As some of you may know and I have alluded to this, the video content page on Champ Car’s website will take a dramatically expanded role. As it should. Right now we’re looking to have a huge influx of content, varying from interviews, daily reports, tech features, lighter-side skits, night-on-the-town kind of stuff, whatever we can think of we can try. We have a budget this year and it should be great.

Not too long ago I proposed that we launch our efforts with a splash and suggested that a sit down with Kevin Kalkhoven would be a good idea, at Spring Training. Not a cheerleading sit-down, not a rah rah, everything is rosy sit-down, but an actual interview. Go to the source on some issues. I figured we could have fun with him too, ask him silly questions that a man of his stature has no business answering, but business-talk first. And in lieu of Robin’s article and things being the way they currently are, this potential interview couldn’t come at a better time.

Well, it looks like this idea might come to fruition. Still ironing out some details in terms of availability and scheduling, but it looks very promising.
This is where you come in. I’d very much like to have your suggestions on what to ask Mr. Kevin Kalkhoven. Obviously we have some questions in mind and there are obvious one’s to ask. Nonetheless, I would like to hear some of your suggestions and if one of your questions were to be asked, then proper credit would be given (with your permission, of course).

So, please send me some suggestions. My email is emgagnon@yahoo.com

Is it me or did Robin Miller’s recent rant (http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/35621/) seem particularly vicious? Robin has always been negative, a distinct journalist characteristic. Most journalists prefer reporting bad news then good news, given that bad news spews more reaction out of people, precisely what journalists want. So, I was absolutely not surprised to read that Miller thinks everything is wrong with Champ Car (or IRL for that matter). He’s done it before and he’ll do it again. He does it for everything he encounters, any form of racing. Oh sure, he’ll throw a feel-good story on occasion, but those are in the minority. Generally speaking his job appears to be to point out what is wrong with racing and to offer his ideas of solutions. The fact that he is absolutely clueless as to what the American public wants doesn’t matter. Like most journalist he’s brash and opinionated and has all the right answer. But this particular article was a lot more mean-spirited, a lot more personal than most of his earlier work. His cheap shot attack on Steve Johnson was malicious and, I’m sure quite fraudulent. His suggestion that CC sell off its assets to Tony George was downright shocking.

Now, do these articles get people talking? Hell yes. Even Steve Johnson entered the Champ Car forums to throw his two cents on the article. Its one of the reasons I love champ car frankly, the interaction that the bosses have with the fans. I don’t know of another major sport where the president logs on to a forum and actually responds under his own name. Not through an alias, not just as a lurker. You have to respect that and you have to respect the fans for being honest with their feelings. And heck, I’m writing about the article, therefore I’m as guilty as anyone of acknowledging his article and responding to it. Therefore, the purpose of his article was served. He’s getting a reaction out of me, out of all of us, including the president of the company.

But I am not here to address the specific details of his article, as I will not pretend to know what is going on with the series. I know there will be Spring Training, I know I will be there and I know it’s going to be a heck of a season. That’s all I need to know right now. Naturally, being an employer of the series, his articles evoke a certain fear out of me, a financial fear, given that this is my passion, but also my livelihood and I do need to eat and pay my rent. But, nonetheless, it’s going to take a lot more than a negative article from him to get me to break out the old resume. Most of his articles I read are somewhat disconcerting. But this particular address and the point of this blog entry was that it was so damn personal; I have to wonder what is going on with his job status? Robin strikes me as a vengeful person. As a person who will shake your hand with a razor blade in his palm. Perhaps CC isn’t giving him what he wants. No, I’m not talking about the prominent, American fielded series he so constantly talks about. I’m talking about a free lunch he so craves. The buffet tables that keeps him coming back. Basically the free meal ticket. I wonder out loud if his days with the series are numbered. I’m probably way off base and reading too much into this. He could very well have gotten up on the wrong side of his bed and spilt coffee on his shirt right before sitting down and writing this very much op-ed piece. I hope things work out for Mr. Miller, whatever his future might be. The man can be very funny and witty in his writing. He just needs to be a happier fella.

By the way, I sure hope AJ has a guaranteed contract and not a performance-based contract.