First Comes Trust, Then Unity
Written by George Katinger · February 22, 2006
My tired old eyes could not believe the latest American open wheel unification stories I’ve just read and as contained herein. Are they real? Could it possibly happen? Sometime soon?
autoweek.com: Agreement to merge the IRL and Champ Car may finally be at hand
speedtv.com: Champ Car, IRL In Talks for Open-Wheel Merger
speedtv.com: Let’s Leave Them to Get On With It
GrandPrix.com: Moves towards peace in IRL-Champ Car fight?
Yes, yes, and surely yes again. Why would I or any other sane person believe that the bitter chasm separating the two series can finally be crossed? Because the principals, Mssrs. George and Kalkhoven are preparing the necessary groundwork in any rapproachment. Are they examining each others books, or regulations, or talking on substantive issues? Maybe, but those are secondary concerns. What could be more important? Developing a sense of understanding and personal trust; or just plain getting to know each other.
Both sides have made blatant, brutal, and mercenary attempts on the respective lives of the other series, too many to recite here, and all for naught. Well, almost for naught; if the feeble business pulses of both series have brought them together then maybe the last two years of blood letting were the necessary preamble to get to where we are: Talking to each other.
There is not one person, outside of racing, who will look at this and say, “Why did it take so long?” Why couldn’t the guys just try and get to know each other, and see if there was any common ground, any personal level of trust and mutual understanding, upon which to build, as opposed to destroy? In any fight the first instinct is self preservation and the best defense is a good offense. And boy, have these guys been offensive!
I have openly expressed my disapproval of Tony George’s hostile attempts at pushing Champ Cars out of business, only because of my natural attraction to road racing. Sure I can watch oval racing, it’s damned exciting. But as a road guy I always preferred the old CART format over strict roundy racing. But like many others I became fed up with the lack of competitive drivers, teams, and front line, top shelf sponsors. It’s time to close the books on this era of open wheel racing.
Time to dust off my Winston Churchill paraphrasing. It may not be the end, but it hopefully can be the beginning of the end.
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12 Responses to “First Comes Trust, Then Unity”
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Dag and Cats sleeping together?
Could be, as I write this my black Labrador is sleeping back to belly with a yellow tabby that adopted us, so anything is possible.
But me thinks there is more afoot than meets the eye.
Hmmmm… lets scan recent headlines…
Yes there it is!
Bernie thinking of moving the USGP to “Las Wages in 2007.”
You can now return to your regularly
scheduled “unifacation jubulation.”
This does seem a bit too good to be true.
Maybe Tony has come to terms that if he doesn’t unify the IRL will fold right in front of him??
I’LL BELEIVE IT WHEN I SEE IT. THE PROBLEM IS
BOTH PARTIES WANT TO BE THE GROOM, NOBODY WANTS TO BE THE BRIDE!
The dust-up the loosely-termed “reunification talks” has created is wishful and probably destined for another disappointing end. These guys remind me of Kissinger and the participants in the “Peace Talks” to end the Vietnam War…first they argued about the shape of the table, then the size of the table, then who would sit on which side of the table…on and on and on to no purposeful end until one side gave up and went home, leaving the other with the ruins.
I’m like Steve above: I’ll believe it when I see it on the track.
Japan and Germany were bitter enemies of the U.S./U.K. in World War II, yet now, we’re all hunky-dory pals! ALL differences CAN be resolved, if cooler heads (Read: racing and business professionals!) prevail. My Dream: the meglomaniacs Tony and Bernie are beamed back to the Mothership, and open-wheel around the world begins a new chapter!
Coming from the corporate world, this would be very healthy for both sides. I can tell you there are very large corporations that are not involving themselves in open wheel just because of the two series’. It’s difficult for them to sell the public and let’s face it; money from these companies is what will resuscitate open wheel.
I know we’ve been down this road before, but first rumblings from big business is - finally. We’ll see.
I’m going to take the optimistic (& maybe naive) view that this is the first step towards re unification. It’s a mute point now to keep blaming & kicking TG for his part in the split (& that coming from me, one of the louder TG bashers on this forum). Lets hope for 2007 we are back to one series.
I too am on the side of believing the latest hopefull news. Why? Because the principals are directly involved, not secondary people, but the top bananas themselves. And it’s not just one conversation, but a series of meetings with a positive outcome pending.
Either party could develop cold feet and bale out at the last second, but both have way more to gain by merging, as opposed to extinction by continuing as they are.
I should not be asking this, but………….if you were KK would you go 50/50 with TG in a unified series.?
If it’s 50/50 would not that make it a stalemate on the management side.?
What value do you place on Indy & St Pete’s? which is all TG really has when you get down to it.
It’s the old Lyndon Johnson theory of political opposition. It’s better to have your opponent in the tent pissing out as compared to outside pissing in. Or the mafia theory, hold your friends close, and your enemies closer.
Who can tell, the “marriage” may not make it past the honeymoon, but it has to be worth the try. For TG to come to the table and fold his cards now is huge. The 50-50 part may be a face saving statement for either party, depending on who will be making the day to day business decisions. They may be co-chairmen, but the real power will be in the hands of whoever becomes the chief operating officer, or whatever title they give to the party that runs the day to day business operations.
We’ll just have to wait this one out and see. Please people, don’t drop the ball now over a little premature publicity!
Just an added thought on values. Sponsors look at ChampCar as more of a B2B business, which has limits. The INDY 500 is so big, sponsors are willing to “sacrifice” costs of a full IRL year just so they can market their exposure in the 500 - two different marketing angles but both with their own value.
I have viewpoints on who is receiving more out of this but let’s leave this deal alone.
With the 2006 Atlantic car set to debut and the 2007, Champ car in the final stages of design. I feel that George has finally seen the handwriting on the wall. I do not feel that IRL marquee teams ( Rahal, Penske and Ganassi) will remain in this series past the end of the 2006 racing season. If any of these teams leave the IRL the league will be unable to fulfill car count minimums. Racing is a business and if they can do business cheaper in Champ car next year that is where they will be. This brings up the question of which series is cheaper from a chassis and engine lease perspective. I believe that Champ car is the cheaper of the two series. In the case of Rahal Letterman Racing, you must remember that Graham Rahal will be racing Atlantics this year and perhaps Champ car in 2007 (If he doesn’t go to Formula One as a test driver). Personally, I feel that George has run out of options and feels that sharing the pie is better than no pie at all.