Indycar News & Rumors.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Bob Baldwin

You are missing the point . Whether you are talking the Politics of Government OR the Politics of International Motor Sports . I find that they both get me PO'd . The same can be said for most not all PR releases .

I participate / attend a variety of motor sports on a yearly basis to see Competition . No matter what side of pit wall you are on it just seems every year the Politics of Auto Racing gets worse every year .

I am ALL for safety improvements on a continuing basis BUT would also like to see cars that retain the same tech specifications for longer than 1 year

I'm not missing the point at all you are. This thread isn't about politics of government or about politics of motorsport, it's title is IndyCar News & Rumours, and therefore there is no reason to get po'd. If you want to get all po'd, go on to Facebook, it's full of discussions and posts, where you can get po'd as much as you like.

Currently we are discussing Target no longer sponsoring Ganassi in 2017; nothing to do with safety improvements or car specifications.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I'm not looking for a political conversation or to express my views on that, I am only saying that is their demographic they are looking to appeal to and motor racing with loud, noisy engines and tires and the people that attend those events is not. They have changed a lot as a company since they first got into the sport and mostly their sponsorship was only sustainable due to the associate sponsors who really paid the bill, not Target.

While I get your point, to a certain extent, about target changing, the opinion that the demographic is incorrect is a completely antiquated rational. This is the same opinion used against the Tide sponsorship of Darrell Waltrip's Hendrick Chevy in the late 80s. In hindsight, it sounds silly as how long was that sponsor in NASCAR? In 2016, sounds pretty ridiculous, imho. They sell toy race cars, slot cars, tory monster trucks, toy heavy equipment, RC cars, sporting equipment, camping equipment, AV/TV, other techie stuff in addition to the liberal soccer mom , leftist apparel.

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I thought fieldodreams79 post about his 6 year old cheering for the Target car as that's where the majority of his toys were purchased very telling. That's an example of good marketing and product association and it's nothing to do with his age. We all make those associations, otherwise there wouldn't be any marketing, advertising or sponsoring in the first place and motorsport has provided some of the most iconic brand associations.

Kids are more interested in chasing Pokemon than motorracing. Put one on a car for all I care. Hell, let the app folks hide some at the circuits. I have no idea how that nonsense works, but if it brings money in, puts butts in the stands and eyeballs on the tv, I'm all for it.

[HighParker]

Originally Posted by rwintle

... the usual doom 'n gloom from the Toronto Sun, including mandatory yapping about how much more popular the race was back in the Molson Indy days...
... saying nobody likes the new track layout ...
... griping about noise by a city councillor who likens it to sounding like "a herd [sic] of bees" ...
... obligatory mentions of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park ...

I can't hear anything of it until I get south of King Street. I doubt it can be routinely heard at places as far away as Bloor and Christie, unless maybe that involves the atmospheric conditions being just right for short periods, and/or people with much better hearing than me.

I thought the new main turn 11 grandstand (not the smaller one blocked by the foot bridge) was a big improvement over recent years because it was so much closer to the track. I was looking down at the drivers sawing back and forth on their steering wheels as they went through the last part of turn 11.
As always, it will come down to money. If IndyCar decides it can't return unless a lot of repaving is done and the promoter or city won't pay for it, presumably it won't continue. Mosport/CTMP is a separate entity that doesn't necessarily get an IndyCar race if the Exhibition Place race does not continue. Mosport would also need to make safety improvements, although I assume billionaire owner Carlo Fidani can afford it if he thought it was worthwhile.

I like the location of the Toronto race because it's much easier for me to get to than Mosport since I don't own a vehicle and no longer drive. I can understand how Mosport always wants more people paying to camp there for the whole weekend, but I wish they could make some kind of arrangement with Durham Region Transit for a special event bus route on major race weekends, even if it was only one or two buses going to the track from the Oshawa GO Train station on race day morning and returning after the race ended.

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by HighParker

I thought the new main turn 11 grandstand (not the smaller one blocked by the foot bridge) was a big improvement over recent years because it was so much closer to the track. I was looking down at the drivers sawing back and forth on their steering wheels as they went through the last part of turn 11.

Are you in here somewhere?


Honda Indy Toronto - view from the grandstand by Richard Wintle, on Flickr

[HighParker]

Originally Posted by rwintle

Are you in here somewhere?

Yes, near the middle of the picture. Since they were full, I suppose they've now down to the right number of grandstands (after getting rid of the ones that had been along the front of the trade centre near the start/finish line). From my seat I could also see a very brief glimpse of the cars going through turn 8, though part of that was blocked during the race by the general admission crowd standing at the fence.

On another note, since in 2017 a Formula E race is apparently scheduled in Montreal for the July 15-16 weekend, I wonder how it, the Toronto Indy, and Mosport/CTMP IMSA weekend are going to avoid each other. IMSA is announcing its 2017 schedule this week, and has said it wants to avoid back-to-back weekends as it had in 2016 with Watkins Glen and Mosport.

[10TENTHS]

Toronto is contracted through the next 2 years if I'm not mistaken. The problem with most of the course is it runs through private access roads which are not likely to be re-paved with public money.

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by HighParker

On another note, since in 2017 a Formula E race is apparently scheduled in Montreal for the July 15-16 weekend, I wonder how it, the Toronto Indy, and Mosport/CTMP IMSA weekend are going to avoid each other. IMSA is announcing its 2017 schedule this week, and has said it wants to avoid back-to-back weekends as it had in 2016 with Watkins Glen and Mosport.

Argh. Even worse than just IMSA and Indy being on back-to-back weekends. I haven't been to the IMSA race for years for this reason (unfortunately, since I like the series and love Mosport/CTMP). I realize last year was different but I was mired in the Pan Am and Parapan Am games in July, so no IMSA then either.

[NaBUru38]

Why can't Mosport and Lime Rock swap dates?

[NaBUru38]

Thanks to the Nascar rainout, IndyCar got an average 1.0 million viewers:

NBCSN 2:53-4:46 PM: 811 k viewers
CNBC 2:40-4:46 PM: 202 k viewers

The post race had 457 k viewers.

[S griffin]

Indycars is definitely seems to have recovered from the hangover of the split after people saying it would take at best decades to recover, but don't quote me on that

[Nikki Katz]

Slightly off topic but I hear that clauson's had a bad accident in a race last night, though he's stable now. Hope that he continues to get better.

[D.R.T.]

Good to hear that he is stable. Fingers crossed for further progress.

Had the pleasure of meeting and chatting to him very briefly at Indy and was a great guy and very approachable.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Indycars is definitely seems to have recovered from the hangover of the split after people saying it would take at best decades to recover, but don't quote me on that

It's been TWO decades already and it's nowhere near as big as pre-split CART!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Indycars is definitely seems to have recovered from the hangover of the split after people saying it would take at best decades to recover, but don't quote me on that

There's still a long way to go. The recent announcement of Target leaving Ganassi after 27 years, isn't good news. Having said that, the racing is good, much better than F1 and it would seem crowd attendance is up. Bringing back a traditional road course like Road America has certainly helped. I believe TV audiences in general are up as well but it would be interesting to know by how much.

IndyCar's got a fairly good nucleus and mix of tracks. I would just like to see the series add another race in Canada and look to expand in Mexico, Australia and possibly South America. All have huge motorsports fan bases. That could give the series, potentially 19 races. However, this has to be a gradual process.

[S griffin]

I love the Surfers Paradise circuit in Australia and the only thing that would make it better would be a return of the best open wheel racing ATM

[fergus_r]

Sadly, Bryan Clauson passed away last night.

[Nikki Katz]

That's really terrible, he was still so young. Poor guy

[D.R.T.]

Just no good

[fieldodreams79]

Aw man. Just heard the awfully sad news on ESPN radio about Clauson. Very sad.

[Bob Baldwin]

Not only was he TALENTED in a variety of race cars BUT also a CLASS ACT

[Yannick]

That's absolutely horrible news. He was such a huge talent.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Very sad to hear. My condolences to his family.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Pocono to extend their 500 through to 2018. That's good news and good timing with, the Pocono 500, the following weekend.

http://www.indycar.com/News/2016/08/...cono-extension

[NaBUru38]

So no races dropped for 2017? It's been a long while since that last happened.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

So no races dropped for 2017? It's been a long while since that last happened.

Boston was dropped and replaced by Watkins Glen this year, so if Watkins Glen is on next year's calendar then yes.