2004 OWRS Champ Car Line-Up ?!?!

[Tim Northcutt]

Question:

With all of the "possible" lists, the "probable" lists and the "whatever" lists that have been floating around on this forum, I'm seriously confused...


So would someone please just post this one list.....
*****
The teams who actually named drivers in Long Beach and the specific drivers they named to take seats in their car(s)

No "speculation lists", no "He's talking with them to seal it up," or anything else....
****

I'm not asking this to be a smart-alek....

but this thing has gotten so full of "possibles" and "in the works" that I honestly don't know who has been "confirmed and publicly announced" as "This guy will drive for me in 2004...we signed a contract...here we go."

If someone could please post just "that" list...with no "Walker Racing" or anybody else that "might get this guy or that guy," I would appreciate it...

Sorry for the confusion...I guess it is contageous....

I just really want to know...

Thanks!

[indycool]

Yeah, Tim, it IS confusing what's done and what's not.

Add to this a poster at MSF who just put up that TV Azteca was reporting that Fernandez and Tecate are out of OWRS. If any members from Mexico have heard anything, please let us know.

So what is "done" may not be "done."

[Muzza]

Dear Tim & indycool,

Let's talk about facts. Hard work may save Champ Cars, but wishful thinking surely will not. Actually, wishiful thinking is one of the things that most caused trouble to CART.

Enough rumour ****. This is what was announced in Long Beach:

[team: driver (main sponsor)]

Newman Haas: Bruno Junqueira (Pacific Care)
Newman Haas: Sebastien Bourdais (McDonald's)
Forsythe: Paul Tracy (Indeck)
Forsythe: Rodolfo Lavin (1)
Rahal: Michel Jourdain (Gigante)
Herdez: Mario Dominguez (Herdez)
Rocketsports: Alex Tagliani (Johnson Controls)
Rocketsports: Nelson Phillipe (Lease Plan)
Fernández Racing: Adrian Fernández (Quaker State)
PKVR: Jimmy Vasser (NII Holdings)
PKVR: Roberto Gonzalez (NII Holdings)
RuSPORT: A. J. Allmendinger (2)

(1): Rodolfo Lavin's car livery was not disclosed pending an official announcement by its main sponsor, widely believed to be Corona. Lavin paraded in Corona outfits
both days.

(2): RuSPORT car was not shown in the Long Beach Launch but was at the Fan Fest. Car is full yellow, same tone used by RuSPORT in Atlantics last year. No sponsors at all. Red Bull signed with A. J. Allmendinger as personal sponsor. Red Bull logo will be on A. J.'s helmet and overall, but not in the car (question asked twice during RuSPORT press conference). Carl Russo was not in Long Beach - he was, as the team manager confirmed, talking to sponsors that same day (and not in California).

(3): Conquest car (a Reynard) was in exhibition in the hotel entrance, outside the lobby. No driver name in the cockpit. Mi-Jack as main sponsor. In the center of the steering wheel, a map of the test track in Sebring (short circuit).

(4): Herdez Competition did not announce a second driver. Keith Higgings' answer during the press conference was (and I have this on tape) "We are quite close to a deal, but we are not in position to announce it now".

(5): Dale Coyne was seen in the third floor loft but did not attend any conference (including the official Champ Car opening). I tried to talk to him but he apologize and said he was too busy. He had a meeting with Dick Eidswick (Champ Car President).

(6): Townsend Bell was there. This does not mean anything - well, it means "Townsend Bell was there"...

(7): Patrick Carpentier: does not have a drive. Forsythe will not field a third car.

(8): Rahal is not actively working on a second car and is not interested in running two cars either.

(9): Mário Haberfeld was said to be there but no one saw him (I really mean no one). We asked everybody and the answer was always "I heard he his here". So, until proved wrong, I state he was not there.

(10): Same is valid for Ralph Firman. Nobody actually saw the many times reported Ralph Firman' walks in Long Beach. For all purposes he was not there.

(11): Gentilozzi confirmed that there will be 18 cars on the grid in Long Beach. He is putting is skin on this and, frankly, he always delivers what he says. I believe him, but this does not mean anything for the rest of the season or, more important, for the long-term survival and growth of the series.

That is it,


Muzza

[corkholio]

Thank you Muzza!

[indycool]

Good rundown, Muzza....the Fernandez change is on another thread and already posted on that over there.....

[Tim Northcutt]

Thanks, Muzza....you're always on top of this kind of thing...

That tells me how has announced and who we can look for or hope to hear from in the coming weeks....

[spider]

Cluckin' bell Muzza - v.detailed stuff matey, pretty xceptional update.

Does any1 know the contract details re. the required numbers of cars at EACH track?????

[indycool]

Gentilozzi said at Long Beach that most of their contracts call for 16-18 cars.

[spider]

Hmmm, 16-18 including spare cars?!:confused:

[indycool]

Nope. On the grid.

[spider]

Well, I think it's best if I just believe him. At the end of the day I've organised an event, no-one believed people would sign up and it's full. If I can do OWRS can! COME ON LADS!!

[Hegarza]

To Be Honest with the Pull Off of the Mexico's 2 races I will put on question the Lavin Ride.

Corona put a lot od US dollars because the 2 races on Mexico.

And if this 2 are almost cancelled. There no way that Corona want to stay.

As well for Roberto Gonzalez. Sponsor came from Mexico.

And I was thinking whats the hell is Happening. Champ Cart will live just with our Mexico Money. Where the Hell are the US Sponsors.

To sad but true.

Is all over my friend!!!!!!!

[spider]

With Fernandez going it could be the final catalyst for others to jump...oh dear oh dear...

[indycool]

Hegarza, it'll be interesting to see if ALL the Mexican sponsors move one way or another or whether they'll split between the series. For example, would Tecate get more mileage NOT competing with Corona in the asme series and vice versa? Time will tell.

[Tim Northcutt]

Personally, I were going to approach a Mexican beer sponsor, it would be "Dos XX"

Only because I like the taste of it much better than the other two....

But you do make a good point, indycool....

Time will tell on this....let's see how it shakes out...

[zerO]

Line-up update:

OK, Fernandez has left and Rahal, NHR, Conquest, and RuSPORT are hedging their bets at the moment. We shall see tomorrow if there will be a CCWS or not.

And here's how the line-up looks now:

1. FORSYTHE - Paul Tracy
2. FORSYTHE - Rodolfo Lavin
3. NEWMAN/HAAS - Sebastien Bourdais
4. NEWMAN/HAAS - Bruno Junqueira or Justin Wilson ?
5. HERDEZ - Mario Dominguez
6. HERDEZ - Ryan Hunter-Reay or Justin Wilson or Ralph Firman ?
7. KALKHOVEN - Jimmy Vasser
8. KALKHOVEN - Roberto Gonzalez
9. GENTILOZZI - Alex Tagliani
10. GENTILOZZI - Nelson Philippe
11. WALKER - Patrick Carpentier or Ralph Firman ?
12. RAHAL - Michael Jourdain
13. COYNE - Michael Keohane
14. BACHELART - Mario Haberfeld or Patrick Carpentier ?
15. FITTIPALDI - Gaston Mazzacane
16. RUSSO - AJ Allmendinger

Possible additions:

17. FORSYTHE - Patrick Carpentier or Justin Wilson ?
18. WALKER - Jonathan Macri or Michael Valiante ?
19. COYNE - Jaime Melo or Geoff Boss ?
20. FITTIPALDI - Mika Salo or Oriol Servia ?
21. BACHELART - Townsend Bell ?

btw, updated picturesque version = http://www.planet.nl/~f1/cart2k4.htm

zerO

[indycool]

Why shall we "see (Saturday)", zerO? Your numbers #11, #13, #14 and #15 are in question as well as your additions, plus Rahal on the fence and #6 to be confirmed.

How is that all going to be known Saturday?

[Muzza]

zerO,

Should not Newman/Haas list Sebastien Bourdain and Bruno Junqueira only? What is Justin Wilson's name doing there?

Regards,

Muzza

[Hazza]

Even if it is a rumour, it'd still make sense to me.

But, yes, where did that come from?

[indycool]

Somehow, I don't see N-H fielding a third one in the current atmosphere, but that's just IMO.

[Tenoch]

On Tecate I will tell all of you a samll secret the people of Mexico have kept. We hate it, its the worst tasting beer produced mainly because it comes in cans which believe it or not does alter the taste, Tecate has lost the Mexican Beer wars everywhere you go in Mexico there are stores that cell Modelo Products the parent company of Corona but no Tecate. now they are trying to push their product to Americans hence the jump to IRL.

The other sponsors Quaker State Mexico, Telmex only sell products in Mexico therefore thats why the Long Beach Car still had them who knows if they will stick around as I read somewhere that Fernandez has a new sponsor some sort of steel company.

[Mike.ca]

Robin Miller reports that Walker is on the verge of completing a deal with Pat Patrick to run Al Unser Jr in the IRL. While this doesn't neccessarily preclude Walker's running a Champ Car team, it makes it rather unlikely. A shame. I was hoping that Carp and/or one of the young Canadians would hook up with Walker. The problem for Walker is money. Even though Carp's salary is paid, someone still has to sponsor his car - and if Patrick had a sponsor, he'd still be with Forsythe. Valiente and Macri both want to move up, but I don't know if either of them has the $2-5 million for a Champ Car ride.

[cartpix]

Leave it to Doom & Gloom Robin Miller to bring up OLD NEWS to bolster his Champ Car is dead rhetoric. Is he running out of his "good sources". The rumor that Walker & Patrick going in on a car, for Unser, has been around for awhile.

Jeff

[Mike.ca]

Yes, the Patrick/Unser story has been around for months. It was thought that the deal was dead. What's new here is the Patrick is trying to put together a deal with Walker Racing - which would make sense, as Patrick probably doesn't have the infrastructure to run his own team. If you read the article, you will see that Miller talked to Patrick yesterday (Mar. 13th), and Patrick said that the deal is close. So, it's not just the same old story.

Just as an aside, I find the whole matter of how people relate to Robin Miller rather interesting. When he was slagging the IRL, CART fans thought he was great and IRL fans attacked everything he wrote. Now, when he's reporting things that OWRS fans don't want to hear, they think he's full of it. The IRL fans who've been calling him "Robin Wrong" for years don't know what to do now. They still hate him, but they want to believe his stories. It's pretty amusing, really.

As I wrote on another thread, nothing is confirmed until it's confirmed. So, we'll have to wait and see.

[zerO]

Originally posted by Muzza
zerO,

Should not Newman/Haas list Sebastien Bourdain and Bruno Junqueira only? What is Justin Wilson's name doing there?

Regards,

Muzza

I stuck it there so one will have perception of who might step in when and if Haas will take Junky to IRL - which happens to be a very distinct possibility nowdays ?!

zerO