Newman-Haas 2004 IRL/Indy plans

[sgw2]

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/7839/

Bruno Junqueira will drive the car whenever and wherever the test happens.

Chassis, Engine unknown. Plans call for at least the Indy 500

[marcus]

yep Ive heard this as well , allthough I heard Paul Newman isnt so interested in and wants to stay in CART , so possibly could Carl Haas go it alone for the Indycar series ?

either way they would be a welcomed addition I guess.

[climb]

Despite Newman's love for CART, we have to admit that his great outfit doesn't seem to belong at present CART, most teams being undersized in comparison.
A move to IRL would undoubtedly be welcomed; let's remember that last year they were to come, in the context of Da Matta switch to F1 and relationships with Toyota.
Only at the last minute everything was blocked, dunno why

[BootsOntheSide]

Newman-Haas never had any serious plans to switch to the IRL for 2003. That was all rumours. They were alwyas going to split from Toyota, sell them Da Matta, and continue to race road and street courses in CART. Remember that they, Players and Patrick are the only big CART teams who enver dabbled in the Indy 500, and they're the ones who reamin loyal to it.

Newman Haas wouldn't neccessarily belong in a world of corproate dominance, team owners with mroe love of moeny than racing, and a schedule full of generic ovals and fixed racing.

[climb]

From what I know (the source is absolutely reliable) Newman-Haas had already payed a deposit for 2 cars to one of IRL chassis manufacturers, just to confirm your idea of their religious loyalty to CART!
The triangulation had to be the following:
1) Toyota was engine provider of N-H
2) N-H set Da Matta free for F1 in Toyota
3) Toyota gave IRL engines FOC to N-H

Probably, the initial plan was to run only Indy500. Dunno why it didn't work.

[racer69]

Where has there been any fixed racing?

Not suprised by this announcement, rumours have been going around for ages.

Wasn't Junqueira keen for an Indy outing this year with N-H, but the scheduling of the European races made them re-think.

[sgw2]

The cars are G Force. Already reported in the IndyStar. Looks like Fontana in September for Bruno Junquiera. This has been almost a year in the making. So I'm not surprised.

Adrian Fernandez is the next shoe to drop.

[rush1]

I don't understand whats going on here. What if the series he participates in right now is bought up and they have races next may? What if the 2004 schedule for Bridgestone Presents the Motor Rock World Seriers Powered by Ford (bptmrwspbf) has those street races and concerts in NY, SF or chicago which presents a conflict with dates? You would think such a supporter of this series would wait to see a schedule.

You are a little late to the party but who cares. Welcome to the IRL uncle Carl!

[flatlander_48]

yes, but if he only bought 2 cars, I wouldn't consider that an exodus...

[Flatspot]

The fact Haas purchased 2 GForce cars was released so long ago that the speculation at that time was he was moving to the IRL for the 2003 season. He didn't.

Why is that same info being used to fuel a rumor today. This, paricularly in light of the fact that all that happened is someone wrote an article saying the team scheduled some track time to test a car to see if they may want to run at Indy next year. Somehow I don't see Haas in the IRL with any commitment other than the possible Indy run. If the series he races in has a conflict...Damn, there are still two new GForces moth-balled for a rainy day.

Originally posted by Rush1

I don't understand whats going on here.

BINGO!

Put away the party hats and roll back the welcome mat, "Uncle Carl" is still turning right.

[rush1]

Yea right, but 2 GForce cars, test them and let them collect dust after that? Don't think so. Carl didn't wait for Motor Rocks schedule, if it ever materializes. And why is this a Newman-Haas operation? I thought Paul was against any IRL effort

[BootsOntheSide]

They bought the cars a year ago and let them gather dust for a year, why would things neccessarily change now?

Paul may still be agaiznst an IRL effort. All we know for sure is that he's not against an Indy 500 effort.

[climb]

From what i know they versed a deposit but didn't accomplish the pruchase of cars last year; moreover this year the cars have predictably changed because of new rules, so it was senseless to make a purchase last yesr waitng for events...

[Flatspot]

Climb, I believe you are correct, Haas paid a deposit and never actually took delivery of the cars. The article(s) SGW2 posted says that they have possibly made a deposit, this time on a couple of Dallara's with the full support of Toyota.

Maybe I'm reading more into this than is really there but I interpret this as Toyota is paying to have Haas test some cars in case he's interested in running at Indy and/or if CART folds. I beleive it is clear that CART won't fold, it will be sold and the deep pockets will keep it alive for at the very least the '04 season (not taking into account my personal opinion that it will be around much, much longer).

This makes the following quote from the article the most important to this thread:

“If CART goes forward, we’ll race there,” he (Haas) said. “We’ll do one of the other, CART or the IRL.”

[sgw2]

The press release came from the Newman-Haas Racing team itself. There was no hoopla from the IRL, no photo shot at IMS with Haas, Junquiera, and George.

The timing of the release by NHR may have more to do with internal CART politics than anything else (open season on Pook since Robin Miller went public with the attitudes of many of CART's team owners about Pook's job performance). Either that or it is a signal to their sponsors that NHR will be around in 2004 regardless of what happens in CART.

[3state]

I would say you're right on all accounts sgw2, and that seems to be confirmed by statements recently made by Carl Haas. If there isn't a CART series in 2004 they want to make it absolutely clear to their sponsors they're still going to be around.

[climb]

Flatspot, you talk about Dallara, sgw2 about Gforce; isn't still clear what chassis thay have intention to test on?

[brightline]

Another scenario is that the N/H IRL thing is a ploy to drive the CART stock down further to make the buyout easier, even if they run Indy or not.

[macdaddy]

Gordon Kirby, on Paul Newman's mission in Denver...

"He told me he came here to scotch any rumors that Newman-Haas was going to the IRL. He is totally committed to the CART series and he wanted to make that totally clear to his crew guys."

[Flatspot]

Climb, the underlying story if you click the hyperlink within the link sgw2 provided has this quote "Haas is again mulling-over an IRL program for ‘04 and is believed to have placed orders for Dallara chassis . . . again with full support from Toyota." that's where my info came from right or wrong.

[climb]

Thanks Flatspot!

[Alain]

Paul Newman made his intentions clear when addressing the rumor that Newman/Haas Racing will leave CART for the rival IRL next season.

"I am here specifically to scotch the rumors about us moving to the IRL," Newman told AUTOSPORT. "I wanted to make it clear to the guys on the team exactly where I stand. As I've said before, I'm totally committed to CART and I have no interest at all in the IRL."

The team has said that they are looking at racing in next years Indianapolis 500 but it looks like that is all the team is interested in