Autoweek: Walker is in

[JoeBob]

http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=motorsportsnews&loc_code=index&content_code=01183738


Longtime team owner Derrick Walker is back in the Champ Car picture. Walker is expected to this week announce a single entry for the 2004 season.
Walker lost sponsor Corona and driver Rodolfo Lavin (now with Forsythe Racing) at the end of last season, and his Champ Car prospects looked bleak. It is not clear how his team will be funded, but Walker is pondering three potential drivers for this season: former Prost F1 driver Tomas Enge, Toyota Atlantic race winner Michael Valiante and CART's Mario Haberfeld.

[Forza Lancia]

Champweb.net (http://www.champweb.net/) had said that Coyne was looking at Enge and Haberfeld. I wonder who his second driver would be if one of them goes to Walker. What's Alex Yoong doing these days...?

[JoeBob]

Valiente has tested with Walker in the past, he's a front runner. However, there were some rumors about an IRL team looking to add him to their stable.

[Spicoli]

Im surprised not to see Servia mentioned. Maybe he is the 2nd Coyne seat? :confused:

[ShickStift]

Let's not forget Walker and Valiante already have a preliminary contract. Too bad it's pending on sponsorship that afaik is non-existent. If Walker is going to race without major sponsorship (Maybe OWRS is 'helping' him out?), I'd assume Valiante would be the driver.

However, it's very possible another driver has come in with sponsorship.

[dreamracer]

Im surprised not to see Servia mentioned. Maybe he is the 2nd Coyne seat? :confused:Sklena says a 3rd PKVR seat possible for Servia.

Seems a stretch unless they've got more lolas than they are letting on.

[Wabbit]

Sklena says a 3rd PKVR seat possible for Servia.

Seems a stretch unless they've got more lolas than they are letting on.

And a fourth seat for that dude in Australia.

[Spicoli]

I can assure you Walker has NO sponsorship on his own. He is running Opie for Pat-Pat, and is also - interestingly enough - building 50 GT-40s for some guy. Not the FORD GT's but the kit-replicars-whatevers, and has NO money for a ChampCar program.

Now that all changes when a Enge walks through the door with some coinage, or his Kiss-Up to KK on The Truth emerges as a benevolent funding check...;)

Anyway - I spotted 3 White Explorers out front 2 weeks ago, and you know what that means.....

[pinniped]

Anyway - I spotted 3 White Explorers out front 2 weeks ago, and you know what that means.....

:rofl:

[Spicoli]

:rofl:

So - DO you know what that means??? Nothing to do with OJ, which is what I think you thought I thought. lol.

[FCYTravis]

White Explorers... hmmm... cars provided to the teams free by Ford as part of the series sponsorship package???

[pinniped]

Aww come on, everyone knows what three white Ford Explorers means :D

[Spicoli]

White Explorers... hmmm... cars provided to the teams free by Ford as part of the series sponsorship package???

We have a winner. Congrats former young fellow Crappie dood!

Late rumor I am hearing is that Haberfeld is 99% done and Valiente is trying like hell to get the Coinage needed.

We shall see. :gomer:

There's you answer Rob/Chop ;) LMAO...

[theunions]

RM just said on "the Truth" that Haberfeld is in and the announcement may come as early as tomorrow.

[Lizzerd]

RM just said on "the Truth" that Haberfeld is in and the announcement may come as early as tomorrow.

Yee ha!! Thanks for that great news.

[Spicoli]

RM just said on "the Truth" that Haberfeld is in and the announcement may come as early as tomorrow.

"you heard it here first!" ;)

[bdogg187]

RM just said on "the Truth" that Haberfeld is in and the announcement may come as early as tomorrow.

#18 baby! Excellent news. Lets hope Fittipaldi makes it 19! THis season could be even better than I thought. :D

[lateralus42]

damn Spicoli, you should have your own news/rumors website. :thumbup:

[theunions]

#18 baby! Excellent news. Lets hope Fittipaldi makes it 19! THis season could be even better than I thought. :D

I counted 18 as well, but Robin also repeatedly said Walker would equal 19 cars - without ever quantifying how you'd get from 18 to 19. The question about Emmo was asked but not answered.

[Rob]

I counted 18 as well, but Robin also repeatedly said Walker would equal 19 cars - without ever quantifying how you'd get from 18 to 19. The question about Emmo was asked but not answered.
He does realize that Conquest's announcement of Eric Bachelart's 12-year-old son in a third car was just an April Fool's joke, doesn't he? ;)

[Spicoli]

damn Spicoli, you should have your own news/rumors website. :thumbup:

LMFAO...That was in the works for, ah schit nevermind.....

I'm just happy to be alive.

so - who IS that 19th car??? :saywhat:

<find a happy place/find a happy place> :gomer:

[manic mechanic]

We have a winner. Congrats former young fellow Crappie dood!

Late rumor I am hearing is that Haberfeld is 99% done and Valiente is trying like hell to get the Coinage needed.

We shall see. :gomer:

There's you answer Rob/Chop ;) LMAO...

Let's hope that the teams get the extended warranty as part of the package... I work on far too many Explorers!! :D

manic

[Cobra]

I can assure you Walker has NO sponsorship on his own. He is running Opie for Pat-Pat, and is also - interestingly enough - building 50 GT-40s for some guy. Not the FORD GT's but the kit-replicars-whatevers, and has NO money for a ChampCar program.

Now that all changes when a Enge walks through the door with some coinage, or his Kiss-Up to KK on The Truth emerges as a benevolent funding check...;)

Anyway - I spotted 3 White Explorers out front 2 weeks ago, and you know what that means.....

Spicoli, I take exception to your reference to "Opie". His name is Al Unser Jr. One of the best racers to get behind the wheel of a race car. Any race car. No need to go into proving it. FYI, name calling only reveils, a lack of maturity.

Pat Patrick along with Penske founded the series that you love so much. Give these people some respect.

As far as the "3 white Explorers", I have no idea what that means.... :confused:

[Lizzerd]

name calling only reveils, a lack of maturity.

So do misspellings.


As far as the "3 white Explorers", I have no idea what that means....

Ford Explorers. SUV's. Go back a few posts.

[DaveL]

Pat Patrick along with Penske founded the series that you love so much. Give these people some respect.


And then Pimske turned around and did everything he could to destroy it and came pretty close to doing it, too.

Screw him and the rest of the Fifth Column that took the Toyota & Honda yen and spit in the face of every fan that paid good money to see their teams race in CART.

[Railbird]

Hell, Al jr was Opie way back when he was still worth a damn.

[chop456]

Spicoli, I take exception to your reference to "Opie". His name is Al Unser Jr. One of the best racers to get behind the wheel of a race car. Any race car. No need to go into proving it. FYI, name calling only reveils, a lack of maturity.

I suppose calling him "Opie the paunchy, drunken, chain-smoking, RV-dwelling stripper smacker-upper" would really rate me as immature, eh? :p

[SID]

And that would get you put on "double secret probation" too, Chop!

[Spicoli]

Spicoli, I take exception to your reference to "Opie". His name is Al Unser Jr. One of the best racers to get behind the wheel of a race car. Any race car. No need to go into proving it. FYI, name calling only reveils, a lack of maturity.

Pat Patrick along with Penske founded the series that you love so much. Give these people some respect.

As far as the "3 white Explorers", I have no idea what that means.... :confused:

Let's see, your profile says you're from Alaska, with a penchant for small gas engines, with a friend who used to sweep the floors at Penske....I think we've met before!

Hi Jim, how's the thaw up there. Anything blooming yet? :gomer:

[KLang]

Pat Patrick along with Penske founded the series that you love so much. Give these people some respect.


I don't believe Mr Patrick has been bad-mouthed here much. Penske, on the other hand, deserves every ounce of crap thrown his way.

Give our regards to your buds at TF. :rolleyes:

[bdogg187]

Pat Patrick along with Penske founded the series that you love so much. Give these people some respect.

And Benedict Arnold was one of Washington's most trusted Generals. So what's your point?

[Ed_Severson]

"Pat Patrick along with Penske founded the series that you love so much. Give these people some respect."

Actually, there were three of them, and I believe their first names were Gerald, Kevin, and Paul.

As far as Opie is concerned, I have to admit, I take offense to that as well. This is a forum for respectable people who love a respectable sport. There's no need to mention that wife-beating sot's name around here. ;)

I love it when people like you come in here and tell us who to respect. Ponder this ... we're all free-thinking individuals with freedom of choice. I'm not interested in what these geriatric pukes did 25 years ago. What concerns me is that they are presently making a concerted effort to ruin something great for people like me so they can stuff their pockets with more dollar bills.

Anybody with that sort of "me first" attitude deserves no more respect than a one-fingered greeting and a kick in the scrotum. Case closed.

[Hot Rod Otis]

Spicoli, I take exception to your reference to "Opie". His name is Al Unser Jr. One of the best racers to get behind the wheel of a race car. Any race car. No need to go into proving it. FYI, name calling only reveils, a lack of maturity.





If anybody should be pissed about name-calling it should be Opie. Comparing a fine upstanding citizen like Opie to a over the hill, wife beating, drunken has been who's a regular @ The Classy Chassy is an insult to Opie.

I know Opie Taylor, Opie Taylor is a friend of mine. Al Unser Jr is NO Opie Taylor. :gomer:

[Winston Wolfe]

If anybody should be pissed about name-calling it should be Opie. Comparing a fine upstanding citizen like Opie to a over the hill, wife beating, drunken has been who's a regular @ The Classy Chassy is an insult to Opie.

I know Opie Taylor, Opie Taylor is a friend of mine. Al Unser Jr is NO Opie Taylor. :gomer:


And HRO knows.... check his profile, he is in the Mayberry County jail.
And Opie's Pa probably had sumpin' to do with him gettin' there, too...

:p

[skaven]

YES ! ! ! !

I like seeing the ranks drawn against the meandering and lost gomers. Some witty gems here indeed. Well done team. :D

[Spicoli]

YES ! ! ! !

I like seeing the ranks drawn against the meandering and lost gomers. Some witty gems here indeed. Well done team. :D

Well, since I have been banished from CW, along with some others, I need some gomers to vent on...

[KLang]

Well, since I have been banished from CW, along with some others, I need some gomers to vent on...

:eek: Wow, how did that happen?

[Wally]

And its only the rookies second post..........think he'll make it to ten. ;)

[JoeBob]

And its only the rookies second post..........think he'll make it to ten. ;)

Looks like he won't even make it to 3.

[Spicoli]

:eek: Wow, how did that happen?

you would have to ask the Nurse or the other fellers who run the site.

It's part of the settleent terms that I can't tell you more. :gomer:

Hope you guys don;t mid my occassional post here, I even got a "WTG" from Railbird once! ;)

[fourrunner]

Al Unser Jr. Drinks? ;)


Too Funny that "Banned" is a membership level !! :rofl:

[pchall]

Hell, Al jr was Opie way back when he was still worth a damn.

It was an endearing nick back then. Opie was King of the Beach and the best American street racer CART had. But to see him at M-O open testing in 97 sweating it out after only a few laps was so sad. And then have him shill for the IRL in 2000 in that awful vampire costume was the pathetic end of it for this fan.

[skidmarks]

...Hope you guys don;t mid my occassional post here, I even got a "WTG" from Railbird once! ;)


Occasional? you only have 12,769 posts to go to get the old ranking back, right?

:)

[JT265]

So, we have Walker taking a check, Opie, Youeeeeeeeeeeeey "Pat" Patrick, Capt. Liverspots, Spicoli, a hijacked thread, and a banned gomer talking about "respect" .

Ok. Where's the beer?

BTW- What is it about the real knuckle draggers and "respect" anway?

Are they all fixated on Aretha Franklin?!?!?

:D

[racer2c]

Hope you guys don;t mid my occassional post here, I even got a "WTG" from Railbird once! ;)

"Dude! I know you!"

[Spicoli]

Occasional? you only have 12,769 posts to go to get the old ranking back, right?

:)

:cry:


I have other places to go too. I'll try to keep it in "low gear" here. I've actually been on this board for - oh maybe a year......but Ziggy intimidates me.. :saywhat:

[Ankf00]

Zig's got bigger balls than Bon Scott :D

[Ziggy]

Mow your lawn

Ziggy

[Spicoli]

Mow your lawn

Ziggy

As a matter of fact - I am the proud owner of a 01 MTD 18hp 42" LT. Nice! Got the whole thing for $550 of some old gomer out in Brownsburg. Includes the bagger set up - those damm baggers can run you $350 extra!

So - thanks - i've already mowed. :D

[skaven]

BTW- What is it about the real knuckle draggers and "respect" anway?

As a real snowboarder (knuckle dragger), I don't know whether to resemble that remark or what. :saywhat:

But I respect all you old-timers in your one-piece jumpsuits nonetheless. :)

[Ankf00]

It was an endearing nick back then. Opie was King of the Beach and the best American street racer CART had. But to see him at M-O open testing in 97 sweating it out after only a few laps was so sad. And then have him shill for the IRL in 2000 in that awful vampire costume was the pathetic end of it for this fan.
funny, me too.

[Ferdman]

Hey Spicoli,

Since I can't ask you in the other forum, I'll ask you here. Plus this'll get us back on topic.

What's this rumor that Walker is signed up with one driver for CCWS, but will be a no show at Long Beach to get the car count under 18 so TG can get his grubby hands on LB for '05? If so, this seems like TG's last desperate attempt to kill CCWS. Any truth to this? This would be a moot point anyways if there's 19 or more signed up.

[Ratattack]

I suppose calling him "Opie the paunchy, drunken, chain-smoking, RV-dwelling stripper smacker-upper" would really rate me as immature, eh? :p

Boy, Please don't hold back, chop. What are you really trying to say??

Back to topic, I doubt Walker would do that..He still has some integrity

[Spicoli]

Hey Spicoli,

Since I can't ask you in the other forum, I'll ask you here. Plus this'll get us back on topic.

What's this rumor that Walker is signed up with one driver for CCWS, but will be a no show at Long Beach to get the car count under 18 so TG can get his grubby hands on LB for '05? If so, this seems like TG's last desperate attempt to kill CCWS. Any truth to this? This would be a moot point anyways if there's 19 or more signed up.

I really really don't see Walker doing that. He has no money from sponsors and is keeping some of his staf busy with the Pat-Pat-Opie project....

Where's this rumor coming from???

And is LBGP a 18 car minimum contract?

And if he does that - worse case scenario - we just roll out a spare. God knows there will be plenty-O-drivers hangin out.


FTG x 1,000,000,000.

[racer2c]

I really really don't see Walker doing that. He has no money from sponsors and is keeping some of his staf busy with the Pat-Pat-Opie project....

Where's this rumor coming from???

And is LBGP a 18 car minimum contract?

And if he does that - worse case scenario - we just roll out a spare. God knows there will be plenty-O-drivers hangin out.


FTG x 1,000,000,000.

I remember someone from LB saying they have reduced it down to a 16 car min. A quick Google search provided this that someone claims they got from a direct email.

"Thanks for your email. While we too are looking very closely at the
current Champ Car car count, we have been given every indication that
they will indeed have the minimum of 16 cars to start the season here
in Long Beach. We will NOT conduct the race if there is only 10-12
cars.

We have stated all along that there will be a 30th anniversary event
here in Long Beach in April. We remain committed to that promise. I
can assure you that, while we would much prefer to run the Champ Cars
here, if they cannot deliver enough cars, then we would look to run
something else. But just remember, not matter what the headline event
is, one thing that will not change will be the excitement, atmosphere,
and fun that has been part of the Long Beach scene for these last 29
years. That will also be here and we hope you will be too.

Jim Michaelian"

Link (http://www.talkaboutautos.com/group/rec.autos.sport.cart/messages/92421.html)

[Ferdman]

Where's this rumor coming from???

FTG x 1,000,000,000.

Spyplanes (yeah, yeah, I know) and also mentioned on Crapwagon.

[JT265]

FTG x 1,000,000,000.

I'll see your million, and raise you 2 mil.

:D

[KLang]

Spyplanes (yeah, yeah, I know) and also mentioned on Crapwagon.

It was reported at AR1 as an anonymous tip. Seems doubtfull.

[JT265]

It was reported at AR1 as an anonymous tip. Seems doubtfull.

Sounds like Fio or SeanO playing with MarkSee again. ;)

Remember, "he read it here 1st"

;)

[Wally]

So the grassy knoll folks say FTG has a Champ Car team on the duke heh....... ;)

Who is the most likely Benidict Arnold in the paddock? I guess anything is possible these days.

[Insomniac]

FTG x 1,000,000,000.

I'll see your million, and raise you 2 mil.

:D

That's a Billion. :P You need to raise it a centillion. :)

[JT265]

I can't add. :gomer: