Froggy NOT in the '07 IRL500

[SurfaceUnits]

Being interviewed on local TV said he will not be in the greatest debacle in motorsports [:cry::gomer:s]

[EDwardo]

Being interviewed on local TV said he will not be the greatest debacle in motorsports [:cry::gomer:s]

Logical. Now is the time to let the idiot grandson scramble to find enough cars to fill the field and spend a bunch of money to do it. The "do not resucitate sign" is hanging on the door.

[formulaben]

Logical. Now is the time to let the idiot grandson scramble to find enough cars to fill the field and spend a bunch of money to do it. The "do not resucitate sign" is hanging on the door.
Indeed. Could be fun to who the next dental cinderella is. :shakehead Greatest Spectacle, indeed...

[Car-B-Q]

Logical. Now is the time to let the idiot grandson scramble to find enough cars to fill the field and spend a bunch of money to do it. The "do not resucitate sign" is hanging on the door.

I think that the CC teams should enter about 15 cars and lead on they are planning to run the spectacle...and then pull a Rahole at the last minute. Leave Uncle Tonybux as little time as possible to find replacements. That should help that massive heart attack right along.

[Andrew Longman]

I think that the CC teams should enter about 15 cars and lead on they are planning to run the spectacle...and then pull a Rahole at the last minute. Leave Uncle Tonybux as little time as possible to find replacements. That should help that massive heart attack right along.

He may have some massive heartburn getting to 33 anyway. I could see MA adding a car for himself, he still wants to win it. But somehow I think he'll have a harder time pulling AlJr, Cheever and Arie other old timers out like last year to fill the field. While he's likely to find driver who won't kill themselves, their are only so many Carmello types out there willing to fund a one off.

I mean he might be able to do it if he writes a enough checks but it starts to look a lot more like a return to 96-97-98 than the supposed roll they are on. The sham will be more obvious than ever

[formulaben]

I think that the CC teams should enter about 15 cars and lead on they are planning to run the spectacle...and then pull a Rahole at the last minute. Leave Uncle Tonybux as little time as possible to find replacements. That should help that massive heart attack right along.

That would be fitting. But just what the heck are they going to do this year? It's bad enough that it's been FILL DAY the last few years. Somehow I think this May will be the great eye-opener for the Visioneer.

[dando]

He may have some massive heartburn getting to 33 anyway. I could see MA adding a car for himself, he still wants to win it. But somehow I think he'll have a harder time pulling AlJr, Cheever and Arie other old timers out like last year to fill the field. While he's likely to find driver who won't kill themselves, their are only so many Carmello types out there willing to fund a one off.

I mean he might be able to do it if he writes a enough checks but it starts to look a lot more like a return to 96-97-98 than the supposed roll they are on. The sham will be more obvious than ever

Well, there won't be any 'Yoda buck$ next year, so FTG's pockets will need to be much deeper to fill the field. The question is whether the reduced costs that were being touted by fHonda (in another thread) will be enough to revive interest. I wonder if Booby will try to enter a ride for Grahame?

-Kevin

[Insomniac]

Every year we speculate they won't get to 33, they find a way. I suspect this year will be no different. Be hard for a CC team to do it considering they have an overseas race in late May.

[jonovision_man]

Every year we speculate they won't get to 33, they find a way. I suspect this year will be no different. Be hard for a CC team to do it considering they have an overseas race in late May.

They get to 33 the same way CCWS gets to 18 - subsidies. No question about it.

jono

[Insomniac]

They get to 33 the same way CCWS gets to 18 - subsidies. No question about it.

jono

I don't disagree. I'm just saying, every year we think TG won't pony up and he does and they find a way.

[grungex]

They get to 33 the same way CCWS gets to 18 - subsidies. No question about it.

jono

The subsidies in Champ Car are much, much smaller than you believe. Next year they should be nonexistent. OTOH, TG has spent north of $400mm to prop up the IRL, and subsidised a good 14 cars at Mindy last year.

[jonovision_man]

I don't disagree. I'm just saying, every year we think TG won't pony up and he does and they find a way.

Sure, but signing a bunch of cheques isn't a particularily impressive "way", and doesn't really speak to the appeal of the series as a whole to sponsors.

And just to solidify my position as a "fence-sitter" ;) I feel the same way about CCWS getting to 18, if the series owners are signing cheques to get there then it's pretty useless as a baromoter for how the series is actually faring.


The subsidies in Champ Car are much, much smaller than you believe. Next year they should be nonexistent.

I would love to believe that... you know I would, I'm a fan. But I think that there's still not enough sponsor value at the moment to offset team costs.


OTOH, TG has spent north of $400mm to prop up the IRL, and subsidised a good 14 cars at Mindy last year.

I don't know what the numbers are, but from looking at the sponsors and car counts for the rest of the season we know it was a lot.

jono

[grungex]

I would love to believe that... you know I would, I'm a fan. But I think that there's still not enough sponsor value at the moment to offset team costs.
I think most of us have lost sight of what really matters -- passion about racing. We are so conditioned (by NASCAR, primarily) to expect sponsorship to make racing possible that we forget the way this sport used to be funded -- by wealthy (and not-so-wealthy) men who loved racing. Regardless of what the haters on TF would like us to believe, the principals in CC teams are there because of the sport, not the money.

[SurfaceUnits]

I think most of us have lost sight of what really matters -- passion about racing. We are so conditioned (by NASCAR, primarily) to expect sponsorship to make racing possible that we forget the way this sport used to be funded -- by wealthy (and not-so-wealthy) men who loved racing. Regardless of what the haters on TF would like us to believe, the principals in CC teams are there because of the sport, not the money.And lest we forget, the idiot grandson has more appreciation for opened wheeled racin in his little finger than all the others involved, combined.

[Insomniac]

Sure, but signing a bunch of cheques isn't a particularily impressive "way", and doesn't really speak to the appeal of the series as a whole to sponsors.

And just to solidify my position as a "fence-sitter" ;) I feel the same way about CCWS getting to 18, if the series owners are signing cheques to get there then it's pretty useless as a baromoter for how the series is actually faring.

I never said it was good or impressive. Just said every year we speculate they won't get 33 and they do. Wasn't really trying to discuss how. Most of us know the money for the IRL comes from the Brickyard 400.

[scorpion]

I think most of us have lost sight of what really matters -- passion about racing. We are so conditioned (by NASCAR, primarily) to expect sponsorship to make racing possible that we forget the way this sport used to be funded -- by wealthy (and not-so-wealthy) men who loved racing. Regardless of what the haters on TF would like us to believe, the principals in CC teams are there because of the sport, not the money.

Well, this is my first post, so the beer (and wine) is on me. Cheers all!

Grungex, excellent point. Top level racing has become so expensive that only the very rich or the very well sponsored get to play.

One of the things that Champ Car is trying to do is reduce the costs so that one can be a little less wealthy or a little less well sponsored to be able to race at a resonably competative level.

I hope it works. We will see.