dando
03-12-04, 01:04 AM
Warning. Not as warm and fuzzy as the article title would appear.
Forsythe Hope to Run Three Cars (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?id=1754965)
The Forsythe saga provides a snapshot for the finance difficulties that all forms of motorsport face right now. Car count is a crucial issue in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League, with both series under 20 cars, while even NASCAR is having trouble filling its traditional 43-car Cup fields.
A situation similar to Forsythe's can be found at Kevin Kalkhoven's PKV Racing, where Mika Salo's pay demands were not met. Meanwhile, Roberto Gonzalez, a Mexican with only two Champ Car starts to his credit, brought backing from NII Holdings (formerly Nextel International) to snag the team's second seat alongside Jimmy Vasser. From a purely competitive standpoint, taking a paying driver rather than paying the price to hire the best available pilot weakens both teams.
Pay drivers are nothing new in any form of motorsport. But until recently, they tended to drive for smaller teams, keeping owners like Derrick Walker and Dale Coyne in business. It's no coincidence that Walker (who was the beneficiary of Lavin's Corona money in 2003) doesn't have a Champ Car program this year.
-Kevin
Forsythe Hope to Run Three Cars (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?id=1754965)
The Forsythe saga provides a snapshot for the finance difficulties that all forms of motorsport face right now. Car count is a crucial issue in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League, with both series under 20 cars, while even NASCAR is having trouble filling its traditional 43-car Cup fields.
A situation similar to Forsythe's can be found at Kevin Kalkhoven's PKV Racing, where Mika Salo's pay demands were not met. Meanwhile, Roberto Gonzalez, a Mexican with only two Champ Car starts to his credit, brought backing from NII Holdings (formerly Nextel International) to snag the team's second seat alongside Jimmy Vasser. From a purely competitive standpoint, taking a paying driver rather than paying the price to hire the best available pilot weakens both teams.
Pay drivers are nothing new in any form of motorsport. But until recently, they tended to drive for smaller teams, keeping owners like Derrick Walker and Dale Coyne in business. It's no coincidence that Walker (who was the beneficiary of Lavin's Corona money in 2003) doesn't have a Champ Car program this year.
-Kevin