Indycar News & Rumors.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Yes

Who?

[D.R.T.]

Anyone in the forrest who saw him fall down?

Wouldnt you help someone who fell over and needed assistance?

[D.R.T.]

.

[HJJ]

New (yet again) management.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...-into-focus/P1

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Mark Miles, the 'Fiscally Conservative Hawk' who borrows Taxpayer money from the state, is proving yet again he has treaded into a fire pit while walking barefoot.

We've had SIX months since the season ended and Bernard was removed, and these clowns are now taking the 'everybody has a say approach', yep, that's worked Real well in the past. Who is the leader? Miles? the Bean Counter? Zak Brown? Derrick Walker? The Indiana state government? the sisters? Dallara?

The quotes from this article are downright comical:

Miles has been tasked with turning IndyCar into a far more profitable and prosperous series, and since the departure of former series CEO Randy Bernard, a few interim appointees have kept the storied series holding station.

The biggest challenge for Miles, who expects to maintain a hands-on role with IndyCar, is to move the series forward with a permanent management team—one that can establish an action plan of its own.

Okay How are you going to do that? We've been wondering for six months, but keep up your dinners with the Indycar Koolaid media circle, I'm sure that's helping with assurance.

For Brown, who’s in the midst of completing a move from Indiana to England to better serve his international clientele, the logistics of leading the Hulman Racing organization would involve a fair amount of initial flights and telecommuting.

Brilliant, just brilliant. I wonder what he is going to pick; IMS, Indycar, Clabber Girl or Formula 1.

For Miles, installing his CEO/CEOs would allow him to start moving the series in the directions he’s outlined. He wants faster cars, he wants more technology, more consistency in the dates and tracks on the calendar and a wholesale revamp of how the series presents itself to the world.

And after years of IndyCar placing far too many responsibilities and expectations on one man’s shoulders (see: R. Bernard, 2010-2012), spreading that load across a proper management structure is something Miles admits is a must for the Hulman Racing properties to be successful.

“I always felt and said that my own biggest deficiencies was everything competition with technical stuff,” he said. “And I think it's really helpful to be surrounded by people who do have a sense of the culture and the history. And I want a good commercial CEO to get moving on a lot of high value things we’ve singled out. One could argue that having splitting the two is lower risk because, not that this is the most important point, but if you have those two, you haven't identified or lost one Messiah. If one of the two doesn't work out in a while, it's not like you're going to go through the whole management upheaval thing all over again.”

You mean the only guy any Indycar fans could relate to and actually liked in the last 20 years? Also, I guess those idiots like the France Family and Bernie Ecclestone were wrong in their business model. Once again, who the heck is going to be and is currently the leader??

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by HJJ

New (yet again) management.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...-into-focus/P1

As far as I'm concerned, all this talk of management restructuring is just paper shuffling, so the IRL can be seen to be busy when in reality they are just procrastinating because none of them really have a clue.

[mountainstar]

I think it's pretty funny.

You have this Miles guy, whoever he is, combinin' stuff and compactin' stuff and consolidatin' stuff. Looks like some more job cuts coming. To those with jobs at the speedway you might want to be sending out your resume and bio.

And the prospective indy racin league boss is moving over to England to serve all his F1 clients. I guess he'll run the series sending a few texts everyday over from across the Atlantic.

[JohnSSC]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I think it's pretty funny.



And the prospective indy racin league boss is moving over to England to serve all his F1 clients. I guess he'll run the series sending a few texts everyday over from across the Atlantic.

How much time and effort does it take to screw stuff up? I mean, daily contact is not required for that, so why not head off to Jolly Old? Could this guy be any more Removed From Reality than the team owners/series owners who just don't get it?

What a cluster...

[D.R.T.]

Let's see how it all pans out shouldn't we?

Still a fair amount of water to pass under the bridge.

[HJJ]

Briscoe to do Indy w/Ganassi.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...-with-ganassi/

[HJJ]

'Dinger in till Detroit.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...YCAR/130409867

[D.R.T.]

Good to see some good news for AJ and Briscoe and a positive for the series.

[skells22]

the check rookie day at indy has been postponed and turned into a TBA due to a certain word that is hated on ovals, Rain

[bjohnsonsmith]

Pocono is hit with the drivers.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106630

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Pocono is hit with the drivers.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106630

"It's a really nice track, very smooth with the resurfacing," he said. "It's very fast. I've already been wide open all the way around, [so] maybe a little bit heavy on downforce, but nice.

They need to take downforce out and give these cars straight line speed, it's dangerous if these cars are going flat out all the way around a track like Pocono.

Back in the late 1980s the top speed going into turn one on an abrasive surface was 238 mph. Top speed in testing going into turn 1 was 211. Even the NASCAR stock cars go 205 into turn 1 here and that's in heavy stock cars on a flat track.

[Purist]

I don't see how it's possible that they were only doing 211 into Turn 1 if Will was able to average 215-mph.

One of the articles mentions that only one car did a few laps "flat all the way around". I'm still struggling to see how you go flat-out through Turns 1 and 3, especially Turn 3.

It's a tricky thing. How much difference in downforce is there between maximum and minimum levels for the speedway package? I know that some of the pieces that add downforce also happen to reduce drag. Also, these cars have more baseline drag, and less horsepower, than the old CART machines. Therefore, they CAN'T attain ultra-spectacular top-end speed figures.

We don't know the conditions under which those few "flat" laps were set. If they can do it in qualifying, but can't with either full tanks or worn tires during the race, then it may be just fine to leave them in the same trim as they tested.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by Purist

I don't see how it's possible that they were only doing 211 into Turn 1 if Will was able to average 215-mph.

One of the articles mentions that only one car did a few laps "flat all the way around". I'm still struggling to see how you go flat-out through Turns 1 and 3, especially Turn 3.

It's a tricky thing. How much difference in downforce is there between maximum and minimum levels for the speedway package? I know that some of the pieces that add downforce also happen to reduce drag. Also, these cars have more baseline drag, and less horsepower, than the old CART machines. Therefore, they CAN'T attain ultra-spectacular top-end speed figures.

We don't know the conditions under which those few "flat" laps were set. If they can do it in qualifying, but can't with either full tanks or worn tires during the race, then it may be just fine to leave them in the same trim as they tested.

This is what Pocono Raceway's twitter/facebook page said about top speed, not me. Thanks for correcting that information

[NaBUru38]

Always genuine, never lite, it's Miller time!

Originally Posted by Robin Miller

Nothing wrong with a little hatred in racing and we need some rivalries but how many of these drivers really want to drop the gloves and fight?

The best communication is to walk down to your adversary when all the cameras and crews are gone and tell him if he ever cuts you off or knocks you out of the way again you will end his day. Then smile and walk away.

[Canada ALMS fan]

Couldn't care less about the DTM or DP news but man I really hope they do Indycar...
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...type-for-2014/
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106774

[BrentJackson]

Yeah, Audi jumping into Indycar is potentially a huge deal. And right now, the getting in can be done fairly cheaply, as Honda and Chevrolet can only supply so many teams, and an Audi effort could easily score good teams to run their engines (thinking KVRT first of all) and be good right from the off as GM was. Here's hoping.

[HJJ]

Bye - Bye Long Beach?

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/ra...long-beach-gp/

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...-beach-rights/

[Purist]

If Kim Green picked it up, that would probably still mean IndyCar running on Sunday.

As for the other two, it's probably Bernie posturing. Also, that track isn't long enough for F1; it's shorter than Monaco, and even Singapore is over 3.0 miles around. It also wouldn't be long enough to necessarily run the full field for USCR at one time, so I don't see the draw there so much. Also, NASCAR would want it for bargain basement price, like the ALMS assets, so I don't see it happening.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Bye - Bye Long Beach?

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/ra...long-beach-gp/

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...-beach-rights/

The Speed TV article contradicts the Motor Sport article, especially when Gerald Forsythe says this; “I’m so glad to be out of racing and I don’t miss it but Long Beach is a money maker and it’s not for sale,” said Forsythe. “We’ve got a longtime commitment with the city and a great sponsor in Toyota.”

[Canada ALMS fan]

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...heel-interest/
This would be such a great shot in the arm for the series, it also adds the the likelihood of seeing brand specific aero package IMO. 3 manufacturers looking for branding opportunities is a powerful lobby vs. the short-sighted, self serving owners who want to stick with the status quo, long term health of the series be damned.
The cynic in me thinks this may just be a bargaining ploy to seek more favourable terms from Daytona re: USCR for the next 2 years and beyond...

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Audi will save the series right after IZOD has.


I honestly think a lot of this depends on whether or not US DTM takes off. Audi/VW was one of the key players in talk over the new engine regs as far back as 08 and they bowed out so we'll see. I'll believe Audi going to any form of open wheel when I see it.