Champ Car fans let down by IRL

UPDATE Another reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, Done. I am done with IndyCar Racing as long as it continues under IRL management, and unfortunately I am done with any subscription that involves this sport, including AR1 (thanks for the good times). Tony George and his team continue to devastate this sport with horrible management, and between the decision to drop ICR's 2nd biggest race, to do NOTHING with the momentum gained through the "merger", and now Lee White's comments essentially saying the IRL needs to return to the very thing TG felt needed to be destroyed confirms my suspicion this sport has NO FUTURE under Tony George and the IRL. I didn't watch the last 4 points races of the season, but did watch Gold Coast, and while watching the IRL is like trying to watch a dumbed down version of Canadian Football, at least the venue rocked. Perhaps when I attend ALMS at Belle Isle next season I will make it a point to seek out Tony George and give him a piece of my mind, but if you run into him before that, will you please tell him that for me?

Thanks again for your excellent coverage of ICR, and best of luck in having a sport to cover in the future. Andy Fogiel, Lansing, MI

11/11/08 A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, Why did Tony George want to merge with Champ Cars if he is going to continue to kill the sport? I didn't like the merger but believed it was needed for the sport to survive.

But so far since the merger TG has failed. Basically it is looking more and more like he wanted to merge just to get the Long Beach race and expand into Canada. Losing the Gold Coast race is a big slap in the face to the Champ Car fan base that will now start to turn their backs on Indy. To some Champ Car fans the Gold Coast race was even better then the Long Beach race but it was a definite second to most.

I really thought TG wanted to reverse the damage he did to the sport and make amends with the fans by blending both Indy & Champ Car and making it into a better product for the fans (both Champ Car & Indy fans). After this major blow to our sport I now also have no hope that he will introduce a new chassis/car but instead will probably continue to use the same Crapwagons we currently have.

I'm probably not the only Champ Car fan that feels betrayed by this. Oh yeah, and say goodbye to another ex-Champ Car team in Aussie Team Australia. Rod Orlando, FL.

Dear Rod, We suspect the IRL was not keen on the fact that the IndyCar race was the support race to the Super V8 cars in Surfers, and not the main event. Rather than race before 97,000 (Sunday) in Surfers they are talking about racing before 25,000 to 30,000 in Cleveland or 15,000 to 20,000 in Portland. That's real growth. Negative growth, but growth nonetheless. Mark C.