The IndyCar Series may have another problem with one of its 2011 race venues.
How big is the problem? Depends on who you ask.
Formula One driver Jensen Button reported that he and his McLaren guests narrowly avoided being carjacked while in Sao Paulo
for the Brazilian Grand Prix Nov. 6.
Button said the incident shows how dangerous Sao Paulo can be for the race drivers who venture there. Luckily, Button said
he had a police-trained driver and a bullet proof Mercedes-Benz B-class car. In a separate report, several engineers for the
Sauber team also were robbed the same weekend. Button was lucky, as he got away without giving anything up. The engineers
reported being robbed of all their possessions.
The IndyCar Series is set to be in Sao Paulo for a race May 1. The series was in Brazil last year incident free. Still, Button
is cautioning the drivers because locals know that most of them have money and other prized items.
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said perceived riches are not why Button was targeted. He told Racer Magazine that he’s
gone to Sao Paulo for more than 40 years, even jogging on the beach wearing expensive watches and other jewelry and never
had a problem.
Ecclestone’s advice for Brazilian-bound racers: Toughen up—and qualify high. What did you expect from the man
known in racing circles worldwide as the Iron Dwarf?
“They look for victims, they look for anyone who looks like a soft touch and not too bright,” Ecclestone told
Racer. “People who look a bit soft and simple, they will always have a go at. I think for the race weekend
they probably watch TV and see who’s not qualified in the top 10 and think, ‘Well, they must be a bit stupid,
otherwise they would qualify in the top 10.’”
Ecclestone then asked his interviewer where Button’s McLaren team had qualified.
Button qualified 11th.
“There you are, you see? I rest my case.”
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Welcome to The Score, your place for hard-hitting sports business news, fast-breaking updates and fuel-injected debate. Buckle up. I'm your host, Anthony Schoettle, IBJ sports reporter.
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First, the Athenaeum is going to have to get past the hurdle with the Lockerbie residents and the agreement that the parcel would be residential. Second, and in my opinion, this prime piece of property should include parking, PLUS, a black box theater(s), some market rate and affordable artist housing and a plan to renovate and reconfigure the second story theater. I would negotiate to add the DeHaan property surface parking lot into the development mix, place a one story surface parking garage on the DeHaan lot on the street level (for the Dehaan tenants use during the daytime) and add a second story to the garage that would become an addition to the current second story theater and then change the direction of the theater by moving the stage across the alley and on top of the DeHaan lot parking. You can add all the stage elements that are currently missing from the Athenaeum stage to make it more attractive for use by Ballet, Opera and traveling productions. Plus, the theater changes would probably help solve some of the soundproofing issues. Alas,it does not seem to be a part of the strategic plan to conduct a study to determine best use of the property. Seems like the current plan is a quick and easy move that ignores the property best use/potential and any strategic property planning for the effect on future generations.
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I recall that MSA's pilings are still in the ground and hard to remove. It’s not likely any proposal will include significant underground construction/parking because of this. Start adding 2 floors of retail, 8 floors of parking and 5-10 floors of possible hotel, and/or 10-20 floors of residential, and you are at 30 floors already with possible expansion of all the uses. But then again I could be wrong.
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Accoriding to their website there is no deadline to the Do Not Call list. What is this article referring to??
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On what planet are they entitled to this largesse from the stockholders? These people make multi-million dollar salaries: Pay for your own personal travel.
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It matters because they're already paid enormously fat salaries: Pay for your own personal travel. Being "taxed on it" isn't a valid excuse--so what? They're still being gifted a raft of luxury perks from somebody else's money on top of an enormous, lavish salary.
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In other news, Chevy looks like it is going to return to the IRL. I guess the haters are going to hate that one. So lets begin the countdown clock to the haters saying this is another sign of the impending doom of the IRL. How Chevy is a bad company/bad engine supplier and how no one has ever heard of this company.
Let the hate begin.
Or even Charles Burns of the IndyCar Series on the planning he put into the trip and what he told everyone who went?
It's embarrassing that you're allowed to write stuff like this and call it "blogging". Most bloggers at least try.
The IndyCar race at Brazil had a Holiday Inn as a part of the race compound. So participants never had to leave the area (and were told not to) so they were not in such situations.
A Google search would have told you the Holiday Inn in question could have had around 1200 guests (454 rooms with 2 beds, 311 rooms with single beds) for the IndyCar weekend.
1200 guests for 24 drivers, the team owners and crews, the IndyCar officials, and everyone else who was a part of the event.
Since that number of folks was insufficient for whatever reason, a second hotel was used, with the guests there under similar restrictions as far as going out.
Given the amount of travel drivers and car owners take over the course of a season (or their careers), I am going to guess there's (unfortunately) a much higher chance of them being harmed in a car or plane crash than being harmed in Brazil.
But I know that won't help you meet your quota, since it appears you've got to bang one of these blog-things out every weekday regardless.
And as far as reading, you're welcome but I'm afraid I've already dropped you from my blog reader.
The Article from Racer magazine did a great job of showing the lack of management and care applied to F1 by Bernie. He was on the starting grid and was very aware of where Button qualified. The fact that he attributes it to "not being bright" is another cop-out in his abilities of organizing and protecting his investments, the teams.
"Ecclestone is an idiot and I really hope F1 finds a way of dumping him."
Why??? I thought you didn't care about F1? He may be a bufuddled old man, but he's built the most successful OWR series in history. Say what you want about him, but he constantly builds F1 up. All the Hulmanistas in Indiana ever did, was say their 1 race was all that mattered, and destroyed the sport.
SPEED caught Bernie on the grid and asked about the Button deal, and he said that everything was fine. Someone was probably just trying to sell him a hat. :lol:
Brazil may be a dangerous place, but seeing as most of the .1RL's sponsorship comes from there, I think they know the situation.
As far a fans go, I don't think anyone has to worry about fans traveling to see the League. Nobody goes to the races here in N America. Do you really think anyone is traveling from here to Brazil to watch them???
Believe the Chevy deal when I see it. Means nothing now, but the Race is definitely off in Edmonton.
I was on vacation during most of that. When I came back there was many dozens of replies mostly saying the same things. But if you care about my opinion that much, it seems rather simple.
A deal was made to run the race. Edmonton came back and wanted the promoter to use a different course which would increase the cost by $2 or $3 million. Promoter balked at footing the cost for repaving an abandoned runway, and unfortunately the race is off. Sounds to me that the promoter may have the makings of a lawsuit unless there was a clause that allowed the City/airport to start throwing in demands after the deal was signed. Again, seems pretty open and shut.
As far as F1, I do not care for the racing, just amazed that Ecclestone made those kind of comments about one of his drivers. Imagine Belaskus calling out Franchitti or France calling out Busch like that. Amazing the man arrogance and greed. More reason to not like the series.
Feel so much better about the Olympics.
J-I-Indy Cars really are lame and not quite up to F1...But I did stay at A Holiday Inn Express last night.
From Indy Star
http://www.indystar.com/article/20101108/SPORTS01/101108007/Report-Chevrolet-could-return-to-IndyCar-Series-in-2012?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Sports|s
From Autoweek
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101108/IRL/101109887
From SpeedTV
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-chevy-to-return-in-2012/
Hate on super chief.
Fork, please. .
And, second, GM is majority owned by the US Government, which is funded by taxpayers? Is that correct?
I suspect GM (and our government) will be chastised quite heavily for such a move. In this economy in a sport with virtually NO ROI or business plan for the future. I for one oppose use of my tax dollars to support GM and this carelessly frivolous plan to join the IRL.
APPALLING if GM goes through with this.
This is the only quote I've seen where Button says anything regarding the city of Sao Paolo...
"It's an epic circuit and it holds a lot of good memories. But I'll be on my way home tonight."
You seem to be going pretty far with your paraphrasing.
The IndyCar race was safe last year, will be safe next year, and will continue to be safe for the remaining years of the contract.
But then again, how many resort towns are locked down compounds? Cancun, Jamaica etc... all are popular areas to visit, but you do not leave the compound
IS Chevy entering the IRL FRESHLY while under federal government bailout? APPALLING.
So spending 100's of millions while taking taxpayer money is ok, but not spending a fraction of that? No Chief, they are laughing with you, not at you.
King Andy,
Then be gone. Enjoy other sports blogs. You won't be missed.
A series that has NO engine formula devised yet, or a chassis that is nothing but a hologram projected on a wall?
YOU want the money used for that? The IRL has been nothing but a giant PONZI scam....with the former CART owners taking the lions share of profits.
If US Government gets out of auto business then GM can squander everything they can on the IRL. Until then no way. Indirectly funding this moronic.
Definition of Ponzi: a pyramid investment swindle in which supposed profits are paid to early investors from money actually invested by later participants
So who are the early investors who made money, and who are the later ones getting screwed? Sounds more like what cart did with its IPO.
Speaking of IPO, GM is preparing to sell up to 1/3 of the governments share in an upcoming IPO with the rest being sold over the next couple of years to avoid saturating the market.
That all said, I think the government should have let GM and chrysler go through bankruptcy and either emerge much leaner or go away to be replaced by stronger competitors. That is what a free market is.
Come on, you can do better than that, can't you? Your hatred for a series that refuses to give you a personal apology is showing.
By the way, Anthony has been reporting on a race in China since '09.