Zhuhai – Another major embarrassment for Champ Car

UPDATE Max Mosley states "The question of a Champ Car race in Zhuhai in October of 2007 is closed," said Mosley today when asked if he considered the matter of an October Zhuhai race to be unequivocally off the table. "There is no question of such a race taking place."

As a Champ Car die-hard fan, am I shocked by the FIA's position? Absolutely not! Am I embarrassed further by CCWS mismanagement, mismarketing, mis-strategic planning? God yes! Nobody at CCWS saw this one coming? Am I mad as hell at Mosley & Ecclestone! Better believe it! I call on all Champ Car fans to boycott all F1 on TV, at the track, and with your wallets with merchandise. We need to see the USGP and F1's presence in the US tank as well. And KK & GF, get your sh*t together! Completely unbelievable how bad they have hurt (if not killed) the CCWS this year! UNBELIEVEABLE! Rich Huffman, Missoula, Montana

Another reader writes, Prove me wrong in the assumption that the interest of the "3 Amigos" has passed the interest level of the typical Computer based "Venture Capitalist." They took the wave of resurrecting CART and gave it a new chassis expecting the world to bow at their feet as gods of open wheel racing. All Champ Car is doing is creating a slow digitally recorded death. Get the Fat Lady ready for her singing engagement – CCWS is on the downhill slide. Death will be after the '08 season if not the '07. Greg W. Renton, WA

Another writes, What a bunch of bozos. Now the race promoter in China is suing Kalkhoven and Forsythe for $15M. This was supposed to be Champ Car's breakout year, instead it has gone from bad to worse. As a fan I can't take it any more. Shoot me and put me out of my misery. Better yet Kevin and Jerry – sell the series to someone who will run it right. Harold Rosenberg

06/01/07 Champ Car’s plans to stage a race in Zhuhai, China in October appear to have reached a definitive dead end resulting in another major embarrassment for the series. This comes after Champ Car had to cancel a race in South Korea three times in the last two years. If this doesn't scare sponsors away we don't know what will.

“The question of a Champ Car race in Zhuhai in October of 2007 is closed," said Mosley today when asked if he considered the matter of an October Zhuhai race to be unequivocally off the table. “There is no question of such a race taking place. We are looking forward to receiving an application from ACCUS for a Champ Car race in Zhuhai in May of 2008."

Champ Car originally applied for a May 20 date on the FIA because the investors in the race changed and they asked for more time to stage the event. The Zhuhai race was originally listed on the FIA International Calendar for May 20. In March, however, the event was postponed and Champ Car announced it was applying to the FIA to reschedule the race on October 28, the weekend after the Lexmark Indy 300 in Australia, to save the promoters of transportation costs. However, that is three weeks after the China F1 race and the FIA feels the dates are too close. This is nonsense of course because the two tracks are 750 miles apart, but when Bernie Ecclestone wants to stop you he will, and he did.