Waving The White Flag: Champ Car Finale Set For Long Beach

Grand Prix Of Long Beach To Be Champ Car's Last Race

SAYING GOODBYE: Michaelian said that as of Thursday, advance ticket sales were "not as strong" as in '07. Michaelian: "We're running a little bit below last year right now." But Michaelian added that "renewals for luxury pit suites, hospitality perks and hotel and restaurant suite rentals were at the same level as last year." And Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau President Steve Goodling said, "What we've been told is the majority of the hotels are selling out" (Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM, 4/18).

END OF AN ERA: In Detroit, Mike Brudenell writes of the GPLB, "Watching the cars blast down Shoreline Drive was electrifying. Looking at Long Beach develop from a seedy neighborhood to a busy business hub during the era was impressive." The race, "particularly in the CART period, rivaled anything NASCAR could offer" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/18). But in San Diego, Bill Center wrote since CART and IRL split in '95, open-wheel racing has "slid into near oblivion." Champ Car "will not be missed. Neither will its CART predecessor. Nor will the passing of the [IRL] be lamented." Even with the IRL-Champ Car unification, it is "doubtful that open-wheel racing can again be what it once was -- the No. 1 brand of motorsports in America. ... Today, open-wheel racing lies in near ruin" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/17).

IRL TV Viewership, Web Site Traffic Up Since Open-Wheel Merger

THE DIVISION BELL: The IRL this weekend is holding a separate event in Japan for non-Champ Car drivers, and CBSSPORTS.com's Pete Pistone wrote the split race weekend "isn't what IndyCar racing needs after a solid start to the unified year." He noted the GPLB "has been by far the most popular event" for Champ Car while the IRL's race in Japan is "instrumental to engine supplier Honda's involvement and support." With "no chance to move either race to another date, IRL management had no choice but to come up with the global doubleheader." IRL COO Brian Barnhart: "It's not the optimum situation by any means, but it's one we have to work through this year" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/16). Rahal said any sort of division between drivers of the two circuits is a media creation. Rahal: "In order to help this sport continue to grow, [the division] needs to stop, because we’re all here, we’re all working together, we want to make this sport successful. At the end of the day, for us people that started in open-wheel racing, love open-wheel racing and want to continue to see open-wheel racing succeed and get back to where it used to be, it can no longer be Champ Car vs. IRL. It has to just be IndyCar series" (THE DAILY).

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