Interesting read.

[CCFanatic]

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=218028&hubname=auto_racing

Hmmm, not much optitism from the Canadians about the League. Dario leaving, Wheldon wanting to bail. Hmmm, seems to becoming what CC was back in 2002.

[Jonesi]

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=218028&hubname=auto_racing

Hmmm, not much optitism from the Canadians about the League. Dario leaving, Wheldon wanting to bail. Hmmm, seems to becoming what CC was back in 2002.

This was bound to happen. Didn't you forsee this when the Montreal promoter showed signs he was forcing CC out to get a Nascar race, and Nascar bought the canadian stock car series and relaughed it? I thought it was obvious. I think by 2010 at the latest, Montreal & Mexico City will be Cup races.

[Skid Marx]

This was bound to happen. Didn't you forsee this when the Montreal promoter showed signs he was forcing CC out to get a Nascar race, and Nascar bought the canadian stock car series and relaughed it? I thought it was obvious. I think by 2010 at the latest, Montreal & Mexico City will be Cup races.

Another reason why CC pursuing an expanded overseas schedule is actually a GOOD IDEA, although I know that pains many here to hear that. Which is why I think that by 2010, the IRL will no longer exist and the Indy Car series will consist only of the one-month extravanganza known as the Indy 500. Now, before all you IRL'ers get your panties in a twist, I'm not slamming the IRL. I'm just saying, NASCAR will eventually rule all of the U.S. racing scene. Not that I want to see that happen, but I just see it going that way, unfortunately. So I think the only way Champ Car survives is to become predominantly an overseas series (maybe a few North American events - Long Beach, Cleveland, Toronto, etc.), and that if the IRL intends to remain a U.S. series (with the exception of Motegi), I don't think they'll remain a series at all, outside of Indy.

[Jonesi]

snip... and that if the IRL intends to remain a U.S. series (with the exception of Motegi), I don't think they'll remain a series at all, outside of Indy.

For the Indy 500 to remain a vaiable event with no associated series, I think the race purse will need to be at least doubled and maybe tripled. Also the cost of developing a modern chassis is too high without a series to support offset the expense. If IRL & CC are gone, within a few years they will have to switch to some other series (with mods for oval racing) like GP2, A1GP, etc.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Drivers come and drivers go. Although the loss is regrettable, I don't see it as fatal or even wounding. It's not like there is a shortage of talented drivers to take the spots being vacated. Quoting Dario himself.....

"Regardless of what I do or what Sam does, the IndyCar Series, I've noticed in the last couple of years, [has had] an increase in interest from fans, from TV numbers, crowds and the track, interest from outside," Franchitti said. "I've been pleasantly surprised by that, so regardless of what any driver does, the series is bigger than any driver."

Dario Franchitti (ESPN.com IndyCar coverage AP - Sept 11, 2007)

THE SERIES IS BIGGER THAN ANY DRIVER.

[Jonesi]

snip..."Regardless of what I do or what Sam does, the IndyCar Series, I've noticed in the last couple of years, [has had] an increase in interest from fans, from TV numbers, crowds and the track, interest from outside," Franchitti said. "I've been pleasantly surprised by that, so regardless of what any driver does, the series is bigger than any driver."

Dario Franchitti (ESPN.com IndyCar coverage AP - Sept 11, 2007)

THE SERIES IS BIGGER THAN ANY DRIVER.

I really think a lot of that (fan interest) can be attributed to natural developement from 3-4 years of stability at the front of the grid.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

I really think a lot of that (fan interest) can be attributed to natural developement from 3-4 years of stability at the front of the grid.

Absolutely true. The IRL has done very very well at retaining its driver corps. Over half the field in 2007 has been in the League 5 or more seasons.

It's time to start a new 3-4 year cycle with some new blood.... Lloyd, Mutoh, Briscoe, Justin Wilson, Cunningham, Camara, Medeiros, Hunter-Reay, Bell, Barron, ... the list is long.

I'm not too worried about the League from a driver standpoint. I am especially hoping for Lloyd's success. By all accounts, he seems genuinely driven by a love for the 500 and that seems to be an underlying motivation for his career. I am quickly becoming an Alex Lloyd fan.

I wonder how the IRL can give NASCAR a taste of its own medicine and start poaching drivers from them? HAHAHA

[indycool]

How many threads have we had on forums saying, "Gee, I wish so-and-so could get a ride." Maybe they can if someone moves over. Sure, those guys are popular champions. As Dario said, they're not irreplaceable. And I still wonder, in both cases, how much they would/will enjoy racing 36 weekends a year.

[CCFanatic]

I have an idea about the IRL. Keep, it, but give Mid Ohio to CC, and the rest to Grand Am, ALMS, and Nascar, and just run Indy every year. One race. No championship. CC doesn't seem to be moving to ovals anytime soon, and most sponsors of the League seem to be only interested in the 500 anyway, so just make it easy for them and more cost effective to sponsor a car for one race.

[F1boat]

Interesting that a CC fanatic would point such article. Isn't the ONLY CCWS champion leaving the sport for the weakest F1 team next year?

[Jag_Warrior]

I wonder how the IRL can give NASCAR a taste of its own medicine and start poaching drivers from them? HAHAHA

Maybe guarantee Tony Stewart about 40 of these every year for 5-10 years. For 50-60 each, you might get Jeff Gordon and Dale, Jr. as well... who knows?

http://www.toysnotjustforkids.com/images_site/million%20dollar%20bill.jpg

Jokes aside, NASCAR isn't poaching drivers from the IRL or CCWS. NASCAR (and F1) is a destination series.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I have an idea about the IRL. Keep, it, but give Mid Ohio to CC, and the rest to Grand Am, ALMS, and Nascar, and just run Indy every year. One race. No championship. CC doesn't seem to be moving to ovals anytime soon, and most sponsors of the League seem to be only interested in the 500 anyway, so just make it easy for them and more cost effective to sponsor a car for one race.

you are truly delusional.

The IRL has just managed to figure out that CART maybe had it all right after all, and is now emulating them, and you think they should give up?No my deluded friend, they have now gained the high ground on Champ Car. Mark my words, unless CCWS gets its' head out of its @ss, they will spend a lot of money going no where but Europe, because they will be dead meat in most of their North American haunts.

Losing Franchitti and Hornish will hurt, but at least they still have a pretty decent crop of names that will be in the cars next year, and they will be growing a few more over time too. Unlike Champ Car, where the driver turnover is exceeding 50% some years, the IRL has up to this year done a good job at hanging onto drivers and the teams have been able to conduct business on holding drivers in a rational fashion. A driver seat auction has been the reality in Champ Car and THAT is one of the reasons I was so critical of it on that board. You do yourself no favours when you have 3 guys signed with about a month and a half before the first race, and the IRL has NOT done that. 5 bucks says Dario and Sam's replacements are signed before year's end.....and you need a little turnover to make room for new talent....so this isnt a horrible thing. NASCAR has the dough, they will steal your best and brightest. Get used to it...

[indycool]

IF (big IF) Hornish and Franchitti go to NASCAR and Villeneuve also runs Cup, it'll be interesting to see how they do.

Montoya has proven he can race anything, on ovals and road courses. He's a racer and has never said a word about the grinding NASCAR schedule of 36 weekends a year.

Now, Hornish is a laid-back guy who enjoys living in Defiance, Ohio and has a wife who's due in February, I think, about Daytona time, and how is 36 weekends of racing going to fit his scenario? I doubt if it fits the same as Montoya.

Franchitti? Is Ashley going to 36 races?

Villeneuve? The type of guy who makes few friends and is tough on teams. When it comes to having a "dance partner" at Daytona or Talladega, how fast do you think he'll get one?

Time will tell.

[Lee Roy]

I wonder how the IRL can give NASCAR a taste of its own medicine and start poaching drivers from them? HAHAHA

The IRL could start by running a racing series that is worth watching.

[Easy Drifter]

It will be interesting to see how the "rednecks" (from all countries) take to the influx of 'furrin' drivers. Tony Stewart, the 2 Gordons and JPM are not among the more popular drivers with the fans and they are the bigger names that came from outside the stock car ranks. I know there are others like Jeff Andretti and Dave Blaney but none are very popular with the rednecks and the road race ringers are disliked by many. JPM is the only non American in that group!
Most true fans won't care but the diehards will. That does include a lot of Cdns.
NAPCAR does seem to losing some of its popularity and from what I hear a good percentage of that is from its Southern base.

[indycool]

The loss of the Southern 500 at Darlington and other such things like you mention -- indeed, loss of North Wilkesboro, too -- HAVE eroded the southern base somewhat.

What'll be interesting, IF the new guys prove they can drive the things well, is what kind of "help" they get when they need a "dance partner" in the draft.

[Easy Drifter]

In many cases they will get the ol' DE help aka the chrome bumper.

[Chaparral66]

How many threads have we had on forums saying, "Gee, I wish so-and-so could get a ride." Maybe they can if someone moves over. Sure, those guys are popular champions. As Dario said, they're not irreplaceable. And I still wonder, in both cases, how much they would/will enjoy racing 36 weekends a year.

I said on the CC forum recently that everyone who watched saw a preview of what is to come in North American racing with the Busch race in Montreal a few weeks ago. That race was very important to take note of, because you had drivers from every series imaginable competing in it. Drivers from the IRL, CART/Champ Car, ALMS, Formula 1, Grand Am, etc. on the same racetrack. And the crowd loved it. And what do you know? It was a very exciting and entertaining race, with a controversial finish.

In NASCAR stock cars, yet, on a foreign roadcourse.

On this course, in stock cars, which are much heavier and more ill-handling than their open wheel and sportscar counterparts, they had to make smart use of the throttle and brakes as they addressed the twists and turns of Circuit de Gilles Villenueve. Ironically, just what racing should be. Unless we can fix this open wheel mess, and sooner than later, we'll all be drinking the France kool-aid.