CTE racing

This is likely the most exciting news I have received with regards to Champ Car since the United States Government gave me permission to work for Champ Car as a Canadian. You have no idea how excited I am about this. I really believe that this could open up a whole new avenue for Champ Car. if I was in charge of Champ Car marketing, every single ad or promotion from now on would revolve around Cedric. I know it may be cheap to use his celebrity status, but this the best way to get mainstream attention other than bringing in a pretty girl who can barely race but looks good in a bikini.

What I also like about the news is that this rumor had been running rampant for some time (pretty much since Long Beach) and it’s nice to see it come to fruition. With the internet and the many many gossipers, you hear all sorts of rumors all the time. Its nice to see one come alive. Makes the series look good.

If you don’t know Cedric, rent the Original Kings of Comedy to see Cedric at his best. Sure he’s been on television many times and in pretty funny movies. But The OKC is where he’s at home. He’s raw.

Cedric has so much charisma, such an outgoing personality that he really could do big things for this company. Of course, it will be up to him in terms of how he wants to run his show. He could chose to see this as strictly a business and worry about his bottom line more than anything and stay behind the scenes. Still, I sort of expect to see him in Long Beach with a flashy suit on and a sparkling hat and cane. He’s the man, no question about it.

Cedric, welcome to the family.

Well, my 2005 Champ Car season is over. I got the word yesterday that I am not going to Mexico City. They have no budget for it, unfortunately. So ends another season, which has gone by remarkably quick, but that just means I had a lot of fun. And I really did. I worked with great people this year, I saw great action on the track, I got to know a lot of people within the Champ Car community, whether crew member or employee. I got to have a little fun with the video camera, when I had the time. I got to work with the likes of Paul Page and Todd Lewis. It was the first time in 5 years involved with Champ Car that I really felt part of the family. 2004 was so abbreviated and prior to that it was 95 percent revolving around Players. But this year, I literally cheered for no-one and everyone. As long as they were putting on a great show, it didn’t matter. I knew I was going to be part of the podium celebration and it didn’t matter who was up there.

The fan forums were great. Absolute best part of my weekend. Interacting with both fans and personalities was fantastic. Champ Car fans are so unique in that they love the product, will take a bullet for the product, but also aren’t afraid to voice their displeasure with aspects of the product. That’s passion. And the drivers and Cotman or Ziggy were always there to answer as candidly as possible. We really are family. One big Champ Car family. It’s just a very large family.

I haven’t quite figured out my favorite moment of 2005 just yet. Off the top of my head, the perfect fly-over in Denver at the end of the Star Spangled Banner in front of 75K was pretty darn special. Moments like that are extraordinary, no question about it.

Favorite event?: I have to start with Toronto, not only because its home, but because of the intensity of that event. Drivers are on fire that race and with the tight confines, well it’s a recipe for excitement and being able to call that race in front of my hometown is cool. If it were a parade I wouldn’t think the same, but it’s so darn exciting right until the very end.

Anyway, enough nostalgia. The season isn’t even over yet. We have the wonderful Surfer’s Paradise event coming up. In 2003 I decided that it would be a good idea to go to Australia for the weekend. For some strange reason, I thought it would be ‘romantic’ to tell people that I was headed to Oz for the weekend. I think I left Wednesday, got there Thursday and returned Monday. Not a good idea. I slept for weeks after that (I was happy, selfishly, that they cancelled the Fontana race just because I needed to sleep) and missed most of the MLB playoffs. Brilliant.
Word of advice: if you are planning on going to Australia, go for more than a weekend. You’ll thank me that you did.

# 88

Dale Jarrett! He’s going truck racing next year. We’ll see him in Vegas!!

I don’t want to go on a rant about the big one, but I am pretty tired of watching restrictor plate races simple to witness the ‘big one’. All they do is emphasize the ‘big one’ and it inevitably happens. Twice this Sunday in Alabama. It really makes me wonder why I am watching it. The announcers and team personnel reiterate the ‘big one’ so much that I start getting bored until it happens. Its as if you hear about a scene in a movie, then go see the movie. You wait and wait for the scene to come up. it might be a good movie prior to it, but you’re so preoccupied and distracted by the “one” scene you were told about, it consumes you. That’s how I felt this weekend when I was watching the race (the Yanks and Sox had already clinched at that point-the one and only reason why I may miss a race), like I was only watching for the one inevitable moment. Not that it disappointed. Gees Louise! That everybody walks away from that is amazing. For better or worse, NASCAR continues to provide phenomenal excitement. By the way, love that Carl Edwards is “the high-horsepower hunk”. Try saying that 5 times fast.

So I read that they thought of making the next two races 1.5 in point value. Wouldn’t that be interesting? Wow. Talk about giving it to the fans. We are talking about dramatically changing a rule with two races to go in order to provide the maximum drama. Some would argue that it’s preposterous to change the rules midway that were implemented for a reason and can’t be changed at the expense of driver and team.

I agree. But….

2003: Matt Kenseth wins the Winston Cup with one of the most boring championship race in so many years. Averaging an 8th place finish, Kenseth captured the cup with consistency and shear plainness. No need for the flash or glory, no need for the final 15 races, Kenseth had captured the title by mid-July.
2004 Off-season: Press release: NASCAR has just implemented a new set of rules that will now determine the new NASCAR champion….you know the rest.

2004: Michael Shumacher wins his 7th championship in succession. As a result, the FIA has implemented a series of rule changes to essentially prevent Shumacher and Ferrari to win another championship.
Maybe those examples are a little extreme, but nonetheless they were put out for a reason. To make the product better for the fans. If Champ Car decides that the last couple of races are worth 1.5 the points, then so be it. They have a good reason/excuse with Korea. Go ahead and make it more entertaining. We’ll all thank you in the end (except maybe Macdonalds, if plans don’t pan out. No free Macflurries for you guys!)