say you won the lottery......

[Heath Hamilton]

so, im standing in line at the Big Game ticket counter this morning..and i get to thinking, what if i won?

how much money would it take to start up a team, basing it on 2 cars. im talking about an upper echelon team capable of competing with chip and roger?

the goal would be to fund it yourself until your ontrack performance, and the utilization of a top notch marketing group, could secure major sponsorship.

also, you would want to hire the best crew, crew chief, engineers and team managers available. you would also want to do the maximum possible testing.

obviously, if tony stewart is taking 5 million to the bank, you kind of know what you could pay a driver from any existing series to run in your car.

you also set up merch trailers.

OR

do you secure your drivers with your money, and take them to a team that already exists, like roger or chip, and simply be the car owner, letting the experienced boys worry about the logistics...?

[Wheel-Nut]

If I won the lottery I would put as much distance as possible between my money and auto racing!!

[FishBurger]

If I hit the lottery I'll buy a couple sprint cars and a couple champ dirt cars (one of each for dirt and one of each for pavement). Then I would hire Dave Darland to drive and let him hire a crew. Then I would try to stay out of their way other than writing checks and enjoying my view from atop the hauler.

With that, I'm outta here and beginning my 2 1/2 hour drive to Terre Haute.

I MUST be off!

[Jamski]

I wouldn't start a team. I'd lay some green on PDM and Access. It'd have two advantages: you already have the personnel and equipment in place, and they've both shown the knack for getting the most out of the least. I'd do the same for Dick Simon if he were still around.

[KnockOff]

I'd create the Texas version of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and hold it on my palacial compound in the Texas Hill Country.

I'd call it Lord Geezer's "Get Wood Festival of Rubbin' and Racin'".

The Hooter's jet would be chartered to fly in Track Forum members from all over the U.S. of A. (and Hawaii) who would then be chauffeured around the racing ranch by the Trim Spa Taxi Tarts.

Hey, y'all plan on it, ok?

[3-wide]

If I hit the lottery big, I'd purchase an IMS corporate suite* and bring out scores of friends and acquaintances to enjoy the fun. (And hopefully create a few new fans in the process.)

*I don’t know if they are available but that doesnt’ matter. I’m not going to hit the lottery either.

[Gerald Laurie]

I'd put together a three car team with Davey Hamilton as driver and driver coach and I'd put Troy Regier and Bud Kaeding in as rookies. I'd test as much as possible and then turn 'em loose for the Championship and ROY runs. I'd add a two car IPS team with Lonnie Adamson and Tony Hunt in the seats.

[Shadow101]

I would guess an initial investment of $8M-$10M to get started. Unless you buy into PDM or Access or someone else with infrastructure already in place.

Two cars for the whole season. I would hire Jimmy Vasser 'cause I think he's a cool dude and team player. Then go for the best young gun I could hire - Yeley if available. I would run a third car at Indy for Wardy.

After winning Indy in my first year, I would then take Wheel Nut's advice and run away from racing as fast as I could with the little bit of $$ I had left. I would show up at the Get Wood Festival at KnockOff's place and gravy train my reputation as the car owner with the highest winning percentage at Indianapolis. Roger Penske who?

[NoviVespa]

If I won the lottery. I would promote Silver Crown USAC cars to run the permanent road courses across America. Maybe this will help short-trackers get a chance to run in the IRL.

[Truth Detector]

I'd hire Tim Bumps to run the team, jl to be engineer, 220 to market the team, dog to spot, defender to do PR, and a handful of others to do the rest of the work.

Drivers? Tracy Hines & Dave Steele.

[Z28]

If that lottery day should come, I would spent $2-4 million on finding sponsorships for a 2 or 3 car IRL team, not just pay it to race. This way the race team would be covered and I wouldn't be worried about spending myself broke. the money I spent in racing would be to drum up sponsors, if I found more than I needed in a given time frame I would steer that money towards drivers and teams I liked.

[IndyMJH]

I'd buy a motor coach and spend the rest of my life going to races all over this beautiful country of ours.

Do Monte Carlo "FIRST CLASS".

A suite at Indy, then show those people how to throw a REAL party.

[MicroRacer]

I'd hire J.J Yeley away from Ford and make either Dave Steele or Tracy Hines as my second driver. I'd hire the best engineer that I could find then I would let these 2 drivers race a full season then watch out the second season. I believe by the second season that both drivers would be contending for wins.

I’d do my part to bring Indy oval track racing back to where it belongs and that’s with the oval track drivers.

[2wheelshortacar]

I have thought about this many times.

Take the money invest it.

Take the returns from the investment, and give a young deserving open wheel driver a shot at the worlds greatest race, once a year. With QUALITY equipment and team members.

[Outlaw]

The first thing I would do is go the Penske organization and see if they would let me buy in as a co-owner. If they said no I would work my way down, Ganassi, AGR, Panther, RBTC, Menards, etc. I would then stand back and watch and learn.

My ultimate goal would be to own multiple teams. USAC Silver Crown, USAC Midget, USAC Sprint, WoO Sprint, IndyCar, IPS. NO FENDERS.

Outlaw