Racewriter
05-10-03, 03:35 PM
I’ve become convinced that we are witnessing the end of big-time open wheel racing, as represented by IRL/CART. After some thought, this looks like a likely scenario for the next 3 years (NOTE: This is written with tongue partially in cheek. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you won’t like it. OTOH, if you’re a true believer, you won’t like it either.):
May 2003: Indy takes the green with less than 33 cars. Tony George says it’s “no big deal,” harking back to the fact that early 500’s did not have eleven rows of three. In the prerace show, Jack Arute makes reference to the “traditional ten rows of three.” Indy pulls its first sub-4 rating. Visible blocks of bare aluminum are seen on TV.
October 2003: Chevrolet officials calculate the cost of running the IRL and being competitive with Honda and Toyota. After factoring in R&D, team support, driver salaries, and other costs, they come up with a ballpark figure of $40 million for 2004. They then take a look at sub-1 TV ratings, and it takes about 15 seconds to decide to pull out of the IRL. They redirect a few million to compete with Mopar in USAC.
In related news, Sam Hornish is announced as the driver of the Pennzoil #1 car in Winston Cup.
January 2004: Chris Pook proudly announces that he has renegotiated his TV contracts with Speed and CBS. No cash will come in, and time buy rates remain steady, but the 18-car requirement is no longer in force. CART will cut the ESP program to include 14 cars, which will compete in 12 events in North America (the European trip having been dropped). Cutting the program and events slows the cash burn. Pook bravely projects at least three manufacturers for his V10 formula in 2005. He closes by reminding everyone that CART’s problems are all the fault of Tony George, Roger Penske, and Chip Ganassi.
February 2004: Toyota and Honda announce that they are only prepared to support 10 cars apiece for the 2004 season. They will expand their support to 12 cars apiece for Indy. At the same press conference, Tony George announces that the Infiniti Pro Series will become the Toyota Pro Series, with Lexus-derived V8 engines. A lease cost will go up from $100,000 per year to $150,000 per year. In a related development, the Toyota Atlantic series will be phased out, and teams encouraged to run the TPS. Old Atlantics cars will be allowed in the TPS series for 2004 in a “class B” arrangement. This boosts the TPS car count to 18.
April 2004: 20,000 people watch CART’s crown jewel, the Long Beach Grand Prix. Barely more watch it on Speedchannel.
May 2004: The Indy 500 takes the green with the traditional eight rows of three, but fan and viewer interest declines. Attendance is estimated at 200,000, and the final TV rating is 2.9. Tony George blames a soft economy and the war with Iraq. For the first time in history, there are no runs on Bump Day. Since only 24 driver/car combinations are entered, qualifying takes place on Pole Day, with 24 runs before 10,000 people.
August 2004: Chris Pook calls a press conference to announce that, in fact, not a single manufacturer has agreed to provide V10’s to the series. Further, CART is nearly out of money, so the final two races of the year are cancelled. Paul Tracy is the final champion, having won every race. CART is disbanded. The stockholders will divide the remaining cash in the treasury – about $38.63. Total. Pook reminds everyone that it’s all Tony George’s fault.
Two days later, Pat Patrick and Carl Haas announce the formation of the “formula USA” series, which will be similar to the EuroBOSS series, or the American Indycar Series. The series will be open to old IRL or CART cars, powered either by their original engines or stock-block V8’s. The series will run a 12-race schedule in 2005 with former CART venues. Old Atlantics, IPS, and Lights cars will be incorporated into a Formula B, which will run along with the Formula USA division in two-class races.
October 2004: Citing a low ROI in their home country, Toyota and Honda announce that Japanese drivers will fill all 20 seats in the 2005 Indy Racing League season. Toyota also shifts key personnel to its struggling Craftsman Truck operation.
November 2004: Citing lower ratings than expected, ABC buys its way out of its TV contract. The network will still cover three races including Indianapolis, but the rights fee has been renegotiated downward.
December 2004: Tony George announces that the remaining races for 2005 will be shown on SPEED, along with qualifying and practice. On Trackforum, Defender hails the new “partner” relationship.
May 2005: With declining gate receipts and TV revenue, the Indy 500 purse sees its first large cut in history, going from $13 million to $10 million. TV rating is a 3, which Tony George heralds as growth and validation of the IRL concept.
2005: The Formula USA series eventually completes 9 events, with crowds ranging from 5,000 to a high of 20,000. Paul Tracy wins every race in an ex-Paul Durant 1992 Lola/Buick. For 2006, the series will run as part of large vintage racing weekends along with series like the Thundersports Cup.
November 2005: In one of the most shocking developments of the IRL/CART split, Trackforum and 7thgear merge. The new site will be called, “7thtrackgear.com.” Crapwagon.com is reconfigured around a single thread: “I hate Tony George.” The thread gets 2,000,000 posts in one month. The bad news is that only 18 posters contribute.
January 2006: The IRL schedule is announced, with 10 races. Several tracks choose to replace their IRL races with ARCA races to boost attendance.
May 2006: 125,000 people watch Shigeaki Hattori win his second Indy 500. ABC ratings drop to 2.5. Faced with the near-extinction of the 500, Tony George places a call.
June 2006: In a joint press conference, it is announced that the 2007 Indianapolis 500 will be part of the NASCAR Coca-Cola Cup Series. The Indy Racing League will be disbanded at the end of the year. Tony George claims that this is the fulfillment of his decade-long quest to bring the best to Indy.
May 2007: 300,000 people see Jeff Gordon win the Indianapolis 500 in a Hendrick Monte Carlo.
May 2003: Indy takes the green with less than 33 cars. Tony George says it’s “no big deal,” harking back to the fact that early 500’s did not have eleven rows of three. In the prerace show, Jack Arute makes reference to the “traditional ten rows of three.” Indy pulls its first sub-4 rating. Visible blocks of bare aluminum are seen on TV.
October 2003: Chevrolet officials calculate the cost of running the IRL and being competitive with Honda and Toyota. After factoring in R&D, team support, driver salaries, and other costs, they come up with a ballpark figure of $40 million for 2004. They then take a look at sub-1 TV ratings, and it takes about 15 seconds to decide to pull out of the IRL. They redirect a few million to compete with Mopar in USAC.
In related news, Sam Hornish is announced as the driver of the Pennzoil #1 car in Winston Cup.
January 2004: Chris Pook proudly announces that he has renegotiated his TV contracts with Speed and CBS. No cash will come in, and time buy rates remain steady, but the 18-car requirement is no longer in force. CART will cut the ESP program to include 14 cars, which will compete in 12 events in North America (the European trip having been dropped). Cutting the program and events slows the cash burn. Pook bravely projects at least three manufacturers for his V10 formula in 2005. He closes by reminding everyone that CART’s problems are all the fault of Tony George, Roger Penske, and Chip Ganassi.
February 2004: Toyota and Honda announce that they are only prepared to support 10 cars apiece for the 2004 season. They will expand their support to 12 cars apiece for Indy. At the same press conference, Tony George announces that the Infiniti Pro Series will become the Toyota Pro Series, with Lexus-derived V8 engines. A lease cost will go up from $100,000 per year to $150,000 per year. In a related development, the Toyota Atlantic series will be phased out, and teams encouraged to run the TPS. Old Atlantics cars will be allowed in the TPS series for 2004 in a “class B” arrangement. This boosts the TPS car count to 18.
April 2004: 20,000 people watch CART’s crown jewel, the Long Beach Grand Prix. Barely more watch it on Speedchannel.
May 2004: The Indy 500 takes the green with the traditional eight rows of three, but fan and viewer interest declines. Attendance is estimated at 200,000, and the final TV rating is 2.9. Tony George blames a soft economy and the war with Iraq. For the first time in history, there are no runs on Bump Day. Since only 24 driver/car combinations are entered, qualifying takes place on Pole Day, with 24 runs before 10,000 people.
August 2004: Chris Pook calls a press conference to announce that, in fact, not a single manufacturer has agreed to provide V10’s to the series. Further, CART is nearly out of money, so the final two races of the year are cancelled. Paul Tracy is the final champion, having won every race. CART is disbanded. The stockholders will divide the remaining cash in the treasury – about $38.63. Total. Pook reminds everyone that it’s all Tony George’s fault.
Two days later, Pat Patrick and Carl Haas announce the formation of the “formula USA” series, which will be similar to the EuroBOSS series, or the American Indycar Series. The series will be open to old IRL or CART cars, powered either by their original engines or stock-block V8’s. The series will run a 12-race schedule in 2005 with former CART venues. Old Atlantics, IPS, and Lights cars will be incorporated into a Formula B, which will run along with the Formula USA division in two-class races.
October 2004: Citing a low ROI in their home country, Toyota and Honda announce that Japanese drivers will fill all 20 seats in the 2005 Indy Racing League season. Toyota also shifts key personnel to its struggling Craftsman Truck operation.
November 2004: Citing lower ratings than expected, ABC buys its way out of its TV contract. The network will still cover three races including Indianapolis, but the rights fee has been renegotiated downward.
December 2004: Tony George announces that the remaining races for 2005 will be shown on SPEED, along with qualifying and practice. On Trackforum, Defender hails the new “partner” relationship.
May 2005: With declining gate receipts and TV revenue, the Indy 500 purse sees its first large cut in history, going from $13 million to $10 million. TV rating is a 3, which Tony George heralds as growth and validation of the IRL concept.
2005: The Formula USA series eventually completes 9 events, with crowds ranging from 5,000 to a high of 20,000. Paul Tracy wins every race in an ex-Paul Durant 1992 Lola/Buick. For 2006, the series will run as part of large vintage racing weekends along with series like the Thundersports Cup.
November 2005: In one of the most shocking developments of the IRL/CART split, Trackforum and 7thgear merge. The new site will be called, “7thtrackgear.com.” Crapwagon.com is reconfigured around a single thread: “I hate Tony George.” The thread gets 2,000,000 posts in one month. The bad news is that only 18 posters contribute.
January 2006: The IRL schedule is announced, with 10 races. Several tracks choose to replace their IRL races with ARCA races to boost attendance.
May 2006: 125,000 people watch Shigeaki Hattori win his second Indy 500. ABC ratings drop to 2.5. Faced with the near-extinction of the 500, Tony George places a call.
June 2006: In a joint press conference, it is announced that the 2007 Indianapolis 500 will be part of the NASCAR Coca-Cola Cup Series. The Indy Racing League will be disbanded at the end of the year. Tony George claims that this is the fulfillment of his decade-long quest to bring the best to Indy.
May 2007: 300,000 people see Jeff Gordon win the Indianapolis 500 in a Hendrick Monte Carlo.