The place for all INDYCAR fans

The hopes and wishes of a Indycar fan.

well its hard isn't it? hard being a indycar fan i mean, (not just life) so many years of good racing with sexy cars, great mixtures of tracks (not just down town yawn fest's won by europeans who couldn't make f1). but then Mr Anton George had a conversation with Bill France and wallop all that goes away. we're left with 2 series one without indy but with the fast cars and the other with indy but with slow and (early on) unsafe cars. the years went by, they whittled what sponsorship and command-able tv time. by 2007 we were left with the slow cars at indy being in the front seat and the sexy cars with out indy dodging the dog turds and man hole covers in some down town "race track". then something magical happened. the series merged, the war was over. finally after all the silliness, all the crap, we had one indycar series. now a driver could go to a sponsor and this is a indy car, we race at indy in one series, we have good exposure (thanks to espn/abc) and we are looking at stability.

then came something really out of left field, the indycar television contract was up with espn/abc. so they went to versus! thats channel 151 on dish network (the dish gold package, the $60 a month channel package). 233,000 viewers tuned into the first race, where dario punted rahal at the first corner. in a country of 300 million. how could any driver go to a sponsor and ask for money if there only going to less than 1% of the nation? some how, izod came aboard. there aim i'm sure as series sponsor is to grow there brand. one would ask, without sarcasm or cynicism. how on earth do you expect a series to grow? there's 5 races on abc. but there just put there other than indy. the opener or the finale wasn't on abc. so major parts of the series are lost to only the small amount who have access to versus. i look at it this way. versus coverage has been very good. i wasn't a big fan of jack arrute or the commentary team but overal it was good. but its not easily viewed (directv don't even carry it, and didn't indy car lose a presenting sponsor when they signed with versus? and dish only carry it on there second to top package) however you look at it espn/abc where doing a job. indycar had been away for a long time. what did they expect, reunion and danica for espn to give them NASCRAP levels of coverage? they have to work on it. NASCRAP to its credit has worked for everything it's got. dodgy deals of course but what series hasn't. bernie surely dealt with the devil building f1 to what it is. a good deal on a small network isn't gonna do you any good. a less tv time with a larger network will give you larger exposure. the better races you produce, the more you'll get exposed and the more sponsor's will come in. times are hard but there sponsors out there willing to pay.

my second concern is the delta car. i'm all for a new car, something different and possibly better. could this car be indycars COT? the indifference that has met with in NASCRAP hasn't quite settled the racing issues in NASCRAP. the delta wing is by the sounds of it. something colin chapman would be proud of, i myself picture the Lotus 88. a f1 car with no wings that generated all of its downforce thru its floor. of course it hard another secret 2 chassis's. in turn it was banned by the fia but what could of been? the delta wing could be its rightful successor, but indycars to me. are fast and powerful. the engine thought of for the car is going to make less than 400 bhp? robin miller has said in the past that on the road course and street tracks, that indycars are slow. well less than 400 bhp on a road course isn't going to speed generating is it? the projected power to weight ratio is lower than the current indy car. whilst it suits all the guide lines that indy craves. innovative and new thinking. it could be something very dangerous. not from a safety point of view. but from a just something to new to look at idea. america struggles with health care reform never mind a indycar that is so radically different?

brian barnhadt, i have no faith in his leadership any more. i would of like to seen tony cottman take over from him. the oval races until kentucky where rather dull. the indy 500 last year was terrible. i'm sorry. i have no faith in him or his abblity's to grow the series.

if i ruled indycar what would i do?

the new CEO Randy Bernard has a excellent track record in making a niche sport into a much larger sport (although ironically with versus help). give him time, he'll get here of that i'm very optimistic. but the new car, possibly some market research into to it's viability wouldn't go to far amiss? but open indycars up to many chassis and engines again. innovation at the moment isn't affordable. the next best thing is a "green fuel" (as currently used) and overtaking friendly chassis formula's. replace barnhadt, like i said tony cottman would be my choice. the old irl people needs to have been swept away. tony george has gone now, barnhadt needs to. sorry but ovals. sick of the streets of here and the streets of there. promote all the good drivers, not just danica thou she does a excellent job promoting herself. i think more needs to be made of the others. get off versus. pay someone but get widespread coverage, imagine if there was a great indy 500 but the next week no one could watch the next race cause its on versus?

its a long a wish list and moan list i know but i needed to say something.

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Permalink Reply by Wilsonfan on February 4, 2010 at 12:12am

Your blog is certainly cheaper than being on some professional's couch somewhere--and I can relate to your unhappiness, skepticism, and weary feelings. However, it has been a long winter (probably alot longer for the entire George family) and this Iowa Hawkeye is ready for some racing--and St. Pete is not far off--Never would go to Brazil, even if I could afford it. But St. Pete 2009 was my first; and I admit I really liked it and will attend this year, too. But then May arrives and oval racing begins. And I will savor every Indy car race (especially Firestone Indy Lights) because I know all too soon, winter will return and I live in IOWA. izod indy merchandise is on sale--order something for yourself--nothing better than getting a package in the mail!

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Permalink Reply by joey kowailw on February 4, 2010 at 8:07pm

that was the longest blog i think i've ever written. i got everything off my chest thou.

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Permalink Reply by joey kowailw on February 4, 2010 at 8:05pm

i hope so too. smart deligent leadership would put things right in my view. thats something indycar has lacked for a while thou.

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Permalink Reply by Joe on February 5, 2010 at 11:12am

I know you gotta feel better after all of that Joey. lol I have to disagree with you about one thing though. Your comment about (early on and unsafe cars). That is a false statement. After the split, Tony and company made some changes to the cars that made them safer for the drivers. I remember one of the biggest changes was they gave more room in the tub for the feet. If a driver hit the wall they wanted the feet to have more protection. I don't remember just when it happen, but they also came up with the safer barrier wall. Napcrap try's to make it sound like that was their thing, but it did come from the IRL.

I couldn't agree with you more about ovals vs. street/road course racing. Last year was a prime example just how bad street racing is. They lost huge amounts of money at some of those events. I have no idea if they all lost money, but I know some of them did. I was at the Chicago race. I didn't see one empty seat at that oval. And people got to see fantastic racing yet again at that track. My 4 videos are in the video section of this web site, if you havent seen them yet.

I'm not as hung up on Tony George as some of you are. I like the direction he tried to go with. It's just all the big money at first stayed with champcar. And money was the driving force. Penske , Newman and those types were pissed at Tony and were going to make a statement. Between poor management, boring races, and all the other stuff that was going on, it was easy to see the IRL was the place to be. Not to mention there were some pretty good drivers in the series now. So the big money boy's came back and here we are. I think the series is going down hill just like you do. With a terrible TV deal (that doesn't mean it's bad coverage by versus) way to many boring road/street courses, and now the possibility of a butt ugly car, it doesn't leave much hope for the series. Now if they surprise everyone and hit one out of the park with a very cool car. Get the races on CBS, NBC or Spike, and if Randy Bernard can turn this ship around, the series might just take off. People need to know there are other drivers out there besides Wanica. This series has talent, and they need to have coverage as well.

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Permalink Reply by Joe on February 5, 2010 at 5:42pm

Thanks BackSeat, Looks like you know your stuff. Like all things, coming up with safety features takes time, but the IRL did make improvements.

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Permalink Reply by joey kowailw on February 5, 2010 at 11:19pm

my early memories of the IRL was alot of injury's mainly back it seems. the safer barrier i know was a tony geogre with someone but nascrap idea cause autosport gave them a award for it. IndyCar has posted some pictures of a possible dallara chassis on facebook. it harks back to the old days and is good on my first reaction.