Friday, August 31, 2007

Phoenix race melts away

The Champ Car World Series just took another blow to the temple. With the announcement of the Phoenix Grand Prix pulling the plug on its inaugural Champ Car race. The event was scheduled for December 2nd as the series finale. Which coupled with the long unannounced cancellation of the China event sees a total of three races remaining this year, with NO viable TV coverage of this weekend’s Holland event.

Promoter Dale Jensen, part owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks said that economic turmoil had prevented the landing of major event sponsorship. As the city of Phoenix seems indifferent to another street car race in the Downtown area. With the long defunct Iceberg Grand Prix *Formula 1) of 1989-91 still lingering on…

“I CAN’T get to my Bar! There’s some funny ‘lil cars blockin’ off the streets. What are all these Damn Foreigners doin’ here…”

Jensen claims that the Phoenix cancellation will have no affect on the sister event, the Las Vegas street race that Jensen’s company is promoter of. Claiming that they’d spent $15 million to make Vegas happen and were hopeful of recouping their investment by running both events. Champ Car claims that “Los Wages” three day attendance was over 100,000…

Yet this is Champ Cars third event of the 2007 season to be cancelled. And once again the series will finish outside of the United States. And by the time another race is viewable to the remaining stateside audience…

Having just purchased my airplane ticket to attend, I’m mildly adjitated with Phoenix & Champ Car. But hey, we’re NOT merging…