Slightly OT, Breaking F1 news....

...at least for me :-) --- Row over 'fighting fund' takes a new and exquisite twist In a shock move, Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone will invest in the financially struggling Minardi team. After saying earlier today that he told Minardi to "p*ss off" in Austria last year, the news has emerged that the F1 ringmaster has personally invested in the team in order to save it. European Minardi boss Paul Stoddart said on Saturday afternoon in Canada that he could not go into detail, and that at the moment there was no paperwork. "The deal has been done on a handshake," said Stoddart, "and with Bernie that's good enough for me." Stoddart says that it safeguards the team's future, this year and next, and added: "One thing you might say about my new partner is that he has a pretty good track record as a sponsor getter, so maybe Minardi could finally have the kind of budget and support that it has previously dreamed about." Ecclestone was last involved as a team owner in 1989, when he sold his interest in the Brabham marque that he bought in 1971. Stoddart, however, said that it was probably more accurate to describe Ecclestone's involvement as that of a passive investor. The deal, he said, came together quickly and had not been mooted before the Canadian Grand Prix weekend began." --- Wow, didn't see that one coming.....good to see though, F1 just wouldn't be the same without Minardi, not as much of a loss as Eddie Jordan and his grid girls of course :-), but still, and with Bernie involved on the financial side of things, I suppose we can expect Minardi to be the best funded little team in F1 ever ? :-) Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy "goyl at nettx dot no" http://www.theuspits.com "A man is only as old as the woman he feels........" --Groucho Marx--

Goy Larsen <[email hidden]> wrote here on 15 Jun 2003: <snip> > I suppose we can > expect Minardi to be the best funded little team in F1 ever ? :-) Except for BAR 1999... ;-) -- Above address *is* valid - but snip spamtrap to get me to *read*! Support the world's oldest motorsport venue! http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/future.html

Goy Larsen <[email hidden]> wrote here on 15 Jun 2003: <snip> > I suppose we can > expect Minardi to be the best funded little team in F1 ever ? :-) Except for BAR 1999... ;-) -- Above address *is* valid - but snip spamtrap to get me to *read*! Support the world's oldest motorsport venue! http://www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk/future.html

David Buttery wrote:

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> > Goy Larsen <[email hidden]> wrote here on 15 Jun 2003: > > <snip> > > I suppose we can > > expect Minardi to be the best funded little team in F1 ever ? :-) > > Except for BAR 1999... ;-)

True....and they did get their money's worth didn't they ? :-) Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy "goyl at nettx dot no" http://www.theuspits.com "A man is only as old as the woman he feels........" --Groucho Marx--

In article <[email hidden]>, Goy Larsen <[email hidden]> writes: >Wow, didn't see that one coming.....good to see though, F1 just wouldn't >be the same without Minardi, not as much of a loss as Eddie Jordan and >his grid girls of course :-), but still, and with Bernie involved on the >financial side of things, I suppose we can expect Minardi to be the best >funded little team in F1 ever ? :-) How can the guy in charge of the league *also* be part owner of one of the teams IN that league??? Sounds like a conflict of interest... Eldred -- Help find missing child: Tatianna Ashley Chillcutt from Michigan(info on my homepage) Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

"EldredP" wrote... > How can the guy in charge of the league *also* be part owner of one of the > teams IN that league??? Sounds like a conflict of interest... > Nothing though compared to being in charge of Nascar and owning a bunch of the tracks! <g>

EldredP wrote:

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> > In article <[email hidden]>, Goy Larsen > <[email hidden]> writes: > > >Wow, didn't see that one coming.....good to see though, F1 just wouldn't > >be the same without Minardi, not as much of a loss as Eddie Jordan and > >his grid girls of course :-), but still, and with Bernie involved on the > >financial side of things, I suppose we can expect Minardi to be the best > >funded little team in F1 ever ? :-) > > How can the guy in charge of the league *also* be part owner of one of the > teams IN that league??? Sounds like a conflict of interest...

Until Minardi is starring at the pointy end of the field, nobody's going to make a fuss, even Ron Dennis thought it was a good idea in light of the situation, and RD usually have an "honest opinion" about about most things in F1 :-) Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy "goyl at nettx dot no" http://www.theuspits.com "A man is only as old as the woman he feels........" --Groucho Marx--

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>"EldredP" wrote... >> How can the guy in charge of the league *also* be part owner of one of the >> teams IN that league??? Sounds like a conflict of interest... >> > >Nothing though compared to being in charge of Nascar and owning a bunch of >the tracks! <g>

Not really the same - you can't give a *track* preferential treatment... Eldred -- Help find missing child: Tatianna Ashley Chillcutt from Michigan(info on my homepage) Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

"EldredP" wrote... > Not really the same - you can't give a *track* preferential treatment... > Some tracks get two races, some get one. I think it would be pretty easy ;-)

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>"EldredP" wrote... >> Not really the same - you can't give a *track* preferential treatment... >> > >Some tracks get two races, some get one. I think it would be pretty easy >;-) >

Shuush!<g> Eldred -- Help find missing child: Tatianna Ashley Chillcutt from Michigan(info on my homepage) Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

EldredP wrote: > Not really the same - you can't give a *track* preferential treatment... Compare the fortunes of Kansas and Chicagoland vs. Kentucky and Winston Cup dates. ;-) -jde