Pook Speaks

[JoeBob]

http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=5301

Some of the usual Pook bravado, I thought this was pretty interesting:


"If I had my way, I would make sure that every ticket mailing list in the CART series is opened up to selling Formula One tickets for the Formula One race. Under the present circumstances, when the current owner of the Formula One race is running around town with a hammer trying to put nails in our coffin, I don't think that's going to happen, but in the future ...

"We had two and a half million people go to our races this year. We should be working our tails off to make sure that every single one of the people who went to our races goes to a Formula One race. That would be the best thing for us and the best thing for our business.

"The fact of the matter is that for the manufacturers in Formula One, the biggest market by a long way is still North America. We've got to understand that and if we can help, we want to help. I am convinced if we work together, we will both be far stronger. We're better off to work as a team. Strategic alliances are far more effective than trying to row the boat across the ocean on your own, for both of us. That's something that will evolve, or will not evolve."

[Ziggy]

Just ten short years ago CART was on the verge of blowing F1 up
Now its time to help them. It makes sense, and I think it would be a general statement that all F1 fans know a little about what is going on in CART. ie, like who is driving what, some of the races etc.

There is a market for Road Racing in North America. It has proven elusive over the years. (See Can Am, Trans Am, F5000) What I enjoy about CART is the diversity. It looks like ovals are a thing of the past, and soon.

Ziggy

[nrc]

At least Pook didn't use the F-word. "Compliment F1" sounds much better than "Feeder series." Still, I'm not interested in F1 and the more CART becomes like F1 the less interested I will be in it.

But the whole "support F1 in North America" line of thinking is interesting, though. If you consider that Pook is positioning CART as a "marketing and services" company, one wonders whether a few years down the line we might see CART promoting or perhaps co-promoting an F1 race somewhere in the U.S.

[Shadow]

Well, there are only two NA F1 races now and who knows if Mexico will be added. If people get hooked on F1, the closest thing to that is in NA for a full series is be CART. I don't think there is any question that there is room for F1 and CART - there sure is for me with respect to watching on TV and going to a few races.