2006 CCWS Silly Season

[D.R.T.]

Why turn down the opportunity to kill two birds with one or two stones. Two rookies for 2006 would be a huge gamble for PKV and maybe some of the wise heads in PKV eg. Jim McGee made a call.

Not doubting the talents of Briscoe, Montagny and Pantano I just dont think they are the right fit at the moment.

No championship has the luxury of choosing drivers solely on speed.

[StickShift]

Autosport: Rocketsports aim for Montagny

Rocketsports Racing team owner Paul Gentilozzi has confirmed he is hoping to sign Franck Montagny to his Champ Car team by the end of the week.

The Frenchman, who has been hugely impressive in his tests for PKV Racing, has also been linked with the third seat at fledgling Formula One team Super Aguri, but Gentilozzi believes he can win the services of the ex-Renault test driver.

Gentilozzi said: "I have been in negotiations with Franck and his manager; I have made an offer, they have made a counter-offer and we should soon find some middle ground. Franck seems a strong prospect, and if his heart in his Champ Cars, I believe he will be a major asset to the team and to the series as a whole."

[...]

Why do good drivers end up on terrible teams?

[mac]

Because good teams come up with all sorts of reasons why they need to have a less good driver ......

Montagny is good enough to be a champion in the right circumstances - I just hope he lands a ride somewhere.

I really hope Rocketsports sort their act out this year - sadly I'm not holding my breath.

[D.R.T.]

Rocketsports were awesome in 2003 and showed they had huge potential, however since that time apart from a few flashes in 04, they have been on a downwood spiral.

Could 06 and Montagny start a revival ?

[enemy-ace]

The problem with Rocketsports is they don't seem to have the resources to run two cars. I think they would probably be more competitive in the short term as a single car team. However I imagine they are obligated to run 2 cars to keep up the numbers.
I would like to see Montagny at Rocketsports, but I hope he commits to Champ Car long term. His best options are in America unless he wants to be a full-time F1 tester.

[enemy-ace]

Further to that report it would seem Pizzonia and Bernoldi are PG's other choices.
He also says he won't do a second car unless he can do it right. Read "Money"

[jondownunder]

I wasn't up to date with the latest opinion on Eurointernational, but it looks like the Champ Car plan has been abandoned for now in favour of trying to put together a season in Atlantics with Ryan Sharp: Link (from yesterday)

Translated part:

"...(Antonio) Ferrari was intenzionato to return in the Champ Car with a program of ten contests, but the lack of Lola available on the market (the English House will live its last supplying year as of chassis) has carried it to head on the F.Atlantic...

[okeefe]

Originally Posted by mac

Great, change the name of the team from PKV Racing to Champ Car Marketing!

Indeed.

[okeefe]

Originally Posted by mac

Didn't put much effort into it .......

It was the only reason I could come up with why a good team that has spent the winter testing, and publicly pumping up the talents of three very impressive young drivers, only to seemingly turn to older, previously unsuccessful drivers.

Why did they bother testing the three of them anyway!? Seems Legge only had to keep it on the black stuff to get the drive. And if they wanted a steady, "experienced" hand as her foil, why even bother testing Briscoe, Montagny and Pantano other than to create the public perception that Legge earnt her ride?

I guess I just failed to come up with any answers, other than a supposed "conspiracy".

I also question the importance of a "guiding hand" in a team that already has Jimmy Vasser in the mix precisely for that reason. I would argue that without having to worry about his own performance, he might even be in a better position to help out.

Of course, all of this is hypothetical, and PKV might just make the right decision and put one of the flying youngsters in there .....

I agree.

[Patski]

Carp made his choice, and it was the .IRL.

[BootsOntheSide]

I can't say I'm surprised that EuroInternational will not be returning, although hopefully they and perhaps Sharp will step up for 2007, which is clearly a better time for new teams to enter.

I suspect mac is right that PKV were always planning to run Legge plus a veteran and no third car, which does suggest that the tests were a mere publicity exercise, probably being paid for by Montagny and Pantano under false pretences. Hoepfully they have done enough to earn themselves competitive rides elsewhere.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Patski

Carp made his choice, and it was the .IRL.

Carp made his choice at the end of 2004, employment or non employment.

What would you have done in a similar position ?

[jondownunder]

I see Bernoldi and Pizzonia were mentioned as possible Rocketsports drivers a few days ago; I just spotted this at grandprix.com:

MARCH 4, 2006
F1 men head for Champ Car
Plans are afoot for former F1 drivers Antonio Pizzonia and Enrique Bernoldi to join forces to turn Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports Racing Champ Car team into Team Brazil. The plan is for the project to be funded by Brazilian businessmen who are behind the development of a new racing facility which is under construction at Belo Horizonte. The group wants Champ Car to visit the track to help promote the state of Minas Gerais.

The race track is being built on the site of the old Serra Verde racecourse which has been leased from the local jockey club for 10 years by a company called Falgo Empreendimentos e Participacoes.

Belo Horizonte is the fourth largest city in Brazil and is the state capital of Minas Gerais.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Team Brazil and Team Australia on a ChampCar grid? Did the A1GP merger talks pass under the radar?

Still, if it helps keep two cars on the grid it's hard to complain.

[Alwaysfirst]

More to the point if it helps 2 well funded cars with good drivers onto the grid then it is hard to complain.

[karting legend]

is it motorsport or motor racing? again money talks, good luck to brazil these drivers allways got by with lot off money, i am sorry to say other drivers with talent can only dream.so suppose this be motor racing.

[BootsOntheSide]

Rocketsports hired drivers who appear to be inferior to Bernoldi and Pizzonia even when finances weren't a consideration, and it's not as if Antonio and perhpas Enrique don't deserve a chance at this level.

[Alwaysfirst]

If we're criticising Rocketsports for possibly hiring two drivers who aren't the best Brazilian drivers out there then lets just condemn the whole of motorsport. Any type of sport is an expensive business. In F1, CCWS, IRL & most other types of motorsport over the last 40 or so years only the drivers with the money to get to that level have got to that level. The same goes for other sports. Who is saying that Team GB couldn't have swept the board when it came to the winter olympics but they couldn't because they were having to pay for their own equipment. If you criticise Rocketsports for giving 2 drivers who aren't really that bad a go, simply because they can afford to, then you should stop watching any type of sport.

[karting legend]

so if you can race in a high level off motor sport with no money and get paid you have to be very good these are the true racers which are few!and not a line off allso rans a true racer will be reveiled soon.

[blaarg]

huh?

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

I fear my team name joke has snowballed rather quickly.

[enemy-ace]

Just reading on paddocktalk.com that Rusport has a teleconference for Tues. (March7) at noon. Seems they have a sponsorship announcement.

[StickShift]

"RuSport is proud to announce that their official toilet bowl cleaner product for the 2006 season will be..."

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by enemy-ace

Just reading on paddocktalk.com that Rusport has a teleconference for Tues. (March7) at noon. Seems they have a sponsorship announcement.

Looks like CDW.

[D.R.T.]

Great for Rusport, CDW and CC.