Pook's story of 2003...

[Jay]

Gordon Kirby's inside track on Cart.com is particularily eye opening this week. Chris Pook discusses some of the **** he faced this year in an uphill battle to save Champ Cars. It also reveals how close Cart came to falling victim to Tony George, Chip Gannassi and Michael Andretti. As well, Chris discusses what Cart will be doing in 2003 to begin to rebuild the series into it's new form, hinting at some sort of a marketing relationship with F1 down the road. Anyway, a good read!

http://www.cart.com/News/Article.asp?ID=5301

[indycool]

Yeah, Jay, it's a good read. Some of it's interesting thinking. I still think it's poor form for Pook to continue to trash people like Ganassi and Andretti and bray and whine about 'em.

[Snrub]

I'm a bit worried by the statements he made about F1. Working together for a stragetic means is one thing, but he's talking about a lot more than that.

[indycool]

Yeah, Snrub, he seems to be. CART's lawyers are probably concerned, too, when he says he announced the MG deal lying through his teeth knowing he was going to Ford. That'll be great news for Judd in his arbitration hearing.

[Jay]

I still think it's poor form for Pook to continue to trash people like Ganassi and Andretti and bray and whine about 'em.

Actually, Pook never named anyone (for legal reasons obviously), but what he's saying is 100% true, and he has reason to speak.

I honestly have no idea how Pook managed to keep his cool at times during the season, when he had to deal with reporters constantly pushing him to name 18 cars for next season, and others attempting to get his drivers to say that Cart was dieing, or that they'd be moving elsewhere for 2003. Guys like Jimmy Vasser and Cristiano Da Matta nearly lost it in various press confrences over the year because of reporters that were pushing them to say 'Cart is dead, I'm leaving".

When Cart was having successes, like Montreal, guys like Michael Andretti and Chip Gannassi were using the same settings as a business forum to discuss deals that might have lead to Cart's demise! That's like if Motorola allowed Nokia to use their plush boardroom so they could discuss a strategy that would force Motorola out of the cell phone business!

[Liz]

Michael Andretti better hope he's the success story of the season because there will be plenty of reporters waiting to jeer at him when he starts making mistakes.

I wonder about Kenny Brack too, saying that the Invisibles are the place to be. What he should be saying is "I'm glad somebody hired me after the year I had -- it's a miracle I'm not sitting on my behind on the sidelines with a sign reading "will drive for food!"

Anyway i can't help but think that next year will be better all round. And I propose that we not discuss any more after midnight tonight what Those People are doing or have done. It's a new year, let's start out with a whole new attitude!

[indycool]

Wasn't in any of those press rooms, Jay, so I'll take your word for it that was happening. But Andretti announced his plans and shut up. Same with Ganassi. Same with Toyota. Same with Honda. I'm sure all those deals weren't cut in the CART paddock. People have telephones and offices. The vitriolic public huffing and puffing and bellowing came from people like Mario and Pook. Pook called them deadwood then, here it is Dec. 31 and he's still braying about them even though they're long past history and old news.

[Russfeld]

Im with Indycool. Pook is a little too fire and brimestone for my tastes. He really doesnt have a position to be criticising people and even if he did, he should be using that time to salvage and rebuild the series.

Ganassi, Green, Penske, etc, et al left because CART couldnt offer them a superior product to the IRL. Thats CART's fault, not the teams. So Pook criticising them is just consistent with the problems that allowed CART to get into this position, lack of responsibility for its own future.

[Jay]

To be fair, most of those quotes were from earlier in the year. I don't think any of them can be any more recent than a month ago. Also, I haven't been in very many press confrences either, but the transcrpits are all available for public viewing on cart.com.

Chris and Mario have been vocal because they've seen it all happen with their own eyes. They've seen Michael, Chip, and the others use the very series that has brought them to stardom to organize their move to the IRL, and maximize the damage to Cart (with the timing of announcments). I have no doubts that many of these very deals were hatched out inside transports in the Cart paddock and hospitality areas - where else would be more convenient? I'm trying to remember where I read it, but I thought Dario said his deal was finalized at the Montreal race. It was the announcments that were made away from Cart.

[Jay]

Russfeld, you know Ganassi, Green and Penske didn't leave Cart because of the product was better in the IRL. Even IRL fans will admit that. It was no secret that it was all about the money.

What was Pook supposed to do? Just keep smiling while various people were trying to destroy his company?

[¡As-de-mim!]

Pook is inspiring. The fact that he ticks the EARL guys off is a bonus.

[Russfeld]

$$$ is part of the product. If you guys want to beleive Green, Ganassi, Haas, Penske, et al are in it just for the racing you are sadly deluded. First and foremost these guys are making business decisions. If the IRL is offering them more $$$ overall, there's no reason for them not to go there, and it would be out of the character of the business team owner to do otherwise. You guys can go on about loyalty, principles, enron, whatever but that isnt realistic. You were under the false pretense that these guys were 'true racers' to begin with. Carl Haas is a greedy man, and its hurting his team.

And this stuff about attacking the series that created you blah blah. Well thats true CART did make names out of Andretti, Kanaan, Franchitti etc. But the Indy500 and Indycars in general are what gave birth to CART. So who's spitting on who?

[Jay]

The 'product' to me implied the series itself, exclusive of costs... From what you said before, it sounded like you were saying they went to the IRL, becuase they preferred that type of racing.

I think you have to be a fan of racing to be invovled in this sport in any way, as it takes an enormous amount of time and money. That said, there are many different forms of motorsport and each owner has a preference as to which series they want to run in, whether it be Nascar, Cart or IRL (the 3 at the top in North America). If they were all in it, just for the money, as you imply, they'd all be in Nascar! Yet, some teams have worked overtime to find sponsors, signed pay drivers and taken handouts because they want to race in one series over another. This is happening in both Cart and the IRL.

Why is Haas greedy? Not disagreeing, just curious what you think...

And the Indy500 was around before George's family got involved...so who knows...maybe George will get out somehow, and everyone will get back together again.

[enemy-ace]

Originally posted by Russfeld
$$$ is part of the product. If you guys want to beleive Green, Ganassi, Haas, Penske, et al are in it just for the racing you are sadly deluded.

I don't think I can agree with you on this. Nobody gets into racing to make money, that has got to be one of the worst investments anyone could make. The fact that they are going to the IRL is because of the money; so that they may race with the knowledge that they are secure financially. I can't help but think that if CART wasn't going through such a turbulent time due to mis-management that the defecting teams would be staying put. Because what it comes down to, politics aside, is that the CART product is better and more diverse.

[Russfeld]

Because one of the reasons he doesnt have sponsors for next year is he takes too much home in his own pocket. One of the reasons he was unable to hold on to Andretti because he wouldnt turn around and then spend some of that own money to keep him. Carl Haas isnt the clever business man he thinks he is. He got lucky on the Beatrice thing and since then they've really only had 3 sponsors (Texaco, Kmart, and now Lilly)

[enemy-ace]

Business acumen or not, getting rid of Andretti was the best thing Haas ever did!

[Russfeld]

It cost him sponsorship, so arguably no. Andretti/Da Matta would have been as good or better as Fittipaldi/Da Matta

Politics aside, currently the CART product *isnt* better than the IRL, thats why they are leaving.

[Jay]

If by product you mean $$$$ from Honda and Toyota, then you're correct. Otherwise, it's purely a matter of preference.

I haven't seen Newmann-Haas' detailed financial records, so I can't really say if that's true or not. But, going purely from the logos on the cars, it would appear the team lost most of their sponsors after last season, a year after Andretti had left the team. And I would guess that most of those sponsors departing had more to do with their individual situations and the economy rather than anything Haas was doing. K-mart has being a dieing company since wal-mart expanded, Labatt has been in financial turmoil since they were sold to Belgian based Interbrew. And I'd guess the rest were in similar situations.

[Russfeld]

A business preference yes. The paying engine manufacturers are in the IRL. Not only their free engines, but the side cash and the free PR they do for said teams. The sponsors are indicating they want to be in the IRL. The single largest North American OW race is in the IRL.

[Lee Janotta]

Cripes, that'll teach me to spend all day playing The Sims.

This is war... The IRL's out to destroy CART, Pook can't afford to be any less vicious and scathing.

Judd and MG were probably paid off right after the Cosworth announcement, or they'd have been yelling their heads off.

CART can be international without becoming F3000... Do three rounds in Europe, and split the rest throughout the whole of the Americas, and a couple rounds in Australia.

Complementary to F1? F1's too pompous to accept it's equal with any series.

F1 at the top of the ladder in the states? Chris, get your head out of your ass, or give the long-term planning duties to an American or Canadian! Americans aren't going to take to it in large numbers, and you've _got_ the top of ladder in the states already!!!

He's fooling himself if he thinks Bernie's a real friend. The _only_ thing that interests Bernie is Bernie!

F1's going to crumble to pieces soon anyways. It''l rise like a pheonix (pun unavoidable), even more miraculously than CART has. But only without Max and Bernie. CART is competition for F1, not a companion!!!

[Snrub]

Working with Bernie can have it's advantages, we're seeing them already with the new venues.

I agree that CART should not see itself as a feeder to F1. CART should be a series that's similar to F1 in terms of being top of the latter and having a high quality talent pool, but respects F1 such that they don't come in to conflict and hurt each other. You're right that F1 won't accept an equal, so let them think they've got the better series with their big budgets. Ultimately they will attract some CART racers with big $$$.

F1's not going anywhere. It's large enough that it can prevent major problems from taking it down. I was surprised that Bernie mades changes for 2003. People have been captivated with a mediocre F1 product for years, why would they be fed up all of the sudden?

[Lee Janotta]

I'd be very suprised if Bernie had anything to do with the negotions with Brands Hatch, Spa and Estoril, aside from not trying to sabotage them, as none are Formula 1 venues anymore, and probably never will be again.

It's well below mediocre now. Ferrari's actions at Austria and Indy, whether you agree with them or not, really angered a lot of people who just aren't watching now. Especially with touring cars putting on much better shows.

The finances are the most unstable part of F1, though. It's a series built for a bull economy, and with this global recession, we've lost Prost and Arrows, and I'd argue that Jordan and Minardi won't be back in 2004, maybe not Jaguar either given Ford's troubles.

As far as not trying to work against F1... I say they can have 3 races in the Americas, where CART dominates (and needs to expand southward), and CART gets 3 races in their European territory. Put that in writing, and I think you've got an arrangement both can live with.

Y'know, they said Enron was great stock to buy....

[Snrub]

I guess so, I never got the fan frustration from 2002. IMO F1 was WAY more boring when Mika was on top. This year there were interesting starts, the racers were compelling and there was actual competitive passing happening behind the ferraris. Indy was one of the best races of the season, anyone who needed Ferrari to show them that who won was not an interesting aspect of the race was pretty blind.

I'm worried in 2003 that F1's on track action may be equal to CART's. Last year was really stagnent in the passing department and I don't think the new rules will cure the lack of passing. Maybe the 16 rookies in the field will make things more interesting. PT winning from the back multiple times? I'm also worried about the lack of power reducing the passing.

[Lee Janotta]

The tires aren't going off, and we're still seeing too much pit strategy, that's why I proposed that refuelling ban. I figured it'd keep cars out longer, and the teams would _really_ have to hustle to change the tires and beat other teams out of the pits, which could then set up more battles for position.

[The Snout]

Pook all the way, like him or hate him, he's the only guy that was going to save Cart.