What to do?

[spinner26]

Since it broke in todays Indianapolis Star,(http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/183467-6466-106.html) I'll pose the question. Next year many if not all of the IRL teams will add a second, third or fourth car. Reasons make since. Michael has proven that it can work, lack of testing means more data / input......and so on. I currently work for a Champ car team and am uncertain of it's future for the simple fact that nothing is every solid when rebuilding. I understand that one has to do what's best for ones self however it appears as though the FTG series may be on it's way to being what CART was. The big differences are that obviously at least right now it is primarily and oval series, and the big one is the team owners do not control the series. Does this mean they can't take it to the bottom like they did CART before they ran or does it mean it is now up to the mfg's. to bring it down? I have put many years in to Champcars and I know them but the money has droped off and I doubt it will come back. I have made sacrifices to support the series I believe to be the best. Maybe the future is with the FTG series who knows? How does one make the decision.????????

[trish]

Just wait until one folds. The decision will be made for you.

It's unfortunate, but it looks like that's the way it's going to be.

[JT265]

Since it broke in todays Indianapolis Star,(http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/183467-6466-106.html) I'll pose the question. Next year many if not all of the IRL teams will add a second, third or fourth car. Reasons make since. Michael has proven that it can work, lack of testing means more data / input......and so on. I currently work for a Champ car team and am uncertain of it's future for the simple fact that nothing is every solid when rebuilding. I understand that one has to do what's best for ones self however it appears as though the FTG series may be on it's way to being what CART was. The big differences are that obviously at least right now it is primarily and oval series, and the big one is the team owners do not control the series. Does this mean they can't take it to the bottom like they did CART before they ran or does it mean it is now up to the mfg's. to bring it down? I have put many years in to Champcars and I know them but the money has droped off and I doubt it will come back. I have made sacrifices to support the series I believe to be the best. Maybe the future is with the FTG series who knows? How does one make the decision.????????


Wow.

So, because the engine mfg. control Mumbles and his leaque, and they find themselves having to run four, five, aw hell, maybe even six cars per team, as they are unable to retain the original teams or drawn valid sponsors, you're drawn to conclude that ToeKnee won?

Let me ask, what in your estimation has he won?

Fans? Nope.

Sponsors? Not any not directly supported by Yoda or Fonda.

But remember on your journey.....

Yen talks, principles walk.

[Ziggy]

Getting sick of Club Ford races, eh? Well, thats a tough one, and here in Indy lots of mechanics and associated race folks have had to make the same decision. Whatever you do, if you chose IRL,dont come back on the message boards and gloat about how "great" the series you now work for is. You will never gain any "following" by coming to Champcar message boards and telling us all how cool it is to hang in Sparta or the throngs of fans that showed up in Texas. The IRL is a wank series, and the people working in it are all in it for the money. The passion that sport envokes is about as deep as a saucer.

Here's some advice. Try the private sector. Dont know how much experience you have, but I guarantee you will make more money and have better benefits.

About all Formula ******** has going for it is a paycheck. The racing sucks, the circuits suck, and the folks in it are all sell outs

Good Luck (get out of racing)

[cart7]

from the article
"Having more big teams isn't a bad thing, but the smaller teams have to have a chance," said Foyt, who dropped to a one-car operation in 2003.

"You wouldn't want a league that just has big teams. That's not what people want to see."

Oh AJ, you bumbling ol fool. It was never about what the people wanted to see or the smaller teams or American short trackers or any of that other crappola. I hope you enjoy you're pathetic Indy one-off every year since you'll never be able to find a backer to support that joke of a team. I guess you long for the early days back in 96 - 99 when you ran against the el-wanko's and actually appeared to know what you were doing. :laugh: Hope that Conseco money was enough for plenty of Vaseline and Preperation H, cause you're getting exactly what the fans did 8 years ago when the earl started racing. :rofl:

As for your post spinner. Good luck. If you want to stay in racing you'll either stay with your heart and try and reinvigorate, along with all the other participants, CCWS into something that counts or you can follow the money, sell out your principals like so many others and join the irl. I'd personaly rather go to the private sector than compromise my principles.

[Brickman]

Since it broke in todays Indianapolis Star,(http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/183467-6466-106.html) I'll pose the question. Next year many if not all of the IRL teams will add a second, third or fourth car. Reasons make since. Michael has proven that it can work, lack of testing means more data / input......and so on. I currently work for a Champ car team and am uncertain of it's future for the simple fact that nothing is every solid when rebuilding. I understand that one has to do what's best for ones self however it appears as though the FTG series may be on it's way to being what CART was. The big differences are that obviously at least right now it is primarily and oval series, and the big one is the team owners do not control the series. Does this mean they can't take it to the bottom like they did CART before they ran or does it mean it is now up to the mfg's. to bring it down? I have put many years in to Champcars and I know them but the money has droped off and I doubt it will come back. I have made sacrifices to support the series I believe to be the best. Maybe the future is with the FTG series who knows? How does one make the decision.????????

You basically have three decisions. If it's an option, stay put. Retire from your line of work, or go IRLing.

You are right when you said "it is now up to the mfg's. to bring it down?" IF they stick with it then there is job security. But will they? It's obvious that the formula produces racing that is lacking. Will it continue even when turning right? When looking at where Champ Car is and where it is going I can't say the answers are any clearer. Not an easy decision, life's important choices are never easy ones.

[RTKar]

I suppose it depends on the situation you're in; single and carefree, or one with more responsibilities. I know if I had more financial responsilities and long term goals, I probably wouldn't want to be working for a series whose future is tenuous at best. Ziggy's probably right, get out of racing altogether. or head down to the Carolina's...to a racing series that will probably endure.

[Skater_36]

Spinner,
The racing business is always tenuous at best. Teams are always making changes, losing sponsors, hunting for sponsors, etc., a real roller coaster ride for everyone on the team. If you want stability you may want to look for something outside of racing.

As far as the IRL and 3 or 4 car teams; on the surface this seems like a strength but in reality may point to a real weakness in the IRL. Look at the teams that are expanding and you will see that they are essentially factory teams for the Japanese manufacturers. The expansion may well be the manufacturers forcing the teams to spend the money that they have been given to prop up a series that is clearly in the tv ratings basement and plays to pathetic crowds made up of predominately non paying spectators. When, not if, the manufacturers pull back on the sponsorship of the IRL teams/series the IRL will be in a very bad situation.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Wait a second. So AGR gets 20 test days during the off-season, but one car teams like Kelley and Foyt only get 5? :rofl: Way to help the little guy, Tony.

[RaceGrrl]

Job security is a fairy tale. If you enjoy working in ChampCar, stay there until you're laid off. Point is, if you're okay financially right now, stay where you are, because the illusion of stability that the you think the IRL has is just that: an illusion.

[nrc]

'Tis the season...

Every year this time we hear all about the IRL's dire concerns about whether they'll be able to accomodate all the new entries they're going to have next year.

I don't doubt that these teams think that the "superteam" model is the way they want to go. With the driver basically a non-factor in the IRL pedal mash-a-thons running more cars is just like buying more tickets for the lottery.

But right now they're just lining up for a bigger piece of the action from the whoremongers at Honda and Toyota. The sole determining factor in whether there are more or less entries in the IRL next season is whether Honda and Toyota are willing to dole out more money to make it happen.

[FTG]

Toyota is bailing. Honda will too. By moving to the Earl, you'd be joining a sinking ship.

[Ankf00]

It's 2:53 and OU still sucks.


Oh ya, irl sucks too. :mad:

but gotta do what you gotta do

[bdogg187]

Maybe the future is with the FTG series who knows? How does one make the decision.????????

So you work in Open wheel racing, and you are very uncertain about the future. You dont know which series is for real. To be honest I dont know either. IRL or CCWS, its hard to say. The IRL mouthpieces certainly do a good job at making one think IRL is winning, and champ car is losing. However, the Champ Car guys have a lot of confidence and dont show any signs of giving up anytime soom. As of now, I dont really have any kind of stake in OW racing, I dont know what will happen and I dont know if I even care.

If you want to stay in motorsports, but you want security, I suggest you move to North Carolina, and get used to pushrod V-8s and fenders, cause right now NASCAR seems to be the only sure thing in racing. :(

[formulaben]

I think the LemmingNET (http://www.geocities.com/revlimited/index.html) site needs an update! :D

[FCYTravis]

Job security?

What happens when the low-rent team you join - yeah, "Playa Del Racing" that means you - realizes they have no chance in hell of actually competing, or doing anything more than serving as a moving chicane to create artificial pack racing when being lapped, and folds up shop?

[oddlycalm]

If you are around racing for any length of time, you will see the booms and busts. Dan Gurney's operation went bust at least three times I can remember, and he had one of the more stable operations in Champ Car and prototype racing. I remember when Gurney couldn't get financed for a $15,000 lathe, and I also remember when he was supplying cars to nearly half the Indycar field as well as supplying chassis to other series as well.

oc

[TurboTodd]

It's 2:53 and OU still sucks.


Oh ya, irl sucks too. :mad:

but gotta do what you gotta do

Boomer Sooner..

Yet I agree 100% with the second opinion..

[Methanolandbrats]

JiFFy LubE?

[Ankf00]

http://varsityletters.homestead.com/files/edirl.jpg

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http://www.supplies-online.net/images/oreck-close-up.gif

[Sean O'Gorman]

Are you high?

[Jervis Tetch 1]

Talking from experience, I say stay in Champ Car Spinner. The I*L sucks and most of the guys I worked with agree with me. They are either back in Champ Car, NASCAB or out of racing (like me).

[spinner26]

What more could I have expected from this board????? A whole lot of opinions and suggestions that all say FTG!!!!!I'm with ya in the sense that my heart is with and has always been with Champ Cars(since 96) I just thought I'd see what others thought. I have a job, I make good money, I like the operation, to a point, I don't have to travel anymore so why would I switch?My wife and kids posed the same questions, I just thought it would be worth getting some input from others interested / obsessed with the sport

I thought about nasscab when a couple other guys from CART went in 2000 /'01 but I don't speak that language. The whole circle thing gets to me after a while anyway unless it's on dirt WoO's. I don't like to work on my own vehicles much less go to a dealer for a check, I can drive a truck but what kind of life would that be for me @ 45? I've just heard from others who didn't really have a choice, if they wanted to keep their jobs, that the FTG thing wasn't as bad as they first thought it would be and no one that I know is itching to come back so who knows. I'll be in CCWS til I die or it folds I guess.

Thanks all for your input.

[Jervis Tetch 1]

Whatever you decide Spinner, the best of luck from me. You'll do whatever is right for you and your family. Everything else be damned.