the gloves are off

I have a confession to make. I watch the IRL whenever I get a chance. I also watch NASCAR whenever I get a chance. I’ll catch a CASCAR or an ALMS race when I can. The point is, I am a race fan, and any time I see a powerful engine in a souped up car battling it out with others, I get stoked. It’s a little strange admitting that I watch the IRL as if its some sort of sin, meanwhile I have no qualms declaring my enjoyment of NASCAR or any other type of series.

However, I am also a firm believer in the old saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. Unfortunately, it has come to that. I now see the IRL as an evil competitor, willing to use whatever tactics they can in order to destroy us. I didn’t feel it personally until last year. In 2001 when Roger left and they were experiencing those ridiculously close finishes and they seemed to be carrying some momentum, it didn’t bother me. I figured they were doing their thing and Champ Car was doing theirs. Although I enjoyed making fun of the IRL whenever I could be it in ‘overheard at the track’ or whatever, I can’t honestly say that it was gratifying personally to take a jab at them. It was just the thing to do, based on fan reaction. But it all changed last year.

Maybe it’s because I’m contracted by the series and not a team. Maybe I just became more aware of their tactics in recent years. But the IRL management really pisses me off these days. Naturally it started when they tried to buy CART’s assets. Then it was Cosworth, then Portland, Toronto, Long Beach, St Petes, you name it. If Champ Car has it, the IRL wants it. By any means necessary. To me, that’s a real shame. I understand that both are running a business and there is no etiquette in business. Or so I’m told. But what Tony George and his minions have done recently is really distasteful. What the hell would have Chip Ganassi done with Cosworth? It wouldn’t have been pretty for our side. To me, these are dirty tactics.

I don’t hate the IRL drivers. I was fortunate enough to meet most of them while they were in CART and most of them are real nice people. Even Michael Andretti was nice to me when I interviewed him for the Score. Certainly Patrick Carpentier and I became dear friends, on account of both of us being goofballs. Tony Kanaan, Helio, Brian, these are all nice guys. Sure, a few of them have opened their mouths and trashed our series. They know who they are and they know where they stand in our eyes.

I really hope that everything in the IRL falls flat on their face and we can welcome back a few of these guys and truly be the dominant open-wheel series in America (even though we are right now). But I fear that as long as they have the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400, they’ll have enough money to keep running a series, even if nobody shows up.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A little competition is good. It prevents Champ Car from becoming complacent. It keeps us on our toes. It makes us realize the importance of Long Beach, Toronto, Mexico City, etc. These events are phenomenal and are wanted by the other racing series in America. But we have them and we need to hold on to them. It makes us appreciated them that much more. Maybe the two competing series is good, it gives the press something to talk about. It creates some sort of awareness to the general public. I’ll elaborate more on that another time, and leave it that I like the fiery competition between Champ Car and the IRL. And I couldn’t be prouder to stand in Champ Car’s corner. And I guarantee you that this year, any time I make an IRL joke during ‘Overheard’ or whatever, I will enjoy it. Really enjoy it.

Speaking of which, expect the first segments of ‘overheard at the track’ to come your way shortly following Long Beach. Unfortunately it likely won’t be seen the following Monday or Tuesday. Because of developing circumstances, the videos won’t be posted until likely one week following Long Beach. Regardless, I’ll keep you posted and post a link here. If I can figure out how the heck to do that!

By the way, if you’re at a race and you see some bozo walking around with his camera filming odd things, make sure to come and say hello! I have no cameraperson this year, so I’ll always be looking for volunteers at the track.

I’ll also drop a season preview shortly. Everybody else is doing it!!

Champ Car Baby! Champ Car for life!

Toronto Indy Press conference

Yesterday I took out my Champ Car jacket and ventured off downtown to check out this press conference to kick off the 20th Toronto Molson Indy this summer. Late as usual, I got there just as one person from Molson was talking about their current ad campaign which consists of a series that introduces the phrase ‘it starts here’ and that Molson sees the Toronto Molson Indy as the official tie-in to their slogan and the summer. So, summer starts with the Molson Indy according to the folks at Molson. Works for me.

It was nice to see some of the drivers on hand as well as all the hard working Torontonians who help put this show on the streets. I liked Paul Gentilozzi’s speech about the Toronto race being the one that the owners take to potential new hosts as an example of a perfect race. In my experience, it really is a perfect Champ Car event. It goes far beyond the Champ Car borders to include city-wide events all week, there is PLENTY to do at the track between sessions and fans can count on a pretty good race on Sunday. Long Beach is very close in achieving the same level of city-wide success, as is the Gold Coast (the other two races Mr. Gentilozzi gave as examples of premiere events).

One of the perks of these press conference (thanks crapwagon for informing me about it. Not even Champ Car told me about it) is seeing reporters do their thing. As I was standing and chatting with Meesh (crapwagon) who was waiting for a Paul Tracy interview, she noticed how nervous the interviewer who was currently talking with Tracy was. The poor lad, who was trying to take down notes, was so nervous, he was literally trembling and could barely get anything down on paper. It was nice to see because 1) it brought back memories of when I was a trembling reporter and 2) its easy to forget the magnitude of Paul Tracy when you see him every weekend. Tracy is a star in Canada. This young reporter was interviewing a sports star in Canada and that’s a big deal. If this guy quits his job tomorrow, he’ll always have the Tracy one-on-one interview in his back pocket. Not too many people can say that.

Kudos to my old tv station the Score for asking when the Grand Prix of Long Beach was, moments before doing their stand ups. Atta do your homework!

Next time I'll be there with my camera. This would have been a glorious opportunity to kick off the season with silly driver interviews. But alas, I don't have my video camera just yet.

After making the rounds and re-introducing myself to people I have met thousands of times over the past few years (I have a forgettable face!), I had a chance to speak with Tracy and Ranger. Just casual chats naturally, but it was good to get back in the game and talk racing! I can’t WAIT until Long Beach.

I asked Ranger how much of a star he was becoming in Quebec and an immediate little smile appeared on his face. I think he liked the question. He told me wherever he goes, people notice, stare and point, still unsure of exactly WHO he is, but they know he’s someone. Give it a year in Champ Car Andrew, you won’t be able to walk to the streets of Montreal without being mobbed!

And as Tracy continued to make fun of my hair and my roots (he’s convinced I’m from Macedonia), I asked him about all these European drivers possibly coming in the league and his thoughts on it. In classic Tracy fashion, he paused, smiled and said

“I’ve seen ‘em come…I’ve seen ‘em go”

Champ Car Baby! Champ Car for life!!

your help

Jos Verstappen, Bjorn Wirdheim, Timo Glock…what a potentially fantastic field. Champ Car truly deserves the privilege of calling itself a “World Series”. With this influx of ex-Formula One drivers coming over to join our series to battle it out with the best North American drivers available, we have the elements of a true classic Champ Car year! Imagine being lucky enough to attend a race and see these guys battle it out on the track. Even the casual fan, who comes for the beer and girls will be impressed by the skills of these drivers. And with our so-called spec series, there is as much pressure on the crew to make the car go as fast as possible and handle as well as it can, in order to give the driver the ability to use his driving skills as best he can.

Just a quick point here: I know that different powerplants and different chassis are part of the tradition of racing. Since the beginning of the sport, it’s been an engine competition as much as a driver competition. To me, that’s fine. But, if you look at other professional sports, they are all lined-up with the same equipment. Football players wear the same shoulder pads, baseball players use essentially the same bat, which they tweak to their preference. They go out on the field and settle who is the best. That’s the bottom line and that’s what the Champ Car World Series is doing these days. I fully understand the economic need of having different engines doing battle with each other and whatnot. If Champ Car wants to return to those days in the future, then so be it. But, as a fan, I will miss what we have going on these days. The sport truly defines the term team, in every way, shape or form.

Okay, back to the influx of European drivers. As your dedicated PA announcer, it is my job to learn as much as I can about these drivers in order to provide the crowd with the most accurate information. I need to learn everything I possibly can about them. I need to get into their heads so I can anticipate their next move. I need to find nicknames for them.

What better way to welcome our European friends than providing them with a nickname. This is where I need your help. I will gladly and appreciatively hear all suggestions. Please feel free to email me or to post a comment, or heck, even post them on crapwagon. I noticed that this blog went ‘public’ yesterday, so I may as well take advantage. I’ve known Matt and Marissa for a while now and what they’ve done with the website is truly amazing. If you haven’t dropped by, check it out the link on the left (right side of the screen. My right. Your left? Who’s left? Right?).

Jos the boss is the obvious one and works…in Europe! :)

Timo Glock

Bjorn Wirdheim (if he signs, he may be the toughest one to find a nickname for)

And of course, all the other rookies. And current drivers, why not?

Help me!! :)

Speaking of nicknames, I really hope that Brock the Jock Haberfeld lands a ride in the series. He is a fantastic driver and nobody exploded more onto the scene than he did in St. Petes in 2003. For what its worth, I think he was told to calm himself following that aggressive move on Junquiera and, understandably, as a rookie probably listened. Last year was somehow a write-off with the Reynard. But with a Lola? He would fly!! But I digress.
Also, Ronnie Bremer was really really impressive last year in the Atlantics. Arguably more impressive than Andrew Ranger. Both are very fast, both are naturals, which is why both should be in our series.

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!

Streets of Long Beach...or how Tracy is the King…of said streets.

Generally speaking, if your name is Tracy, Unser or Andretti, chances are you’re the favorite going in this event, given your track record. Of course, only Tracy remains with the series and despite the increased competition of the Champ Car World Series, he still has to be the favorite going into this event. The winner of back to back races in LB (and a total of 4 career wins on these streets); he manages to utilize the streets like no other driver. If you recall in 04 he started 3rd on the grid behind the powerhouse Newman/Haas boys and outsmarted them and the entire field by using the Push to Pass button right off turn one and jump pass Junquiera and Bourdais to take the lead. It was the only time he used the P2P in the race and I guarantee you that that was one of his MO’s during the race. He outplayed everyone by using the brand new technology before anyone could settle into the race. His team knew that they would catch Newman/Haas by surprise off turn one and boy, did they ever! Of course, in 03, most believe (and rightly so) that Jourdain would have captured his first win had it not been for an engine stalling in the pits late in the race. A heartbreaker, no question about it. But there needed to be a person putting pressure on him all race and taking advantages of any mistakes, and that man was Paul Tracy. Again, he outpaced and outsmarted his opponents by putting enough pressure on Jourdain, but also by waiting and being patient (a characteristic he seems to have discovered that particular year) and fending off the other drivers behind him. Let’s also not forget the good work of his crew on that last pitstop, allowing Tracy to come out ahead of Fernandez and winning the race.

Have I painted a clear enough picture of Tracy’s knowledge on the streets of Long Beach or should I mention his win in 2000 when he started 17th?!

With the mandatory pitstops gone (good rule!) and no pitting on yellow flags, this will change much of the racing that we have seen take place the past few years. It’ll change in strategy that is, not in the fans enjoying the race. I stand by the argument that even if some teams chose a ‘fuel efficient’ run, to the naked eye its still racing pretty damn fast!! It’s not like suddenly cars are going to put-put around the track in order to save fuel. We’re talking about dropping 5mph or the likes. Whether you’re going 180phm or 175mph, nobody will notice the difference and the overall action and enjoyment of the race will increase. This was definitely a good move on the part of Champ Car.

Having said that, their efforts to increase the product-enjoyment cannot be ignored and the fact that they gambled on pit windows and a variety of rules in order to enhance the product is great. It shows that Champ Car is not content with the Status Quo and is trying to improve whenever possible. Some ventures work (P2P), some don’t (Pit windows), but at least they continue to try to find innovative ways to make the product better.

I look for Team Forsythe and Paul Tracy to once again put on a great event in LB and figure something out that the other teams won’t. But I’m sure Bourdais and the rest of the boys will go out there and try to prove me wrong!

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!

short musings

With all the glowing good news these past few weeks about the Champ Car World Series, its very difficult not to get excited about Long Beach and the rest of the season. I truly believe this will be a revolutionary year for all involved and our patience and dedication will be paid off, if they haven’t already. Thanks to all the hard work put in by every one at Champ Car, it looks like this season is going to rock on and off the track.

On a personal note, I am a little excited myself, as it looks like the plans to develop and produce Overheard at the Track are all but finalized and only some details are left to be worked out. If everything goes according to plan, the skits should be up and running shortly following the event. I also hope to gather enough content to ‘ease’ the 5 weeks between Long Beach and Monterrey. Dropping a new piece every week or so. We shall see. Long Beach is going to be the test to how feasible this project will be. PA duties are first and foremost. The rest is gravy. Still, I hope to be able to produce at least one Overheard and one other skit/interview-type feature per event I attend.

Saw Carpentier finish with another top 10 last week at Phoenix. Good for him. I hope he’s enjoying his time in that league and I’m sure he was excited when he was officially entered in the Indy 500. I just hope for his sake that the Toyota he’s driving can get up to speed, because right now, the team cannot be happy despite the two top 10’s. He escaped the huge crash in Homestead and therefore was awarded a top 10, then finished a lap down in Phoenix. Granted he did have to start at the back of the pack, but so did Tony Kanaan, and he was in the top 5 before entering turn three I think! It was ridiculous and must have been extremely frustrating for the other drivers to see him so easily pass them. I take nothing away from Kanaan and his driving, but come on!! It simply looked bad. No matter what league, no matter what the rules, a driver who starts at the back of the pack should not be in the top 5 within a couple of laps. If he climbed his way up to the front through patient driving, good pit stops and overall strategy and was at the top of the pack in the closing moments of the race, that’s another story. But to accomplish that feat 3.5 minutes into the race is not right and proves that whatever Honda is doing at AGR, nobody else in the paddock is doing anywhere near as much as they are. It was nice to see Penske steal one, but how many times is that going to happen this year? I’m betting not too often.

Read that Haas wants to enter Bourdais and Junky at the Brickyard. Given a proper powerplant and chassis, can anybody come close to beating Bourdais in that league? I honestly don’t think so. Even if Bourdais is not fond of ovals, he can dominate them like few others can. If I was Tony, Chip, Micheal and the rest of the IRL personnel, I would not be pleased knowing that Bourdais is in the line up.

Champ Car baby! Champ Car for life!