Rahal concerned over CART TV coverage

Rahal was speaking at the announcement of the UK's first CART race, which will take place on September 22nd next year at the brand new Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire. With Champ Cars moving into Europe at Rockingham and Germany's Lausitzring - the German track having secured a race for the weekend before the British race - Rahal believes the coverage should reflect the increasingly global nature of the series.

"Our satisfaction with our TV situation is very low currently," said Rahal, "and if there is one commitment that stands out above all others, it's to ensure that we have the right relationship from a television standpoint, not just in Europe, but everywhere else in the world, including the United States."

CART's expansion is not an attempt to threaten Formula 1, according to Rahal, although he did allude to the efficient way in which the F1 television rights are managed. With eight different Champ Car race-winners from nine races so far this season, he believes the closeness of the racing makes CART an attractive option for television companies.

"We have a great product and it is not being conveyed in the manner that it should be," added Rahal. "Certain companies are only fulfilling the specifics of their contracts. They seem to be happy with having the rights for CART just for the sake of having them."

With CART competing in more overseas countries than ever before next year, Rahal is aiming to improve the coverage so new fans in Europe can follow races other than those in England and Germany.

"Our aim is to build the best relationship possible with TV so that the fans here can follow our series throughout the year," explained Rahal. "We're working diligently on that now to ensure that our television broadcasts are of the highest quality."