Chaos
02-17-04, 11:05 PM
Here's a recent letter from Nigel Roebuck on autosport. It is his perspective on the recent events with OWRS etc. By the way, Nigel Roebuck is a must read. He is a brilliant storyteller!
Dear Nigel,
Now that the sale of Champ Car is final, and OWRS has been declared the winner, what are your feelings about this mess? I find it disingenuous, to say the least, that Tony George claims he wanted to reunite open-wheel racing in the US, but wants nothing to do with a merger of the two groups. And there is the duplicity of the former CART owners/teams now running in the IRL who denigrate their former series – even though it was through their ego and mismanagement that the whole series crumbled! I'd love to see what you think about this mess.
Chris Sawyer, Farmington Hills, USA
Dear Chris,
What are my feelings about this mess? Just that – it's a mess! And I can't disagree with a single point you have made.
The whole thing makes me terribly sad, because I have adored 'Indycar racing' all my life, and for years and years always managed to work at least one CART race into my schedule. When CART was at its zenith – 10 or 12 years ago – I thought it the best racing series on earth. At Milwaukee each year, I'd see more wheel-to-wheel action than in the rest of the season put together. Sadly, though, the last race I saw there – in 2002 – pretty well put me to sleep. The quality of the field was much reduced, and the 'aero regs' of the time had made overtaking virtually impossible.
I sometimes watch IRL races on TV, but frankly find them boring – great bunches of rev-limited cars droning round together, NASCAR-style, and the occasional terrifying accident. I hope the OWRS guys find a way to make their series a success, but they've got a mountain to climb.
Dear Nigel,
Now that the sale of Champ Car is final, and OWRS has been declared the winner, what are your feelings about this mess? I find it disingenuous, to say the least, that Tony George claims he wanted to reunite open-wheel racing in the US, but wants nothing to do with a merger of the two groups. And there is the duplicity of the former CART owners/teams now running in the IRL who denigrate their former series – even though it was through their ego and mismanagement that the whole series crumbled! I'd love to see what you think about this mess.
Chris Sawyer, Farmington Hills, USA
Dear Chris,
What are my feelings about this mess? Just that – it's a mess! And I can't disagree with a single point you have made.
The whole thing makes me terribly sad, because I have adored 'Indycar racing' all my life, and for years and years always managed to work at least one CART race into my schedule. When CART was at its zenith – 10 or 12 years ago – I thought it the best racing series on earth. At Milwaukee each year, I'd see more wheel-to-wheel action than in the rest of the season put together. Sadly, though, the last race I saw there – in 2002 – pretty well put me to sleep. The quality of the field was much reduced, and the 'aero regs' of the time had made overtaking virtually impossible.
I sometimes watch IRL races on TV, but frankly find them boring – great bunches of rev-limited cars droning round together, NASCAR-style, and the occasional terrifying accident. I hope the OWRS guys find a way to make their series a success, but they've got a mountain to climb.