View Full Version : Turbo Tour
http://www.champcarworldseries.com/content/photos/2006/By400/20060302P_0003.jpg
Just like rock stars touring to promote a new album, Champ Car is hitting the road, traveling on series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven's Gulfstream G550, for a six-day race market blitz to promote the start of the 2006 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season as well as the Yokohama Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda.
link (http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=9985)
No idea if this will actually create the buzz they are seeking but at least they are trying something. :thumbup:
racer2c
03-03-06, 10:34 AM
I was looking for it and looking for it and then, oh yes, there it is...
Champ Car's first-ever Turbo Tour will begin with a media blitz in Los Angeles, America's number-two media market, on Sunday March 12. Drivers scheduled to participate on the trip include two-time defending champion Sebastien Bourdais, 2003 titlist Paul Tracy, 2004 Roshfrans Rookie of the Year A.J. Allmendinger, Champ Car race winners Mario Dominguez and Justin Wilson, the first female to win a major open wheel race in North America Katherine Legge and Champ Car Atlantic driver and former North American karting champion Alan Sciuto.
our Danikle wins!
racer2c
03-03-06, 10:36 AM
I'd rather have a marketing program that spans 365 days instead of six, but it's six more than we've had in the past. :)
rosawendel
03-04-06, 10:14 AM
i can't find the schedule for the tour... as in what cities in what days... any help?
ChampcarShark
03-07-06, 12:30 PM
i can't find the schedule for the tour... as in what cities in what days... any help?
It is mentioned in the article that they will tour the cities where there is a Champcar Race Scheduled.
Too bad they are not going after new markets
They've got to get people to come out to the races they already have scheduled.
ChampcarShark
03-08-06, 01:32 PM
They've got to get people to come out to the races they already have scheduled.
Good Point.
The more promotion the better. It is a better start than previous years.
Any official list of the dates and locations? As Rosawendel so plainly asked? All I can tell is the Start is March 12th in LA and Ends 17th in Mexico.
Justrace
03-09-06, 10:25 AM
They will be in Denver on Tuesday the 14th. Primarily a media event only. It will be held at the new go-kart track near Centennial Airport. www.thetrack.us
Wingnut
03-09-06, 10:59 AM
I received this in my email:
THE MOLSON GRAND PRIX OF TORONTO HEATS UP THE CITY WITH
THE CHAMP CAR TURBO TOUR ON MARCH 15TH
Just like rock stars touring to promote a new album, Champ Car is hitting the road, traveling on a private jet and bringing some of its hottest stars to race host cities. Wednesday, March 15th is the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto’s show date and giving fans a chance to be a part of the action.
JOIN THE PARTY!
Stop by the Brant House (1 Brant Street, Toronto) after 9:30 on Wednesday, March 15th as it plays host to the GPT Turbo Tour Party. There will be great music and a chance to WIN Champ Car and Molson Grand Prix of Toronto merchandise as well as a pair of Gold Grandstand Tickets to this year’s big event July 7, 8, and 9!
Champ Car Stars that will be in town include:
§ Toronto 2005 Champion, Justin Wilson
§ Katherine Legge ,the first female to win a major open wheel race in North America
§ 2004 Rookie of the Year A.J. Allmendinger
§ Mario Dominguez of Forsythe Championship Racing
§ Champ Car Atlantic driver and former North American karting champion Alan Sciuto
§ Champ Car Atlantic driver James Hinchcliffe
§ Face of Champ Car, Brandi Latimer
REV UP WITH THE RAPTORS!
Check out the Raptors at the ACC on March 15th to see Alan, James and Brandi as they and the Raptors give away over 150 Molson Grand Prix of Toronto prizes!
Come on Toronto
Join the REVolution!
jonovision_man
03-09-06, 12:05 PM
.
TravelGal
03-10-06, 02:13 PM
Got to say I think this is beyond stupid. (Or maybe it's me??) They will be in Long Beach in two days. Says so.
Where? When? What is happening? How in H do you find out how to attend?
I don't care if it's obvious and you have to tell me in words of one syllable speakinga as if to a child, SOMEONE please tell me how to find out about it!
/End rant
Thank you.
racer2c
03-10-06, 02:22 PM
Got to say I think this is beyond stupid. (Or maybe it's me??) They will be in Long Beach in two days. Says so.
Where? When? What is happening? How in H do you find out how to attend?
I don't care if it's obvious and you have to tell me in words of one syllable speakinga as if to a child, SOMEONE please tell me how to find out about it!
/End rant
Thank you.
I think they are just flying over and waving from the plane.
Via email, from Race Director.
2006 CHAMP CAR TURBO TOUR READY TO LAUNCH, FANS CAN FOLLOW PORTLAND FAN FORUM LIVE VIA CHAMPCAR.WS WEBCAST
The groundbreaking 2006 Champ Car World Series Turbo Tour is set to launch this coming Sunday, taking the stars of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford to fans and media throughout North America.
But not only will fans get a chance to see their racing heroes up close as the Turbo Tour covers the country, they will also have the opportunity to hear from them in the comfort of their own homes as Monday night's Fan Forum from Portland will be webcast live on the official website of the Champ Car World Series, www.champcar.ws.
"We are very excited to be able to bring this opportunity to our fans and accentuate what we are doing with the Turbo Tour," said Champ Car President and CEO Steve Johnson. "Our website showcases the technology of Champ Car by bringing special events like Monday's Fan Forum directly to our fans."
The Turbo Tour begins Sunday evening in Long Beach and starts a dizzying week of travel that will span North America from Edmonton, Canada to Mexico City. Series stars that will take part in the first-ever tour includes 2004-05 Champ Car titlist Sebastien Bourdais, 2003 champ Paul Tracy, 2005 series runner-up Oriol Servia, 2004 Roshfrans Rookie of the Year A.J. Allmendinger, Champ Car race winners Mario Dominguez and Justin Wilson, the first female to win a major open wheel race in North America Katherine Legge and Champ Car Atlantic driver and former North American karting champion Alan Sciuto.
Some of the unique activities of the event include landing on the actual racing surface in both Edmonton and Cleveland and media go-kart challenges in Denver and Mexico City. The drivers will also participate at a Toronto Raptors game and RodeoHouston 2006. The Rodeo will have an enhanced Champ Car presence as PRC rider Dan Mortensen will be sponsored by Champ Car and will be promoting the series during the event. Dan will ride in the Saddle Bronc competition during Thursday night's events at Reliant Arena.
Fans will be able to follow all of the exploits of the 2006 Champ Car Turbo Tour via www.champcar.ws, with updates of each day's activities as well as photos and a daily videostream of highlights from each stop along the way.
oddlycalm
03-10-06, 04:22 PM
Where? When? What is happening? How in H do you find out how to attend? I don't have specifics for Long Beach. The promoters in the various cities are organizing the events individually, so they are going to vary widely in size and regarding who attends. Toronto sounds like an open invite to drop by, Portland is a smaller with reservations required and at least one appears to be a media only event.
Anteater would know the specific of the LB event so you might wanna message her.
oc
It sure looks like the visit to Long Beach must be a media only event. It is supposed to be Sunday but there is nothing else on the Champ Car or Grand Prix web sites.
RHR_Fan
03-10-06, 08:55 PM
I know they're stopping in Milwaukee, but that's media only. I think that's dumb. It's cool that they're stopping there and doing this tour, but they could at least have an autograph session or something.
~Nicole
TravelGal
03-10-06, 10:07 PM
It sure looks like the visit to Long Beach must be a media only event. It is supposed to be Sunday but there is nothing else on the Champ Car or Grand Prix web sites.
Thank you for returning my faith in my own sanity (if even only very momentarily. heheheh). I spent too many years crawling (climbing) the halls/walls in the nation's capital to have much patience for the blase bs in the news release. There is nothing more on the website than the news release. There is no way to "follow" what's going on. You can't even FIND what's going on.
Ah well. I was hoping for a dinner at Rockbottom's but I have a play to go on in the afternoon anwyway. PBBT on them.
Winston Wolfe
03-11-06, 05:05 PM
anyone got the skinny on the LB "Turbo Tour".... anyone, anyone ?
I took a look at the cc site, followed the links, but no "specifics"?
Anteater, ANAYA, wood-eye ?
its tomorrow and I'd really like to check it out...
There is finally some more information on the Champ Car site.
http://www.champcarworldseries.com/CONTENT/OneOf/2006/TurboTour/TT_Longbeach.gif
Schedule pdf (http://www.champcarworldseries.com/CONTENT/OneOf/2006/TurboTour/TTSchedule.pdf)
rosawendel
03-13-06, 11:02 AM
it's gotta be media-only. there just isn't enough info for any type of fan participation, except maybe to listen to an internet podcast.
i'm not one for ragging on champ car, but, i don't know, it just seems weak to me. I mean, i understand the need to market and create hype among the media (among those being the local "stick and ball" sports crews who can't even pronounce "bourdais" properly), but it's weak to market (or "tease") the tour to the fans, but not include them in participation. like i don't read the paper or watch tv already.
or, maybe it really is a fan participation media event (like they have done in past years), albeit a poorly planned one, because there really isn't any info about it
racer2c
03-13-06, 11:36 AM
Why spend allot of time/money and effort to market promote something that will be completely different next year, if you believe the rumors. ;)
Fitti Fan
03-13-06, 12:49 PM
Ok, where are all of our inner circle folks to give us the skinny on what's going on here?
TKGAngel
03-13-06, 01:10 PM
Looking at the map KLang posted, it looks like something out of The Amazing Race.
I still find it hard to believe that spending 1.5 hours in a city is going to generate fan buzz and interest. There's got to be a better way to execute the idea, you know?
I think they are mostly going after the local press. Here is PT's blog from the Champ Car site:
I'm on the Turbo Tour for just two days but I guess Champ Car is keeping me extra busy because I'm not with them all week. I raced in Las Vegas in a stock car on Saturday and then Sunday morning flew out to Long Beach. We had a welcome dinner at L'Opera which is a great restaurant right near the track. Following dinner I drove up to KTLA and was on "The Sports Zone" which was fun. When we got back to the hotel I was so tired, it felt like I had run another 400 mile race.
David Phillips blog (http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=9998)
Interesting tidbit, Race Car Driver returns :thumbup:
PT, by the way, is miked-up for the second season of WGN's "Race Car Driver" and we're joined by the show's producer Mark McGovern and camera man Tim Piriello.
TravelGal
03-13-06, 05:48 PM
DANG, he was on the Sports Zone and I missed him! I saw Katherine Legge but I missed PT.
I'm with you rosawendel. We used to get a special fan fest, now we don't even get an invitation.
Why send out stuff if we can't come? Advertising for OTHER venues when you have one in your own venue that you are excluded from is VERY poor, very poor.
Anteater
03-13-06, 07:34 PM
Ok, where are all of our inner circle folks to give us the skinny on what's going on here?
Hah! You think we know anything about this? I was just as puzzled as the rest of you, but I figured the lack of info about the Long Beach stop meant that they weren't including the fans and was for media only. Which was a correct assumption, as it turns out. :(
Now, if you want to know about the Long Beach CCIC Fan Dinner, I can tell you all about that!
Sean O'Gorman
03-14-06, 12:54 PM
Cleveland PD says that some drivers will be at the Galleria tomorrow at 2:30 for a promotion at 4 PM. Don't know anything else aboot it.
TKGAngel
03-14-06, 01:06 PM
Cleveland PD says that some drivers will be at the Galleria tomorrow at 2:30 for a promotion at 4 PM. Don't know anything else aboot it.
Cleveland GP website says its a slotcar racing op, where 10 lucky fans can race against Dinger and Wilson.
There's also pictures up from the LB and Portland Turbo Tour stops on the champcar website.
oddlycalm
03-14-06, 02:54 PM
It was a sunny day in the 50's in Portland until just before the Turbo Tour plane arrived when it turned raw and started spitting rain. Regardless, the band played and the Royal Rosarians (the race is a Rose Festival event) lined the walk off the plane in their white suits and hats.
The fan forum at the Waterfront Marriott was a nice setup complete with well stocked bar. For me the most notable thing was that there were no questions about the split and only one backhanded reference to some former CART drivers. The folks in the room seemed focused on the here and now.
Probably the most memorable comment from a fan was a complete newbie that was brought by a friend. He was knocked out by the accessability and the upfront comments by the drivers and officials. He commented that while it was all new to him that he was jazzed and looking forward to the race.
The comments by the tech director Greg Elkins on the 07 car tests sound very good. No real details, but he made the analogy to the Lola and a 5yr old computer compared with a new computer. Sounds like a biggie step up all the way around; faster, lighter, safer and considerably less expensive to build. He specifically indicated that the advances in CF layup and molding were translating into major differences in what can be achieved. His comments just emphasized that 06 will be huge for Atlantics and that will set the table for CC in 07. He refused to be pinned down on lap times, but finally indicated that simulations have shown a projected drop in lap times here in Portland of 2-3 seconds for the 07 car.
BTW, I have a mea culpa and have to say that Brandi Latimer (the FOCC girl) seems to be a very nice kid as well as a competent spokesperson. She and I got off on the wrong foot last year which is regrettable. CCWS is sending her to some, but not all, of the races this season. She will be attending the rest at her own expense.
oc
racermike
03-14-06, 03:06 PM
It was a sunny day in the 50's in Portland until just before the Turbo Tour plane arrived when it turned raw and started spitting rain. Regardless, the band played and the Royal Rosarians (the race is a Rose Festival event) lined the walk off the plane in their white suits and hats.
The fan forum at the Waterfront Marriott was a nice setup complete with well stocked bar. For me the most notable thing was that there were no questions about the split and only one backhanded reference to some former CART drivers. The folks in the room seemed focused on the here and now.
Probably the most memorable comment from a fan was a complete newbie that was brought by a friend. He was knocked out by the accessability and the upfront comments by the drivers and officials. He commented that while it was all new to him that he was jazzed and looking forward to the race.
The comments by the tech director Greg Elkins on the 07 car tests sound very good. No real details, but he made the analogy to the Lola and a 5yr old computer compared with a new computer. Sounds like a biggie step up all the way around; faster, lighter, safer and considerably less expensive to build. He specifically indicated that the advances in CF layup and molding were translating into major differences in what can be achieved. His comments just emphasized that 06 will be huge for Atlantics and that will set the table for CC in 07. He refused to be pinned down on lap times, but finally indicated that simulations have shown a projected drop in lap times here in Portland of 2-3 seconds for the 07 car.
BTW, I have a mea culpa and have to say that Brandi Latimer (the FOCC girl) seems to be a very nice kid as well as a competent spokesperson. She and I got off on the wrong foot last year which is regrettable. CCWS is sending her to some, but not all, of the races this season. She will be attending the rest at her own expense.
oc
That "friend" that brought the newbie was me.
Jay is my next door neighbor, and has never been to a Champcar race yet. He won the Club 200 seats for the race weekend.
BTW, I have a mea culpa and have to say that Brandi Latimer (the FOCC girl) seems to be a very nice kid as well as a competent spokesperson. She and I got off on the wrong foot last year which is regrettable. CCWS is sending her to some, but not all, of the races this season. She will be attending the rest at her own expense.
ocDid you tell her who you were? Did it hurt when she slapped you? :p
Great recap of the event. Thanks!
from DAVID PHILLIPS TURBO TOUR BLOG DAY 2 link (http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=10001)
At 4 pm Champ Car's Steve Shunck herded one and all into a couple of awaiting limos for a quick ride to the San Jose airport for Leg Three of the day's journey, a ninety minute flight to Portland during which PT and Dominguez slept, Servia and Legge mugged for the film crew of Race Car Driver and Allmendinger may well have ended his NASCAR career before it could ever begin with an irreverent victory speech.
Someone should ask AJ for an encore performance. Sounds like a winner. :D
oddlycalm
03-14-06, 04:41 PM
That "friend" that brought the newbie was me. The man in the yellow hat... :thumbup: I was wondering if it might be you Mike. Couldn't really see much because we were on the other side of the room and I had to look around Legge to see you at all.
Glad he got up and spoke as I thought his comments were on the money.
oc
TravelGal
03-14-06, 06:12 PM
Mike, please tell Jay that if he sits in the Club 200 seats he will NEVER have that close driver/team interaction he likes so much. As a concerned fan, I volunteer to take those tickets right off his hands so he can enjoy the race.
:gomer:
oddlycalm
03-14-06, 09:16 PM
Did you tell her who you were? Did it hurt when she slapped you? :p Nah, she was surrounded by young guys with their tongues hanging out after the event or I would have. She doesn't seem like the slapping type, at least not over an exchange of words. I was completely off base about her being a bim though, she's actually the diametric opposite.
oc
Racer Mike locked in another fan..........Thanks Mike
:thumbup:
Sean O'Gorman
03-14-06, 09:56 PM
Did you tell her who you were? Did it hurt when she slapped you? :p
Did you ask if she wants to meet me yet?
Spicoli
03-14-06, 09:57 PM
Did you ask if she wants to meet me yet?
lol.
YOU CAN'T EVEN GET SHOT DOWN ON YOUR OWN, YOU LOSER.
:cry:
:rofl:
lol.
YOU CAN'T EVEN GET SHOT DOWN ON YOUR OWN, YOU LOSER.
:cry:
:rofl:
you say that like it's a new thing...
Mike, please tell Jay that if he sits in the Club 200 seats he will NEVER have that close driver/team interaction he likes so much. As a concerned fan, I volunteer to take those tickets right off his hands so he can enjoy the race.
ah yes, always so concerned with everyone's sporting enjoyment ;)
Anteater
03-15-06, 06:53 PM
Nice report, oc! :) :thumbup:
oddlycalm
03-15-06, 08:07 PM
Nice report Thanks AE. Seeing your post reminded me that Jeremy Hall was there and that I forgot to do a shout out for him. For those that don't know, Jeremy is the friendly guy on the other end of the phone at Global Events that personally takes care of getting folks the best possible seats as well as keeping us informed by email.
Great job Jeremy :thumbup:
oc
datachicane
03-16-06, 01:54 PM
Jay is my next door neighbor, and has never been to a Champcar race yet. He won the Club 200 seats for the race weekend.
I thought those seats were going to be mine- I was just a few numbers off.
BTW, noticed Legge and Servia were wearing "Race Car Driver" tagged wireless mics...
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