Champ Cars - Brands '04 - is it on??

[steviebee]

I heard that there's some question marks over the Champ Cars returning to Brands next year. I know there's the small issue of the place finding a viable owner but what's the SP?

I thought they were looking to run them on the GP circuit. It'd be a shame if they didn't!

[the Wiz]

CART have yet to finalise their 2004 schedule.

Hopefully it'll be a bit more entertaining than last year!

[chrisgr31]

Its not on the currently released schedule, however there are 2 more races scheduled and a choice of 4 circuits.

I'll be guted if they don't do Brands next year as so wanted to see it this year, however I suspect it won't happen.

The problems with both CART and Brands being sold seem to give too much uncertainty.

[condor]

I'm hoping it will be at Rockingham ...I went to the qualifying there September 2001, which was very impressive - missed the race as admission cost was as high as F1...and European Finals were on at Santa Pod

Brands doesn't have many overtaking opportunities..but on the other hand, ticket prices are a lot cheaper - so you get a better attendance.

[steviebee]

condor said:

I'm hoping it will be at Rockingham ...I went to the qualifying there September 2001, which was very impressive - missed the race as admission cost was as high as F1...and European Finals were on at Santa Pod Brands doesn't have many overtaking opportunities..but on the other hand, ticket prices are a lot cheaper - so you get a better attendance.

Chris Pook is quoted as saying that Rockingham is too far out of the way to make it viable for ChampCars. Brands being less than an hour from the West End has bigger commercial benefits.

The reason the race this year wasn't that good was that they changed the fuelling regulations to avoid too many cars in the pits at any one time. If they make it back to Brands, this won't happen again.

[pwig]

Should be at the GP circuit too, as they have finished Dingle Dell now

[FourWheelDrift]

Er, seems not now, they want to race in South Korea.

Kevin Kalkhoven, who comprises one-third of the Open Wheel Racing Series partnership that is bidding to privatise Champ Car and revitalise the CART championship, said at Surfers Paradise that the Champ Car series will race in Seoul, South Korea in 2004, but that the series will no longer visit Britain.

Kalkhoven said that the two European races at Brands Hatch and EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany will be dropped from the Champ Car schedule, which is expected to be capped at 16 races and be revealed next weekend at California Speedway.

"Our focus is in the Americas, North and South, and the Pacific Rim and we're going to take it steady," Kalkhoven said. "We've already got government backing and assistance from the city of Seoul, and that will comprise our second event in this region of the world."

Kalkhoven said that CART's withdrawal from Europe was spurred by economic and competitive considerations.

"Going to Europe into the heartland of Formula One is not the smartest thing we could do," he said. "We have not made any filings with the FIA to do any races in Europe."

[steviebee]

FourWheelDrift said:

"Going to Europe into the heartland of Formula One is not the smartest thing we could do," he said. "We have not made any filings with the FIA to do any races in Europe."

This is yet another prime example of why American series will never catch on beyond the States. I have no doubt that had the Brands event run for the full 5 year term and if they arranged UK terrestrial TV coverage, the event would rival the British GP in attendance popularity.

Three years of half-hearted racing with little promotion is not going to achieve this though.

Do all motorsport marketing people live on Mars?