IRL Next To Get The Axe

Looks like strained economic conditions have prompted Detroit IndyCar race no-go for 2009

Roger Penske said today he couldn’t in good business sense continue the event with so many of his area businesses struggling. Also key was the loss of the factory Porsche and Audi programs in the American LeMans Series, the sports car series which was to share the spotlight with the Indy cars in the Sept. 5-6 event at Belle Isle.

“This is a real economic time of distress for everyone,” said Penske, who labeled the decision a postponement. “We couldn’t sit here and count on a lot of things happening (from a sponsorship standpoint) that we knew weren’t going to happen knowing that (Detroit) is so distressed with unemployment and all the things going on.”

The loss of the event reduced the IndyCar Series’ schedule to 17 races next season.

The Indy Racing League made its debut at Belle Isle in 2007.

(from the Indy Star)
* * *

Not really a big loss as Belle Isle was not a spectator friendly circuit. We watched the first ALMS race there at the Corvette display on the large screen tv's - could have done that at home!!

Carol

 

no big loss (horrible spectator venue as you mention), and it will help make the full-season budget lower for the teams, which might help a few out.

my question is, with Honda's financial issues (sales down, having a loss last quarter) and ditching their F1 team, is Honda going to withdraw support from the IRL? I kinda thought from the thread title that's what was happening.

 

Per reports, Honda will stay in IRL

http://www.indystar.com/article/20081206/SPORTS0107/812060438/1217/SPORTS0107

 

That's what I thought as well. When Honda announced that they were pulling out of F1, I figured they would also withdraw from their engine supplier role in the IRL, unless that actually makes money for them. I can't imagine anyone developing an engine to replace them before the start of the series.

 

Thanks Tillman!

 

One less on the ALMS sked too but honestly without the Spyders and Audi, would there really be a significant attendance? With the spectulative P1 class, Acura is going to be another dominator.....the racing in ALMS this year AGAIN is going to be GT2 - the BMW's should give great competition to the 430's and new RSR's. The Ford GT is a backmarker as is the Viper.

Carol

With Belle Isle defunct - they really need to move Mosport to this date!

 

No plans for that! The plant where they build all of the engines, is about 5 minutes from my house. Over 100 people work there, trust me, they have no intentions of pulling out, the place has be VERY busy.

 

Honda really has not done any engine development on the IRL motor they run in a few years. Unlike F1 and bernie keeping all the revenue, the team cost which last year was 90k a motor should cover the costs of the motor itself.

 

IRL is racing for North America, the largest market for the car companies. Right or worng, it gets better TV & media coverage than ALMS, SCCA, & NASA combined. Still the best bang for the buck for the companies to continue to support.

 

We'll see how this Versus package works out for them, I'm a little skeptical about it. It's very much a backmarker in terms of television (no matter how much recent growth they have had). I wish they would add Road America now!

 

Detroit will be a ghost town in 10 years... The big-3 can't grasp as straws for much longer, and the last movie that featured the place was based around the ghetto underbelly.

Even their football team is going to go 0-16, shesh. That city has GOT to be a depressing place to be right now.

 

They just got a check for $17 Billion dollars!


Its party time!

 

One difference is their pathetically poor showing in F1 over the past two seasons. They were probably glad to have an excuse to stop the bleeding, especially with arch-rival Toyota looking so clearly and embarrassingly superior as the '08 season progressed. In the IRL, conveniently, they don't have to worry about competition! Besides that, the IRL engine program must cost a small fraction of what F1 did. It might even be close to break-even, since the engines are produced in some quantity (a couple of hundred or so per year?) and presumably purchased by the teams.

 

NHRA buries IRL.

Honda isn't leaving - there is ZERO development, and they have a contract on the rebuilds for every team, so they are essentially breaking even (or even making money).

The real question is whether there are enough teams to support the Honda operation, and the IRL itself. Dallara chassis aren't cheap, and the engine leases from Honda are $1.3M for a season (although I think they may have reduced this).

Factor in crappy crowds, ho hum racing and personalities, and you have a recipe for disaster.

 

Dallara plans to reduce the cost of general and specific spare parts, including items such as wishbones, wings and radiators, by between 8-20 per cent, and estimates that the average team savings will be approximately eleven per cent compared to 2008. The new prices will be available to teams when the 2009 catalogue is released in January.

 

That's a valiant effort, but on a $5M per year budget, that's only $550K. It's not enough to prop up the teams like Panther or Marty Roth. They are in big trouble unless that engine lease gets subsidized more.

Don't know how valid the rumor is, but I heard it was possible that Cosworth was being looked at as an option. That may have been given the risk of Honda leaving, but again, not sure how valid that rumor is.

 

Wouldn't be fair to run against the Dallara Hondas, but where are all the Panoz Cosworth turbos?

 

Detroit is such a glamorous city, it will be difficult to replace

Maybe they could hold it in Liberty City in Miami instead

 

Heard that recently, too.

 

There was an attempt by the owner of the Atlantic series to buy them and run something called the "Green Prix". Unfortunately, that was effectively blocked by Kevin Kalkhoven, who sensed there would be some value to the IRL (my assumption). Hence the continued rumors for the Cossie turbos.

IMHO, the IRL could greatly benefit from moving to a 4-cyl turbo engine spec. If you go so far as make them stock-based, you might get Subaru, Mazda, Ford, Chevy, etc. to participate. Given the current economic climate that would a) minimize development cost and b) attract new blood to the series. Again, rumor is this is being considered, especially as Audi expressed some interest.

 

Cool. A stock-block 4-cyl turbo. Good fast racing, several mfr's to choose from, brand loyalty comes back into racing. Remember when Fords and Chevvies raced at Indy? Something other than a driver or team to cheer for!

 

It is! My mom lives in Dearborn (burb) and the place is a ghostown now...she is always trying to tell everyone how great it is up there, but I got news for you, it is VERY depressing even being around that town now. People who live there may not notice it, but when you visit from DC (or I suppose any city with a heartbeat) it is palpable how down that town is - your guess of 10 years sounds about right. Just ask folks from Buffalo, they still love the city, but thier is nothing left there either.

MB

 

I totally agree - there's something about having the brands duke it out that appeals to me. I would love to see this, and there's relevance as the world moves to become less dependent on fossil fuels.

 

roth reportedly closed his doors after the IRL 'suggested' he personally not drive.

 

Hahahaha! Sort of like Dennis Vitolo...