Rahal: Bring lots of money

[HardPoint]

Well, this may be just the beggining....
While the article is about Carpantiers future in OW (trying for a return to Champ Car), A1 and some Rolex stuff, by this article it says that Cheevers IRL team is shelved and Eddie is only hinting of running two races, one being the 500.

Theres a quote however in the article that kind of raised an eyebrow, especialy coming from Team Rahal, the first thing that came to mind was Paul Dana with Ethonal money.

IMO, this seems to be the first public statement regarding money evaporating especially the "Yen" as they say. Drivers with no money need not apply it seems:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060119.wxwhracing19/BNStory/specialGlobeAuto/

"When I talked to [IRL team, owner Bobby] Rahal, he said: 'The business has changed now and we need money to survive. We are looking for guys who will bring lots of money to the team,' " Carpentier said.

[Indyknut]

Somebody needs to start a racing series to help out these poor, underfunded team owners like Bobby Rahal who are forced to accept ride buyers and their check, regardless of what country they come from, in order to stay in business.........

[jonovision_man]

Pretty much a confirmation of what (mostly) everyone thought, isn't it?

Without Honda needing to spend money to win, the teams won't be getting the same Honda money they were.

jono

[Defender]

The headline of this thread really didn't match the content of the link, but that may not be surprising. The article was OK. Pretty typical boilerplate view of U.S. open wheel racing with a decidedly north-of-the-border slant.

I like Patrick. What's not to like? The authors gratuitous assumptions, however, leave a lot to be desired. More fanning of the flames I guess.

[HardPoint]

The headline of this thread really didn't match the content of the link

"We are looking for guys who will bring lots of money to the team"

Subject: Rahal - bring lots of money.

Ya, pretty dicieving. How many ride buyers are out there that can fill the current empty seats? If Rahal says "bring money", the trickle down effect to the smaller teams would seem to have a bigger impact. Maybe Carp. will take the Mechachrome money and go find a CC ride.

Any way you look at it, for both series, the clock is ticking. If teams like Hemelgarn, Panther or Cheever miss the Phoenix test next week because of no money, they'll be even farther behind the 8 ball even if a ride buyer walks through the door.

IMO, it seems now looking back at all the IRL's "selling points" the only thing that is still true is that the series races on ovals. No more grassroots, small guy or an affordable alternative to the competition pitch.

Now it seems to be "bring sponsors or a check book"
Honda/Toyota have nothing but scorched the OW ground and continue to do so, Honda's only responsibility now is to extend a hand, taking a check for a $1.3 million dollar engine lease.

Honda won.

[bkeske]

Unfortunatly it is not only the same issue in these two series, it has become the same for many series out there today.

The sportrscar series, on the other had, *do* have a few guy's that are actually paid to drive by teams/manufacturers....heck, even sponsors sometimes But without the team/manufacturer, you better be bringing a sponsor.....unless of course you have the money to fund a team/series for fun....and there is too much of that going around IMO, outside of SCCA and the like.

Even true for the different levels on 'NASCAR'/stock car racing.

[Defender]

"We are looking for guys who will bring lots of money to the team"

Subject: Rahal - bring lots of money.

Ya, pretty dicieving.

Hmm. Sorry. I guess the headline "Carpentier contemplates return to champ car in 2006," the content of the story over the first eleven paragraphs, and the focus on a Canadian driver confused me. My sincerest apologies.

How many ride buyers are out there that can fill the current empty seats? If Rahal says "bring money", the trickle down effect to the smaller teams would seem to have a bigger impact. Maybe Carp. will take the Mechachrome money and go find a CC ride.

So you're saying that it also requires lots of money to acquire a ride in champ car. Please clear this up if I am confused here as well.

[logjammer]

won[/i].

What about the greatest race in the World? What about the vision of one, Tony George? What about the first female to lead a lap at the 500?

Don't suggest all the selling points are gone.

There are still enough selling points left to garner major support from the likes of Gene Simmons, hell, I hear Rusty Wallace is even considering being in the booth next year with Goodyear, that will bring over all the NASCAR fans and the ratings will go through the roof compared to last years growth.

Don't give up there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[Doc Austin]

Somebody needs to start a racing series to help out these poor, underfunded team owners like Bobby Rahal who are forced to accept ride buyers and their check, regardless of what country they come from, in order to stay in business.........

Yep. Cheever has already apparently switched.

[hdolan]

Talent? Don't need no stinking talent...

[Booster]

Too bad. Patrick Carpentier is one of the nicest guys you'll meet. Has time for every fan and always has a smile. I hope he gets a ride, good racer, good guy. If I could just win the lotto...

[Z28]

Don't give up there is light at the end of the tunnel.

But some people just won't give up wishing that it is coming from an oncoming train. The really serious ones want to tie everyone to the tracks.

I'll give the unspoken possibility for what car owner Rahal said. He has two sponsored cars and while he has an operation that could handle a third entry he doesn't have the money to run a third car full time. If a driver comes to him with the funding for him to run a third car, which would no doubt be less than what it would take for a single car effort that's the only way at present he could run a third car. It sounds simple enough but if that's not the tale one wants to tell it's easy enough to ignore it.

[Jakester]

The sportrscar series, on the other had, *do* have a few guy's that are actually paid to drive by teams/manufacturers

But nowhere close to the current (or maybe near past) salaries of a very few IRL and ChampCar drivers and many NASCAR drivers.

Appears Rahal has already validated the quoted statement by his 2006 third car.

[HardPoint]

Now it can be said.

We KNOW teams like Rahal, Fernandez and Andretti were directly and completely tied to Honda money (we know that), when Honda left CART, it wasn't hard for those teams to follow their gravy money.

Now we'll see over the next number of months what keeps those very teams commited to the IRL, if Rahal needs ride buyers now and the money is drying, he could do it elsewhere. The 500?

Bobby, "Ya Kevin, its Rahal"
Kevin, "Good hearing from you, whats up?"
Bobby, "Just looking down the road, hows the new car coming along?"
Kevin, "Right on schedule, lot of interest building"
Bobby, "I thought so. Hey I'm thinking about sticking a driver or two in CC after 2006, I'm hearing one other team is also interested"
Kevin, "Yup, I'm hearing the same thing"
Bobby, "Say, if we field a car or two, any chance of the schedule alowing us to maybe run Indy?"
Kevin, "A little ways off but plenty of room to work I suppose"
Bobby, "Sounds good, we'll do lunch soon....."
Kevin, "Let me know when your free."

/click

Another thing, if Bobby is worried about money, engine lease is far cheaper in CC, along with a new car and a growing race schedule while recieving the same network ratings as the IRL's.

Said it months ago - people are, as we speak, making plans and looking down the road, anythings possible, for example:

Chip Ganassi will be at Champ Car's season opening race in Long Beach next year, but not as a competitor.

Ganassi will be fielding a sports car team as part of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series which will be on the same weekend ticket as several Champ Car events in 2006.

According to the Indianapolis Star, Ganassi may consider a move from the Indy Racing League back to Champ Car in 2007.

[OWNUT]

Hard Point could you please explain how Champ Car's schedule is growing. Oh and I do not think Champ Car's ratings period equal that of the IRL. Do we need to explain to you again that the Month of May was almost double of Champ Car's. I know you like to pick certain pieces, but you really need to look at the whole picture.