Patrick Presents The Champ Car World Series Rogered By Seven
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Since the late 90s/early 00s when Formula One(TM) started to turn into pole-to-finish processions - and it became clear that not all races in America are on ovals - I've had an interest in the CART/ChampCar/Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford series. Gradually the series lost prominence as Americans stopped driving in it, replaced by Formula One(TM) hopefuls and rejects, and more oval tracks were replaced with road circuits. Eventually Toyota and Honda stopped supplying engines to CART teams and defected to IRL, leaving Ford as the lone engine supplier. But it was better racing than ever and Channel 10 kept showing it, so I kept giving the VCR a workout and watching the race on Tuesdays.
The owners of ChampCar reinvented the series to be a lower cost, more competitive alternative to all other premier racing series. They introduced a turbo boost button (now used in A1 GP) to encourage overtaking and markings for different tyre compounds (now used in Formula One(TM)) in the past few years. The rules prohibit blocking and there's a good serving of overtaking and wall-to-wall stoushes. I'd say it's the motorsport fan's series.
Heck, the IRL series which successfully usurped CART as North America's best open wheel series is even considering a merger with CART - after years of poaching the best drivers, tracks, engines and sponsors. There are even ties Down Under beyond hosting a race: there's a Team Australia and Australian Will Power (yes, Will Power) won Rookie of the Year in 2006. Aussie and former Minardi owner Paul Stoddart has started up the Minardi Team USA operation for 2007 and Kevin Kalhoven not only co-owns a team, but was one of the three main contributors to help keep ChampCar afloat during tough times. Things are at their most interesting and competitive levels for the past decade from both a racing and an Australian standpoint.
So I was in a state of disbelief as to why the first race in Las Vegas wasn't broadcast...especially considering Power won it, the first win for an Aussie in the 20+ year history of the series. A bit of Googling later and I found my answer...
...Channel Seven. No wait, Channel Fucking Seven. Their purchase of V8 Supercars rights from Channel 10 was reported heavily due to the cash involved, but I hadn't heard a whisper about them buying the ChampCar rights off Channel 10. Not a replay, nothing (except for the Surfers Paradise race, hopefully). Must be tough fitting it into those 2am timeslots. Who knows what kind of tyrannical wrath the late-night fanatics of Guthy-Renker Australia or Passions repeats could muster?!?
At least Formula One(TM) is interesting again!
4 comments to this post
Hey Pat,
Hate to diss my new employers, but it's actually Ten who have the rights to ChampCar... Seven did a deal that they get the Australian race... they have no other race rights, they're still held by Ten, who are simply choosing not to show them.
I'm pretty sure I saw a champ car race on ESPN the other day though.
BL
Serious? That's even harder to understand. I might have to write a letter or two. Have a word with Bill Woods if you get a chance!
Unfortunately my "source" was just a forum user who wrote to RPM and posted the response: "Seven has the rights to the Champ Car World Series this year, so you would need to contact them as to what their broadcast schedule for the series is.
During RPM we will show Champ Car race and any other qualifying highlights of interest. RPM returns Saturday March 24th at 1pm AEST - check your local guide to confirm the start time in your state."
Another reason for me to get ESPN.
Yeah, there's some weird ass agreement over the champ car australian race, where v8 supercar television are the host broadcaster, and the local rights holder... Seven buys their coverage of supercars off v8 Television, so they pick up the carts as well.
I can't quite work out why ten aren't doing champcar... maybe because of letterman, and soon, big brother up late (ugh).
Of course, there's always TVU Player.
Finally! Seven will air it.
We've got Craig Gore to thank. That man knows what he wants and gets it done.
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