Champ Car fans bitter about merger

UPDATE #3 Another more forgiving fan writes, I too harbor very better feelings and an underlying current of distrust towards Tony George. But I cannot help but feel that maybe we are better off with one person calling the shots considering the way OWRS has been handling themselves especially in the last year. What is done is done folks, and what we have is what we have. I'd perhaps have some serious venom to spew if not for what I heard come from Tony's own mouth; a schedule that is a balance of ovals, streets, and road circuits, and (hopefully) introducing a respectable and much, much safer car. Do I trust Tony George to deliver? Not really, but then again, don't think he has a choice at this point. He recognized that what CART was in the mid 90's is what this sport needs to become, and regardless of how much I just want to punch the guy for wasting all our time with his actions, as a fan of this sport, I have to give this peace, and this guy, a chance to work this series into what Champ Cars and its fans have known all along what it can and needs to be in order to succeed. Andy Fogiel, Lansing, MI

02/25/08 Another bitter Champ Car fan writes, So here we are, 12 years after the creation of the 'vision'. What do we have?

This was the attendance at the 1999 CART race in Fontana. The grandstands were packed and it would dwarf the present day NASCAR crowds at this same track. That is how far the sport of open wheel racing has fallen in the USA

Mark Cipolloni

Indy 500 glory? Gone
Indy 500 bumping? Gone
Ford? Gone
Toyota? Gone
Mercedes? Gone
Lola? Gone
Reynard? Gone
Swift? Gone
Gurney/Eagle? Gone
Three quarters of the fans? Gone
Too many sponsors to count? Gone
Michigan? Gone
Nazareth? Gone
Road America? Gone
Cleveland? Gone
Toronto? Gone
Laguna Seca? Gone

Ugliest cars in the history of Indy racing? Check
Worst-sounding cars in the history of Indy racing? Check
Indy cars that fly through the air? Check
Indy 500 and Indy-series champions not even bothering to defend their championships? Check
Indy racing giving power steering to Danica to try to steal a win for her? Check
Shady officiating to steal an Indy 500 win from Paul Tracy? Check
Sports fans now think that the '500' means Daytona? Check

The future of American open-wheel racing is now 100% being led by the man that is 100% percent responsible for all of this. And we're supposed to be happy about this?

Paul Tracy was right. Alan Saliwanchik

02/23/08 Another fan writes, I am shocked and devastated at the negative responses in regards to the Champ Car/IRL merger. I have worked with the Champ Car Safety Team and IRL Safety Team members and am happy to hear of the two groups back together. Either one or both series would have folded and then all that we would have had was neckcar racing. This year will be a huge transition year with most of the Champ Car races being canceled but I can almost guarantee you that more of the races will be back in the next few years and that they will get rid of some of the useless ovals from the IRL schedule. Be patient and watch what open wheel racing can become again and the Indy 500 be what it once was. I also believe the Indy Car will be changed to more of the Panoz type of car so we will have less of the "flying" cars that are out there now and have some great racing in the future. This can be an exciting time and I can only hope that we as open wheel racing fans can come together and take over the top racing series in the U.S. as it once was. This can only be good for open wheel racing!! Jeff M. Cuomo

P.S. I am a huge Champ Car fan and hated the IRL with a passion but with Champ Car having input this will be a great thing!!

Another writes, Why is it that all of the Champ Car fans think that they are better than the IRL and their teams and fans? The technology isn't good enough and oh yeah they don't race all over the globe. Aren't these some of the reasons that Champ Car failed? Oh and by the way there is a series for those people it's called Formula 1. Then they can hang out with the rest of the racing world that holds their noses held high in the air watching technology that nobody can afford and bad racing. Signed IRL FAN.

02/22/08 We received a number of letters like the one from this bitter Champ Car fan over the raw deal Champ Car got as a result of the merger. "How can this be called a merger when almost nothing is being retained from one side? Not the employees that dedicated decades to the sport, not the cars, not the engine, not the tracks except for a handful [it remains to be seen how a race at Long Beach can be run with no support personnel who were all fired or 10 cars that may or may not show up]. A hostile takeover is less damaging than this mess. And how can this be viewed as a step forward when in reality it is reverting back a few decades in performance, variety, and on and on. IRL was started as an abortion and should not have been allowed to be carried to term. Now everyone is stuck with a retarded version of what was once a great product. I am dumbfounded by how unprofessional this was handled with little regard for people involved in the sport. If media thinks that everyone is overjoyed with this, they should interview the promoters of Long Beach, Edmonton, Cleveland, and ….. the list is endless. I just hope that some of the affected will have their final say in court and make the individuals accountable for their !*%$-up.

P.S. Only five Champ Car employees were retained, do not know who they are but hoping that the brilliant mind of Steve Johnson is part of that group because IRL is already brimming with such leadership so such an addition should only expedite the inevitable . Also rumor is that Honda does not want to move the Mid-Ohio date that conflicts with Edmonton so how that will play out remains to be seen. One of the people whose business was affected by irresponsible actions is the Portland promoter and he says it like it is so hopefully more will be said about this than all this 'feel good' crap from IRL camp. And Walker feels good because he got cash from Kevin…. that would make everyone feel better, too bad not everyone is getting it. I wonder if TG had a gun to Gerald Forsythe's head or some very significant money transfer had occurred. If the rumor is true about GF wanting $10,000,000 for his cooperation, perhaps if that indeed what was paid, perhaps someone can sue for damages and their share. Also even if CCWS is an LLC, if the owner and a stakeholder is misleading and downright lying about the way the business is going, I think there has to be some law against such conduct. ENRON and what happened to those involved comes to mind. Again, call me bitter, call me stupid but do not tell me this is a merger because I would call you a liar just like Kevin Kalkhoven.

P.P.S. Look for A1GP in Australia." A bitter Champ Car fan