Mario and CCWS

[racinthestreets]

Two days before OWRS takes over CCWS - officially. I cannot help but wonder where Mario Andretti is going to fit in. It has been rumored that he could partner with Newman or Hass for a third car in that stable. It must be terribly hard for him at this point. I have no idea what his relationship with PG, KK and GF is. His son is a major (largest) team owner in IRL. He has to be torn. He is a road racer to the core. It was suggested that the new owners should develop a logo like the NBA (Jerry West). I think a nice logo with an image of Mario would be most appropriate.

[Tim Northcutt]

Mario is a racer...period....in any format of racing....he drove on dirt track ovals long before he got into Champ Cars...

When he appeared last May on "Windtunnel," Dave asked him:

"What was the MOST FUN you ever had in a race car?"

Mario's answer:

"Getting out on the track first at Springfield (Illinois), so that I could drive that sprint car as hard and as fast as possible on a good track into the first turn at full throttle...I knew that the track would go downhill with every lap that would follow and would get slippery as the day went on..but that first hard lap on the fresh dirt was always the best fun I've ever had."

Doesn't sound like an answer you'd expect from an F-1 World Champ, or a "road racer to the core" to me...

I don't doubt that he liked some forms of racing better than others, and I'm not Mario, so I can't really answer for him...there is no doubt that he loves roda racing...

but given that response on "Windtunnel," I wouldn't necessarily assume anything about him....


I would like to see hem have some part in OWRS...but I'd rather see him do a team in ALMS....

[racinthestreets]

Doesn't sound like an answer you'd expect from an F-1 World Champ, or a "road racer to the core" to me...

Okay, so I presumed that Mario prefered road courses. Look at what he said about Road America being one of the greatest tracks in the world. Not to play on words, he does describe the dirt track as "fun".

One more day until the sale is final. I do want to see Mario as a team owner in CCWS. And despite all the negative talk from Michael A. - I hope he returns to this series as well someday.

[indycool]

Certainly can't speak for him but Mario's probably in a bit of a quandary right now, as posted by the thread starter, on where he might fit in. He's been a proponent of one series and that's farther apart right now than it's ever been. He's also a creditor of CART to the tune of $90,000 in stiffed personal services debts and who knows what he might get out of that, or how he'll feel about the new approach.

He's been pretty quiet lately.....like others, he's probably waiting to see.

[Snrub]

Last year Mario was at Delaware Speedway near London Ontario (halfway between Toronto and Detroit) for a Cascar event. He spoke quiet fondly about his days of driving similar cars and driving at Delaware. He's a racer, period.

Mario was intimately involved in CART so I somehow doubt that he was "stiffed" or didn't know that it would happen. A list of creditors was posted a while back and many of them were what one might call friendly creditors. (eg. was Forsythe upset that he was owed millions?)

I know posts aren't suppose to be to personal, but I must say this:

Sorry, Snrub. But I'd do the same for you.
-Macdaddy

[Mags]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
"What was the MOST FUN you ever had in a race car?"

Kate's got an interview with him in less than 3 weeks - lets see if he still says the same thing!!

[racinthestreets]

"What was the MOST FUN you ever had in a race car?"

Most fun is one thing. I hope the question is asked again to see what would be said. He has said that his greatest thrill was winning the F-1 Championship.

[enemy-ace]

I've heard Mario say in other interviews as well that SprintCars were the most fun to drive. I wouldn't expect his answer to change. A lot of very talented racers have come out of SprintCars, it's highly under-rated.

[Muzza]

I don't expect Mario Andretti to involve himself so closely with ChampCars for the time being.

The reasons are not related to Michael Andretti's engagement to IRL or any possible dissension between Mario and Gentilozzi, Kalkhoven or Forsythe (quite the opposite, read below). Instead Mario has demonstrated along his career on the track - as well as after it - being an extremely skilled businessman.

Mario has amassed a significant empire, and is an extremely wealthy man - and the point that I would like to emphasize: his financial health is only partially due to the money he made racing. The secret of his success stems from investing it in the savviest way. Looking back the years, I cannot recall a single event when Mario lost [I]his own money[/] in racing ventures; if there was any risk, it was passed on to sponsors and partners (Parnelli Jones might assess my words well).

Older fellows may also recall that Mario skilfully played no one else than Enzo Ferrari to sign him under a particularly flexible - and "highly rewarding" - contract in 1971. I doubt any other driver in the world was paid so much to drive so little at that time. In 1982, when Andretti subbed for the red team (after Gilles Villeneuve had been killed and Pironi mauled, Ferrari was only running one car, for Tambay) and put it on the pole for the GP of Italy (a most emotional moment, that even non-Ferrari fans like me still cherish) he was again very, very well paid. And on and on - because Mario has always been able to skilfully negotiate contracts.

Another of his strong qualities is risk assessment - and here lies the reason for his "cold feet" towards ChampCars. The long-term future of the series is still unclear, and Mario does not want to commit to a business with such a profile. Yes, he will publicly give all his support and raise his voice for the ChampCars, but don't expect more than that for the time being (also, he got quite upset about the event surrounding the Road America race of last year, as I had the chance of talking to him once and I reported in this forum).

This is a tricky situation as the OWRS board - particularly Kevin Kalkhoven - is looking for some "golden figures of racing" to boost the profile of the series. The Power Trio of OWRD has approached Mario several times – as reported a few times by several magazines and websites late last year – but Mario politely dodged them.

For this and for other reasons is that I keep drawing your attention to the fact that the man that is going to assume a more prominent role in this scenario in the future is Emerson Fittipaldi - I will write about this separately, as this posting is already long enough.

About Mario, we will need to have the same attitude he is showing now to figure out what lays ahead about his dealings with OWRS: wait and see.

Cheers,


Muzza

[racinthestreets]

Yes, he will publicly give all his support and raise his voice for the ChampCars, but don't expect more than that for the time being

Thanks for the post on Mario. Thanks for the history, look forward to your aticle on Emmo.

I expect/hope to see Mario at every race this year - even when a race is scheduled on the same date as the IRL. Even if he takes a wait and see approach, his presense at the race and on the camera will be nothing put positive for the series. I am sure Mario knows this and will be on the paddock and in pit lane IMO.

[indycool]

Agree, Muzza......Mario -- and others -- just aren't going to give a blind-faith "Tallyho" to this just yet. I share your belief that Emmo will probably be in the forefront some way. They tried to get him a team but he hasn't yet acquired a sponsor. That was one way to make him visible. Palling around with him in Brazil last week was another way.

[Mags]

Originally posted by racinthestreets
Yes, he will publicly give all his support and raise his voice for the ChampCars, but don't expect more than that for the time being

Thanks for the post on Mario. Thanks for the history, look forward to your aticle on Emmo.

I expect/hope to see Mario at every race this year - even when a race is scheduled on the same date as the IRL. Even if he takes a wait and see approach, his presense at the race and on the camera will be nothing put positive for the series. I am sure Mario knows this and will be on the paddock and in pit lane IMO.

He didn't go to many, if ANY I recall, last year. Did he? I'm sure I'll be INSTANTLY corrected if he did...

[racinthestreets]

He was definately at the Cleveland Race. I remember the TV shots of him paling around the paddock. Come to think of it, I was at LB, Portland and Vancouver and do not recall seeing him at those races. I just assumed that as Director he was at the races someplace. One of you "in the loop" please ask him if he will be at LB.

[Mags]

Originally posted by racinthestreets
He was definately at the Cleveland Race. I remember the TV shots of him paling around the paddock. Come to think of it, I was at LB, Portland and Vancouver and do not recall seeing him at those races. I just assumed that as Director he was at the races someplace. One of you "in the loop" please ask him if he will be at LB.

We shall ask him at Sebring.

[racinthestreets]

Thanks Mags. With any luck, I will get to ask him myself at the CCWS kick off event in LB on March 8th and 9th. Naturally your access as a reporter and mine as a fan is slightly different.

[Mags]

Originally posted by racinthestreets
Thanks Mags. With any luck, I will get to ask him myself at the CCWS kick off event in LB on March 8th and 9th. Naturally your access as a reporter and mine as a fan is slightly different.

Mario is ALWAYS accessable! He's a dear. That's part of his charm

[Jazner]

I guess we'll all have to take the "wait and see" approach when it comes to Mario's involvment in the series. HOWEVER, one group who DOES NOT need to hold that position is OWRS. Paul and the crew need to exhaust every method of persuasion they have to get mario as involved as they can in CCWS. Any time you can put his name/face along with your series, it looks very good. The more involved he is, the better.

As far as the comment on a new logo for CCWS, I like it. If you're shooting for a new image, then you need just that.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by racinthestreets
(...) Thanks for the post on Mario. Thanks for the history, look forward to your aticle on Emmo.

Hello, racingthestreets,

You can read an article on I co-wrote with Don Sklenka about Emmo's significance to these new spheres of power at:

http://www.champweb.net/newsx261.htm

Regards,


Muzza

[racinthestreets]

Thank you Muzza.

Fascinating article. It will be so cool to see teams from South America, Austraila and possibly South Africa competing in the CCWS. Each day it appears that the big three of OWRS have got it together. Thanks again.

[Muzza]

Thanks, racinthestreets.

An update: Amir Nasr Racing decided to branch out to Brazilian Stock Cars rather than ChampCars (*), as I talked to a team member two days ago.

They will race Adalberto Jardim (seasoned and consistent) and (the quite fast, ex-IRL) VÃ*tor Meira in the Brazilian Stock Cars championship. Amir Nasr Racing is one of the best organized racing teams in Brazil. It won the South American Formula 3 Championship four times, more than any rival.

The news that Amir Nasr Racing will have a stock car team is somewhat similar to what happened in the United States when Chip Ganassi opened a NASCAR venture.

(*) This was a consideration for 2005, not 2004.

Regards,

[Hazza]

It has been suggested that Mario will run a ChampCar arm of AGR if the series pans out okay...

[Snrub]

I agree, good article Muzza. IMO it simply does not make sense that CART doesn't have a successful race in Brazil. The TV royalty part was simply insain. Why oh why would anyone want to keep Brazillians from watching?