ROBIN MILLER ON TONY COTMAN

This Robin Miller article is posted without comment. I will let Robin tell the story.

MILLER: Champ Car Wants Cotman Out

If you took a poll in the Champ Car paddock, the overwhelming majority of owners, drivers and mechanics would tell you that Tony Cotman's rookie season as Race Director was as good as it gets.

Hired as vice president of operations, Cotman also assumed the responsibility of running the races because, frankly, it was a good way for Champ Car to save money. A longtime team manager/mechanic in CART and IRL, he packed plenty of racing savvy but had no experience at enforcing rules, running driver's meetings or making those snap decisions on blocking and contact between drivers.

The general feeling was that he couldn't be any worse than other guys before him but the nearly universal sentiment following the 14th race of 2005 was that Cotman was a keeper.

Not only did he enjoy the most thankless job in motorsports, he aced it. His firm yet fair way of treating people and situations earned him immediate respect. Hell, the drivers even shut up and paid attention in their meetings. He used common sense and didn't panic, regardless of how bad things looked (we're talking San Jose's terrible track conditions).

When Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais collided while exiting the pits at Toronto, Cotman correctly ruled it was one of those racing incidents and nobody got penalized.

When Timo Glock shortcut the chicane at Montreal for the second time (after being warned) to keep Oriol Servia behind him, Cotman made the tough, but correct call and had Glock move over and allow Servia past on the last lap.

When leader Tracy got speared in the gearbox and spun into the wall by Bourdais at Las Vegas, Cotman looked at the replay and judged that P.T. did not properly indicate he was pitting (like instructed in the driver's meeting) and therefore there was no penalty.

When Tracy swerved across the track to keep A.J. Allmendinger behind him at Mexico City, Cotman invoked a penalty which, afterwards, Tracy agreed was fair.

Cotman wasn't perfect, he should have parked or penalized Bourdais for punting Tracy at Monterrey, Mexico because P.T. did everything he could to avoid contact in that one. Yet his hiring technical cops Paul Harcus (Champ Car) and Eric Haverson (Atlantics) to police the paddock was also sound thinking.

Unlike what's about to happen.

Champ Car wants Cotman replaced as race director."It's the owner's decision and they are seeking a replacement for me in race control," said Cotman on Thursday. "Am I disappointed, sure I am? But I'm tired of dealing with this so I guess I'll move on.

"I'm not leaving Champ Car, though."

Kevin Kalkhoven, who co-owns Champ Car with Gerald Forsythe, claimed that Cotman has too many other things on his plate and it was always the intention to replace him as Race Director.

"Tony is a very valuable member of our team but he's got plenty of other projects on his plate. Trust me, we'll find somebody just as good," said Kalkhoven recently.

Forsythe, who officially protested Cotman's ruling at Vegas and stormed up into race control following Tracy's penalty at Mexico, admitted his displeasure.

"I disagreed with three or four of his calls, absolutely," said Forsythe. "Why was nothing done to Bourdais at Monterrey? And why was the penalty on Paul so severe at Mexico City? Why did he have to go to the back of the field? Why couldn't he have simply got behind Allmendinger?

"Listen, Tony is a tremendous asset to Champ Car but he got this job as Race Director because there was nobody else. I want somebody with more experience because if we can improve the position, we should."

And while nobody can question Forsythe's loyalty, commitment or passion to Champ Car, several owners are questioning this decision.

"In the 40 years I've been in this business I can count on one hand the guys who could do that job (race director) correctly," said Derrick Walker, who intends to make Cotman an agenda in the upcoming owner's meeting Feb. 15-16. "Champ Car has a gem in that guy and we should hang onto him.

"It's sheer madness to take him out of that position."

Forsythe and Kalkhoven have spent a lot of money keeping Champ Car afloat and they're certainly entitled to run their business any way they choose. But taking Cotman out of race control sends a real bad message because it's so unnecessary.

Not only does Cotman like this God-forsaken job, he's good at it.

"It's not a done deal at this point," said Forsythe. "If we don't find somebody better..."

Here's a prediction. They won't.