Post your emails you sent to RA here.

[devilmaster]

For all to see, and perhaps remind others to send in a letter.


To whom it may concern:

This is an open email to Road America and Championship Auto Racing Teams.

A friend and I, were working out the details to attend Road America this year to watch the ChampCar race. Meeting and chatting with other CART fans on a regular basis, everyone always says you haven't seen a race until you've been to Road America, and in fact, alot of the people who told me those things are regulars at the GPRA.

With today's announcement, its easy to say i'm dissappointed, at the very least. I hope the disagreement can be worked out in time so that ChampCars will be able to race this year, and in future years at Road America. I'm hoping to add a new track to my regular list of summer racing weekends.

But I also feel I need to say this. There has been a nasty rumour floating around that with these problems, there is a chance the IRL might race at Road America as a replacement to CART. Be assured that I will never visit your track under any circumstance, to watch any series which races there, if the IRL replaces CART. In my humble opinion, the IRL has only done one thing in the United States. It has alienated fans of OW racing, and if they race at Road America, I have no doubt fans will speak by staying away from the race.

I would never claim to know all the details of the disagreement here. But I have only one thing to say to that. Fix it, and fix it quick.

Sincerely,
Steve Micallef
(better known as devilmaster at Offcamber.net, 7thgear.com, and crapwagon.com)

steve

[RaceGrrl]

Keep in mind that I was very pissed and can't stand the thought of the IRL taking over at RA...

Dear Mr. Bruggentheis:

Surely you do not believe that your failure to meet your obligations to CART is in the best interests of Road America and the people of your community. Road America is an amazing facility, but your failure to meet your contractual obligations to CART guarantees that I will not set foot in your facility until CART is back. Maybe I am just one person, but I am one angry fan, and I can assure you that I will never spend one dime of my money to patronize your track until CART returns.

Are you thinking that the IRL will provide a better profit to you? Think again. Tony George may be telling you that he can draw fans to Elkhart Lake, and that his lame little "league" will be just as good for you as CART, but his races can't even draw flies, even with all of Toyota's and Honda's money.

Have fun running the Inferior Racing League there, and have fun wondering why your bottom line sucks now that CART is gone. I'll have fun watching real racing and real sport at real tracks, spending my very real money at facilities who care about keeping their word, and who care about their fans.

Melissa Caldwell
RaceGrrl@offcamber.net
www.offcamber.net


Now... I've shown you mine. Your turn to show yours. ;)

[Warlock!]

Mr. Bruggentheis,

I would just like to voice my extreme displeasure about the fact that CART was forced to cancel it’s Road America race because of contract disputes. From all that I’ve read the blame seems to fall directly on your shoulders since you were unwilling to follow through on the payments that had been previously agreed upon. I have followed CART since their formation in 1979 and ever since their first race at your track in 1982 (which finally put RA into a global spotlight) each of the following 20 races has been eagerly anticipated. This year was no exception.

CART has gone through some drastic changes recently and the health of the series was at an all-time low in 2002. Luckily Christopher Pook was able to resurrect what many considered a dead series, bringing 19 cars to the grid at a sold out season opener in St. Pete last month. Although things are looking up for CART, they are still rebuilding. From all that I’ve learned in business, I’ve found that it was unwise to kick someone when they’re down. Your refusal to carry your end of the contract shows very poor taste towards a partner who has drawn major recognition to your business, especially when that partner needs your help.

I’ve attended several CART races at Road America, and this year I was also planning on supporting your track by traveling over for the ALMS race in August. Now that you have effectively “kicked CART while it was down”, I will refuse to support your track in any way, and encourage others to do the same. The crowd that normally attended RA for the CART event was a knowledgeable group of race fans, and I doubt many will attend any “replacement race” by any other open-wheel league in the country, especially the IRL. If this indeed was your plan, I hope you can find some camera shots that won’t show off the empty bleachers, as well as explaining to the local campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants why their business is no longer booming in August. Sadly, I expect CART will show you more courtesy when they return to the strength they possessed a few short years ago. I, however, will not.


Sincerely,
Matthew M. Lanzer

Winter Warlock!

[nrc]

I am outraged by Road America's decision to simply ignore your contract
with CART, causing the cancellation of this year's event. It's pretty
clear from your actions that you have decided to abandon CART at
this critical point in their history. This is nothing short of a knife
in the back of the CART fans who have supported Road America for over
two decades.

I love Road America, but I will not be attending any Road America
events if you fail to reach some accommodation with CART or if you
should schedule an IRL event.

[Lizzerd]

To Whom it may Concern:

I heard the very sad news today that Road America has been dropped from the CART schedule, primarily due to Road America failing to live up to its contractual agreement with the series. What are you people thinking? You apparently think that a contract is nothing more than a piece of paper, much like a spoiled professional athlete does. Well, it's not. Pay your bills!

I have attended all but one CART race at Road America since 1994. It was only a sudden family tragedy that kept me away in 2000. I attend several CART events every season, and Road America had become my favorite track. I had planned to attend the ALMS race this year as well, but sadly, as a protest, I will not.

I've also heard rumblings that Tony George has been trying to wrest Road America from CART for his own piddly "league". CART fans that attend Road America are knowledgeable, loyal to the series. and appreciate the venue being on the CART schedule. I assure you that if you take the IRL as a replacement race this year or in future years, a huge percentage of those fans will NOT attend, myself included. That' not to mention the huge percentage of IRL fans who would not attend simply because of the "right turns". Most of them are as anti-road course as CART fans are anti-IRL.

Do what's right, Road America. Meet your obligations and bring CART to Road America THIS year. Also please explain to the good people who run the nearby campgrounds, restaurants and hotels why one of their largest weekends of the year has been taken from them. And tell the truth when you do.

Regretfully,

Bruce Anderson
Indianapolis, IN

[rabbit]

To whom it may concern,

I am extremely disappointed in your seeming lack of desire to work with CART in reaching an amacable solution to past problems. Rest assured, no dollar of mine will be spent at Road America this year or in the future (unless CART returns). Should you decide to host an IRL race in place of the CART event, please pass my regards on to the 12 fans in attendance.

John Hullinger

[Napoleon]

"I have attended the CART race and several others at your track in the past, such as the June Sprints. As a result of your actions in regards to CART, which forced them to terminate its date at Road America I will no longer be attending events at Road America."


*********
*****, Ohio

[RARules]

Road America brought me to CART.

Road America is a great track to show off the capabilities of such a racing series, its machines and drivers.

But I guess that's all in the past now. No more turn 5 for me.

It's a lose-lose situation - fans lose, CART loses, what does RA win?

Looks like I'll have to change my handle on 7th Gear and other forums.

It *was* RArules. And proudly so until today.

Richard Straka
Naperville, IL

Oh, and if the IRL ever, *ever* races at RA, I'm simply going to be ill.

[Gurneyflap]

No comment!

[Lizzerd]

Originally posted by Gurneyflap
No comment!

This is the fourth "No comment" I've heard from you, and I'm not done readint the green flag posts. WTF are you talking about?

[chop456]

I can't even begin to express my displeasure for what's taken place over the last few weeks. From the information available, it seems that RA has simply decided not to abide by the current contract and turned down an offer of co-promotion.

I can't attend the races this year in good faith, and will be requesting a refund for my 2003 season ticket. Everyone I've spoken to about this is equally angry and I can only imagine that this will cause an overall reduction in attendance for all events this year. If there's some method behind the madness, it's poorly thought out. If there's a way to get CART to race there this year (and abide by your contract), I'd like to see it done. I would be able to purchase a 2004 season ticket in good conscience.

Sincerely,

Robert Smith
xxx,WI

[Hyacinth]

Copy of my 3-10-03 e-mail to RA:

After almost 20 years of attending various events at your facility, I regret that I will no longer do so. Your cancellation of the CART event has indicated that you have turned your corporate back on the open-wheel fans who have made the yearly "pilgrimage" to RA for so many years.

I will NOT attend or support any event run by any other open-wheel series at your facility. I will put the $1000 or so that I put into the local economy every Champcar weekend, and I will inform the hotel where I have stayed for the last 15 years of the reason for cancelling my reservation, and why I will not be returning.

Whatever attempt was supposedly made to hold this deal together seems half-hearted at best. And as usual, the fans end up as pawns in the game.

I will also NOT be attending any other events at RA. Please remove my name and address from your mailing list, unless CART is re-instated on the RA schedule for the Aug 1-3 weekend.

Etc., etc.


........................

Copy of RA's Reply:


Thanks for your note.

First, CART canceled the race, not Road America.

Our contract runs through 2003 and we fully expected
to run that race.

Second, the CART race lost money in 2002 and we
were trying to resolve the accounting. Our addendum
to the existing contract said we would share in the
up or down side of the financials, CART would not
come to closure.

Third, we were negotiating in good faith, and in
fact, wired a payment to CART to indicate that
we planned to host the '03 race.

We have not turned our back on open or any other
type of road racing. CART turned its back on Road
America, leaving both the race track and race fans
out in the cold.

We can not reinstate the race, only CART can
make a decision to uphold its contract with
Road America.

I trust you have shared your feelings with the series.

Cheryl

Cheryl Barnes
Communications Director
Road America