The Miller event has nothing to do with Jon's series. It's a double national event that we put on the West Coast F1000 Pro Series schedule on request from our F1000 drivers who wanted it as part of the series. They are running it to help qualify for the runoffs. The F1000 Pro Series is a separate series that has been around since 2010 and runs strictly in the West.
Also, almost forgot. Seems like a lot of guys posting here with no dog in this hunt. I'm not one of those. I paid the East Coast series entry fee . Spent some money. Bought a car (a nice Firman F1000 of course). Was planning to do one race in the series at least. Ran track days and a couple of SCCA events as a tuneup.
Probably won't get it back now (the fee). But you know something?....I don't care. I don't care if I never get my money back. At least not enough to make a big deal over it. (but I don't have as much invested perhaps either), that's because I've seen this script before and know its all a part of racing, and if I keep staying in racing long enough, will probably see it again (and probably again after that too).
Name a car class and I can probably give you a name of a series that ran those cars that is now gone by-by. History. Adios. Bankrupt. Nice knowing ya. Sometimes leaving it's former competitors with expensive cars that they really can't race anywhere. Anyone remember Fran-Am? What ever happen to those guys? Super Vee anybody?
I look on this whole thing as a positive dispite it's crashing failure. It raised the awareness of F1000 to a level it probably didn't deserve and in the end may actually help it grow.
Say what you will about promises unkept, things oversold, talk overhyped, yadda yadda, but I'm sure there are plenty of veterans of other long lost series (anybody remember Formula Mondial?...I was caught up in that too), that can empart their wisdom onto those of you that seem a little less experienced in the ways of things....
..as it was the world didn't stop turning on it's axis back then either, nobody died, and there were other series (some even better) that evenually came along and filled the void.....and someday we may look back at this moment as a just a bump in the road, a step on the ladder, on it's way to better things...
maybe....
Last edited by Thomas Copeland; 07.12.12 at 1:12 AM.
Good for you, Tom. Your thoughts regarding the F1000 Championship Series' are pretty refreshing after some of what's been said here.
Yeah, some folks lost money on the F1000 Championship... but I don't think anyone has reason to believe their money was stolen from them. A guy tried to make something cool... people liked the idea, signed on... gave their enthusiasm, sweat and some dollars... everyone on all sides hoping the series would be a great success -- and to the benefit of all.
The venture failed. Which occasionally happens in this world -- and it's sad. But could anyone participating have thought at the outset that success was an absolute guarantee in this auto racing venture? I hope not...
I don't see any villany here either. I say "Great try," to everyone involved.
Last edited by Christopher Crowe; 07.12.12 at 3:17 AM.
OK, let me say one last thing here. The Series is not dead. In reaction to a bad hand we were dealt, we are simply restructuring the Series to a more cost effective route. Instead of running the remainder of this season at high profile events like Mid-Ohio, which carries a hefty price tag just to be there, we will be running at tracks like Barber, Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta with SCCA. We will have split starts (as does the west coast series) and the potential at a few to have our own run group with standing starts.
We are constantly working on funding and Title sponsorship to pay out the prize fund and tow money that is rightly due to our drivers from Mosport and New Jersey. They will be paid. But, until then, we have had to scale back our prize fund to a level we know we can pay.
We will continue to work to bring the Series back to the level it was originally planned to be.
I don't think you will find one driver in our Series that will tell that our first two events weren't run well. I've assembled one of the best teams of officials and I believe (beyond our difficulty with the prize fund) that every driver in our series enjoyed our first two events.
Just as in any business, when you lose a major account, or a supplier, you need to regroup and restructure your plan in order to continue in business. That is what we are doing.
Our sponsors (which are many) are firmly behind us. Most of these are not money sponsors, but product sponsors. There are huge upfront costs in starting a new series. Scales, Scale Pad, trailers, safety cars, radios, you name it. The series did not have to shell out these expenses due to the support of our sponsors. Others are providing awards like tires, hard charger awards, etc.
What we need is a Title Sponsor and it is something we are actively working on. As far as my qualifications go, as a driver I was able to make it to the pinnacle of sports car racing in the IMSA Camel GTP ranks. I've been a successful team owner in Indycar, Indy Lights, American Le Mans, Trans-Am and Formula BMW. I was the Vice President of Marketing for the North American Touring Car Championship and for the Championship winning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team of Germain Racing. As a team owner we have won races at Road America in Trans-Am, Nashville in Indy Lights and the 12 hours of Sebring in American Le Mans LMP2.
I've been involved in motorsports for over 25 years. The Formula 1000 Championship Series is a great concept and has a bright future ahead of itself. Sure, we have been dealt a huge blow. I take full responsibility of relying on the words of a few individuals to financially back the Series. Never again, will I place this Series in this predicament. Only when we have signed agreements and the money is in the bank will we announce any increase in our operation.
What I have done is to try and bring the F1000 class into a level higher than it has ever been. I will continue to do so. By the way, I have received numerous emails and phone calls from many of our drivers and other individuals who support this series and are offering suggestions and assistance to make this Series work. Only on this forum do I see such negativity in what we are trying to achieve. It's easy just to sit back and be critical, but it takes more to try and help to make what started out as a great little series to succeed. I don't see anyone here trying to make it work, only tear it down.
So attack me all you want, that's your choice.
Last edited by F1000champ; 07.12.12 at 8:23 AM.
I am really confused. This will be my last post on this thread.
Someone please PM Mr. Crowe regarding the villainy.
Also, to everyone who thinks it's no big deal to lie and not keep your word, thanks for warning the rest of us to never do business with you.
Finally, who else finds humor in Mr. Lewis failing to even keep his promise to leave this site?
Tom, excusing bad behavior yada yada because thats the way racing is is a frigging copout and you know it. One of the things that sets racing apart from many other endeavors is trust.
Trust creates the ability to walk over to another trailer in the middle of a weekend and borrow an expensive engine from another competitor on a handshake.
Trust allows us to run wheel to wheel at 100+mph.
While there are a few that abuse that trust they usually don't stay in racing very long.
This guy came across as a big pro racer who is stooping down to the club level to do everyone a favor, what's the matter the air got a bit thin up there with the big boys?
Formula BMW? Perfect example of what happens when there is no money to run a series it goes away. Maybe that experience might have given him a clue?
If he were just another promoter not knowing the whole game you could make a case but I'm sorry as a racer who been around the game for 25 year as he purports, he damn well should have known better....
Last edited by Dennis McCarthy; 07.12.12 at 9:12 AM.
Name a car class and I can probably give you a name of a series that ran those cars that is now gone by-by. History. Adios. Bankrupt. Nice knowing ya. Sometimes leaving it's former competitors with expensive cars that they really can't race anywhere. Anyone remember Fran-Am? What ever happen to those guys? Super Vee anybody?
How about the original FE pro series(2005?). They ran the whole series, and nobody who had money coming got paid. I don't know what exactly happened as I was watching from the outside.
Same as this- I as an F1000 competitor really wanted to see this series succeed, but simply did not have the funds to enter in it. I may not have been involved in the series, and again was watching from the outside, but we as SCCA National competitors were all indirectly affected by it. National class participation numbers, at least in the South East took a hit. And that affects the survivability of the class.
Come on. Series come and go. You guys act like you just lost your Granny.
Look I paid my money, it's gone, I got nothing out of it. When is that a copout? At least some of the entrants got to have a couple of pretty good races. I mean, the races did happen didn't they? There was, and supposely still is, a series.
But I know, because I'm an adult, that sometimes things don't work out the way they are planned out. There are risks involved in every endeavour. I take my lumps and I move on. It's called being a grown up. If you guys are really having that many trust issues then I honestly don't think you are going to find solace on this site.
If you don't want to partake in Jon's re-formulated series well, that's up to you. It'll be nice if we can see what effort you can put on on a personal level to help out F1000. But I don't think what you are doing here qualifies for that.
I suggest it's move on time and let's concentrate on more positive and constructive methods.
All of us know that things often don't work out. That is no excuse for lies and scams. I expect you will be getting some PMs with details.
If I were a dealer that sold you a used car and you found out after the fact that the odometer had been rolled back, the car had been wrecked and repaired without that being disclosed, and the engine had 4 few cylinders than I told you, would you ever want to do business with me again? Probably not, and you'd probably tell your friends not to buy from me either. That doesn't mean your marriage will end in divorce because you can't trust anyone any more.
Tom, you should send your check in today for the new improved F1000 Championship Series Run by Pie in the Sky, maybe Jon will give you an early bird discount, what the hell, just a few shekels amongst some good old boys.....
Alex Pate (that's Mr. Man Child to you)...I still owe you from Montreal!!!!....just watch your back....you've been warned!!!!
Nicholas can play ref if he wants! You know he won't want to miss the Ultimate Payback moment. I've been planning it for over a year!!
(PS don't worry....it's only a little joke between us).
Last edited by Thomas Copeland; 07.12.12 at 10:59 AM.
Ok, this thread has long since run its course. Let's move on, guys.
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
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