Jack Arute tells it like it is............

[Indianapolis500]

check this out http://espn.go.com/rpm/cart/2002/0925/1436808.html

[dog-ring]

Gonna be a lot of people ticked off at that musing

[rev-ed]

Most of this is old news to those around here.

However, I found this last statement worth consideration:

<STRONG>Even stranger is its media. It has declared that it's not possible to enjoy both CART and the IRL. Pick one of the other, it demands. Now, that mandate -- one, not both -- may be what eventually ends CART as we know it.
</STRONG>

Thinking about that, it seems true. Everybody has seemed to say you have to choose. That could be the saddest thing about all of this.

[Truth Detector]

<STRONG>CART has turned into the same thing that prompted its formation in the first place.

</STRONG>

Interesting...

[RV]

Right on Rev. If CART just raced roads and streets and the IRL on ovals I could be happy.

[Spike]

From the article:

Despite your insulations that the IRL trails CART on America's airwaves, the ratings say otherwise....

Do you suppose Jack meant "insinuations?"

Then, there's this:

... Pick one of the other...

Does ESPN have a proof-reader assigned to Jack? They need one.

Nit-picking aside, Jack makes a few good (if not new) points. I was, however, surprised to see Jack state the following:

When CART started out, it was because Indy Car racing was being led by fools. Their ineptness surfaced on a regular basis. CART was the only alternative to eventual extinction.

That's the sort of thing that'll get a guy roasted around here!

[Mackie]

Jack has come a long way, he used to have a message board on his site, he was about a year out of being a pit road reporter on the CART TV "shows," and I guess still held out hope of further paydays form that side of the page. Anyway, Jack would tolerate nothing like what he just wrote on his site. At the time I posted there I would sometime refer to CART as BART, Brazilian Auto Racing Teams, I got a stern warning from Lack about that. His latest offering is nothing but a rehash of old news.

The one thing gained from Jacks column is how ill-advised Pook is in making his attacks on the IRL, he still grasps firmly on the IRL attendance at Fontana and tries to insinuate that it is the norm. In doing that he is insulting the whole sport and embarrassing the followers of his own sport. Same can be said for his ratings comment, I can think of one weekend where the two series went head to head that was close in numbers, but short on households.

This guy was to be CART's savior?

[Indyknut]

When CART started out, it was because Indy Car racing was being led by fools. Their ineptness surfaced on a regular basis. CART was the only alternative to eventual extinction.

At least he didn't get this part wrong. I believe Tony finally booted those fools out a few years ago.

[skypigeon]

SS,DD.

The best thing CART can do right now is cease to be--as CART. Get it private again, change its name, change its focus to road and street courses, change the cars to something never seen before, and (other than letting its drivers come race Indy) have nothing to do with the IRL.

You can't tell me Pook doesn't know this, so why does he waste time talking about, much less insulting, a series that's not really his competition anymore? If it ever was?

[Mr. Offy]

Hey Spike, Are you the official grammer policeman on Trackforum? It is sad to see CART self-destruct before our eyes. As an open wheel fan, it's embarrassing to watch.

[Spike]

Originally posted by Mr. Offy:
<STRONG>Hey Spike, Are you the official grammer policeman on Trackforum?</STRONG>

What's "grammer?"

No, not a policeman or (as suggested elsewhere) a grade school teacher - I did teach college for several years - it's just a major pet peeve of mine that in a forum where our only tools are written words a lot of tool boxes are near empty.

It's like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight.

I couldn't help but laugh when Jack wrote about Chris Pook's "insulations." I mean, he's getting paid as a writer, folks! Maybe he knows something about Chris working on some sort of home-improvement project and got confused.

I also have to laugh when he chides Pook over inflating attendance numbers while at the same time trying to float 20,000 as the number for Fontana. That's far and away the highest number I've ever seen attributed to that fiasco. I was there and it wasn't half that.

[stan]

Bout time someone called Pookie out on his outlandish statements. The only thing you can lay claim to is Fontana, and accourding to the leaders of that facility watch out for next year.

[crispy]

Originally posted by Spike:
<STRONG>
it's just a major pet peeve of mine that in a forum where our only tools are written words a lot of tool boxes are near empty.
</STRONG>

There not either!

[Spike]

Originally posted by stan:
<STRONG>Bout time someone called Pookie out on his outlandish statements. The only thing you can lay claim to is Fontana, and accourding to the leaders of that facility watch out for next year.</STRONG>

Actually, Pook was called out on this quite a while ago. I referenced Fontana because Jack did.

What's "accourding?"

[Kart29]

I concur skypigeon! There's definitely a place for OW road racing in the U.S.. But CART has dishonored and deformed itself and burnt so many bridges that it's time to start with a clean sheet of paper.

Then we can say the war is over and let by-gones be by-gones. Heck a new organization could even work together with the IRL to promote open wheel racing as a whole. What's good for the sport is good for the IRL.