Road America observations...

[dalz]

Boy, apparently CART doesn't have the funds in the kitty anymore to buy a break!

Got wetter than a drowned rat.

What's the point of being a "rain-racing" series if rain makes it too dicey to put together two green-flag laps? Most drivers said the race should have commenced. Chris K put in another no-win spot.

I cringed at the size of the crowd, even before the rain. Without the usual support series there, the expansive RA paddock more closely resembled an SCCA regional weekend. So strange, so sad....

An audible cheer went up from the turn 5 crowd when it was announced PT stuffed it into the tires! This after most people I talked to saying that they were PT fans....

If Steve McQueen is the coolest man that ever lived, a rapidly-closing second belongs to Mr. Newman....

My shirt smells like See-Bass's champaigne. A once-in-a-lifetime podium celebration for the fans.

[Tara]

RA reported attendance down 40%, they also pretty much said this will be the last C^RT race there. The head guy at RA also did not understand what the delay was all about.

If C^RT releases a 2004 schedule, I don't expect to see RA or MO on it.

[BlueStang]

Actually, the article I read made it sound like CART would be back there. The RA guy said they would be.

[Tara]

The Road America guy doesn't sound happy to me. Do you really think CART and Road America are going to do it again next year? They lost money last year and lost even more this year.


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It was also in competition this weekend with Brat Day in Sheboygan and an air show in Oshkosh and the state fair in Milwaukee and the Brickyard 400, and all of that conspired to produce a crowd that was hearty (some even lasted the whole afternoon) but noticeably sparse.

"It takes weeks to collect the numbers," said George Bruggenthies, the president and general manager of Road America.

"But the short story is I know our paid gate admission was down 40 percent. That's heavy. We're not going to make money. I'm sure [CART is] going to lose money. No one's going to make money this weekend."


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http://www.wisinfo.com/sheboyganpres...11586829.shtml

the article does say they have a race scheduled for 2004, but then again they had a race for this year and it got canceled and then re-scheduled. And Bruggenthies doesn't sound very happy

"If CART survives, I think it will be a different product,” Bruggenthies said. “It can’t continue like it’s going. It needs something different.”

[BlueStang]

There is another article linked to somewhere here on TF where that same guy says some negative stuff, but then goes on to say that they will have CART back, unless there is no CART to have back.

[indyracefan]

Originally posted by Tara

If C^RT releases a 2004 schedule, I don't expect to see RA or MO on it.

...from ESPN.com;

Race's long road ends with rain



>>>Road America and CART are under contract to have another race next season, but Bruggenthies said the racing league must figure out a way to differentiate itself if it wants to survive.

"It can't continue like it's going," he said. "It needs something different."<<<

[Cygni]

The attendence was so low, it was like it was scheduled to rain... than DID rain!! Wow!

[cALANIS]

Originally posted by Tara
RA reported attendance down 40%, they also pretty much said this will be the last C^RT race there. The head guy at RA also did not understand what the delay was all about.

If C^RT releases a 2004 schedule, I don't expect to see RA or MO on it.

[Tara]

Actually, both of you are talking about the article I linked.

Re-read, I acknowledge that there is a race scheduled for next year. But come on people there was a race scheduled for this year and that got dropped, before it was re-instated.

Last year the race lost money. C^RT disputed the amount they expected RA to pay them. Things got nasty and the race was dropped.

This year the race lost even more money. The head of RA says they lost money. He also says C^RT lost money. Is it really a stretch to see both sides just agree "not to do it again?" Or do you think he and Pook are just so good of buddies that they are salavating at the chance to hold a race for a third year and lose even more money.

[Sammich]

After being there and hearing Bruggenthies and Andretti chat it sounds to me like if there is a CART it will race at RA.

[BlueStang]

Originally posted by Tara
Actually, both of you are talking about the article I linked.

I am not sure that we are. The article I saw was on Speed. It had similar quotes, but I think it also had a few that yours did not, unless I missed something (quite possible).

[Sleepcheap]

Tara, you sound absolutely giddy.

[dreamracer]

Originally posted by Tara
The Road America guy doesn't sound happy to me. Do you really think CART and Road America are going to do it again next year?

Well, he also said....

"We have an agreed-upon date, which is very favorable, and we have a contract for next year," he says. "If the series is viable, they will be here next year. I think it’s a good date. It doesn’t see the conflicts we had here today.

And...

“It’s not fractured," he said of Road America and CART's relationship. "David Clare (CART Chief Operating Officer) and I had many good conversations this weekend. With his background in Formula 1, he appreciates great road racing facilities and understands the great racing that can happen here.

And the FULL quote about the race losing money this year, minus the clever editing job by the earlier article....

"The relationship isn’t fractured. We’re both suffering economic difficulties – we’re going to lose money, and I’m sure that they’re going to lose money here this weekend. Nobody made any money – it’s just economics.”

[Shadow101]

Good one dreamracer. Take that you scurvy pirates and your Bill Gates supplied editing devices!

[BlueStang]

dreamracer -

thanks, those were the quotes I'd read before.