question

[professor]

Is anyone really excited about the up coming Indy car season? Maybe it's because I am an old fart but the idea of 33 cars(maybe) at Indy with the only difference being the paint schemes doesn't seem to be the Greatest Spectacle anymore to me. I know the racing will be good but where is the innovation? Where is the individual thinking behind each design?

To me the 1967 500 was the pinnacle of open wheel racing. If you take the 67 field, the drivers in the 500 represented 20 Indy 500 victories, 10 F-1 Championships and 3 NASCAR Championships.

There were 17 different chassis/engine combinations including Offies, Fords and the turbine. That's why we build the old cars!

Can you imagine that happening today? Helio vs. Jimmie Johnson vs. Hamilton vs. Dixon vs. Massa vs. Edwards....etc. That is what the 500 should be, but alas, never again.

It is more of a marketing event than a race these days but I will still be there!!!

[2lapsdown]

Sadly, racing as well as most major sports are now more about TV ratings and entertainment value for the masses. Sports has become big business with everybody wanting a piece of the pie. The guy buying the ticket is second fiddle to the guy on the couch. IRL and NA$CAR are little more than spec series now. Bad for the sport, but apparently good for business.

[Deleted]

I have to agree Professor;

The late 60's and early 1970's were a great deal of fun, even though they were dangerous. Today's racing has been, for the most part, three major teams against the field.

I have grown tired of Penske, Ganassi and such, for a while it was Newman-Haas and now Anderetti/Green leading the way with other lesser teams duking it out for the other top spots. That's why some of us liked it when the IRL started....No Penske or Ganassi......Other teams had a chance to win.

Now we're back to the same-old, same-old with the IRL now doing weak road races. They keep shooting themselves in the foot and keep hoping we'll watch....I'll catch the Indy 500, that's about it.

Best to you

Russ

[racerbrown]

so true! i'll watch the indy 500 as well but yeah the excitement is really gone! i love watching the old videos with the women in dresses, the men in suits with hats and the kids dressed up as well. and when the cars go by you wonder what the heck was that guy thinking when he built that? yes those were truly good old days!
duane

[Deleted]

Again...I agree.

I miss the old-days when there were 8-10 drivers that you'd root for or aganst, not just teams. You had Ward and Foyt, The Unser Brothers and Mario, Rutherford and Gurney....great drivers and all in different rides. You had Lotus and Watsons, Eagles and McLarens, Coyotes and Mongosses......All brightly painted and different. No monkey see, monkey do like today.

That's why, after the "split"...what happened? Back to more of the same. They blew it!

Best to you

Russ

[sandysixtysfan]

Professor, Russ, Duane and all,
Well said guys. Gawd, I miss the different cars, different engines and Gurney, Foyt, the Unser's, and others driving 'em.
One car, one engine isn't much fun.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all, Sandy

[Deleted]

Hi all.
Where are the Offys, the Wildcats, the Penske, the Eagles, Lindsay Hopkins cars?
Indy car racing now is like formula one, there's no fun.
Cheers.
Alex

[professor]

If you want to relive the old days, go to the Speedway the day before the race when they run the old cars. There is a tent in the museum parking lot and on this day there are 33+ old cars from the teens through the eighties. Anybody can get right up to the cars! These are cars in private collections as well as a couple of cars from the Speedway's collection.

Also there are usually several drivers from the good old days that are very accessible for pictures and autographs. The cars do a couple of laps but the real fun is just looking at them and talking to the "Oldtimers" I have seen some pictures on this site that were taken there. Great day for research!

Drivers that usually attend include Rutherford, Ruby, Ziggy Snider, Al Sr, Vukovich and others.
A.J. Watson has signed all my Carousel 1 Watsons!

Great day
A.J. Watson is always there and I have talked to Granetelli there too. This is the best day of the month at the Speedway, don't miss it!

[Deleted]

While I enjoy about any kind of auto racing, I do miss the old days when things had a chance of being unique. The *excitement* of cookie cutter cars just doesn't exist for me. However! I will watch Indy this year! ;D

Mongo