DOWN UNDER
Always a thrill to head to the Gold Coast, if you can get past the 14 hours on the plane, made shorter this year by a stopover in New Zealand. I made the statement many times in October that after Korea, Australia would feel like home, but it did anyway, going back for the 15th consecutive year. We once again shared the billing and the racetrack with the Australian V8 Supercars, and I would really, really love to see all of you in the States be able someday to experience these cars. Probably the most exciting and inspiring series in the world with fenders and doors. The cars are as powerful as Nextel Cup cars, but they really road race with these cars and the result is stunning. The Holden (Aussie’s GM) and Ford rivalry is intense. My dream would be to import these guys into Long Beach some year, but I might pass out in the process.
Our Aussie Marshals – and there are over 600 of them when you add up Comms, Flaggies, Trackies, Fieries, Pass Control, et al, really had it together this year. When I told them we did Cleveland this year with less than 50 people, it was hard to comprehend. I heard no complaints from the drivers, which meant that they did great, but the Comms, whom I listen to on the land line, did very well to “tune in” to whatever I was feeling upstairs and they responded every time, which is difficult for them as we do have language issues. Whenever I spoke quickly and I needed info in a hurry, it came back to me fast and short. When I tried to be loose and funny, I would get loose and funny back. Good on ya all! At one point on Friday, I used the “Bullsh*t” term when referring to a team that wasn’t telling us the truth. An hour later, some wisecracker out there labeled me a “crawler” – the Aussie term for “kiss up” as I was congratulating a post tongue-in-cheek for a good call!
Things went well overall, Sebastien wrapped up the title, and perhaps the best complement was from Tony Cotman who asked me how many Americans had made the trip down after we finished the first day. Based on the quality of work and the fact that everyone was working their first Champ Car race of the year, I think Tony was surprised to hear there were no Americans in the house. A great job by Margo Jones the Comm Chief, Marty Smith the Flag Chief and all of their crews and other Volunteers. Thanks for making it easy for us!
On Course again
DOWN MEXICO WAY
No other Marshaling group has the distinction of working two Champ Car events in one year anymore except for O.P.M (Oficiales de Pista Mexicanos,) and each year they consistently throw themselves headlong into their work. Every year, every race, they improve. It seems as each stop we make there, either in Monterrey or Mexico City, Fritz Herrmann and his band of Banderones y Observadores think a little more like us, and I understand a little bit more of them. The communications gap created by our two languages becomes narrower and narrower, and If I had the time I would learn more Español. ¡Muchas Gracias mi Amigos!
Melissa Harrington, Bob Kosky, Frank Levin and Barbara Blizzard came on down to be the gringos this year and were again made very welcome by OPM, but we still have yet to get OPM to be fully welcomed by the promoter, OCESA. Maybe it's due to the culture, but nowhere to the Marshals get treated with such indifference than by the promoter here, and I guess it boils down to lack of respect for the job they all do. Arms had to be twisted to provide worker parking, water and timely food deliveries. A good number of marshals got fed only at the end of the day! Fortunately as most live in Mexico City, and were returning to their homes each night, they could bring their own nourishment, but anywhere else and we would have seen a very justified walkout!
As I promised Fritz, the matter has now been taken up with Steve Johnson, our new CCWS President, who has a long track record of understanding the needs of our volunteers everywhere, and his awareness of situation should help when we discuss OCESA's plans for 2006. Look for an end to this sorry situation the next time we meet...
¿OLE?For the third consecutive year, I had the honor of ending the season on the track with the final Checkered Flag of 2005. I get a lot of questions about this so let me elaborate on its origin:
Champ Car's Circuit Director, Chris Kneifel, sits on the FIA Circuit Safety Committee which meets several times a year in Paris. In 2003 he was also invited to be Charlie Whiting's ( the F1 Race Director) guest in Race Control in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. Among other things, CSK found it amusing that at the end of the race, the Clerk of the Course ceremoniously gets up from his post, dons a sport coat, and saunters down to the finish line to deliver the Checker on the track. Very Old School and very European.
Anyway, when we returned to Mexico City later in 2003, we continued to be struck at the atmosphere of the beautiful old ex-F1 circuit, and as a new regime in its first year in Operations and Race Control, we were in a constant search to do things differently, and to make bold statements. On Saturday night, in the Hotel El Camino Real bar (although I wasn't there at the time,) Chris relayed the story of Monza once again. Stewards Beaux Barfield and Tony Kester jumped at it and claimed: "We don't have a hair in our a##es if we don't have the balls to send Jimmy out there tomorrow to do the same thing." (I believe a direct quote - after all it was a Mexican bar... ) I was made aware of the plan the next morning, a sport coat was found in the CCWS Business Coach, the teams were notified, we practiced it at the end of the warm up, and the rest is history...
Yes its dangerous - and there are a number of officials who are totally against it, but it makes a spectacular photo and a very unique way for us to end the season. Things we need. Plus it's so easy to do there, RC is very nearby and I'm only secondary on the Land Line in Mexico anyway.
The first year, Paul Tracy admittedly forgot I was gonna be there and ran in very close to the wall as he saluted his crew, only veering to the left to give me clearance a few hundred feet before the line. The following year, we brought that up at the driver's meeting and Paul was admonished to avoid hitting the man on the track, to which Paul replied: "Hey, I thought it was J.D.!" And for those who wonder, JD has been across the track in his stand each year delivering a second flag from up there in case I have a problem!
Honestly, once out there, and with the experience that most of us have, to have a Champ Car pass within a couple yards of you at 170 mph is an other-worldly feeling. I have felt drawn in closer to the car as it approaches, not repelled from it. And it's over and past you so damned fast, almost as if the car is made of colored air, and that if you placed your hand out it would pass right through you. That's what it feels like. I did take a step back in 2004 when Seastien Bourdais moved in to get out from behind Jourdain, as I wanted to give him plenty of passing room if he wanted it! There is no fence between the track and pit lane, which adds comfort to any escape plan. And just like anticpating a fast pitch during a baseball game, you need to lead the car by a significant distance or else it will be past before you can get the flag all the way across... and I will have to admit that I almost stumbled forward as Justin Wilson really slowed down this year crossing the line and I had to hold up a bit to let him get there!
ADIOS......to 2005 and forward to what should hopefully be a quieter off-season. If you have been keeping up with developments on the Champ Car website, you see that we have already dropped the Las Vegas oval and reinstated Elkhart Lake for the 2006 season. There wasn't a lot said, but we weren't getting the financial return on LV that we should, and the planned street race won't be ready next year. Patience....That leaves one oval left. A new chassis will be coming on line in 2007 and to build an oval kit for just one race on the schedule, well you do the math...The Atlantic series has orders for over 40 new cars, and you should expect 25 to 30 cars on the grids. Standing starts are still being discussed, for both series in 2007?...We have ended our relationship with Trans-Am, and they have no firm plans. We will be running with both Grand-Am and ALMS in 2006 and we maintain friends on "both sides" of that particular racing fence....Winter testing for the Champ Cars has already started in Sebring, Bruno Junqueira is back behind the wheel of the Deuce... Some of our existing teams may run three cars next season, but don't expect many more cars on the grid in this last season for this chassis. When orders are being taken for the new 2007 Panoz chassis, then we may see our counts go up. The new car will be quicker, lighter, smaller and will rely less on wings to create downforce, putting an emphasis back on more ground effect and possibly helping passing opportunities. And - as an American built car, it will be 25% cheaper than the Lola!!... Edmonton is nearly sold out again after tix went on sale in November. The pit lane there will be brought out to the edge of the front straight, and the stands and suites move closer accordingly. Look for some significant changes also to San Jose as the city and transit people there are working with us to smooth out those tracks!! Could be the pit lane and paddock get reconfigured and moved about in the process. Cleveland has been sold and an announcement will be made soon, to a good friend of the series, and it is in very good hands. One less we have to promote in-house!
Thanks again everyone, from Long Beach to Mexico City, for making us look good in 2005.
See you at the race track!!!!!!!!
