Newman-Haas to move to IRL?

#1

Sounds farfetched, but a Japanese motorsports site has Toyota saying
they are about to announce Newman-Haas moving to the IRL with Toyota
engines and Bourdais and Junquiera as the drivers for full IRL season.

Also says that Honda is expanding the number of IRL teams using Honda
engines and that Rahal will run two cars in the IRL series.

Like I said, sounds farfetched, but who knows these days?

#2

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 20:02:47 -0500, Bill <blackbelt (AT) cogeco (DOT) ca> wrote:

Quote:

What other choice do they have? I've been a CART fan for TwentyFive
years, but you gotta have blinders on to think they're gonna pull out
of this one. Business is business, if the sponsor says go IRL or we
pull out, you go. Period.

They have to think about the employees and their families.. The teams
are businesses, and with CART in the state it's in, don't expect many
of the current sponsors to throw a bunch of money into it. They want
return.

If Gigante said they want to go Top Fuel Racing, Rahal is going to put
a budget together and pitch it. Send Jourdain to Top Fuel school,
let's go racing.

It's NOT ABOUT THE SPORT!!!
It's about money. (Always has been, just now it don't pay)

Stick a fork in her, she's done.

Bill.

Couldn't agree with you more, Bill.

Well said, and hit the nail squarely on the head.

The nail was probably sitting right atop a CHUMPS noggin as you struck
it, too! :-)

Quote:

Only a pity Tracy won't be able to put that big #1 on his car.

On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 04:18:36 GMT, Billy Chapel <bchapel (AT) newworldnet (DOT) com> wrote:

Sounds farfetched, but a Japanese motorsports site has Toyota saying
they are about to announce Newman-Haas moving to the IRL with Toyota
engines and Bourdais and Junquiera as the drivers for full IRL season.

Also says that Honda is expanding the number of IRL teams using Honda
engines and that Rahal will run two cars in the IRL series.

Like I said, sounds farfetched, but who knows these days?

#3

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 06:52:05 -0800, "E. Benton Tackitt"
<tackitt (AT) iquest (DOT) net> wrote:

Quote:

Then again, it may be a boon to sports car racing.

You might be right.

Much of CART's problem, I think, came from the fact that there are
simply not enough decent natural terrain road circuits in the USA. Or
at least ones capable of handling 850HP, open wheel big cars. To one
extent or another this was at least partially responsible for taking to
the streets which with very few exceptions caused the quality of racing
to decline dramatically.

Yet on some of those same streets formulas with on-board starters and
fenders, like ALMS and Trans-Am, put on spectacular shows. From what I
understand the very same thing was evident in the comparisons between
CART and the V8 Supercars at Surfers.

Since it's unlikely that few natural terrain circuits will be built here
in the future (CART's formula really required FIA/F1 track standards)
maybe the only big-time road/street racing that can be successful are in
the sports or touring car classes.

Whether it be Tony George or someone else wanting to take Indy cars on
the road, it's hard to see how they won't be facing the same dilemma.

#4

It really is all about money.
The really big losers in all of this (besides the fans) are the drivers who
worked so hard to get so near to F1 which is really the goal of most of
them. Their road racing skills will erode in the IRL. But, at least they
will be rich.
Then again, it may be a boon to sports car racing.

Ben Tackitt

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Newman-Haas to move to IRL?

Indy Car motor racing Discussions About Indy Car motor racing (rec.autos.sport.indy)

Newman-Haas to move to IRL? - 12-01-2003 , 11:18 PM

Re: Newman-Haas to move to IRL? - 12-03-2003 , 09:14 PM

Re: Newman-Haas to move to IRL? - 12-04-2003 , 09:04 AM

Re: Newman-Haas to move to IRL? - 12-04-2003 , 09:52 AM