Indycar News & Rumors.

[Burp]

Montoya signs for Penske!!

http://www.racer.com/montoya-to-pens...rticle/311772/

Awesome!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Burp

Montoya signs for Penske!!

http://www.racer.com/montoya-to-pens...rticle/311772/

Awesome!

This can only be good for the series.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Not that this is strictly IndyCar news but possibility for Montoya to make some NASCAR appearances.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109922

[Burp]

He could do the road courses in Nationwide like AJ has done, makes sense

[bjohnsonsmith]

Hawksworth has test debut with RLL.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109946

[HJJ]

Another AR1 post (no link available)

09/25/13 Horrible TV package to cost another IndyCar team major sponsor AR1.com has told its readers time and time again that the NBC Sports Network ratings are a noose around the neck of IndyCar. We have stated that teams cannot land good sponsorship because of those horrible ratings. Well now it appears the decision to stick with NBC Sports Network will cost the paddock the loss of sponsorship for one team greater than what NBC Sports Network pays IndyCar on an annual basis. We call this being pennywise and pound foolish.

A senior Andretti Autosport official has all but confirmed on radio that GoDaddy will not return to the IndyCar Series as a primary car sponsor after this season, and that could impact where James Hinchcliffe works in 2014.

John Lopes, the team’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, said Tuesday night that GoDaddy will have a reduced role with the team next year if it has one at all.

“I can’t speak for them as a company, but times have changed a little bit for them; they’re a company that relies heavily on television and they measure their return on investment based on TV,” Lopes said on 1070 the Fan, a radio station in Indianapolis. “I think it’s safe to say we’ve had a long relationship with them -- I think it’s going on seven years -- and I’d be surprised if we don’t have some type of relationship with them on a going-forward basis.

“[The car] is probably going to look different, but I’d be surprised if they weren’t with us in some fashion.”

Lopes said “two or three” companies are interested in sponsoring Hinchcliffe’s car next season, but none of them have committed at this point.

Michael Andretti’s team is trying to retain Hinchcliffe, who is having a breakout season with three race wins so far. Three races remain this season, starting with next week’s doubleheader in Houston.

“We’re feeling optimistic, cautiously optimistic, that we’re going to be able to pull it off with James,” Lopes said. “That deal’s not done, but we’re certainly not giving up the ghost on it.”

Hinchcliffe is believed to be the target of other teams, too, including Ganassi Racing if it can secure sponsorship.

Lopes said the team’s goal is to have five full-time cars next season, and sponsorship programs are essentially in place for Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti. The team is “at the altar,” Lopes said, with deals for EJ Viso and rookie Carlos Munoz.

.

[Paradise City]

The NBC NASCAR deal should help them out? That said it's going to bundle a bunch of live races right off the schedule.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Another AR1 post (no link available)

Quote
09/25/13 Horrible TV package to cost another IndyCar team major sponsor AR1.com has told its readers time and time again that the NBC Sports Network ratings are a noose around the neck of IndyCar. We have stated that teams cannot land good sponsorship because of those horrible ratings. Well now it appears the decision to stick with NBC Sports Network will cost the paddock the loss of sponsorship for one team greater than what NBC Sports Network pays IndyCar on an annual basis. We call this being pennywise and pound foolish.

A senior Andretti Autosport official has all but confirmed on radio that GoDaddy will not return to the IndyCar Series as a primary car sponsor after this season, and that could impact where James Hinchcliffe works in 2014.

John Lopes, the team’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, said Tuesday night that GoDaddy will have a reduced role with the team next year if it has one at all.

“I can’t speak for them as a company, but times have changed a little bit for them; they’re a company that relies heavily on television and they measure their return on investment based on TV,” Lopes said on 1070 the Fan, a radio station in Indianapolis. “I think it’s safe to say we’ve had a long relationship with them -- I think it’s going on seven years -- and I’d be surprised if we don’t have some type of relationship with them on a going-forward basis.

“[The car] is probably going to look different, but I’d be surprised if they weren’t with us in some fashion.”

Lopes said “two or three” companies are interested in sponsoring Hinchcliffe’s car next season, but none of them have committed at this point.

Michael Andretti’s team is trying to retain Hinchcliffe, who is having a breakout season with three race wins so far. Three races remain this season, starting with next week’s doubleheader in Houston.

“We’re feeling optimistic, cautiously optimistic, that we’re going to be able to pull it off with James,” Lopes said. “That deal’s not done, but we’re certainly not giving up the ghost on it.”

Hinchcliffe is believed to be the target of other teams, too, including Ganassi Racing if it can secure sponsorship.

Lopes said the team’s goal is to have five full-time cars next season, and sponsorship programs are essentially in place for Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti. The team is “at the altar,” Lopes said, with deals for EJ Viso and rookie Carlos Munoz.

.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Why does the IRL persist with NBCSN, when they are getting a pitance?

Andretti are looking to have a five car team? The last time I remember anyone entering a five car team was BRM in the 1972 Argentine GP.

[HJJ]

From the IBJ.

IndyCar will host a road race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, the first time the open-wheel racing series will compete in the hallowed track’s winding interior course.

The eight-member IMS board of directors approved the revolutionary move Thursday.

The race will take place the opening weekend of Indianapolis 500 festivities—May 8-10. The track will undergo reconfiguration this fall and next spring to create more passing zones and vantage points for fans, according to the IMS.

The 98th running of the Indy 500 is scheduled for May 25, with qualifying for the oval-track race scheduled between the two races.

“This event will bring even more energy and action to the Month of May for fans and create another showcase for the diversity and excitement of the Speedway and the IndyCar Series,” said Hulman & Company CEO Mark D. Miles. “The new road race will further enhance the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the premier motorsports destination in the world and direct an even brighter spotlight on the Indianapolis 500."

The IMS was mum on further details, deferring to a media event Oct. 1.

The move is the highest-profile break from tradition yet in Miles' tenure. He became CEO in December. IBJ reported earlier this month that he was investigating the possibility of running a road race at the Speedway, in addition to other ways to overhaul "Month of May" festivities.

Until this year, racing IndyCars on the IMS road course has only been a pipe dream, often talked about but never seriously considered by the Hulman-George family that runs the Speedway.

The IMS road course has hosted series including the Formula One race from 2000-2007, the annual MotoGP event that debuted in 2008, and the Grand-Am Rolex Series that first competed at IMS in 2012.

The course has been criticized by F1 and more recently, MotoGP racers, for just about everything including being bumpy, dusty, slick and boring.

Miles has said that an IndyCar road race would be intended to restore some horsepower to May.

“We only had a few thousand people on [Indianapolis 500] opening day this year and we keep doing the same things and it's not working,” Miles recently told Racer.com. “I want to protect the Indianapolis 500 but we need to look at what we can do to help the race and IndyCar. We need to make more out of the month and I don’t see how starting off with a road race could hurt it.”

[Peat]

NBCSN - Great coverage that nobody can watch.

ABC - Dreadful coverage that everyone can see.

How do you balance that out?

[Formulahistory]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Why does the IRL persist with NBCSN, when they are getting a pitance?

Andretti are looking to have a five car team? The last time I remember anyone entering a five car team was BRM in the 1972 Argentine GP.

Yes, but Andretti has partner teams. Viso is also supported by HVM/Team Venezuela, Munoz bei AFS.

[DS"]

Originally Posted by Peat

NBCSN - Great coverage that nobody can watch.

ABC - Dreadful coverage that everyone can see.

How do you balance that out?

Asking NBC to air some races on their main network? Or has ABC an exclusive network TV contract with IndyCar? Or maybe NBCSN will dump IndyCar, once they air NASCAR? In that case, IndyCar can hope that ESPN wants to pick up the series again.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Honda pleased with engine progress.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/110166

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by DS"

Asking NBC to air some races on their main network? Or has ABC an exclusive network TV contract with IndyCar?

Yes, that is correct.

[FstrthnU]

http://www.racer.com/indycar-confirm...rticle/313790/

I don't know if this was posted already, but IZOD confirms they will be ending their sponsorship of Indycar. Looks like Indycar will need a new title sponsor.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

http://www.racer.com/indycar-confirm...rticle/313790/

I don't know if this was posted already, but IZOD confirms they will be ending their sponsorship of Indycar. Looks like Indycar will need a new title sponsor.

With GoDaddy departing and that other sponsor as well, Indycar needs to handle this and stem a sponsorship exodus. Particularly with the uncertainty of the NBC NASCAR deal. These guys need to be spinning Montoya or something.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

I don't know if this was posted already, but IZOD confirms they will be ending their sponsorship of Indycar. Looks like Indycar will need a new title sponsor.

They need more than a title sponsor. :downforthecount:

[DS"]

Sounds like we'll have to get used to a new announcer for ABC's IndyCar races: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_4013945.html

Given that ESPN was always good at angering (or getting rid off) long-time announcers, I wouldn't cross my fingers for Paul Page to return .

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by DS"

Sounds like we'll have to get used to a new announcer for ABC's IndyCar races: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_4013945.html

Given that ESPN was always good at angering (or getting rid off) long-time announcers, I wouldn't cross my fingers for Paul Page to return .

Isn't it likely they would want to replace Marty Reid with somebody younger than Paul Page?

[Paradise City]

Paul Page is in or near retirement age. I don't see him returning to Indycar with television. Which is a shame. Marty Reid's line is as a presenter, he was always ill-suited to commentary, imo. I don't like to see a specific gaffe like that see off a thirty year broadcasting veteran though. Tough business.

[hotlavaaaa]

Can't say I'm sad to see him go. I've never enjoyed the way he calls a race. Wouldn't it make sense to just use the NBC Sports commentators? Although I am beginning to find Leigh Diffey's overexuberant style a little tiring.

[DS"]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Paul Page is in or near retirement age. I don't see him returning to Indycar with television.

Murray Walker commentated F1 well into his 80's

But yeah, I think ESPN will go for a younger choice. But I'm not too familiar with American racing commentators, so I won't speculate about it.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by hotlavaaaa

Can't say I'm sad to see him go. I've never enjoyed the way he calls a race. Wouldn't it make sense to just use the NBC Sports commentators? Although I am beginning to find Leigh Diffey's overexuberant style a little tiring.

That's the way with alot of modern commentary. Commentators lavishing compliments on drivers and the racing like they are praising children for painting a picture. They come across more like presenters of infomercials selling a product and talking down to their audience than giving genuinely grounded commentary. It's all down to intense rivalry due to multichannel competition where you have to maximise audience share. Grand Am, at the edge of France's empire, are the most guilty of that, trying to squeeze as much audience share as they can. There are many fine drivers in that series but listening to the commentators you'd swear the grid was stuffed with Fangios and Foyts. OTT, thank you. Jeremy Shaw is a great antidote to that. When he compliments a driver or a move, it's warranted and when a driver fouls, he isn't shy by going right out and saying it.

On the subject of Shaw, he'd make a great pairing with Page. Shaw is a freelancer I think but he is close to ESPN. I guess it's too smart for it to happen.

[DS"]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

On the subject of Shaw, he'd make a great pairing with Page. Shaw is a freelancer I think but he is close to ESPN. I guess it's too smart for it to happen.

Yup. I think Shaw could harmonate well with Goodyear and Cheever. Not to mention that he did a good job when he called CART and ChampCar.

Although...if we want British commentators, there can be only one: Ben Edwards! Him calling an Indianapolis 500 would be awesome!

[HJJ]

Hinch on the move.

http://www.racer.com/robin-miller-hi...rticle/314117/