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Post by indy on Aug 23, 2009 19:50:08 GMT -5
Beside authorizing a plastic injected 1/25 kit of current and past cars, what are you thoughts on short-term fixes for the IndyCar series. So, I it was my understanding that Sonoma was the first IRL race without a pass for the lead - that got me thinking. I think if IndyCar can't lure another engine manufacturer then they should at least open up the chassis options again. Last time they limited it Dallara, Panoz G-Force, and Falcon - well, Falcon never got any orders and Panoz G-Force couldn't/wouldn't(?) keep up. Back where the IRL was looking for chassis suppliers, both Penske Cars and Lola submitted proposals. I think letting different chassis would get the field mixed up anymore. I realize financial times are hard so having $$$ caps on all manufacturers would be appropriate. However, I think Penske Cars may have been disbanded a few years back  so they might not even be an option anymore!? So, put your IRL CEO hat on and post away. (I can already see Russ's post now ;D ) Jordan |
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Post by clm1545 on Aug 23, 2009 20:31:09 GMT -5
Remember what the IRL was formed to do? Affordable oval track racing, giving American drivers someplace to go besides SMASHCAR. That is what we need to get back to. What we have now is champcar2 featuring a bunch of F1 wanabees.
My $.02
Craig
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 1:21:52 GMT -5
Try to open up things as far as engine suppliers. While it's all good and fine that you have Honda tech. and mechanical support, the $2mil or more a year price tag is what really kills off your "dark horse" teams or limits them as in the case of Sarah Fisher. Your choice of drivers also suffers as a result of all these huge costs. A team owner looking to keep his head above water, may be forced to hire a lesser driver with deep sponsor pockets, as opposed to hiring a superior driver without big sponsors.
In general, you need greater overall competition in terms of chassis, motors, etc.
The expense is slowly killing off the sport. Just my thoughts.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 1:29:46 GMT -5
Since you asked for it....Here's my .02 worth....
Being one that is very disappointed in the path taken by the IRL. It isn't near what they started out to be.
Improve the broadcasts!!!! Get better broadcasters is a start!
Stop the shill and barker sells pitch on how exciting the race is if it isn't! Lose most of the road course races! Belle Island and Sonoma are boring!!! Long Beach isn't good either! Maybe get Watkins Glen back.....I do like Road America.
I'd stop the over promoting the few drivers they have. Promote by merit, not by gender or by sponsorship. Make the cars have less air effects, make them more skillful to drive and make them much better looking. (Hell.....I want the engine back up front...but, oh well) I watched the IRL race today...and the F-1 race earlier...both series have butt-ugly cars! I know aero-dynamics is important, but really....what ugly cars!
The best thing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can do is loosen their mindless grip on marketing and stop trying to force a penny out of everything. Do what NASCAR did with die-cast and model's is a start. One thing that IMS has that no one else has is a grand and magnificent history.....try some past endorsement deals with that. More older and affordable models. Use past winners more and promote what a great history they have. After all...it's been there for almost a century.
Oh well.......I'm off my soap box now and best to all
Russ
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Post by indydog on Aug 24, 2009 2:47:45 GMT -5
I'm gonna have to disagree with Russ, I like road course racing. True, Belle Isle is boring, but I like Sonoma. Road Atlanta, Road America and Watkins Glen would all be great races. Perhaps I should say, I like REAL road course racing, not temp street tracks.
As far as the IRL itself goes, do you remember how great the racing was in the 70's and 80's? Open the chassis and engine rules. Restrict wing size and placement. Allow different types of engines. (anyone remember the bus engine?)
The only way to get the IRL back to what it was supposed to be, would be to have 1 identical chassis/engine combo. That's spec racing and nobody wants to watch that, been there done that.
Make sponsorship tied to the car/team, not the driver. A team loses a driver, the sponsorship stays with the car. There would be no "drivers" (Mad Marty & Milka?) buying their seats then.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 9:54:36 GMT -5
Morning Mark...
The IRL is spec racing at it's worse; and the announcers are trying to sell this pig to anyone that will listen. Buying a ride at Indy goes back for decades....Remember George Rose in 1960's or Pat Bedard in the 1970's? This is nothing new, sad to say.
The IRL, after all of their posturing about change....is a small joke and a sad reminder of what CART used to be. One engine, one chassis and few in control. Same big teams and owners and few real completive drivers and teams.
I HATE TEMPORARY ROAD COURSES!!!!!!!!!!! To really race, you have to make a pass on the track for it to be racing...or all you have is a pro-longed pit-stop competition with a ,long drive up. I hate what it has become. I still love the Indianapolis 500, but I hate the sanctioning body for it. Just like CART, but it's now CART-lite.
Best to you all
Russ
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 11:18:30 GMT -5
Holy crap Russ! I agree with almost every one of your points.
Maybe it's time you applied for Brian Barnard's job.
G
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Post by stuboyle on Aug 24, 2009 12:02:33 GMT -5
I really think the most viable solution in the long term is "F-1 Lite" which is what CART was prior to the split. If we could have budgets in line with the ALMS, that would allow for different engines and different chassis. We really need guys like Rubens Barrichello to move over to Indycar after they retire from F1.
Another "vision" is to go "old school". Outlaw all carbon fiber except for the tub. Reduce the downforce, increase the horsepower, etc.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 12:06:09 GMT -5
The IRL does look like the old CART as far as the races and schedule but one big difference, except for the poor economy, the CART of 1995 and before that had a number of engine and chassis suppliers that pushed the limit of competition and on track racing and it gave NASCAR a real run for their money.
I think that Brian B. and the IRL boys better get back to the table with the engine and chassis suppliers and get a set of future rules put together soon because 2 more years of this package is not going to cut it!
John
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Post by stuboyle on Aug 24, 2009 13:02:32 GMT -5
I think that Brian B. and the IRL boys better get back to the table with the engine and chassis suppliers and get a set of future rules put together soon because 2 more years of this package is not going to cut it! The conventional argument is they can't afford to do it but some car owner, I don't recall who, said they can't afford to wait another 2 years. |
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Post by stuboyle on Aug 24, 2009 13:05:52 GMT -5
Now, it you subscribe to the idea of reducing downforce and increasing horsepower doesn't it fly in the face of the changes they made before Kentucky? They increased the downforce at Kentucky in order to make the racing better. The idea of low downforce, high horsepower sounds appealing but does anyone know what the racing would be like? I guess you just have to be careful what you wish for.
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Post by indycals on Aug 24, 2009 14:13:16 GMT -5
There's a lot of things they could do, but at LEAST one oval race in the western HALF of the US would be a good start. My closest race is Kansas, and forgive me if I don't want to drive 600 miles through prairie to see a race there. Phoenix, Vegas or Fontana, I could do. PPIR was great, too bad ISC shut it down (the track is still there however).
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Post by indy on Aug 24, 2009 14:17:58 GMT -5
A nice calm discussion even with disagreements - I like it ;D and a lot of angles I wasn't thinking of yesterday - keep the ideas coming guys - this is great!!
Jordan (King of the run-on sentences - lol)
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Post by stuboyle on Aug 24, 2009 15:37:53 GMT -5
There's a lot of things they could do, but at LEAST one oval race in the western HALF of the US would be a good start. My closest race is Kansas, and forgive me if I don't want to drive 600 miles through prairie to see a race there. Phoenix, Vegas or Fontana, I could do. PPIR was great, too bad ISC shut it down (the track is still there however). What about Miller, if they ever decided to run there? I would like to a proper road course in Texas. Hell, the closest is Barber which is quite a hike! |
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Post by stuboyle on Aug 24, 2009 15:40:45 GMT -5
I HATE TEMPORARY ROAD COURSES!!!!!!!!!!! To really race, you have to make a pass on the track for it to be racing...or all you have is a pro-longed pit-stop competition with a ,long drive up. I hate what it has become. I still love the Indianapolis 500, but I hate the sanctioning body for it. Just like CART, but it's now CART-lite. Toronto turned-out be a hell of race this year with lots of passing. You expected more passing in Edmonton, but we didn't get it. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2009 15:48:44 GMT -5
One last thing.....I would like to see one if not two, races back on dirt in front engine cars. Add the "Hoosier Hundred" back on the racing schedule or the Pike's Peak Hill climb. I also agree with Michael...there needs to be at least one more racing in teh western part of the United States, other than Long Beach. Just a thought....can you imagine what the engineers would come up with now with a front engine car?
Best to you
Russ
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Post by indydog on Aug 24, 2009 21:22:59 GMT -5
One last thing.....I would like to see one if not two, races back on dirt in front engine cars. Add the "Hoosier Hundred" back on the racing schedule or the Pike's Peak Hill climb. I also agree with Michael...there needs to be at least one more racing in teh western part of the United States, other than Long Beach. Just a thought....can you imagine what the engineers would come up with now with a front engine car? Best to you Russ They're called "Sprint Cars" Russ. ;D |
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so they might not even be an option anymore!?
