The Forsythe Fallout tops today's news
PT wants to be with Penske or Ganassi
PT has asked Tony George to find him a ride (apparently, one is available at Vision, which PT hasn't wanted to go after). Chip would be more likely than Roger. Paul has also talked with Jimmy Vasser about joining his team, as a teammate to Oriol Servia: "Jimmy didn't say what he is doing with the other car, but it doesn't sound like he'll have one available."
Meanwhile, Michael Andretti tells PT to take the Vision offer.
The Toronto Star says PT has been left high and dry
Says PT: "I had a gut feeling the whole time through the merger talks. When I called the team and asked, `What's going on? When are we going to get the new cars?' nobody knew anything. The answer I'd get was, `We haven't been able to get a hold of Gerry. We have no answer; we're sitting and waiting. ... Now, at the end of the day, he's decided not to play ball. It's a shame because we've assembled such a great team this winter. I felt everyone was on the same page and geared up to go win races.''
Apparently, Forsythe was not completely happy with the terms of the agreement, and reluctantly signed (and then took his ball and went home).
Stories about Forsythe's shutdown: Canada.com, Indianapolis Star, Speed TV
Says PT: "I thought that with that same kind of spirit in the team, we could have challenged for victory at the Indy 500. I believe I'm one of the best oval drivers in the country, and with the strong crew that we had in place, we could have been contenders."
However, my favorite PT quote comes here (from Robin Miller's story): “Neil (Micklewright of FCR) said he’d been trying to get a hold of my manager but he was having a colonoscopy today. That’s ironic ‘cause that’s what I feel like I got.”
Michael Andretti saw Forsythe's exit coming
Says Michael: "I wasn't surprised. I assumed that was going to happen. It was just a gut feel. He's a proud man. There has to be a reason he was doing the things he was doing (in Champ Car), and I just didn't see him caving in to come over here."
Silly season stuff
There's lots of other info in the Indy Star's notebook
*-KV racing might swipe Will Power from Walker for its second car.
*-Chip Ganassi is talking to TG about taking Alex Lloyd for its third car.
Buddy Rice confirmed at D&R
Also, if you look at the Sebring participant list, Townsend Bell is sharing D&R's second car with Milka Duno
Testing, testing
Now healthy, Danica fastest at Homestead
The top five: Danica (213.182), Briscoe, Wheldon, AJIV, Dixon.
IndyCar.com's testing story
Official IRL notes & quotes from Day 2
After Homestead, the testing now heads to Sebring March 3-6
IndyCar.com: Countdown begins to opening weekend
Local markets
TMS' Eddie Gossage advises the new IRL to be humble
Says Eddie: "IndyCar racing needs to take a humble approach in reaching out to fans, to bring them back. Humbly ask them to come to the racetrack. Humbly ask them to tune in their TV sets to watch what is the most thrilling form of racing in America today. If IndyCar racing isn't humble, it won't matter. Humble is the key word."
Toronto Globe & Mail: Toronto remains a priority
Says the IRL's Terry Angstadt: "We want to return there in a big and strong way (even) if we have to take a year off."
Commentaries
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Dave Kallman reads into the company line
Says Dave: "What Kalkhoven said was: 'I don't think there was one specific thing (behind settling now). It was just a realization that, quite honestly, open-wheel sport, open-wheel motor racing in the United States, just wasn't going anywhere.' ... What he meant was, 'You were telling us, but we didn't listen until we'd spent too much money first.'"
Dallas Morning News: Merger gives hope for open-wheel revival
Kevin Harvick hopes OW racing can return to its former glory.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Back to future for OW
Says writer Holly Cain: "It's time to talk of the potential for Indy car racing, the brand of sexy machines, high speed and danger that made us embrace and celebrate drivers like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Al Unser and Bobby Rahal."
Anderson (IN) Herald-Bulletin: Reality leads to unification
IndyCar.com: Drivers see fans as big winners
Team storiesPT wants to be with Penske or Ganassi
PT has asked Tony George to find him a ride (apparently, one is available at Vision, which PT hasn't wanted to go after). Chip would be more likely than Roger. Paul has also talked with Jimmy Vasser about joining his team, as a teammate to Oriol Servia: "Jimmy didn't say what he is doing with the other car, but it doesn't sound like he'll have one available."
Meanwhile, Michael Andretti tells PT to take the Vision offer.
The Toronto Star says PT has been left high and dry
Says PT: "I had a gut feeling the whole time through the merger talks. When I called the team and asked, `What's going on? When are we going to get the new cars?' nobody knew anything. The answer I'd get was, `We haven't been able to get a hold of Gerry. We have no answer; we're sitting and waiting. ... Now, at the end of the day, he's decided not to play ball. It's a shame because we've assembled such a great team this winter. I felt everyone was on the same page and geared up to go win races.''
Apparently, Forsythe was not completely happy with the terms of the agreement, and reluctantly signed (and then took his ball and went home).
Stories about Forsythe's shutdown: Canada.com, Indianapolis Star, Speed TV
Says PT: "I thought that with that same kind of spirit in the team, we could have challenged for victory at the Indy 500. I believe I'm one of the best oval drivers in the country, and with the strong crew that we had in place, we could have been contenders."
However, my favorite PT quote comes here (from Robin Miller's story): “Neil (Micklewright of FCR) said he’d been trying to get a hold of my manager but he was having a colonoscopy today. That’s ironic ‘cause that’s what I feel like I got.”
Michael Andretti saw Forsythe's exit coming
Says Michael: "I wasn't surprised. I assumed that was going to happen. It was just a gut feel. He's a proud man. There has to be a reason he was doing the things he was doing (in Champ Car), and I just didn't see him caving in to come over here."
Silly season stuff
There's lots of other info in the Indy Star's notebook
*-KV racing might swipe Will Power from Walker for its second car.
*-Chip Ganassi is talking to TG about taking Alex Lloyd for its third car.
Buddy Rice confirmed at D&R
Also, if you look at the Sebring participant list, Townsend Bell is sharing D&R's second car with Milka Duno
Testing, testing
Now healthy, Danica fastest at Homestead
The top five: Danica (213.182), Briscoe, Wheldon, AJIV, Dixon.
IndyCar.com's testing story
Official IRL notes & quotes from Day 2
After Homestead, the testing now heads to Sebring March 3-6
IndyCar.com: Countdown begins to opening weekend
Local markets
TMS' Eddie Gossage advises the new IRL to be humble
Says Eddie: "IndyCar racing needs to take a humble approach in reaching out to fans, to bring them back. Humbly ask them to come to the racetrack. Humbly ask them to tune in their TV sets to watch what is the most thrilling form of racing in America today. If IndyCar racing isn't humble, it won't matter. Humble is the key word."
Toronto Globe & Mail: Toronto remains a priority
Says the IRL's Terry Angstadt: "We want to return there in a big and strong way (even) if we have to take a year off."
Commentaries
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Dave Kallman reads into the company line
Says Dave: "What Kalkhoven said was: 'I don't think there was one specific thing (behind settling now). It was just a realization that, quite honestly, open-wheel sport, open-wheel motor racing in the United States, just wasn't going anywhere.' ... What he meant was, 'You were telling us, but we didn't listen until we'd spent too much money first.'"
Dallas Morning News: Merger gives hope for open-wheel revival
Kevin Harvick hopes OW racing can return to its former glory.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Back to future for OW
Says writer Holly Cain: "It's time to talk of the potential for Indy car racing, the brand of sexy machines, high speed and danger that made us embrace and celebrate drivers like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Al Unser and Bobby Rahal."
Anderson (IN) Herald-Bulletin: Reality leads to unification
IndyCar.com: Drivers see fans as big winners
Edmonton Journal: NHL to test itself against the best
Says Justin Wilson: We are certainly not in the same situation, competition-wise, starting the IndyCar Series season ... but Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing are proven winners and we will all work hard to be as competitive as possible this season."
Inside Bay Area: Vitor hopes to break IRL's troika
Says Panther's driver: "The teams that are coming ... they are very competent. They have very good people and very good drivers. It's going to be tough from the first race on, and it's going to get tougher as they (gain more experience)."
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