gofastandwynn
20th February 2008, 21:46
Found this on Walker's site yesterday and it didn't seem like people noticed so here:
UPDATE FOR THE FANS: Walker Racing's Perspective
By Derrick Walker
Over the last 48 hours, we have received numerous emails, responses and questions pertaining to our Walker Racing perspective on the potential merger and our team status. So we decided that we would update you on what's going on and answer some of the questions that have been asked.
First for the update, not too much to report, except that we believe discussions continue with the IRL and Champ Car. As long as they continue to talk it's always good news, because that means the possibility of closure is still there. I think if you are asking most teams in the Champ Car and IRL paddocks: 'do you think a merger is good for open wheel racing, Champ Car, or IRL?' I think the majority would say it's a good thing to unite open wheel and focus on the real business of creating a valuable property that is singular in purpose and has in its inventory of races, the Indianapolis 500, which let's face it, is one of the all time great races in the world. The good news is they are still talking. The bad news is it needs to get done ASAP for numerous reasons, but for the sake of open wheel racing. We wait cautiously optimistic it will get done.
Now to the questions that some of you all have.
1.) We have had a number of emails asking the following questions: Why weren't we at the Champ Car Sebring test? Were we planning on jumping ship the whole time? Did we really go to a shaker test? Did we take the DP01 or the Dallara to the shaker test? Was it funding issues and Team Australia going away? What was the real reason for us not being at the test?
In answer to those questions, here is the timeline of events. The team was at the Ohlins shaker test prior to the first open test for Champ Car in Sebring. I became concerned as there wasn't sufficient information out there to suggest that there was a clear direction for Champ Car going forward. At that time, I didn't really know anything about a merger, but I was concerned because there were some ominous signs that maybe Champ Car didn't have a strategy and it was unclear to me as to where they were going to go for 2008. Coupled with that, the uncertainty of Champ Car's 2008 schedule had delayed monies owed to the team, and so being of Scottish birth, I decided to save some money and check out what was really happening in Champ Car. In hind sight, who would have believed I could have anticipated merger discussions, but in reality I wasn't that smart. There was no hidden agenda. We did test the DP01 at the shaker and we wanted answers to what was going on with Champ Car.
2.) Why do we have a Dallara chassis in our workshop? Do we own it and how long have we had it?
As I have said a couple times before to anyone that is interested, we have been looking at the IRL for some time as a program that we might include in our facility to run in conjunction with Champ Car. When we stopped work on the Panoz, while we waited for answers from Champ Car, it seemed a perfect opportunity to look at the Dallara package again. I asked Brian Barnhart if there was a team he would recommend who would willingly lend us a car to look at. As luck would have it, my good friend from many years ago, Kent Baker, had a car and had no hesitation in letting us borrow it. We have had the Dallara for a week now and I think we've had it down to the bare metal a couple of times, as the team has really dissected it, trying to understand it.
3.) Did you run in the IRL before?
I think if I recall, we were the first team to actually compete from Champ Car or CART as it was then, in the IRL. Initially, it wasn't viewed very favorably by the CART teams at the time, but of course what was not known until a little bit later, was that there were several other team owners that were considering competing in the IRL and did in fact do so. When we first raced in the IRL we did it because we had sponsors that wanted to be at the Indy 500 and we didn't feel right in letting them down. Later, we saw the opportunity to join the series with Sarah Fisher and we hired her to run a car. Then the last venture into the IRL was when we supplied the facility and the manpower to Pat Patrick's IRL entry in 2004 with little Al. As we like to say, we have always been non-political. We are a little company. We are in open wheel racing and like it or not we can't look at IRL and Champ Car and say it's one or the other. We have to look at them as viable opportunities for us and always try to find business where we can. Sometimes that can be in both or sometimes it can be in one or the other.
4.) What happens to Atlantics and your program?
The Atlantic series still remains as Champ Car does, a program that needs more detail and direction as to what will happen to the series. We have three excellent programs in the Atlantic series with Nigel Mansell's sons, Greg and Leo, and Kevin Lacroix. We have only just begun this program, having only done a few tests and all three entries are keen to complete the season, but as of yet we are on hold, because if the Champ Car series does merge, there is a lot of uncertainty as to how many events will still be on the calendar and that of course will effect Atlantics. I think Atlantics is a very viable series, well organized and as you can see from the grid, is very competitive and a great formula that has managed a lot of its costs and its rules to the point that is truly is one of the best open wheel junior series in the world. I can't believe that it will not land on its feet with whatever happens with the merger discussions.
We want to thank everyone for the fan response to our website and we will do our best to keep you all posted with our status and what we know, to the best of our ability.
UPDATE FOR THE FANS: Walker Racing's Perspective
By Derrick Walker
Over the last 48 hours, we have received numerous emails, responses and questions pertaining to our Walker Racing perspective on the potential merger and our team status. So we decided that we would update you on what's going on and answer some of the questions that have been asked.
First for the update, not too much to report, except that we believe discussions continue with the IRL and Champ Car. As long as they continue to talk it's always good news, because that means the possibility of closure is still there. I think if you are asking most teams in the Champ Car and IRL paddocks: 'do you think a merger is good for open wheel racing, Champ Car, or IRL?' I think the majority would say it's a good thing to unite open wheel and focus on the real business of creating a valuable property that is singular in purpose and has in its inventory of races, the Indianapolis 500, which let's face it, is one of the all time great races in the world. The good news is they are still talking. The bad news is it needs to get done ASAP for numerous reasons, but for the sake of open wheel racing. We wait cautiously optimistic it will get done.
Now to the questions that some of you all have.
1.) We have had a number of emails asking the following questions: Why weren't we at the Champ Car Sebring test? Were we planning on jumping ship the whole time? Did we really go to a shaker test? Did we take the DP01 or the Dallara to the shaker test? Was it funding issues and Team Australia going away? What was the real reason for us not being at the test?
In answer to those questions, here is the timeline of events. The team was at the Ohlins shaker test prior to the first open test for Champ Car in Sebring. I became concerned as there wasn't sufficient information out there to suggest that there was a clear direction for Champ Car going forward. At that time, I didn't really know anything about a merger, but I was concerned because there were some ominous signs that maybe Champ Car didn't have a strategy and it was unclear to me as to where they were going to go for 2008. Coupled with that, the uncertainty of Champ Car's 2008 schedule had delayed monies owed to the team, and so being of Scottish birth, I decided to save some money and check out what was really happening in Champ Car. In hind sight, who would have believed I could have anticipated merger discussions, but in reality I wasn't that smart. There was no hidden agenda. We did test the DP01 at the shaker and we wanted answers to what was going on with Champ Car.
2.) Why do we have a Dallara chassis in our workshop? Do we own it and how long have we had it?
As I have said a couple times before to anyone that is interested, we have been looking at the IRL for some time as a program that we might include in our facility to run in conjunction with Champ Car. When we stopped work on the Panoz, while we waited for answers from Champ Car, it seemed a perfect opportunity to look at the Dallara package again. I asked Brian Barnhart if there was a team he would recommend who would willingly lend us a car to look at. As luck would have it, my good friend from many years ago, Kent Baker, had a car and had no hesitation in letting us borrow it. We have had the Dallara for a week now and I think we've had it down to the bare metal a couple of times, as the team has really dissected it, trying to understand it.
3.) Did you run in the IRL before?
I think if I recall, we were the first team to actually compete from Champ Car or CART as it was then, in the IRL. Initially, it wasn't viewed very favorably by the CART teams at the time, but of course what was not known until a little bit later, was that there were several other team owners that were considering competing in the IRL and did in fact do so. When we first raced in the IRL we did it because we had sponsors that wanted to be at the Indy 500 and we didn't feel right in letting them down. Later, we saw the opportunity to join the series with Sarah Fisher and we hired her to run a car. Then the last venture into the IRL was when we supplied the facility and the manpower to Pat Patrick's IRL entry in 2004 with little Al. As we like to say, we have always been non-political. We are a little company. We are in open wheel racing and like it or not we can't look at IRL and Champ Car and say it's one or the other. We have to look at them as viable opportunities for us and always try to find business where we can. Sometimes that can be in both or sometimes it can be in one or the other.
4.) What happens to Atlantics and your program?
The Atlantic series still remains as Champ Car does, a program that needs more detail and direction as to what will happen to the series. We have three excellent programs in the Atlantic series with Nigel Mansell's sons, Greg and Leo, and Kevin Lacroix. We have only just begun this program, having only done a few tests and all three entries are keen to complete the season, but as of yet we are on hold, because if the Champ Car series does merge, there is a lot of uncertainty as to how many events will still be on the calendar and that of course will effect Atlantics. I think Atlantics is a very viable series, well organized and as you can see from the grid, is very competitive and a great formula that has managed a lot of its costs and its rules to the point that is truly is one of the best open wheel junior series in the world. I can't believe that it will not land on its feet with whatever happens with the merger discussions.
We want to thank everyone for the fan response to our website and we will do our best to keep you all posted with our status and what we know, to the best of our ability.