rule, Matt.
A common formula will mean that Indy will remain wide-open, and we
will see more cooperation between CART and the IRL in the future,
possibly to the extent that a single governing body will be
established using the "Indycar" name to serve as an umbrella
organization for both series. CART will manage and sanction CART
races, the IRL will manage and sanction CART races, but the "Indycar"
organization will likely be responsible for serving as a liason to
help tie the two entities together in a mutally-beneficial manner.
United they stand, divided they both suffer.
-- JB
On Wed, 06 Jun 2001 08:03:01 -0400, Matt Lanzer
> Indy is the reason IRL teams have sponsors. It's the only race that gives
>them good exposure. If only 8 IRL teams were fast enough to get into the 500,
>the sponsors on those other teams would start dropping like flies. No sponsors =
>no team for the rest of the IRL schedule, decimating the IRL field.
>In case some of you aren't familiar with the CART/IRL split...
> Tony George won't let that happen, so he'll bring back the old rule
>allowing 25 IRL cars and 8 cars from anyone else (CART). It's an actual rule
>that the Speedway/IRL president Tony George made up so CART teams would be
>forced to join the IRL if they all wanted a shot at Indy. Obviously it didn't
>work, and CART boycotted the Indy 500 in 1996 and had their own race on Memorial
>Day weekend against the Indy 500 (the US 500).
> In '97 the IRL then adopted different engine/chassis rules from CART making
>it even more difficult (expensive) for CART teams to compete at Indy. Since
>George saw that no CART teams wanted to race at Indy anymore he did away with
>the 25/8 rule, knowing all of his IRL teams would be safely in the field at
>Indy.
> Until 2000... When CART was realizing how big of an event Indy still is,
>CART owner Chip Ganassi and his CART sponsor Target said "What the F*ck! Let's
>do it. We've got Montoya and Vasser, we'll walk in, spend 2 or 3 million, and
>walk away with the trophy. Which is exactly what they did.
> Other CART teams took notice (Penske, TeamGreen with Andretti) along with
>Ganassi and said, "Well Hell... WE can do THAT!" And in 2001, they did. In the
>final 2001 Indy 500 standings, Penske took places 1 & 2 with CART drivers Helio
>Castroneves and Gil DeFerran. Team Greene took Andretti (his only entry) to
>third place. Ganassi brought three of his cars home in positions 4, 5, and 6
>with CART drivers Jimmy Vasser and Bruno Junqueria (sp?), and NASCAR driver Tony
>Stewart, respectively. Ganassi also had another entry, CART driver Nicholas
>Minassian, but his car expired in the early stages of the race, leaving him in
>position 28 or 29.
> Did I mention the CART guys are racing in unfamiliar equipment that the IRL
>guys race all year long?
> Now, a LOT of CART teams took notice, and next year many are planning an
>all-out *** of the Indy 500. Green will have all 3 of his cars, at least 2
>from Ganassi and Penske, plus teams like Rahal, Mo Nunn, Fernandez,
>Newmann/Haas, PacWest, Patrick, and Players. With all of these CART teams
>participating and squeezing IRL regulars out of the Indy 500 field in 2002, I
>think it's a given that Tony George will try to save his series by once again
>instituting the 25/8 rule for 2003.
>Then like I said before, it's gonna be 1996 all over again...
>Warlock!
>> I think it might be the opposite, actually. 25 CART, plus the top 8 IRL
>> drivers. There is presently no way IRL teams can be competitive against the
>> CART teams, and I see no way in the future either. Some people even
>> speculate a 30 CART/3 IRL rule.
>> --
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