EVERYWHERE, Planet Earth (December 21, 2008) — From Formula One, to NASCAR, to IndyCar, to American Le Mans and World Rally, the current economic recession—maybe near depression—has hit the motorsports industry hard. And it will probably get much, much worse.

It will get better, eventually, but with a totally inexperienced, newly elected US president at the helm of the most powerful economy on the planet, it could be quite some time before things get even close to what anyone could consider “normal.”

What became tradition in NASCAR to see not one empty seat in the house, transitioned into stands being shut down to force ticket buyers into TV-sensitive areas to give the impression of the “proverbial” full house by the end of the 2008 season.

The IRL and Champ Car used that method for years during their breakup to “simulate” a full house. They weren’t fooling anyone. —>MORE

Photos © Jamie Longmuir 2008
TROIS-RIVIÈRES, Quebec (August 17, 2008) — We are coming to the close of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (or as it is familiarly known, the “GPTR”) and I’m here to tell you that everyone involved with the race and the events held in town is to be highly commended for putting on a first class clinic on how to run a successful race weekend. From first to last, the organizers overlooked no detail in making sure participants – teams, drivers, media, sponsors and fans – went home not only happy but looking forward to returning next year.  --->MORE

Atlantic Championship in Tremblant: What a Difference a Year Makes!
By Jamie Longmuir
Photos courtesy Jamie Longmuir
ST. JOVITE, Quebec (June 30, 2008) -- Last year, during the Canada Day long weekend in Mont Tremblant, Quebec we were treated to a world class event at Le Circuit - The Champ Car World Series was in town, and it brought 42,000 people with them! This year, on the same weekend, only a few hundred die-hard race fans turned out for what should have been Le Circuit's premier annual event. ---> MORE

A word in your ear, M. Bourdais

TORONTO, Canada (July 2, 2007) — A few words M. Sebastien Bourdais about your post race behaviour during the Champ Car race yesterday.

Mama called it a tantrum; Grandmama called it "acting out." In Formula One they call it “bringing the sport into disrepute” and drivers get hefty sanctions for shooting off their mouths at inappropriate times and in inappropriate words. Just ask one Jacques Villeneuve. In fact, perhaps, M. Bourdais, you should take a short jaunt from St. Jovite to Montreal and make that inquiry of M. Villeneuve himself. With another race coming up in three days’ time, it would be none too soon for him to put you in the picture.

A lot has already been said about the unprofessional behaviour of the French driver, three time Champ Car World Series Champion and Aspiring Formula One Driver Albeit At The Back Of The Grid, at the Grand Prix of Mont Tremblant over the weekend. But in case you spent Sunday in your boat at the cottage, here are the highlights. Bourdais jumped the start of the race and was given a bye. Later he misjudged a turn while under yellow flag conditions and took what the touring car people call a “lawn tour” and fell from the sharp end of the grid to 11th place. From there he stormed back to P2, but despite his best efforts he could not overcome Robert Doornbos (No. 4 Team Minardi USA) who went on to take the victory. -->MORE
 

An editorial and other musings about the Champ Car Atlantics at Cleveland
By Martha Meacham
Photo courtesy Champ Car World Series
CLEVELAND, Ohio (June 26, 2006) — A great and hidden pleasure in open-wheel racing, in my opinion, can be seen in the talent-laden field of this season's Champ Car Atlantic series. They’re a fresh, young, personable, and very competent group of drivers who have sometimes (in the mind of quite a few fans) put on a better show than the drivers in their "parent", Champ Car World Series. Included in this group is 17-year old rookie sensation Graham Rahal (son of CART legend, Bobby Rahal) who is driving the #18 Gehl Company car. More on young Rahal shortly (after all, he is in the title!)  

I had the pleasure of seeing the "doubleheader" Atlantics races (Rounds 5 and 6) at the Gehl Atlantic Championship of Cleveland event at the Burke Lakefront Airport. Each race on the 2.106 mile, 10-turn temporary road course consisted of either 32 laps or 50 minutes. Unlike the Champ Car race which because of 9 caution periods, became a "timed race", the Atlantic drivers, for the most part, kept their noses clean, and the fans were able to see both races run in their entirety. -->MORE

The Grand Prix of Edmonton proves it can be done
By Kate Shaw
Photo courtesy Champ Car World Series

EDMONTON, Alberta (July 17, 2005) – Welcome to the brand new world of the Champ Car World Series.

For the past ten days, the Grand Prix of Edmonton has been the biggest show in Canada. The drivers in every series, Toyota Atlantics, Trans Am and Champ Cars, have been greeted by jammed grandstands, crowded paddocks, eager fans and joyful press; whenever anyone has asked them about this, they have said to a man and woman that they can’t believe it – that it carries them back to what Champ Car races used to be like and they love it. What brought all these people out? How did the City of Edmonton get all these people out to the events, and not only to come to the track but to stay til the last dog was hanged? Why did they stay through a rainstorm, why did 56,000 of them leave work, skip a weekend at the cottage, abandon the air conditioning, to sit shoulder to shoulder in grandstands or crowded together in the paddocks – not only of the Canadian drivers, but of every driver from every country, in every kind of racing car? And what’s all this about a Champ Car Store in the West Edmonton Mall? Have we been transported back to 1996 by Professor Peabody’s Wayback machine? --> MORE

TORONTO, Canada (August 22, 2004) – The Champ Car World Series has come a long way since this time last year, when we didn’t know yet there’d be a next year. But there are still people out there who have it in their power to stop this renaissance in its tracks, reverse all its gains and bury it in history’s grave. I’m not talking about Tony George and his little hammer, or even about the media people who come to Champ Car races and report that “I hear” next year Tony George will be taking over this venue. George’s motives are well known and we don’t expect him to build up the competition; and media people who rain cold water on our parade are, much as we hate to admit it, are only doing the work for which they are paid ("If it bleeds -- it leads!").--> MORE

Where Champ Cars go from here
By Kate Shaw
TORONTO, Canada (January 29, 2004) – Well, it’s a done deal. After a long and anxious day of peering into the courtroom from the many different Champ Car forums (and probably IRL forums too) on the web, and agonizing over a full day of debate and discussion, trying to figure out which way the cat was going to jump, and listening to a lot of talk from the kind of people who visit you in the hospital and tell you that hardly anybody with what you have ever lives through it, the decision was handed down. Judge Otte has ruled, Open Wheel Racing LLP got the nod, Champ Cars will live, and we can all let out our breath. “That's enough of that,” said everyone to each other. “Now let’s go racing!”

Folks, that was the easy part. --> MORE

By Jim DeFord (pictured at left)

Photo by Mary DeFord

VANCOUVER, Washington (November 1, 2003) — CART comes out fighting and disappears with a whimper. Its creation in the 1970’s was due to a long standing myriad of disagreements between the team owners and USAC. CART was then hastily formed and they split off from the old USAC, Champ Car series and created CART; Championship Auto Racing Teams. The series was now owner owned. --> MORE