Indycar News & Rumors.

[Purist]

JohnSSC, much lower unit production than Mazda didn't stop Lotus from trying to be in just about every major series out there, except for tin-tops.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Mazda is made in the US?

Besides, Penske and Ganassi have no affiliation with Mazda. Having nothing to gain there will be no impetus for them to et Mazda involved

No, the chassis built in the U.S. They could plug any lump they want in the back. However, Mazda now has their name on a car built in '02 that has an Infinity V-8 as the top rung on the ladder system. They could plug the 2.3 L from the Prototype Lites DP-02 and get acceptable performance.

F2000 and Star Mazda now fall under the Road to Indy banner and those cars are built by elan.

Don't know 'bout your Penske or Ganassi comments, lost me on those.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I don't think the management at the speedway cares about what team owners think. We already have seen that many times this year alone and the team owners were told to shut up.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Mazda is made in the US?

Further, Mazda is all about the grassroots enjoyment of their cars. They have positioned themselves very well (imho) as the manufacturer of cars that are fun to drive on the road and competitively. There is no real connection (again, imho) or gain in Mazda having any involvement with the "top rung" of open wheel racing here in America. Their bread & butter is with the grassroot car enthusiasts. Further, I don't believe Mazda moves enough untits to be considered a big enugh player to be able to take the step from a financial basis.

Besides, Penske and Ganassi have no affiliation with Mazda. Having nothing to gain there will be no impetus for them to et Mazda involved

For all their involvement in these junior formula categories over the years and whatever money they have put in, they have never leveraged it or been able to use it in a positive way. I think it was there for a while the Star Mazda champ was getting a factory ride in Grand Am.

Their involvement in grassroots motorsport I believe has been successful. It got a lot of people out there racing Mazdas and in addition they've had a successful business selling parts to all these thousands of racers. They've been smart about it because it is a sustainable business, rather than just dumped millions out there on some obscure racing series and hoping you get some marketing benefit out of it.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Purist

JohnSSC, much lower unit production than Mazda didn't stop Lotus from trying to be in just about every major series out there, except for tin-tops.

Well Purist, read up on where all that Lotus money came from and what has nearly happened to Lotus in the meantime. They blew hundreds of millions of dollars for nothing and have axed Dany Bahar's plans and there are several investigations going in several countries. Lotus is on it's knees.

[Purist]

I didn't say anything about Lotus being in good shape for heir efforts. My point was, low unit production certainly did NOT stop them from TRYING to go after all those programs.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I don't think the management at the speedway cares about what team owners think. We already have seen that many times this year alone and the team owners were told to shut up.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

It's funny how you and others do the rolleyes bit but you have no other information to lay out your case to counter that.

The team owners have already talked insurrection this year. People that are happy don't need to do that.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Purist

I didn't say anything about Lotus being in good shape for heir efforts. My point was, low unit production certainly did NOT stop them from TRYING to go after all those programs.

Well someone did stop them and it's all collapsed. The repercussions are going to be ugly and have some ramifications. The indy racin league program was only small beans anyways. Lots of flashy paint but little money traded hands.

[JohnSSC]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Well someone did stop them and it's all collapsed. The repercussions are going to be ugly and have some ramifications. The indy racin league program was only small beans anyways. Lots of flashy paint but little money traded hands.

What MS said....

So just because Lotus, which is looking every bit like a company run to relieve investors of their $$ and end up who knows where, spent money on racing then Mazda should follow the same path?

As I and others have pointed out, Mazda has run a very smart program promoting grassroots racing. It earns them goodwill and makes a buck. this is a good thing. Taking a leap and having anything to do with IndyCar and especially now does not at all follow their model nor does it provide any clear path to "success" for the company.

Even large manufacturers question the value of large expenditures at the top rung. The Mercedes Benz board has been rumbling about pulling out of F1 for some time due to the perceived lack of benefit compared to the cost of the program. BMW pulled out long ago.

These sorts of "if, then" statements: "Mazda are a profitable company and have motorsport ties, they then should be much more involved in IndyCar." are fun to make but really have no basis in reality. Especially for the company named.

[JohnSSC]

The Penske/Ganassi comment should be relatively clear, but I will attempt to clarify it. Along with Andretti, these owners are to my mind the tail that wags the dog in the series. Nothing happens without getting them on board. That usually means that the change will at worst be revenue neutral to them and preferrably revenue positive. None of them have any ties that I know of with Mazda.

Free the Penske Brothers.

[HJJ]

^^^
The Chipster is a principle in Delta Wing.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

It's funny how you and others do the rolleyes bit but you have no other information to lay out your case to counter that.

The reason they are *****ing about the DW-12 is the fact that they should consider the Delta Wing. Most of the same reasons ChampCar went with the DP-01.

And I'm sure I know more about the subject matter than you do.

[mountainstar]

More information on the Penske break in and rampage from the local paper:

http://www.ack.net/PenskeBreakIn080912.html

There is one nugget in there I will leave you to find on your own. Jay Penske yelled it to the woman while he was being arrested.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by HJJ

The reason they are *****ing about the DW-12 is the fact that they should consider the Delta Wing. Most of the same reasons ChampCar went with the DP-01.

And I'm sure I know more about the subject matter than you do.

If you do know more, I always want to know more, so I am open to being educated. Let it rip.

The irl is going to choose the most financially advantageous chassis for them for indy lights just as they did 2 years ago. In addition you've got $6 million dollars in Indiana taxpayer funds tied up in that dallara facility that was supposed to provide 80 jobs and instead it's more like 10 low paying jobs opening boxes from Italy and selling coffee to 2 people a day. They better start justifying that soon or people are going to start asking questions about that whole deal, if they have not done so already.

They run the show, not the team owners and the team owners get what they get. What they should do or what they could do based on what fans or team owners want doesn't come into play. I would figure that since this has been going on since 1995 and before people would figure that out and stop trying to be rational, because the people at the speedway are in their own little world and what is common sense rational behavior to us, is not to them.

Do you really think after rejecting Delta Wing for the main series they are going to allow it to be the new indy light car?