[luke]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Ok, so some of the posters here talk of a "beat down" with the implication that anyone who posits that CC is not in real good shape is doing that to the posts of others. Meanwhile, the same folks doing the complaining parse the posts quote-by-quote...a case of the pot calling the kettle black, methinks.

NO. we are not talking about anyone who doesn't say Champ Car isn't in good shape beats down the series. We didn't say that. Oh comes on a rant again. It's well 'known' those that beat down Champ Car 100% of posts, and are even part of a different area. Not to name anybody. That is different John to posting constructive criticism and support every now and then like say moi and enjoy the racing. When it gets posted in racing topics that annoys me as there is just ill-intent. When was the last time you posted anythig positive about CC? If you are posting 'constrictive criticism' funny how you never mention any negatives of the IRL next door. Can we please just enjoy Champ car?

No pre-season hype?? Are you kidding? Remember the famous KK statement regarding the limit to the number of cars that could compete because the response was so good? Not more cars from the same teams but new teams - Minardi was to be a "new" team not the purchase of an existing team. Further, Forsythe significantly cut back on operations not adding a second car until the last moment, otherwise we would see 16, not 17 cars. Beyond that we have the small matter of doing the schedule every year on a chalkboard...

There was no hype. There was confidence and support that the car count would increase with new teams and hopefully roll in to 20. There may have been forum members predicting 26 plus, that is their opinion.

And if I may, it was not me who said the "big teams are all gone." I could care less what they name the teams. Nor am I at all "offended by the existence of CC." What I am offended by is all the PR pablum that has been fed to us about the season both before and during. CC raised expectations - period. When some of us disputed that we were told that things were different. Well they are not. Johnson has come and gone, Cotman has been an improvement but he still gets his checks from the hobby racers.

The 'hobby racers', yeah you could do a better job at running Champ Car.

This is not about putting forward the notion of "letting Tony have it." It IS about wishing somebody would get their crap together and do open wheel racing justice. Right now, all CC is doing is taking attention away from what should be a rebuilding rather than what it has become: essentially a Series that is failing. It is like selling tickets to watch Hospice care - some days the patient does well, but for the most part the result is a foregone conclusion. Has the racing been good? At times, yes but geez. The car was and is unreliable, was poorly tested and wouldn't even take fuel properly. Races have seen nearly half the field or better wiped out by incompetent driving or mechanical failures.

NO. That was 1 race, Las Vegas. I was personally disapointed that there were still problems for the first race, but with any new car there are problems. The GP2 car had a lot of problems in the first races. There were issues but there would be for any new car for a full field.

You know, the purpose of this forum is to discuss what is going on, not to act as some sort of sanctuary for the worship of CC or IRL or any form of racing. Go to any other forum here and you will find folks calling it as they see it. Period.

We try to enjoy Champ Car, I long for a time when Champ car fans can enjoy discussing the sport without rants or bashing every topic.