David Phillips on the importance of San Jose

[cart7]

Phillips Speed commentary (http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/18453/)


So while one measure of the success of the Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San Jose will be pretty much known when the attendance estimates are announced come Sunday evening, an equally telling barometer will be whether some of the scores of “local” high tech companies from Apple to ZiLOG participate in the Champ Car World Series in the future as team, event and series sponsors/technical partners.

[devilmaster]

the obvious point here, is of course, the fact that KK was the bigwig behind JDS Uniphase, and his contacts have brought alot of the silicon valley companies in. This can have a good/bad aspect to it. Good that they are coming in, no doubt thanks to KK being one of them, but it could have a bad side only because I would be afraid we're pigeonholeing the sponsor type in the series.

Hopefully, these companies from the tech sector make others stand up and take notice.

[Jervis Tetch 1]

Definitely agree.

[G.]

Let me paint a better picture for yall.

A hi-tec company sponsors a car. They bring in the driver/show car for the ubergeeks to marvel at back at the farm. Ubergeeks stroll out at lunchtime to check it out. Say things like, "800 HP out of THAT little thing?" "Shift without lift?" Ubergeeks likey. Maybe they'll check it out on TV...

"Hey, this stuff isn't a bunch of noisy beasts playing follow the leader in a pack around the track!" "Push-to-pass? What the hell is that?" "Brake zones? I bought brakes at Auto Zone once."

Suddenly, watercooler talk is more about telemetry and less about reality TV.

Fast forward 12 years or so and one ubergeek is playing frisbee with chop in the MM infield (and trying really hard not to hit the truck that he was in front of).

Ubergeeks have disposable income. They go to races.

This is a fictional story. But hey, it could happen, right? ;)

[cart7]

So a scene like this:

http://www.sethargabright.com/nerds.jpg

in the San Jose paddock is a real possibility. :cool:

[G.]

Must read. Use bugmenot.com, if needed.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/12241362.htm

KK talks about silly valley, Pacific Rim, etc.

Slams earl.


``The very worst moment for me,'' Kalkhoven said, ``was when, a month before our first race of 2004, two of our race teams pulled out and defected to the IRL as part of a plan to break us -- which they didn't, of course.''

But after that exit by the teams of CART veterans Bobby Rahal and Adrian Fernandez, Kalkhoven and his partners somehow assembled enough cars for the Long Beach Grand Prix, which came off with no hitches.

``That was the best moment,'' he said. ``When the flag dropped at Long Beach, it meant we had a race series. We were racing.''

Now, the word is that some of the teams that left might return.

``Drivers want to come back,'' Kalkhoven confirmed. ``They see the success of this style of racing. Is it much fun for a driver to race at an oval with 3,000 spectators? Or would the drivers rather race in front of 100,000 screaming fans who are having a ball?''