Gold Coast Indy on, but…
There’s always a but[t] isn’t there? You can be the butt of jokes, and there’s always the popular pork butt if you’re into the BBQ scene.
With the reunification of the American open wheel scene comes a number of buts that have come to the fore, but for my purposes I’ll deal with the Gold Coast’s Lexmark 300.
With great fanfare it’s been announced, by no less a personage than Queensland Sports Minister Judy Spence, the Gold Coast Indy event has been secured in a deal lasting until 2013.
GREAT!… but…
It will not be a championship round of the newly formed IndyCar Series. Ms Spence told reporters in Brisbane negotiations were continuing to include the race in the championship round in years to come.
Well thanks Ms. Queensland Sports Minister. Thanks for nutin’! (at least for 2008)
Someone correct me if you see anything out of line with the following logic.
The newly reformed IndyCar Series comprises some teams from the now defunct Champ Car World Series that not so incidentally were the headliner on the Gold Coast for the last 17 years.
Those same teams face many problems associated with a very quick change of direction going from their long established CCWS teams to a completely new IndyCar team that includes new cars using totally new technology and having some events held on oval tracks.
They’re also being told they can have a last shot at CCWS glory by competing in the last ever Long Beach GP using the now obsolete CCWS machinery (Gee… thanks Tony) while the rest of their competition is in Motegi, Japan, on virtually the same day, running IndyCar machinery and having both events count towards the series championship.
Now both sets of “merged” owners are being told, “oh, by the way we want you to pack up your tons a gear and hundreds of personnel and head down south of the Earth’s equator to compete in the Gold Coast event.” (Wonder if Fat Chance is in Tony G’s dictionary?)
For no points, just bragging rights.
Did I mention there would be no points awarded? But rest assured, according to Indy chairman Terry Mackenroth, who secured the deal(?), “It will be part of a series, but we are yet to negotiate what the make-up of that is. But it won’t be an exhibition race.”
Well, that makes things all better, the powers that be are not calling it an exhibition race despite it having all the trappings of one.
The Indy, to be held from October 23 to 26, is expected to pump around $60 million into Queensland. (insert boisterous guffaws here____) So they say now.
I have my doubts whether many will make the long trip for zero gain. I suppose those that have already, or obtain some Australia based sponsorship between now and the event would have the incentive to compete. There’s also the chance, slim as it may be the local officials would cough up some appearance money, but until that occurs, they will have to excuse me if I remain skeptical.
On the other hand there are other incentives</a to be had on the Gold Coast, but I digress.
(NOTE: Any resemblance to actual Aussie open wheel fans upon hearing this news and the stoned to the bajesus puppy pictured above is purely coincidental and unintended - ed)
(Disclaimer to the above note: PeterG, one of Australia’s strongest open wheel fans, is excluded from the above notation. In point of fact there is some “evidence” the puppy was trained by Peter and the Half-Vast Staff
Since reunification I
Good doggy, a whole bottle of spirits! woof woof
(b)
Somehow, not sure how, I knew this post would get a rise out of you! (d)
Guess I can call off the dogs (not the one pictured) folks, the above rumor that had Peter training the lush of a puppy has been confirmed!
Peter asks:
Well, Pete, pretty sure Toronto falls under that description, and our race (which started in 1986) got shit-canned officially today. I feel for you, but I sure as heck would take an exhibition race at this point than no race at all.
That said, from my understanding they are considering making the Oz race the 1st of the points paying races for the 2009 season. (guess that would solve the problem of teams not being motivated to go down unda)
Meesh’s last blog post..As the open-wheel world turns?
So Meesh, does that mean you will go in on a collaboration with Peter training the next pickled pooch?
I hear he loves Steelback as much as does getting pissed on Aussie beer.
Much ado about nothing. Be grateful the race will be a MINOR ancillary part of the race weekend. IT’S THE FUTURE THAT COUNTS, as Meesh has pointed out.
We should all be happy (especially Peter!) that there is an on going dialog to keep the series going in Oz. And Peter, enough with the “pox upon your houses”, at least come up with a new curse. You’re more creative than that!
A new curse? Fine! “May they all be slapped like a red-headed step child!”
As Meesh points out at least we have a race. However, if it’s non scoring round then who will want to come. As long as it is a full field I’m happy, otherwise it will a farce.
I still maintain that if brains were shit TG & Co would be constipated.
A new curse?
Wait… let me find my Spiced Bat Wings.
Or if Tony had a brain it would be lonely.
The teams will show. I could be wrong but I have heard that the costs of moving the equipment is subsidized by the league. Plus, most of the IRL teams are racers and racers will travel to the ends of the earth to race.
Further, for all the reason you stated in your post…the IRL wants to keep the Aussie race its schedule, so you’ll see the best product that the IRL has to offer.
FYI…There is no “new combined management of IRL/CC.” Its all managed by the old IRL management.
Can’t any of you people understand that the “no points” aspect is for this year only? Under a difficult acquisition process? And you Peter, who one day says “give peace a chance” and and the next wants to bury everyone, maybe you need a meds adjustment??
No one harbors more resentment to TG than I, but the North has won the war let’s give reconstruction a chance. At least if we are race fans.
George, as you well know I remove my tin foil hat for the F1 off season & yes I’m off my meds……. BUT, that is irrelevant, this is a recipe for a farce.
No points means no reason to incutr the cost of flying down, it also devalues the event.TG needs every event he can get & a lot of the others are not as financially solid or as well supported as the Gold Coast race.
Taking a dump on one of the races on the new IRL/CC calandar is a dumb move. Why risk losing a jewel (BTW, the head of A1GP was hosted to a V8 round in NZ a few weeks back, coincidence?)
I was unaware that TG had said that “only” 2008 was a non-points scoring round, I had not read that, if you are correct I will modify my stance somewhat. However, as marc says above “it’s a bonehead move”, to which I agree & marc & I rarely agree on anything….excluding Max.
Boland! Where are the keys to the medicine cabinet? I need one of those little red ones……& a new tin foil hat; F1 kicks off in only a week at Albert Park. :-p