Petit's future

[mountainstar]

Stradlin 24 cars were never promised by anyone in the champcar hierarchy. They were hoped for, but never promised. Nobody ever said "champcar is going to have 24 cars on the grid in 2007". So stop misrepresenting what was said.

[indycool]

No, I agree, mountainstar, never promised. But with all the ballyhoo, pomp and circumstance, etc., beknighting the DP-01 as the series' tantalizing technological, el cheapo saviour of its world, people could certainly draw that conclusion from all the fireworks in the air over it.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by indycool

No, I agree, mountainstar, never promised. But with all the ballyhoo, pomp and circumstance, etc., beknighting the DP-01 as the series' tantalizing technological, el cheapo saviour of its world, people could certainly draw that conclusion from all the fireworks in the air over it.

It was a step up, but other developments nullified the impact of it.

I think it is a racier car than the last lola and a necessary change.

[JohnSSC]

No one said it was a bad car. It was made the centerpiece of the revival of CC's fortunes, however. While Angstadt is getting clobbered for going OTT about the Peak deal, KK and company decided the response to the new car was so good that they would have to limit the grid to 24 cars.

Teething pains aside, the "affordable leases" and such never generated an increase in the size of the grid and in fact, the grid was down one car for most races this season from the previous. We were lead to believe by the talk from happy Valley that just the opposite would happen.

[stradlin21]

Correct John, but the rose tinted spectacle crew can't see that can they

But never mind, we'll live in hope of 24 cars (in the car park) next season

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

While Angstadt is getting clobbered for going OTT about the Peak deal, KK and company decided the response to the new car was so good that they would have to limit the grid to 24 cars.

If the worst thing you can say about something is that the owner guy for the ChampCar is over exuberant.........

I am impressed you guys still are talking about 24 cars considering you started back in April.

[icemachine]

Originally Posted by stradlin21

This appears to be the latest installment of people clutching at straws

Things don't look good for 2008

If you're referencing d'Angelo's ouster at Steelback I don't think its likely going to have an effect on the sponsorship of the Toronto Grand Prix. From what I've seen and heard this was one of the better deciscions by d'Angelo as it has gotten Steelback a big name in one of the largest North American markets.

[Broken Wishbone]

Seems this thread might be re-named "US Open Wheel Racing - State of the Nation".

1) Who criticised KK for securing a supply of engines? Seems a logical move, rather than being held to ransom by the whim of an automotive manufacturer's accountant looking at an errant cell in an Excel Spreadsheet.

Doesn't take long to think back to a conversation at an IRL race in Texas in '02, pondering the imminent arrival of the Japanese & how it might change things. Someone piped "Well I hope that we're not talking in a few years and having to tell our Grandkids what racecars used to be like without fenders and roofs..."

Are we far off having to concede that NASCAR really is it...the Golden Fleece of US Racing? Having watched CART topple, Toyota & GM bow from IRL, should racing be held to ransom? Undoubtedly KK had this on his mind, so Yes it was a good move when Ford was looking to offload both Cosworth & Pi. Perhaps he should have gobbled Panoz (...or perhaps Dallara) too ?

2) Something is awry with the premiere Series'. Atlantics, IPS & Star Mazda can field healthy grids - something at the top's not working. Neither IRL or CC are really 'marketed' - either as flagship Series, or anything to compete with NASCAR or any other sports fans' attention. Calling CC the World Series qualified by a few races in Canada, one in Mexico, a couple of expeditions to Europe and a trip down under doesn't cut it. CC will never compete against F1 for Global motorsports appeal, nor should it, since that is & always will be, a one horse race which Bernie has safely tethered in his stable.

What kind of World motorsport agreement might it take, where a generic chassis might be eligible to race in different (2nd tier) Series... wider than just an IRL & CC merger also including A1GP, GP2, F3 etc. Imagine if a McLaren or a Ferrari backed entry could come to field a team at Indy rather than Tony George ringing up Greg Beck & co. to see how much to get a few bogus entries to roll out for Bump Day. Sorry Greg.

Wow! Similar thing actually does happen in France...Takes a bit of communication & they manage it with folks who speak only French -the ACO!

3) Sponsors. Despite the McDonalds CC tie up, it's NASCAR teams that are just ''...Lovin' it'' they can find it easier to get sponsors to commit to a NCTS program over CC Team Owners trying to do the same in Indy. No Joke!

4) Manufacturers. Toyota's forray into NASCAR - remains to be seen - Honda will they head to Daytona too ? Good thing is Honda's brand strategy has always been closely associated with racing. Robert Clarke's aspirations to have a crack at ALMS with the Acura brand is paying off. Hats off to him. Makes me think Honda aren't going to bail on US auto-racing. Something's got to retain them in the Open Wheel paddock. They won't be happy wet-nursing IRL teams without competing with anyone else for long.

The big 3 in NASCAR - are they really getting bang for buck? The France dynasty has made iconic mega-stars of their drivers, not what cars they drive. In time GM, Ford & Dodge will realise no-one who watches NASCAR is sold on their technology & why they drive an F150...COT Yeah right ! What's it going to be called when they "boldly go where no man has before" & revolutionise the motor by Fuel Injecting it ? Make way for the Flux Capacitor !

5) Drivers - The migration south. I wonder whether PT will fly too? Not sure what his contract is but I know he (like many others...) wants to see a decent number in front of him when he plops his card in at the ATM. A shame to lose another great racer & a determined character. How about AJ, having decided to leave RuSport to drive at FCR, did tremendously well but still came to a conclusion that a move south was best for his career. Don't know who was advising him but a young US driver showing he can pedal...would hope he had held some ambition to drive in F1. That is unless he was always going to be 2nd pick to Marco or Rahal & had watched Sebastian get overlooked & JW too. Did the series ever do anything to support Seb and see the benefit of helping to promote & groom him towards F1? Oriol is another with a bucket full of talent but can't get a regular ride at a top stable. Certainly they seemed to think the recipe should be organically grow Atlantic stars to CC, why not the same to help the product reach the 'Global' stage in F1. It remains to be seen how well those who've jumped ship south will fare. Certainly if JV thinks it's going to be good enough to just out-qualify Montoya, Francitti & Carpentier, I reckon he may have to think again at Bill Davis...

Did anyone bother to find out why CART drivers like Fittipaldi, Zanardi, Montoya & da Matta got gobbled up and spat out by F1 - someone should.

6) Business & Marketing - Promotion of the whole Package. This is the Holy Grail - the most obvious part but who is looking for it ?

a) Tracks & Events. Look at some of the other mass crowd pullers in the Motorsports Calendar. Indy 500, Monaco GP, Imola, Le Mans even Sebring. Tony George has the upper hand with the 500 in the back garden - It could promote itself but it doesn't. This trickles down to Team Owners, whose cars can regularly run at the front. They don't struggle as badly to get sponsor dollars. But look how the likes of Michael Andretti and Roger Penske promote themselves - that's how they get multi-national companies to favour them year in year out - not because they're just lucky. Truth of the matter - most of those putting their hands in their pockets to livery an Indycar couldn't care less about any result other than the 500 but they'll put their names to the car for the season. Remember the feeble promotion that CART put on in England for Rockingham - "Come & see the Fastest cars on the Planet" but wondered why no-one turned up? I used to think it was arrogance on the part of CART that you could go to most venues (...notable exception Toronto) & drive through the city oblivious of the weekend's race. I even struggled myself to find the track at Houston...still wondered by Sunday if I'd got the right place! Compare that to the circus F1 puts on every race, Indianapolis puts on for the 500, NASCAR puts on for Daytona & the stream of cars you get all over Europe heading to Le Mans each year & you might get my drift.

b) The Fans. Housewife survey across the US. "Name 20 US racecar drivers"...would AJ Foyt get a mention, Al Unser Jnr possibly, Andretti - Honestly I doubt it. How many might get Helio Castroneves, TV hero of "Dancing with the Stars"?

Compare and contrast NASCAR Cup Busch, Truck...Get my point ??

c) The Cars. What was the biggest automotive draw at Long Beach in '07 - the new 2007 Panoz DP1..?

Ans. Formula Drift cars.

Something's got to really spark people's imagination and it isn't a redress of the old product & an extra 50hp of P2P. IRL will probably make the same mistake with their new car in 2009. It's got to be something radically different - bigger, louder & much faster. It's got to inspire people...! These cars don't actually look like they've changed that much in 15 years & Cosworth have dropped the revs. Actually I'm probably more impressed watching World of Outlaws over being in awe of the new Champ Car. The sound of Minardi's 2-seaters spark more interest at the track but even they are really an 8-year old Tyrrell F1.

d) Racing & Excitement. F1's found it's way again in '07 - best season for as long as I can remember with the promise of more. MotoGP has it. Do race fans really want to see a procession squeezing around a street circuit playing follow my leader & then going yellow whilst someone's frustration gets the better of them & they attempt at a pass but all that results is a 5 lap yellow. No!

There's some logic that says if you can't get Californian fans to come out to the track, take the package to them (a la San Jose) but Vegas...? No way - people go there for one thing - to gamble ! The LV Speedway doesn't work - they even knew it when they built the place hence painting the seats in random patterns to give an illusion of a big crowd. Why on earth Assen & Zolder & not Zandvoort & Spa where there is a heritage & fan base for Open Wheel racing ? If you can't get fans out to great tracks in their droves when you put races on in places like Laguna Seca & Road America there's something to fix in the recipe that isn't the location of the venue...Jerez - save it for the Sherry that no-one drinks, not a place to go 3500 miles to race Champ Cars.

7) Calendar. Err when is the next race ?? Pretty much guarantee turning on the TV and knowing when NASCAR is on, about the same with F1 without too much effort but the next Champ Car race...IRL race God knows ? I talked with some friends. We had an idea along the lines of Monday night football. It works here & in the UK for soccer. Why not do the same and give people something to look forward to on a Monday night rather than wrestle NASCAR on a Sunday afternoon? Practice Saturday, Sunday, Win on Monday....sell on Tuesday? Henry - what do you reckon?

8) Attracting teams & supporting existing guys. RuSport...PCM, Minardi - I hope that Steve Johnson had a very serious talk with Carl Russo & Jeremy Dale and is making damn sure the same thing doesn't happen to the new recruits out in California & Minardi. What's to stop Paul Stoddart wondering what the hell is up when he sees Gerry labouring to reluctantly get one car out this year, hasn't been to a race since Houston, Paul Gentilozzi is struggling to field one and now the death knell ringing in Denver after another owner supposedly threw a lifeline out there. Not very reassuring is it...

Anyway rant over for the time being. God I've become Robin Miller.

Someone might take heed & get it back on the rails before it's all too late & we really are telling the grandkids about Racecars without fenders...

Adios Amigos. To Mexico...!

[JohnSSC]

Some great thoughts, Broken Wishbone!

Just to take a hack at a piece of it: in regards to the cars themselves, there are already umpteen spec series out there. With open wheel, you have multiple spec series feeding into two spec series - IRL & CC. Not sure how to resolve that, but some chassis/engine diversity would be a boon, imho.

OW needs to have something that sets it apart. right now we have this more or less homogeneous amalgam where there really is very little difference between the cars that is apparent to the casual observer.

[stradlin21]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

If the worst thing you can say about something is that the owner guy for the ChampCar is over exuberant.........

I am impressed you guys still are talking about 24 cars considering you started back in April.

well you were more than happy to boast about it back then

[Mystery]

Some very interesting thoughts Broken Wishbone - welcome to TT. Picking up a couple of points....

Originally Posted by Broken Wishbone

Did anyone bother to find out why CART drivers like Fittipaldi, Zanardi, Montoya & da Matta got gobbled up and spat out by F1 - someone should.

Taking each in turn. Christian probably made some bad choices - going from F3000 champion to a Minardi probably wasn't clever and while he always outperformed his team-mates he instantly made himself a journeyman racer.

Zanardi just wasn't good enough in the series for a good F1 ride I'm sorry to say. In 93 team mate Herbert outscored him 11-1. In 99 Ralf Schumacher outscored him 35-0. Has been superb elsewhere however, but when put on the spot he didn't get the job done.

Montoya - F1's great enigma of recent times. Undeniably quick but his personality probably isn't suited to F1. But then again nor was Gerhard Berger nor Eddie Irvine and many others more worthy before them. I don't agree he was spat out by F1. McLaren made their feelings clear and JPM picked up his toys and left. He'd probably be in a reasonable ride in F1 now had he not gone, say, with Toyota or BMW.

da Matta - as per Zanardi - just not good enough. In 03 he just beat Olivier Panis, but I don't believe Panis had been well thought of for some time. He was losing 4-3 in terms of points to Panis when he left the series.

Something's got to really spark people's imagination and it isn't a redress of the old product & an extra 50hp of P2P. IRL will probably make the same mistake with their new car in 2009. It's got to be something radically different - bigger, louder & much faster. It's got to inspire people...! These cars don't actually look like they've changed that much in 15 years & Cosworth have dropped the revs. Actually I'm probably more impressed watching World of Outlaws over being in awe of the new Champ Car. The sound of Minardi's 2-seaters spark more interest at the track but even they are really an 8-year old Tyrrell F1.

A new car isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference though to the attractiveness of the series, and I'm not convinced that is what the IRL have in mind with an 09 change.

7) Calendar. Err when is the next race ?? Pretty much guarantee turning on the TV and knowing when NASCAR is on, about the same with F1 without too much effort but the next Champ Car race...IRL race God knows ? I talked with some friends. We had an idea along the lines of Monday night football. It works here & in the UK for soccer.

The word's "Football" thank you very much

Why not do the same and give people something to look forward to on a Monday night rather than wrestle NASCAR on a Sunday afternoon? Practice Saturday, Sunday, Win on Monday....sell on Tuesday? Henry - what do you reckon?

I don't see it somehow. I just can't see who'd be watching on a Monday night, and in fairness the TV scheduling in the States almost certainly won't wish to accomodate a couple of hours of prime-time TV to a series few people get excited over.

8) Attracting teams & supporting existing guys. RuSport...PCM, Minardi - I hope that Steve Johnson had a very serious talk with Carl Russo & Jeremy Dale and is making damn sure the same thing doesn't happen to the new recruits out in California & Minardi. What's to stop Paul Stoddart wondering what the hell is up when he sees Gerry labouring to reluctantly get one car out this year, hasn't been to a race since Houston, Paul Gentilozzi is struggling to field one and now the death knell ringing in Denver after another owner supposedly threw a lifeline out there. Not very reassuring is it...

Good point although I don't think there's much chance of Paul Stoddart leaving any time soon. I bet if the guy bleeds it comes out oil coloured. His spats and fights in F1 tells me he believes in principles as well as making money, and probably is less fussed about making money than having a good time trying. His silence about the state of CC is actually quite intriguing to me - he was never silent about the way F1 was being run when he was unhappy about it, but I haven't heard much from him this season. Does this mean he's happy? Could be.....

[Broken Wishbone]

Originally Posted by Mystery

A new car isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference though to the attractiveness of the series, and I'm not convinced that is what the IRL have in mind with an 09 change.

You might be right...I remember the Indy Star ran a comparision article a couple of season's back on the back page - might even have been as far back as the debut year at the Speedway in 2000 showing the "close comparison" between an Indycar and an F1 car...My memory must have been going last night when I wrote that ! Seriously though it's got to be a car which makes people sit up - there's a whole generation out there, totally unfamiliar to me, who think Drifting & Formula Drift is totally awesome...Isn't it a completely boring gang of adolescents after the second one's gone passed you sideways with the tires (...sorry tyres) smoking ?

Originally Posted by Mystery

The word's "Football" thank you very much

Sorry dude - have to fall in to line with the colloquial terms here otherwise no-one understands you ! At least you can't hear me say 'garage' & talk about the speed down the 'straight-away'...I still watch the Premier League on Fox Soccer despite relegation woes last season. Is that Premiere or Premier - I forget...?

[Broken Wishbone]

Originally Posted by Mystery

Some very interesting thoughts Broken Wishbone - welcome to TT. Picking up a couple of points....
Taking each in turn. Christian probably made some bad choices - going from F3000 champion to a Minardi probably wasn't clever and while he always outperformed his team-mates he instantly made himself a journeyman racer.

Zanardi just wasn't good enough in the series for a good F1 ride I'm sorry to say. In 93 team mate Herbert outscored him 11-1. In 99 Ralf Schumacher outscored him 35-0. Has been superb elsewhere however, but when put on the spot he didn't get the job done.

Montoya - F1's great enigma of recent times. Undeniably quick but his personality probably isn't suited to F1. But then again nor was Gerhard Berger nor Eddie Irvine and many others more worthy before them. I don't agree he was spat out by F1. McLaren made their feelings clear and JPM picked up his toys and left. He'd probably be in a reasonable ride in F1 now had he not gone, say, with Toyota or BMW.

da Matta - as per Zanardi - just not good enough. In 03 he just beat Olivier Panis, but I don't believe Panis had been well thought of for some time. He was losing 4-3 in terms of points to Panis when he left the series.

P.S.

Sorry "Mystery". To retort on the above. I had to - that's how Forum's work. Right...?

Hapless banter, passionate opinion within the security of discrete anonymity without fear of any real repercussion…?

a) Christian's move from F3000 to Minardi not clever - How about Fernando? Couple of weeks ago he was challenging to join only Fangio & MSC as only the third man to win 3 consecutive F1 titles. Hell of a feat for a kid from where (...Spain - don't they just ride mopeds?). He'd finished only 4th in F3000 behind Junky, Minassian, Mark Webber & a point ahead of JWil - so naturally he could only muster a drive with lowly Minardi in 2001 ! Didn't do his F1 aspirations too much harm but I do think he needs someone sensible to put an arm of common sense back around him in 2008.

b) Zanardi - genius behind the wheel. Please read his book if you haven't already. Showed everyone what a 'racing driver' should define himself as with Ganassi in CART. Wow. Has the mother of all crashes at Lausitz after a making a horrendous mistake. Unfortunately I did witness the immediate aftermath of that. When actually thinking he'd got a sniff back of being back in the hunt (to only have to beat team-mate Tony K) with only a quick splash and dash before winning, he makes a cruelly unforgiving mistake which holds everone with a dreadfully grim thought for just a moment before Tag picks him up halfway through turn 1. Hey Presto, he then astounds everyone, not only by surviving but before you know it bragging on Radio 5 Live he's already jumped back in his road car within weeks & then hops into another Champ Car to finish his final laps off 2 years later. That was something to be sat on the pit wall seeing him go screeming past & listening to him on the radio - believe me! His performance would have put him 5th on the grid. Incredible character with the humour & humility that anyone who ever meets him in the pit lane or paddock should feel privileged they've met the Archetypal Racing driver...Period ! No arguments. Sorry - absolutely last word - can I do that? I just did !

c) Montoya - more of the same genes as b) running through his blood. Michael Schumacher - who some German ? Oh yeah Heidfeld thought he was good too? Well I'm going to pass him at the run down the hill through the esses at Interlagos. Thanks so much for obliging Michael - not a bit of it. Didn't he take the 1999 CART championship as a rookie also under Chip's guidance, clocked up an Indy 500 win drafting Michael Andretti to almost hit his gearbox to take the win at Michigan and an amazing drive I remember at Road America with his gearbox falling apart. Weren't we about to hail a very well groomed & screened Lewis Hamilton as the second coming, for almost doing a similar feat (as a rookie) a couple of week's back? Whilst Juan's impestous character didn't help him, in F1 (...christ he never hid it in F3000 in 1998 after he left Heidfeld to take the spoils all rather too clinically the following season). I make no secret that I am bitterly disappointed that we never got to see the best from JPM in F1. Can he stand out in NASCAR - who really knows or cares ? Sorry Chip. Pleased you've picked him up again but we're spoiled of the treat for true race fans.

d) Da Matta. God he stood out in the car at PPI didn't he? Or was it just me ?? Absolutely no surprise what he achieved at Newman Haas. If only it hadn't been Toyota in F1 with only Alan McNish and Mika Salo's prior work to build on. But didn't genetics also give Cristiano so much more of the same?

How could Toyota totally mess up so badly in F1 after what they almost achieved so quickly in Sportscar racing at Le Mans...? Perhaps it wasn't the best move to set up in Cologne rather inherit or buy establised outfit or poach key personnel from the Oxon countryside ?? Cristiano was the real victim of the mistakes though.

Sorry - bit off topic & too many words but I'm a 'rookie' myself at this Forum thing...!

Have the passion though. Funny thing - thought I'd lost it way back !

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Fittipaldi - How is he relevant, as he went from F1 to CART? Many, many other drivers have done that. Anyway, in Christian's case, has he ever been that outstanding?

Zanardi - Great in CART but not good in F1 - especially true for 1999. F1 cars and the cars in CART are very different indeed, and I know Zanardi mentioned that that in particular was a major reason for him struggling so.

Montoya - Had/has the raw talent and speed. That is all well and good but I never really got the feeling that he managed to make any progress after showing up. He also kept falling over while playing tennis and during his last season for McLaren he just looked disinterested.

Da Matta - Brought over by Toyota, looked good in his first season (outscored Panis in the championship), but floundered when next year's car turned out to be a dog. Dumped for Trulli (has anyone ever looked good in a Toyota in F1?). Certainly good enough, but F1 teams have many options avalible to them and da Matta simply didn't register enough to make anyone change their existing plans.

But what I do think it boils down to is the simple fact that a wide, slick shod Champ Car is a lot different to a narrow F1 car with grooved tyres. Suits some drivers, others not.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by Broken Wishbone

a) Christian's move from F3000 to Minardi not clever - How about Fernando? Couple of weeks ago he was challenging to join only Fangio & MSC as only the third man to win 3 consecutive F1 titles. Hell of a feat for a kid from where (...Spain - don't they just ride mopeds?). He'd finished only 4th in F3000 behind Junky, Minassian, Mark Webber & a point ahead of JWil - so naturally he could only muster a drive with lowly Minardi in 2001 ! Didn't do his F1 aspirations too much harm but I do think he needs someone sensible to put an arm of common sense back around him in 2008.

Agreed - but Alonso is one out of maybe 50 Minardi drivers to move on to something much better immediately, and he was a world champion in the making. For every one of him there's maybe 50 C Fittipaldi or Baumgartners.

b) Zanardi - genius behind the wheel. Please read his book if you haven't already. Showed everyone what a 'racing driver' should define himself as with Ganassi in CART. Wow. Has the mother of all crashes at Lausitz after a making a horrendous mistake. Unfortunately I did witness the immediate aftermath of that. When actually thinking he'd got a sniff back of being back in the hunt (to only have to beat team-mate Tony K) with only a quick splash and dash before winning, he makes a cruelly unforgiving mistake which holds everone with a dreadfully grim thought for just a moment before Tag picks him up halfway through turn 1. Hey Presto, he then astounds everyone, not only by surviving but before you know it bragging on Radio 5 Live he's already jumped back in his road car within weeks & then hops into another Champ Car to finish his final laps off 2 years later. That was something to be sat on the pit wall seeing him go screeming past & listening to him on the radio - believe me! His performance would have put him 5th on the grid. Incredible character with the humour & humility that anyone who ever meets him in the pit lane or paddock should feel privileged they've met the Archetypal Racing driver...Period ! No arguments. Sorry - absolutely last word - can I do that? I just did !

I don't disagree with a single word you've said there, but what you've demonstrated is that Zanardi is a truly inspirational human being and very very capable race driver. Sorry though - he wasn't great in F1 so was "spat out" by the series. It just wasn't his "thing". Doesn't make him a poor driver, just a poor F1 driver. Allan McNish wasn't a wonderful F1 driver nor was Martin Brundle, nor is Tom Kristensen, but in their respective fields there is/was very few of their equal. Horses for courses....


This is very off-topic but an interesting chat nonetheless. Any mod fancy splitting this into a thread of its own?

[Broken Wishbone]

Let me know if it splits into a new thread - happy to go on discussing the merits of various drivers...& reasons for their lack of fortunes. Send me a PM or something so I know it's posted.

BW

[D.R.T.]

Lastest talk is suggesting that Pettit will join Forsythe at FCR in 2008 bringing the third car. Whether that includes Wilson and CDW, I guess time will tell.

[indycool]

Have heard that, too, D.R.T. But is it a third car or a second?

[stradlin21]

my guess would be that it would be a 2nd

GF wasn't keen on running two cars last season so a partnership with Pettit would ease that

[JohnSSC]

I am pretty certain you are going to see CDW on the PGA Tour, rather than on anyone's race car.

I would agree that, based on GF's predilections last season, Petit is likely to be providing a second car.

[D.R.T.]

Forsythe indicated 2 cars for the 08 season, a third with additional funding. This is in line with the recent advertising for new staff at FCR.

If CDW join the party, and AxTel continue to support Martinez then 3 cars is a real possiblity for the 2008 season.

[D.R.T.]

And confirmation of the tie up between Forsythe and Petit.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/41773/

No mention of no. of cars, drivers nor sponsors at this stage

[JohnSSC]

Of course there hasn't been any mention of that. Practice at Long Beach hasn't even started yet...

Seriously, it would appear Martinez is driving elsewhere/nowhere IF Wilson stays with Petit/Forsythe and does not go to NHL.

[indycool]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64124

[climb]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Forsythe indicated 2 cars for the 08 season, a third with additional funding. This is in line with the recent advertising for new staff at FCR.

If CDW join the party, and AxTel continue to support Martinez then 3 cars is a real possiblity for the 2008 season.

Yes, what it's still not clear is which series they'll be running in