Wilson close to Champ Car deal

[Dov]

From pitpass.com: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=20137

Wilson close to CART deal
09/03/2004

Following the announcement that Ralph Firman, who drove for Jordan in 2003, is close to signing a deal to drive in CART this year, we hear that another F1 refugee is close to joining the American series.

It's understood that Jonathan Palmer, who manages Justin Wilson, has written to shareholders in Justin Wilson Plc, advising them that a deal is close.

"I am optimistic that I will be able to confirm that Justin will have a competitive Champ Car drive within a couple of weeks," wrote Palmer.

At last a bit of good news for two drivers who have every right to feel more than a little bitter and aggrieved after their brush with F1.

[Tenoch]

Where did ralph firman sign?

[Dov]

It says in the article that Firman is CLOSE to signing a deal!

[Liz]

But with whom? A "competitive" drive -- aren't all of them booked?

[spider]

If they come budgeted up, then teams could run 3rd cars...? Is there anything in the rules to stop teams running 4 cars?

[codename_47]

Good news, I hope he makes it to Long Beach!!

Wow, we COULD get two Brits in this series when it looked like it would be a Brit-less year!

I'd forgotten about Justin floating himself on the stock market to get a drive with Minardi, so I guess that counts him as a driver with funds then, at least this one's got talent too!

[gi_gav]

This is slightly cheerier news after the shock of the whole Carpentier thing. It'll still take a while to restore the credibility lost by the champion team taking on a pay driver

[Muzza]

Fellows,

Ok, let's try to clarify this rumour.

Ralph Firman Sr., founder of Van Diemen and - of course - father of former Jordan Formula 1 driver Ralph Firman is understood to have bought the Reynard assets that had been previously acquired by Derrick Walker.

This is interesting. Firman Sr. with his very long and successful car-building experience might (this a might) be considering launching an effort with modified Reynards.

Such would go along with the newly released Champ Car rules regarding aerodynamic modification in the cars. Why? Well, because I consider that aerodynamics is one of the aspects that is most detrimental to the last Reynards in comparison to Lolas. A tweak in the aero package by experts (and Firman knows many, many of them) may give a little help to the Reynards - especially considering that little else can be done in the Lolas; one can not improve much what is already better).

Continuing, it is believed that Firman is operating in collaboration with Jonathan Palmer. Palmer has to do something to re-shape Justin Wilson career, as it has been funded - to put in simple words - in the same way and fashion an investment fund is raised. Palmer, who is the chairman of a consortium that recently bought several racing tracks in the United Kingdom, including Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Cadwell Park, would be particularly interested in enhancing his "visibility" to potential, additional investors - and he is widely considered to be an outstanding motorsport businessman.

However, with so much on his plate, I wonder how much effort can Palmer put into this hypotehtic transaction with the Firman family.

For the time being this is a long shot rumour. It is being fueled by the fact that Champ Cars must put 18 cars in the grid in Long Beach, but I don't see it happening in such a short time frame.

Cheers,


Muzza

[Amar7605]

I am sure that if there is proper funding then a team can have 4 cars. After all, when it comes to auto racing money talks...

[codename_47]

Originally posted by Amar7605
I am sure that if there is proper funding then a team can have 4 cars. After all, when it comes to auto racing money talks...

That team in the other series has 4 doesn't it? :confused:

Hmmm.....we've pushed Justin looking like he has something under his hat, to the far realms of possible maybe rumour?

Oh well....hope for the best...

[Liz]

Is Justin Wilson taller than Paul Tracy?

[Sheila M]

Liz, Justin Wilson is taller than EVERYBODY!! He's 6ft 5ins or thereabouts.

[BSchneiderFan]

Depends how tall Paul Tracy is. Wilson's about six-one, six-two, isn't he? Maybe a shade taller than that.

[Muzza]

Justin Wilson - and also Ryan Hunter-Reay, for that matter - is taller than Paul Tracy.

[zerO]

Hey Muzza,
Van Diemen backed out of the Reynard/Walker deal last year and Panoz/Elan took over those "Reynard assets"... on the other hand, there is a rumor that Ralph Firman Sr. has bought the Reynards that Walker put up for sale couple months ago with intention of forming a team for his son, but should that concept not materialize then chances are Ralph Firman Jr. will land in one of Walker's newly acquired Lolas...

As for Justin Wilson - Bobby Rahal is currently trying to have Gigante agree for Infineon AG being a primary co-sponsor of Rahal's second entry for JW... latest from Rahal is that chances of it materializing are below 50% and Rahal will stay a single car team...

zerO

[Muzza]

Hello, zerO,

Are you sure Walker bought any Lolas? I have been asking this around and no one knows of anything.

Regarding Rahal, as I posted in another thread, he gave all indications that he will not be running a second car unless something very special happens. I got the impression that he is not looking (himself) to field another car in Champ Car.

Cheers,


Muzza

[zerO]

Originally posted by Muzza
Hello, zerO,

Are you sure Walker bought any Lolas? I have been asking this around and no one knows of anything.

Regarding Rahal, as I posted in another thread, he gave all indications that he will not be running a second car unless something very special happens. I got the impression that he is not looking (himself) to field another car in Champ Car.

Cheers,


Muzza

Hey Muzza,
I know that Walker placed an order with Lola Ltd for 6 chasses, whether his check cleared or whatever happened after that I'm in the dark just as you are, but I did hear that he's working verrrrrrrrry hard trying to get at least one car on the grid at Long Beach and his preferred driver at the moment is Jonathan Macri... ofcourse, now the Patreek speculation enters the picture and Firman shouldn't be discounted either...

zerO

[Testure]

I don't really expect to see either of these guys driving in Champ Car. Although both were classed as "pay drivers" in F1, neither Firman nor Wilson had much sponsorship of their own. Wilson raised money for his Minardi drive by, basically, asking the public for donations. Firman had some backing from a British tobacco company because of his nationality. I think maybe Justin has a slightly better chance of a drive because of his Ford involvement, they made some noises about helping him out when he was ruled out of the Jaguar test role. It's unlikely, though.

[GTRMagic]

Originally posted by zerO
Van Diemen backed out of the Reynard/Walker deal last year and Panoz/Elan took over those "Reynard assets"...

Thats an interesting comment Zero, considering Panoz actually owns VanDiemen, and has for some time... would this not put that business in trouble with the IRL, where the G-Force chassis is supplied by the same company?

[BootsOntheSide]

Justin will struggle to raise any funds of his own this year, and not many teams have funded drives on offer. It's a real shame, because his talent is undisputed. I'm certain that he could do well - his best chance might be if Rocketsports or PK need to run a third car.

As for the Firman deal, it's possible, but he's not a driver I particualrly rate. I'd prefer to see Derrick get a team on track running competitively.

[BSchneiderFan]

If Rahal managed to drum up Infineon sponsorship for a second car, wouldn't they want a German driver? Pierre Kaffer? Marco Werner?

[Kicking-back]

Both Firman and Wilson have a good pedigree and both would be good additions to Champ Car.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
If Rahal managed to drum up Infineon sponsorship for a second car, wouldn't they want a German driver? Pierre Kaffer? Marco Werner?

Once again, Rahal is not working actively to find a sponsor and is not actively working to field a second car in Champ Car.

This does not mean it is impossible; instead, it means that Rahal will have a second car only if someone brings the whole package ready to him, delivered in a plate.

Pretty much like Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal has built a business group with interests in multiple areas, inside and outside of motorsport. Inside, he has now committed to a one car team in Formula BMW (for his son) and a two-car one in Toyota Atlantics - plus one car in the IRL. The whole Rahal team personnel is pretty much busy with all these things and there is no idleness.

For Rahal to field another car he would need to

1.) Reorganize the personnel, what may jeopardize the effort in other formulae. From a business perspective, would a second Champ Car be more significant than a title in Formula BMW? Or in the IRL?

2.) Buy spares, as the team has already run as a single-car effort in 2003 and adding another car to the racetrack is much, much more complex than simply buying a tub (chassis).

Regards,


Muzza

[Snrub]

If we can get these kind of guys into CART then I think their profile raises interest in CART and the interest of sponsors. Let's hope something pans out.

[spider]

To raise the profile of CC, why doesn't it try 'n' nab Rosberg or Piquet Jnr's - F1 is fascinated to see how they develop, so it may raise the status of the series and the drivers who beat them? Plus they'd be good for marketing.

Wilson and Firman are bland, dull, boring and lacking any sort of bada bing in their personalities - Palmer is tied up in Brands and his son, who I saw race, and come last down at Bayford Meadows a few weeks ago, against a weakened grid - then they flew off in JP's helicopter - no comment. JW needs a Flavio as a boss - JP is just too dull and rude to people who aren't deemed worthy of his presence - how is that good PR?

I don't wish to see JW fail, but he looks like a very ugly girl in some shoots, can't chat, is boring as hell and was pathetic at Jaguar anyway you look at it. Firman is a squeaky voiced, dull, not stunningly fast racer who took years to win Nippon - now sorry, I'm not inspired by either - and I'm a Brit, goodness knows what others think of them.

Lets see some life, some zest, even Irvine over in Champ Cars - it needs to be MARKETABLE - Tracy is, listen to him - speaks his mind, doesn't pull any punches, he's a proper racer and just gets on with it - plus the job he's done in helping keeping people interested in CC over the last year has been tremendous.

We need some characters, some racers - Bourdais is one, he's more likely to thrash around instead of a dull economy run - that's what fans want. If the fans want it, sponsors will want it, and I'm sorry but neither Firman nor Wilson are a) quick ENOUGH or b) have any sort of exciting aura about them. Dull dull dull...!!