"Leading open wheel racing series"?

[downtowndeco]

"Champ Car is in a very aggressive period right now," Kalkhoven said. "Over the past 18 months we have been growing our business and strengthening our position as the leading open-wheel racing series in North America."

KK in the Toronto Sun.

OK. He's entitled to his opinion but in which way, shape or form can he claim CC is leading over the IRL?

More diverse series? The IRL, with super speedways, 500 mile races, small bullrings, natural road courses and one tasty street circuit thrown in for good measure.

Ratings? The ratings of the Indy 500 outpace the lot of CC's season put together.

Attendance? Close to even, and that's with CC's outragous (even CC fans will admit that) 3 day festival totals.

Teams? The IRL.

Driver name recognition? Danica/the IRL by a huge margin.

On track product? I'll take racing mainly on actual race tracks over street parades every time but to each his own.

I think this KK statement equals the TG "THE IRL will be bigger than NASCAR or F1...." blurp from a few years ago.

[FenderFree]

CCWS and IRL circles arguing over which is bigger is like 2 guys arguing which one has the bigger potato stuffed down his pants.

TG has managed to shut up in regards to comparisons. Wish KK would do the same.

[Jim Wilke]

KK is also the same guy who said the only problem that JDSU was going to have was building new plants to keep up with skyrocketing demand. He made these claims while selling his own stock and keeping quiet about falling orders and obsolete inventory. He bailed, leaving stockholders with billions in losses.

The term for this kind of scheme is "pump and dump."

[Scott]

You have to have a good pitch to make people buy snake oil. KK hopes that if he tells everyone that CCWS is great, someone might eventually believe it long enough to write him a check. I doubt that KK really believes himself sometimes, he is just playing the role of huckster and carnival barker.

[numrounofan]

sounds like we're less than 12 months from a total collapse.......

[cheeseczar]

The leading open wheel series in North America are the guys and gals that run sprints and midgets (IMO).

For either the IRL or CC to state otherwise is ludicrous.

[dreamracer]

There are only two events that can arguably be noted as "cared about" by anyone beyond the borders of racing, or the city they race in.

Indianapolis, and a very, very, very distant second at Long beach.

"Mine is bigger or better than yours" comparisons are moot.

All the "YAY were 4th!" crap is just that.

[Chitownfan]

"Champ Car is in a very aggressive period right now," Kalkhoven said. "Over the past 18 months we have been growing our business and strengthening our position as the leading open-wheel racing series in North America."

Let's not forget:

"Champ Car right now simply doesn't register with most corporate sponsors" William Chipps

[FordXFE]

I really don't think anyone hears Tony or Kevin. They could say anything they want and each year less and less people hear them or care. Is the statement a stretch? Sure.

At the end of the day people need to step back and say action talks, bul!!s!t walks. Either can talk all they want. I'll make my decision on what I see.

[Defender]

One thing I find strikingly and consistently funny is the inevitable way in which fans of Kalkhoven's series resort to the 'Tony' card to dull the sting of any Kalkhoven criticism.

[Cygni]

Wow, this is a pointless thread. An owner of a business thinks he runs the best business. Im shocked.

[Vasserfan]

One thing I find strikingly and consistently funny is the inevitable way in which fans of Kalkhoven's series resort to the 'Tony' card to dull the sting of any Kalkhoven criticism.

It is very similar to the way that certain fans of TG play the "KK is a criminal" card any chance they get.

Many supporters of each series do these things. It's a lot like the "your series sucks more than my series argument.


KK made a statement that is subject to debate. He believes his series is "the leading open-wheel racing series in North America", and I am sure TG believes his is. Nothing wrong with him stating so.

[Defender]

Nothing standing in Kalkhoven's way except facts.

[Scott]

This reminds me of the game show contestants that always work for a "major" company. KK is a legend in his own mind.

[Grinder-Tank]

If napalming the forest in order to make a path is leading, I guess KK has right to make the claim.

"The leading open wheel series in North America are the guys and gals that run sprints and midgets."

Now that's what I call an "OPINION." And you are you're entitled. I would not call it the leading but it's good. I guess you could say it's leading at a grassroots level.