Autosport: CART gone from Europe

[Jim Wilke]

AS also says all the ovals are gone except Milwaukee. Since the site requires registration - which, by the way, is a minor PITA, since my computer periodically forgets my password - I'll post the entire text of the article:

Champ Car's European races in Britain and Germany may face the chop as CART looks at slimming down its 2004 calendar, according to this week's AUTOSPORT Magazine. The Milwaukee Mile looks set to be the only oval race to survive the schedule overhaul.

Brands Hatch, EuroSpeedway Lausitz and Fontana look likely to go as the cash-strapped series faces the prospect of slashing its rounds from 20 to 16. CART wants to concentrate its resources on the most profitable events.

Most teams and drivers have responded well to the idea. Owner-driver Adrian Fernandez reckons a shift to running on only road and street courses will give the championship a stronger identity.

“We've only got three oval races this year, so I don't see it as a big deal if we go to all road racing,” he said. “It wouldn't bother my sponsors and it wouldn't be confusing: the IRL runs on ovals and we road race. I think it would be better for CART.”

Team owner and ex-series boss Bobby Rahal insists the traditional Mid-Ohio and Elkhart Lake races must keep their races next year, no matter how serious CART's financial state.

“Mid-Ohio and Elkhart Lake are the crown jewels of the series and it would be a crime for us not to be in those places,” he said.

Now, how smart were Pook and CART to spend close to $1 million on pit lane improvements at Brands for one race?

[Indyknut]

Re: Autosport: CART gone from Europe

Originally posted by Jim Wilke
AS also says all the ovals are gone except Milwaukee. Since the site requires registration - which, by the way, is a minor PITA, since my computer periodically forgets my password - I'll post the entire text of the article:



Now, how smart were Pook and CART to spend close to $1 million on pit lane improvements at Brands for one race?

How much did you lose because of it Jim? Probably nothing.

[Jim Wilke]

Ahh, I see. Only stockholders should be PO'd at CART and their financial ineptitude. Just us silly race fans should be quiet and ignore this.

Here's a thought: What if CART hadn't thrown away all that money on such silly projects and had focused on improving their product? What if they had concentrated more on the steak and less on the sizzle? Perhaps they would have kept some fans and managed to stay in business.

[OutKast]

Obviously spending all that money worked, they got you hanging on their every move Wilke.

[NIMBUS]

Didn’t Pook earlier this year promise the sponsors that he would expose them to the Euro market? I wonder what they’ll think of this.

[midtown]

Originally posted by NIMBUS
Didn’t Pook earlier this year promise the sponsors that he would expose them to the Euro market? I wonder what they’ll think of this.

What sponsors?

[Jim Wilke]

Originally posted by OutKast
Obviously spending all that money worked, they got you hanging on their every move Wilke.

I thought the European Vacation was a dumb idea at the time. Pook insisted because he wanted to showcase the series for Bernie, Euro track owners, F3000 teams and engine companies. He came away with an empty checkbook and exactly zippo for results.

CART should have used SARS or Iraq as an excuse, cancelled the deal and saved the stockholders' money.

[trow]

Originally posted by OutKast
Obviously spending all that money worked, they got you hanging on their every move Wilke.

Wilke is being a fact-finder,,,,,, thanks Wilke!!!!

[Doc Austin]

Originally posted by OutKast
Obviously spending all that money worked, they got you hanging on their every move Wilke.

well, you can't look away from a good train wreck, can you?

[Doc Austin]

Re: Re: Autosport: CART gone from Europe

Originally posted by trac-champ
How much did you lose because of it Jim? Probably nothing.

Wilke is probably smart enough to have sold short.

[Doc Austin]

Originally posted by Jim Wilke
[B]I thought the European Vacation was a dumb idea at the time.

If only they had followed the Griswalds over it would have saved them alot of grief.

[Railbird]

I wasn't in favor of the euro tour from the go, but, nothing ventured nothing gained.

at least we have all the lemmings chattering about Cart's 2004 schedule...

[Doc Austin]

Originally posted by Railbird
[B]I wasn't in favor of the euro tour from the go, but, nothing ventured nothing gained.

Spa would have been cool, but it looks like we are going to get back the real stars and the real car of THE REAL GRAND PRIX after all. Just make sure you smoke those Gauloises.

Well, they're French. Forget it.

[skypigeon]

Originally posted by Doc Austin
well, you can't look away from a good train wreck, can you?

Hey Doc, it just hit me--the one thing you haven't done, or at least told us a story about, is wreck a TRAIN...

[slinger]

Originally posted by Doc Austin
Spa would have been cool, but it looks like we are going to get back the real stars and the real car of THE REAL GRAND PRIX after all. Just make sure you smoke those Gauloises.

Well, they're French. Forget it.

Tried it. Tasted like an old sweat sock.