Colorado's IRL race in danger??

[Outlaw]

From the Denver Post

Colorado's IRL race in danger


I don't really know what to say. I never considered the fact that I could lose my local race.

Outlaw

[jmart]

I read this this AM. The author attempts to link CART's future success to keeping PPIR -- yeah, right. In the end I suspect PPIR will be added and this will have been much ado about nothing.

jmart

[Cygni]

I dont think the IRL will drop PPIR if they add roadcourses... that kinda seems like 1+1=3 to me...

[Powercat]

I think it's fair to say that if you were going to pick which will be around longer and you had to choose the CART race in Denver or the IRL race at PPIR I think the latter will be continuing to race in the shadow of the fourteener for years to come.

[JBaiza]

Re: Colorado's IRL race in danger??

IRL vice president Fred Nation said of 2005 and beyond. "There is also some additions and subtractions to the schedule, but we will not necessarily need to subtract an oval to add a road course."

Pikes Peak president Rob Johnson said,...... "I can guarantee that the IRL is committed to this track. That doesn't scare me at all."

Tim Tuttle, former editor of On Track magazine, It's "part of the IRL's core product," ..... "It draws better than Nazareth (Pa.) and Homestead (Fla.) and is a little better than Nashville (Tenn.), which has sold out three years in a row, but with less seats. I can see Pikes Peak selling out in the next five years."

Now ... how did the writer of this article come to this conclusion again?

[PHJIndy]

Bunch of horsefeathers!

[slinger]

I haven't seen so much spin since I left Washington. Oh well, I guess they have to print something.

[R_Mears_Fan]

After the quality of racing the IndyCars put on there this year, I would be very dissappointed if they pull the track from the schedule. With that said, it doesn't seem that likely it will go.

[220mph]

Mike Chambers does provide decent racing coverage and commentry. That said he threw a big 'ol wad of poo up against the wall there and got a bunch of responses.

He got CART's Adam Sall to play the "poor us - always picked on by the IRL" whine. He got Fred Nation to offer a little more insight on the IRL's plans.

And he got Rob Johnson to tell the truth

I was wrong once, but doubt am am this time when I say that PPIR is not going anywhere.

Not only have they been one of the IRL's strong supporters since day one, but they have a stable and growing fan base as well. Add that they are in "partnership" with ISC and the fact that when Radisson's contract was up they had multiple sponsors bidding for race and track sponsorships.

Lat, everyone likes going there - its a beutiful place.

What I would like to see is an expansion of the very loose deal this year with the association with the PP Hill Climb.

A real Rocky Mountain Speed Weeks would be a benefit to all. Not sure but I believe that PPIR's traditional date is the new USGP date. Move PPIR a week later so it is just a week ahead of hill climb. Then leave the following week open and have the IRL teams drivers etc stick around to be part of the hill climb. Offer a super pass to all.

Makes a nice vacation for everyone after Indy and the co-marketing helps promote both . . .

[GlennH]

I sure hope he's right. In general, I agree with 220 in regards to Mike Chambers. I've had several email conversations with the man and I feel that he's a fairly strong IRL supporter. I can only hope that his imagination ran a little wild rather than him falling into journalistic muck throwing for attention.

He does bring up some good points about attendance and the contract, but I really hope the optimistic view above override those unfortunate facts.

...and last but not least, I renew my hope that cart continues to stay in business and keeps a hold on all those silly road/street parades.

[indyracer56]

"Having one or two token road races, likely at Watkins Glen and Sonoma, doesn't make you a diverse series," CART vice president Adam Saal said of the rival IRL. "The question is, are they going street racing?"

Is that like a series that has 3 "token" oval races this year?

[don7031]

The problem with all these speculation articles is that they are five years behind the times. I keep reading how the IRL must go street racing and must do it at Long Beach. In 2003 Long Beach erected 40,768 grandstand seats and didn't come close to filling them. If Long Beach was an IRL venue, it would be amongst the weakest venues and all these "experts" would have it atop the list of events to receive the chop.

[Powercat]

Great post 220! I couldn't agree more. I think it seems natural to have an association with the hill climb, and I think a Colorado speedweek would be a great idea. I would go for something like having the USAC Rocky Mountain Classic and Craftsman Trucks on the first weekend, followed by the Hill Climb on Saturday of the next weekend and the IPS and IndyCar race on the last Sunday with a concert or victory celebration involving the winners of the different events on each weekend (since the USAC or NCTS drivers might not be able to stick around). Make the week into a festival in the Springs with concerts, parades, Sky Sox games, an airshow perhaps.... there are lots of possibilities.
Plus, it would be great if they can could offer special train or bus trips to and from Denver on both weekends to try and get more people to come down.

One unlikely thing that would help attendance IMO would be PPIR landing a Cup race. I think more people in the Denver area would be attracted to making the drive. Unless they put in more seating, I don't think NASCAR is interested.

As far as the USGP date, if I am correct it is a week after the PPIR date. But I am not sure. Pikes Peak is usually run on Father's Day weekend, and the week after the night race at Texas.

[$noopy]

I thought I read somewhere that the management of PPIR said they would like a second IRL race. Maybe I'm dreaming?

[BlueStang]

Originally posted by indyracer56
"Having one or two token road races, likely at Watkins Glen and Sonoma, doesn't make you a diverse series," CART vice president Adam Saal said of the rival IRL. "The question is, are they going street racing?"

Funny how having RC's doesn't make you diverse, but how adding SC's does.