Champ Car / IRL

I am a race fan through and through, but after a Sunday of channel flipping overload, I got to thinking that there has to be a better way. That line of thinking started me comparing our two open wheel series in the US, and thinking about what could be done to keep them from competing head to head, and give me the opportunity to watch both races.

In spite of cajoling and pushing by folks with names like Andretti, Penske, and Ganassi, the owners of the IRL and Champ Car series are strong independent businessmen, and not at all likely to do anything that may threaten their control and profit from their respective series. Absent some kind of buy out / takeover scenario that’s not going to happen, the two series will maintain their autonomy. How can they maintain their individuality, not compete head to head, and both survive and prosper? Just listen to your resident genius; I’m going to tell you.

Primarily they each have to stay with their “Shtick”. IRL is principally an oval racing series that has, and will continue to team up with NASCAR weekends because they use the same kind of facilities. If they think they have to leave the ovals on occasion, they should consider facilities that have some of the same characteristics like long flat straights, etc. Two that come to mind are Cleveland and St. Petersburg. Otherwise - forget road courses.

Champ Car is a road racing series that has places like Infineon, Elkhart Lake, Road Atlanta, Mid Ohio, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock Park, and more that I don’t recall or even know about. If they have to revisit a track in the same season, just spread out the schedule so there is maximum amount of time between races at the same venue. They can also find good crowds and good venues in Canada, (Mont Tremblant / St. Jovite, Nun’s Island) and Mexico City. Neither series should worry about leaving the continent. Forget ovals. (I would beg them to delete temporary street courses also)

Both series could use Indy in different configurations.

Also, they have to agree to compliment rather than compete with one another. This requires that they actually talk to each other and coordinate their race schedules. There are two fine race days each weekend, and enough weekends in a season to have all of the races they can stand. Just don’t run on the same day.

What does this accomplish? Here is the list.

First, it allows both owners to operate and maintain their own business interests free of any interests and / or meddling by other parties.

Next, it allows both series to maintain their own specific identity, their own teams, drivers, sponsors, venues, manufacturers and car formulas.

It gives them both an equal crack at the weekend race crowds and TV audiences. When it comes to TV, many folks will watch both entire races instead of just one, or parts and pieces of each.

It combines their strengths and enhances their ability to market and sell open wheel racing in this country. They might even develop a common logo and promote something like “American Open Wheel” to strengthen their marketing while maintaining their individuality.

Developing a strong series might even draw more sponsors / manufacturers to the sport, and provide more opportunities for drivers and teams.

What is the biggest pitfall? – they have to get together, talk to each other, and work out the problems, but PEOPLE THAT WANT TO AGREE, CAN! Over in the NASCAR world, old “DW”, Darrell Waltrip or “Jaws” as some call him, coins his own phrases to suit various situations. One he came up with is
“Co-opetition”. A combination of cooperating and competing at the same time. Maybe that is exactly what Champ Car and the IRL need to do.

Having said all of that, folks like the “old, self-centered TV windbag” (Dave Despain) and others may weigh in with opinions, and in spite of previous claims I am forced to admit that I am probably not a genius, so there are probably a myriad of problems with the idea, but we have to start somewhere. And that’s all I have to say about that.