Yet another refugee team prepares to make the transition. Fiesta!
Pacific Coast Motorsports appears to be the latest former Champ Car team to make the switch to the IndyCar series.
The California-based team has scheduled an announcement in Mexico City Wednesday to confirm that Mario Dominguez will pilot their entry in a limited IndyCar program in 2008.
The news comes on the heels of Dominguez' third place finish in the final Champ Car race in Long Beach over the weekend.
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Welcome to the party!
Who wants to bet that the IRL's gonna start eyeing Mexico City in the future as a result of this?
Am I wrong in thinking that in the interests of fairness, Will Power and his car should also be displayed on the Indycar.com homepage? This year they're putting the podium up with the winners car in the banner, but they've only got the motegi crowd up there.
TECATE???!!!!!!!
Is Super Mario too obvious a nickname?
I agree about the Long Beach podium being represented on the IRL page, but we only have a few more days before it changes again.
I thought having the 2 winner would have been the appropriate touch...
but again it seems a lot of this sketchy non-explanation moves concerning the CCWS assets has a lot to do with the bankruptcy not officially going through just yet...
also...
Tecate girls??
The 'Brand Recognition' team probably weighed in and asked that the CCWS pics, articles not be on top of the page. It could 'confuse' people.
Tecate, YES!
I'd say that by 2010, there will be IndyCar races at Motegi, Surfer's, Edmonton, Toronto, and Mexico City, all part of the season, and all counting toward the Championship.
I don't think they'll try to expand internationally beyond that. They might swap one of the Canadian races for Mont Tremblant, or dare I hope, Montreal, but the number will stay the same. If they want a race in Europe, I could see one, perhaps the Lausitz oval again (Zanardi's accident aside, I love that track), but only if they do to a 22-race season. I could see up to a quarter of the season overseas, as long as most are in US-friendly time zones, but anything over that, and you start to upset the roots-type IRL fans.
I'd personally love to see them at least try to evangelize oval racing in Europe. Lausitz would be a start.
An oval race in Europe. Now that would be awesome! I just hope we stay at least 50% ovals, and increase the distance of some of the current oval races. I'm still concerned about the entry limit on some of the ovals (specifically the 26 car limit on the short ovals this season), because Barnhardt indicated they don't have a provisional system in place right now. I hate the N-Word provisional system, but right now, IndyCar can't afford to have a Danica, a Wheldon, a Graham, an Helio, etc. etc. left out of the starting 26 due to a possible spinout in qualifying (aka Danny boy in Miami). Kind of off topic, but with the addition of Molto Mario, we are officially at 27 (not including Tomas, Sarah, or other part timers).
Quick question about the limits at some tracks. Does anyone know why there's a 26-car limit at Richmond? I can understand that you can fit more stock cars on a short track, because minor contact isn't as dangerous. But the reason I heard was pit lane space. How does NASCAR have 43 cars race at places like Richmond, Martinsville, and Bristol, and IndyCar can only fit 26? I can understand not wanting more than at Indy, but 28 or 30 seems like a nice round number, and it would allow some room for the series to grow. 30 seems like a great round number, in fact.
To :
" Who wants to bet that the IRL's gonna start eyeing Mexico City in the future as a result of this ?'
1 Mexican driver isn't going drum up supportin Mexico.
And many teams DO NOT want to go to mexico.
..................................
Super Mario is already his nickname.
While I would like to see Corona , or Tecate, or Dos Equis on his car I think its more likely we see PEMEX or Visit Mexico on his Car.
to tabernerus : too much international races = major bad idea ! for example see case study of CART & CCWS.
One of the deals in Champ Car was they HAD to have a Mexican driver in the Mexico race. It was in the contract. Good point on Power getting corn holed on his win, IndyCar.com banner wise. They're treating it like a non-Indy Car race, and yet the finishers got IndyCar points. I'm glad that split race madness is over. Also glad to have Snoretegi safely behind us.
hey pressdog: have you lost your mind ????
Motegi is not boring. last sunday's Long Beach race was !