ChampCar Commentaries

All about the Champ Car World Series (CCWS)

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Julian Mayo
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Post by Julian Mayo » Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:34 pm

Sounds like Skaife n Amrbrose here. Its an AD Break in the V8 race, and a good race it is. :lol:
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Open-Wheel Musical Chairs II

Post by mlittle » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:38 pm

You know, sometimes it actually pays to watch Speed Channel's Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain......Here's why--2 notable rumors floating around the open-wheel paddock.

Rumor 1:Panther Racing headed to Champ Car? In Milwaukee this week, the team did in fact confirm that some of the team's co-owners had been in Indy(at CCWS HQs) discussing whether they should run in both series or just make the full switch and jump series. Why? For starters, they're set to lose their sponsors(Pennzoil and Rockstar Energy Drink) which will cost them roughly 5 million USD, plus Pennzoil has said they might like to explore a ChampCar sponsorship. Second, their engines are Cosworth-build Chevys(Chev-Worths) and Chevy is leaving the IRL at the end of 2005. It would, potentially make sense then for them, but the ramifications for AOWR are big. Panther is the sole pre-2000 team still in the IRL, and losing them to ChampCar would hurt George and Co's ability to attract sponsors and engine builders after 2007. Of course, this might be small potatoes compared to rumor #2.

Rumor 2:Could Patrick Follow Panther As Well? Hopefully, Speed Channel's open-wheel guru, Robin Miller, knows what he's talking about(he usually does). Also seen in Milwaukee were some CCWS officials talking to auto-racing business manager Lynn Roach. Now, she's not the most remarkable of business agents, but she is the business agent of record for one of the IRL's marquee drivers....Rahal-Letterman Racing's Danica Patrick. It's no secret in the paddock that, had Rahal not switched sides in March 2004, Patrick would be racing ChampCars now instead of IndyCars. What's not mentioned is that, for most of 2004, everyone in the CCWS, from the three series co-owners(Paul Gentilozzi, Gerry Forsythe and Kevin Kalhkoven) to most of the top CCWS teams(Newman-Haas, Forsythe, HVM[then-known as Herdez Competition] and RocketSports Racing) did just about everything possible to buy out Patrick's contract from Bobby Rahal last year(its' rumored to be a 3-yr. deal in the low six-figures). The irony, is, they just about pulled it off. Only loyalty to RLR kept Danica under the team's umbrella.

Now why would this rumor have credence? Well, start w/this: since winning the bankruptcy auction over CART's assets, ChampCar has been hitting 100% vs. the IRL. They kept CART's assets, kept George and Ganassi from stealing Cosworth and held onto ChampCar's crown-jewel, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Had they somehow convinced Patrick to bolt from RLR, it would been a very big feather in CC's cap and another blow to George and Co. Considering that Patrick is the most-notable open wheel racer at present, imagine what that would do for ChampCar's future. When you throw in the possible rivalry that could occur between Patrick and Toyota Atlantic driver Katherine Legge, this second rumor could hold a lot of credence. All I can say is...stay tuned; there's definitely some choppy water ahead, for both sides.
Last edited by mlittle on Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Julian Mayo » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:59 pm

legge and patrick head to head.? I'd love to see that !!
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Post by mlittle » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:06 pm

You and me both, my friend.
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Update...Panther to stay in IRL

Post by mlittle » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:59 am

Apparently, even Robin Miller can be wrong.....

Panther Racing announced at their HQs in Indianapolis that they were staying in the Indy Racing League for 2006 and beyond and were not planning to switch series, as earlier mentioned. However, they did agree in principle w/both series to be the front team for any ChampCar team wanting to run in the Indy 500. This makes sense, as currently any Champ Car World Series team wishing to do the "500" must run a one-off effort separate from their ChampCar duties, and that costs serious amts. of money/effort. Hey, for once there's actually going to be cooperation between the three wise men(KK, Forsythe, and Gentilozzi) and George and Co. Now, that is one scary thought, everyone.
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Reflections of Michigan-1999 to 2001

Post by mlittle » Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:26 pm

You know, with the IRL visiting Michigan this weekend, it reminded me of some of Champ Car's visits to the famed 2-mile speedway, most notably their last three, in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Each visit had its' own unique finish.

In 1999, the race seemed to be in the grasp of Team Rahal driver Max Papis. The man had driven a flawless race, and everything seemed to point towards a commanding win. Even though his team had decided to gamble on fuel(sounds familiar, doesn't it), it appeared as though he had just enough to win. Or so he thought, for just as he entered turn 3 on the final lap, his fuel tank ran dry...and his victory fell, snatched by Team Green's Tony Kanaan, who had to hold off TGR's Juan Pablo Montoya by .03 secs. to win. But Montoya would win his own Michigan 500, the year after.

2000, and another late-race duel, this time between Montoya and series legend Michael Andretti. For the last 25 laps or so, the duo exchanged the lead about 50 times(unoffically) and each lap the two were virtually neck-and-neck, neither giving one scintilla to the other. Right at the end, JPM seemed to find just enough to edge out Michael for the win. Had the two ended in a dead heat, Andretti would have won(tie goes to highest-placed start; Andretti started 2nd, Montoya 7th).

In CART's final visit to Michigan, 2001, the end of the race saw a three-horse battle between then-Player's/Forsythe Racing's Patrick Carpentier, Team Green's Dario Franchitti and Herdez Competition's Michel Jourdain, Jr., each taking the lead in the late stages, only to lose it the next lap, then retaking it the lap after. Only a late-race surge put "Patreek"(Carpentier) on top for the victory.

And to think, ChampCar used to have this place, California(Fontana) and heck, even Pocono on the schedule. While the cars are more technologically advanced now, there should still be a place for these long, fast superspeedways on the calender. But sometimes it's best just to keep the memories of races past...sometimes, they're better than the races can be at present.
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Toyota Atlantic Spotlight--Katherine Legge

Post by mlittle » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:23 pm

To say that the 2005 Toyota Atlantic Championship has been an interesting season would be one major understatement. Granted, the field's not as deep as in past years(unlike the past 2 yrs. which included drivers like Allmendinger, Fogarty, Bremer, Ranger, Valiente, Dalziel, Moran, Jr., and Patrick), but there are a few who'll probably make the next step up, so to speak. Legge's one of them, and here's why.

The season started off rather auspiciously, as she lost her fast lap in qualifying due to an on-track accident, putting her P7 on the grid for the season opener. Once the race began, she charged to the front, and began pursuing the leaders. With three laps to go, she was in second when leader Rocky Moran, Jr. lost the transmission in his car, handing the lead to Legge, who held off both her teammate Antoine Bessette and "the flying Dutchman", Charles Zwolsman, to win. In doing so, she became the first woman to win a top-level open-wheel race in North America, and the first Atlantic racer to win their series debut(Jon Fogarty was the last to do that, in Monterrey, Mexico--2002). While she struggled in Monterrey and the Portland doubleheader(5th, 9th, and 3rd), she managed to stay in the championship fight. When the series arrived at Cleveland for Rds. 5-6 however, it was a "best of times--worst of times" weekend.

The worst part was in Rd.5, where she was involved in a three-car incident w/Bessette and fellow Atlantic competitor Dan Selznick at the infamous turn 1 "funnel turn", ending her day very early w/a 16th place result. The reverse was true of Rd. 6, as she made it through the funnel turn, finishing 5th at the end, her fourth top-5 of the year. In Toronto(Rd.7), she was involved in a tooth-and-nail fight for 4th w/Tonis Kasemets until race control gave her a drive-through penalty for blocking Kasemets, dropping her to 8th. By the end of the race, she had climbed back up to 6th, making veteran-like passes on both Al Unser, III and Kyle Kelley(ironically, her teammate Bessette went on to win in Toronto that day).

When the series arrived in Edmonton for Rd. 8, it became apparent to the crowds that it was going to be a two-car battle, as both Legge and Zwolsman were consistently fast in practice/qualifying. During the race, the pair traded fast lap for fast lap, and were separated by less than .3 secs. each lap it seemed. On lap 19, as the pair began to enter turn 11, Zwolsman checked up to avoid a backmarker, leaving a small gap at the bottom of the turn. That was all the Brit needed, as Legge stuck the nose of the car in, squeezed by the flying Dutchman, and proceeded to checkout from him. Even after a late-race caution, it was clear that Zwolsman and third-place finisher Andreas Wirth had nothing for her, as she would take her second victory of the year.

At the series' most recent stop, San Jose(Rd. 9), it seemed almost like deja vu, as both Zwolsman and Legge led the timing/scoring charts all weekend, w/competitor David Martinez joining the fray. When the green fell, it was Tonis Kasemets who took the early lead; however, his day ended w/a mech. failure, and both Zwolsman and Legge proceeded to fight for the lead on the very tight and bumpy street course. On lap 29, Zwolsman nearly made contact w/the turn 8 wall, and Legge slipped by to take the lead from him. Just like at Edmonton, she proceeded to pull away from both him and Martinez, and even a late-race caution didn't help them, as she would take another victory w/the win. Currently, she sits third in the points, 35 markers behind Zwolsman.

As to the future....chances are, we'll see her in Atlantics for 2006, but don't be surprised if she gets a ChampCar test session later on this year. If she keeps up her performance so far this year, we'll definitely see her behind the wheel of a ChampCar no later than 2007. Just like Danica Patrick in the IndyCar Series, mark Katherine Legge's name down now, for we probably will be seeing more of her in the years to come.
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Post by Julian Mayo » Sat Aug 06, 2005 7:05 am

Mfer it certainly sounds like she has the"balls" to succeed in F1. She is not afraid to stick it down the inside if there is a half chance from the sounds of things! One of the sites I stumbled on when googling for her Web Site, reckons she is Oz born, which of course would explain her competitive abilities, and natural talent :lol: (If it is true)
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ChampCar Racers to Tackle Bathurst 1000

Post by mlittle » Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:18 am

In an earlier posting on this thread(19 July, I believe), I mentioned that Walker Racing's 2 racers, Alex Tagliani and Marcus Marshall could run in the Bathurst 1000. It was announced at San Jose this past weekend that they will indeed run in the prestigious endurance event later this year. The two will be paired w/team co-owner Craig Gore's V8 Supercar team drivers, David Besnard and Craig Baird. While the pairings haven't been announced yet, expect Tag and Marshall to be competitive at the 1000.
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Re: ChampCar Racers to Tackle Bathurst 1000

Post by Julian Mayo » Sun Aug 07, 2005 8:16 am

mlittle wrote:In an earlier posting on this thread(19 July, I believe), I mentioned that Walker Racing's 2 racers, Alex Tagliani and Marcus Marshall could run in the Bathurst 1000. It was announced at San Jose this past weekend that they will indeed run in the prestigious endurance event later this year. The two will be paired w/team co-owner Craig Gore's V8 Supercar team drivers, David Besnard and Craig Baird. While the pairings haven't been announced yet, expect Tag and Marshall to be competitive at the 1000.
Yes,...competitive with the bottom half of the field if they are lucky. Tag is in for one hell of a shock when he sees the mountain, much more so when he tries to drive a V8 around it . Marshall knows the mountain, and is capable of some reasonable times. But, no-one can step into one of these cars, crack a few practice laps, and be competitive on any track. On The Mountain it is impossible.
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Off-Week Commentaries

Post by mlittle » Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:09 pm

Since it's an off-week for ChampCar as well, here's are some thoughts on the season so far(don't worry, though...the tone for these is the same as in the IRL commentary :) .

1}Atlantics rising. Until this year, it could be said that CART treated the Toyota Atlantic Series like a ill-gotten stepchild, w/little support and almost to respect. None of the top CART teams, like Penske and Ganassi, would support them, and all the promises made towards Atlantics were like hot air, and nothing more. Well, that's changed, due to the yeoman efforts of Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe over the past year. Case in point....the revamped ChampCar Atlantic Championship. They, unlike Craig, Heitzler and Pook, put their money where their mouths are, putting up a $2 million USD prize to the 2006 champion, which should make CCWS teams notice. (BTW, $2 million USD covers about 1/3-1/2 of a ChampCar team's budget for the year.) This is on top of giving this year's winner a one-off drive at the season finale in Mexico City. At least they realize there has to be a solid step between the lower feeder series(Formula BMW, Star Mazda and Barber Dodge) and the ChampCar (or IndyCar) Series.

2}Rahal returning to ChampCar? No, not their IndyCar team, but a revival of their Atlantics team. After fielding rides for then-Atlantics racers Danica Patrick and Chris Festa, the team folded their Atlantic squad for 2005. Well, they're returning in 2006, this time w/Bobby Rahal's son, Graham Rahal, in the seat of the #24 car for 2006. Of course, the kid'll have a lot of company, as there could be upwards of over 30+ cars in the CCAC next year, since the budgets for those teams should sit around $500,000-$600,000 per team for the year.

3}Fair officiating, part II. After a couple of years of missed calls, bad decisions, or both, ChampCar finally brought in somebody to straighten out race control, and Tony Cotman did just that. Race control also abolished the asinine pit windows rule, which have made fueling strategy a legit part of a CCWS race. Just as it was before 2002, teams now have another arrow in their arsenal....just ask Cristiano da Matta. Fuel strategy gave him the win at Portland this year.

4)1 million and counting. In the first eight races of the year, the official attendance figures have hit 1 million+ fans, the first time that's happened since 2002. In fact, if attendance figures are to be believed, there could be a 3-day average of 150K people for each event this year. My guess...while events like Surfers Paradise, Mexico City, and Montreal should beat that number, Denver, Las Vegas and Ansan, S.Korea will probably hit 80-125K people each.
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Potential CCWS Schedule for 2006?

Post by mlittle » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:29 am

Although they haven't officially announced their 2006 schedule, there will be a few changes from their first proposal. Here are some of the details...

1}No Sebring. Contrary to initial reports, there will most likely be no ChampCar race at Sebring the weekend of the famed 12 Hrs. of Sebring.

2}Return to Texas? It looks at though Houston, which hosted a street circuit race from 1998-2001, will be back on the schedule, most likely the week before Monterrey, Mex. If so, then it looks as though no ChampCar team will bother making the trek to Indy to challenge for the 500. Newman-Haas Racing was the only team to do so in 2004-2005, and after this year, may not bother returning.

3}Philadelphia Freedom? There will be a few new races on the schedule, and Philly, the City of Brotherly Love, is poised to be there w/a 4th of July-weekend race(and a night race, at that). It won't be ChampCar's first night race; they ran at Milwaukee in 03-04' and at Cleveland in 03' under the lights, so this sounds like an intriguing event already.

Here is the expected schedule for 2006:

9 April--Long Beach
13 May--Houston(Sat. night)#
21 May--Monterrey, Mexico
4 June--Milwaukee(oval)
18 June--Portland
25 June--Cleveland
2 July--Philadelphia(Sat. night)#
9 July--Toronto
23 July--Edmonton
30 July--San Jose
13 August--Denver
27 August--Montreal
23 Sept.--Las Vegas(Sat. night/oval)
8 October--Beijing, China
15 October--Ansan, S. Korea
22 October--Surfers Paradise,. Australia
5 November--Mexico City
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Post by Julian Mayo » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:47 am

As long as some of the best drivers and teams are not competing at Indy, it is only half the race it SHOULD be. :cry:
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Post by mlittle » Sat Aug 13, 2005 8:24 am

Ain't it the stone-cold truth, julian. Here's another example of how the CART/IRL split hurt AOWR over the past decade.
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Post by Julian Mayo » Sat Aug 13, 2005 8:33 am

Whenever people put their own agendas first, it is always poor old Joe Public who cop it in the neck. :cry:
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