Champ Car vs IRL 2008

Discussion in 'Automotive' started by the cup, Jan 5, 2008.

  1. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is awesome. The Sarahthon.

    If you don't know, popular Indycar driver Sarah Fisher and her family got all their money together to field a car at Indy, plus two later races at Kentucky and Chicagoland. They get to Indy, and the once-solid sponsorship deal now is not so solid. After popular demand from her fans, Fisher's team setup a donation site and she's randomly receiving $100 checks from fans at the Speedway.

    http://www.1070thefan.com/kravitzandeddie/sarahthon.aspx

     
  2. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  3. YankHibee

    YankHibee Member+

    Mar 28, 2005
    indianapolis
    Anyone headed up to Indy?
     
  4. Pack87Man

    Pack87Man BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 1, 2001
    Quad Cities
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Don't I wish. This is going to be amazing, with everyone in one series finally. Maybe this is the year they break the Andretti curse.
     
  5. YankHibee

    YankHibee Member+

    Mar 28, 2005
    indianapolis
    I really expect next year to be a bigger deal, but there is certainly a buzz right now. It's nice to have the Race back the way it should be.
     
  6. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Marco's going down! :D

    (The only Andretti I've ever liked was John.)

    Anyway, here's my handicapping.

    I really wanted to go this year, but my schedule next week kinda made it unworkable. I'll be at Richmond in a month's time.
     
  7. Pack87Man

    Pack87Man BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 1, 2001
    Quad Cities
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sticking Fisher, Foyt, and Lloyd down in the bottom category? Why on earth would you do that?
     
  8. Bonnie Lass

    Bonnie Lass Moderator
    Staff Member

    Lyon
    Norway
    Oct 20, 2000
    Up top
    Club:
    Olympique Lyonnais
    I think they forgot about Duno's category: Why the ******** are they even on the track?

    Sorry. Not a fan.
     
  9. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Cause they can't win, even if everything went right in their favor in my opinion.

    It's a case of not having the team (Fisher-who I think would be ecstatic if she finished), the nerves (Foyt-who has had a terrible month), or experience (Lloyd-in his first race this year). I think they're all good drivers in their own right, but they and their cars are not capable of winning. And I couldn't in good conscience put them in the category of Lazier, Junqueira, and John Andretti. Lloyd's looking like he will become a good driver, but he's not at that level yet.
     
  10. UnitedGal

    UnitedGal New Member

    Dec 1, 2004
    Adelaide, Australia
    Indy is one of my favorite events and Im so excited!!

    We have had only one podium and that was in the 70's

    To be fair we havent had a decent chance to win it in a loooooooooong time, with the speed he has shown durring pratice and qualifying I would guess Ryan would more than a chance!

    GO U GOOD THING!!!!
     
  11. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sorry, that didn't work out too well. ;)

    Briscoe really needs to get on his game. 19th in points in a Top 8 car isn't good enough.
     
  12. Pack87Man

    Pack87Man BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 1, 2001
    Quad Cities
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Briscoe really needs to have a good stretch on the short oval run coming up. Milwaukee, Iowa, and Richmond right together, broken by Texas. That's some serious oval running.
     
  13. the cup

    the cup Member

    Jul 10, 2002
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Well, before the year began I was a Champ Car fan through and through. I had watched IRL races just to compare the two and to keep up on how the competetion was doing. I thought though after the "buy-out" I would give the new IndyCar a chance by watching their races with a clear mind and giving them a fair shake. Afterall, this was a new series and the future of open-wheel racing in America.

    I have to say though that so far I am not impressed. There have been some fun moments, Rahal winning in St. Pete, Briscoe winning in Milwaukee after taking Patrick out in the Indy pits, and Servia coming back from a lap down in Milwaukee to finish in the top 10. But over-all the IndyCar series has failed to impress me. I guess it just boils down to too much oval racing of which I am not that much of a fan. I can take a few but so far that is all we have had except for St. Pete. I know more road and street circuits are on the way but by that time I think I'm going to be sick and done with the new series.

    However, there is a glimmer of hope. Champ Car had their fire sale the other day auctioning off some remaining assets. Lo and behold, there appears to be someone out there buying up Champ Cars and with plans to use them in a new series starting in 2010. He has 20 chasis now and has plans in the works for a new engine package.

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/racing/more/06/04/bc.car.champcarauction.ap/index.html

    Not too much is known at this point other than there are plans being made out there. This could keep guys like me, guys that seem lost at the moment, hanging in there with hopes for the future.

    Until then I will stomach as much as the IndyCar series I can.
     
  14. Pack87Man

    Pack87Man BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 1, 2001
    Quad Cities
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How can you dislike oval racing? There's passing, and far more excitement than can be generated by a street race. I sincerely hope the IndyCar series maintains the majority oval schedule that they have put together.
     
  15. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There was Long Beach too for you.

    If I had a dollar for every future plan in racing that was never heard from again, I'd be as rich as Bill Gates.

    As far as I'm concerned, you have two choices for American racing if you're a road racing fan.

    1.) Indycar with a mixed oval/road course/street course schedule
    2.) Sportscars

    That's it. The late CART model of an American road racing-only open-wheel series with almost entirely foreign drivers very clearly failed twice due to lack of money and lack of interest (where the interest subsequently driving the money; if there's fans, sponsors will be there to sell their product to the fans; also interest as far as car owners that wanted to field a car). And whoever is buying up all those cars does not have Kevin Kalkhoven money or Gerry Forsythe money. They subsidized the whole thing just as Tony George subsidized the IRL. But even someone like Kalkhoven who made a fortune in optics and lasers said, "I've lost enough money. It's not getting better. I'm out."

    One of the bad things about Indycars currently is you have two entirely different fanbases: one that idolizes Formula One and another that idolizes the old USAC Indycars. One fanset thinks the great American racing hero for Indycars is Mario Andretti, the other fanset thinks the great American racing hero for Indycars is A.J. Foyt. Me? I just like racing, but there are not many people like me.
     
  16. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star on his radio show Trackside, here's his take on next year's schedule. They think 18-22 races, but 20 most likely:

    Rock Solid (14): Kansas, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Edmonton, Surfers Paradise, Chicagoland, Belle Isle, Mid Ohio, St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Toronto

    "He's heard at least one warning flag" (6): Homestead, Motegi, Richmond, Watkins Glen, Sonoma, Nashville

    He thinks Sonoma is solid, the two that concern him the most on that list are Homestead and Nashville; Honda may not be requiring a race in Motegi anymore; Firestone is not requiring the IRL to race at Nashville but can still qualify on its own merits.

    In the Hunt for a Date (7): Cleveland, Elkhart Lake, Barber, Houston, Mexico City, New Hampshire, Portland

    Longshots (4): Las Vegas (either oval or street course), Laguna Seca, Phoenix, Michigan (with Phoenix and Michigan being more "wish list" longer-term)

    Biggest question is where to open the season considering you can't open at the start of March at some place cold.
     
  17. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    Vegas would be a good season opener. The track used by Champ Car last year was very good and attendance was good (though it was free outside the grandstands).

    Between Sonoma and Laguna Seca two races doesn't make sense but it's a shame it will go to the ISC track because Seca is so much better as a circuit.

    IRL would be nuts to get rid of Cleveland, and they should keep Elkhart Lake because it's such a good circuit. As well the rock solid list only features Mid-Ohio as a permanent road circuit, so IRL needs more permanent road circuits. Glen, Sonoma, Elkhart Lake and Mexico City would be my choices.
     
  18. DSC05

    DSC05 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2002
    Detroit, MI
    Club:
    --other--
    Think of how many races are in that area right now though, that would be two in Wisconsin, two in Ohio, one in Michigan (and that's not including Illinois and Indiana, heck Toronto's only five hours from me and I think Kentucky is only about 5 and half hours).

    Shame they can't ditch Belle Isle now that they have better looking street courses and go back to MIS. This will be the first year I won't attend an IRL race since 2002 (I'll head over to Belle Isle for the ALMS race and IRL qualifying).
     
  19. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Supposedly, Mexico City needs significant improvements in track safety, and that is what is making it likely it won't be on the schedule.

    I love Cleveland. It's a fun race. The problem there is it's serving the exact same market as Mid Ohio.
     
  20. Pack87Man

    Pack87Man BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 1, 2001
    Quad Cities
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    According to ESPN, SMI is offering a five track deal to the IRL, including Infineon, Kentucky, Texas, and more importantly Las Vegas and New Hampshire (both ovals). That would be a big, big deal.
     
  21. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    That's like criticizing NASCAR for having too many races in the South though.

    The Mid-West is IndyCar's stomping grounds, and they shouldn't be getting rid of successful events. Mid-Ohio and Cleveland have coexisted successfully for 20 years, why change that now? The last thing IndyCar needs to do is stray from first principles and extend themselves into markets and events that haven't been proven successful.
     
  22. DSC05

    DSC05 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2002
    Detroit, MI
    Club:
    --other--
    That would be okay if fans were going to the races, how many people showed up at the Milwaukee Mile? I loved Michigan, but 40,000 (and probably over estimating) there is pathetic and probably the reason why they aren't going back. Belle Isle's crowd was decent last year, but nothing to write home about. Maybe Champ Car had it right and road courses are the way to go for bringing in fans.
     
  23. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    I would expect crowds to go up with the unification. If IndyCar has lost the Midwest for good it has no future no matter what.
     
  24. the cup

    the cup Member

    Jul 10, 2002
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    I'm sorry but after today's performance IndyCar needs to get rid of it's women drivers.
     
  25. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Since when did Scott Dixon and E.J. Viso get ovaries?
     

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