CART loopt leeg

[Raceboy]

Bobby Rahal has decided that his team will join that of Adrian Fernandez in leaving the Champ Car World Series to focus on the rival IRL IndyCar Series full-time.

After a week of speculation surrounding the future the team, as well as several others apparently pondering the switch, Rahal ended the rumours once and for all with his decision.

“I think it's a hundred per cent driven on business reasons - and, of course, finances are certainly a part of that,” Rahal said during a Thursday teleconference, “As I've made clear on a number of occasions this year, I truly believe that, for open-wheel racing to regain the popularity that it had, there really needs to be one series.

"I also look at it that, for us, having a car in each camp was very difficult from a team standpoint last year. I think it hurt our IndyCar team, I think it hurt our CART team. That was driven by sporting reasons. It was driven by business reasons. I've given a lot of my time, a lot of blood, sweat and tears not toward open-wheel racing as a whole, but CART in particular. Yes, it's very, very difficult emotionally. But I felt that it was in the best interest of Team Rahal.”

Interestingly, however, Rahal's CART driver Michel Jourdain Jr will not be joining the team in the IRL, and his sponsor, Gigante, will remain with him in Champ Cars. The Mexican is now looking to join an existing Champ Car team and Crash.net has learned that there are three outfits interested in having him drive for them - Newman/Haas, RuSport and Walker Racing.

“I will always be grateful for the opportunities and successes I had with Team Rahal,” Jourdain said, “I am sad to see them leave, but I am excited about the future of the Champ Car World Series. It is extremely important to me to be able to continue to race in my homeland of Mexico in front of the passionate Mexican race fans.”

The Champ Car series is, however, reeling from the departure of two high-profile teams over the last week, but insists that it will still be showing up at Long Beach with a championship to run in 2004.

“We were surprised to hear of Bobby's decision to leave the Champ Car World Series at this time,” said series CEO Richard Eidswick, “His association and involvement with Champ Car have been considerable. Bobby grew up as a driver in our series and eventually served as the chief executive officer, in addition to his role as a team owner. He has, however, reaffirmed his commitment to campaign his two-car Toyota Atlantic effort, as well as an entry in our new Formula BMW series, so we can expect him to join us on Champ Car weekends.

"We believe we have been, and are, acting in the best interests of everyone who has been a part of Champ Car history. We remain committed to bringing a full field to the season opener in Long Beach, and we're confident our teams and fans will be rewarded with a competitive and exciting racing season.”

bron: crash.net

[gwyllion]

Hetzelfde bericht is nu ook te lezen op pitstop.tv.

CART loopt leeg
Datum 19/03/2004

Cart, of Champ Cars of Open Wheel Racing Series OWRS, ziet op een maand van de start van het nieuwe seizoen 2 teams vertrekken naar IRL. Vorige week gooide Adrian Fernandez een bom met de melding dat hij zijn team overhevelt naar IRL. En nu heeft ook Bobby Rahal aangekondigd dat hij CART verlaat.

Rahal was vorig jaar met zijn team al actief in beide competities. Nu heeft de ex-CART-kampioen besloten zich volledig op IRL te concentreren.
Het gerucht gaat dat IRL de teams van Rahal en Hernandez verleid heeft met elk 6 miljoen dollar.

Op dit ogenblik zit CART aan 11 wagens voor de eerste race in Long Beach met Herdez, Forsythe, PKV Racing, Rocket Sports, Newman-Haas en RuSport.

[Raceboy]

Ferandez krijgt een koekje van eigen deeg.

The Fernandez Racing forum, which was considered by most as THE message board for mexican Champ Car fans, has closed. Word has it that the negative fan response left the forum in disarray, therefore forcing fernandezacing.com to close it.

We told you that the fans voices will be heard, and yet again we have another example of this. Perhaps Tecate is also getting the message...

www.champweb.net

[Mark]

Overstappen naar de IRL is op dit moment zowat de grootste misdaad in de Amerikaanse single-seater scene.

Champcars zal 2004 wel door hobbelen...........neemt niet weg dat de vooruitzichten somber zijn. Het was zo'n mooie serie......

[Baron]

Originally posted by Marshal
Champcars zal 2004 wel door hobbelen...........neemt niet weg dat de vooruitzichten somber zijn. Het was zo'n mooie serie......

Ik vrees ervoor dat 2004 de zwanenzang wordt voor de Champcars. Aan alle mooie liedjes komt een einde, blijkbaar ook in de USA; denk maar aan CanAm, TransAm, IMSA en IndyLights.

[Raceboy]

Originally posted by Baron
Ik vrees ervoor dat 2004 de zwanenzang wordt voor de Champcars. Aan alle mooie liedjes komt een einde, blijkbaar ook in de USA; denk maar aan CanAm, TransAm, IMSA en IndyLights.

sinds wanneer bestaat transam nimeer?