Newman/Haas indy car team closing
12-02-2011, 12:05 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Newman/Haas indy car team closing
Newman/Haas Racing, one of the most successful teams in open-wheel racing, is closing the its doors.
"The Lincolnshire, Il.-based CART, Champ Car and IZOD IndyCar Series team, formed by Carl Haas and the late Paul Newman, joined CART in 1983, went on to take eight championships and won more than 100 wins and poles with drivers like Mario and Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Sebastien Bourdais and many others.
NHR, which led Oriol Servia to a fourth-place finish in the 2011 championship and delivered Rookie of the Year honors for James Hinchcliffe, informed its 33 employees on Thursday they would be released effective immediately--with severance pay through December 31st, at which point the team will then close its doors for good.
“The economic climate no longer enables Newman/Haas Racing to participate in open wheel racing at this time,” said Haas, in a statement released by the team. Prior to the team's press release, multiple sources within the team
News shot through the Indy car community quickly on Thursday as many struggled to grasp the loss of one of open-wheel's most tenured teams.
"This is really sad news for me," said Sebastien Bourdais, who won four consecutive Champ Car titles with the team.
"I'm really sad for Carl and Bernie [Haas], and all of the team members. They are like family to me and I can [only] hope the engineers and mechanics find new work immediately. If you look at all the success we had together, and what they did last season with Oriol and James, you know they are some of the best anywhere."
"I don't know if I can say it was expected," Indy car legend Mario Andretti told SPEED.com, "but they tried to hang on as long as they could and it's a shame."
Andretti, who served as NHR's original driver back in 1983, says the loss of the storied team closes another chapter in open-wheel history.
"The only way you can characterize it is this is the end of a wonderful era that included so many wins and wonderful times with Newman/Haas. I will miss the team tremendously."
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...r-newman-haas/
"The Lincolnshire, Il.-based CART, Champ Car and IZOD IndyCar Series team, formed by Carl Haas and the late Paul Newman, joined CART in 1983, went on to take eight championships and won more than 100 wins and poles with drivers like Mario and Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Sebastien Bourdais and many others.
NHR, which led Oriol Servia to a fourth-place finish in the 2011 championship and delivered Rookie of the Year honors for James Hinchcliffe, informed its 33 employees on Thursday they would be released effective immediately--with severance pay through December 31st, at which point the team will then close its doors for good.
“The economic climate no longer enables Newman/Haas Racing to participate in open wheel racing at this time,” said Haas, in a statement released by the team. Prior to the team's press release, multiple sources within the team
News shot through the Indy car community quickly on Thursday as many struggled to grasp the loss of one of open-wheel's most tenured teams.
"This is really sad news for me," said Sebastien Bourdais, who won four consecutive Champ Car titles with the team.
"I'm really sad for Carl and Bernie [Haas], and all of the team members. They are like family to me and I can [only] hope the engineers and mechanics find new work immediately. If you look at all the success we had together, and what they did last season with Oriol and James, you know they are some of the best anywhere."
"I don't know if I can say it was expected," Indy car legend Mario Andretti told SPEED.com, "but they tried to hang on as long as they could and it's a shame."
Andretti, who served as NHR's original driver back in 1983, says the loss of the storied team closes another chapter in open-wheel history.
"The only way you can characterize it is this is the end of a wonderful era that included so many wins and wonderful times with Newman/Haas. I will miss the team tremendously."
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...r-newman-haas/
12-02-2011, 12:38 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
Always hate to hear news like this, and most especially for the employees, who are now out of a job as of New Year's day......
Makes me think of my good friend who was at the Red Bull Cup team - thankfully it looks like he has put a new gig together.
Makes me think of my good friend who was at the Red Bull Cup team - thankfully it looks like he has put a new gig together.
12-02-2011, 12:41 PM
#3
Not a good time to be in racing right now. I got lucky, but there are still 150ish people at Red Bull alone, that are, or will be looking. Plus 125 from Roush, some from Andretti, and now Newman/Haas. I wish them all luck.
12-02-2011, 12:46 PM
#4
Safety Car
Here's a good piece on the team from Robin Miller:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...haas-memories/
Z//
12-03-2011, 09:34 AM
#7
Melting Slicks
12-03-2011, 10:44 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
Grand Am on the other hand is getting Ferrari next year, and Vipers will be back in GT as well. The field is growing rapidly.
Last edited by Everett Ogilvie; 12-03-2011 at 11:50 AM.
12-04-2011, 12:00 PM
#10
Former Vendor
Which is why I think they will choose Grand Am over ALMS, along with many other teams. I love ALMS racing but it is teetering on the edge of survival...
Grand Am on the other hand is getting Ferrari next year, and Vipers will be back in GT as well. The field is growing rapidly.
Grand Am on the other hand is getting Ferrari next year, and Vipers will be back in GT as well. The field is growing rapidly.
