The next challenge ahead

[nrc]

While I'd love to see Champ car work out a deal for Road America, the more important challenge for the series is Long Beach for 2006.

http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204~28780~2499354,00.html

Champ car has done a great job of turning around the media impression of the series from one of a dying series to that of a series poised for a comeback. Losing their premiere event in the United States would be seen as a major setback in that turn-around.

Some lemmings have predicted that Toyota would hand Tony the race on a silver platter. But according to the story above their contract is up next year as well. Even if Toyota wants continue the sponsorship, the cloud over their IRL future may mean that they won't be so keen to bring Honda back to Long Beach with the IRL if they might be leaving.

So it could be that the biggest challenge CCWS faces in Long Beach is the prospect of Tony George coming in, possibly again with Honda backing. Champ car needs to marshall their forces and once again be prepared to out-manuever and out-bid Tony to retain this event.

While Road America may be more special to Champ car fans, Long Beach is more important to its overall image.

[cart7]

My prediction. The IRL adds Mid Ohio and Road America, they will then go after Long Beach with everything Honda's got, to steal it away. Whether they get it depends on LB and what KK can entice them with.

[RichK]

No matter who wins what, it will be a hollow victory since the fans are gone.

I can't believe that only 5 years ago I was watching Montoya, Tracy, DaMatta and Castro-Neves battle at Long Beach, while I battled the huge crowd to get in and out of town.

TG, Penske, Ganassi, Mi Andretti, and Rahal should be ashamed of themselves, and I can only hope that racing history books accurately record their destruction of the sport I used to live for.

[Dougrun]

keep in mind that the Toyota sponsorship is from the Auto dealers in So Cal, not the corporations itself. Thats not saying the corp can't put pressure on the dealership group but it's not that bad. KK has said before if they lose LB, they would race elsewhere in socal and have a long list of sponsors ready to dive in.

[mueber]

We are never going to outbid Tony George and Toyota/Honda. The Three Amigos make their best offer, an offer that works as well as possible for all parties, and if they say, “Yes,” they kiss them on the lips. If they say, “No,” they say, “Thanks for a great run hope to do business with you in the future, here’s my card.”

[Wally]

My prediction. The IRL adds Mid Ohio and Road America, they will then go after Long Beach with everything Honda's got, to steal it away. Whether they get it depends on LB and what KK can entice them with.

Word..... :shakehead

[oddlycalm]

Specifics aside, the CCWS management has shown me they know how to handle themselves this year. Whether it was prevailing in the battle to get CART’s assets, calling the EARL’s bluff over the Portland race, adding another oval with LV, they have managed to pull it off. Simply fielding a grid on such short notice was no small thing. I’ve also seen some savvy moves such as putting an Aussie in the field at Surfers, which is the kind of tool one uses for building momentum and support at a venue. That paid off big IMO. I’ve also seen a willingness to experiment with different fuel/pit windows that show a commitment to achieve a good final result for the teams and the fans.

At this point I trust them to be effective at hitting their marks and doing things by the numbers. We are a race short of completing the first season, but the addition of a few sponsors and a solid TV package w/ CBS for 2005 and beyond are simply more indications of the above. These guys have met some serious challenges and passed the initial tests. I’m willing to sit back and let them play their hand without second guessing every move at this point.

oc

[Lola_B70]

you said it Rich, history should be accurate in noting that those
spineless jellyfish crapped on the fans. Especially that HUGE backstabbing
idiot Mike Andretti. I was a huge fan of his, but with a mind like his, who
needs enemies?
Sorry, i am just a little bitter. Racing life was nice in '98, but we're on our way
back.

[FTG]

If Honda wants it bad enough, they can afford it.

I doubt, however, they'll throw much money at that crap. If everyone on the net knows Toyota is leaving the .1RL, someone at Honda Japan must've figured it out.

[Tim]

Ford needs to step up and sponsor it. Although Long Beach isn't as good as people portray it. It's fun place but nowhere near as fun as toronto.

[GOFAST1]

Ford needs to step up and sponsor it. Although Long Beach isn't as good as people portray it. It's fun place but nowhere near as fun as toronto.


Agree.

[Winston Wolfe]

Agree.

The SoCal Ford Dealers has an ad association similar to that of Toyota, meaning that it is a "Bigg'un".... but I still believe that Toyota Corporate funds some of the $$$ as well for this deal... SOCAL Toyota Ad Assocications co-op the radio spots with oil change specials that get you fri- or sat gen admin tix....

Ford could do it, if they REALLY wanted to.... :thumbup:

[oddlycalm]

Champ car has done a great job of turning around the media impression of the series from one of a dying series to that of a series poised for a comeback. Losing their premiere event in the United States would be seen as a major setback in that turn-around.The more I've thought about this the more convinced I am that CCWS will keep this event. I think we have seen, and will continue to see, an object lesson play out where three guys that made their own fortunes will systematically beat out a guy who had everything handed to him.

Sure, it's not impossible for a big money concern like Honda or Toyota dealer associations to put a heavy foot on the decision scales, but that possibility aside, I don't see TG getting a win on this or anything else.

oc

[audi quattro]

If they had any brains, and they do.
They would work like hell to get an extention in the bag now long before the twit has a chance to get his foot in the door.

[racer2c]

Internet psychic: Toyota continues it's sponsorship role of the Long Beach Grand Prix. Grand Am will be the main event series of the LBGP which will coincide with Toyota entering Cup. There's a bigger enemy to Champ Car than Tony George, believe it or not, and for some strange reason it's taboo to mention it, I assume because ISC's manipulations are so well hidden behind sponsor/track owner/ team owner motives that people question the original source.

[jonovision_man]

Internet psychic: Toyota continues it's sponsorship role of the Long Beach Grand Prix. Grand Am will be the main event series of the LBGP which will coincide with Toyota entering Cup. There's a bigger enemy to Champ Car than Tony George, believe it or not, and for some strange reason it's taboo to mention it, I assume because ISC's manipulations are so well hidden behind sponsor/track owner/ team owner motives that people question the original source.

My money is still on CCWS and IRL battling it out, with the biggest fattest wallet winning. Maybe Grand Am could run support or something, I don't think they're big enough potatoes to pull off headlining, that'd be quite a coup.

jono

[FCYTravis]

F'em. If they steal Long Beach they'll be racing in front of empty grandstands while the real crowds show up for the real racing in, oh, Huntington Beach?

That would make RacinM3 happy... the L2 Specialties HBGP? :)

[oddlycalm]

There's a bigger enemy to Champ Car than Tony George, believe it or not, and for some strange reason it's taboo to mention it Absolutely right. The Frances have employed a classic divide and conquer strategy against OW racing, and with an idiot like TG and the myopic greed of most of the CART team owners about all they had to do was whisper in a few ears to get set it in motion. The Brickyard 400 was the key piece to put in place, and once that was done the camel had it's head in the tent and TG had more than enough revenue to launch the EARL.

I don't think it's so much taboo to mention it than that most people don't think strategically in their own lives. Folks that know racing mostly don't understand strategic business thinking and most people that do know nothing about racing. Anyone that does understand and looks at the evolution of NASCAR and ISC should be able to appreciate the level of strategic planning involved and they should also be able to appreciate at how effective their execution of that strategy has been over the years. The Frances didn't just fall down the stairs and land on their feet, nor has their success been the result of blind luck.

oc

[RTKar]

Absolutely right. The Frances have employed a classic divide and conquer strategy against OW racing, and with an idiot like TG and the myopic greed of most of the CART team owners about all they had to do was whisper in a few ears to get set it in motion. The Brickyard 400 was the key piece to put in place, and once that was done the camel had it's head in the tent and TG had more than enough revenue to launch the EARL.

I don't think it's so much taboo to mention it than that most people don't think strategically in their own lives. Folks that know racing mostly don't understand strategic business thinking and most people that do know nothing about racing. Anyone that does understand and looks at the evolution of NASCAR and ISC should be able to appreciate the level of strategic planning involved and they should also be able to appreciate at how effective their execution of that strategy has been over the years. The Frances didn't just fall down the stairs and land on their feet, nor has their success been the result of blind luck.

oc

I think that's why Champcar should be concentrating on the core region; the midwest and California, strengthen it's traditional regions. stabilize the non-ISC tracks it's run in the past by working with the tracks to promote races and make them destination events. Allowing them to fall into ISC or TG's hands would be a mistake. The only option would then be temporary circuits or foreign races.

[TravelGal]

I think that's why Champcar should be concentrating on the core region; the midwest and California, strengthen it's traditional regions. stabilize the non-ISC tracks it's run in the past by working with the tracks to promote races and make them destination events. Allowing them to fall into ISC or TG's hands would be a mistake. The only option would then be temporary circuits or foreign races.

Of which we are starting to get quite a few.