What happened to the Champ Cars

[E-Thirty]

http://www.greenprixusa.com/

GreenPrix USA is a new race series debuting in 2009 that will be utilizing the Reynard and Panoz Champ Cars. GreenPrix USA's founder is media mogul Ben Johnston. Ben has also acquired ownership of the Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship, powered by Mazda, where he has also been a competitor in past years. The Atlantic Series will be sanctioned under IMSA in 2009. GreenPrix USA's ultimate goal is to bring back premiere open wheel racing at all levels that reflects the purest racing values that the fans and drivers love. Also, to provide a platform for all green initiatives involved in automotive performance. The first race of the 2009 season for the GreenPrix USA Cars and the Atlantic Series will be March 13-15 in Savannah, Georgia on St. Patrick's Day weekend.
GreenPrix USA will be environmentally focused through the development of racing criteria coupled with green technology that will include: use of ecologically designed/friendly fuel sources, cut-back/regulation of GHG emissions and overall reduction of energy and petroleum displacement. GreenPrix USA will also provide corporate partners the opportunity to feature, showcase and develop their Green initiatives in the racing market and utilize the knowledge to impact the consumer market.

[Charlie]

So, what's the over/under on this series lasting more than one race?

-Charlie

[Bavarian3]

Who cares?

[E-Thirty]

If you don't then why are you posting? There are some open wheel fans here and I'd just like to hear their opinion. It sounds like it's going to turn out to be more of a historics event if anything.

[Jparkr]

hmm I thought they merged with INDYcar already. guess not.

[cferb]

I like the environmentally focused thing. I'm no environmentalist, but a lot of performance ideas come from racing development, so when we have race cars working on being more efficient and clean, it'll eventually trickle down to street cars that actually perform well that have good mileage.

[delatlanta1281]

hmm I thought they merged with INDYcar already. guess not.

I thought so too, maybe they merged for a bit and the tracks couldn't sustain the dwindling fans. I was under the assumption champ car was road course and indy was oval...

[E-Thirty]

hmm I thought they merged with INDYcar already. guess not.

Alot of the teams did end up going to Indy, but that left the Panoz chassis with no where to go.

[Jon325i]

I like the environmentally focused thing. I'm no environmentalist, but a lot of performance ideas come from racing development, so when we have race cars working on being more efficient and clean, it'll eventually trickle down to street cars that actually perform well that have good mileage.

+1 on that.

I haven't been following ChampCar & IRL events nearly as much as I watch Formula 1. A few years ago I went to the inaugural San Jose which took place on city streets and that was a cool event - just not into it like F1. I kept hearing ChampCar & IRL were merging to form a new series. I guess that idea is DOA.


Jon

[Charlie]

hmm I thought they merged with INDYcar already. guess not.

A chunk of the teams went to Indy, and a few of the events were sold and are being run under the IRL banner. Champcar itself went BK, the assets were liquidated & sold off. This guy bought the remaining Panoz Chassis as well as the Atlantics series.

As I said, it sounds like it might last a whole weekend.

-Charlie

[E-Thirty]

A chunk of the teams went to Indy, and a few of the events were sold and are being run under the IRL banner. Champcar itself went BK, the assets were liquidated & sold off. This guy bought the remaining Panoz Chassis as well as the Atlantics series.

As I said, it sounds like it might last a whole weekend.

-Charlie

Spot on. The last event running the champ car chassis was long beach and in 2009 they will be running the Indy cars there. Not to mention a couple other street courses.

[joshh]

All I know is IRL sucks.
I dislike Tony George, very very much (holding back much anger).

[george graves]

Yea CART/Indy - that whole thing was all about money, ego's and pride when it got split. In doing so - they lost most of their fans. It really sucked for the drivers too.

I will agree that F1 is "king" of motorsports - no argument there, but it was nice to have a series in the US that you could actually go see once a year that was few hours drive away.

The series was going in trouble long before the split.

I was at Laguna Seca the year that Michael Andretti shorted cutted the cork screw, drove over the rumble strips, off course to make a pass on Paul Tracy(IIRC) to win the race.(the cork screw is like a double chicane - only downhill) The officials didn't call him on his "cheat" un-sportsman like driving - After that, they lost me.