Tony Cotman named 2012 car/rules chief

[DBell]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-robin-miller-tony-cotman-named-2012-car-rules-chief/

A good move by Indy Car. Cotman did a good job for Champ Car when he did this role. And equally important is that Barnhart isn't the one doing it.

[Otto-Matic]

Thank god, there is hope after all!

“We have to make it very clear that Indy car is running the ship, not Dallara, or any other suppliers".

That one line makes me feel very good about where the 2012 formula is headed.

[Scotty G.]

Tony Cotman could cure cancer, if only given the chance. :p

Seriously, I have heard enough about this guy. The only reason why guys like RMiller like him is because he isn't Barnhart.

[garyshell]

The only reason why guys like RMiller like him is because he isn't Barnhart.

That alone IS reason enough. But then there is the track record he has of doing a really good job in another similar series.

Gary

[Jag_Warrior]

This is a good move. But I'm completely amazed that they didn't have a qualified technical director BEFORE shopping for a new chassis.

[Chamoo]

Jag, they did have Cotman on the ICONIC Panel, which sort of counts I guess. I do agree with you that it's stupid they did not have him signed before the process began, but atleast he was involved and knows what happened in the ICONIC discussions.

I think Cotman's track record of bringing the CCWS Panoz DP01 to life proves he can get this job done properly. I think having a face attached to the process will make the teams and fans feel better about this whole process.

[Otto-Matic]

Tony Cotman could cure cancer, if only given the chance. :p

Seriously, I have heard enough about this guy. The only reason why guys like RMiller like him is because he isn't Barnhart.

He also can single handedly bring down the empire :vader: . the force is strong with this one :s mokin:

I hear ya Scotty, now it's time for him to step up and (hopefully) fullfill the hope of all the people who have been in support of this move. The 2012 formula and how this all shakes out might end up being the most important job of his entire career. certainly there is a LOT to lose if this is a disaster.

[Lousada]

Guess they are finally waking up then??


Officials from IndyCar and Dallara met with team leaders over the weekend to discuss plans for the 2012 chassis. Details were apparently scarce because the message wasn't well received.

"I thought it was a joke," said Larry Curry, the general manager of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. "We still don't have any information. You'd think by this point they'd be able to hand us something in writing. They don't."
...
Team Penske president Tim Cindric was similarly frustrated

"I read things in the media, but we've got no rules," he said. "I can't say anything until I know what the rules are."
http://www.indystar.com/article/20100809/SPORTS0107/8090342/1052/SPORTS01/KV-s-pain-grows-Moraes-hits-crew

I wonder how they knew Dallara was the best option if they don't even have any rules yet??

[speeddurango]

Tony Cotman showed in his CCWS days and his time spent in Indycar as an impartial race official and an innovator who not only has insightful ideas and is also not afraid to impliment them against sometimes the will of his superior. And that's the reason why ppl including Robin Miller support him.

Fact.

[Hoop-98]

Tony Cotman showed in his CCWS days and his time spent in Indycar as an impartial race official and an innovator who not only has insightful ideas and is also not afraid to impliment them against sometimes the will of his superior. And that's the reason why ppl including Robin Miller support him.

Fact.

Lol, well now Paul Tracy thought he was a circus clown....but I'm fine with the guy

[DBell]

Lol, well now Paul Tracy thought he was a circus clown....but I'm fine with the guy

I think that was Chris Kneifel.

[Hoop-98]

I think that was Chris Kneifel.

You are likely correct...I am fine with TC, at least no more TGBB p&Ms.

[DBell]

Guess they are finally waking up then??


http://www.indystar.com/article/20100809/SPORTS0107/8090342/1052/SPORTS01/KV-s-pain-grows-Moraes-hits-crew

I wonder how they knew Dallara was the best option if they don't even have any rules yet??

Good question. The more that comes out about this, the more your question comes up. It sounds like Dallara were chosen because they were willing to build a factory in Indiana. It doesn't sound like the actual designs the companies presented played much of factor in the choice that was made.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Good question. The more that comes out about this, the more your question comes up. It sounds like Dallara were chosen because they were willing to build a factory in Indiana. It doesn't sound like the actual designs the companies presented played much of factor in the choice that was made.

Of course it was one of the reasons. The other reason is cost. Dallara is promising to sell the tubs for about half of what a new Dallara of this gen was costing.

If it was going to cost MORE per car, then this wont work, even if they build them in Roger Penske's basement.

As for Cotman, He knew what he was doing in CCWS/CART and one of the people from that mess who rose above the mud, slime and ooze that was created as the series drowned was Tony.

Lets face it, he knows when not to make a stupid call. Brian "Brain Dead" Barnhart sealed his fate in Edmonton. He is lucky he has a job to the end of the year, I would have had him paying for his plane ticket out of Edmonton....

[spiritone]

This is really funny, tony's gone, less and less ovals more and more road and street courses, top teams in irl are from champ car and now tony cotman becoming car and rules chief. All thats needed is for bb to be fired and you can change the name to champ car again. All those wasted years and money for the series to end up where it started.


Here we have it irl's, your future is going to be determined by a champ car guy, what irony. We are back to what cart was,turbos, road course,street courses and ovals with the leading team being penske. Without anyone noticing you have become cart all over again. What was the war about again?

[Mark in Oshawa]

This is really funny, tony's gone, less and less ovals more and more road and street courses, top teams in irl are from champ car and now tony cotman becoming car and rules chief. All thats needed is for bb to be fired and you can change the name to champ car again. All those wasted years and money for the series to end up where it started.


Here we have it irl's, your future is going to be determined by a champ car guy, what irony. We are back to what cart was,turbos, road course,street courses and ovals with the leading team being penske. Without anyone noticing you have become cart all over again. What was the war about again?

ssssh!!!!!!

We all know what the war was about. Control....it never was about providing a place for sprint car drivers to learn to drive Indycars or preserving oval races as Tony once ventured forth when he would talk to the press.

Anyhow...what is done is done, and the economics of the sport are a lot smaller now after all of that.....

[spiritone]

I know, I know but i'm sure everyone will agree that this is it. Last chance to save open wheel racing in north america. Hopefully cotman can put together as good a package as he did with the panoz.

[Otto-Matic]

I know, I know but i'm sure everyone will agree that this is it. Last chance to save open wheel racing in north america. Hopefully cotman can put together as good a package as he did with the panoz.

I'm very confident in Cotman. If he can't save this ship, then no one can. And in that case, maybe its not worth saving. When it was announced that he was the new sheriff in town, I instantly felt 100% better about 2012.

[Jag_Warrior]

I'm very confident in Cotman. If he can't save this ship, then no one can. And in that case, maybe its not worth saving. When it was announced that he was the new sheriff in town, I instantly felt 100% better about 2012.

It just seems that they brought him in kind of late in the game (to make 2012). And going by the links in other threads, there still are not defined rules/specifications for the engine, and the team owners claim they have no details on the chassis. What does everyone think the odds are that the 2012 package will be the exact same one we have right now? Either that or it will (still) be Dallara-Honda, just with a new engine and chassis. Odds???


If they don't bust azz over the next few weeks, maybe they should just go for 2013 and do it right.