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Author Topic: .1RL begins to crumble  (Read 4513 times)

Offline neil

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.1RL begins to crumble
« on: November 06, 2004, 05:58:05 pm »
Ok, most here no I have been no fan of the Irrelevant Racing League.  So with great pleasure I post some references to the major cracks that are opening up in the EARL facade.

First as earlier mentioned:

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/13770/

Chevy abandons the Injury Racing League.  Notes lack of ROI, tiny attendance and TV ratings.

Then, minor, but indicative of the great sickness
MBNA cancels the pole award for .1RL races.

Then today, Toyota chink in the armour is exposed.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/nascar/13806/

""We're concerned about cost, cost vs. return, and the business model is not what was lined up for us three years ago. I'm not going to sit here and tell you there is not concern.

"Hopefully we'll be able to have discussions with them to address that. We're certainly open, and we've told them we're open, to do anything to sit down and try to help create a condition more of what we signed up for in cost vs. return."

Business model isn't what you signed up for?  What you don't like spending 50 million a year for 0.1 ratings and 10k attendances?  

Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks said it best in song.

Good Bye Earl,  Earl's gotta die.
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Offline Snowman

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.1RL begins to crumble
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2004, 08:50:14 pm »
I’m gonnah pour myself another Crown and Ginger….hooray..
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Offline Drivesideways

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.1RL begins to crumble
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2004, 01:59:15 am »
Well said, Snowy.  I couldn't agree more. The house of cards looks like it's coming down.
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Offline inco

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.1RL begins to crumble
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2004, 06:31:21 am »
Yeah but, where are those poor drivers going to get a job?

The Unsers, Foyts, Andrettis and Penskes will be smitten. Hey it's America - what am I thinking. They will simply turn around and sue the Bricks off TG and have enough to start another series.

I don't think anyone here would deny that the Indy 500 is a great race venue. Champ Cars belong there, but as long as the George family is involved I'm not sure it will happen again.




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Offline Snowman

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.1RL begins to crumble
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2004, 07:48:54 am »
TG has discovered that he is not bigger that the sport. Trying to operate a dictatorship in a democratic society will fail when you :censor: everybody off.
North American Motorsports has a limited talent pool…….less is better. Having one premier open wheel series will only benefit the sport. Concentrating the talent will weed out the also-rans and elevate the sport for sponsors and fans.
Perhaps the Unsers, Foyts, Andrettis and Penskes went to IRL because it was easy. Champ car racing will survive…..especially when attracting talent like SB……I felt bad for BJ….the Mark Martin of Champ Cars.
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Offline inco

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.1RL begins to crumble
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2004, 08:26:16 am »
Good or bad - I'm not sure but the concept of Busch cars and Nextel cars racing together on Saturdays and Sundays seems like a perfect scenario with training and grooming guys for the big series.

It would be great if the IRL and Champ Cars could do the same thing - IRL's race on Saturdays and then Champs on Sunday.

That would add some excitement for those who buy the weekend passes and give some value to the sport. TG of course would prolly expect that his cars should race on the Sunday and the Champs on Saturday.

Seems to me too that the engine companies would like this as well - allowing one detuned engine for one series and the same block with mods for the other series. That would reduce costs.
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Mdxtasy

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.1RL begins to crumble
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2004, 01:34:13 pm »
Wednesday, Nov 10, 2004  

Canadian driver Carpentier heading to IRL: report

 
TORONTO (CBC) — Patrick Carpentier will leave Champ Car World Series to join the rival Indy Racing League next season, according to the Associated Press.

The native of Joliette, Que., will drive for Red Bull Cheever Racing with Toyota, replacing Chevrolet, supplying the team's engines. Carpentier joins holdover driver Alex Barron.

Team owner Eddie Cheever will announce the moves Wednesday.

Carpentier is an eight-year veteran with Champ Car, including the last seven for Forsythe Racing. The 33-year-old has five victories, with Monterey, Calif., being his most notable.

Carpentier replaces Ed Carpenter, the stepson of IRL founder Tony George, on the Cheever team.

In 2004, Carpentier finished third in points and had nine top-5 finishes in 13 races. He only trailed Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira of Newman/Hass Racing.

The third place finish matched Carpentier's career best in Champ Car.

After the final race Sunday in Mexico City, Carpentier listed his desire to race in the Indianapolis 500 and wanting to drive on more oval tracks as reasons why he had been negotiating with three IRL teams.

The Champ Car schedule is mostly road and street courses, while the IRL is adding its first three road races to a previously all-oval schedule in 2005.

One of Carpentier's wins was in 2001 on the two-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway.

Cheever used Chevrolet engines the past few seasons, but General Motors announced last week it is withdrawing from the IndyCar Series, leaving Japanese companies Toyota and Honda as the IRL's only engine suppliers.

Carpentier and Barron are both former champions in the developmental Toyota-Atlantic series
 
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Offline Drivesideways

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.1RL begins to crumble
« Reply #7 on: December 19, 2004, 03:51:02 pm »
Earl must die....are those pockmarks on your face Earl?

http://tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_Story.asp?ID=108348
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Offline Drivesideways

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« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2005, 02:49:16 pm »
grenade
The black comedy continues...

George to field IRL team for nephew

TSN.ca Staff
2/7/2005

Indy Racing League founder and owner Tony George has found a way to keep nephew Ed Carpenter on the starting grid.  

According to SpeedTV.com, George has purchased the cars and equipment of Kelley Racing and plans to field a team with Carpenter at the wheel.  

"Yes, we're in the process of getting everything finalized and I'm happy to have this deal done," said Kelley, who closed down his operation at the end of 2004 after campaigning a team in the all-oval series since 1998.  

"Tony is also going to run the team out of our shop in Indianapolis."
 
Carpenter drove for Eddie Cheever last year, albeit with a helping hand from uncle George. Despite those connections, Carpenter was not re-signed after a rocky rookie season which saw him crash out of six races. His spot at Cheever was taken by former Champ Car driver Patrick Carpentier.  

George has reportedly spent millions since 1996 to keep various IRL teams and the series going in his on-going battle with rival Champ Car. His attempt to buy the bankrupt assets of CART last year failed.
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