Rahal May Move Champ Car Team To IRL; Can Series Survive?
|
| Rahal May Steer His Jourdain Team To IRL |
Champ Car World Series team owner Bobby Rahal has confirmed
that Mexican sponsor Gigante is considering moving driver Michel Jourdain Jr.
to the IRL, following Adrian Fernandez and his Mexican-based sponsors, according
to Curt Cavin of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Rahal, who runs a single-car program
in the IRL, said: "Adrian is an opinion leader in Mexico big-time, in sports
in general and motorsports in particular. Everyone in Mexico is now thinking,
'Where should we be? Is (Champ Car) the right place?'" Cavin noted Fernandez's
move "was driven
by sponsorship." Fernandez' team co-owner & GM Tom Anderson indicated
that the team's Mexican sponsors "wanted to see Champ Car's [TV] package for
their country [but] it didn't come in time." Cavin added that OWRS also "stood
by its decision against funding teams," prompting Fernandez' move. But Keith
Wiggins — Dir of Herdez, Champ Car's "other Mexican-influenced team" —
said of the IRL, "I certainly don't think there's any benefit for a Hispanic-speaking
market to be in a series that goes around in circles in America." (INDIANAPOLIS
STAR, 3/13). Rahal called Fernandez' move "ground-shaking," and added, "I
still think where you go depends on what your sponsors want. [Gigante execs]
are very concerned. Adrian is an opinion leader in Mexico and for him to do
this speaks volumes" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 3/13).
OWRS POACHING DRIVERS? In Toronto, Rick Matsumoto reported
"rumors swirled [Friday] that Fernandez pulled up stakes and Rahal may follow
because a pair of well-sponsored Mexican drivers [Rodolfo Lavin and Roberto
Gonzalez], who were slated to sign with their teams, were wooed away by teams
belonging to" OWRS investors Gerry Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven. Lavin, sponsored
by Corona, signed with Forsythe Racing, and Gonzalez signed with Kalkhoven-led
PKV Racing. Forsythe driver Paul Tracy said, "Apparently both Rahal and Fernandez
are (ticked) off that both those Mexican drivers were slated to go to their
teams, but the big millionaires came in and scooped them. [OWRS] shouldn't be
fielding paying drivers. If they believe that much in the series they should
be putting up the money and fielding cars out of their own pockets." But Forsythe
said Lavin and Gonzalez "came to us," adding that Fernandez "is upset because
OWRS refused to pay him the [US$2M] he felt he was owed under a participation
agreement" he had with former CART President & CEO Chris Pook. But Fernandez
said that he is "leaving for the best interest of his team and sponsors," adding,
"I just didn't see security for the future" (TORONTO STAR, 3/13).
BEGINNING OF THE END? Matsumoto notes the loss of Fernandez
and Rahal would reduce Champ Cars' "current field of cars to just 12 with just
five weeks before the scheduled opener" at Long Beach. While Molson Indy's contract
with Champ Car requires a minimum of 18 cars, Molson Indy GM Bob Singleton said
that "accepting a smaller field is at the discretion of the race promoter and
he sees no problem in running with 16 cars" (TORONTO STAR, 3/13). One
anonymous CART official told Le Journal de Montreal the new series "won't recover
— the Champ car series is finished" (EDMONTON SUN, 3/13).
|
