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Cairo, NY
-- The longest spring and summer of our lives has Champ Car fans longing
for a return to normalcy and has prompted many of us to daydream about ways to
get back to where we once belonged.
Sure, yard work, auto and equipment maintenance and the honey-do lists are
up-to-date and we've all enjoyed more Sunday
family dinners, gatherings and outings than ever before. But a large chunk of lifestyle is definitely missing
with little reason to believe it will ever return.
My friend, known best as JayInAtlanta, is full of idealism. Jay
is quick to comment about anything related to Champ Cars and he's
usually as close as any of us ever gets to spot on-ness because, in
addition to being a student of the subject matter, he is a thinker, as
well.
Jay's recent missive, sent as a Shakin' Out the Mailbag comment (send
questions
here)
has provided the food for thought for this entire column. Jay
writes:
"I say that CART/Champ Car supporters should pool the money they would
normally be spending on anything Champ Car-related to set up a fund and
a web presence in support of an alternative to Tony George's
lack-o-vision. Additionally, larger offerings of money and specific
types of help (ie: mechanical, marketing/PR, grunt work) would be
welcomed by any persons or groups that are serious about moving forward
with a real racing formula that features truly open competition. Let's
get it done and show that we're committed to whomever is willing to
rebuild serious championship style open-wheel racing outside of the
current immature, failed dictatorship. This would make Vanderbilt proud
-- even if it must start at the club racing level."
Well, Jay, I'm not sure if you have a specific entity in mind
regarding the willingness to rebuild or the welcoming of fan support.
Lately the talk amongst Champ Car fans has been all about a
new series using pre-owned Champ Car chassis powered, perhaps, by some
greenish variant of the Cosworth turbos used during OWRS' Champ Car
World Series ownership.
But there are still some very important informational pieces missing
from the puzzle, not the least of which is the actual backing and/or
ownership of the series. Are we looking at more of the same old players?
What is the projected format? Where are the projected venues? What
personnel will be involved on all levels from the pits to the cockpits
to the business/marketing offices?
From my
personal experience thus far, the organizer prefers holding the cards
close to his vest to seeking outside support and media/PR attention.
Perhaps this renegade scribe's reputation for being too opinionated and
too quick with constructive criticism is off-putting, especially at this
early stage of the game.
But for
argument's sake, let's assume that this green deal is not quite the
Champ Car facsimile -- even for the watered-down OWRS spec version of
our beloved speed sport -- for which we've all been hoping. We didn't
jump to follow the Speedway inheritor's MINO series so why would we support some
new pretender?
If that
turns out to be true, Jay, your volunteer army concept may be the only option
left for quality-starved Champ Car devotees like us. Thankfully,
many of us do have the financial means and/or skill sets to form
and sustain a viable alternative to nothing.
You have my
pledge, General Jay, of the free use of my own questionable writing and
analytical talents and of my quasi-scientific ability to maintain and
Search Engine Optimize the "web presence". Of course, I'd expect
to be put on the payroll and share in any profits once f-volunteer is up
and running.
I'd also be
happy to stand in front of Macy's this Christmas season with a bell and
a donation pot to raise money for our new cooperative venture.
Please have the quartermaster order my monkey suit in 42 Regular.
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© Copyright Ed Donath
September 26, 2008
All rights reserved.
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