Will Champ Car survive the 2007 season ???

Question

Its seems as thought bthere are too many problems. with the biggest being the series and its teams with $$$ problems.

Answer 1

The dominoes are starting to fall and the merger will soon happen.

If something good doesnt happen to Champ Cars after this season, Tony will buy them out.

Answer 2

Champ Car has a brand new car, and it has renewed contracts for multiple years with nearly all of its venues.

Champ Car isn't going anywhere, and next year, with more new cars, they will have more cars than just the 17 racing this year.

That being said, the IRL will continue to survive as well. Mainly due to the INDY 500 which is the only profitable race the IRL has.

Since neither are going anywhere, it would be wise of them to announce some kind of understanding, not a merger mind you, but a simple alliance could easily be achieved.

First of all run on alternating weekends, so that there is not a Champ Car and IRL race on the same weekend. 2nd, Champ Car should run all Road Races, and the IRL all oval races. Third, the IRL car is so ugly and bad, they should switch to the Panoz for next year, so that the 2 series have the same very very good looking and performing car.

They can still be seperate entities, and communicate with each other at the same time.

Answer 3

I do believe they will survive this season. I really don't think that Kailhoven, Gentilozzi, or Forsythe (I hope I spelled their names right) will want to dump any more money into the series after this year if they do not find any sponsors who are willing to pick up some of the tabs. Tony might be playing a waiting game to see what happens. He still has Honda, as well as Indy. That's enough to keep going for the Indy Car Series. With Long Beach as Champ Cars main race, that's about all they have left. I hate to say it, but there isn't enough people in the U.S. who want to see a series with just road and street courses. I don't know why Nascar is so damn popular with 34 ovals, and two road courses. I think Tony should wait it out, attempt to buy Champ Car at the end of the year, use the new Panoz DP 01 with turbo in 2008, and run a 50/50 schedule next year (ovals and road/street). There will still be critics, but at least everyone will get a taste of what they like (if one open wheel series runs at least 26 races). I know I took a long way around this subject, but as I said, I believe Champ Car will be around in 2007, but if things don't work out with a merger this year, I don't believe Champ Car will be around in 2008.

Answer 4

Yes, as there are still Champ Car races that are a big deal in the communities they take place in. Toronto, Edmonton, Surfer's, Long Beach-the Grand Prix is a big deal so there will always be someone who can be brought on as a sponsor. There is a difference though between survival and thriving.

Answer 5

Tony George is the one who ruined the series and now people are expecting him to salvage it? my whole family used to get together for every CART race, every year. We live in Wisconsin, so Milwaukee and Road America were definites. We also travelled to Michigan for the inaugural US500. Now, nobody cares. I watched the race last weekend and honestly can't remember the winner's name.
IRL sucks too. The whole basis for the IRL was: American drivers, American tracks and all ovals. Look at the schedule!! Look at the list of drivers!! What did he change? I'll tell you--Cart and Indy used to be a testing ground for manufacturers to show of the fastest, most aerodynamic cars no matter what. Turbine engines, etc, were accepted. Now, you have to have one of the accepted engines, chassis, etc and they're not anywhere near the speeds that Gil deFeran had at California some ten years ago.
I hate Tony George and honestly don't care for IRL or CART/Champ Car. They can both go bye-bye. Go Brewers.
P.S. Paul Tracy won the Indy 500, NOT Castroneves!! Tony wasn't about to let a non-IRL driver win HIS race.

Answer 6

Asking for CHAMPCAR & IRL to merge is like FORD ASKING GM to merge.I,too was a bigger fan of CART,after the split.But I've seen what has become of both series.They're BOTH a joke,now.CHAMPCAR has the better car,IRL has the better venues.They better do something quick,or nascar will be asking INDY for a second race-on MEMORIAL DAY.