless he had some good news to talk about.

Does Wind Tunnel have enough stature in motorsports journalism to rate "the announcement"?


George

[cameraman]

Is there any gratitous and technically pioneering fellow who can record it and place it on youtube?

anyway, this wil be interesting, I don't think he would be on TV unless he had some good news to talk about.

I'll give it a shot.


(You do realize that such a promise guarantees that my computer will die tonight)

[KLang]

Does Wind Tunnel have enough stature in motorsports journalism to rate "the announcement"?


No way. The description above sounds like he will be ragging on Nascar. :laugh:

[pchall]

No way. The description above sounds like he will be ragging on Nascar. :laugh:

Yup. I figure KK will be there to follow up on his shots at NASCAR over the Phoenix street race.

I hope those of you watching Dave Depain will report back faithfully when the segment is over.

[Spicoli]

just got home. some fat **** is talking nascar. i assume, as normal, ccws rates last 3 minutes of show...

[Spicoli]

DD says KK up next. topics: taking on nascar/reunifimerger.

[nissan gtp]

just got home. some fat **** is talking nascar. i assume, as normal, ccws rates last 3 minutes of show...

KK up next, but it's recorded

[Spicoli]

nascar = bad
legge = good
mergermania = going well

mesage to fans of both series:

both sides want some degree of unity. must happen to benefit all. satisfy existing fans and create new ones. there is no time frame.





hell, we know more than he does! :p ;)

[cart7]

According to Wilkie, KK is talking it his ***. :gomer:

[dando]

nascar = bad
legge = good
mergermania = going well

mesage to fans of both series:

both sides want some degree of unity. must happen to benefit all. satisfy existing fans and create new ones. there is no time frame.





hell, we know more than he does! :p ;)
Key phrase in all of that yada, yada, yada:


that meets the requirements of our partners.

And I think we all know what that means. :saywhat: :(

-Kevin

[cameraman]

Is there any gratitous and technically pioneering fellow who can record it and place it on youtube?

It ain't on youtube but you can get both segments here:

Arizona & NASCAR
Part 1 (http://homepage.mac.com/datkinso/iMovieTheater11.html)
Quicktime MPEG-4 H.264 codec 32.4 MB

PKV & Merger
Part 2 (http://homepage.mac.com/datkinso/iMovieTheater12.html)
Quicktime MPEG-4 H.264 codec 26.2 MB

If you don't have a rather fast connection just download them.

[TedN]

Champ Car World Series boss Kevin Kalkhoven was Dave Despain’s guest Sunday on Wind Tunnel. He talked with Dave about his belief that NASCAR is interfering in plans for Champ Car to run a street course race in Phoenix, as well as progress being made toward open-wheel unification:


DESPAIN: Temporary circuit racing in a major metropolitan area plays an increasingly important role in the Champ Car World Series. But their latest street race proposal has put them at odds with the promoter of the two big NASCAR races at Phoenix International Raceway. Why? Well, Champ Car wants a downtown Phoenix race a week after the November NASCAR date and that has lead to something of a war of words. Kevin Kalkhoven joins us now, and Kevin we thank you for doing so on a busy day in Milwaukee. You have some pretty harsh words to say for what you call “big, bad NASCAR.” Their promoter out there fired back about your ‘Tinker Toy’ race. Lots of headlines, lots of hostility, what the heck is going on here?

KALKHOVEN: It’s really simple, Dave; there are two promoter businessmen in Arizona and Phoenix. One of whom owns majority of the Diamondbacks and is the minority owner of the Suns … also does property development. They wanted to develop a 10-block area of downtown Phoenix into an entertainment complex. And as part of that, they wanted to hold a festival by using the Long Beach model … they wanted to be able to have a race. Sounds really simple. It does not involve any government money, or taxpayer money, it would all be done on their own dime. They would pay for everything, with a significant inflow of revenue to the city, both on a tax and revenue basis … so that is the original program.

The next thing I know, there are letters flying off from ISC to the (Phoenix) city council containing a number of falsehoods. But more disturbing, within two weeks, there is a motion being passed at the state level – well, trying to be passed -- which would, in fact, ban all forms of motor sports if it isn’t on one of the ISC tracks. Whether it be karting, all across motorcycling, MotoGP -- you name it, anything that has (decibel levels) more than 90 decibels would, in fact, be banned. We’ve gone from a simple case of promoters trying to do downtown development … they wanted to use the Long Beach model … to all of a sudden, all motor sports in Arizona which aren’t being run on a permanent facility are being banned.


DESPAIN: Do you have evidence that this was NASCAR’s work or ISC’s work?

KALKHOVEN: This is all a passing coincidence (said with a chuckle) … of course, one of their employees has been actively involved in it. I assume that he was not doing it on his own accord.


DESPAIN: I am told that bill has been tabled. What do you think is going to happen with that, and what are you doing to insure your race can go forward?

KALKHOVEN: We are doing two things. First we are trying to protect the interest of motor sports … not just our race. Let me also say, it’s not us who are holding the race, there is a promoter who wants to do this … a very respected developer and citizen of Arizona. What are we doing? First of all, we made it perfectly clear to various members of the assembly exactly what the implications of this bill were. I think that many of them were horrified about this, and that is why the bill got tabled. This is not a bill which openly insinuates itself as being a motor sports activity bill. It was, in fact, an add-on to a marriage license bill which had already passed. And therefore if it would have gone to committee, it would have been made law. It was the ultimate stealth tactic. And that is what we were really upset about.

DESPAIN: Is a surprise to you that the track is upset? By running a week after them, you are going to be competing with them for local sponsorship, local media time. Did you not expect them to put up with some kind of stink about this? Whether we believe that it was under-handed and below the belt, you must have expected some resistance from them?

KALKHOVEN: Just to remind you, in Southern California, where Long Beach was the dominant race for many years, they never objected to building in Fontana. So, what goes around, comes around.


DESPAIN: For the record, there has been an exchange with NASCAR. We invited them on here, to give their side of the story. The essentially forwarded us the statement released earlier in the week. And it says: “Neither NASCAR, nor any of its representatives, agents, or employees, has taken a position on Champ Car’s proposed event in Phoenix or participated in any conduct that would impede Champ Car’s ability to run an event. Nor is it in NASCAR’s best interest to do so, NASCAR understands that in order to keep motor sports healthy and vibrant in North America, it is imperative that race tracks and race fans have a broad ‘product list’ from which to choose.”


DESPAIN: Let me ask you about the much discussed business of reunification. When you and Tony George basically asked the media to butt out, leave you alone and let you work on it. Wind Tunnel did that. We abided by that until Robert Miller broached the idea a couple of weeks ago. That you, Champ Car, would consider opening up your May schedule and allowing your teams to do the Indy 500. That caught me off guard. Are you in fact willing to do that?

KALKHOVEN: It kind of caught me off guard as well. The talks with Tony are being very fruitful. There is no doubt about that at all. They are being held in a real atmosphere of trying to accomplish something. I can say that we don’t have a time scale on the results that we are trying to achieve, but in good faith both sides are talking. As part of that, if suitable arrangements were to be a stepping stone for unification, then sure we would consider stepping stones for unification. If it helped both sides, provided a positive influence to where both sides are trying to get to.


DESPAIN: Would clearing your May schedule, and enabling your teams to lease equipment and race in the 500, would that meet the criteria in your mind … meet the criterion for moving things forward?

KALKHOVEN: It’s part of a bigger picture, Dave. If it really does move things forward as part of a bigger picture, then sure, we would consider it. In fact, we have discussed it. We are still concentrating on the bigger picture for the moment.


DESPAIN: I read a lot of opinion, that timing is critical. That is has to happen now, or it can’t happen because of your new equipment formula and all of that, you will have simply gone too far apart. It is simply dooms day. Do you buy that in any way?

KALKHOVEN: It is interesting to see the opinions on this. The people that have sat in the room with Tony and me and listened to our discussions … they realize that we don’t have a time scale. We are trying to do it right. We are really talking in good faith. That, I think, is the important thing. I don’t think that any specific timing matters here. I do think that we are trying to move toward unification in a positive way that meets the requirements of our partners …we are concentrating on the bigger picture first.


DESPAIN: As you go forward, what is the message that you will send tonight to the fans of both series, yours and the IRL, about the future of American open wheel racing?

KALKHOVEN: I think the answer is really very simple … there have been many years of conflict. But certainly, at this moment in time, there is a strong desire I think on both sides, to achieve some degree of unity. And to be able to move forward in a way that encourages the desire of both sets of fans. I think that it is possible to do that. I don’t know what exactly what the time scale will be. But I think what we’ll try to do is find something that satisfies all of the fans and try to create new ones.

[Kiwifan]

Thanks for that Ted. :thumbup:

Rusty.

[NismoZ]

But soon after along comes FTG to throw cold water on any positive things KK may have said. He pointed out Sunday at Watkins Glen that the crowd at Indy has grown for the second consecutive year. He may actually think they have turned a corner!

On remergification he says "there are still too many issues to resolve. It is not likely to happen in '07, it's obviously late." Indy Star. (which fits KK's "no time scale" statements.) It sounds to me like KK is doing more of the pushing and compromising, (May I500 offer) but only to a point. He'll never make himself look like a begger while the IGS continues to care only about one race despite what happens to the rest of the schedule, and sport. Huh, that's the way it was 50 years ago, too. The team owners had to change that eventually. Looks like only one series owner is trying to do the same now. The whole thing may hinge upon what others may have to do if TG is incorrect in his estimation that "at the end of the day I still have to make decisions for the good of the sport." Really? Most of his actions do not make it appear that is even one of his important concerns. :shakehead

[coolhand]

It ain't on youtube but you can get both segments here:

Arizona & NASCAR
Part 1 (http://homepage.mac.com/datkinso/iMovieTheater11.html)
Quicktime MPEG-4 H.264 codec 32.4 MB

PKV & Merger
Part 2 (http://homepage.mac.com/datkinso/iMovieTheater12.html)
Quicktime MPEG-4 H.264 codec 26.2 MB

If you don't have a rather fast connection just download them.

Thanks camera man :thumbup:

[FanofMario]

But soon after along comes FTG to throw cold water on any positive things KK may have said. He pointed out Sunday at Watkins Glen that the crowd at Indy has grown for the second consecutive year. He may actually think they have turned a corner!

On remergification he says "there are still too many issues to resolve. It is not likely to happen in '07, it's obviously late." Indy Star. (which fits KK's "no time scale" statements.) It sounds to me like KK is doing more of the pushing and compromising, (May I500 offer) but only to a point. He'll never make himself look like a begger while the IGS continues to care only about one race despite what happens to the rest of the schedule, and sport. Huh, that's the way it was 50 years ago, too. The team owners had to change that eventually. Looks like only one series owner is trying to do the same now. The whole thing may hinge upon what others may have to do if TG is incorrect in his estimation that "at the end of the day I still have to make decisions for the good of the sport." Really? Most of his actions do not make it appear that is even one of his important concerns. :shakehead

No doubts. The Emperor again has been taken away by delusions of May. What a dick FTG is. :shakehead

[Kiwifan]

Thanks cameraman, got it with no "um's, agh's, er's um's and er's" This (our) guy just runs rings around that twit. Insert Dave or Tony as required. ;)

Rusty.

[Spicoli]

No doubts. The Emperor again has been taken away by delusions of May. What a dick FTG is. :shakehead



NO ARGUEMENT HERE.

He's a poophead fo shizzle. :laugh:

[coolhand]

Has anyone seen DD at a track anywhere? does he go to any races? why is he an authority on anything?

[astinus4]

Has anyone seen DD at a track anywhere? does he go to any races? why is he an authority on anything?

Indeed. I remember Gordon Kirby called DD out in an article published on the official Champcar website last year. I can't remember Kirby's exact words, but it was something along the lines of "for a supposed expert in auto racing, I have never actually seen Dave Despain at a motor race" .

[nrc]

Has anyone seen DD at a track anywhere? does he go to any races? why is he an authority on anything?

In fairness, when your job requires you to be in a TV studio Sunday night there's probably a limit to how many races you can get to.

Once upon a time Despain was hosting "Motoworld" (or something like that) live from the Daytona 24 (back when they ran prototypes) and I remember seeing him on set chain smoking between live updates.

[NismoZ]

Nice. ChampCar has "invited" NASCAR to take out a joint full page add in Phoenix, at CC expense, distancing themselves from Sperber and his transparent attacks on the CC street race idea. All they have to do is back up their statement that they support all kinds of racing and the people's right to a choice. :cool: Think they'll do it? :laugh:

[NismoZ]

And the Arizona Republic has now come out in support of a downtown ChampCar festival noting how much money it will bring to the valley and compares the PIR/ISC/NASCAR campaign against the idea to the Diamondbacks trying to ban all games played with a ball in the state, unless on diamonds. A stretch perhaps but I think they make a valid point about NASCAB's motives.