Pook's Vision

[RaceGrrl]

Discussion in the Other Racing forum prompts me to ask this question. Do you think Pook's long term vision for CART is that it should be an all street-race series, or do you think that he hopes to build interest in CART by "bringing the racing to the cities." (my paraphrase)

If having a street-only series for a few years will help build the fanbase and bring sponsors, is that an acceptable trade-off?

[mapguy]

IMO it is a survival thing. The street races is where C^RT makes it's money. Right now they need that money to survive. Do I like it? Not really but I'm willing to put up with it as long as C^RT pulls through.

If I were Pook I would turn to the turbo-4 and shrink the chassis a little bit. I think that this will help get the rice-boys into it. Add a support series for small import touring series similar to what the BTCC is right now. Plus bring the Atlantics more in line with F3000 and bring the price down to run them.

[GOFAST1]

Hmm...intriguing.I agree!

[Napoleon]

Originally posted by RaceGrrl
Do you think Pook's long term vision for CART is that it should be an all street-race series. . . .

He has never said that though.

[RaceGrrl]

I didn't say that he did. I was asking if people thought it was his goal based on things he has said recently when referring to the future of CART.

[Gurneyflap]

It's "direction", not vision, and I don't like the turn. I'll stick with Mario.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Originally posted by RaceGrrl
If having a street-only series for a few years will help build the fanbase and bring sponsors, is that an acceptable trade-off?

No. It wouldn't happen anyway, because an all street race series wont bring fans and sponsors. Seriously, what happens when CART can't afford to subsidize the teams anymore? Do the teams have anything to show for themselves as far as attracting sponsors?

[Ziggy]

I think the Street Race issue has been beaten over the head a few times too many. I have yet to meet one fan (and I know a bunch) who wants an all street race series.

I dont think they care at this point, they are just trying to keep the door open.

I could go on with the gloom and doom, but I think everyone here knows what is going to happen. Better just hope Honda and Toyota broker a deal to end this mayhem. Neither series could sell a blanket to an eskimo

Ziggy

[racer2c]

Originally posted by Ziggy
I think the Street Race issue has been beaten over the head a few times too many. I have yet to meet one fan (and I know a bunch) who wants an all street race series.

I dont think they care at this point, they are just trying to keep the door open.

I could go on with the gloom and doom, but I think everyone here knows what is going to happen. Better just hope Honda and Toyota broker a deal to end this mayhem. Neither series could sell a blanket to an eskimo

Ziggy

Yeah yeah yeah, blah blah blah both series suck yadda yadda yadda. The problem is that the IRL, both participants and the head office are in denial. CART knows that the writing has been on their wall for sometime and have hooked up the paddles to the machine.

Tony, the first step in rehabilitation is admitting you have a problem. You would have thought he would have remembered that one. ;)

[RTKar]

I absolutely do not want to see an all street race series. Cart was doing reasonably well before the split with a more or less balanced circuit schedule. What has changed though,is the ownership of many of CART's former circuits (MIS,Phoenix,Naz,). I don't know how many ovals would be open to the CCWS, while places like Watkins Glen don't appear to be available either. It's also been said Road Atlanta is too fast, so it could be that the primary option, is moving dates to street circuits. I don't mind well thought out passing conduscive street circuits but I do mind losing places like Mid-0, RA, and Laguna Seca. The core of fans reside in metropolitan areas near or around these circuits. By dropping any of them, CART would allienate too many long time fans. Trying to develop a following in a city not accustomed to the series is simply reinventing the wheel and at this time I think it's too risky. Is the possible gain greater than the the possible loss of long time fans worth the risk? That's the key question, personally I think it isn't. What cities warrant a race? I would think corporate centers with large populations, demographics that fit CART, warm weather cities that tourists from other regions go to. I could see Chicago and New York, maybe Boston or Frisco with races, as well as the Detroit area because of its automobile industry. I'm not so sure about Denver and Houston. CART needs to gain corporate interest from any city it races in. CART should probably solidify its tradional regions before it tries to be pioneer elsewhere.Simply put, we should try to regain what we once had , not reinvent the wheel or risk a venture into the unknown considering the current economic uncertainty.

[Kate]

The question is, where do the corporate sponsors reside? Are there a lot of them around Road America and Mid Ohio? When they visit these tracks, if they do, where do they stay?

Except at Le Mans, where anything goes, the average High Roller does not want to sleep in a tent and cook over a campfire. Races need to be held in places that will attract High Rollers at least 2/3 of the time.

Nazareth is a howling wilderness and the races did not draw fans when it was a CART race. In fact, it didn't draw much worse when it was a dirt track. Races have to be held where the audiences are, and where the sponsors are.

And if that is in or near a city with a lot of big hotels and night life, well, would you rather have a street race or no race?

[Dr. Corkski]

I bet all these sponsors will be throwing money at CART when they realize that the absence of picnic tables at Long Beach is way more important than the fact that their logos won't be seen by anyone.

[RTKar]

Kate, I don't know how familiar you are with Wisconsin but the Door County peninsula which is a playground for Chicagoans is just up the road, not far from Road America. Quite a few corporate Chicago types have summer homes through out the more remote areas of Wisconsin including Door County. There's a very nice resort in Kohler Wi. near RA and Sheboygan is nearby. People are so much more mobile today than years ago, I see no problem staging a race at Road America considering the proximity of Milwaukee,Chicago and even Minneapolis. Look at the license plates at RA a good many of them are from Illinois. I really don't know the situation at M-O but I think it would be a shame to lose a track that has supported CART in a region of such strong CART fans.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Originally posted by Kate
The question is, where do the corporate sponsors reside? Are there a lot of them around Road America and Mid Ohio? When they visit these tracks, if they do, where do they stay?

Except at Le Mans, where anything goes, the average High Roller does not want to sleep in a tent and cook over a campfire. Races need to be held in places that will attract High Rollers at least 2/3 of the time.

So do these High Rollers waste their time with something they've never heard of at events with no real name recognition?

[Treeface]

Racing on the local government dime at locations that attract "event goers". Sounds like the glory days according to those stuck in 1953.

For a number of reasons domestic ovals aren't a very good option. Way back when, all the tracks had different owners and CART was the only game in town. Now there are only 2 corporations(one is NASCAR) which control the tracks. Competition from the IRL undercuts any profit margain/bargaining position. ISC and SMI can leverage their track holdings. Require duds like Homestead to keep Fontana. Why break even or lose money at Homestead when the City of Miami will underwrite a show downtown?

[cart7]

If Cart were to slowly go the urban route replacing out of the way roads and ovals with streets, I can't imagine them ever going back if they become succesful a few years down the road. I can't see Pook or whoever is in charge then trying to convince sponsors that Cart needs to leave the successful street events and move back to places like M/O or RA. Why? Why would a sponsor want to underwrite that. Move back out to the sticks because a few hardcore road racing fans would rather watch real racing on a road course than a street track laid out by the local City Chamber of Commerce which has zero passing zones and pathetic site lines BUT generates huge event crowds? I hope the series doesn't go that route because I know it'll never go back. As for me I'm outa here. I'll watch a few races, but I'll spend more time on F1 and ALMS.

[Chief]

I'm against an all street series, the exception being if needed for survival. CART's difficult diversity is a main reason I follow the series and eventually I wish for more balance amongst track types. 1/3 oval, 1/3 road, 1/3 street, 21 races, at least 2/3 in North America.