A little bir concerned...

[trow]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

It did. It wasn't the schedule that was the problem...

Go on then ....

[Hazza]

No, there'll be a big big fight

You can look up somewhere else about what happened.

[macdaddy]

That's the greatest answer you could've given, Hazza!

[boom boom]

Originally Posted by GP Racer

Thats my biggest problem with a merger, to many road courses.

I like road course racing, but there are plenty of series that already do that, and if your a real IRL fan, why would you want your series to go to more road courses than ovals? Whats in it for us? Four is the max that I want to see. Thats the way the old USAC did it, back in their hayday, and the almost all oval theme certainly works for NASCAR.

On the driver issue, I think quantity does matter. Having only one competitive American driver will not turn on the masses here...

You say if you like Road racing there is plenty of series out there for us.. where are they for us on this side of the pond?
Same with ovals... you said it in Nascar... you have cup, busch, trucks, all on ovals. Nascar has already saturated that market. and sponsors know it! they will sponsor what works and what already has a audience.

What was unique and worked is a mix, it doesnt need to be split( go 13 oval seven road) But the All oval sieries with a token 2 road races is allready done and saturated. A mix with the more popular ovals and road races used is what would work, go with attendance for track appoinment not politics.

IS IRL in trouble? I don't know. Can two ow series surivive? they are now and they both seem to be going back to the right formula (a mix)..

You are right Glen in an American seires with armerican drives, but I still like a mix of nationalities and a mix of North American venues,,,both chosen smartly for qaulity not quantity(deffinetly not pay drivers with lesser talent).. Quality is what the fans are missing and the people in charge forget that..

So who knows if IRL is in trouble maybe if they lose the manufactures? but maybe not, the other series is surving with out them... maybe the IRL can too...

I just love opwn wheel cars

[JohnSSC]

The thing is, there are so many great venues in the US that one series taking advantage of them would provide (depending on rules, etc) some really great opportunities for racing.

We have discussed before the American proclivity for oval racing. I do not think that just because NASCAR races primarily on ovals that you couldn't have them as a large percentage of your venue mix in an open wheel series.

I love open wheel cars too, boom boom!

[baclightning]

Originally Posted by GP Racer

Thanks Boots, we're on the same sheet of music here.

Snips, why would you want the IRL to become what CART was? They went out-of-business! We watch this series because we like oval racing, period. Isn't that what drew you in? There are plenty of road racing series out there you can watch, but what the IRL does is unique, and it should stay that way. I don't mind two road races a season like NASCAR has, or like the old CART, and USAC had. They are/were very successful with that formula. Add to many road/street parades, with to many foreign drivers, in foreign countries, and the IRL will be doomed here, just like CART.

TG's original vision was spot on, but we're beginning to drift into dangerous waters...

Actually, no. I don't like ovals, with the exception of Indy, and perhaps Michigan and Fontana. I love open-wheeled racing, and like many of the drivers currently in the IRL, but I don't enjoy watching racing on ovals shorter than two miles in length. I watch the IRL race on ovals because I have to, not because I want to.

And while I agree with the poster who said that it's the quality of American drivers that matter, not the quantity, in regards to making the series palatable to the US public, I honestly would prefer to see the best drivers possible, no matter their place of birth.

Just my opinion...

[Jordi]

It's getting to a point where some people can't really watch any series because neither IRL not Champ Cars are what IndyCar racing was a few years ago. That doesn't mean that both series don't have their fanbases...