Lets not get our panties all in a wad over this. I am sure the brain trust at 16th and Georgetown can find a way to put out the fire before it starts. After 21 years of this.....I am playing the odds!!!
Do you mean, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile? I have little faith in IndyCar management, but to their credit, the show has gone on. My interest picked up a little from my visit to the Speedway (nostaligia, I guess), but the product is FAR FAR off. Start with the look of the cars, something that at least ties to the past...the nonsensical schedule can be rectified a little easier. Someone made a great point (you?) about having these teams having to fly to places like Surfer's - that's a huge financial strain, stay US for now until you can build it up!
Have you watched some of the races this year? Road America was fantastic racing. Way more exciting than F1. And with the subject of their looks, its not like F1 cars are pretty. Hell a lot of people here complain that the prototypes at LeMans are ugly too. Face it guys, they aren't designing the cars to look good, they are designing them to be aerodynamic and fast.
Yes, I have. It's not more exciting than F1, in my opinion, but the racing on the road courses is much better than the crappy pack racing on the ovals. On second point, you are missing the reason why this exists - it's entertainment, it's a product. If that product is not consumable, it will fail. Why do you think NASCAR took some pains to make the COT look like a "regular" car, and not something completely wild? Regardless of what you say, the looks matter. It's hurt IndyCar, it's hurt NASCAR, it's hurt F1, and it's hurt NHRA (notably the Funny Cars). If the cars are built to spec, then you are rooting for the racer only. Let's say that's your thing, at least in NASCAR and NHRA they racers have personality...the IndyCar guys are ridiculous, partially due to the gag orders on what they can say / do. The product has failed. The look of the cars is not only ridiculous, they are out right dangerous. Personally, almost all racing has lost appeal to me because of the aesthetics (or lack thereof).
No, what is needed is the ability to show the $$$$ difference (hit?) to the local economy if they choose to end it. The definition of our 'carefree lifestyle' has changed. What 'show'? Sure, they have some dates on a schedule, but there just isn't a 'show', unless it is pole day at the Indy 500.
Boston Grand Prix files bankruptcy. They've racked up nearly $9M in debts. Indycar Racing News | Racer.com - INDYCAR: Boston Grand Prix files for bankruptcy BHW
It's more than political correctness making the changes. These events run on sponsorship dollars coming in to keep things afloat. Sponsors are trying to avoid and conflicts and if their names are seen attached to debauchery, open public drunkenness, nudity, et.al., they run for the hills. The bigger key to making it all run is TV. If the sponsors leave, TV goes with them. The host broadcasters are more in less in charge of presenting a spotless image and so the tracks want to show themselves as being family friendly, bring the kids and don't worry about tripping over drunks passed out next to the track. During the Charles Mendez era at Sebring, the Florida Coca-Cola bottlers came in as title sponsors. In 1980, when above mentioned actions occurred around the flag pole, it was the locals that made the most noise about happenings at the track and they held Coca-Cola as responsible just as much as the promotional team, despite the fact that Mendez and Coca-Cola all but resurrected Sebring post-John Greenwood to World Championship status. At Sebring, the locals could actually give two ****s about The Race. The mostly retired population see it as little more than a noisy inconvenience, when a bunch of dirty hippies create long lines at the grocery stores and gas stations interrupt their routines all so a few guys can go roundy-round out at the track. My guess is this is the case in Watkins Glen too. If tracks want to continue being solvent, they've got to present a sanitary image. It is basic survival. BHW
Road America: 'Come for the experience, stay for the race'. The programs at Road America used to have 'The girls of Road America'....several pages of candid shots. I came for the race, and enjoyed the 'experience'!
Hopefully between this fiasco and the charlie-foxtrot that was Baltimore this puts paid to anymore talk of one-and-done street races. Clearly (with very rare exceptions) they just don't work. Thank heavens the Boston race was canceled now hopefully a court steps in and refunds the ticket purchases long before any promoter, organizer or "consultant" gets a penny.
agreed. they're a logistics and financial disaster and generally don't provide particularly compelling racing. but when the Music Man is in town, everyone's a musician...
No question. The sport is in serious trouble and as long as we go down this path we see the end in sight. You can't fault anyone for doing what it takes to keep the doors open. Sadly, it csn be fixed but they choose to ignore the basic problem simply because they can not control or profit from it.
Indycar kicks in almost $925,000 towards refunds: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/07/07/reaches-deal-with-indycar-ticket-refunds/Li7W5Hh2IciCcJ4nXcgnkM/story.html
In other news clueless pseudo-journalist posts picture of Ferrari F1 car in story about Indycar. LOL IndyCar Agrees to Pay $925,000 for Ticket Refunds
There are two things that I wish F1 would adapt from Indy 1) I like the electronic numbers on the cars that tell people what position they are in on the race track 2) I like Power to Pass and the way it's used and limited. It's much better than the DRS zones of F1
I covered that track in a golf cart a few years ago when a coach friend was taking his student (a Challenge driver) around the track - very bumpy plus man hole covers
Didn't Marco get a top ten yesterday, which is like a victory to him based on his performance the past two + years!
I think they really need to repave the pit straight portion before next year. By comparison, the long back straight is almost billiard-table smooth.
Test day at Mid-Ohio this Thursday 7/21. Reportedly at least 16 cars. These are always nice. Work day. Crowds usually sparse.
Totally agree. The DW12 is also a much more physical car than the F1 cars now. Newgarden and Daly both had crashes where the wheel was literally ripped out of their hand by a curb. LOL @ power steering.
