Still no TV for Aussie Champ Car fans

It would be an understatement to say that Australian Champ Car fans have been rather irate since the season opener at not being able to view the first Australian-born driver to be victorious in a Champ Car race. Let alone witness him start the first three races of the season from the front row of the grid.

According to Channel 7, they hold the rights to broadcast the Surfers Paradise Champ Car race only and no-one from Champ Car (or their Australian representative) has approached them in an effort to televise the remaining races. Understandably, their main focus is the V8 Supercar series but would almost certainly be open to any approaches to broadcast the Champ Car series in its entirety.

Likewise with Channel 10, who claim that they too do not hold any rights to televise the Champ Car races, and as they state “why would they want to". Imagine building the excitement all year generated from the coverage of the earlier races only to lose the momentum gained (as well as advertising revenue) to a rival FTA network for the cream of the crop, the Surfers Paradise Indy event.

Champ Car, to their credit, state that they are working on the ‘lack of Australian television coverage’ with their promoter to ensure that the issue is rectified as soon as possible.

Surely the momentum started when Will Power sensationally grabbed the pole last year in Surfers Paradise must have been noticed by the, excuse the pun, powers that be."

Personally, I have been to every Champ Car race on the Gold Coast since 1999 and was pleasantly stunned by the response of the crowd with respect to Power’s qualifying effort at Surfers 2006. The ‘Go Team Australia’ banners abundant on race day simply overawed me, as my understanding had always been in that the crowd were predominantly V8 Supercar fans. Gladly I was proven wrong that day.

The momentum gained by Power’s pole in Australia, and subsequent podium finish in the season ending race in Mexico City, has been only furthered by his feats in the opening three events of this year’s season. Surely this must be worthy of television coverage for the Australian fans.

Even Power himself is well aware, not to mention disappointed, that the Aussie fans are not being able to witness his Champ Car accomplishments.

Australian racing fans are loyal, passionate and truly patriotic about their native drivers and the series that they race in, something I hope will not be lost due to a lack of television coverage in this country.