Kevin Kalkhoven Champ Quotations

There is no letter of intent, and absolutely, completely no deal. We met in Paris at the Race of Champions and on a couple of occasions since, socially. Certainly I expect there will be more meetings in the future. I quite enjoy (George's) company.

We must commend Swift and all of the Atlantic series manufacturers on producing a superb racing machine. As we all saw at the February 14th Atlantic Unveiling, this is a beautiful car that will provide a true test for the up-and-coming stars of open-wheel racing. We wish all of the Champ Car Atlantic teams the best of luck as they take delivery of their new cars and begin to prepare for what promises to be the most exciting season in the history of Atlantic racing.

The loss of the Champ Car series would mean the teams - all based in the United States - would close down, resulting in the loss of hundreds, maybe thousands, of American jobs, ... As we've said before, the IRL wants to bury, OWRS wants to build. That's the difference.

Champ Car is very tough, and the only thing that matters is winning. It's very easy to let the hype get ahead of the fact, and I don't want her career to blow up.

I want to thank Dick for everything he has done for Champ Car. He has been one of the most important factors in rebuilding Champ Car and I know he will continue to contribute to our success. A planned succession such as this will enable Champ Car to continue to build upon the very significant momentum it has developed. I believe Steve will step right in and continue to grow Champ Car. He has a proven track record and I'm very excited that he is coming on board.

It was a simple decision, really. The circuit was just too tight and we're improving it to maintain Long Beach's status as the premier street race in America. It will not only make for better racing this year, but will provide much more excitement when standing starts are adopted for the Champ Car World Series in the future.