Long Beach Grand Prix 2008

Hey Gang,
I am starting this to try and ascertain if there is any TV coverage of this event.
Over here in Eurp we ain't got nuthin....
Who,if anyone, is broadcasting it in the USA?

AFTER THIS QUESTION IS ANSWERED...you may then begin the usual Atlas bait and flame fest.

Jp

Eww, it sounds nice.

What sort of vehicles are running there?

It was supposed to be a 2-hour highlight show, on tape-delay by 3 hours, on ABC.
I do not know if that contract is still on or what.

shaggy

Originally posted by Perigee
What sort of vehicles are running there?

It would be IRL cars for this CART event. The last one.

Originally posted by metz

It would be IRL cars for this CART event. The last one.

Sure? I thought they were running the CART cars.

Originally posted by Perigee
Eww, it sounds nice.

What sort of vehicles are running there?

My oh my we ARE new to racing aren't we...

PONY UP SOME TV INFO Y'ALL

Jp

I figured this info would be on the Champ Car website, and it is, but unfortunately that site looks like it was frozen back in February with no activity since. In other words take the info on that site with a pinch of salt.

The official tv schedule for the season can be found here (when the website actually works, which isn't very often): http://www.champcarw...p?intlMode=true

For the UK that would be either Eurosport or Motors TV and the Champ Car site advises to check local listings.

I've done that and can sadly reveal that on race day and the following day neither channel has any coverage at all.

There has been no activity on the Champ Car website for two months which means no promotion of Long Beach on the actual race series' own website, I don't know of any promotion of it anywhere else (I'm talking ticket sales etc).... the lesson being that this race is nothing more than a contractual obligation/thorn in the side of Indycar, call it what you will. Is there a TV station in the world going to be showing this race?

I can't find anything on the Champ Car site as to whether Race Director (i.e. watch online) will be available either.


Moving away from the TV coverage aspect...

Does anyone know who is going to be officiating this race?

As far as I know there is no such thing as a Champ Car employee. Is the race officiating being done by Indycar officials? If so, is the race therefore being run to Indycar regulations? (has it ever actually been CONFIRMED that the race points will count as part of the 2008 Indycar series?

Where are the most recent/confirmed entry lists for Long Beach and Motegi? Which Champ Car teams are running at Long Beach? Which at Motegi?

Originally posted by jonpollak


My oh my we ARE new to racing aren't we...

PONY UP SOME TV INFO Y'ALL

Jp

Been watching a while thanks, 6 F1 races in 4 countries + various bike races if you're counting!....my point was essentially "if it ain't F1, or some kind of touring cars, then it ain't likely to be broadcast in Europe at all".

My hours of research (er, 5 seconds with Google ) showed it is a Champ car event, something which i guess is unlikely to get the majority of Euro broadcasters too excited about the potential viewing figures. That is not to 'dis' Champ car, the more racing on TV the better AFAIC, but you might need to go to some pay-TV specialist channel (not the type Max subscribes too!!) to find it here.

Anyway, good luck in your quest!

Bumper grid for Champ Car finale

Perigee - Champ Car has been broadcast in the UK in some form or other (i.e. on various channels and in various forms, live/replay) since Mansell's days in the series when it was still Indycar!

It has long had a good following on European TV.

In the UK it was even on free terrestrial TV for two years on Channel5. That was seriously quite amazing.

That was in the Montoya era.

Since then it's had a home on Eurosport for a couple of years, then on Sky Sports for I think one year, on Motors TV for a while then back to Eurosport again. I'm actually surprised the Champ Car site was billing the UK coverage as being on both Eurosport and Motors TV. I thought it was a typo at first!

It's honestly not difficult to be broadcast on either of those channels, they specialise in broadcasting sports that absolutely nobody watches. Even they must answer to shareholders and have their limits though.

Long Beach is just the final death-rattle in a literally almost dead series. And as I mentioned above this race has had absolutely no promotion. You're right that most probably nobody in Europe will broadcast this and I personally am sceptical if when push comes to shove anybody in the world will show it.

Even if it's on some tv schedules I wouldn't be cancelling any plans in the vain hope that the broadcast will actually go ahead. Imagine the Long Beach tv viewing figures in all seriousness, and I mean worldwide figures. I would bet my last £10 that it wouldn't even reach 100,000 for the entire planet.

Originally posted by Gilles4Ever
Bumper grid for Champ Car finale

9 Indycar (former Champ Car) drivers will be at Long Beach then.

Only 18 at Motegi then: http://www.racingone...esID=3&subID=11

The track schedule for both races can be found at: http://www.openwheel...id=5323&lg=us
count

Excellent info on the grid, last I heard there were only 10 cars entered.
I'll be in my usual seats, and unless there is new info on the 2010 formula by the time my seats come for sale for 2009, I will likely be giving up the seats that I have had for over 20 years.

Originally posted by Gilles4Ever
Bumper grid for Champ Car finale

I see they are all racing Dallara-Hondas.
So, are they modified for this race? IRL/CART?
Hard to tell from the article.

no they are the cars ChampCar ran last year

Originally posted by whitewaterMkII
Excellent info on the grid, last I heard there were only 10 cars entered.
I'll be in my usual seats, and unless there is new info on the 2010 formula by the time my seats come for sale for 2009, I will likely be giving up the seats that I have had for over 20 years.

LB deserves better than to finish like this.

Hey, now that a proper OW series in no more in the US, what if Bernie brought back F1 to LB?

No guarantee that Paul Tracy will be running unfortunately (pending contract issues w/ Forsythe)

Originally posted by Gilles4Ever
no they are the cars ChampCar ran last year

That must be an enormous expens for the IRL teams. I'm sure Tony will not be picking up the tab for this.
Didn't think there were enough of these to go round, even with spares and all.

Originally posted by metz

That must be an enormous expens for the IRL teams. I'm sure Tony will not be picking up the tab for this.
Didn't think there were enough of these to go round, even with spares and all.

Um... the IRL teams won't be running those cars, they'll be in Motegi running the standard IRL car.

Hey, now that a proper OW series in no more in the US, what if Bernie brought back F1 to LB?

There finally IS a proper OW series in the US, it'll be at LB from 2009.

Long Beach will be the last race for the DP-01's that debuted last year. Sad to see it go actually, it looks and sounds a lot better that the crappy, old, dangerous, Dallaras that the "unified" series is using now.

Originally posted by metz

That must be an enormous expens for the IRL teams. I'm sure Tony will not be picking up the tab for this.
Didn't think there were enough of these to go round, even with spares and all.

Not really, as they already had them.

My understanding is that racing their DP01s at Long Beach was a condition of receiving IRL chassis'.

Originally posted by molive

Hey, now that a proper OW series in no more in the US, what if Bernie brought back F1 to LB?

I'd be buying 20 seats rather than the ten that are in my name right now.

Sunday 4pm Eastern ESPN2
and Imperial is correct ...not a sausage in Europe

Jp

I heard a report last night on Speed Channel that they may have as many as 20 cars on the grid at Long Beach.

http://auto-racing.s...amp-car-finale/

Keep in mind that this will, presumably, be the last race for the DP01 (Panoz ChampCar chassis). So, no need to keep any spare cars/engines back in the shop. The costs for running extra cars should be minimal for the teams.

Heard that Bernoldi, Nelson Phillipe, Jimmy Vasser, and Roberto Moreno are all confirmed. Paul Tracy is "expected to compete". Heard a rumor that they were trying to get Villeneuve, Montoya, Franchitti (or some combination), but were having no luck. Some of the IRL regulars have said that they would like to race at Motegi, hop a private plane, and race at Long Beach. I know that Kanaan and Wheldon said it on-camera on Speed Channel. But, the IRL probably won't allow it (they'd possibly get points for both races).


Edit: Also add Pizzonia to the list.
http://auto-racing.s...for-long-beach/

Thank . That clears it up for me.
I thought there were some IRL teams participating at Longbeach just to get a decent grid.

Montoya @ Long Beach after 9 years??? I doubt it..

If Ganassi can pull this, I'll be amazed JPM/Franchitti/JV.. WOW..!

Originally posted by Perigee
Eww, it sounds nice.

What sort of vehicles are running there?

The DP-01 in the last ever Champ Car race.

Hmmm... no real comment on this as it would be stirring the pot. Justin Wilson's wife had their first child Saturday night, so he will be having an extra step in his speed.

Locai, Tony George shot that idea down already. No double dipping, as the race scores IRL points.

Originally posted by AcuraF1
Long Beach will be the last race for the DP-01's that debuted last year. Sad to see it go actually, it looks and sounds a lot better that the crappy, old, dangerous, Dallaras that the "unified" series is using now.

My question is, how will the causal fan take that thought? You see the DP-01 at Long Beach, with the turbo and super quick speeds, then you see the Motegi race (which in 2007 had a 0.0 Neislon TV rating, which is equlivelent to 0 people watching), and you think, "What happened to the real race cars? I gotta watch those crapwagons!" Gotta love Paul Tracy for the "crapwagon" title to the IRL.

Originally posted by whitewaterMkII


I'd be buying 20 seats rather than the ten that are in my name right now.

With the IRL not in power, you'd get those first 10 free, with the other 10 still free.

Originally posted by whitewaterMkII
Excellent info on the grid, last I heard there were only 10 cars entered.
I'll be in my usual seats, and unless there is new info on the 2010 formula by the time my seats come for sale for 2009, I will likely be giving up the seats that I have had for over 20 years.

I believe this is 271 times you have posted this.

hope there is some sort of coverage of the race,even just basic highlights showing the main incidents as champ car at long beach is usually a pretty good race

well stevvy1986 depending where you are it IS possible

Found another good Robin Miller article today

http://auto-racing.s...history-of-cart

Jp

unfortunately im in the UK,so im not overly confident of seeing the race even in highlight form

Hold on, it's not on Eurosport at all?

doesnt look like it

There's something depressingly funny about that, in a macabre way.

Today, Mario Andretti and Parnelli Jones get inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk-Of-Fame. They will be joining past inductees Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Paul Newman, Carl Haas, Chris Pook and Brian Redman. Former land speed record holder Gary Gabelich will also be inducted posthumously.

Since this is the LBGP thread, I will place a follow up of the ceremony and place occasional LBGP event updates here - I was able to secure a Press Pass to the event.

I had a peek at the indycar site this morning and 'Bolegger' said there was "streaming" coverage of BOTH Motegi and LB on Indycar.com

She says it right at the end of this clip

Now what that means I do not know but hey.. ..crumbs to the starved are like brandy to the sated..
Or Whateva

Jp

It would be a fitting cap to the last 12 years if by some miracle a champcar team stayed in the season title hunt, and the difference was the points they won in LB versus a split field.

Any update on the rumor that the DP01s might appear in some support series? Be nice to see them live on as they're one of the better looking cars out there today....

Originally posted by Jim Wilke


I believe this is 271 times you have posted this.

How to tell when ColdHeart aka Jim Wilke is fibbing. When his posts include:

"I believe"

"My sources tell me"

"Reading between the lines"

"From what I've heard"

"The latest rumor is.." (translation: I'm pulling this out of my ass.)

Give it up Jim. The only people who buy your bunk are the lemmings on Trackforum.

long beech was the first champ car race i saw on tv, apart from mansell era stuff maybe. back then IRL was point and laugh unpopular... and champ car was kinda lining up to dethrone formula one. Them was the days

hopefully i can catch a stream or a torrent of the event

Originally posted by jonpollak
Hey Gang,
I am starting this to try and ascertain if there is any TV coverage of this event.
Over here in Eurp we ain't got nuthin....
Who,if anyone, is broadcasting it in the USA?

AFTER THIS QUESTION IS ANSWERED...you may then begin the usual Atlas bait and flame fest.

Jp

I had the occasion to talk directly with Scott Gooyear this afternoon while in the press room at Long Beach and was able to ask him the question asked here. He checked his understanding with Marty Reid and Scott confirmed that the race broadcast is live on ESPN2.

The race is scheduled to go off at 1:00pm PT.

Robin Miller at speedtv.com is reporting that Paul Tracy is finally confirmed for Long Beach, but this will be his last race for Forsythe.

http://auto-racing.s...for-long-beach/

Note that Forsythe finally paid him his back pay. Class guy.

http://www.presstele...04&startImage=1
Mario Andretti lifts a checkered flag to unveil his marker during the 2008 Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame Induction ceremony Thursday. Andretti, who won the Long Beach Grand Prix in 1977, 1984, 1985 and 1987, told the crowd that returning to Long Beach "is like coming back home." (Diandra Jay/Press Telegram Staff Photographer)

To Take A Walk On The Honor Side

On Thursday, April 17, 2008, at 11:00am, the kick-off event to the four-wheel Grand Prix speedfest through the streets of Long Beach was held on the western sidewalk in front of the Long Beach Convention Center and not one engine rev was heard.

The event was the third time in three years where the city of Long Beach honors the motorsports stars that have either lived in Long Beach or have graced the oceanside city with their talent, along the way to a pinnacle career behind the wheel in sporting competition. A one-of-a-kind, two-foot in diameter medallion was cast, listing the name and accomplishments of the honoree, and then set in cement for all race fans and visitors to see as they walk down the east side of Pine avenue in front of the Convention Center.

This year was witness to the honoring of three towering legends of motorsports in Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, and Gary Gabelich and, to be honest, while these men were honored through the ceremony on Pine Avenue, Long Beach became the biggest winner in the exchange.

The Long Beach Motorsports Walk Of Fame induction ceremony helped to put aside the fact that this year is the last year the ChampCar World Series cars and management will be putting on the event of the race (as some of the people involved have) for over twenty years. It is a melancholy year, in that the cars will race but only nine drivers will be awarded points that matter to them for the balance of the year – twenty cars and drivers to honor ChampCar, but only nine with skin in the game.

The Indy Racing League has provided a path of unification where two open-wheel racing series merge into one, but this year, the IRL Management (other than season points recognition for the transitioning drivers) is nowhere to be found. No visibility, no public relations, no official status. This lack of interest extends all of the way to the non-recognition or listing of this 34th edition of the Grand Prix in Long Beach to their website where the race is not mentioned.

The Long Beach Motorsports Walk Of Fame for 2008 was a breath of fresh air and a walk on the honor side. The honor of the accomplishments of sportsmen inducted, the honor of a valiant legacy of American open-wheel racing, and the honor of a city, spirit, and a venue that have no equal. Long Live the Grand Prix of Long Beach … from Shoreline Drive to the short shute along Pine Avenue.

Now let’s go racing and make some history. Let the “fine nine” go immediately to the front of the pack and have a Grand Prix race for the Indy Racing League ages.

Original Event Posting Here >>

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Hold on, it's not on Eurosport at all?

Dude, I'd love to know what the hell's got in to Eurosport.

Not content with al the other good motorsport they've lost/given away over the years they've now gone and let GP2 slip out of their grasp as that's just been announced as going to ITV4.

I'm unhappy about backwater channels like ITV4 (renowned for repeating soap operas and very old dramas) getting their hands on various sports. They also took BTCC recently, although to be fair I missed the race first so can't comment on how they handled it. The main problem with non-specific programming channels is that....they basically don't care. If Eurosport missed a race it would be big news. If ITV4 miss a race for whatever reason or decide they don't want to show it live anymore....they won't give a **** and will happily piss about with the format and broadcast times as many times as suits them.

But I thought Eurosport used to do an amazing job with GP2 and Martin Haven's commentary worked really well for that particular series. A real shame in my eyes.

I wonder therefore if they've also ditched Porsche Supercup? I can't imagine Eurosport sending a crew to GP weekends just to cover Supercup. So that may well be yet another series lost, only nobody has taken it on.

I'm wondering if Moto GP is getting more and more expensive to cover with it's continuing popularity?

Originally posted by EDJE
POINTLESS?!

This merger may become a pointless disaster for the fortunes of the 34th running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The possibility looms that if the IRL race in Motegi, Japan gets cancelled today (10:00pm ET) due to weather and track conditions (as was the case last night), the Dallara’s get loaded back into the planes and go to Kansas City for next weeks race. No race at Twin-Ring! No points for established drivers.

Further, if this happens, the race through the streets of Long Beach will have the proverbial “RUG” pulled out from underneath it. The nine drivers (the “Fine Nine”) that were able to transition into the IRL for the full season, as well as the balance of the 20 car field will be awarded with the same result – NO POINTS!

What difference does it make ultimately?

If the CART teams had gone to Motegi they likely wouldn't have been in a position to get any decent points, whereas at Long Beach they could (see Wilson on pole etc).

The alternative simply became most probably either a Penske, Target or Andretti car winning at Motegi and a Newman Haas winning at Long Beach and the drivers divide the spoils.

But now it looks quite possible neither series will score points this weekend, thus the most important drivers in the championship battle (i.e. the established Indycar teams and Newman Haas from CART) go home with no points and really nothing will have changed.

The Long Beach race is billed as one last hurrah for CART (or in real terms, a contractual obligation they couldn't get out of without losing a **** load of money) and in the interests of fairness IRL are letting them score IRL points.

In the great scheme of things, within a few weeks or months (and certainly by next season - the first FULLY unified season without split-race weekends) nobody will give a **** will they and life will go on unperturbed by whether Justin Wilson does or doesn't get to keep the points for his win tomorrow.

Hey you never know, maybe that fault-line will let slip and California will be in the sea before the race even starts....

Originally posted by EDJE
The Indy Racing League has provided a path of unification where two open-wheel racing series merge into one, but this year, the IRL Management (other than season points recognition for the transitioning drivers) is nowhere to be found. No visibility, no public relations, no official status. This lack of interest extends all of the way to the non-recognition or listing of this 34th edition of the Grand Prix in Long Beach to their website where the race is not mentioned.

Thanks for the laugh, your posts always kill me.

Here's the post-qualifying press conference transcript from Long Beach with Justin Wilson, Alex Tagliani, Oriol Servia and Paul Tracy, talking about the unification, the points system situation this weekend, the Dallara vs DP01 and the battles and politics behind the scenes. Very informative and interesting reading from the drivers' point of view.

Oh, and it can all be found on indycar.com.

http://www.indycar.c...?story_id=11034

Also, free live video streaming for Long Beach on indycar.com:

http://www.indycar.c...?story_id=11019

Originally posted by Imperial


Hey you never know, maybe that fault-line will let slip and California will be in the sea before the race even starts....

Even that would be less of a disaster than the US 500.

Originally posted by Bumper


Thanks for the laugh, your posts always kill me.

Here's the post-qualifying press conference transcript from Long Beach with Justin Wilson, Alex Tagliani, Oriol Servia and Paul Tracy, talking about the unification, the points system situation this weekend, the Dallara vs DP01 and the battles and politics behind the scenes. Very informative and interesting reading from the drivers' point of view.

Oh, and it can all be found on indycar.com.

http://www.indycar.c...?story_id=11034

Also, free live video streaming for Long Beach on indycar.com:

http://www.indycar.c...?story_id=11019

Originally posted by Bumper


Thanks for the laugh, your posts always kill me.

Here's the post-qualifying press conference transcript from Long Beach with Justin Wilson, Alex Tagliani, Oriol Servia and Paul Tracy, talking about the unification, the points system situation this weekend, the Dallara vs DP01 and the battles and politics behind the scenes. Very informative and interesting reading from the drivers' point of view.

Oh, and it can all be found on indycar.com.

http://www.indycar.c...?story_id=11034

Also, free live video streaming for Long Beach on indycar.com:

http://www.indycar.c...?story_id=11019

Nice to see some attention ... just before the race. Good interview. Tracy was happy as he climbed out of the car after maintaining fifth. Mostly the "Fine Nine" are all over the charts. Looking for a great time tomorrow - points or no points! It's Long Beach, Baby!

Does anyone know if the race will be broadcast anywhere in Australia? Channel 7 began showing them about halfway through last year but there's no sign of any coverage from them for this race as far as I can see..

Originally posted by Eff One 2002
Does anyone know if the race will be broadcast anywhere in Australia? Channel 7 began showing them about halfway through last year but there's no sign of any coverage from them for this race as far as I can see..

Long beach is on ESPN at 7:30am Monday morning

Motegi was supposed to be shown yesterday on ESPN and they did show the rain delay coverage bu nothing on the ESPN schedule today. It looks like they couldnt fit the re-scheduled race in.

It is due to start at midday Sunday Melbourne time. It should be ok to watch on the website though.