CART Trashing
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From: Vancouver, WA USA
Bay St. Louis, Miss., May 3 -
An Open Letter to CART Stockholders:
Dear Stockholders,
I have two figures for you:
a) 1,223; and
b) $561.50.
We drove 1,223 miles, and spent $561.50 to attend your CART Firestone
Firehawk 600k at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.
I decided to make it a family outing, and took my wife, Amy, and son, Scott,
to their very first big-league race, and to buy tickets and sit in the
grandstands. Three decent tickets on row 38, about halfway up but hopefully
out of range of flying tires, cost $283.22. We spent $94.28 on two rooms for
Saturday night at Motel 6 (where, incidentally, I saw no CART employees at
all). We spent $106 on gasoline. We spent $78 on food. Leaving Saturday
morning, returning home Sunday night, I drove 22 hours.
All this just to hear CART CEO Joseph Heitzler, in the press conference
explaining why the race was cancelled less than two hours before the green
flag was to drop, tell me that in the long run, this cancellation "will
enhance the product."
That, stockholders, is your product.
Listen, I understand G-forces. I've ridden in fighter jets, and got so sick
I could barely drive home. I get dizzy watching Wheel of Fortune. I don't
doubt that 233mph on a 1.5mi oval is too fast. But why this comes as such a
surprise to the CART community is just inexplicable, and speaking as a
paying customer, unforgivable.
When Texas Motor Speedway was barely completed, CART's own Wally Dallenbach
pronounced it unsuitable for CART. Andrew Craig echoed that later. The fact
that CART agreed to race there, and tested there, and qualified their cars
there, and then less than two hours before the green flag sent everybody
home with what I consider to be less than a sincere apology, is just
astounding.
CART stockholders, this isn't the first problem with your organization. The
turnover in personnel, the cancellation of the race in Rio, the Hawaii Super
Prix - you've shot yourself in the foot so many times I'm surprised there's
any flesh left to hit.
Meanwhile, Heitzler, your leader, is holding this press conference, which I
attended while my family sat in the car, revealing how he might assemble
some high-level committees, and how happy he and his fellas are that they
moved with such speed and decisiveness in canceling - er, postponing the
race, as we were all instructed it call it - and how eventually this will
"enhance the product," and I'm thinking, "I could have gone to the IRL race
last night..."
What I'm saying, then, is that I'm not upset with the race cancellation. I
don't want drivers to take unnecessary chances. I have enough seat time in
Formula Fords to absolutely marvel at what the CART drivers do, and the
chances they take in the very best of circumstances.
Of course, some people have their conspiracy theories: That the drivers just
did not want to race at those speeds, and enlisted Dr. Steve Olvey, the CART
doctor, to hold up a graph that I first thought might trace the drain on my
wallet but actually showed G-force data, so the drivers wouldn't have to
explain that they just didn't want to race there. But hey, I buy the G-force
deal. Would CART lie?
But why this was not detectable sooner is unforgivable. That CART did not at
least anticipate the possibility and agree, in advance, on some contingency
plan for slowing the cars - be it a chicane, a pass through the infield road
course, a turbo pop-off valve - is unforgivable. Sending 57,000 fans home
the afternoon of the race, when CART essentially made this decision the day
before, is unforgivable.
And, I think, the tone of the press conference was unforgivable. Heitzler
and his lieutenants, backed by drivers Bryan Herta and Michael Andretti,
spent way too much time joining hands in solidarity and congratulating each
other on the bold stance they'd taken, and not nearly enough apologizing.
For goodness' sakes, fall on your swords and say, "We feel terrible about
this. We know you trusted us, and spent your time and money to come see us,
and we've let you down. Something like this has never happened before, and
we swear it'll never happen again. We will do everything in our power to
reschedule this race as soon as we can, and if we can't, we'll work with the
Speedway to make sure you get every dime of your ticket money back. And if
we do reschedule, and you can't come, will give you your money back then,
too." Instead, we got steely-jawed rhetoric.
As for Texas Motor Speedway, well, it's hard to blame them. The track has
been sitting there all year, available for CART to do their real-world
testing and computer modeling and make an educated decision in advance. A
call to the track Monday told me that if the race is rescheduled, I probably
won't be offered a refund. "You'd have to talk to a supervisor," said the
upbeat woman who answered the phone. Oh, I plan to, ma'am.
I don't mind a postponement for an act of God, like a rainstorm. This is an
act of CART, which sometimes only thinks it's God.
And while your tire supplier and race sponsor, Firestone, publicly backs
you, I've got to think they aren't pleased. Just what Firestone needs, huh?
And Speedway Motorsports, owner of Texas Motor Speedway and a bunch of other
tracks, must be apoplectic.
One final note, stockholders. Texas Motor Speedway spent a lot of money
promoting this race, and sold 57,000 tickets, a third of what NASCAR draws.
And let me tell you with all certainty, a very large percentage of those
57,000 people were NASCAR fans, taking a very expensive chance on CART's
first visit to North Texas. They came out on a sunny, 80deg day, and you
sent them home.
Do you really think they'll be back?
Anyway, stockholders, I'm willing to absorb the cost of the food we ate,
since we had to eat anyway. And multiple employers have told me my time
isn't worth much, so the 22-hour drive is my gift to you. But the tickets
($283.22), the gas ($106) and the rooms ($94.28) - well, I figure you owe me
some money.
To be exact, $483.50.
I'll even make a deal with you: Just send me, say, 483 shares of CART stock,
which might represent what your shares could be selling for by the time Wall
Street gets this figured out, and we'll call it even. I'll lock it away with
my Iridium and Priceline stock.
Sincerely,
Steven Cole Smith
cc: Shareholders of Speedway Motorsports Inc.
Shareholders of Bridgestone/Firestone
* Steve Smith
An Open Letter to CART Stockholders:
Dear Stockholders,
I have two figures for you:
a) 1,223; and
b) $561.50.
We drove 1,223 miles, and spent $561.50 to attend your CART Firestone
Firehawk 600k at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.
I decided to make it a family outing, and took my wife, Amy, and son, Scott,
to their very first big-league race, and to buy tickets and sit in the
grandstands. Three decent tickets on row 38, about halfway up but hopefully
out of range of flying tires, cost $283.22. We spent $94.28 on two rooms for
Saturday night at Motel 6 (where, incidentally, I saw no CART employees at
all). We spent $106 on gasoline. We spent $78 on food. Leaving Saturday
morning, returning home Sunday night, I drove 22 hours.
All this just to hear CART CEO Joseph Heitzler, in the press conference
explaining why the race was cancelled less than two hours before the green
flag was to drop, tell me that in the long run, this cancellation "will
enhance the product."
That, stockholders, is your product.
Listen, I understand G-forces. I've ridden in fighter jets, and got so sick
I could barely drive home. I get dizzy watching Wheel of Fortune. I don't
doubt that 233mph on a 1.5mi oval is too fast. But why this comes as such a
surprise to the CART community is just inexplicable, and speaking as a
paying customer, unforgivable.
When Texas Motor Speedway was barely completed, CART's own Wally Dallenbach
pronounced it unsuitable for CART. Andrew Craig echoed that later. The fact
that CART agreed to race there, and tested there, and qualified their cars
there, and then less than two hours before the green flag sent everybody
home with what I consider to be less than a sincere apology, is just
astounding.
CART stockholders, this isn't the first problem with your organization. The
turnover in personnel, the cancellation of the race in Rio, the Hawaii Super
Prix - you've shot yourself in the foot so many times I'm surprised there's
any flesh left to hit.
Meanwhile, Heitzler, your leader, is holding this press conference, which I
attended while my family sat in the car, revealing how he might assemble
some high-level committees, and how happy he and his fellas are that they
moved with such speed and decisiveness in canceling - er, postponing the
race, as we were all instructed it call it - and how eventually this will
"enhance the product," and I'm thinking, "I could have gone to the IRL race
last night..."
What I'm saying, then, is that I'm not upset with the race cancellation. I
don't want drivers to take unnecessary chances. I have enough seat time in
Formula Fords to absolutely marvel at what the CART drivers do, and the
chances they take in the very best of circumstances.
Of course, some people have their conspiracy theories: That the drivers just
did not want to race at those speeds, and enlisted Dr. Steve Olvey, the CART
doctor, to hold up a graph that I first thought might trace the drain on my
wallet but actually showed G-force data, so the drivers wouldn't have to
explain that they just didn't want to race there. But hey, I buy the G-force
deal. Would CART lie?
But why this was not detectable sooner is unforgivable. That CART did not at
least anticipate the possibility and agree, in advance, on some contingency
plan for slowing the cars - be it a chicane, a pass through the infield road
course, a turbo pop-off valve - is unforgivable. Sending 57,000 fans home
the afternoon of the race, when CART essentially made this decision the day
before, is unforgivable.
And, I think, the tone of the press conference was unforgivable. Heitzler
and his lieutenants, backed by drivers Bryan Herta and Michael Andretti,
spent way too much time joining hands in solidarity and congratulating each
other on the bold stance they'd taken, and not nearly enough apologizing.
For goodness' sakes, fall on your swords and say, "We feel terrible about
this. We know you trusted us, and spent your time and money to come see us,
and we've let you down. Something like this has never happened before, and
we swear it'll never happen again. We will do everything in our power to
reschedule this race as soon as we can, and if we can't, we'll work with the
Speedway to make sure you get every dime of your ticket money back. And if
we do reschedule, and you can't come, will give you your money back then,
too." Instead, we got steely-jawed rhetoric.
As for Texas Motor Speedway, well, it's hard to blame them. The track has
been sitting there all year, available for CART to do their real-world
testing and computer modeling and make an educated decision in advance. A
call to the track Monday told me that if the race is rescheduled, I probably
won't be offered a refund. "You'd have to talk to a supervisor," said the
upbeat woman who answered the phone. Oh, I plan to, ma'am.
I don't mind a postponement for an act of God, like a rainstorm. This is an
act of CART, which sometimes only thinks it's God.
And while your tire supplier and race sponsor, Firestone, publicly backs
you, I've got to think they aren't pleased. Just what Firestone needs, huh?
And Speedway Motorsports, owner of Texas Motor Speedway and a bunch of other
tracks, must be apoplectic.
One final note, stockholders. Texas Motor Speedway spent a lot of money
promoting this race, and sold 57,000 tickets, a third of what NASCAR draws.
And let me tell you with all certainty, a very large percentage of those
57,000 people were NASCAR fans, taking a very expensive chance on CART's
first visit to North Texas. They came out on a sunny, 80deg day, and you
sent them home.
Do you really think they'll be back?
Anyway, stockholders, I'm willing to absorb the cost of the food we ate,
since we had to eat anyway. And multiple employers have told me my time
isn't worth much, so the 22-hour drive is my gift to you. But the tickets
($283.22), the gas ($106) and the rooms ($94.28) - well, I figure you owe me
some money.
To be exact, $483.50.
I'll even make a deal with you: Just send me, say, 483 shares of CART stock,
which might represent what your shares could be selling for by the time Wall
Street gets this figured out, and we'll call it even. I'll lock it away with
my Iridium and Priceline stock.
Sincerely,
Steven Cole Smith
cc: Shareholders of Speedway Motorsports Inc.
Shareholders of Bridgestone/Firestone
* Steve Smith
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,307
Likes: 13
From: Ogden
Dr. Olvey was dead on and correct in his recommendation to cancel the race. 20 drivers with Vertigo syptoms after ten laps....come on!!! I praise him for having brass balls to intervening. He knew the heat would come. There are thousands of pissed off fans just like this one. But trust me CART is better off for the decision. How much is the loss of a single human life? Let alone many. If you wanna follow this story more closely look up the symbol "TRK" for the stock market. Yes the decision to stop the race has cost the company, and myself as a stockholder. But I just added 1,000 shares because of this decision. I had many phone conversations and emails leading up to this race and support the good doctor in his decision 100%. Sorry for your "inconvenience" but I'd rather have my frioend who was due to raround awhile longer
.
.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,959
Likes: 0
From: Bedford
Utah, if you'll re-read the posy you'll find that the poster is not as upset about the cancellation as he was about the timing of it. I agree with him in that I can not understand why this was sprung on the World at the last minute, literally. CART should have known the nature of the track well before two hours prior to race time. Y2ks2k was certainly not alone in traveling several hundred miles only to be told there would be no race.
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 9,210
Likes: 7
From: WA
I really am sorry the fans, the track, and the venders were treated like crap by CART. They will have to go a long way to get a break from many after this.
The whole fiasco was total incompetence by CART. They tested there and requested track modifications that were done at TMS expense. If they had paid attention there was time to make aero or boost changes to reduce speeds a few miles an hour (to IRL levels) well before the race day. And they gave AJ Foyt a chance to cackle again..
The whole fiasco was total incompetence by CART. They tested there and requested track modifications that were done at TMS expense. If they had paid attention there was time to make aero or boost changes to reduce speeds a few miles an hour (to IRL levels) well before the race day. And they gave AJ Foyt a chance to cackle again..
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 9,210
Likes: 7
From: WA
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,936
Likes: 2
From: Austin
I lost interest ages ago, before the IRL/Cart split. A lot of unncessary yellows (IMO) that take out four, or five laps because someone barely went off the road and they want to make sure he is 'a-okay'.
I cannot believe the 'indefinate cancellation' that CART made. People like this writer, drove from all over the place - cancelling their own plans, all to support CART.
If the track was too fast for the cars (which was why there became a US500 years ago), then why not use the infield? Of course, this would have caused quite a stir in personelle at the track, officials, layout, inspection, car setup, etc. - but there would have been a race - and one that is much more exciting than just four left turns.
I cannot believe the 'indefinate cancellation' that CART made. People like this writer, drove from all over the place - cancelling their own plans, all to support CART.
If the track was too fast for the cars (which was why there became a US500 years ago), then why not use the infield? Of course, this would have caused quite a stir in personelle at the track, officials, layout, inspection, car setup, etc. - but there would have been a race - and one that is much more exciting than just four left turns.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,642
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From: Tulsa, OK
There was no way they could have changed the race to the road course that weekend. The teams build cars totally different for ovals than road courses. The cars they brought didn't have the proper suspension and wings to drive on a road course and the tires that Firestone brought would not have been suitable for a road course. Plus, it's a little too much for engineers to set up a race car at that level to race on a track they have never driven on before. The decision would have needed to have been made prior to that weekend.
I think CART should have done adequate testing to find this out prior to that morning, but after finding out what they knew, I don't feel they had any other choice. This is totally unprecendented having drivers starting to black out because the blood is getting pulled out of their heads. These drivers are used to heavy G-loads, but their bodies couldn't physically handle the loads out there. Any change they would have made to try and slow the cars down on Sunday would have been a bandaid with unexpected results. You can't just turn down the boost on a highly-developed 2.65 liter turbocharged engine on the day of a race and put a bigger wickerbill on the back and know what's going to happen. A bigger wicker on the back may have caused more accidents based on the bigger aerodynamic "hole" it would make behind the car therefore removing downforce from the cars following it and lower boost may cause engines to blow. Who knows? It's not as easy as some idiot that called into the Dallas sports radio on the day of the race said "Why don't they just take the turbos off their engines, that'll slow 'em down".
I was at the race and I wasn't happy when they said that it was being "postponed", but I agree with the decision made that day. I do think they should have tested more at the track, but given the information and situation they had on Sunday morning, I think they made the right decision. I can't imagine NASCAR making a decision like that, they don't even require their drivers to wear full-face helmets.
Mark
I think CART should have done adequate testing to find this out prior to that morning, but after finding out what they knew, I don't feel they had any other choice. This is totally unprecendented having drivers starting to black out because the blood is getting pulled out of their heads. These drivers are used to heavy G-loads, but their bodies couldn't physically handle the loads out there. Any change they would have made to try and slow the cars down on Sunday would have been a bandaid with unexpected results. You can't just turn down the boost on a highly-developed 2.65 liter turbocharged engine on the day of a race and put a bigger wickerbill on the back and know what's going to happen. A bigger wicker on the back may have caused more accidents based on the bigger aerodynamic "hole" it would make behind the car therefore removing downforce from the cars following it and lower boost may cause engines to blow. Who knows? It's not as easy as some idiot that called into the Dallas sports radio on the day of the race said "Why don't they just take the turbos off their engines, that'll slow 'em down".
I was at the race and I wasn't happy when they said that it was being "postponed", but I agree with the decision made that day. I do think they should have tested more at the track, but given the information and situation they had on Sunday morning, I think they made the right decision. I can't imagine NASCAR making a decision like that, they don't even require their drivers to wear full-face helmets.
Mark
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From: Longmont, CO
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