CART and IRL - Beta to VHS or F1 to F3000?

[3state]

Why does IRL get the lion's share of ratings and support in the states over CART? Everytime I watch the CART races on telly, they seem to be well-attended.

I just can't understand it. In terms of the overall quality of the series, that is drivers, cars, circuits, CART wins hands-down imho. A good analogy is the Beta versus VHS one I guess. Superior format losing out to the inferior format.

CART has some of the best drivers in the world, and even attracts the best F1 drivers to it from time to time, take Mansell (albeit in their declining years). The CART drivers are generally superior to their IRL counterparts, and the technology of the cars is superior also.

The comparison i can make is IRL is like F3000 to F1 in terms of the technology, and I'm not interested in F3000 all that much either. The difference to F3000 (apart from the obvious ovals to circuits), is that whereas F3000 is the breeding and testing ground for up and coming drivers, IRL seems to be full of either guys who should be at home playing with their grandchildren and planting roses, or guys named Rusty or Chuck (my apologies to anyone out there called Rusty or Chuck - it just reflect the American-centric focus of the series) who got interested in racing after doing circle-work in their father's tractor back on the farm in Kansas.

CART, like F1 seems to attract dedicated drivers, possibly more so than F1 even (F1 gets its fair-share of spoilt rich-kids with no talent but heaps of sponsorship money). CART attracts the talented guys who don't quite have the funding. The diversity of racing demands greater skill than IRL and the series seems to be more comnpetitive than both F1 and IRL. In short I can't see how IRL with its cars, which are barely more advanced than F3000 cars, with its limited format of oval circles and field of has-beens, or country-bumpkins gets so much support in the states. Maybe because its precisely that: the farmer from Kansas can identify with it over the guy with the strange name and accent in CART no matter how superior he is as a driver.

That's my rant. Thoughts? Long live CART!

[Jay]

Actually, Cart still has much higher attendance figures and much higher TV ratings than the IRL. Cart even gets Formula 1 like attendance at a number of its street/road races. Only the IRL 500 beats Cart races for attendance and TV figures, and its TV figures have dropped greatly this year. All of the other races on the IRL calendar are barely watched or payed attention to by anybody. Most of the local race fans only watch Nascar, and the races aren't televised at any normal time for other people to watch. To sum it up, Cart has the fans, they just need to deliver the product.

The problem is Cart speant about 3 years going back and forth between engine formulas while the manufacturers were pulling their hair out trying to figure out what to do. Then they gave up, and move to the IRL, which has been making steady (albeit small) gains. Cart is also hurt by the new tobacco laws that limit the amount of sponsorship a tobacco company can have. Marlboro decided they only wanted to target Americans, particularily in the South, so they moved their cars to the IRL. Players Forsythe will either be disbanded next year, or they will no longer be called Players...there doesn't seem to be any panic, so I'm guessing they have something up their sleave.

My hope is that the new formula next year will be lower cost, and will allow more cars (hopefully 22) to compete in some very exciting races. Cart is already testing the new formula to ensure the racing will be close. If the product is good, hopefully it will attract some new sponsors and old ones back. After the deal with Ford is done, I imagine there will be a lot more manufacturers wanting a piece of the action and we will be able to have more than 22 cars again.

[kmchow]

Here's a summary of what critics of CART have said over the years.

1) CART has become a F1 wannabe. They now travel around the globe and are forgetting the US/North American roots/beginnings.
2) Cost has started to go up which makes racing more expensive.
3) There are too many foreign drivers racing in it.

I think CART itself started to confuse sponsors and makers as it tried to repeatedly get back together with the IRL.

[macdaddy]

1) CART is travelling the globe because they're finding it hard to sell tickets in the US. The slow cars with the fenders absolutely dominate the market. They can't sell tickets to anything but street races, and most of those "fans" aren't there for the racing itself. They're there because of the atmosphere and the street parties. But then even a major market like Detroit couldn't get the people to come. And that's home base for Ford!

2) The cost had escalated over the years. That's why I don't own a team! But now it's coming down. Alot.

3) This is strictly my opinion, but I enjoy the series for the high talent level. These Brazilians over the years have been phenomenal, and I'm glad to have them! And that's not to mention a certain Italian! I'd much prefer that the grid is comprised of the best open-wheel drivers in the world, (outside of F1), than a grid comprised of Billy Boats.

...and the days of trying to get back together with the IRL are over. Probably forever.

[3state]

macdaddy, I concur with you completely. The depth and breadth of skill and talent in the cart series is phemonemal and alsways makes for interesting viewing. i must admit i came from F1 to CART a few year's ago, and it rtook a while for me to warm to it, primarily because the teams seemed to lack the prestige and 'pedigree' of the F1 teams, and the drivers seemed faceless and indistinguishable, compared to the personalities in F1 (love or loathe them). But I've since acquired a deep appreciation for what CART stands for, and that is competitive, high quality racing, which while still pushing the evenloped of technology isn't determined or dominated by it to the same degree as F1. The move to consolidate and reduce costs for me is also a good decision, and it is keeping with CART's strengths and ethos. The drivers do have the pedigree and the personalities to match, sometimes more so than their F1 counterparts, and they have tremendous talent. The likes of Tracy, Zanardi (love the guy), Montoya, Moore (RIP), Castroneves, De Ferrin, Moreno, Da Matta, Zasser, Servia etc, are not only accomplished and talented drivers at the top of their profession but a distinguishable personalities both on and off the field, which makes the whole series so enjoyable.

CART should always seek to get the best in terms of drivers, teams, crews, and locations, irrespective of where they come from. CART has to decide whether it wants to be just a North American based series, or truly expand globally. It can't be healf-hearted about either...

Again, my two cents.

[StuiE]

There a few IRL teams and drivers that I feel that should be in CART like Sarah Fisher, Kelley Racing, Penske and its drivers, Blair and Barron...

CART cars look better, sound better, go better. Altho I have to say that they go to some cool tracks, like Richmond........but with most of my favourite ovals, theyre in the South like Bristol, Martinsville, Atlanta and Rockingham.......not CART territory

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by 3state
...it rtook a while for me to warm to it, primarily because the teams seemed to lack the prestige and 'pedigree' of the F1 teams, and the drivers seemed faceless and indistinguishable, compared to the personalities in F1 (love or loathe them).

!

I think the "personalities in F1" I'd put down mostly to relentless coverage and British press boosterism. If anything, CART has more drivers who are (or would be) outspoken, but they don't get questioned about every rumour every half hour during the season.

Not that I'm complaining, mind. As much as I appreciate F1's technical brilliance, the only thing that keeps my attention is the circus, as the so-called racing is less than stellar on TV. Mangy-Course (love that nickname) is a great example of a standard F1 parade...