Champ Car/IRL lesson

A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I read with interest your latest commentary on the lesson Champ Car and the IRL could learn from the Sirius Radio/XM merger. Tell me this – why are there constant rumors that Champ Car will soon fold and there won't be anything to merge with? Dan Clarkson

Dear Dan, It's quite simple really. Champ Car is its own worse enemy. Read this commentary. As an example of the mistakes they make year in and year out, once again they are late with their new race schedule which means teams do not yet know where they are racing next year (all other race series have long since released a 2008 race schedule), and therefore cannot sell sponsorship in time to make it into the next year's advertising and marketing budget for most companies. On top of that, with all the races they have cancelled the past two years (five) who could believe the 2008 race schedule when it is finally released? And driver turnover continues unabated as teams survive ridebuyer-to-ridebuyer, which means their customers (fans) are dropping like flies. But who needs sponsors and customers, right? With that said, predictions of Champ Car's demise are wide of the mark. Mark C.