Just a note......John SCC is talking about a lot more than what the "Speedway Holdings" are...he is talking about the Hulman Family holdings....which are at leat 4 times the value of the IMS...
BTW...In case you're interested, to build that place from tscratch would cost $720 million, according to the Indianapolis Star.....and that is just construction cost....so it is worth much more than that as a total business/real estate entity....
One point that many from places other than Indy do not understand is that there is a "Tony Hulman" legacy that saved the facility in 1946, and has carrried the place for nearly 60 years now following WW II......that made it what it was in the "Glory years," and what it is today...
It is in their blood and their ancestral heritage.....blood is thicker than water....
That family is worth Billions....with a "B".....if you do not believe it, get a dose of reality...Tony salted back many., many , many millions ifrom the Glory Days, and he invested it in not only diversified industries, but also in to real estate all over the world....
and because of that legacy, the Hulman-Geoege family will not be outspent, will not capitulate, and will not retreat from that legacy...
They didn't pay for Long beach because they did not want to spend $15 million for a "Time Share" that is not a physical asset.....
Unfortunanately for us as fans, the whole USGP debacle stiffened their resolve to NOT relinquish control over their destiny when it comes to open wheel racing and especially how it would affect the IMS....
Besides...they have those streams or revenue John mentioned, plus a TV contract that pays them as well...the ratings are going up...thus ABC/ESPN are happy....
they can afford to pump IMS money and ABC money back into their Series and still draw interest off of their many other holdings......and they don't spend out everything they make off of those races at IMS....it is a cash machine.....they also are co-partners in Chicagoland Speedway as well....last Sunday with NASCAR was sure a nice payday for them....the place was full....
I have no doubt that KK and GF have plenty of money...
The Difference is, they are spending it out of their own pockets.....including TV time.....self-promoting events that are run on venues that they have high overhead on to set up...and buying events out of fear that the IRL might get them in the same way that the Series got St. Pete....
When will KK and GF ultimately tire of sinking their fortunes into this???
I don't know....
But the Hulman family will not....because they will have to face Tony Hulman in the afterlife...or he may even haunt them if they do...
Now back to the thread....
I don't care if they drop the "manufacturer's badging".....Toyota will not be missed...
I hope that Toyota and Honda (if they leave) go to the ALMS...at least they will have a series where their engines will be able to be used, so that they don't waste all of that R&D....
Roger Penske will sell the IRL plenty of Illmor engines, since he bought it, and I also shared a number of other builders who could provide good, realiable powerful engines to the Series if they chose to go that route....
All this will do is make the Series more affordable to run...
Sorry for the rant.....
Snrub seemed to raise the Issue...John answered him....
I agree with you macdaddy....Cosworth and such did not break the bank for the "Dos Amigoes" (since PG has seemed to fade into the sunset as a player)
But they are spending "theri" money....the Hulmans have plenty coming in and they are not spending out from their own pockets like the OWRS is....
At some point, some one will have to cut their losses....
I doubt it will be the Hulmans...
FWIW
Respectfully submitted...no flaming intended...just the truth...