It's now official! Young phenom Andrew Ranger, from Roxton Pond, Quebec, won't be competing in Champ Car races this year. No doubt he would have liked to continue his career in this American open-wheel series, but with financial demands becoming exorbitant, it was impossible for him to do so.
After months of efforts and negotiations, Andrew's managing group -- led by Alan Labrosse, his father and his uncle, with the collaboration of Proctor & Gamble and Wal-Mart executives -- came to the conclusion that the career of the young driver would be jeopardized by a lack of sufficient sponsorships to guarantee him a quality car in a team with a decent budget for the upcoming season. It was especially out of the question that Andrew keep racing in the same conditions as last year, when he drove with the Sword of Damocles over his head.
Indeed, Andrew had no margin of error in 2006 with the poor Mi-Jack Racing Team of Swiss Eric Bachelart. He simply could not afford the least mistake on the track, since there was no backup to use while his car was being repaired. It's really hard to ask an auto racing driver to keep one foot on the gas pedal and the other foot on the brakes and demand good results. With such conditions, Andrew's entourage had no choice but to revise his career plan. Since the demise of the Player's empire, history has shown that good financial support for young and talented Canadian drivers is now mission impossible. Even the shrewdest negotiators don't manage to find the millions necessary, especially here in Quebec. Consequently, it's the rich youngsters from the U.S. and South America who are targeted by Champ Car and Indy Car teams, often regardless of their talent level. That's a shame but, as they say, it's all about business.
Stock car for 2007 Andrew now faces a new challenge. He will take part in the inaugural season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Championship, where he's guaranteed to compete in 12 races, including Montreal and Trois-Rivieres.
With this announcement, fans can take pleasure in knowing that they will be able to see Andrew again on the track, in a series that will allow him to have fun and to be paid for his efforts. Who knows, with Andrew's amazing talent, this all-new Canadian series might be a springboard to the major American series like NASCAR's Bush or Nextel.