Gore confirms one Aussie vineyard car

[seppefan]

Even though he is closing his Aussie V8 team Gore is still going to sponsor one Walker car for Will Power in ChampCar. Great news announced today. Crash.net

[indycool]

I saw that on crash.net and heard Miller say on SPEED News that Gore still owes Walker a ton of money, plus Gore is selling his V8 Supercar franchises and is in ill health from complications of an inner ear problem, plus an Aussie poster at another forum says the Australian wine market is overstocked and you can buy good wine at $2 a bottle down there. With all of that, who knows?

[millencolin]

thats not great news... thats crap news! he's downsized from two cars to one! remember all the talk that he may run a third car for katherine Legge?

I knew Sir William Power would be back (and with my extreme case of patriotism... he will be champion :p :) ... but this is still crap news!

[millencolin]

plus an Aussie poster at another forum says the Australian wine market is overstocked and you can buy good wine at $2 a bottle down there. With all of that, who knows?

you are half true. Yes, it is overstocked... but $2? no dice! $8 maybe... $6 if the bottle-o is running a extreme special...

Trust me if there was good wine for $2, i would buy enough to fill my entire spare room. But such a thing doesn't even exist.
And before you ask... USA$2 still wouldnt buy you good wine.

[indycool]

You would know better than I, millencolin.

[millencolin]

You would know better than I, millencolin.


I'm sure my liver hates my knowledge of alcohol prices and quality :p :

[indycool]

Mine, too! :)

[seppefan]

and me !

[Nikki Katz]

That's weird. Autosport say that they're likely to keep 2 cars with the same drivers as last year, but are looking to switch to IRL with or without the merger.

[BobGarage]

That's weird. Autosport say that they're likely to keep 2 cars with the same drivers as last year, but are looking to switch to IRL with or without the merger.

well we know thats wrong then, as Franck Perera let slip in an interview Simon Pagenaud has signed with Conquest already ;)

[Speedworx]

Conquest will be in IRL with all the other CCWS teams in 08 anyway. So mute point.

[Pat Wiatrowski]

Conquest will be in IRL with all the other CCWS teams in 08 anyway. So mute point.

Dream on!

[gofastandwynn]

well we know thats wrong then, as Franck Perera let slip in an interview Simon Pagenaud has signed with Conquest already ;)

Daily Sports Car says something different (http://www.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm?articleUID=FAF17104-1143-FDC9-359DF834FC9AB66E)


Simon Pagenaud will be testing at Estoril for the next few days, in advance of a potential full season seat with Le Mans Series entrant Creation.

[Speedworx]

Dream on!

Wait for the announcement. I heard Honda agreed to move Motegi and the announcement will be end of the week for a merger in 2008.

[nanders]

I'm sure my liver hates my knowledge of alcohol prices and quality :p :

Hi quality Vodka is cheaper than medium quality wine.

That factors a drink per buzz ratio :p :

[garyshell]

Hi quality Vodka is cheaper than medium quality wine.

That factors a drink per buzz ratio :p :

And then there is Jagermeister.... <shivers>

Gary

[indycool]

Agree with shivers....that stuff'll blow the top of you head off.

[millencolin]

id rather buy beer than vodka or wine. but here, medium quality wine is so much cheaper than even the worst vodka around...

but jager is horrid, only goes well with red bull and must be consumed in half a second :p :

[gofastandwynn]

I will post this. There are no quotes in it from Walker, but here you go:

From the AP (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_OPEN_WHEEL_MERGER?SITE=JRC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)




Champ Car Owner Expects Series to End
Feb 12, 7:46 PM EST

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Racing team owner Derrick Walker says the Champ Car series has run its final race and is making preparations to compete in the rival Indy Racing League this season.

Champ Car executive vice president David Higdon reiterated the league's position today, saying the series still plans to run its regular schedule in 2008.

Over the past week, there has been speculation the two open-wheel leagues could soon merge, and today published reports indicated Champ Car may file for bankruptcy this week.

Walker is so convinced Champ Car will vanish he didn't permit his team to test in Sebring, Fla., earlier this month.

[nanders]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_OPEN_WHEEL_MERGER?SITE=AZMES&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Champ Car owner expects series to end

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Derrick Walker isn't buying Champ Car's company line.

He's parked his car, withdrawn from testing and focused his attention on running in the rival Indy Racing League this year even though Champ Car officials say they will race this season.

Walker, a Champ Car owner who has also competed in the IRL, told The Associated Press on Tuesday he believes Champ Car is finished.

"It has all the makings of the end of Champ Car," he said in a telephone interview. "How it's going to be done, I don't know. But I think Champ Car is going to shut down."

Walker was so concerned about the series' future that he instructed the team to return to Indianapolis without ever testing his car in Sebring, Fla., earlier this month.

The comments come amid rampant speculation about what the future may hold for Champ Car, one of America's top two open-wheel series.

Over the past week, there has been talk of the rival series nearing agreement on unification. IRL founder Tony George, who started his series in 1996, returned Tuesday from a trip to Japan that many believe is a precursor to any possible merger.

George has offered to make free Dallara chassis and Honda engines, along with the $1.2 million in incentives it is paying each of its own teams to race in the IndyCar Series in 2008, available to Champ Car teams that join his league.

Whether that will happen is still unclear.

"Our executive team got back from Japan earlier today and we continue to work and see what we can accomplish here in the immediate future," league spokesman John Griffin said Tuesday night.

The sticking point has been the head-to-head scheduling of the Long Beach race, Champ Car's season opener April 20, and the IRL's April 19 event at the Honda-owned Motegi track in Japan. Long Beach officials have said they cannot change their date because of contracts with the city's convention center, around which the street circuit is set up.

It wasn't immediately clear whether George had received permission from track officials to move the Japan race.

Another possible wrinkle emerged Tuesday when published reports said Champ Car may file for bankruptcy within days, something league executive vice president David Higdon discounted.

"We've been hearing those rumors since Friday, and as we've continued to say our doors are open and people are working," Higdon said. "We're proceeding with our plans and will keep operating as Champ Car."

Champ Car's predecessor, CART, also filed for bankruptcy before the three-man team of Kevin Kalkhoven, Paul Gentilozzi and Gerald Forsythe bought the defunct series' assets in 2004 and re-established it as Champ Car.

Walker, however, acknowledged he has had some sponsors default on payments from last season and that he had to contact the league office to get last year's prize money. Apparently, he's not alone.

"The only thing I know for sure is that about a month ago there were several teams that had never been paid prize money," he said. "Whether that was resolved, I don't know."

Plus, Walker said he's heard little from league officials and more about the departures of employees.

The combination was enough to make Walker reassess his team's plans, and refocus the team's efforts on racing in the IRL this season.

"We are working toward that 100 percent until someone can show me that Champ Car is really going," Walker said. "That's part of my frustration. My truck was on its way to the Sebring test and I turned it around and brought it back because we had not had anyone in Champ Car tell me what was going on. So we put it all in the corner, left it alone and put our energy in IRL 101."

A merger this close to the IRL's season-opener, March 29 in Homestead, Fla., may not be the saving grace many owners hope for, either.

Walker said that with less than two months to prepare, Champ Car teams would have to learn quickly about IRL cars and that some teams could suffer financial losses, too.

"They've been running these cars for five years and it costs about $1.3 million to show up with a driver, a spare car and show up for the races, so that's money we've got to find," Walker said. "I guess I'm praying there will be a merger, but sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for."

© 2008 The Associated Press.