Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Earnings/Financials
Forsythe forced out of IndyCars
After thirteen years in Champ Cars, Forsythe Championship Racing has been forced to withdraw from top-level open-wheel motorsports. The unfortunate development comes as an indirect result of the series' merger with the Indy Racing League, which Jerry Forsythe, co-owner of the Champ Car World Series, helped broker. Due to a more open formula in the IndyCar Series, Champ Car teams are facing a dramatically increased budget in order to compete with the established IRL teams. Forsythe has had difficulty finding sponsorship since anti-tobacco legislation forced out long-time partner Player's.
Although Forsythe hopes to find sponsorship in time for the 2009 season, the team won't compete in the IndyCar Series this season beyond the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Such famous drivers as Patrick Carpentier, Tony Kanaan, Greg Moore, Al Unser Jr. and Jacques Villeneuve all drove for Forsythe, whose withdrawal from racing leaves former champion Paul Tracy without a ride as the two series embark upon their first reunited season. Tracy, with whom Forsythe won its only title in 2003, was signed to a long-term contract and is now forced to search for a new team in the IndyCar Series.
[Source: Autosport, Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
LBuzzer 9:44AM (2/29/2008)
This is a huge loss for Canadian motorsports. Some of my favorite drivers were part of this team: the late Greg Moore, Paul Tracy, and of course Jacques Villeneuve. It's too bad for open-wheeled racing as a whole also, for this was a high quality team and could win on any race weekend.
It looks more and more like the IRL is just taking over the suffering Champ Car Series to the detriment of racing as a whole. The NASCARization of racing continues... *sigh*
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John P. 10:14AM (2/29/2008)
I don't smoke, never have, but we've turned into a bunch of pussies with this anti-tobacco nonsense. We aren't gonna live forever.
I miss those tobacco company branded cars.
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Dustin 10:40AM (2/29/2008)
Likewise. The tobacco sponsorships really added some flavor to racing liveries, pardon the pun. And they kept good teams in business. Meanwhile, it has never made me want to smoke. I can think for myself.
Frustrated Consumer 12:07PM (2/29/2008)
Oh please, this guy wasn't 'forced out' of anything. It was widely expected that since he was a major player in ChampCar that his ego wouldn't take being a simple car owner in the IRL. People said he would bail if they merged. The merger happened, he bailed.
His own Indeck company was sponsoring his ChampCar so he was spending his own money to run that. He simply choose not to do the same thing in IRL.
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Dondonel 1:14PM (2/29/2008)
I still don't understand why they kept the old IRL car instead of the much modern Champ Car. Who cares that the IRL car might have been faster on a oval? like there is anything to see on an oval. The Champ Car would have killed the IRL car on road tracks.
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patrick 2:25PM (2/29/2008)
IRL Cars Faster Than ChampCars? No Way! Greg Moore Set The Track Record At Homestead Speedway That Will Possibly Never Be Broken In A ChampCar. ChampCars Cant Even Run At Texas Motor Speedway Because They Run Too Fast. I Say Ditch The IRL Car And Keep The ChampCar.
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PA Castaway 2:35PM (2/29/2008)
This breaks my heart. I've been a Forsyth/Players fan since '97. Although it still doesn't compare to missing both Greg Moore and that graceful Players 99 on good intelligent road courses. This is the final straw for me as a fan. Why watch inferior cars on uncomplicated ovals play NASCAR?
RIP Greg, Players, CART, racing
patrick 2:25PM (2/29/2008)
And How Would It Make Sense That Forsythe Said He Would Bail If They Merged When It Says In The Story That Helped Co-Broker The Deal To Make The Merger Happen? Doesnt Make Any Sense
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RedLineTire 4:05PM (2/29/2008)
Let's see if I can simplify this for you...
1) He's paying out of his pocket to run his own team since 2004 (he can't find a sponsor)
2) He's paying to help keep ChampCar alive since its inception
So...
3) He approves deal to merge with IRL
4) He closes team using the excuse he can't find sponsorship (see #1)
5) He stops bleeding money like there's no tomorrow!
USCTrojan4JC 2:26PM (2/29/2008)
As far as I know, Tony Kanaan and Al Unser, Jr. never drove for Forsythe Racing. Where do you guys get this information?
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USCTrojan4JC 2:28PM (2/29/2008)
Nevermind. Tony drove the Mickey D's car for Forsythe Racing. I know Little Al never did, though.
USCTrojan4JC 2:32PM (2/29/2008)
D'oh! I'm wrong again! Little Al drove for Forysthe in his rookie year in CART in 1982. My bad.
Keep up the good work!
Tom Winch 11:41PM (2/29/2008)
You nailed it.
Tom Winch 11:45PM (2/29/2008)
Meant for RedLineTire.
Richard James 1:23AM (3/03/2008)
Keep the Champ Car? There's nowhere near enough DP-01s in existence for all the teams that will run a full season, and forget about Indy - there's going to need to be at least 80 cars for Indy alone, and there's maybe, at the most, 40 DP-01s. There are plenty of Dallaras out there. Plus, the Dallara on a road course is a proven, if not ideal, package. No one knows anything about the Panoz DP-01 on an oval, neither how it will race nor how it will crash. Besides, in a couple of years there's going to be an all-new car anyway, so why does it matter?
Forsythe wasn't "forced out" of anything. A lot of good people are out of work to satisfy his ego.
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