Parallel Universe

[Andrew Longman]

If you wander over to TF and look at the discussion on the Penske/unification deal it is fascinating to see the opinion that it is Champcar that is bleeding money and the IRL only has to wait out OWRS's demise. The only debate is whether Penske called Paul G. or the other way around. Almost a complete reverse image of the discussion here.

No need to trash TF, that's been done to death, but it is a striking example of how fractured the community of Open Wheel fans are.

Granted internet forums are self selecting for fanatics, but I wonder how many of the say 50000 fans that attend a typical Champcar race would never pay a dime for to see the IRL? How many of the 10000 :) at a typical IRL race couldn't be dragged to champcar road race?

This matters because if there is going to be any true peace in the open wheel wars, it has less to do with H/T money and the number of seats on the board and more to do with appealing to the fan base and trying bring back those that left. Many of those fans on both sides want nothing to do with the other.

[Steve99]

Granted internet forums are self selecting for fanatics, but I wonder how many of the say 50000 fans that attend a typical Champcar race would never pay a dime for to see the IRL? How many of the 10000 :) at a typical IRL race couldn't be dragged to champcar road race?


I don't know if you did this on purpose, but I noticed you didn't say anything about the 10,000 IRL fans spending a dime to see the races. They won't even spend money to see the IRL, just wait for free tickets.

[RichK]

The only debate is whether Penske called Paul G. or the other way around.

Therein lies the difference. They are disputing a reported fact that shows their side is the one offering the olive branch. I'm sure once it's confirmed that the fact, is in fact, a FACT, that the knuckledraggers will delete the thread and ban future discussion of the subject.

p.s. I would've used the term "mouth breathers", but racer2c already used that one in another thread. :)

[Joe in LA]

The one parallel is that an awful lot of the fans on both sides can't see a unified series they'd be happy about.

[Madmaxfan2]

The one parallel is that an awful lot of the fans on both sides can't see a unified series they'd be happy about.

After ten years of fighting, that is mightly hard to do. Feelings run really deep on both sides.

[Dirty Sanchez]

Yep... I know personally, I would have a helluva time laying my money down for a CHURL ;) event at any of the former EARL venues (especially IMS)... not only because they are almost all crap D-shaped cookie cutters... but because they were longtime gomer-infested :gomer: roundy-rounds that decided EARL was the better bet.

The more I read about a merged series, the more it makes me all icky feeling. :thumdown:

[Andrew Longman]

After ten years of fighting, that is mightly hard to do. Feelings run really deep on both sides.

That's true of an civil war. In the US, some still call a little conflict 140 years ago "The War Against Northern Aggression", and others "The War of Rebellion".

No amount of Kumbaya and happy talk will fix it either. My best idea to use that entrenchment to an advantage somehow. Much as the NFL/AFL wars, and loyalty fans felts for their league, helped fuel what has now become one of the biggest holidays of the year: The Super Bowl.

Some of us may never be interested in D ring crapracing, but we'd probably find it pretty important that the Champcar guys prevail in a unified championship hunt. Or that a road racer beat their roundy-round guys at IMS. And we'd glee at watching roundy rounders negotiating a right turn. And just like it is important to NASCAR fans that their regulars not lose to a ringer on a road course, former IRL fans would die to see their guys do well on a road course, just to prove that they are just as good.