Rahal in at SFR for Long Beach

[TURN3]

I see on Racer Mag they're saying Rahal to SFR for LBGP now too. This is wonderful for SFR but makes me wonder about this supposed sponsor and going back to NHL. LBGP is the 2nd biggest event of the year, what gives?

[Mark in Oshawa]

It is what it is...maybe He had commited to Sarah with no out clause not realizing he was going to get NHL? I doubt it...but for whatever reason, Graham's NHL ride doesn't start until after the LBGP. From what I saw of him at St. Pete's, he is getting the most out of the car...

[booger]

I wouldn't trust anybody at NHL. Newman's pushing up daisies, Haas is bonkers and Lannigan's a ..... Graham's better taking the sure thing. they jacked him around enough at NHL and I wouldn't be surprised if they still are. Their cars will be junk this year anyway.

[NickFalzone]

From what I can tell following him on Twitter, the NHL deal has not yet fully come to fruition. He hasn't said that directly, but he also has said that "any day" it will come. And that day has not yet come. And he needs a car to enter LBGP, and SFR is offering. So he's gonna go with them, and NHL deal will hopefully happen by the following race.

[SUBARUTEAM]

i would have taken the sponsors money to chip rather then NHL - but thats just me.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Robin Miller : wrong again.

[Josh1985]

I hope Rahal just stays with SFR full time, with them running 3 cars at Indy.

[TURN3]

Robin Miller : wrong again.

What do you mean?

[garyshell]

Robin Miller : wrong again.

Not sure how "wrong" Miller really was. If you follow Graham on Twitter, even he seemed a bit surprised that this deal didn't happen.

Gary

[ChicagocrewIRL]

I just think Robin should play it closer to the vest when reporting things. He needs to write it as if it's rumor not fact. The tone of his article was very much asserting that the Long Beach onward deal with NHL was fact. It wasn't.

[bblocker68]

Carl's not on charge anymore. The lunatics are running the asylum.

I'd be wary of believing anything going on at NHLR until it's confirmed.

I just hope Graham has a seat for the remainder of the schedule.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Carl's not on charge anymore. The lunatics are running the asylum.

I'd be wary of believing anything going on at NHLR until it's confirmed.

I just hope Graham has a seat for the remainder of the schedule.

Let us pray

[Oli_M]

I hope Rahal just stays with SFR full time, with them running 3 cars at Indy.

Sadly I don't think that will happen. I believe SFR only have 2 complete cars at present. And whilst Dollar General and their associates are stepping up to include this one extra race, I can't see them funding 2 complete cars. But fingers crossed they can find another decent sponsor and continue to run him, I think he has a great chance to work with the team and turn them into (at least) the next best after the Ganassi-Penske bunch

[MDS]

Carl's not on charge anymore. The lunatics are running the asylum.


That's not really a fair or accurate read on what is going on at NHL

[garyshell]

That's not really a fair or accurate read on what is going on at NHL


Ok that begs the question: what is going on?

Gary

[Mark in Oshawa]

Robin Miller : wrong again.

Graham's Twitter feed indicates to me something fell through at NHLR, because it is obvious Grahham thought he had a ride. Robin wasn't wrong, he was getting the information from Rahal obviously.....cant report what he isn't told....

[Mark in Oshawa]

Ok that begs the question: what is going on?

Gary

Carl's got cancer I read somewheres. Now the question is, who is running the shop? That, and who is making the decision on drivers? Did a sponsor back out? If Graham isn't in a NHRL car after Long Beach, then we have an issue for sure. We all know that this wasn't some fantasy of Robin Miller's (sorry ChicagoIRL man...Miller is usually right) to just get the insiders chattering. There was smoke here and a deal in the offing that is now maybe off the table. Interesting, but it sucks for Graham.

[TURN3]

Carl's got cancer I read somewheres. Now the question is, who is running the shop? That, and who is making the decision on drivers? Did a sponsor back out? If Graham isn't in a NHRL car after Long Beach, then we have an issue for sure. We all know that this wasn't some fantasy of Robin Miller's (sorry ChicagoIRL man...Miller is usually right) to just get the insiders chattering. There was smoke here and a deal in the offing that is now maybe off the table. Interesting, but it sucks for Graham.

Well I would think if Graham's "sponsor" was on board, LBGP would be a place for them to get max ROI. If NHL is the problem, trust me, KV would jump at the chance to bring in another rent a ride, especailly for somebody of Graham's talent. I'm thinking this is more sponsor related than NHL. Some team out there would go the extra mile to secure this sponsor if at all possible. As it is, another great opportunity for SFR...so be it. We shall see what develops in the next 2 weeks prior to Kansas and Indy.

[MDS]

Ok that begs the question: what is going on?

Gary

I'm not in a position to pass along any information... sorry.

But I will say this. The core group of NHL has been together over a decade. Whatever is happening there is not "The lunatics running the asylum," but there is a good amount of concern for the future of the team. Hopefully we'll seem some sort of long term solution worked out in the coming months.

[Scotty G.]

1. Well I would think if Graham's "sponsor" was on board, LBGP would be a place for them to get max ROI.

2. KV would jump at the chance to bring in another rent a ride, especailly for somebody of Graham's talent.


1. Isn't Long Beach on Versus? Not much ROI, for any Versus races. Kansas, though, is a ABC race.

2. It would be nice if KV actually had a real driver in one of their cars this year. If Graham (or the league) find a sponsor, then he'd be a hell of a lot better off finding a different team then KV's operation. Heck he could fund his dad's team and be in a much better situtation then the Sato/Viso/Moron Moraes trio of crashers/psycho's.

[Scotty G.]

Whatever is happening there is not "The lunatics running the asylum," but there is a good amount of concern for the future of the team.

Yea, they need money.

That's the "problem" with most teams, that either fold up or don't field cars anymore.

That team hasn't had a REAL sponsor, that wasn't aligned with Newman, for a long time.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I just think Robin should play it closer to the vest when reporting things. He needs to write it as if it's rumor not fact. The tone of his article was very much asserting that the Long Beach onward deal with NHL was fact. It wasn't.
Well when the Rahal's or someone with NHL told him it was a done deal, who else would he go to for verification? You think this was his first big scoop? Listen, Robin's column is pretty much the only one where there is anyone who gives a damn enough to speculate much less talk about it in the national media. He and Cavin. THAT's it. So Robin gets tips, Robin gets whispers, and because of his friendships with most of these guys, he knows what he is doing. Something happened here obviously.

[TURN3]

1. Isn't Long Beach on Versus? Not much ROI, for any Versus races. Kansas, though, is a ABC race.

2. It would be nice if KV actually had a real driver in one of their cars this year. If Graham (or the league) find a sponsor, then he'd be a hell of a lot better off finding a different team then KV's operation. Heck he could fund his dad's team and be in a much better situtation then the Sato/Viso/Moron Moraes trio of crashers/psycho's.

I'm not sure which network is carrying LBGP but it is without doubt or dispute the 2nd most popular event on the current circuit to Indy. If I'm a sponsor, being at Long Beach is 2nd most important to being at Indy regardless...plus it is the largest market (Los Angeles) they race at.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Yea, they need money.

That's the "problem" with most teams, that either fold up or don't field cars anymore.

That team hasn't had a REAL sponsor, that wasn't aligned with Newman, for a long time.


The reason for most all teams end; either too much, or too little.

All racers are lunatics.


Also, who's to say Rahal isn't better off with a growing team like SFR and not a dying team like NHL?

[Mark in Oshawa]

I'm not sure which network is carrying LBGP but it is without doubt or dispute the 2nd most popular event on the current circuit to Indy. If I'm a sponsor, being at Long Beach is 2nd most important to being at Indy regardless...plus it is the largest market (Los Angeles) they race at.

ABC/ESPN takes some races over others for reasons I have never really grasped really. Outside of Indy, you would think they would like to cover races at places like Texas, Chicago and Kansas for no other reason than that Ovals are cheaper to cover for TV than road courses. More cams are needed just to show the road courses and you have to employ more costs in setup and equipment. From a logistical point of view, that is one. Then the fact most of the IRL races all draw similar ratings, Oval or road course. Yet ABC/ESPN does Toronto..and ignores Long Beach. Weird....

As for Graham...I think Hoss has a good point. Maybe NHL is in its dying days, and SFR may be the team to watch in time...

[MDS]

Okay, after going to Barber and hanging out in the pits I know why my friends who were at Long Beach are worried about NHL's long term future. Some very non Newman-Hass things are going on in that pit area.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Okay, after going to Barber and hanging out in the pits I know why my friends who were at Long Beach are worried about NHL's long term future. Some very non Newman-Hass things are going on in that pit area.

Carl Haas ran a tight ship, but if his health isn't good, then he likely isn't running things and the Lanigan crew are. Sorry, Lanigan isn't Carl Haas or Paul Newman....and his racing record reflected it and that is what we are seeing in the NHL results.

[MDS]

I'm not entirely certain what is going on there, and I should clarify and say that in no way did their team act unprofessionally at any time, but their behavior lately does seem to fan the rumors that something is going on at that shop. On Friday the entire team wore all black with just a Honda Logo on their shirts. They didn't talk with anyone and didn't seem to even talk much between themselves. It felt like a funeral. The other thing is the Newman Hass Lanigan name is missing from the car, the logo is there, but name isn't, and over the years whenever NHR or NHL had extra space on one of their cars they would normally stamp their name logo on it somewhere.

There are a lot of rumors floating around, and I'm starting to see that we'll see a name change, according to some that change could happen as soon as May. The amount of names that have been bantered about as possible new owners show me that there is a lot of speculation, but very little information.

[Scotty G.]

I'm not entirely certain what is going on there, but I their behavior lately does seem to fan the rumors that something is going on at that shop. There are a lot of rumors floating around, and I'm starting to see that we'll see a name change, according to some that change could happen as soon as May. The amount of names that have been bantered about as possible new owners show me that there is a lot of speculation, but very little information.

I think Haas could be out soon. He certainly seems ready to get out.

I also think the Rahal deal could have fallen through, because of the turmoil in this team. Sponsors aren't going to go to a team that is in turmoil.

Graham would be better off not being there anyway at this point.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I think Haas could be out soon. He certainly seems ready to get out.

I also think the Rahal deal could have fallen through, because of the turmoil in this team. Sponsors aren't going to go to a team that is in turmoil.

Graham would be better off not being there anyway at this point.

I agree...and I read somewhere Haas isn't in good health as I said before. For him to be selling the team to new owners would be prudent since I cannot envision a man like him to have his name on something he couldn't be the driving force with.