Indycar News & Rumors.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by rwintle

Hm, I hadn't heard that... I remember the Andretti Green protos in the ALMS when I first started watching it in 2008.

Pagenaud is a real hot shoe in prototypes but I can't see how a driver could do both series full-time in the same season. And Pagenaud already made the decision to go to IndyCar once before, based as I recall on a desire to try to win the Indy 500.

Still, intriguing - even as a mentor/occasional development driver in a prototype he'd be really valuable I think.

Is this why Andretti Motorsport changed to Honda engines?
Is the P2 prototype project related to a proposal for a P2 Honda/Accura chassis/engine Andretti would help Honda develop?

[NaBUru38]

Andretti has said publicly he wants to run in prototypes, he's just finding sponsors.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by rwintle

Pagenaud is a real hot shoe in prototypes but I can't see how a driver could do both series full-time in the same season. And Pagenaud already made the decision to go to IndyCar once before, based as I recall on a desire to try to win the Indy 500.

Still, intriguing - even as a mentor/occasional development driver in a prototype he'd be really valuable I think.

As you mentioned later on, I meant to say that Pagenaud would be used as a third driver only. And you're right, he would be really valuable in terms of his knowledge with prototypes.

[TheMightyM]

Robin Miller has an interesting column out titled “Why IndyCar must make ovals work.” It begins:

The dichotomy was front and center Saturday night at Iowa Speedway: great racing with another disappointing fan turnout.

That's the sad but true tale of oval tracks in the Verizon IndyCar Series. Once the pillar of the most popular form of motorsports in this country when USAC and CART were on top, ovals have become an endangered species. Other than Indianapolis, it's tough to draw anything resembling a crowd.

Texas Motor Speedway, once a stronghold that put 75,000-80,000 people in the stands to watch the Indy Racing League's version of Russian Roulette, has been sliding recently and withered down to 25,000 (at best) last month. After an encouraging return of an estimated 25,000 in 2013 following a 24-year absence, Pocono slumped to maybe 15,000 a couple weeks ago. Iowa, which packed the grandstands the first few races for IndyCar, looked about half full last

You can read the rest of Miller’s column here. And yes, he has some suggestions though I don’t know how successful they’re likely to be.

[Paradise City]

I think the Americans are slightly falling out of love with the ovals at national level, worrying but manageable for NASCAR, serious turbulence for Indycar which is trying to pick itself up from flatlining popularity. There's no clear solutions to that. Maybe dovetail a race with boxing or a concert or something like the DTM has done. I dunno.

One day events make sense. Quali has no potential pull. It's all there on the internet so you might as well stick it all in on the one day. I don't know if that'll 'work' but there isn't much to lose in trying it I don't think.

[Nikki Katz]

Those seem like reasonable suggestions, I'm not sure it'll fix the problem but it's a step in the right direction. Miller's suggestion during Pocono that the pit lane speed limit should be scrapped was a bit weird though.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Robin Miller

You can't start a race at 3 p.m. and give the fans NOTHING beforehand. That's ignorant and arrogant.

That's so obvious... and too much ignored.

Originally Posted by Robin Miller

if IndyCar was 50-50 partners in selling tickets, marketing and promoting the event it could make a difference – especially with Verizon on board.

I agree, IndyCar should collaborate with promoters at each race.

[NaBUru38]

The Pocono race had 342,000 viewers on NBCSN. That's a bit less than for the Houston races.

[Formulahistory]

sad facts for such a great race...

IndyCar racing still has almost no viewers...

[NaBUru38]

The Castrol livery is back!

Originally Posted by Tony DiZinno

Jack Hawksworth has Castrol Edge listed as a primary sponsor for this race

[NaBUru38]

The Iowa race on NBCSN had 444,000 viewers, the highest since Long Beach 2012.

[NaBUru38]

What could Nascar say about the Iowa Indy 300? Here's the answer:

It was an incredible race and an even better finish, it's going to be tough to top.

I had a good meeting with the IndyCar people on Saturday about the future of IndyCar for 2015 and beyond. This is a major market for IndyCar, it's one of our three big weekends and we believe it's really important to hang onto them. We bill it as the fastest short track on the planet but it wouldn't be without IndyCar and we're happy with our relationship with them.

We're happy with what we had Saturday night and we're bullish on where we're headed. I think we're poised to see a significant growth from a ticket sales standpoint. We got good feedback about the racing, the midway and concerts.

Sure would be nice to have a clear day with no rain in the forecast. I've got to work on that.

This is the kind of promoter that IndyCar needs.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

What could Nascar say about the Iowa Indy 300? Here's the answer:



This is the kind of promoter that IndyCar needs.

Maybe IndyCar should consider running joint events with NASCAR?

[Juntos]

Why not Indycar to make compulsory one American driver per car. This series misses some patriot appeal.

[DS"]

Originally Posted by Juntos

Why not Indycar to make compulsory one American driver per car. This series misses some patriot appeal.

As much as I'd like to see more Americans in Indycar, I definitely don't want to see the likes of Buzz Calkins or any of the other IRL scrubs in the series again. For once, it'd be better to promote the American drivers you already have...okay, only RHR and perhaps Marco are worth being promoted right now.

[NaBUru38]

Newgarden, KImball, Karam and Brabham are well deserving too, I think.

[mountainstar]

I never watch this series at all, but happened to be in a restaurant yesterday where the owner had Toronto qualifying on the big TV. Resisting the temptation to poke my eyes out, I watched for a few minutes and pretty much confirmed what I already knew. The cars are boring to watch, with no exceptional skill required to drive them, they don't sound good, don't look fast and attract mediocre talent to drive them.

Since the beginning of the rodeo randy days this series has engaged in turd polishing with one gimmicky thing after another, yet refuses to fix the main issue and that is the cars and the drivers do not bring fans through the gate, nor is it interesting or engaging to watch on TV.

Until that is fixed, rubbin miller and the series management can continue to talk gimmicks but this series continues to go nowhere.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I never watch this series at all, but happened to be in a restaurant yesterday where the owner had Toronto qualifying on the big TV. Resisting the temptation to poke my eyes out, I watched for a few minutes and pretty much confirmed what I already knew. The cars are boring to watch, with no exceptional skill required to drive them, they don't sound good, don't look fast and attract mediocre talent to drive them.

Since the beginning of the rodeo randy days this series has engaged in turd polishing with one gimmicky thing after another, yet refuses to fix the main issue and that is the cars and the drivers do not bring fans through the gate, nor is it interesting or engaging to watch on TV.

Until that is fixed, rubbin miller and the series management can continue to talk gimmicks but this series continues to go nowhere.

Quali's is totally different the actual race, so I don't quite get your point. Other than that, the actual racing this season has been very good, better than F1 imo. As for gimmicks, F1 definitely takes the biscuit.

They'll have aero-kits next season, .

[Salamus]

What do you guys think of this article?

A part of me agrees with the article. But the rest of me just envisions a line up of cars tiptoeing around the track...that doesn't sound fun to watch. Maybe the Firestone rain tire is just that terrible.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I never watch this series at all.

The cars are boring to watch, with no exceptional skill required to drive them, they don't sound good, don't look fast and attract mediocre talent to drive them.

Great evidenced supported insight as always.

In particular about the mediocre talent bit - pure gold.

Thanks again for commenting on something you supposedly never watch or even care about apparently

[HighParker]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

... Thanks again for commenting on something you supposedly never watch or even care about apparently

I turned on my TV a couple of times Sunday morning to see if the rescheduled race was on, but all I saw was golf, tennis, darts, and poker, all of which I never watch. Should have I searched out forums about all of them so that I could adamantly claim to not pay attention to them, while inexplicably having made up juvenile parody names for the people in these sports I don't watch?

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I never watch this series at all, but happened to be in a restaurant yesterday where the owner had Toronto qualifying on the big TV.

For somebody who never watches this series at all, as you say, you have been pretty passionate in speaking out against it on the forums over the last couple of years. There is no need waste your energy (and those of your readers) with discussing this series if you couldn't care less about the actual racing: the better days of the past are not coming back anytime soon, neither the CART nor the IRL days, and in the meantime, NASCAR has built a near monopoly for racetracks it controls, but even that does not help NASCAR at the box office.

Please allow me a little curiosity: what is your favourite auto racing series these days?

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Yannick

For somebody who never watches this series at all, as you say, you have been pretty passionate in speaking out against it on the forums over the last couple of years. There is no need waste your energy (and those of your readers) with discussing this series if you couldn't care less about the actual racing: the better days of the past are not coming back anytime soon, neither the CART nor the IRL days, and in the meantime, NASCAR has built a near monopoly for racetracks it controls, but even that does not help NASCAR at the box office.

Please allow me a little curiosity: what is your favourite auto racing series these days?

I've spoken out against it since the beginning 20 years ago.

You better hope the good days are coming back because otherwise it's dead series walking.

Here is a series with little attendance and pitiful tv numbers. I think I know why and pointed that out. The cars are not impressive to watch and in this day and age of so much competition in sport and entertainment, it's not cutting the mustard.

My favorite series is still V8 Supercars.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Great evidenced supported insight as always.

In particular about the mediocre talent bit - pure gold.

Thanks again for commenting on something you supposedly never watch or even care about apparently

No, thank you. I'm glad I could help out.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by Salamus

Maybe the Firestone rain tire is just that terrible.

Miller said that during the Sunday pre-race show. Firestone had a good tire a few years ago then changed it and now it's crap.