At the Montreal Auto Show last Thursday, Alexandre Tagliani unveiled "his" new IndyCar team.
Tagliani had had enough of paying millions of dollars to race for teams that, I believe, were more interested in filling their coffers than providing him with a truly competitive car…
Because as you should know, in the world of automotive racing, the less money the boss spends the more there is for him. So he may insist that the mechanics install old brake discs, parts that have come to the end of their useful life, tired engines, transmissions on the verge of giving up the ghost, etc.
Whether you like Tagliani or not (he's an incredibly difficult person), he has always managed to find a way to race, raising money left and right.
But for 2010, he preferred to raise funds to create "his" own team along with businessman André Azzi (owner of La Capsule Sportive, among other things), Jim Freudenberg and Jason Priestley.
And a few sponsors have already signed up. "Tag's" Honda-powered Dallara was presented to the press last Thursday.
But just what kind of visibility are these investors going to get?
It's hard to say, because even if Alex starts winning races, not one Montreal daily sends journalists to cover these races, and TV channels, RDS as well as TSN, don't broadcast the IndyCar events. That leaves web sites.
And seeing as how the only two Canadian races are held in Toronto and Edmonton, it would be extremely surprising if Quebec enthusiasts suddenly started following the unpopular Alexandre Tagliani's career.
FAZZT management wants to get a buzz going around IndyCar, but the American car series is having a lot of trouble finding its niche. Between Formula 1 and NASCAR, the latter really becoming popular here in Canada, IndyCar is going around in circles, quite literally, without even managing to gain the interest of North American fans other than for the perennial classic, the Indy 500. Besides that iconic event, the series' visibility is virtually nil.
Pop quiz: can you tell me who the reigning IndyCar champion is?
Will Tagliani and the FAZZT team manage to reverse the trend a wee bit? The Quebec driver will have to work some magic behind the wheel, as he's driving for his own team made up of people he helped recruit. Tag no longer has any excuses to justify his failures. Other than a cruel lack of funds, of course.
Tagliani had had enough of paying millions of dollars to race for teams that, I believe, were more interested in filling their coffers than providing him with a truly competitive car…
Because as you should know, in the world of automotive racing, the less money the boss spends the more there is for him. So he may insist that the mechanics install old brake discs, parts that have come to the end of their useful life, tired engines, transmissions on the verge of giving up the ghost, etc.
Whether you like Tagliani or not (he's an incredibly difficult person), he has always managed to find a way to race, raising money left and right.
But for 2010, he preferred to raise funds to create "his" own team along with businessman André Azzi (owner of La Capsule Sportive, among other things), Jim Freudenberg and Jason Priestley.
And a few sponsors have already signed up. "Tag's" Honda-powered Dallara was presented to the press last Thursday.
But just what kind of visibility are these investors going to get?
It's hard to say, because even if Alex starts winning races, not one Montreal daily sends journalists to cover these races, and TV channels, RDS as well as TSN, don't broadcast the IndyCar events. That leaves web sites.
And seeing as how the only two Canadian races are held in Toronto and Edmonton, it would be extremely surprising if Quebec enthusiasts suddenly started following the unpopular Alexandre Tagliani's career.
FAZZT management wants to get a buzz going around IndyCar, but the American car series is having a lot of trouble finding its niche. Between Formula 1 and NASCAR, the latter really becoming popular here in Canada, IndyCar is going around in circles, quite literally, without even managing to gain the interest of North American fans other than for the perennial classic, the Indy 500. Besides that iconic event, the series' visibility is virtually nil.
Pop quiz: can you tell me who the reigning IndyCar champion is?
Will Tagliani and the FAZZT team manage to reverse the trend a wee bit? The Quebec driver will have to work some magic behind the wheel, as he's driving for his own team made up of people he helped recruit. Tag no longer has any excuses to justify his failures. Other than a cruel lack of funds, of course.