2007 ChampCar News Thread.......

[mlittle]

According to sources at Cleveland and on the West Coast, there could potentially be a new ChampCar team on the grid in 2008.......AVN Media Network and Sports/Entertainment, Inc. have formed a motorsports partnership called AVN Racing; word from all the principals in this situation is that the team's drivers(sources say it may be a 2-car team......... ) will be paid drivers and not pay-to-drive drivers. The team's intentions were announced late this week at the Erotica LA Exposition being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center......here's a photo from the Exposition of the AVN Racing ChampCar:

My take...........there used to be a rule in NA motorsports that certain kinds of "businesses" weren't allowed to either sponsor a racing team or run a racing team(of course, that rule seemingly forgot tobacco and alcohol sponsorships...... ); as long as there are no objections from series officials, there shouldn't be any problems with AVN Racing running a team in ChampCar.

[mlittle]

According to sources at Cleveland and on the West Coast, there could potentially be a new ChampCar team on the grid in 2008.......AVN Media Network and Sports/Entertainment, Inc. have formed a motorsports partnership called AVN Racing; word from all the principals in this situation is that the team's drivers(sources say it may be a 2-car team......... ) will be paid drivers and not pay-to-drive drivers. The team's intentions were announced late this week at the Erotica LA Exposition being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center......here's a photo from the Exposition of the AVN Racing ChampCar:

My take...........there used to be a rule in NA motorsports that certain kinds of "businesses" weren't allowed to either sponsor a racing team or run a racing team(of course, that rule seemingly forgot tobacco and alcohol sponsorships...... ); as long as there are no objections from series officials, there shouldn't be any problems with AVN Racing running a team in ChampCar.

Update on the above...........ChampCar approval is conditional at the moment; there are questions regarding what name the team can use(AVN Racing is OK, but Adult Video News(AVN) Racing is NOT) and so forth......there is precedent as Grand-Am allows Playboy to sponsor a Daytona Prototype team, so the assumption is that they will talk to Grand-Am about what is/isn't allowed...........

[mlittle]

Series officials along with Team Australia's quartet of drivers(ChampCar drivers Will Power and Simon Pagenaud, along with Atlantic Championship drivers Simona de Silvestro and Ryan Lewis) were in Montreal earlier today to announce the start of the Canadian Triple Crown competition, which ChampCar hopes will spur more interest in the series' three Canadian events(Mt. Tremblant, Toronto and Edmonton) in a way similar to the interest drawn during the time of the series' Corona Cup(which the series held from 2002-2006 when Monterrey and Mexico City were on the calendar). Here are some quotes from those involved...........

Will Power, Team Australia:

A Champ Car Triple Crown Competition in Canada will be a fun way to draw extra attention to (Canada's) three great events, and of course as drivers we're all for anything that involves more competition between the teams.

Steve Johnson, President, Champ Car World Series:

Out three events in Canada are very important to us and we wanted to make them even more special this year. We have a strong base of very loyal Champ Car fans throughout Canada and over the next three races the Canadian Triple Crown will add another interesting element to the season and to both the media and fan interest.

The schedule for the inaugural running of the Canadian Triple Crown program is as follows.........
1 July, Mt. Tremblant
8 July, Toronto
22 July, Edmonton

The goal is simple......the team who's combined driver tally after the three races is the highest wins what could potentially become one of the more interesting prizes in motorsports, an Inuit Stone Carving made by members of the Inuit tribe in western Canada, along with various other awards.

[mlittle]

(Mod's note.........FINALLY!! Some sanity in the ChampCar paddock!! )

ChampCar officials announced earlier today that, effective immediately, current Vice President-Operations Tony Cotman is replacing current President Steve Johnson, who has agreed to become the series' Vice President-Sales/Marketing throught the remainder of the year; officials also noted that Cotman will still continue in his role as Chief Steward overseeing race control on event weekends.

[mlittle]

ChampCar officials, along with officials from the TT Assen Circuit and Bavaria Beer announced earlier today that the upcoming ChampCar race at the TT Assen Circuit in Holland later this year will be sponsored by Bavaria Beer. Officials noted that Bavaria will use its' extensive marketing capabilities to market the event weekend throughout the Netherlands and western Europe by advertising in bars, cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and numerous billboard/print/mass-media advertising routes; in addition, all 140 of Bavaria Beer's transport trucks will be livieried in event info from now upto the race weekend in September.

[rah]

Are they all trying to figure out why they are drinking water when there is beer oh so close?

[mlittle]

Are they all trying to figure out why they are drinking water when there is beer oh so close?

Maybe they figured.........."Hey, let's do this news conference sober, then when the cameras and press are gone.........then we'll open the kegs!!!!"

[mlittle]

(from multiple sources.......)Event promoters in Phoenix have reluctantly announced that the 2007 ChampCar season finale, the First Data Grand Prix of Phoenix, has been cancelled...........here are some quotes from those involved................

Dale Jensen, Event Promoter--Sports Property:

An event of this magnitude requires considerable corporate support and though we did establish some outstanding partnerships, there were simply not enough of these to create (economic viability).

Steve Johnson, President/CEO, Champ Car World Series:

We obviously are disappointed that the organizers of Grand Prix Arizona cancelled their event. While we were looking forward to closing our (2007) season with a new Champ Car event in Arizona, we're prepared to finish the season out in Mexico City as we have the past three years.

(Mod's note........the multiple sources cited above are msnbc.com, autoracing1.com, sports.yahoo.com, along w/several message boards(ar1.com, speedtv.com), the website of the Las Vegas, NV station which broke the story, KVBC and azcentral.com. )

[mlittle]

Officials from both ChampCar and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca confirmed to the media this afternoon that the series will be returning to the Monterey Peninsula beginning in 2008 for a 3-year stretch as several major projects in the San Jose area will prevent San Jose event organizers from running the San Jose Grand Prix in 2008; series officials, however, did not give a date for the event(rumor has it that the event will be held 16-18 May 2008) but did confirm to the media that the 2008 schedule will be released in a couple of weeks.

[mlittle]

....and the seemingly endless train of bad news for Champ Car continues.......

According to the Australian news site goldcoast.com.au, RuSport driver Justin Wilson confirmed what had been an open secret in the ChampCar paddock; that at season's end, the team will close up shop following the loss of sponsor CDW from the series.

My take.......what seemed like an interesting 2007 campaign is beginning to take on some ominous tones, from the lack of an '08 schedule to the on-going(...and IMHO ridiculous.... ) pattern of swapping out drivers for other drivers based on checkbooks and not talent and now this.....something tells' me the Fat Lady is beginning to warm up on the proverbial stage.......

[mlittle]

According to multiple sources, ChampCar officials are set to release the 2008 series schedule(after getting approval from the FIA for its' overseas' races.....)

Rd. 1--Long Beach, 18-20 April 2008
Rd. 2--Houston, 25-27 April 2008
Rd. 3--Laguna Seca, 16-18 May 2008*
Rd. 4--Zolder(BEL), 30 May-1 June, 2008
Rd. 5--Jerez(SPN), 6-8 June 2008*
Rd. 6--Cleveland, 20-22 June 2008
Rd. 7--Mt. Tremblant, 27-29 June 2008
Rd. 8--Toronto, 4-6 July 2008
Rd. 9--Edmonton, 18-20 July 2008
Rd. 10--Portland, 25-27 July 2008
Rd. 11--Road America, 8-10 August 2008
Rd. 12--Assen(HOL), 12-14 Sept. 2008
Rd. 13--Surfers Paradise(AUS), 24-26 Oct. 2008
Rd. 14--Mexico City, 7-9 November 2008

*--new events for 2008

[mlittle]

According to multiple sources, ChampCar officials are set to release the 2008 series schedule(after getting approval from the FIA for its' overseas' races.....)

Rd. 1--Long Beach, 18-20 April 2008
Rd. 2--Houston, 25-27 April 2008
Rd. 3--Laguna Seca, 16-18 May 2008*
Rd. 4--Zolder(BEL), 30 May-1 June, 2008
Rd. 5--Jerez(SPN), 6-8 June 2008*
Rd. 6--Cleveland, 20-22 June 2008
Rd. 7--Mt. Tremblant, 27-29 June 2008
Rd. 8--Toronto, 4-6 July 2008
Rd. 9--Edmonton, 18-20 July 2008
Rd. 10--Portland, 25-27 July 2008
Rd. 11--Road America, 8-10 August 2008
Rd. 12--Assen(HOL), 12-14 Sept. 2008
Rd. 13--Surfers Paradise(AUS), 24-26 Oct. 2008
Rd. 14--Mexico City, 7-9 November 2008

*--new events for 2008

All of the above is confirmed for 2008

[mlittle]

Solidifying its' position in the Champ Car World Series, Indianapolis-based Conquest Racing announced today that they have signed a new marketing partner in Opes Prime Group, Ltd., an Australian-based financial services company; Conquest Racing also announced that they will be fielding a 2-car team in 2008.....driver announcements will be made early in 2008. In addition, the partnership between Conquest and Opes Prime will include an equity stake in Conquest Racing for Opes Prime's principal shareholder, Anthony Blumberg.

Here are some quotes from those involved......................

Anthony Blumberg, Opes Prime Group, Ltd.

I'm proud to be associated with Conquest Racing for 2008 and beyond. Conquest Racing is a team with whom we made our Champ Car debut at Surfers Paradise this year, giving me a taste of the American open-wheel scene. Our aim over the next couple of years is to develop and promote talent within the junior formula Australian and Asian Championships, and while our involvement with Conquest in no way guarantees a drive for any of our talented, Opes Prime-backed drivers, it does provide an opportunity, which is what we are all about.

Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing

I'm thrilled to welcome Opes Prime as partners with Conquest Racing. Although we have fielded competitive entries the past five years in Champ Car with good results, the addition of Opes Prime and Anthony Blumberg offers us the opportunity to solidify our base of operations and plan for the growth required not just to compete but to win. We believe in the future of Champ Car very strongly and I believe that is validated not only by the commitment of Conquest Racing to Champ Car but also to our partners. This partnership will continue to spur the growth of Champ Car in Australia where it is already immensely popular.