2006 CCWS Silly Season

[mabs_nsx]

There will be 15-17 races on the 2006 race calendar and an expansion to a 20+ car grid is expected.

2006 CCWS Race Calendar?

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There is a possibility of other events being added to the schedule, with Beijing and Philadelphia being the most likely additions.

Possible 2006 CCWS Team & Driver Line-Up?
Champcarfan.com

[2112]

If they don`t pull off Ansan this year, it should be dropped for 2006. Enough is enough.

[Tenoch]

I think this thread should be dropped. There's no reason for us to start beating ourselves 8 months before the season starts and 2 before it ends.

[BootsOntheSide]

Yea, nothing concrete is likely at this stage. And I would give Ansan a second chance, but only if they can get it perfected by February.

[luke]

Again Ansan is mentioned wonder if it will actually take place.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by mabs_nsx

There will be 15-17 races on the 2006 race calendar and an expansion to a 20+ car grid is expected.

If only it were true. I would be very suprised to see more than the 18 we manage this year. I guess if Ganassi come over we might get 20, but I'd rather he didnt anyway.

[Omega99]

I don't think there will be much change at all in the grid size. It wouldn't make much sense for a new team to buy a chassis they could only use for a year before the new regs kick in in 2007. Perhaps in 2007, with the new package expected to be more affordable, then you'll see some increase in the grid, much as we are seeing with the Atlantics for next year.

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by Mystery

If only it were true. I would be very suprised to see more than the 18 we manage this year. I guess if Ganassi come over we might get 20, but I'd rather he didnt anyway.

In all the time that i've been here the number of 26 car grids that have appeared in theese threads...

I do agree, that an influx should come with a steady calender and a new rule package.

[macdaddy]

Great point, but we have Ferrari stating intentions to run at least a few races. We have rumours about a former team running the US events. And there are a few "show cars" gracing doorways across America that still meet spec.

I think there will be 20 cars next year.

In 2007, there will be 24. Almost like the "golden years". And, given the explosion in Atlantic interest, I can only see that number growing.
Quickly.

[StickShift]

In the latest Robin Miller article, he suggested the following driver/car movement:

• Newman-Haas third car: either Oriol Servia or Cristiano Da Matta (alongside Bourdais and Junqueria) -- but surely it has to be Da Matta?
• Chip Ganassi will run a one car team at some of the US events (Target wants more US exposure)
• At PKV, Da Matta is likely to move on and Vasser is expected to retire. Miller suggests that Patrick Carpentier, Ryan Dalziel, and Darren Manning are in the frame for the rides.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/19815/

[N I Tram]

That ChampCarFan article has Wirdheim and Bremer down for HVM -do they know something about Keith Wiggins winning the lottery? But the best quote is -"Ron Hemelgarn has claimed last year that he wants to come back to Champ Car but so far it was only a ploy to get financial help from TG - he is doing the same thing this year.".... yes, and you've fell for it. Again.

[Tenoch]

i think 18 will be the number for once no new team is gonna waste money on a chassis that is gonna become obselete in one year, one of the appeals of the series is cost effectiveness and how is wasting a ton of money on being competitive one year and then just have to start over cost effective.

[N I Tram]

The hope is that most of the 18 will be there on merit and in fully-funded cars - although I suspect it would be a mixture of the two, much like 2004.

[parabolica]

Tenoch: "no new team is gonna waste money on a chassis that is gonna become obselete in one year.."

As Macdaddy points out, there are many curent-spec champcars sitting idle around the USA at present. I read that the Ganassi car was actually loaned to Mo Nunn for promotional purposes, and is now being preped in the Ganassi workshop. By running a few events in 06, Ganassi would be making a very-low key return with the minimum of fuss.

I would think that 06 being the last year of the current Lola, would make purchasing any spare chassis very cheap for new teams. For example, in the last year of Reynards, they could be bought very cheap compared with their Lola counter-parts, despite the fact that they had obvious performance defiencies. And as RuSport showed in 04, alot can be learned by a new team in only 12 months. Why wait 12 months until the chassis will cost 3 times the price? Why not learn cheaply now, build up a sponsor-base, develop a driver &team releationship, then purchase the new (more expensive) chassis in 07.

[macdaddy]

Very good post, parabolica.