IRL may deep-six Surfers race
"We talked to Tony George (IRL boss) and they were very interested in the Gold Coast race and I'm very confident we will have Indy until 2013," said Ms Spence.
Mr. Mackenroth said the event, which had been surrounded by uncertainty, would remain as strong as ever and they would like to see at least 300,000 people this year.
"On the way to this event the cabbie said to me that Indy was the second busiest time for him during the year," said Mr. Mackenroth.
He said there would be no change in 2008 despite the IRL taking over this year's event.
"We've had strong sales and hope to get the same number of people as last year (312,000) over the four days.
"Everyone is really excited about this event and we want to see the 20th Indy, which is next year."
Nikon, which was announced the naming rights sponsor last month, said that it was looking forward to taking part in the event
"Indy is a very good product and we are very happy to be involved with the race," said Nikon marketing manager James Murray. Goldcoast.com.au
10/08/08 This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' today. The Surfers Paradise IndyCar race is dead after this year's event, says Gold Coast MP Steve Ciobo.
The Federal Opposition MP for Moncrieff said a source close to the event had confirmed to him that the Indy Racing League had absolutely no intention of racing in Surfers Paradise beyond 2008.
Blaming the State Government for the death of Indy, Mr. Ciobo accused Sports Minister Judy Spence of bungling negotiations in the US earlier this year with IRL bosses to retain the Surfers event beyond 2008, by failing to get agreement on a date change.
"The Government has completely dropped the ball on this, the biggest event to the Gold Coast," said Mr. Ciobo. Goldcoast.com
09/22/08 IRL officials continue to work with former Champ Car co-owner and IndyCar team owner Kevin Kalkhoven to have the IndyCar Series race in Australia for years to come.
At present, the 24 full-time cars making the trip in October are guaranteed to receive $59,000, with the winner receiving an additional $70,000.
The 2009 schedule has been announced, and a plan for 2010 is in the works.
Terry Angstadt, the league's commercial division president, said the focus will be on adding races in the Pacific Northwest (Portland) and the Northeast (New Hampshire). Angstadt said that Surfers Paradise is the one venue that could still be added to next year's calendar.
He also noted that any teams contemplating not competing in Australia this year had better think again: If they don't make the trip, they won't receive their share of money from the IRL for racing this season. AutoWeek
09/07/08 The clock is ticking not only for the future of the street course race in Australia but the future of the IndyCar Series team tied to that country. KV Racing Technology, which has an Australian owner (Kevin Kalkhoven) and an Australian sponsor (Aussie Vineyards), needs the Surfers Paradise event to continue in 2009 for it to have any reasonable chance to duplicate its performance this season and grow. Team co-owner Jimmy Vasser said Saturday at Chicagoland that the financial backing of Aussie Vineyards represents "half of our budget. It's key," he said. Indy Racing League officials hope to resolve the Surfers Paradise race before the Oct. 26 event, which was added to the schedule as a non-points race during the unification process with Champ Car. Vasser, who won CART's driving championship in 1996, said he has been pushing Kalkhoven to commit to continuing the team regardless of what happens to the Australian race, but Vasser said: "He's not there yet." Indy Star [Which is what AR1.com reported to you back on August 19th in this rumor i.e. no Surfers race, no KV Racing.]
08/27/08 IndyCar Series teams are not thrilled with the financial prospect of racing in Australia on Oct. 26. Various team officials say they still don't know how much money they will receive for making the trip but have been told it will be between $10,000 and $30,000 per car. That's not enough, they say.
They estimate it will cost $100,000 per car (assuming that no crash damage occurs in the race), and teams will only be able to bring a skeleton crew, since they will receive just 15 airline tickets–and those are only from Los Angeles, meaning that they would have to pay their own way to reach L.A. AutoWeek
08/19/08 Per previous rumors and this ESPN.com article the IRL may deep-six the Surfers race after this year. We hear if that happens, KV Racing Technology will leave the IRL. Word is that some shortsighted IRL team owners don't want to go all the way to Surfers even though the promoter pays the entire bill from LA to Surfers and back. The team just has to get its equipment and personnel to LA.
Despite Surfers being a huge event it seems some team owners would prefer to race with the hillbillies at a place like Barber Motorsports Park, or with the crickets in the cornfields of Iowa. Can't imagine too many sponsors want to be wined and dined at places like that. And with the Versus TV deal, TV ratings will be so small the sponsors won't get much exposure regardless of where they race.
It's the same selfish, shortsighted mentality that has hurt open wheel racing in North America for decades, and why open wheel racing in North America with never grow to be more than a blemish on NASCAR's posterior. It's the same mentality that permeates throughout America, setting America on a downward spiral in the global economy to what someday may turn this once great country into a third-world country as the American dollar sinks to "junk" status on the global financial markets.