Difference between revisions of "Champcars"

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'''Champ Car''', a shortened form of "Championship Car," has been the name for a class of [[automobile|car]]s used in [[American Championship Car Racing]] for many decades.  
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{| border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=4 style="float:right; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#505050; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
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|- style="text-align:center; background:#505050;"
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| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#333333; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" |[[Image:2007CCWSlogo.png|280px]]
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|- style="color:#fff; background:darkred; font-size:larger;"
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! colspan=2 |'''Champ Car'''
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|-
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| category        || [[Open wheel car|Open wheel racing]]
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|-
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| country/region  || [[International]]
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|-
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| website        || [http://champcarworldseries.com champcarworldseries.com]
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|colspan=2|
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|-
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| colspan=2 style="padding:0; background:#333333; color:#fff; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" |<videoflash>gRSILdO48X8|280|200</videoflash>
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|}
  
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==Comparison with Formula One car==
 
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A Champ Car is a single seater (commonly called [[open wheel]]) [[racing car]]. For much of their history Champ Cars have been similar to [[Formula One]] cars, although there have traditionally been several key differences between the two.
 
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* Over the years, Champ Cars raced mainly on high speed oval tracks. The increased stress and speed of these tracks mean that the cars tended to be heavier and more sluggish than F1 cars, which race exclusively on road and street courses.
 
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* Since the late [[1960s]] Champ Cars have used [[turbocharged]] engines. Turbos were banned in Formula One on safety grounds in [[1989 in sports|1989]]. For some periods of their history, notably in the early [[1970s]] and late [[1990s]], turbocharging gave Champ Cars up to 300 horsepower (220 kW) more than F1 cars - in qualifying trim, the Champ Cars could at one time approach 1000 horsepower (750 kW) before regulations on turbo [[boost]] were tightened. The current generation of cars are now less powerful than F1 cars, and the turbo is used mainly to improve the spectacle rather than lap-times with the so-called 'push-to-pass' system giving drivers an increased amount of power for a limited duration during the race. Another reason for retaining the turbocharger is with many city street races on the calendar, the muffling effect it has on the exhaust note helps keep the cars inside noise-limits.
 
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* Champ Cars use [[methanol]] for fuel rather than [[gasoline]], and refuelling has always been permitted during the race. This is a legacy of a crash at the [[1964 Indianapolis 500]] in which a crash involving cars filled with more than 75 US gallons (285 L) of gasoline killed two drivers in an immense fireball. Until [[1994 in sports|1994]], when refuelling was re-introduced to F1, the prominent coupling for the refuelling hose was a notable difference between Champ Cars and European Formula cars.
 
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* Champ Cars continue to have sculpted undersides to create [[ground effect]]. This innovation was originally created in Formula One by [[Lotus Cars|Lotus]] in [[1978 in sports|1978]], and was immediately used on the Chaparral Champ Car in [[1979 in sports|1979]]. F1 banned ground effects for safety reasons in [[1982 in sports|1982]].
 
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* While F1 and [[GP2 Series|GP2]] use grooved tires to limit performance, Champ Cars remain using tread-less 'slick' racing tires. To make races more unpredictable, drivers are permitted to use one set of higher performance softer compound tires. Informally called 'alternates', these tires are made visible to the spectators by their red sidewalls.
 
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* Unlike in F1, Champ Car teams are not obliged to construct their own chassis, and in recent times have tended to buy chassis constructed by independent suppliers such as [[Lola]], [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]] and [[March Engineering|March]]. The most notable exception was [[Roger Penske|Penske]] Racing, although they also bought other cars when their own chassis was uncompetitive.
 
  
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For many years Champ Cars were also called "Indy Cars" after the [[Indianapolis 500]]. However, since 1996 they have not run at the Indianapolis 500 as that race became part of the separate [[Indy Racing League]] which uses different specifications for its cars. The term [[IndyCar]] is now trademarked to the IRL in the United States, but Champ Car races in [[Australia]] and [[Canada]] continue to bear the Indy name.
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'''Champ Car''', was the name for a class and specification of [[automobile|car]]s used in [[American Championship Car Racing]] for many decades, primarily for use in the [[Indianapolis 500]] auto race.  Such racing has been sanctioned by the [[American Automobile Association]], the [[United States Auto Club]], the [[Sports Car Club of America]], Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), the [[Championship Racing League]], the [[Indy Racing League]], and the Champ Car World Series (CCWS).
  
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==The Champ Car World Series (CCWS)==
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In its most popular usage, "Champ Car" was the last name given to a governing body was formerly known as '''C'''hampionship '''A'''uto '''R'''acing '''T'''eams, or '''CART''' prior to its 2003 bankruptcy. The series was previously known as the '''CART PPG IndyCar World Series''', the '''CART FedEx Championship Series''', and, in the organization's second to last year, the '''Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford'''.  The series merged into the [[IndyCar Series]] before its planned 2008 season.
  
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As of [[2005 in sports|2005]], '''Champ Car''' is the official name of the racing series that has been promoted as '''[[Bridgestone]] Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by [[Ford]]''' since early [[2003 in sports|2003]].
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==History==
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[[Image:Mansell cart.jpg|300px|thumb|right|[[Nigel Mansell]] racing in a Champ Car in 1993]]
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In 1905 the '''[[American Automobile Association]] (AAA)''' established the national driving championship and became the first sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States. In 1956, the '''[[United States Automobile Club]] (USAC)''' was founded to take over sanctioning from the AAA, which ceased sanctioning auto racing in the general outrage over motor racing safety that followed the [[1955 Le Mans disaster]]. USAC controlled the championship until 1978. Starting in 1979, CART began operating its own competing series, which quickly became dominant.
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===Formation of CART===
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The split from USAC in 1978 (first race in 1979) was spurred by a group of activist car owners who had grown disenchanted with what they saw as an inept sanctioning body. Complaining of poor promotion and small purses, this group coalesced around [[Dan Gurney]] who, in early 1978, wrote what came to be known as the "Gurney White Paper," the blueprint for an organization called '''C'''hampionship '''A'''uto '''R'''acing '''T'''eams<ref>[http://www.allamericanracers.com/cart_white-paper.html Eagle-eye Feature: CART White Paper<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Gurney took his inspiration from the improvements [[Bernie Ecclestone]] had forced on [[Formula 1]] with his creation of the Formula One Constructors Association. The White Paper called for the owners to form CART as an advocacy group to promote USAC's national championship, doing the job where the sanctioning body would not. The group would also work to negotiate television rights and race purses, and ideally hold seats on USAC's governing body.
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Gurney, joined by other leading team owners such Carl Hogan, [[Roger Penske]], and [[U.E. Patrick|U.E. "Pat" Patrick]], took their requests, which included larger representation on the USAC Board of Directors, to USAC's Board, but the proposal was rejected in November 1978. USAC's rejection of the proposal led the owners to form a new series (CART) in late 1978 under the principles laid out in the Gurney White Paper, with the first race being held in March 1979. 
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The newness of the organization, however, prevented it from being recognized by [[ACCUS]], the United States representative to the [[FIA]]. An arrangement was reached with the [[Sports Car Club of America]] (SCCA) where the SCCA would act as the sanctioning body for the new series. This would allow the events to be listed on the International Motorsports Calendar.
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The new series quickly gained the support of the majority of team and track owners, with the only notable holdout being [[A.J. Foyt]]. This meant that the front and mid-pack teams would be racing in the new CART series. Of the 20 races held in 1979, 13 were part of the 1979 CART Championship. Of the 10 tracks to host races, 5 would host CART events exclusively and one, [[Ontario Motor Speedway]], would host races from both series.
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===Dominance by non-US drivers===
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CART, like its predecessor USAC, was dominated by North American drivers until the 1990s. Many road racing stars, including [[Mario Andretti]], [[Bobby Rahal]], and [[Danny Sullivan]] found success in the series. After former [[Formula One|F1]] champion [[Emerson Fittipaldi]] won the series title in 1989, however, additional drivers from South America and Europe joined the series.
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British driver [[Nigel Mansell]], the 1992 F1 Driver's Champion, switched to CART in 1993 and beat [[Emerson Fittipaldi]] for the championship. Mansell's victory, coupled with 1991 CART champion [[Michael Andretti]]'s failed sojourn into F1, was seen by many as evidence of the superiority of non-US drivers.
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During this time, CART found success in street races, taking over the [[Detroit Grand Prix]] and the [[Long Beach Grand Prix]] from Formula 1, as well as having success in venues like [[Miami]], [[Toronto]], [[Vancouver]], [[Cleveland]], and [[Surfer's Paradise]].  They also founded the first full-time driver safety team that traveled with the series, instead of depending on local staff provided by promoters.
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===Formation of the Indy Racing League===
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In 1991, [[Tony George]], President of the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]], tried to buy CART.  Rebuffed, he approached CART in 1994 with a list of desired changes in the CART sanctioning body.  Among his concerns were the lack of American drivers in the series (there were only 10 in 1996), a lack of opportunities for American drivers such as [[Jeff Gordon]], CART's move to include more road racing on the schedule, and escalating costs.  George also wanted a greater voice for the [[Indianapolis 500]], held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Although it was clearly CART's flagship event, the Indy 500 was treated as any other race on the schedule, and also awarded the same amount of driver's points.
  
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Champ Car, as a corporate entity, replaced '''CART''' in 2004 after Championship Auto Racing Teams Inc., a company headquartered in [[Indianapolis, Indiana| Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]], filed for bankruptcy. CART was founded in November [[1978 in sports|1978]] by [[Roger Penske]], [[U.E. Patrick|Pat Patrick]], [[Dan Gurney]], and several other team owners who had been participating in USAC events involving cars known as Champ Cars and IndyCars. They oversaw the day-to-day business and sanctioning of Champ Car racing at locations that today include the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Mexico]] and [[Australia]]. The Champ Car organization runs the Champ Car World Series and the [[Toyota Atlantic Championship]]. Champ Car also operates the [[Trans-Am Series]] in a cooperative agreement with SCCA Pro Racing.
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After being rebuffed again, he resigned from the CART Board of Directors and formed a new racing series, the [[Indy Racing League]] (IRL), using the building blocks of the Indy 500 / USAC faction as its foundation. With its first race in 1996, the IRL initially included an all-oval schedule, all races on US soil, and mostly American drivers.   George all but shut out CART regulars from the 500 by guaranteeing the top 25 drivers in IRL points a spot in the race, leaving only eight of the thirty-three grid positions available to CART regulars.
  
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==History==
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The contrast between the CART teams at Miami versus the IRL teams at Orlando that weekend was stark.  Most of the IRL equipment and drivers were non-competitive cast-offs from CART.  By contrast, CART featured 4 engine manufacturers, 4 chassis manufacturers, 2 tire companies, large crowds, 28 cars, and large sponsorships. 
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[[Image:Mansell cart.jpg|300px|thumb|right|[[Nigel Mansell]] racing in a Champ Car in 1993]]
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In [[1909 in sports|1909]] the '''[[American Automobile Association]] (AAA)''' established the national driving championship and became the first sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States. In [[1956]], the '''[[United States Automobile Club]] (USAC)''' was founded to take over sanctioning from the AAA which ceased sanctioning auto racing in the general outrage over motor racing safety that followed the [[Pierre Levegh]] disaster at [[Le Mans]] Sarthe. USAC controlled the championship until 1979. In that year, CART began operating its own competing series, which quickly became dominant.
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In March 1996, CART filed a [[lawsuit]] against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an effort to protect their license to the ''IndyCar'' mark which the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had attempted to terminate. In April, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway filed a countersuit against CART to prevent them from further use of the mark. Eventually a settlement was reached in which CART agreed to give up the use of the ''IndyCar'' mark following the 1996 season and the IRL could not use the name before the end of the 2002 season. 
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In response, CART attempted to create a rival showcase event, the [[U.S. 500]], at [[Michigan International Speedway]] on the same day as the Indy 500 in 1996. The race failed to attract network TV coverage, and substantial promotional efforts were required to fill the estimated 80,000 seats at MIS.  The race had a disastrous start with a major crash involving many of the cars. The race date was changed for 1997 so it did not run against the Indy 500.  The U.S. 500 name was, however, retained through 1999, and affixed to the existing July race at Michigan.
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CART's next strategy was to hold a race the day before the Indy 500 at [[Gateway International Raceway|Gateway]], which also failed to draw attention away from the IRL's most famous race.  Tony George's next move was to specify new technical rules for less expensive cars, and "production based" engines that outlawed the CART-spec cars that had been the mainstay of the race since the late 1970s. CART teams would be forced to purchase different cars if they wanted the chance to qualify for the Indy 500.
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From 1996 to 1999, all but a few CART teams and drivers did not compete in the Indy 500. While this situation allowed many American drivers to participate in an event that they might otherwise have been unable to afford, the bitterness of the turbulent political situation, along with the absence of many of the top CART drivers, big-name sponsors, and faster CART-spec cars cast a shadow over the race. It was certainly arguable that to the average fan, the replacement of at least fairly-well-known foreign drivers by almost-unknown American ones was not perceived as a real gain.  As a result, the Indy 500 lost considerable prestige.  In the minds of many racing fans, [[NASCAR]]'s [[Daytona 500]] replaced it as the most prestigious American race.
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===CART after the formation of the IRL===
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In the early years after the launch of the IRL in 1996, CART seemed to be dominant. It controlled most of the races and most of the "name" drivers, while George's primary (and for a time, only) asset was Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its 500. The 1996 IRL schedule consisted of only three races, including the Indy 500, and many of the drivers were relative unknowns.
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In 1998, CART went public with its stock, and raised $US100 million in the stock offering. 
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In 2000, [[Bobby Rahal]] stepped in as interim president of CART and replaced the [[PPG Cup]] (used from 1979-1999) with the [[Vanderbilt Cup]] as the series championship trophy. That year, [[Gil de Ferran]] of Penske Racing set the world closed-course speed record for a car race at [[California Speedway]] in his Marlboro Team Penske Honda at 241.428 mph (388.540 km/h) while qualifying for the season ending million-dollar (pursed to the winner) Marlboro 500. Despite the considerable drag on the car (inherent of the mandated Hanford MkII rear wing used in CART on the superspeedways at that time) the feat was accomplished on the first lap of qualifying.
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CART dominance seemed relatively unchallenged through 2000.  That year, some CART teams began to compete at the [[Indianapolis 500]], and ultimately switched allegiance to the IRL for the entire season. This was motivated by mismanagement, upset engine manufacturers, and sponsors that desired participation at the Indianapolis 500.
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In 2000, [[Chip Ganassi]], while still racing in the CART Series, made the decision to return to the Indy 500 with his drivers, the 1996 CART and [[U.S. 500]] champion [[Jimmy Vasser]], and the 1999 CART champion [[Juan Pablo Montoya]]. Montoya put on a dominating performance, leading 167 of the 200 laps to win. The defeat was somewhat humiliating for the IRL teams, with the Ganassi team's primary advantage being pit stops that were frequently several seconds quicker than their main rivals. Yet, the real winner in the situation was Tony George, who had brought back one of the CART teams, and its sponsor, to race with the IRL cars. A year later, [[Roger Penske]], historically CART and Indianapolis' most successful team owner, also came back to Indianapolis and won. 
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The turning point for the CART-IRL rivalry may have come in 2001.  That year, CART tried to stage a race at the [[Texas Motor Speedway]], the [[Firestone Firehawk 600]].  However, unprecedented [[g-force]]s brought on by TMS' steep 24-degree banking caused several drivers to experience dizziness and disorientation.  CART was unable to slow the cars down in time to run the race safely, and it was postponed and ultimately canceled; this led TMS to sue CART.  After it emerged that CART officials had ignored repeated requests to test the cars before the race, the two parties settled for an estimated $5-7 million.  CART lost $1.7 million for the last quarter of 2001 due to money spent on the suit.  The cancellation of the race and the ensuing lawsuit was a severe blow to CART's prestige.
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By November, 2001, journalist Brock Yates predicted that CART would be defunct by the end of 2002.
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For 2002, Penske and Ganassi became permanent entrants in the IRL, and [[Andretti Green Racing]] after the 2002 season, the latter team being co-owned by CART champion [[Michael Andretti]]. The Michigan open wheel race &ndash; once the U.S. 500, which was created to rival the Indy 500 &ndash; became an IRL event for 2002.
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===Bankruptcy and rebranding to CCWS===
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[[Image:Ccws.jpg|left|frame|The Champ Car World Series logo from 2003-2006]]
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In 2002, [[FedEx]] announced that they would end their title sponsorship of the CART series at the conclusion of the racing season. In another blow, [[Honda]] and [[Toyota]] switched their engine supply from CART to the IRL after 2002. CART decided to rebrand and reform itself. Beginning in 2003, CART began to promote itself as '''[[Bridgestone]] Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]'''. 
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Due to the loss of its title sponsor and two engine providers, CART's shares plummeted to 25¢ (USD) per share. It declared [[bankruptcy]] during the 2003 off-season and the assets of CART were liquidated.
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[[Tony George]] made a bid for certain assets of the company, while a trio of CART owners ([[Gerald Forsythe]], [[Paul Gentilozzi]], and [[Kevin Kalkhoven]]), along with Dan Pettit, also made a bid, calling their group the Open Wheel Racing Series (OWRS).  George's offer was to purchase only select company assets, in an effort to eliminate any series that would rival his Indy Racing League.  However, if George's bid (which was actually higher than the OWRS bid) had been successful, many vendors that were still owed money by CART would have not been paid.  Therefore, a judge ruled that the OWRS group should be the purchaser of CART, which ensured a 25th anniversary season in 2004, running as '''Champ Car. Open Wheel Racing Series'''. (OWRS) would later change its name to '''Champ Car World Series (CCWS) LLC'''.  
  
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The split away from USAC in 1979 was spurred by a group of activist car owners who had grown disenchanted with what they saw as an inept sanctioning body. Complaining of poor promotion and small purses, this group coalesced around [[Dan Gurney]], who, in early 1978, wrote what came to be known as the "Gurney White Paper", the blueprint for an organization called '''C'''hampionship '''A'''uto '''R'''acing '''T'''eams. Gurney took his inspiration from the improvements [[Bernie Ecclestone]] had forced on [[Formula 1]] with his creation of the Formula One Constructors Association. The white paper called for the owners to form CART as an advocacy group to promote USAC's national championship, doing the job where the sanctioning body wouldn't. The group would also work to negotiate television rights and race purses, and ideally hold seats on USAC's governing body.
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[[Rahal Letterman Racing|Team Rahal]] move to the IRL just before the Long Beach GP in 2004.  However, several teams stayed with Champ Car, ensuring that the series could continue. Most notable among these was [[Newman-Haas Racing]] (now [[Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing]]). The powerful and well-funded team owned by actor [[Paul Newman]] and Illinois businessman [[Carl Haas]] was adamant on its loyalty to the series and its direction. Another team notable for its loyalty was [[Dale Coyne Racing]], one of the world's oldest continually operating open wheel teams.
  
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Gurney, joined by other leading team owners including [[Roger Penske]] and Pat Patrick, took their demands to USAC's board and were turned down flat. This rejection turned disenchantment into defiance. In 1979, the rebel team owners laid plans to run CART, their own racing series, competing with the established USAC National Championship. The new series quickly gained the support of the vast majority of USAC Champ Car team and track owners, with the only notable holdout being [[A.J. Foyt]].
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<br clear=all>
  
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As the morning of [[March 11]], 1979 dawned, the open-wheel landscape had been transformed. The formerly all-powerful USAC was left with a slim, hodge-podge schedule of seven races, while CART could lay claim to the sport's notable drivers and tracks&mdash;except Foyt and Indianapolis. On that day, CART&mdash;sanctioned then by the [[Sports Car Club of America]]&mdash;dropped the green flag on its very first race, the ''[[Arizona Republic]]''/Jimmy Bryan 150 at [[Phoenix International Raceway]]. [[Gordon Johncock]] would claim the checkered flag, but it was [[Rick Mears]] who would go on to capture the inaugural CART championship. USAC's competing championship was dominated by Foyt, but it would be the last National Championship for both the driver and the sanctioning body, as USAC relented at the end of the season and folded its National Championship Trail.
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==CCWS Bankruptcy and Unification of Champ Car with the [[Indy Racing League]]==
  
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Champ Car, like its predecessor USAC, was dominated by [[North America]]n drivers the [[1990s]]. Many road-racing stars, including [[Mario Andretti]], [[Bobby Rahal]], and [[Danny Sullivan]] found success in the then-PPG IndyCar World Series. After former F1 champion [[Emerson Fittipaldi]] won the series title in 1989, the floodgates of talented South American and European drivers began to open. These pilots discovered that competing in Champ Car could often be more lucrative than an average career in F1 and consequently there was an increased presence of non US drivers (from mainly F1 and the European [[Formula 3000]]).  
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In 2007, with the withdrawal of [[Bridgestone]] and [[Ford Motor Company]] as presenting sponsors, the official name of the top-tier series promoted by Champ Car became simply the '''Champ Car World Series'''.  Rumors and accounts of financial troubles, often reported by respected motor sports reporters, plagued the series all during 2007.
  
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The easy victory of world champion [[Nigel Mansell]] in [[1993 in sports|1993]] highlighted the competitiveness of non-US drivers which some interpreted as superiority. This, combined with CART's move to include more road racing on the schedule, led to a split of the series after the [[1995 in sports|1995]] season due to a dispute between egos at CART and [[Tony George]], owner of the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]].  George went on to form a new racing series, the [[Indy Racing League]] (IRL), which initially included an- all oval schedule, all races on US soil and mostly American drivers.
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By late 2007, it was clear that CCWS lacked the resources to mount another season.  Several races in the 2007 season were canceled before they were held, and in fact, the CCWS never had a season where they ran every scheduled race.  Rumors and press reports of the financial situation of the series were common, and complicated any future plans.
  
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In the early years of the split, CART seemed to be dominant.  It controlled most of the races and most of the "name" drivers, while George's primary asset was Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its 500.  The first IRL schedule consisted of only four races, including the 500, and most of the drivers, even in the Indy 500, were virtual unknowns.  The only major mistake that CART made early on seemed to be its attempt to create a rival showcase event, the [[U.S. 500]], at [[Michigan International Speedway]] on the same day as the Indy 500.  This event proved a failure with regard to both live gate and television ratings and was soon moved and then discontinued.
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In early February, 2008, the CCWS Board of Managers authorized bankruptcy, to be filed on February 14, 2008.  On [[February 22]], [[2008]], an agreement in principal was reached and signed that merged the Champ Car Series with the IRL.  The memorandum sold the CCWS' sanctioning contracts (notably Long Beach) and intangible assets, along with the Champ Car Mobile Medical Unit, to the IRL for $6 million.  The document also included a non-compete agreement for Forsythe and Kalkhoven in exchange for $2 million each, provided they paid "certain bills" for the Long Beach bills for 2008 and support the IRL.
  
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In [[2000 in sports|2000]]\, CART designated the [[Vanderbilt Cup]] as its series championship trophy.
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The assets of CCWS were sold at auction on June 3, 2008.
  
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During the [[2003 in sports|2003]] offseason, CART went [[bankrupt]], and shares of the stock were worth only 25 cents.  The assets of CART were liquidated and put up for sale.  Tony George made a bid for the company in an attempt to bury the series once and for all, while a trio of CART owners ([[Gerald Forsythe]], [[Paul Gentilozzi]], and [[Kevin Kalkhoven]]), who had formed the OWRS (Open Wheel Racing Series), also made bids.  In the end, a judge ruled that the OWRS group should be the purchaser of CART, which ensured a 25th anniversary season in [[2004 in sports|2004]], running as Champ Car.
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In the agreement, the IRL became the owner of all CART and CCWS material and history, so all CART history will become part of the AAA-USAC-IRL history.  Therefore, IRL events held at traditional CCWS venues (such as Edmonton) are not "inaugural" events, despite press promotions to the contrary.
  
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Today, there are still many questions about the future of the series, particularly whether or not it will continue the series' long-running tradition of American road races. In the past two seasons, several traditional circuit venues have been dropped in favor of street courses, which some fans view as counterproductive and damaging to the health of the sport. A dearth of noteworthy, name drivers has also hurt the series in its quest to recapture the popularity it held in the early 1990s. However, new owners Forsythe, Gentilozzi, and Kalkhoven have so far demonstrated a commitment to the series, notably expressed in their November 2004 purchase from Ford of the sole engine supplier, [[Cosworth]] Racing. While the owners may have no qualms about spending the money it will take to build Champ Car back up, whether their efforts will be successful or not is a question that can only be answered by time.
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The IRL also picked up the Edmonton and Surfer's Paradise races for 2008, and revived the Toronto race for the 2009 season, albeit under different promoters.
  
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==Specifications==
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Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, Conquest Racing, HVM Racing (without Minardi), and Pacific Coast Motorsports transitioned to the IRL. PKV Racing became KV Racing Technology, which also merged in Team Australia. Failing to make the transition were Forsythe Racing and its popular driver, Paul Tracy. Forsythe intends on competing in the 2009 season.
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[[Image:ChampcarGarage.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Champ Car garage area, Brands Hatch, 2003]]
 
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A Champ Car has a [[Ford Cosworth]] [[turbocharger|turbocharged]], 2.65 [[litre]] (162 in&sup3;) [[engine displacement|displacement]] [[V8]] engine, fuelled by [[methanol]] to produce about 650 kW (850 [[horsepower]]). It has a top speed of about 390 [[km/h]] (240 mph). The car is 4.8 to 5.1 m (190 to 199 [[inch]]es) long, weighs 700 [[kilogram|kg]] (1,550 [[pound]]s), and sits on a 3.0 to 3.2 m (120 to 126 inch) wheelbase.
 
  
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==2005 race locations==
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The first "merged" event was the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 from Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 29, 2008. 
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*[[Long Beach, California]] ([[Long Beach Grand Prix|Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach]]), April 8&ndash;10
 
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*[[Monterrey, Mexico]] ([[Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey]]), May 20&ndash;22
 
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*[[West Allis, Wisconsin]] ([[Milwaukee Mile|Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225]]), June 2&ndash;4
 
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*[[Portland, Oregon]] ([[Portland International Raceway|Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland]]), June 17&ndash;19
 
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*[[Cleveland, Ohio]] ([[Grand Prix of Cleveland]]), June 24&ndash;26
 
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*[[Toronto, Canada]] ([[Molson Indy Toronto]]), July 8&ndash;10
 
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*[[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton, Canada]] ([[West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix of Edmonton]]), July 15&ndash;17
 
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*[[San Jose, California]] ([[San Jose Grand Prix|Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San José]]), July 29&ndash;31
 
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*[[Denver, Colorado]] ([[Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver]]), August 12&ndash;14
 
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*[[Montreal, Canada]] ([[Molson Indy Montreal]]), August 26&ndash;28
 
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*[[Las Vegas, Nevada]] ([[Las Vegas Motor Speedway]]), September 22&ndash;24
 
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*[[Surfer's Paradise]], [[QLD]], [[Australia]] ([[Lexmark Indy 300]]), October 21&ndash;23
 
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*[[Mexico City, Mexico]] ([[Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez|Grand Premio de México]]), November 4&ndash;6
 
  
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==2006 race locations==
+
On April 8th, 2008, in his first merged IRL event, Graham Rahal drove his Newman/Haas Racing entry to victory in the [[Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg]], marking the first win by a merged team. 
−
*[[Long Beach, California]] ([[Long Beach Grand Prix|Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach]]), April 7&ndash;9
 
−
*[[Houston, Texas]] ([[Race Name to named later]]), May 12&ndash;13
 
−
*[[Monterrey, Mexico]] ([[Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey]]), May 19&ndash;21
 
−
*[[West Allis, Wisconsin]] ([[Milwaukee Mile|Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225]]), June 2&ndash;4
 
−
*[[Portland, Oregon]] ([[Portland International Raceway|Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland]]), June 16&ndash;18
 
−
*[[Cleveland, Ohio]] ([[Grand Prix of Cleveland]]), June 23&ndash;25
 
−
*[[Toronto, Canada]] ([[Molson Indy Toronto]]), July 7&ndash;9
 
−
*[[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton, Canada]] ([[West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix of Edmonton]]), July 21&ndash;23
 
−
*[[San Jose, California]] ([[San Jose Grand Prix|Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San Jose]]), July 28&ndash;30
 
−
*[[Denver, Colorado]] ([[Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver]]), August 11&ndash;13
 
−
*[[Montreal, Canada]] ([[Molson Indy Montreal]]), August 25&ndash;27
 
−
*[[Las Vegas, Nevada]] (Either at Las Vegas Motor Speedway or street race in Las Vegas), September 21&ndash;23
 
−
*[[Ansan]], [[South Korea]] ([[Champ Car World Grand Prix of Ansan]]), October 13&ndash;15
 
−
*[[Surfer's Paradise]], [[Australia]] ([[Lexmark Indy 300]]), October 20&ndash;22
 
−
*[[Mexico City, Mexico]] ([[Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez|Grand Premio de México]]), November 3&ndash;5
 
  
−
===Notes===
+
Due to a scheduling conflict with the IRL's Motegi event, the Long Beach race was held on April 20, 2008 as an IRL points-paying event using the CCWS-spec DP01 cars, and was contested entirely by CCWS teams.
−
* Molson Indy Montreal race may be off schedule in 2006, depending on the outcome of a [[lawsuit]] between Champ Car and Montreal promoter Normand Legault.
 
−
* [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Beijing]], [[China]] could each host street races in 2006, depending on both sides meeting to terms.
 
  
−
==2007 Season==
+
==CCWS Seasons==
−
Champ Car officials have confirmed that Panoz will be the sole supplier of Champ Cars for three years from 2007. The Panoz DP01 will be built by sister company Elan Motorsports Technologies and will be powered by a turbo-charged Ford-Cosworth engine.
+
*'''[[2007 Champ Car World Series season]]'''
 +
*'''[[2008 Champ Car World Series season]]''' (cancelled, see below)
  
 
==Champions==
 
==Champions==
−
===CART Season Champions: (1979 to 2003)===
+
{| border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=4 style="float:center; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:400px; background:#505050; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
−
*[[1979]] - [[Rick Mears]], [[United States]]
+
|- style="text-align:center; background:#505050;"
−
*[[1980]] - [[Johnny Rutherford]], [[United States]]
+
|- tr BGCOLOR=darkred
−
*[[1981]] - [[Rick Mears]], [[United States]]
+
! Year
−
*[[1982]] - [[Rick Mears]], [[United States]]
+
! Driver
−
*[[1983]] - [[Al Unser]], [[United States]]
+
! Team
−
*[[1984]] - [[Mario Andretti]],[[United States]]
+
! Chassis/Engine
−
*[[1985]] - [[Al Unser]], [[United States]]
+
|-
−
*[[1986]] - [[Bobby Rahal]], [[United States]]
+
!colspan=4|SCCA/CART Indy Car Series
−
*[[1987]] - [[Bobby Rahal]], [[United States]]
+
|-
−
*[[1988]] - [[Danny Sullivan]], [[United States]]
+
| [[1979 CART World Series season|1979]]
−
*[[1989]] - [[Emerson Fittipaldi]], [[Brazil]]
+
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Rick Mears]]
−
*[[1990]] - [[Al Unser Jr.]], [[United States]]
+
| [[Penske Racing]]
−
*[[1991]] - [[Michael Andretti]], [[United States]]
+
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
−
*[[1992]] - [[Bobby Rahal]], [[United States]]
+
|-
−
*[[1993]] - [[Nigel Mansell]], [[England]]
+
!colspan=4|PPG IndyCar World Series - sanctioned by CART (except for Indianapolis 500)
−
*[[1994]] - [[Al Unser Jr.]], [[United States]]
+
|-
−
*[[1995]] - [[Jacques Villeneuve]], [[Canada]]
+
| [[1980 CART World Series season|1980]]
−
*[[1996]] - [[Jimmy Vasser]], [[United States]]
+
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Johnny Rutherford]]
−
*[[1997]] - [[Alex Zanardi]], [[Italy]]
+
| [[Chaparral Cars|Chaparral Racing]]
−
*[[1998]] - [[Alex Zanardi]], [[Italy]]
+
| [[Chaparral Cars|Chaparral]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
−
*[[1999]] - [[Juan Pablo Montoya]], [[Colombia]]
+
|-
−
*[[2000]] - [[Gil de Ferran]], [[Brazil]]
+
| [[1981 CART World Series season|1981]]
−
*[[2001]] - [[Gil de Ferran]], [[Brazil]]
+
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Rick Mears]]
−
*[[2002]] - [[Cristiano da Matta]], [[Brazil]]
+
| [[Penske Racing]]
−
*[[2003]] - [[Paul Tracy]], [[Canada]]
+
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1982 CART World Series season|1982]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Rick Mears]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1983 CART World Series season|1983]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Al Unser]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1984 CART World Series season|1984]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Mario Andretti]]  
 +
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1985 CART World Series season|1985]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Al Unser]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing]]
 +
| [[March Engineering|March]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1986 CART World Series season|1986]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
 +
| [[Truesports]]
 +
| [[March Engineering|March]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1987 CART World Series season|1987]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
 +
| [[Truesports]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1988 CART World Series season|1988]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Danny Sullivan]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]/[[Chevrolet]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1989 CART World Series season|1989]]
 +
| {{flagiconBRA}} [[Emerson Fittipaldi]]
 +
| [[Patrick Racing]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]/[[Chevrolet]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1990 CART World Series season|1990]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Al Unser Jr]]
 +
| [[Galles-Kraco Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Chevrolet]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1991 CART World Series season|1991]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Michael Andretti]]
 +
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Chevrolet]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1992 CART World Series season|1992]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
 +
| [[Bobby Rahal|Rahal/Hogan Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Chevrolet]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1993 CART World Series season|1993]]
 +
| {{flagiconGBR}} [[Nigel Mansell]]
 +
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1994 CART World Series season|1994]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Al Unser Jr]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]/[[Ilmor]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1995 CART World Series season|1995]]
 +
| {{flagiconCAN}} [[Jacques Villeneuve]]
 +
| [[Andretti Green Racing|Team Green Racing]]
 +
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1996 CART World Series season|1996]]
 +
| {{flagiconUSA}} [[Jimmy Vasser]]
 +
| [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]
 +
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]/[[Honda]]
 +
|-
 +
!colspan=4|PPG CART World Series - sanctioned by CART
 +
|-
 +
| [[1997 CART World Series season|1997]]
 +
| {{flagiconITA}} [[Alex Zanardi]]
 +
| [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]
 +
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]/[[Honda]]
 +
|-
 +
!colspan=4|FedEx Championship Series - sanctioned by CART
 +
|-
 +
| [[1998 CART World Series season|1998]]
 +
| {{flagiconITA}} [[Alex Zanardi]]
 +
| [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]
 +
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]/[[Honda]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[1999 CART World Series season|1999]]
 +
| {{flagiconCOL}} [[Juan Pablo Montoya]]
 +
| [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]
 +
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]/[[Honda]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[2000 CART World Series season|2000]]
 +
| {{flagiconBRA}} [[Gil de Ferran]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing]]
 +
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]/[[Honda]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[2001 CART World Series season|2001]]
 +
| {{flagiconBRA}} [[Gil de Ferran]]
 +
| [[Penske Racing]]
 +
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]/[[Honda]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[2002 CART World Series season|2002]]
 +
| {{flagiconBRA}} [[Cristiano da Matta]]
 +
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Toyota]]
 +
|-
 +
!colspan=4|Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford - sanctioned by CART
 +
|-
 +
| [[2003 CART World Series season|2003]]
 +
| {{flagiconCAN}} [[Paul Tracy]]
 +
| [[Player's/Forsythe Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
!colspan=4|Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford - sanctioned by CCWS
 +
|-
 +
| [[2004 Champ Car World Series season|2004]]
 +
| {{flagiconFRA}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]]
 +
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[2005 Champ Car World Series season|2005]]
 +
| {{flagiconFRA}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]]
 +
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[2006 Champ Car World Series season|2006]]
 +
| {{flagiconFRA}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]]
 +
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
 +
| [[Lola Racing Cars|Lola]]/[[Cosworth]]-[[Ford]]
 +
|-
 +
!colspan=4|Champ Car World Series - sanctioned by CCWS
 +
|-
 +
| [[2007 Champ Car World Series season|2007]]
 +
| {{flagiconFRA}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]]
 +
| [[Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing]]
 +
| [[Panoz]]/[[Cosworth]]
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===By team===
 +
 
 +
{| border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=4 style="float:center; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:250px; background:#505050; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
 +
|- style="text-align:center; background:#505050;"
 +
|- tr BGCOLOR=darkred
 +
!Team!!Championships!!Last
 +
|-
 +
|[[Penske Racing]]||align="center"|9||2001
 +
|-
 +
|[[Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing]]||align="center"|8||2007
 +
|-
 +
|[[Chip Ganassi Racing]]||align="center"|4||1999
 +
|-
 +
|[[Truesports]]||align="center"|2||1986
 +
|-
 +
|[[Chaparral Cars|Chaparral Racing]]||align="center"|1||1980
 +
|-
 +
|[[Galles-Kraco Racing]]||align="center"|1||1990
 +
|-
 +
|[[Andretti Green Racing|Team Green Racing]]||align="center"|1||1995
 +
|-
 +
|[[Bobby Rahal|Rahal/Hogan]]||align="center"|1||1992
 +
|-
 +
|[[Patrick Racing]]||align="center"|1||1989
 +
|-
 +
|[[Player's/Forsythe Racing]]||align="center"|1||2003
 +
|}
  
−
===Champ Car World Series Season Champions: (2004&mdash;)===
 
−
*[[2004]] - [[Sebastien Bourdais]], [[France]]
 
−
*[[2005]] - [[Sebastien Bourdais]], [[France]]
 
  
−
==Rookies of the Year==
+
==Rookies of the Year==<!-- This section is linked from [[Jacques Villeneuve]] -->
 
===CART Rookies of the Year: (1979 to 2003)===
 
===CART Rookies of the Year: (1979 to 2003)===
−
*[[1979]] - [[Bill Alsup]], [[United States]]
+
*[[1979 CART World Series season|1979]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[Bill Alsup]]
−
*[[1980]] - [[Dennis Firestone]], [[United States]]
+
*[[1980 CART World Series season|1980]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[Dennis Firestone]]
−
*[[1981]] - [[Bob Lazier]], [[United States]]
+
*[[1981 CART World Series season|1981]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[Bob Lazier]]
−
*[[1982]] - [[Bobby Rahal]], [[United States]]
+
*[[1982 CART World Series season|1982]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
−
*[[1983]] - [[Teo Fabi]], [[Italy]]
+
*[[1983 CART World Series season|1983]] - {{flagiconITA}} [[Teo Fabi]]
−
*[[1984]] - [[Roberto Guerrero]], [[Colombia]]
+
*[[1984 CART World Series season|1984]] - {{flagiconCOL}} [[Roberto Guerrero]]
−
*[[1985]] - [[Arie Luyendyk]], [[Netherlands|Dutch]]
+
*[[1985 CART World Series season|1985]] - {{flagiconNED}} [[Arie Luyendyk]]
−
*[[1986]] - [[Dominic Dobson]], [[United States]]
+
*[[1986 CART World Series season|1986]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[Dominic Dobson]]
−
*[[1987]] - [[Fabrizio Barbazza]], [[Italy]]
+
*[[1987 CART World Series season|1987]] - {{flagiconITA}} [[Fabrizio Barbazza]]
−
*[[1988]] - [[John Jones]], [[Canada]]
+
*[[1988 CART World Series season|1988]] - {{flagiconCAN}} [[John Jones (driver)|John Jones]]
−
*[[1989]] - [[Bernard Jourdain]], [[Mexico]]
+
*[[1989 CART World Series season|1989]] - {{flagiconMEX}} [[Bernard Jourdain]]
−
*[[1990]] - [[Eddie Cheever]], [[United States]]
+
*[[1990 CART World Series season|1990]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[Eddie Cheever]]
−
*[[1991]] - [[Jeff Andretti]], [[United States]]
+
*[[1991 CART World Series season|1991]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[Jeff Andretti]]
−
*[[1992]] - [[Stefan Johansson]], [[Sweden]]
+
*[[1992 CART World Series season|1992]] - {{flagiconSWE}} [[Stefan Johansson]]
−
*[[1993]] - [[Nigel Mansell]], [[England]]
+
*[[1993 CART World Series season|1993]] - {{flagiconENG}} [[Nigel Mansell]]
−
*[[1994]] - [[Jacques Villeneuve]], [[Canada]]
+
*[[1994 CART World Series season|1994]] - {{flagiconCAN}} [[Jacques Villeneuve]]
−
*[[1995]] - [[Gil de Ferran]], [[Brazil]]
+
*[[1995 CART World Series season|1995]] - {{flagiconBRA}} [[Gil de Ferran]]
−
*[[1996]] - [[Alex Zanardi]], [[Italy]]
+
*[[1996 CART World Series season|1996]] - {{flagiconITA}} [[Alex Zanardi]]
−
*[[1997]] - [[Patrick Carpentier]], [[Canada]]
+
*[[1997 CART World Series season|1997]] - {{flagiconCAN}} [[Patrick Carpentier]]
−
*[[1998]] - [[Tony Kanaan]], [[Brazil]]
+
*[[1998 CART World Series season|1998]] - {{flagiconBRA}} [[Tony Kanaan]]
−
*[[1999]] - [[Juan Pablo Montoya]], [[Colombia]]
+
*[[1999 CART World Series season|1999]] - {{flagiconCOL}} [[Juan Pablo Montoya]]
−
*[[2000]] - [[Kenny Brack]], [[Sweden]]
+
*[[2000 CART World Series season|2000]] - {{flagiconSWE}} [[Kenny Bräck]]
−
*[[2001]] - [[Scott Dixon]], [[New Zealand]]
+
*[[2001 CART World Series season|2001]] - {{flagiconNZL}} [[Scott Dixon]]
−
*[[2002]] - [[Mario Dominguez]], [[Mexico]]
+
*[[2002 CART World Series season|2002]] - {{flagiconMEX}} [[Mario Dominguez]]
−
*[[2003]] - [[Sebastien Bourdais]], [[France]]
+
*[[2003 CART World Series season|2003]] - {{flagiconFRA}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]]
 +
 
 +
===Champ Car World Series Rookies of the Year: (2004 to 2007)===
 +
*[[2004 Champ Car World Series season|2004]] - {{flagiconUSA}} [[A. J. Allmendinger]]
 +
*[[2005 Champ Car World Series season|2005]] - {{flagiconGER}} [[Timo Glock]]
 +
*[[2006 Champ Car World Series season|2006]] - {{flagiconAUS}} [[Will Power]]
 +
*[[2007 Champ Car World Series season|2007]] - {{flagiconNED}} [[Robert Doornbos]]
 +
 
 +
 
  
−
===Champ Car World Series Rookies of the Year: (2004 to present)===
 
−
*[[2004]] - [[A.J. Allmendinger]], [[United States]]
 
−
*[[2005]] - [[Timo Glock]], [[Germany]]
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
−
*[[List of Champ Car drivers]]
+
* [[List of Champ Car drivers]]
 +
 
 +
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 
* [http://www.champcarworldseries.com Official website of Champ Car World Series]
 
* [http://www.champcarworldseries.com Official website of Champ Car World Series]
−
* [http://www.champcarfanatics.com Champ Car Fanatics: News, Commentary & Discussion Forums] (Registration required to post on the forums)
+
* [http://www.champcarstats.com Champ Car racing statistics from 1909 to present]
−
* [http://www.CART-Racing.com Champ Car News & Commentary]
+
* [http://www.champfans.com Inner Circle Champions, the official Champ Car fan community]
−
* [http://www.champcarnews.com Champ Car News]
 
−
* [http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/CART/ Champ Car Fan Discussion Forum] (registration required)
 
−
* [http://www.fastmachines.com/archives/cat_champ_car.php Champ Car blog]
 
−
* [http://checkpoint10.blogspot.com Open-wheel racing blog]
 
−
* [http://www.champcars.blogspot.com Champ Car Racing blog]
 
  
−
==Other meanings of CART==
 
−
* [[Communication Access Real-Time Translation]]
 
  
−
{{Template: Champ Car World Series}}
+
{{Champ Car tracks}}
  
−
[[Category:Auto racing competitions]]
+
[[Category:Formula racing series]]
 
[[Category:Auto racing organizations]]
 
[[Category:Auto racing organizations]]
−
[[Category:Open wheel racing]]
+
[[Category:Racing formulas]]
 +
[[Category:Champ Car| ]]

Latest revision as of 10:02, 5 November 2009

2007CCWSlogo.png
Champ Car
category Open wheel racing
country/region International
website champcarworldseries.com


Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race. Such racing has been sanctioned by the American Automobile Association, the United States Auto Club, the Sports Car Club of America, Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), the Championship Racing League, the Indy Racing League, and the Champ Car World Series (CCWS).

In its most popular usage, "Champ Car" was the last name given to a governing body was formerly known as Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART prior to its 2003 bankruptcy. The series was previously known as the CART PPG IndyCar World Series, the CART FedEx Championship Series, and, in the organization's second to last year, the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford. The series merged into the IndyCar Series before its planned 2008 season.

History

Nigel Mansell racing in a Champ Car in 1993

In 1905 the American Automobile Association (AAA) established the national driving championship and became the first sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States. In 1956, the United States Automobile Club (USAC) was founded to take over sanctioning from the AAA, which ceased sanctioning auto racing in the general outrage over motor racing safety that followed the 1955 Le Mans disaster. USAC controlled the championship until 1978. Starting in 1979, CART began operating its own competing series, which quickly became dominant.

Formation of CART

The split from USAC in 1978 (first race in 1979) was spurred by a group of activist car owners who had grown disenchanted with what they saw as an inept sanctioning body. Complaining of poor promotion and small purses, this group coalesced around Dan Gurney who, in early 1978, wrote what came to be known as the "Gurney White Paper," the blueprint for an organization called Championship Auto Racing Teams[1]. Gurney took his inspiration from the improvements Bernie Ecclestone had forced on Formula 1 with his creation of the Formula One Constructors Association. The White Paper called for the owners to form CART as an advocacy group to promote USAC's national championship, doing the job where the sanctioning body would not. The group would also work to negotiate television rights and race purses, and ideally hold seats on USAC's governing body.

Gurney, joined by other leading team owners such Carl Hogan, Roger Penske, and U.E. "Pat" Patrick, took their requests, which included larger representation on the USAC Board of Directors, to USAC's Board, but the proposal was rejected in November 1978. USAC's rejection of the proposal led the owners to form a new series (CART) in late 1978 under the principles laid out in the Gurney White Paper, with the first race being held in March 1979.

The newness of the organization, however, prevented it from being recognized by ACCUS, the United States representative to the FIA. An arrangement was reached with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) where the SCCA would act as the sanctioning body for the new series. This would allow the events to be listed on the International Motorsports Calendar.

The new series quickly gained the support of the majority of team and track owners, with the only notable holdout being A.J. Foyt. This meant that the front and mid-pack teams would be racing in the new CART series. Of the 20 races held in 1979, 13 were part of the 1979 CART Championship. Of the 10 tracks to host races, 5 would host CART events exclusively and one, Ontario Motor Speedway, would host races from both series.

Dominance by non-US drivers

CART, like its predecessor USAC, was dominated by North American drivers until the 1990s. Many road racing stars, including Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, and Danny Sullivan found success in the series. After former F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi won the series title in 1989, however, additional drivers from South America and Europe joined the series.

British driver Nigel Mansell, the 1992 F1 Driver's Champion, switched to CART in 1993 and beat Emerson Fittipaldi for the championship. Mansell's victory, coupled with 1991 CART champion Michael Andretti's failed sojourn into F1, was seen by many as evidence of the superiority of non-US drivers.

During this time, CART found success in street races, taking over the Detroit Grand Prix and the Long Beach Grand Prix from Formula 1, as well as having success in venues like Miami, Toronto, Vancouver, Cleveland, and Surfer's Paradise. They also founded the first full-time driver safety team that traveled with the series, instead of depending on local staff provided by promoters.

Formation of the Indy Racing League

In 1991, Tony George, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, tried to buy CART. Rebuffed, he approached CART in 1994 with a list of desired changes in the CART sanctioning body. Among his concerns were the lack of American drivers in the series (there were only 10 in 1996), a lack of opportunities for American drivers such as Jeff Gordon, CART's move to include more road racing on the schedule, and escalating costs. George also wanted a greater voice for the Indianapolis 500, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Although it was clearly CART's flagship event, the Indy 500 was treated as any other race on the schedule, and also awarded the same amount of driver's points.

After being rebuffed again, he resigned from the CART Board of Directors and formed a new racing series, the Indy Racing League (IRL), using the building blocks of the Indy 500 / USAC faction as its foundation. With its first race in 1996, the IRL initially included an all-oval schedule, all races on US soil, and mostly American drivers. George all but shut out CART regulars from the 500 by guaranteeing the top 25 drivers in IRL points a spot in the race, leaving only eight of the thirty-three grid positions available to CART regulars.

The contrast between the CART teams at Miami versus the IRL teams at Orlando that weekend was stark. Most of the IRL equipment and drivers were non-competitive cast-offs from CART. By contrast, CART featured 4 engine manufacturers, 4 chassis manufacturers, 2 tire companies, large crowds, 28 cars, and large sponsorships.

In March 1996, CART filed a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an effort to protect their license to the IndyCar mark which the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had attempted to terminate. In April, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway filed a countersuit against CART to prevent them from further use of the mark. Eventually a settlement was reached in which CART agreed to give up the use of the IndyCar mark following the 1996 season and the IRL could not use the name before the end of the 2002 season.

In response, CART attempted to create a rival showcase event, the U.S. 500, at Michigan International Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500 in 1996. The race failed to attract network TV coverage, and substantial promotional efforts were required to fill the estimated 80,000 seats at MIS. The race had a disastrous start with a major crash involving many of the cars. The race date was changed for 1997 so it did not run against the Indy 500. The U.S. 500 name was, however, retained through 1999, and affixed to the existing July race at Michigan.

CART's next strategy was to hold a race the day before the Indy 500 at Gateway, which also failed to draw attention away from the IRL's most famous race. Tony George's next move was to specify new technical rules for less expensive cars, and "production based" engines that outlawed the CART-spec cars that had been the mainstay of the race since the late 1970s. CART teams would be forced to purchase different cars if they wanted the chance to qualify for the Indy 500.

From 1996 to 1999, all but a few CART teams and drivers did not compete in the Indy 500. While this situation allowed many American drivers to participate in an event that they might otherwise have been unable to afford, the bitterness of the turbulent political situation, along with the absence of many of the top CART drivers, big-name sponsors, and faster CART-spec cars cast a shadow over the race. It was certainly arguable that to the average fan, the replacement of at least fairly-well-known foreign drivers by almost-unknown American ones was not perceived as a real gain. As a result, the Indy 500 lost considerable prestige. In the minds of many racing fans, NASCAR's Daytona 500 replaced it as the most prestigious American race.

CART after the formation of the IRL

In the early years after the launch of the IRL in 1996, CART seemed to be dominant. It controlled most of the races and most of the "name" drivers, while George's primary (and for a time, only) asset was Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its 500. The 1996 IRL schedule consisted of only three races, including the Indy 500, and many of the drivers were relative unknowns.

In 1998, CART went public with its stock, and raised $US100 million in the stock offering.

In 2000, Bobby Rahal stepped in as interim president of CART and replaced the PPG Cup (used from 1979-1999) with the Vanderbilt Cup as the series championship trophy. That year, Gil de Ferran of Penske Racing set the world closed-course speed record for a car race at California Speedway in his Marlboro Team Penske Honda at 241.428 mph (388.540 km/h) while qualifying for the season ending million-dollar (pursed to the winner) Marlboro 500. Despite the considerable drag on the car (inherent of the mandated Hanford MkII rear wing used in CART on the superspeedways at that time) the feat was accomplished on the first lap of qualifying.

CART dominance seemed relatively unchallenged through 2000. That year, some CART teams began to compete at the Indianapolis 500, and ultimately switched allegiance to the IRL for the entire season. This was motivated by mismanagement, upset engine manufacturers, and sponsors that desired participation at the Indianapolis 500.

In 2000, Chip Ganassi, while still racing in the CART Series, made the decision to return to the Indy 500 with his drivers, the 1996 CART and U.S. 500 champion Jimmy Vasser, and the 1999 CART champion Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya put on a dominating performance, leading 167 of the 200 laps to win. The defeat was somewhat humiliating for the IRL teams, with the Ganassi team's primary advantage being pit stops that were frequently several seconds quicker than their main rivals. Yet, the real winner in the situation was Tony George, who had brought back one of the CART teams, and its sponsor, to race with the IRL cars. A year later, Roger Penske, historically CART and Indianapolis' most successful team owner, also came back to Indianapolis and won.

The turning point for the CART-IRL rivalry may have come in 2001. That year, CART tried to stage a race at the Texas Motor Speedway, the Firestone Firehawk 600. However, unprecedented g-forces brought on by TMS' steep 24-degree banking caused several drivers to experience dizziness and disorientation. CART was unable to slow the cars down in time to run the race safely, and it was postponed and ultimately canceled; this led TMS to sue CART. After it emerged that CART officials had ignored repeated requests to test the cars before the race, the two parties settled for an estimated $5-7 million. CART lost $1.7 million for the last quarter of 2001 due to money spent on the suit. The cancellation of the race and the ensuing lawsuit was a severe blow to CART's prestige.

By November, 2001, journalist Brock Yates predicted that CART would be defunct by the end of 2002.

For 2002, Penske and Ganassi became permanent entrants in the IRL, and Andretti Green Racing after the 2002 season, the latter team being co-owned by CART champion Michael Andretti. The Michigan open wheel race – once the U.S. 500, which was created to rival the Indy 500 – became an IRL event for 2002.

Bankruptcy and rebranding to CCWS

The Champ Car World Series logo from 2003-2006

In 2002, FedEx announced that they would end their title sponsorship of the CART series at the conclusion of the racing season. In another blow, Honda and Toyota switched their engine supply from CART to the IRL after 2002. CART decided to rebrand and reform itself. Beginning in 2003, CART began to promote itself as Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.

Due to the loss of its title sponsor and two engine providers, CART's shares plummeted to 25¢ (USD) per share. It declared bankruptcy during the 2003 off-season and the assets of CART were liquidated.

Tony George made a bid for certain assets of the company, while a trio of CART owners (Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi, and Kevin Kalkhoven), along with Dan Pettit, also made a bid, calling their group the Open Wheel Racing Series (OWRS). George's offer was to purchase only select company assets, in an effort to eliminate any series that would rival his Indy Racing League. However, if George's bid (which was actually higher than the OWRS bid) had been successful, many vendors that were still owed money by CART would have not been paid. Therefore, a judge ruled that the OWRS group should be the purchaser of CART, which ensured a 25th anniversary season in 2004, running as Champ Car. Open Wheel Racing Series. (OWRS) would later change its name to Champ Car World Series (CCWS) LLC.

Team Rahal move to the IRL just before the Long Beach GP in 2004. However, several teams stayed with Champ Car, ensuring that the series could continue. Most notable among these was Newman-Haas Racing (now Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing). The powerful and well-funded team owned by actor Paul Newman and Illinois businessman Carl Haas was adamant on its loyalty to the series and its direction. Another team notable for its loyalty was Dale Coyne Racing, one of the world's oldest continually operating open wheel teams.


CCWS Bankruptcy and Unification of Champ Car with the Indy Racing League

In 2007, with the withdrawal of Bridgestone and Ford Motor Company as presenting sponsors, the official name of the top-tier series promoted by Champ Car became simply the Champ Car World Series. Rumors and accounts of financial troubles, often reported by respected motor sports reporters, plagued the series all during 2007.

By late 2007, it was clear that CCWS lacked the resources to mount another season. Several races in the 2007 season were canceled before they were held, and in fact, the CCWS never had a season where they ran every scheduled race. Rumors and press reports of the financial situation of the series were common, and complicated any future plans.

In early February, 2008, the CCWS Board of Managers authorized bankruptcy, to be filed on February 14, 2008. On February 22, 2008, an agreement in principal was reached and signed that merged the Champ Car Series with the IRL. The memorandum sold the CCWS' sanctioning contracts (notably Long Beach) and intangible assets, along with the Champ Car Mobile Medical Unit, to the IRL for $6 million. The document also included a non-compete agreement for Forsythe and Kalkhoven in exchange for $2 million each, provided they paid "certain bills" for the Long Beach bills for 2008 and support the IRL.

The assets of CCWS were sold at auction on June 3, 2008.

In the agreement, the IRL became the owner of all CART and CCWS material and history, so all CART history will become part of the AAA-USAC-IRL history. Therefore, IRL events held at traditional CCWS venues (such as Edmonton) are not "inaugural" events, despite press promotions to the contrary.

The IRL also picked up the Edmonton and Surfer's Paradise races for 2008, and revived the Toronto race for the 2009 season, albeit under different promoters.

Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, Conquest Racing, HVM Racing (without Minardi), and Pacific Coast Motorsports transitioned to the IRL. PKV Racing became KV Racing Technology, which also merged in Team Australia. Failing to make the transition were Forsythe Racing and its popular driver, Paul Tracy. Forsythe intends on competing in the 2009 season.

The first "merged" event was the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 from Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 29, 2008.

On April 8th, 2008, in his first merged IRL event, Graham Rahal drove his Newman/Haas Racing entry to victory in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, marking the first win by a merged team.

Due to a scheduling conflict with the IRL's Motegi event, the Long Beach race was held on April 20, 2008 as an IRL points-paying event using the CCWS-spec DP01 cars, and was contested entirely by CCWS teams.

CCWS Seasons

Champions

Year Driver Team Chassis/Engine
SCCA/CART Indy Car Series
1979 22px-Flag of the United States.png Rick Mears Penske Racing Penske/Cosworth-Ford
PPG IndyCar World Series - sanctioned by CART (except for Indianapolis 500)
1980 22px-Flag of the United States.png Johnny Rutherford Chaparral Racing Chaparral/Cosworth-Ford
1981 22px-Flag of the United States.png Rick Mears Penske Racing Penske/Cosworth-Ford
1982 22px-Flag of the United States.png Rick Mears Penske Racing Penske/Cosworth-Ford
1983 22px-Flag of the United States.png Al Unser Penske Racing Penske/Cosworth-Ford
1984 22px-Flag of the United States.png Mario Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola/Cosworth-Ford
1985 22px-Flag of the United States.png Al Unser Penske Racing March/Cosworth-Ford
1986 22px-Flag of the United States.png Bobby Rahal Truesports March/Cosworth-Ford
1987 22px-Flag of the United States.png Bobby Rahal Truesports Lola/Cosworth-Ford
1988 22px-Flag of the United States.png Danny Sullivan Penske Racing Penske/Chevrolet
1989 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Emerson Fittipaldi Patrick Racing Penske/Chevrolet
1990 22px-Flag of the United States.png Al Unser Jr Galles-Kraco Racing Lola/Chevrolet
1991 22px-Flag of the United States.png Michael Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola/Chevrolet
1992 22px-Flag of the United States.png Bobby Rahal Rahal/Hogan Racing Lola/Chevrolet
1993 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Newman/Haas Racing Lola/Cosworth-Ford
1994 22px-Flag of the United States.png Al Unser Jr Penske Racing Penske/Ilmor
1995 22px-Flag of the Canada.png Jacques Villeneuve Team Green Racing Reynard/Cosworth-Ford
1996 22px-Flag of the United States.png Jimmy Vasser Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard/Honda
PPG CART World Series - sanctioned by CART
1997 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Alex Zanardi Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard/Honda
FedEx Championship Series - sanctioned by CART
1998 3dflagsdotcom italy2bs.gif Alex Zanardi Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard/Honda
1999 22px-Flag of Colombia.png Juan Pablo Montoya Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard/Honda
2000 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Gil de Ferran Penske Racing Reynard/Honda
2001 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Gil de Ferran Penske Racing Reynard/Honda
2002 22px-Flag of Brazil.png Cristiano da Matta Newman/Haas Racing Lola/Toyota
Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford - sanctioned by CART
2003 22px-Flag of the Canada.png Paul Tracy Player's/Forsythe Racing Lola/Cosworth-Ford
Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford - sanctioned by CCWS
2004 22px-Flag of France.png Sébastien Bourdais Newman/Haas Racing Lola/Cosworth-Ford
2005 22px-Flag of France.png Sébastien Bourdais Newman/Haas Racing Lola/Cosworth-Ford
2006 22px-Flag of France.png Sébastien Bourdais Newman/Haas Racing Lola/Cosworth-Ford
Champ Car World Series - sanctioned by CCWS
2007 22px-Flag of France.png Sébastien Bourdais Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing Panoz/Cosworth

By team

Team Championships Last
Penske Racing 9 2001
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing 8 2007
Chip Ganassi Racing 4 1999
Truesports 2 1986
Chaparral Racing 1 1980
Galles-Kraco Racing 1 1990
Team Green Racing 1 1995
Rahal/Hogan 1 1992
Patrick Racing 1 1989
Player's/Forsythe Racing 1 2003


Rookies of the Year

CART Rookies of the Year: (1979 to 2003)

Champ Car World Series Rookies of the Year: (2004 to 2007)



See also


External links



Tracks of the Champ Car World Series (1979-2007)
Ovals Atlanta · California · Chicago · Gateway · Homestead · Indianapolis · Las Vegas · Loudon · Michigan · Milwaukee · Nazareth · Ontario · Phoenix · Pocono · Sanair · Texas · Texas World · Trenton
Road courses Cleveland · Edmonton · Laguna Seca · Mid-Ohio · Montreal · Mont-Tremblant · Portland · Riverside · Road America · Watkins Glen
Street circuits Belle Isle · Caesars Palace · Denver · Detroit ·

Houston · Las Vegas · Long Beach · Meadowlands · Miami · Reliant Park · San Jose · St. Pete · Tamiami Park · Toronto · Vancouver

International Assen · Brands Hatch · EuroSpeedway · Mexico City · Monterrey · Motegi · Rio · Rockingham · Surfers Paradise · Zhuhai · Zolder
  1. ↑ Eagle-eye Feature: CART White Paper
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