2005 Schedule

[macdaddy]

Somebody should've reminded me that I really have no idea what I'm talking about in the first place.

[Kicking-back]

But you make exceptionally good bread.

[macdaddy]

Thanks, KB! I likely get it fresher than you do, though!
Sent the girls to school today with rather interesting sandwiches. A bread in tube form, coloured orange, with a green stem that ran the length of it. Individual slices looked just like pumpkins! Their classmates all thought their Dad was the coolest Dad on earth.

My apologies... Back to topic...

[Flatspot]

No apologies...At least you know what's important Macdaddy!

[Dov]

Good article on the Denver GP. From biz.yahoo.com

[Dov]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
Where is Ansan, Korea????

Is it a suburb or a part of Seoul????

Thanks to, zerO from ChampCarFan. Tim, do you see the bottom left corner of the white box that surrounds Seoul?! Well follow the map straight down from that bottom left corner and you will run right into Ansan....it isn't a part of Seoul, not even a suburb.

[JohnSSC]

Well at least if the North Koreans decide to invade CC will have the S Korean and US forces between them and Inchon! During the invasion PG is captured, but the N Koreans send him back saying: "It was like Chinese water torture! He kept offering to do a deal to have a street race in Pyongyang!"

I can see the thread now: "TG gets North Koreans to invade South Korea to Disrupt Race!!"

Warning!!! The above is Humor! Please do not take this seriously!

Serious part: with F1 rumored to be moving towards a possibility of not only a race in China but a second in Japan, will CC be able to compete long-term for fans?

[Flatspot]

Originally posted by JohnSSC
Serious part: with F1 rumored to be moving towards a possibility of not only a race in China but a second in Japan, will CC be able to compete long-term for fans?

That is a great question and I beleive the answer is yes because IMO Champ Car is far better racing at present. Right now is the time to go too, before the competition get a strangle hold in Asia.

[Fogelhund]

Well, on first glance the schedule is disappointing in that it appears to have dropped two natural road courses in Road America and Laguna. Mixed signals with Laguna still, so time will tell.

I love natural road courses, and Road America has been one of my favourite events for Champ Cars. I believe that it is important for these tracks to have big dates to bring in the money and support the track in its future, so it can continue to be a place to support the future and local talent coming up through the ranks. Problem being that for whatever reason Road America simply couldn't get enough people out to the track for the OWRS race to make it financially feasible, so my argument and disappointment blown out of the water. Disappointing to me, as a fan, but it really sounds like it is best for both parties.

The series needs to grow, and find places where it can have a decent fanbase, and have a good revenue flow to pay the bills. We knew that going with the old plan wasn't going to cut it, so some things needed to be changed. With that in mind, seems like a good schedule to me.

[sgw2]

I live in Silicon Valley. There is absolutely no political move as of this moment to make a race happen. Frankly I don't think its possible.

Mountain View controls Moffit and as of yesterday the city council is unaware of OWRS existance.

I talked with some folks with the city council members in San Jose, and they have not heard a thing about any race.

I strongly suspect this is a lot like Paul Gentilozzi's announced Las Vegas race. They had to spend months finding a site and finally settled on a track rental for a late night post CT race. But there is no track to rent here, and I honestly cannot see the public, and certainly not the merchants (think redevelopment agency), accepting any proposal to close downtown streets.

The only thing I can think of would be closing some streets by the almost empty office buildings near Tasman and 880, near 237, maybe by the rather smelly landfill.

Amazing this can be announced and not noticed in San Jose.

[NorCal]

Your point is well taken....however the mayor of San Jose is a promo master so who knows what may happen in the south bay. Laguna and the tech market isn't growing so why not throw a monkey wrench in it and see what will materialize...........San Jose/Monterey, Mexico have quite a bit in common.

[indycool]

San Jose is, IMO, Vaporware. It was floated out there to try to jumpstart Laguna. I agree with sgw2 that it's like the Vegas bait-and-switch, or like PG saying if Long Beach went to some other series, he'd run a street race in LA opposite it.

There's no indication that any work has been done whatsoever to organize a street race in San Jose. Other than one big story in the Merc News a couple months ago, the paper has been absolutely silent on it.

My guess is that Laguna is a backstop for when someone's light bulb goes off and realizes San Jose was never intended to happen in the first place.

[indycool]

From the OWRS schedule press conference transcript:

DICK EIDSWICK: "The site in the Silicon Valley is not firm yet. San Jose is certainly one of the alternatives. We will announce that whenever it's clear."

Translation: "Gee, we'd like to race out there somewhere."

[suzmac]

Mac does that mean we are gonna be hanging out in Vegas again in September????

[Snrub]

For me Vancouver and RA are the big disapppointments. Vancouver was almost always a lousy race, but it drew crowds the series needs profitable events.
RA is an absolutly terrific track and the series needs it. RA should be one of the CBS broadcasted events, even if the attendance at the track isn't a winner, it adds a lot to the series for TV audiences. In terms of diversity of tracks it's needed as well and now there aren't many road courses left on the schedule. When you think of CC racing how would you explain it to someone? One of the things you'd mention would be road courses and I think RA is really what you'd be thinking of.
Hopefully Laguna will get sorted out, we all like it, but if we had to chose I think most of us would pick RA. I don't know what to think of "Silicon Valley". It definately doesn't seem to be 100% yet, but then again they've made serious steps towards it happening.

[sgw2]

OK the Mercury News has made an effort to find out what this is (no link, not an on-line story, it was buried deep in the sports pages). And here is what they found:

San Jose has been negotiating with Champcar, most likely in the person of Dean Munro, executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority. Munro is a proponent of such a race and threw out a 100,000 spectators and $20M for the local economy figure. Such a race would be anchored at the HP Pavillion (where the NHL Sharks play) by the train depot.

However the spokesman for Mayor Gonzales, David Vossbrink, sounded far less enthusiastic, and while acknowledging that the Mayor has spoken to Champ Car officials said no decision has been made saying, "There is a question of money and resources out there."

Staging a race could carry additional costs for infrastructure and public-safety overtime, he said. Other issues that need to be addresses are liability and obtaining the community's opinion.

(I read that as saying the idea has never been publicly floated and the Mayor wont move unless the public is strongly for it)

The Merc's story goes on to say that a race needs city council approval. They also talked to Gill Campbell who says that Laguna Seca is negotiating to retain a September 9-11 Champcar race.

(That last part makes one wonder if this isn't a negotiating ploy - it is also noteworthy that the date of the SJ race would be two weeks prior to the IRL race at Infineon, and even if a Silicon Valley race never happened it could have a dampening affect on the IRL's race)

[indycool]

Thanx, sgw2......that's more information in one post than we've had since the rumors started.

[Omega99]

In today's Edmonton Sun, the front page aritcle of the sports section talks about the race in Edmonton. It also has this interesting tidbit about Vancouver:


"The Molson Indy event in Vancouver is off but there is a date, the weekend following the Edmonton race, where Vacnouver allegedly has been 'pencilled in' according to sources in B.C.. The race which has drawn 60,000 a year is trying to sort out a few things, not the least of which is the acquisition of a new financial partner. They also need to find a solution to their other little problem - the Athletes Village for the 2010 Olympics is planned for the site where the race has been held.

"So put 'Out with the Old' on hold. But it's definitely 'In With the New.'"
- Terry Jones, Edmonton Sun


So there may yet be hope for Vancouver. The article also mentions that Molson is looking for secondary sponsorship for the race.

[macdaddy]

They should have Coors sponsor it!

Seriously though, it would be fantastic to have four Canadian events. I think we've earned it! It would mean another race on the schedule, too. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[indycool]

There are stories in papers -- and have been for months -- that Molson is looking at about a $2 million shortfall from locals in Vancouver to stage the race. Judging by the fact it's not on the schedule, it hasn't been found yet.

[macdaddy]

Canadian Tire and/or Air Canada would be foolish to not pick up the slack.

[Dov]

Originally posted by macdaddy
Canadian Tire and/or Air Canada would be foolish to not pick up the slack.

From the Toronto Sun...LINK

Promoter Molson won't know for another two weeks if there is enough corporate support in Vancouver for the Molson Indy to return for a 16th season. Jo-Ann McArthur, president of Molson Sports and Entertainment, said many corporations are switching support to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

IMHO, Vancouver will not be on the ChampCar schedule this year, however, they may return after the Winter Olympics in 2011.

[sgw2]

OK some more info on the "Silicon Valley" race.

To date it looks like the marketing company "the Wilkerson Group", David Wilkinson the principal, has been retained by Kalkhoven. This company has done marketing programs for the City of Toronto amongst others (our Singleton connection?).

A cancer research group is being put forward as a "sponsor" (really a fund raising group - not a real sponsor) for cover using one of Jimmy Vasser's supported groups, the Canary fund. This brings in Kevin Bartram of the Social Alliance marketing group, who have been retained by Wilkerson.

So what you have is a Kevin Kalkhoven project. He has hired a marketing group and has talked with the local Sports Authority in San Jose. But the Mayor is not signed off on it, and the City council has not been involved.

The proposed track seems to be the back parking lot of the HP Pavillion incorporating maybe a street or two adjacent.

I think it could be done. But the 100K crowd for the weekend is a fantasy. I'd expect more like 15-25K seats available around the parking lot.

The question remains, who will put up the $4-5M neccessary to get it off the ground? Assuming the City Council approves in the first place.

[Amar7605]

Originally posted by sgw2
OK some more info on the "Silicon Valley" race.

To date it looks like the marketing company "the Wilkerson Group", David Wilkinson the principal, has been retained by Kalkhoven. This company has done marketing programs for the City of Toronto amongst others (our Singleton connection?).

A cancer research group is being put forward as a "sponsor" (really a fund raising group - not a real sponsor) for cover using one of Jimmy Vasser's supported groups, the Canary fund. This brings in Kevin Bartram of the Social Alliance marketing group, who have been retained by Wilkerson.

So what you have is a Kevin Kalkhoven project. He has hired a marketing group and has talked with the local Sports Authority in San Jose. But the Mayor is not signed off on it, and the City council has not been involved.

The proposed track seems to be the back parking lot of the HP Pavillion incorporating maybe a street or two adjacent.

I think it could be done. But the 100K crowd for the weekend is a fantasy. I'd expect more like 15-25K seats available around the parking lot.

The question remains, who will put up the $4-5M neccessary to get it off the ground? Assuming the City Council approves in the first place.

Isn't the area around the HP Pavilion basically office buildings and industrial sites? Because if it is, then there wouldn't be any noise disrupting residential neibhorhoods.

In the potential money that can be generated by this race, it seems that 5 million dollars is a rather cheap investment.

But's that's just my opinion hrug:

[indycool]

Might not be a noise problem. There's nothing to indicate that due diligence has been done by the city. Nothing to indicate $5 million has fallen out of the blue yet. From Eidswick's comments at the press conference, it doesn't look much past "gee, we'd like to race out there somewhere."