Road America Cancelled!

[Lee Janotta]

CART's got massive cash reserves sitting in banks! It's the future that's really troubling, not the present. Unless they can turn the product around and bring back the energy the series is desperatly lacking, they're screwed. Losing a venue is _not_ going to help.

I'm not excusing the track owners here, who are clearly in the wrong, but CART's got to look hard at the way they do business.

[Fogelhund]

Originally posted by Jordi
And so what does CART have to do? CART has to get money from somewhere...

With no event, there is no revenue from sanction fees. Additionally, CART has existing and likely fixed expenses on the cost of the TV coverage, which cannot be recovered unless a replacement event had been chosen. With the cash reserves, it is the long term future that is in question, not this years short term cash flow, which we know for a fact is willing to be spent on teamowners, but not tracks.

In the end, someone above hit it on the head by stating, if CART is owed money, why race at a track owned by a conniving deadbeat?

Pretty strong and libelous characterization, of someone, particularly when all of the facts are not presented.

[rdjones]

It is is a shame the race has been cancelled, Road America is one of my favourite tracks, hope it returns next year.

[Prost!]

Pretty strong and libelous characterization, of someone, particularly when all of the facts are not presented.

Turn down your PC radar... it was a paraphrasing of sentiments expressed by other members... sheesh, I come here for escape and am chased by briefcase toting sharks!

[The Snout]

Problem I have with Cart spending money on Elkhart is that there were so many complaints from people that Cart spent money on Scott Dixon, only for him to go over to the IRL.

I don't like the idea of Cart dropping it's pants, dolling out the dough to keep Elkhart this year, only to find out they are off to the IRL next year. Screw that.

If we were going to spend ANY money, I'd want a multi year commitment from a group who we'd be letting out of a debt.

[indycool]

There are a lot of suppositions here that we must wait to hear more before we speculate. The pleadings in the CART lawsuit indicate that $350,000 or so is in escrow and is the subject of the dispute for 2002, involving sponsor monies at Road America in an amended sanction agreement for that year as part of an "over-under" profit-loss modification of the original deal.

Road America has 30 days from the filing of the suit by CART to respond and that comes up shortly. Fogelhund, in his long post, would seem to have a plausible theory at least until we actually see Road America's response.

There are two sides to a story and we've only heard one.

[Lee Janotta]

Okay, let's actually see if there's a possible replacement venue.

VIR is... Booked. NASA and Skip Barber.
Watkins Glen is... Booked. PCA.
Pocono... Hasn't updated their site is a year. But Winston Cup is the weekend before, so that won't work.
Willow Springs is... Not booked!
Road Atlanta's website is down.
Brainerd is... Booked. Bracket drag racing.
Texas World Speedway is... Not booked!
I can't find schedule info on Dover, Gateway or Memphis (which Chris Pook's Dover Downs own)

[The Snout]

Cart should replace Elkhart with Bristol

I bet it draws alot more interest.

[f1manoz]

This is a great shame, but if the RA organiser is screwing CART round like mentioned above, then Pook has made the right choice. Shame about the track, but the CART organisation is sick of being screwed around.

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by The Snout
Cart should replace Elkhart with Bristol

I bet it draws alot more interest.

Sadly they can't use IMS or Speedway Motorsports tracks. Politics. I shouldn't have even included Watkins Glen, wishful thinking.

[The Snout]

Elkharts side of the story. I think the very last line says a lot.



From the Road America website, http://www.roadamerica.com/release.htm:


Contact: Cheryl Barnes 920.893.4206 / cheryl@roadamerica.com
For Immediate Release
March 10, 2003

Road America Statement
Grand Prix of Road America Canceled by CART

We were surprised and disappointed to learn of CART's recent statements and actions, especially CART's announcement today that they are canceling the Grand Prix of Road America, which was scheduled to be held at Road America on Aug. 3, 2003. Road America has a contract with CART and we have been preparing to host the fifth race under that contract in August. In fact, Road America has been attempting to negotiate a renewed contract with CART for 2004 and beyond. Road America has been acting in good faith in its dealings with CART and we have met all of our financial obligations under our agreement with CART.
Road America has supported CART since 1982, through the series' highs and lows, making CART's recent behavior even more disappointing. Road America has been proceeding with preparation for the 2003 race and CART's sudden decision to ignore its contractual obligations causes inconvenience to not only Road America, but to all race fans as well. We have been assured by our legal counsel that the true facts of our discussions and understanding with CART will eventually be made known through the litigation process but we felt an obligation to our business associates and fans to assure them of Road America's continuing commitment to quality racing.
While the track management and board members remain staunch CART supporters and have every hope for an amicable resolution of this unfortunate turn of events, the issue in our disagreement with CART is the value of the series to race fans and sponsors.

[Jay]

It's a shame, but in the grand scheme of things not terribly significant.

[Omega99]

Geez! I take like a four hour nap and this happens! CART can't afford top have three weeks off in the summer. Judging by the articlews from the two respective sides, I'd agree that it's all lawsuit tactics. I doubt CART would leave a gap like that in the summer, and I'd be surprised if they didn't work something out or scramble to find another venue. I hear Las Vegas could provide an interesting street circuit

Overall, this blows!

[jklein6419]

since cart has lost road america, theres one solution. get 2 more 2 car teams, and replace with one of the other great 4 mile circuits, either spa or bathurst. that would be my dream for now. imagine champ cars screaming down the straights in bathurst

[Lee Janotta]

jkein, Omega, any replacement would have to be in the states or Canada, they can't line up a street race or overseas travel _that_ fast. It'd have to be a weekend rental of an oval or road course.

[Fish_Flake]

Road Atlanta is not booked on the weekend of August 3. You only have to change one word, CART. Besides, I live 40 miles from there. Road Atlanta would be as close to CART as I'll ever get here.

Texas WORLD Speedway?! I thought they shut that place down years ago. The Michigan clone? it still exists?

[Lee Janotta]

Ah, cool... I'd put that straight at the top of the list!

At 2 miles, it's not a Michigan clone, but yeah, it's still there!



http://www.texasworldspeedway.com/

[Snrub]

I still say a petition is a good idea. We can voice to the parties that we want them to stop the fighting and come make some sort of compromise such that the track is on the schedule. The fact that RA has said they want to be on the schedule in the future would indicate that they are not in bed with TG. Otherwise they'd simply say 'bye.'

It's completely unacceptable that Elkhart is off the schedule. Something MUST be done.

[The Snout]

It was about this time last year that they added Miami I think, so perhaps they can add a filler if they are quick. But I'd rather have nothing than a money losing quick fix.

[Lee Janotta]

It does really seem like a business disagreement rather than a philisophical one. That's the really distressing part in this whole mess.

If CART had not juggled the race date around so much in recent years, there wouldn't even be a problem. Attendance would still be high, Road America's ownership would be happy... Effing Rahal and Heitzler really screwed us good.

[Snrub]

Long term and important venues like Elkhart should get first pick at their weekend. There should be no negotiation. I don't know who's more at fault right now, but CART must run a race at RA.

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by The Snout
It was about this time last year that they added Miami I think, so perhaps they can add a filler if they are quick. But I'd rather have nothing than a money losing quick fix.

Yeah, but the promoters had already been doing the footwork with city officials and businesses for months before the announcement, Snout. You can't go from initial proposal to green flag in less than 5 months with a street course, unfortunately. But hey, if they can pencil in Road Atlanta, Willow Springs or TWS, we'd get to see a really great one-off race (all three, while not the most glamorous facilities, produce top-notch racing!)

On a side note, do any of you think I have a tendancy to monopolize threads? I don't want to annoy people (well, most people). I just have lots of free time and energy, and nothing to do with it.

[Lee Janotta]

*stupid duplicate post!*

[Snrub]

This forum has little activity, I'd rather someone posted and you've got a good head on your sholders Lee, even when you're wrong.

[Fish_Flake]

Mont Tremblant is also free for August 3...but that's the same weekend as the Trois Rivieres street races, so that's a no-go, however that would be a good date if it were feasible, since the the date follows the Toronto and Vancouver events.