Miller Time

[Sean Malone]

The straw boss quits in disgust because he's sick of the false promises and lack of business sense from the series owners. The Atlantic champ goes to the Indy Racing League because he can't get a square deal for $2 million in the series he loves. The latest television package is almost as embarrassing as the coverage itself.

It's two weeks before the first test and only three drivers have been formally announced.

And, oh by the way, nobody has been paid any of their paltry prize money from 2007.

Welcome to Champ Car, mid-January, 2008.


http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/42589/

[jonovision_man]

Three drivers? Did I miss one?

jono

[Gnam]

Miller's argument in video format. ;)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Aso-nd9UzGk

[Insomniac]

Three drivers? Did I miss one?

jono

Graham, PT and Servia.

[greenie]

Truth hurts, but elucidating column.

Champ Car not paying last year's prize money is beyond pitiful, particularly considering that since the series owns multiple teams, the actual payments owed to the PCM's of the world can't be that much. :thumbup: :gomer:

[RHR_Fan]

RM isn't my favorite person, but he has some very valid points. This whole ship analogy is starting to get to me. I won't abandon ship, but it's becoming harder to hold on. Guess that shows how strong I am - good thing I work out. :D

[dando]

Whatever happened, losing Cotman is catastrophic to the overall product as well as the morale. He was one of the few bright lights in that office and Tony George would be smart to find a place for him.

The Matos Mutiny is simply another public relations disaster and another example of the flawed business plan. A kid from Brazil comes to America with $200, works in a go-kart shop and climbs the ladder until he wins the Atlantic title and $2 million to put towards a Champ Car ride.

:( :shakehead


Kalkhoven and Forsythe didn't become wealthy running their businesses like they do Champ Car and why they continue to let Gentilozzi influence their decisions is a mystery to anyone with a brain.

:mad:

-Kevin

[rabbit]

It is no longer a matter of if, but when the plugged gets pulled. If I had to order tickets to a race, which fortunately I haven't had to do for a few years, I think I'd pass this year. If the race is actually held, then I'd just get my tickets at the gate. I doubt you'll run into too much competition for seats.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[RichK]

I think the Titanic's bow went down, not up. Get your facts straight, Robin! :laugh:

p.s. - Two years ago I Tivo'ed Champcar, then fast forwarded through most of the races. One year ago I usually just deleted them before watching. This year I've taken CC off the Season Pass.

Thank God for World Superbike, ALMS, MotGP & F1.

[dando]

p.s. - Two years ago I Tivo'ed Champcar, then fast forwarded through most of the races. One year ago I usually just deleted them before watching. This year I've taken CC off the Season Pass.

Same here, plus I napped through the live race or two I caught (except the first Edmonton race) the past two seasons. I musta deleted a half dozen races this season w/o watching them, and never bothered to record the ones on E$PN Classic. :(

-Kevin

[Sean O'Gorman]

If Champ Car was in HD, I'd give it a second glance, but I haven't paid attention since Vegas, and that was because there was nothing else on TV that day.

[G.]

What's so very sad, is there were some really good races this past season.

And old fans chose something else to do.

(NOT ragging on you guys, just sayin')

[JohnHKart]

I think the Titanic's bow went down, not up. Get your facts straight, Robin! :laugh:

p.s. - Two years ago I Tivo'ed Champcar, then fast forwarded through most of the races. One year ago I usually just deleted them before watching. This year I've taken CC off the Season Pass.

Thank God for World Superbike, ALMS, MotGP & F1.

I'm finding it harder and harder to pay attention or care when the races are on. If sprint cars had good tv coverage I might just switch to them instead. Formula One still gives me a rush every time I watch it, no matter where it is. Maybe I'll switch to Grand Am/ALMS since most that used to be in Cart are there anyway, or those that should be. Im still watching NHRA, Nascar and IRL when they are on road courses, so I'm pretty filled up with trying to get through all these races every week.

John

[Spicoli]

I'm to the point that if I didn't have a couple friends still there, I gould GAF.


But it still beats TurdForum and gomers.

[Hard Driver]

:(
sad. I don't follow closely enough to know some of these specifics. But the fact that last years purses have not been paid is enough to discourage me from having any interest anymore. I only like to deal with reputable people, and if you promise a payment and don't make it, you better be filing for bankruptcy again.

[ChampcarShark]

The sad truth is that Champcar is letting its loyal fans down, or so it seems around here.

I too wonder the same thing, why two successful businessmen have not been able to keep the series alive.

[indyfan31]

If Champ Car was in HD, I'd give it a second glance, but I haven't paid attention since Vegas, and that was because there was nothing else on TV that day.

So, are you saying that the racing, the cars, the drivers, the locations, do nothing for you; it's more important that it looks pretty on TV? :confused:

[Insomniac]

The sad truth is that Champcar is letting its loyal fans down, or so it seems around here.

I too wonder the same thing, why two successful businessmen have not been able to keep the series alive.

You have to wonder how they became successful in the first place at this point. Or how successful their companies would be now without them, right?

[ChampcarShark]

You have to wonder how they became successful in the first place at this point. Or how successful their companies would be now without them, right?

You got that right. we may have to do a little investigation on the stock marquet.

[Sean Malone]

You have to wonder how they became successful in the first place at this point. Or how successful their companies would be now without them, right?

I'm not lumping KK into this group per se but there were a lot of people who got VERY rich during the Internet boom. Most lost their shirts too after the crash but some lucky ones made it out in the nick o' time *cough KK cough*.

[Insomniac]

I'm not lumping KK into this group per se but there were a lot of people who got VERY rich during the Internet boom. Most lost their shirts too after the crash but some lucky ones made it out in the nick o' time *cough KK cough*.

Mark Cuban seemed to be the smartest of the bunch. Took someone else's content and put it on the Internet for free. Sold to Yahoo! and the entire model was destroyed by the RIAA and advertising actors union.

[Sean Malone]

Mark Cuban seemed to be the smartest of the bunch. Took someone else's content and put it on the Internet for free. Sold to Yahoo! and the entire model was destroyed by the RIAA and advertising actors union.

i wish I wuz smarts. Srsly. :(

[dando]

Mark Cuban seemed to be the smartest of the bunch. Took someone else's content and put it on the Internet for free. Sold to Yahoo! and the entire model was destroyed by the RIAA and advertising actors union.

You beat me to it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cuban


Bartender to dot-com billionaire

In 1982, Cuban moved to Dallas, Texas. Cuban first found work as a bartender,[11][12] then as a salesperson for Your Business Software, one of the first PC software retailers in Dallas. He was terminated less than a year later for not opening the store on time while out making a sales call finalizing a large software purchase with a customer.[12]

Cuban started a company, MicroSolutions, with support from his previous customers from Your Business Software. MicroSolutions was initially a system integrator and software reseller. The company was an early proponent of technologies such as Carbon Copy, Lotus Notes, and CompuServe.[13] One of the company's largest clients was Perot Systems.[14] In 1990, Cuban sold MicroSolutions to Compuserve—then a subsidiary of H&R Block—for $6 million.[15] He netted approximately $2 million after taxes on the deal.[16]

In 1995, Cuban and fellow Indiana University alum Todd Wagner started Audionet, combining their mutual interest in college basketball and webcasting. With a single server and ISDN line,[17] Audionet became Broadcast.com in 1998. By 1999, Broadcast.com had grown to 330 employees and annual revenues near $100 million.[18] During the Dot-com boom, Broadcast.com was acquired by Yahoo! for $5.9 billion in Yahoo! stock.[19]

:eek:

-Kevin

[jonovision_man]

I'm not lumping KK into this group per se but there were a lot of people who got VERY rich during the Internet boom. Most lost their shirts too after the crash but some lucky ones made it out in the nick o' time *cough KK cough*.

... and the business model of a high-flying tech boom company is a lot different from racing.

Racing is complicated stuff, you don't just create a product and sell it. You have teams that are effectively creating your product for you as they compete with each other, it's tougher to get it right.

And you're not just selling that product to fans, you're also selling sponsorship to advertisers and (theoretically) selling content to TV broadcasters, and selling races to promoters... it's a lot to get right. Just thinking through it gives me a headache, I'd hate to be the one responsible for pulling it all together! Much easier to sit back and criticize them on message boards. :D

jono