Long Beach Rumors Silenced Again
Written by Josh Katinger · May 27, 2005
Champ Car has managed to hang onto its marquee road course event at Long Beach by buying the rights to it from Dover Motorsports for US $15 million.
USAToday.com: Long Beach race to be sold to Champ Car affiliate
TSN.ca: Champ Car buys rights to Long Beach GP
IndyStar.com: Champ Car’s Kalkhoven buys race in Long Beach
When I say “Champ Car bought it” I really mean two of the three musketeers that currently own Champ Car. Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe have apparently used one of their sketchy business entities called Aquarium Asset Management to buy the rights to Long Beach from Dover. The sale is still pending the approval of the City of Long Beach, but that shouldn’t be too hard to get.
So, Tony George and the IRL have missed yet another opportunity to take the upper hand in the battle for US open-wheel racing dominance. Recall that he tried to buy the assets of CART in January 2004 as they were going bankrupt, but that failed. He’s added three road courses to the series this year, but Long Beach would have been a crown jewel.
Of course rumors persist that there are further talks of reunification. I mention that because I have to…not because I believe it or because I am in any way getting my hopes up. They’ve toyed with my heart enough. Trick me once, shame on you…trick me again, shame on me (or as our President or The Who would say…”won’t get fooled again”).
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4 Responses to “Long Beach Rumors Silenced Again”
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I noted this story a few days ago (and just added this pages link.
You give Tony too much credit. He hasn’t shown much business sense from his first breakaway from CART.
We’ll only know that in the longer run…all depends how this whole “reunification” shakes out. Any way you slice it, history will look at him as a tyrant who sacrificed the Indy 500 for his own gain. But if, in the end, he ends up in control of open wheel racing in the US, he wins.
If Tony G was ever to gain control of open wheel racing in the U.S I wouldnt say he wins because I know for myself & many friends that we would stop going to & watching the races, as I would not support anything he is involved with.I would have to just get my racing fix from the F-1 series(all but the USGP)
Now if they can just keep the series alive enough to be interesting…
Next year’s F1 V8s should be just about the right speed to compete evenly with champ cars… (Given the weight difference).