15 replies to this topic

[TedN]

Interesting read here, especially about BAR offering Gordon a ride back in 1999. I didn't realise that. Kinda wonder if the current situation at BAR would have been any different if he had accepted.

Ted

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Mon, June 16, 2003
Gordon draws F-1 fuss
By DEAN MCNULTY, TORONTO SUN


MONTREAL -- NASCAR Winston Cup star Jeff Gordon was getting a lot of attention at the Grand Prix of Canada, even though he was more than 1,000 kilometres away racing his No. 24 Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway. All the fuss was the result of his ride in a BMW-Williams at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week where he posted a time that would have been good enough to make the U.S. Grand Prix grid based on 2002 results.

And yesterday one of the owners of BAR-Honda said the team had offered the four-time Winston Cup champion a contract in 1999 that would have paired him with Canada's Jacques Villeneuve.

"We approached him but he turned us down," Craig Pollock said yesterday. "I think he knew he would have been crucified by NASCAR fans had he switched to F-1."

But Pollock said F-1 needs an American of Gordon's stature to bring more U.S. interest to the sport.

Frank Williams, owner of the BMW-Williams team, said he was surprised at Gordon's ability in the F-1 car at Indy, especially considering it was his first time in one of the high-powered machines.

"The good news is he's very, very quick," Williams said. "The bad news is we can't afford him. He is a winning NASCAR driver and his earnings, I am told, are out of sight."

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: F-1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has his eyes set on racing in the streets of New York City.

Ecclestone, desperate to get more exposure for the series in the U.S., said he sees a New York race as the equivalent of the Grand Prix of Monaco, where the race is run on the streets of Monte Carlo.

"Never has a deal been more doable," Ecclestone told Le Journal de Montreal.

While admitting that such plans are still in the embryonic stage, Ecclestone said he is working with the representatives of New York civic government to make it happen.

BRIEFLY: A race steward was killed at a weekend auto rally and two other people were injured when three cars inexplicably left the track and crashed into an observation post at Faux, in France's Dordogne region. Yesterday's competition was cancelled ... Bentley won its first Le Mans title since 1930, and driver Tom Kristensen set a record with his fourth consecutive victory in the 24-hour endurance race.

[Viss1]

News to me. Something tells me the offer couldn't have been very lucrative, though.

[Vilenova]

I'm not that surprised he turned them down. If JG is going to leave everything he has now, money won't be the object as much as you think. The deciding factor will be the competitiveness of the package.

As far as doing a NY street race...I think that shutting down NY to hold a GP would piss more ppl off than generate any fans.
NY is not Monaco...lolz

[Jordan191]

Originally posted by Vilenova
I'm not that surprised he turned them down. If JG is going to leave everything he has now, money won't be the object as much as you think. The deciding factor will be the competitiveness of the package.

As far as doing a NY street race...I think that shutting down NY to hold a GP would piss more ppl off than generate any fans.
NY is not Monaco...lolz

well mabye not after his divorce.

anyhow I just gotta say something .. your sig ... This isn't eBay

[Todd]

Originally posted by TedN

"We approached him but he turned us down," Craig Pollock said yesterday. "I think he knew he would have been crucified by NASCAR fans had he switched to F-1."

NASCAR fans already hated Jeff Gordon's guts as much as they could in 1999. They cheered when his car broke and they booed when he came out to practice. He is much more appreciated now, primarily because he no longer wins every other race. In 1999 though, he was the Michael Schumacher of NASCAR.

[Ricardo F1]

Originally posted by Todd


NASCAR fans already hated Jeff Gordon's guts as much as they could in 1999. They cheered when his car broke and they booed when he came out to practice. He is much more appreciated now, primarily because he no longer wins every other race. In 1999 though, he was the Michael Schumacher of NASCAR.

Uh??? Michael Schumacher only ever got booed after the antics of Austria last year as far as I know. He's the most supported driver in F1.

[AD]

and the most hated...

You either love or loath Schumacher.

[StickShift]

iirc, almost everyone was offered the #2 seat at BAR.

[John B]

Was the contract to actually drive competitively in 1999, or a test year thing? Much as I'd love to see a native talent like Gordon or Stewart in F1, I also would think a team manager would have some reluctance to give a seat to someone who had never raced an open wheel car on a road course or done a competitive standing start. There was also a bit of talk about Jimmy Vasser coming over from CART for the BAR #2, so I'm wondering if there wasn't some publicity/sponsor motivation to try and get an American (would it have been attractive to Honda?). With the lack of Americans in CART, maybe Gordon looked like the best choice for BAR.....

[Vagabond]

Ney York GP Go Bernie

[pRy]

The final judgement on the devorce is here :

http://www.thesmokin...doc_o_day.shtml

Sadly no $$ figure. That will remain secret.

[Todd]

Originally posted by StickShift
iirc, almost everyone was offered the #2 seat at BAR.

Considering that they wound up with Ricardo Zonta, it wasn't really the biggest compliment anyway.

[jaisli]

Originally posted by TedN

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: F-1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has his eyes set on racing in the streets of New York City.

Ecclestone, desperate to get more exposure for the series in the U.S., said he sees a New York race as the equivalent of the Grand Prix of Monaco, where the race is run on the streets of Monte Carlo.

"Never has a deal been more doable," Ecclestone told Le Journal de Montreal.

While admitting that such plans are still in the embryonic stage, Ecclestone said he is working with the representatives of New York civic government to make it happen.

F1 through the streets of Manhattan. Yowza--what a sight! Granted, without a quote from Bernie I would have laughed this off but somehow his support leads some credence that it "may" actually happen. None-the-less, for a great many reasons, I don't see this being possible.

- I can't imagine F1 introducing any NEW street circuits. It's only by tradition that Monaco survives.

- If the teams complain about Interlagos being bumpy they haven't seen anything yet. AT those kinds of speeds it would take a major repaving effort.

- New York City has tremendous financial problems at the moment. While the race may bring in money I can't see how they could afford the sanctioning fees.

I won't even go into missing magnesium rims showing up for sale on a street corner in Queens before the end of the first free practice or a Cadillac Escalade with tinted windows and gold plated emblems looking ridiculously out of place as the safety car.


Incidentally, BAR offering Gordon a ride in 99 is interesting but unfortunately also puts an end to speculation that by some miracle he'll be showing up in a Grand Prix car next season. As much fun as Jeff had driving the FW24, if he wouldn't go for the complete change of life style when he was 27, I doubt he would consider it when he's going on 32.

jaisli

[John B]

Originally posted by jaisli




I won't even go into missing magnesium rims showing up for sale on a street corner in Queens before the end of the first free practice or a Cadillac Escalade with tinted windows and gold plated emblems looking ridiculously out of place as the safety car.


jaisli

But it would be worth it to see a Ferrari or McLaren on cinder blocks for the first time

[jaisli]

Originally posted by John B




But it would be worth it to see a Ferrari or McLaren on cinder blocks for the first time

Yeah, and Bernie will be all for it until he sees blankets spread out on the sidewalk with bootleg copies of the FIA season review for sale. But the more time I have to consider this the more I think it may just be a plot to get Tony to commit the IMS for a few more years.

[ehagar]

Originally posted by pRy
The final judgement on the devorce is here :

http://www.thesmokin...doc_o_day.shtml

Sadly no $$ figure. That will remain secret.

They said 15 million on Speed News...