Goodbye IRL

Oldtony · 10 Nov 2008, 20:13 (Ref:2332667)

The Queensland Government announced this morning that IRL would be replaced bt A1GP for the annual October event.
Apparently TG wanted more money and a change of date. The Qld government wasn't willing to agree to either.
With the main reason for the event being TV exposure into potential International Tourist markets, the A1GP looks to be a better option for spending the dollars, and we get to watch Ferraris.

mountainstar · 10 Nov 2008, 21:00 (Ref:2332698)

Awesome.

It's pathetic the irl passed on this, but when one looks at the harebrained schedule, the lousy tv schedule and the old battleaxe cars it's no surprise. I've never watched and I certainly never will after this travesty.

I'm so glad A1 jumped on this and I heartily look forward to this race. Ferrari vs. dallara battlewagon. No comparison.

johntt · 10 Nov 2008, 22:18 (Ref:2332758)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Awesome.

It's pathetic the irl passed on this, but when one looks at the harebrained schedule, the lousy tv schedule and the old battleaxe cars it's no surprise. I've never watched and I certainly never will after this travesty.

I'm so glad A1 jumped on this and I heartily look forward to this race. Ferrari vs. dallara battlewagon. No comparison.

Agreed.

Lets hope A1GP can get its hands on Long Beach and ALMS can snag Cleveland.

climb · 12 Nov 2008, 11:04 (Ref:2333629)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

...

I'm so glad A1 jumped on this and I heartily look forward to this race. Ferrari vs. dallara battlewagon. No comparison.

I'm not that glad, because IRL lost an interesting event, and Surfers Paradise risk to find an empty slot nex year: will A1 GP still exist?

BTW: except for the trademark, the A1 chassis won't have much more from Ferrari, therefore I wouldn't set up a mocked rivalry

cptkablamo · 10 Nov 2008, 22:24 (Ref:2332764)

I'm gonna wait till official word comes from the event, A1 and Indy - this has been misreported too many times to get excited (or otherwise, I for one like the Indycars) now...

Aloysius · 10 Nov 2008, 22:39 (Ref:2332779)

If only I could get live A1GP. We only get occasional races months after they happen on Speed. Ofcourse, unless my cable company adds Versus in the next couple months, I won't be able to see most of the IRL either.

johntt · 10 Nov 2008, 22:57 (Ref:2332786)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aloysius

If only I could get live A1GP. We only get occasional races months after they happen on Speed. Ofcourse, unless my cable company adds Versus in the next couple months, I won't be able to see most of the IRL either.

The A1GP website has free streaming of all its races.

Oldtony · 11 Nov 2008, 00:14 (Ref:2332825)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aloysius

If only I could get live A1GP. We only get occasional races months after they happen on Speed. Ofcourse, unless my cable company adds Versus in the next couple months, I won't be able to see most of the IRL either.

It's an official announcement by the Qld Govt, the Gold Coast City Concil and the local organising committee.

Peter Ford · 11 Nov 2008, 00:23 (Ref:2332829)

It a sad day for motorsports in australia, i think i rather watch the indycars racing around surfers instead of the A1 cars,when they were at easern creek they coverage sucked and stands were half empty.

Tucky70 · 11 Nov 2008, 00:50 (Ref:2332839)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Ford

It a sad day for motorsports in australia, i think i rather watch the indycars racing around surfers instead of the A1 cars,when they were at easern creek they coverage sucked and stands were half empty.

I think you'll find that the crowds will still come for the A1/V8 Supercars.(A lot of the crowd are there for the "event", not the cars anyway) And I wouldn't be surprised to see if the new Ferrari powered A1 cars were quicker than this years IRL cars.

Atomic_Playboy · 11 Nov 2008, 01:57 (Ref:2332858)

I think they would be faster. Those IRL cars just had no power and speed through the corners at all. Champcar in 07 though that double chicane was just breath taking but this year the IRL cars just went careful, careful careful before nailing it on the exit (Don't get me started on how painfully slow some of the drivers went through there). It was easy to see why the IRL cars were 5-6 seconds slower than the Champcars a year earlier.

**Craig** · 11 Nov 2008, 07:27 (Ref:2332922)

Awesome! The Indycars were crap around the Indy circuit (what will they call it now?) so it'll be interesting to see if the A1GP cars with their stupid push to pass thingy produce any better racing. I look forward to it - the Team Australia backing will be HUGE!

Let's hope, as has been suggested, that A1GP can get it's hands on a few other events such as Long Beach and maybe Toronto? I believe that Mr ANdretti owns the rights to promote that event? And he's just bought himself (ooops, I mean his son!) into A1GP... interesting times!

Leighton Irwin · 11 Nov 2008, 07:44 (Ref:2332931)

Craig Toronto runs in early July outside the A1GP time frame. Besides it is on the IRL schedule.

Hepatic · 11 Nov 2008, 08:17 (Ref:2332943)

don't get your hopes up of the racing tho, A1 in China was a snorefest compared to what we're used to with the Lola/Zytek car :|

Teretonga · 11 Nov 2008, 19:16 (Ref:2333284)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hepatic

don't get your hopes up of the racing tho, A1 in China was a snorefest compared to what we're used to with the Lola/Zytek car :|

This was always my suspicion: The 'Ferrari F1 derived' A1 car would be like F1 and we would lose the 'competitive pass' racing we had with the Lola car...

Without the competitive racing A1 will not have the attraction it had, just a F1 like procession...

mountainstar · 11 Nov 2008, 20:52 (Ref:2333342)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teretonga

This was always my suspicion: The 'Ferrari F1 derived' A1 car would be like F1 and we would lose the 'competitive pass' racing we had with the Lola car...

Without the competitive racing A1 will not have the attraction it had, just a F1 like procession...

It's not an exact copy of an F1 car. They made some changes so the racing would be as competitive as it has been.

Crash Test · 11 Nov 2008, 23:09 (Ref:2333452)

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...oast-news.html

Idiot Racing League?

johntt · 12 Nov 2008, 00:19 (Ref:2333478)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash Test

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...oast-news.html

Idiot Racing League?

More or less sums up the IRL's management. A recent quote from Lee White of TRD (http://www.gordonkirby.com/categorie...s_no159.html):

Quote:

I did give Rod my opinion. I told him to go get a 1994 Lola or Reynard and put a Cosworth engine in it and go racing. Then you would have something that sounds great, runs great, looks great and puts on a great show, and everybody who loved them will jump at the chance to come and watch because there's still a lot of people out there who remember how great those cars were. Use that as a kind of retro starting point and build it from there. But I don't think they listened.

Sums up the IRL perfectly.

mountainstar · 12 Nov 2008, 00:31 (Ref:2333483)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johntt

More or less sums up the IRL's management. A recent quote from Lee White of TRD (http://www.gordonkirby.com/categorie...s_no159.html):

Sums up the IRL perfectly.

They can't seem to understand the height of popularity, not to mention revenues was in 1994 and 1995.

The CART formula worked and what they have now is neither attractive to look at or listen to.

climb · 12 Nov 2008, 11:08 (Ref:2333631)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainstar

They can't seem to understand the height of popularity, not to mention revenues was in 1994 and 1995.

The CART formula worked and what they have now is neither attractive to look at or listen to.

Oh but then the problem is very easy to srto out! Just provide the IRL teams with a Time machine and everything's gonna be alright!

MS, when will you stop living in the past?

It's a pity Surfers race is gone, but this is racing; every series during their history have gained and lost important tracks.

(Passion round Surfers make me think of Imola, which F1 have lost, it's a pity for Imola, but F1 still survive.)

The risk to lose KV because of it, lets me think that a team which enters a 19 race season just because of one of them (not even the most important) is anyways a short-term venture.

johntt · 12 Nov 2008, 15:47 (Ref:2333758)

Quote:

Originally Posted by climb

MS, when will you stop living in the past?

'Living in the past' is an accusation that is common amongst those who support the IRL.

Its actually very rich coming from them considering they wanted to hit the rewind button with the IRL, turning the clock back to an all-American, all-Oval series with NA V8s where USACers could go into like they used to.

Going back to the roots did wonders for Indy Racing didn't it?
Nielson Ratings for the Indy 500 have gone up haven't they?
Indy racing is still considered to be at the same level as Nascar and F1 like it used to in the early 1990s isn't it?

CART and Indy needed each other, once they were seperated it all fell apart, thanks to Tony George.

mountainstar · 12 Nov 2008, 22:01 (Ref:2333939)

Quote:

Originally Posted by climb

MS, when will you stop living in the past?

What was wrong with the past? Why continue to do things poorly?

BTW the A1 car is full blown Ferrari. Look under the hood bro.

If A1 collapses I'll worry about it then. Really all I care about is V8 Supercars anyways.

Chris - Melb · 12 Nov 2008, 01:53 (Ref:2333508)

Considering that the IRL insists on having the series U.S. based and predominately on ovals with a few circuit events, and put that up against the NASCAR juggernaut that is doing the some things and competing in the same marketplace, you would have to wonder if the comment isn't too far wrong!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash Test

Idiot Racing League?

If it's good enough for Formula One to have its final round in 'glamorous' Brazil in an unusual time zone, surely it would not have been such a comedown for the IRL to have their final round on the truly glamorous Gold Coast of Australia?

fomoco · 12 Nov 2008, 09:33 (Ref:2333602)

All the Americans I spoke to wanted to be here, they wanted to come back, they accept they do not have anything like it, yet One Man, who for years tried to control everything, has finally achieved it.

So to our americans friends I say, see ya latter, to USA Bernie -SFA.

Long LIve THE GOLD COAST

D.R.T. · 12 Nov 2008, 00:25 (Ref:2333481)

Little bit harsh there Crash Test.

Quite a few factors at work here leading to such an outcome.

One of the most interesting issues was raised by Curt Cavin who outlined that most Indycar teams lost money on running Indy this year. The financial package in 2008 didnt cover all team staff airline, accomodation and freight.

It is inline with that comment that you can see where the IRL was coming from asking for a $3million rise. I am not advocating that the Qld were wrong to say no but more that this wasnt a money grab by the IRL.