Cairo, NY -- With the report that Ben Johnston has purchased the former Champ Car Atlantics ladder series, purportedly on a handshake with Gerald Forsythe and/or Kevin Kalkhoven, the answer to the question "What will replace the Champ Car World Series for racing-starved open-wheel fans?" has, perhaps, been answered. 

While it may not be quite the answer we were looking for, Johnston is to be congratulated, nonetheless, for being the only activist in sight.  Since this renegade scribe was the first to attempt coverage and commentary about GreenPrixUSA (the domain GreenPrixUSA.com has been registered by a Johnston business associate) let's start ranting about the new series right here in this new blog devoted to it.

Johnston's plan could eventually turn Atlantics into a so-called *green series that would utilize recycled Champ Car World Series Reynard and DP01 chassis powered by repurposed Cosworth turbocharged Champ Car engines.  Have you ever read about anything described with so many eco-friendly buzzwords -- alternative fuel, renewable resources, recycled, repurposed?  That's good news whether you're a tree hugger, T. Boone Pickens or just the average gas price-gouged motorsports fan.

On the potential bad news side, what was it that Judge Wapner always said on The Peoples' Court about "getting it in writing"?  Certainly contracts and other paperwork are forthcoming, but anyone who shakes hands with the twice-failed major CART/CCWS owner and his double-dealing venture capitalist partner better have a strong B-plan ready to work at a moment's notice.

Mixed news is probably the best way to describe the owner's quickie mission statement.  "I intend to create an arrive-and-drive type schedule where I own and prepare all the cars," Ben Johnston said. "The plan is to tune the engines in the Panoz down to 650bhp and the Reynards down to 500bhp."

Arrive-and-drive proprietary specs may make for extremely close on-track competition but it also makes the series a ride-buyer's dream.  It would be wonderful to see a field full of unemployed Champ Car racers and supersubs but it is more likely that no-names and denizens of the ladder series will be out in force. 

It may be coincidental, but there has been an up-tick in Brazil of racing forum chatter and e-mail activity since the announcement.  Perhaps some of my Brazilian friends will help me to better understand what they're saying.

What about seat auditions and testing sessions?  What about teams?  What about personal and team sponsors?  What about engine badge-ing and series sponsorship? 

Will the engines be de-tuned to promote better reliability and longer life or because the series, as a possible future replacement for the current version of Atlantics, will be populated by drivers without experience or qualification to race in a higher-tech environment? 

Will GreenPrix be a two-class series because of differences between the older Reynards and the newer DP01's or because Johnston's original marketing plan is designed around that format? 

Will it be safe for faster and slower cars to compete simultaneously?  If not, won't the field sizes of each class be too small to be significant?

At this time there are obviously more questions than answers and I'm looking forward to receiving a phone call, e-mail and/or media kit. 

However, it appears safe to say that the news is not particularly good for those who had hoped for a Champ Car World Series replacement that could give the IRL a run for its money.  Then again, the news is pretty good for open-wheel racing in general, especially for Atlantics fans who crave bigger, higher-tech cars.

Note: The first round of GreenPrix racing is scheduled to take place next March in Savannah, Georgia.

*Methanol, as I reminded my readers in a recent rant, has always been an alternative fuel.  It is made from renewable resources.

POSTSCRIPT...

- Ben Johnston, in an e-mail message dated 10/11/08, promises to "...give [me] the facts (not the fabrications!) of what's going on. "   I'm excited!

- GreenPrixUSA.com website launched 10/16/08

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READER COMMENTS...

I'm really interested to see how this goes.  Can it actually have some level of development or will it be an AIS situation?  Will it have real drivers, or will it be a country club type-of-deal.  Either way, I hope they run Barber...Unless I leave Alabama...then I hope they run VIR.  Also, while I may miss the old white text on black background, my eyes thank you for the new design.

Will
isitmayyet.com

I'm glad for you guys.  Once again, you'll have your own series to b*tch about.  Although admittedly the IndyCar Series will have many of your old tracks, teams, and drivers.  At least you'll have the (neutered) DP01.

Also, I would like to apologize for trolling on your blog.  Usually I wouldn't bother, but since I got banned from Crapwagon after my first and only post I feel I owe it to free speech to bother you every now and then.

Demond Sanders
Indianapolis

Glad to see the new blog about the pending new owr series Ed, I definitely will frequent this site in the future.

What I don't understand is the rationale to de-tune the Reynard's 150BHP less than the dpo1's if they are to run against each other in competition.  I would assume that the newer ground effects equipped dp01 chassis would be the faster and superior race car even if they had identical bhp power plants installed! Thus, it would seem logical to me to give the Reynard an extra 50-100 more bhp in order to bring them level with the Panoz DP01's!

apex
Toronto

all i can say is... YAY! lol

Anonymous

llets do it!  please Johnston be the saviour.  F1 is distancing itself from true race fans, and absent from NA, Firl sucks and will only continue to climb the crapmeter as long as the Dallara is on track til *puke* 2011, Firl team owners and drivers alike are disgruntled, Atlantics weathered the storm, green time has come... all this makes for decent conditions to run with a good idea.  Just pair up with ALMS, that's the obvious ticket.  shouldn't be hard since gomertour pride wont let it exhibit how much slower the Dallara is than LMP1's!

giterrdun.

LT
Montreal

Wow, a new almost top-tier series.  That's awesome, and it would help replace that thing from ohio or kansas or wherever those full-throttle mid-westers series is from.

The question I have is this -- if they lower the power (650/500 hp) will they also decrease the downforce (by raising up the car, or lowering wing angle) so that there's still driver input as a factor.

Good article, although you're abrasive to a fault :)

Ehud

Tucson

Any chance of F1 style KERS?  The mechanical system seems to run all day...  Will be worth keeping an eye on.

Graham

UK

All blather and no action...races in March '09?  I think not...

s

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