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Blog April 2007
- Kalkhoven Proposed Champ Car Foray at Indy
- Apr 24, 2007
- Blog
“On or about February 10th, I spoke with Kevin on the phone when he suggested that perhaps he could exercise some flexibility with China to free up the month of May,” said George. “He offered, hypothetically and potentially, that it might be interesting to run 6-8 of the CC teams and drivers in the 500, which of course it would be, and stir some rivalries such as; Sam and Sebastian; Danica and Katherine; Marco and Graham, etc.
George: “The reality is that there are too many moving parts to make that happen.”
“He then pointed out that they had no engines, chassis, or sponsors to help make that happen and we would have to figure that out. He made no specific suggestion or offer, but the inference was the 500 would be the beneficiary of that scenario, therefore, I should be left to ponder. Which I did, but the reality is that there are too many moving parts to make that happen.”Sure, I’d like to do it again but only under the right circumstances,” said three-time CC champ Sebastien Bourdais, who competed with his then Newman/Haas teammate Bruno Junqueira in 2004 and 2005. “I mean, those IRL teams have had those cars for three or four years now and they’ve gained a lot since we were last there.
“You’re not going to be able to just get a car and engine and think you can compete with Penske, Ganassi and Andretti’s team. Without testing and the proper setup, we’d get our ass kicked.”
- World of Outlaws to Change Late Model Series Title
- Apr 23, 2007
- Blog
World Racing Group announced today, effective immediately its national late model touring series will be known as the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, removing 360OTC as title sponsor.
“We enthusiastically promoted the 360OTC brand and were delivering, and even over delivering, on our obligations in the partnership,” said World Racing Group CEO Tom Deery. “Unfortunately, Rockford-Montgomery Labs and its 360OTC brand were not able to live up to its responsibilities and obligations and we are effectively ending the sponsorship.
“The most important message is that the World of Outlaws Late Model Series is stronger than it’s ever been. The series has scheduled the most events in 2007 it’s ever had, 54 including some of the biggest Late Model events in the country. SPEED TV has and will continue to be a great partner, and our year end drivers point fund, winners circle, TV and schedule will be unchanged,” continued Deery.
- NASCAR’s fact-finding tour of China
- Apr 23, 2007
- Blog
NASCAR is not doing much these days to disguise its international aspirations and the news that chairman Brian France, senior vice president Paul Brooks, international managing director Robbie Weiss and consultant Ken Clapp are all off for a week-long visit to China to discuss possible projects with the government there should set alarm bells ringing in F1 circles. NASCAR says that it has no plans to send the Nextel Cup series to China and that the talks are centred on setting up junior series at Chinese race tracks. The ultimate outcome of that, however, would be to create demand for a Nextel Cup race. NASCAR ran three exhibition races in Japan between 1996 to 1998 and more recently has run a Busch Series race in Mexico and intends to move into Canada this summer with a Busch Series race in Montreal in August.
- What deadline? 500 woos teams
- Apr 21, 2007
- Blog
“We showed them all the costs . . . and, oh, by the way, here’s the prize package from last year that shows how you can possibly close the gap (on the bottom line).” The 10-page booklet includes a breakdown of all equipment-related items, including the option of using the latest chassis or the 2005 model. Teams can further reduce costs by waiting until the second week to participate.
The most expensive option—a 2006 Dallara that can be used for all on-track activities—is $681,250 with ancillary equipment expenses included. The same car rolled out as a second-week participant is $527,200.
The Panoz chassis program hasn’t had the same amount of development, so it costs less. A monthlong program is $475,250; a second-week participant pays $321,200. Several costs are fixed, including entry fees ($8,500), fuel ($1,500), team and driver license fees ($750 each), and the electronics package ($30,000). Engines can be leased by the month ($225,000) or part time ($95,000). A month’s tire bill is $64,750; a partial is $40,700.The booklet also details sponsorship benefits, including free pace car and two-seater Indy-car rides, radio broadcast spots, rounds of golf at the Brickyard Crossing and advertising space at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and shows that the smallest check from last year’s 500 was for $193,305.
- Nascar Faces a Less Certain Future
- Apr 15, 2007
- Blog
California Speedway does not sell out for either Nextel Cup race. Attendance figures are not released, but there have been patches of empty seats as Nascar struggles to win over Southern California, including the Latino market.
Perhaps even more important to the state of Nascar, though, is that an examination of television ratings in specific markets suggests it may not be gaining as many fans in new and bigger areas as it has lost from its Southeast base. In fact, Nascar may be losing fans in both places.
From 2004 through last season, ratings for races broadcast on Fox in the top five markets dropped in all but New York, where the ratings were stagnant. In Los Angeles, they fell by 22.2 percent, in Chicago by 12.5 percent and in Philadelphia by nearly 28 percent. At the same time, Fox ratings in some traditionally strong markets also fell. Atlanta was down by 18.2 percent; Greensboro, N.C., by 8 percent; and Greenville, S.C., 1.5 percent.The ratings for broadcasts of the Daytona 500 since 2004 have fallen as well, about 40 percent in Los Angeles, 28 percent in Chicago and about 11 percent in the New York, according to Nielsen Media Research.
“I know that some core fans have had some displeasure with the rules and regulations, the Car of Tomorrow, and some new fans might not like those things either,” said Robin Pemberton, Nascar’s competition director. “When you’re in the middle of something so successful, and the expectations are up, it’s hard to meet everybody’s expectations.“You just take the criticisms, move on and hope the fans understand that things can’t stay the same forever.”
- GP2 Asia
- Apr 14, 2007
- Blog
Bernie Ecclestone says that he would like to see an Asian version of GP2 in Asia during the winter months, in order to help the sport grow in the emerging markets. It is very important for the F1 chief to find drivers from some of the new countries to bring in more viewers. At the moment the locals have to move to Europe and race in Formula 3 or GP2 in order to get the exposure and experience necessary for F1. An Asian GP2 series would probably end up feeding the European-based GP2 serfies but it would also have the useful side-effect of damaging the A1 Grand Prix Series which runs races in Asia in the winter months. Many of the existing GP2 teams run A1 teams in the winter months and would probably stop doing that if they were able to use the machinery for both championships.
- Earnhardt Jr., DEI on clock
- Apr 11, 2007
- Blog
Elledge reiterated that Earnhardt Jr. wants at least 51 percent ownership of DEI, a company his late father, seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, started along with Teresa. “Fifty-one is the right number because that gives us control,” she said. “We’ll take 75 or 95 or whatever we work out ... (but) 51 gives you control. The biggest reason we want ownership in the Cup program is so that we can direct it to where we feel like it needs to go. “It is no secret that that business has not been at its maximum potential. There hasn’t been someone solid in the business putting the resources back into the race team.” “We want Dale to drive 10 or 12 more years. We’ve got to get on the race track and win and get competitive and win championships. We have to have a situation that provides that for him.”
- Cup - IRL twofer?
- Apr 11, 2007
- Blog
But why not have a Busch/IRL doubleheader on a Saturday? Again, it’s money. No track promoter would pay double sanctioning fees for one crowd. A day-night doubleheader with separate tickets is possible, or even a Friday night Busch race and Saturday IRL race. But NASCAR officials wouldn’t want to do it. Why? Cup races at these intermediate ovals haven’t always produced the best racing. A Cup event the day after an IRL race might pale in comparison to the three-wide racing and consistent passing up front IRL events often have at these tracks.
- Massa (after being embarrassed): I WILL GET EVEN
- Apr 11, 2007
- Blog
FELIPE MASSA vowed revenge after rookie racer Lewis Hamilton made a fool of him in a Malaysian Grand Prix thriller. In only his second Grand Prix the 22-year-old Briton tricked Ferrari’s veteran of 72 Formula One starts into sliding out of control twice as they scrapped for second place in Sepang. “I could see Alonso getting away. I had a car which could maybe go with him so I was only thinking of overtaking Hamilton,” said Massa.
- Darrell Waltrip: Box Car Blues
- Apr 11, 2007
- Blog
Every day I run into people here in Franklin, Tenn. who ask, “What do you call that new car that they ran at Bristol and Martinsville anyway? It doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen before. They said it’s an Impala or a Fusion, but it doesn’t look like an Impala or a Fusion. Why do they call them something when that’s not what they really are?”
I don’t really have a good answer, but fans are a little bit put out by the fact that the cars are called something that they really don’t look like. I think a more generic name would be better so they should be called Fords, Chevrolets, Toyotas and Dodges. They shouldn’t be given a brand name because they don’t look like that brand. If you can’t buy one, why do you want to call it one?
Maybe I’m putting on my marketing hat now, but I kiddingly call it the “box car.” People ask, “Why? Because it’s square like a box?” No, because everybody you talk to says NASCAR has teams in a tight box with brake ducts, bumpstops and tailclips. If you’re in a box, then it must be a “box car.” It’s not a very attractive name, and some folks wouldn’t think it’s necessarily a great name. We have the current car, which is the car the Nextel Cup Series will run at Texas, and we can only call the Car of Tomorrow by that name for so long. It’s a generic car, and it should have a generic name so it is what it is. It’s a Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge or Toyota.
Some people won’t agree with “box car,” but some marketing guy ought to be able to take that name and do something with it. Maybe I’ll call my brother.
- F1 is not my cup of tea
- Apr 11, 2007
- Blog
Football and badminton are what I follow passionately but, having missed the last eight editions, I was among the 100,000-plus who caught this year’s Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix at the Sepang Circuit on Sunday.
And I was impressed, though not so much with the race as I found it a tad disheartening that once Fernando Alonso took the lead, there was not even a decent attempt by the red machines of Ferrari to give the world champion a run for his money.
But what was impressive was the atmosphere, though as a football fan, I must say that F1 still has a long way to go before it can come anywhere close to the magic that a football stadium, with even 50,000 fans, has.
Still — even if the fans around where I sat were a little subdued — the atmosphere is there and what is heartening is that more and more Malaysians are making the journey, and I must say it is a ‘journey’ for it took two hours to get from Bangsar to my designated seat with my two mates, in the grand stand at Sepang.
The two-hour drive was worth it though for it is an experience and Malaysians from all walks of life joined the huge number of foreigners to enjoy the race and everything connected with it.
- Deal could move earth and water
- Apr 11, 2007
- Blog
Gibbs Technologies clocked up more PR points when Sir Richard Branson drove the Aquada across the English Channel, breaking the then amphibious vehicle record by four hours and 20 minutes. The British Virgin tycoon wanted to put an Aquada fleet to service for business customers on his Virgin Atlantic airline, as, by using the Thames as a highway, it could cut 45 minutes off the journey to Heathrow Airport. But although 45 prototypes were sold, mass production of the Aquada was put on ice when Rover, maker of the Aquada’s 2.5 litre V6-K series engine, collapsed and was sold to BMW. The company is now lining up an alternative engine and expects to release details later this year.
- Busch Series may be headed back to normal
- Apr 11, 2007
- Blog
If everything goes well with the COT and NASCAR steps up the deployment of the COT from three years to two, Santa Claus will soon be coming to town in the Busch Series.
“I hope they leave,” said Hamilton. “I think that’s what they’re trying to do: Get it where there isn’t as much benefit for those Cup drivers and Cup teams. There will still be five or six of those guys, and I think that’s great, but I don’t agree with having Cup drivers win the championship, and I don’t agree with them running full-time. That’s just part of the sport and you’ve got to deal with it.”
Hamilton, 29, has won five Busch Series races. Four of them were in 2003. That’s more than the combined victory total for all non-Cup drivers over the last two seasons. Back in 2003, a man could concentrate on the Busch Series and, without having Cup manpower and technical behind him, still manage to win the occasional Busch Series race.
“A difference in the cars will help,” said Hamilton. “(Carl) Edwards and those guys, Kevin Harvick, they’re going to run because they just love to race, but if Cup’s running just the COT, they’re not going to learn anything in the Busch cars. There won’t be the incentive to run on Saturday to practice for Sunday. It just might get back like it used to be.
- Indy 500 field has 60 entries
- Apr 06, 2007
- Blog
Ganassi Racing, one of the last major teams to enter the Indianapolis 500, submitted four cars for former winner Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon, the IndyCar Series leader after the first two races this season.
WheldonThe Ganassi cars late Thursday boosted the number of entries to 60. The Speedway will accept others that were postmarked before the midnight Wednesday deadline.
ESPN
- Bourdais is skeptical about the performance of the new Champ Car
- Apr 05, 2007
- Blog
The engine has a strange mechanical glitch. At times, the transmission seems to have a mind of its own. And the gear shifters on the Elan Motorsports-designed Panoz DP01 are an unnecessary Formula One knockoff, a feature that makes the cars too easy to drive. Other than that, Sebastien Bourdais doesn’t have a problem with the new Champ Car.
“We have had a lot of problems and mechanical issues for sure. I just hope that all of the suppliers to the Champ Car World Series can get it figured out before we show up in Vegas,” said Bourdais, the three-time and defending series champion. “Overall, I guess the car is OK. … It’s OK.”
Orange County Register - Sports.
- Maybe not a night race, Singapore
- Apr 05, 2007
- Blog
THE question, for Jackie Stewart, is not whether there should be a Singapore Grand Prix. The racing legend has no doubt that Singapore will host a truly exciting race, considering the country’s success in so many other areas. The biggest concern for the three-time world champion is safety. Stewart, widely regarded as the voice of safety in motorsport, is unsure if the Republic should be the first country to host a night race on a street circuit. “It will be difficult to do it in Singapore because there isn’t likely to be any practice or dry run before the actual event,” Stewart said yesterday.
Channelnewsasia.com. - There should be only one Formula 1 Grand Prix in southeast Asia
- Apr 05, 2007
- Blog
There should be only one Formula 1 Grand Prix in southeast Asia, a top Malaysian minister said, but denied the country was jittery over neighboring Singapore’s bid to host it. “(The) region should have one F1 race. Singapore should not compete with Malaysia,” sports minister Azalina Othman Said said. “I am not worried. I have no concern with Singapore hosting the F1 race,” she added.
Commercial negotiations are under way and the wealthy Singapore government is prepared to offer support in order to host an F1 race in the city-state. A decision is expected after this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Formula 1 driver Mark Webber drove through the proposed street track in Singapore last weekend, fueling speculation that a decision is imminent.
Singapore’s trade and industry minister S Iswaran has told parliament the country was taking a “very serious look” at hosting an F1 race.
- Motorsport day of thunder dawns
- Apr 04, 2007
- Blog
A FIELD near the Gold Coast will become the epicentre of motorsport in the southern hemisphere with a proposed $650 million complex set to lure the world’s top racing. The project involves building a motorsport enclave on canefields on 400ha near Norwell, between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, and is expected to inject millions into the Queensland economy and create 5000 jobs.
This project is what we have needed for a long time ... we need something more than just club venues,” race legend Dick Johnson said.
“Queensland is starved for motor racing, and this will be a world-class facility that is not just about motor-racing events but about the whole business around it.’’
A world-class international motor racing complex is only weeks away from final approval.
The project is called i-METT (Integrated Motorsport Education Tourism and Technology).
- A look at the role of heat in Formula One tyre performance
- Apr 03, 2007
- Blog
In 2007, however, all teams have the same Bridgestone Potenza tyres so the focus has moved to the teams’ cars getting the optimum from the four compounds (a maximum of two at each race) they will use over the course of this season.
“At those circuits where we can expect high temperatures we will use our hard and medium compounds,” explains van de Grint. “During the competition days it was up to the tyre engineer to fine tune the selection of the right tyre as there were many options and smaller windows. But now it is up to teams to maximise their use of the tyres. We have selected the hard and medium compounds for the Malaysian Grand Prix, and I believe that the tyres can cope with the expected conditions. The car set-up and how the drivers use the tyres is the primary factor for success.
“For instance, if you have a situation where the rear of the car slides too much you will create more heat in the rear tyres than you actually want, which will not be such a good environment for the tyre to work in.”
- NASCAR is about winning again
- Apr 03, 2007
- Blog
A strange thing happened Sunday at Martinsville. Jimmie Johnson was leading teammate Jeff Gordon in the race’s closing laps, but instead of laying back and settling for second place like we have seen out of many drivers at the top of the standings in previous years, Gordon raced hard for the win.
The result: For the third time this season, we had an exciting, side-by-side finish, and that trend is not likely to end anytime soon. Apparently, winning is back in fashion in NASCAR. Why the new attitude? In January, NASCAR announced that it was changing the point system and the Chase for the Cup format to put more of an emphasis on winning, giving drivers more points for a victory and an extra bonus wins at the start of the Chase. If the number of close finishes this season has been any indication, those changes are having an effect on the way teams approach each race.
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