OWRS Statement

[Mags]

BACK ON TRACK!
Judge approves CART's team owners bid


LANSING, Mich. (Jan. 28, 2004) – With today’s decision in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Indianapolis by Judge Frank J. Otte, Open Wheel Racing Series, LLC (“OWRS”) will immediately take over operations of the Champ Car World Series. Judge Otte ruled the bid submitted by OWRS partners Paul Gentilozzi, Kevin Kalkhoven, and Gerald Forsythe was the best option for all concerned parties.

The ruling means OWRS acquires all assets of the Champ Car World Series, including all race-related equipment as well as the race contracts with various promoters. In effect, the ruling guarantees North America’s premier open-wheel racing series will compete in 2004 and beyond.

The final 2004 race schedule, television plans, and team, driver, and sponsorship announcements will be forthcoming throughout the next two months. The series anticipates an 11th consecutive season of drawing more than 2.2 million spectators – a streak unmatched in North American open-wheel racing.

“We’re extremely pleased Judge Otte agreed with the recommendations of Championship Auto Racing Teams and the Creditors’ Committee, and allowed us to preserve what we believe is the finest racing series in the world,” said Gentilozzi. “We will make the most of this opportunity and will ensure Champ Car teams, drivers, partners, and fans are never again subjected to a situation like this.”

Kalkhoven was equally delighted, “None of this would have been possible without the unbridled support of our valued race promoters and team owners that stuck with us through all the IRL’s much-publicized machinations, or without the fervent support of the fans,” explained Kalkhoven. “Every supportive letter and e-mail we received strengthened our desire to resolve this matter properly. We are all acutely aware of the responsibility we now bear for the Champ Car community and we, along with everyone else in the series, will strive to exceed our expectations every day.”

Said Forsythe, “I’m just glad all this is over and we can get back to the business of what we do best, and that’s giving our many fans the kind of racing they’ve come to expect from the Champ Car World Series.”

Preparations continue for the 2004 season, which begins April 18 with the crown jewel of North American racing, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Defending series champion Paul Tracy of Forsythe Racing will lead a pack of the world’s top talent in the chase for the Vanderbilt Cup, which is awarded to the series champion.




(We at RFM Sports celebrate this great ending and the beginning of a great rivalry, and we wholeheartedly pledge our support to help the Open Wheel Racing Series keep on winning.)

[SurfaceUnits]

On Wind Tunnel tonight Gentilozzi said OWRS will be at Road America and Laguna Seca in 2004, and also all 3 Molson Indy Canadian races.

[Mags]

Originally posted by SurfaceUnits
On Wind Tunnel tonight Gentilozzi said OWRS will be at Road America and Laguna Seca in 2004, and also all 3 Molson Indy Canadian races.

YES YES YES!!!

[Snrub]

Originally posted by Mags
(We at RFM Sports celebrate this great ending and the beginning of a great rivalry, and we wholeheartedly pledge our support to help the Open Wheel Racing Series keep on winning.)

I think you've hit the nail on the head with the great rivalry comment. CART/OWRS doesn't need to pay attention to the IRL, simply do what they do best and the pendulum will swing their way. TG's interferance with the CART sale has to show TG's true colours to all. I'm surprised at the amount of money TG was willing to force OWRS to pay. That really made me mad.

The biggest improvement in CART/OWRS will be simply that the questions about it's existance will decrease substantially. Hype means a lot and negative hype will go a long way to bringing sponsors, teams and drivers into the series.

The IRL on the other hand... What positive changes have occured in the series? The only positive momentum is that Hornish is with Penske so he'll be at the front which is obviously marketable. The power will be down to ~600hp. The biggest problem with the IRL has been that there has been little difference between the straightline and corner speeds. This difference is what allows oval racing to reveal the differences between drivers. I haven't heard anything about an aero package change. The result of substantially less power will mean that there is NO difference between straight and corner speeds and races will be between chasis, engine and setup. Bottom line: CART has the first chance since 2001 to take sponsors, drivers, teams from the IRL.

There's only one way to pay it back to TG. Survive, thrive and let the Indy500 die!

[dretceterini]

TG is a *******, but Indy will never die..

[GP Racer]

"Survive, thrive, and let the Indy 500 die", may make a great rhyme, but lets not get carried away in your euphoria.

The Indy 500 is to open wheel, what LeMans is to sports cars.

[Liz]

Our mission, and we have all accepted it, is to make sure we suppot OWRS by our money, our attendance, our e-mails, our television watching and our sponsor support -- as well as our support, pursuit and promotion of the teams. We all have our own ideas of how this ought to be done, but for now we need to put all our petty differences aside and focus on making OWRS a success.

As Robin Miller put it to a totally disbelieving Dave The Pain on Windtunnel tonight, it is NOT about money and it never was -- and even TG understood that at the end of the day when he admitted that although he brought his chequebook, he "didn't have the right currency" to do what he meant to do. He tried to kill CART and he failed. Now we must make sure this never happens again.

And as for all this rubbish about "unification", take PG's word for it, "The state doesn't tell us we don't need Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, Honda, and Lexus -- all we need is Toyota and Ford -- the market place will prove how many kinds of cars we need." Or as they say in China, "Let 1,000 flowers bloom."

Now, drop that flag!

[Mags]

Originally posted by GP Racer
"Survive, thrive, and let the Indy 500 die", may make a great rhyme, but lets not get carried away in your euphoria.

The Indy 500 is to open wheel, what LeMans is to sports cars.

I found it VERY sad last year that "bump" day was a not even really needed. I truly hope there will be more than enough cars that it will be required this year.

[GP Racer]

I'm with you there Mags.

[Snrub]

Originally posted by GP Racer
The Indy 500 is to open wheel, what LeMans is to sports cars.

Use to be. TV viewship of Indy is way down. Give it 5 years, which race will be bigger, Mexico city or the Indy500? Seriously.

Screw Toyota, we don't want 'em. I'm convinced Honda or Hyundai would be the best options.

[SurfaceUnits]

Finally, we can get on with racing. PG said that OWRS is staying in Indy and will expand its presence. He said there will be no discussion of a merger with the IRL. Ever.

http://www.indybooks.net/DATA/letsgorace.wav

[The Snout]

The IRL and Indy 500 is now in our past, lets get on with the future, it's venues, it's standing starts, it's new engine regs. Lets go racing.

[Liz]

Much to the dismay of De Pain, who kept on trying to push "reunification" like a preacher who buttonholes a man the day of a nasty divorce and keeps bleating about "reconciliation".

The marriage is over, the ex isn't coming back, and there are many lovelies beckoning "Yoo Hoo" ... turn your back on "Indy" and go where the wild goose goes!

[Ac.]

Never say never...but don't base your plans on what might be. OWRS needs to focus on rebuilding their series to greatness. Let the future bring what it may, I'm sure it will be something we never imagined.

[mountainstar]

OWRS is doing the right thing by going their own way. Forget about the IRL and reunification. The Indy 500, one big race, woo hoo, big deal. Focus on building your own special product in the marketplace.

I've heard others say "well, open wheel racing has never been big in the states anyways". Well why can't it? It may never be as big as NASCAB, but so what? Give us good drivers, fast cars, grid girls and rock music and I'll be there and we'll all be there.

[f1manoz]

I'm just thrilled that we won and forced the Dark Side, once again, to think again.

I'd rather not think about that lot anymore. They have nothing to do with us. Let us focus all our efforts on making OWRS the best open-wheel racing in the world.

[Testure]

What a relief to see so much optimism around It's good for the fans and good for the series too. Potential sponsors/teams/etc. can stop worrying about whether we're going to be around at the end of the year. I can absolutely understand PG being so anti-unification right now - who can blame him... A few weeks ago, he was saying nice things about Tony George, who responds by trying to take his engines! It was the equivalent of Bill Gates sending around some thugs to break Larry Ellison's legs. Hopefully he's learned his lesson - one series has to be with the consent of all.

For now, though:
Thank you, Paul.
Thank you, Kevin.
Thank you, Gerry.

Party on

[gttouring]

do you suppose the champcar team will do INDY like they did th first years, with indy only equipment?- i can see it happening, espcially if toyota and honda jump back over to Champcars, forcing a concession to let it happen Champcar style, it is still and always a very special race, so it will always be part of the discussion i'm afraid.
And is Surfer's paradise on for good?- goodie i hope.
Champ cars rule.

[Liz]

And do you think if a Champ Car wins it again, TG would have the to steal it from him one more time?

Personally I hope we never go back there again. Let them have their football. We're going to be playing hockey.

[Kicking-back]

It's good news.

I hope Champ Car can build up again - maybe consideration should be given to dropping the remaining oval from the schedule and give a clear difference between CC and IRL.

[Neptune]

If they are going to drop any race, it should be some of the silly street races, uh, parades.

Miami is a farce. Some of the others aren't much better. Long Beach and Toronto work very well and should be kept, but when an Atlantic can turna faster lap than a champ car, there's obviously something very wrong.

How about Champ car races at Watkins Glen, Mosport, Road Atlanta and resign Mid-Ohio. That's the ticket!

[SurfaceUnits]

Paul Gentilozzi in the LA Times:

Gentilozzi told The Times on Wednesday that he expects to announce a television package within about seven days, announce a new team with an American driver — probably Carl Russo's team with driver A.J. Allmendinger — within two weeks, and also announce at least two new international races. A likely candidate for one of those races is Korea.

"That really is our angle of attack as we move forward," Gentilozzi said. "We're going to be a good multinational series." He added that there definitely would be 18 cars on the grid, a 16-race schedule, and that there will be championships within the championship, such as crowning series champions for the respective Mexican, Canadian and American races.

Gentilozzi added, "I have zero interest in going to Fontana," which has been the site of CART's season finale.

[Liz]

Watkins Glen is designated a Historic Site and cannot be upgraded to meet the standards of the FIA which must obtain in order to stage a Champ Car race. Watkins Glen is also a long ways from anywhere, and we are getting away from staging races in venues the average fan can't reach unless he has a car. Ditto Mosport, which is completely inaccessible except by automobile and hitch-hiking, although it is one of my favourite tracks, and nowhere to stay closer than Toronto which is an hour away, unless you camp. Ditto Mid-Ohio.

The street races draw the most fans, and the fans who pay to attend the races (i.e. us) are what bring in the sponsors and keep the wheels turning. You have to go where the people are. If the racing needs fixing up or the streets need altering, then you do that instead of moving the race to somewhere nobody can attend.

[macdaddy]

"...at least two new international races."

I'm assuming these to be Korea and South Africa.

And he continues by saying that it will be a 16-race schedule. Looking at the possible schedule that SurfaceUnits has posted in the "From Court Documents" thread, adding S.Africa would mean dropping another event, else there would be 17.

Of course, PG was not quoted as saying that the new international races would both be in 2004...

[Dov]

If they drop any race, it will most likely be Portland!?