Indy Quals Everyday Pole Day

D.O. · 3/2/08, 5:33 PM

With the merger how about making all 4 days of qualifing count.
4 days of pole qualifing fastest 33 in the field.
Car gets bumped he get the first spot to try to race back into the field.
Let the fastest cars go in happy hour.
Cars can quaify as many times they want. No limit in attempts.
Tech only after they qualify.

Bill Gardner · 3/2/08, 6:11 PM

Great idea... I've always thought it should be that way(all 4 days pole eligible)... I also think blacking out the race locally is stupid... but what the hell do I know.

Z-man · 3/2/08, 6:21 PM

They black the race out in Indy?:kookoo Thats a sure way to build interest in the series. Especially for any local sponsors.

Bill Gardner · 3/2/08, 7:39 PM

it has been that way years... the Indy affiliate has to black out the event.. I live about 40 miles west of Indy and we use to watch it on a Terre Haute station but not anymore...

The idea that they will force people to buy tickets if they don't show it on tv doesn't make much sense to me. people here on the message board are the exception... all of us are race fans, but how do you get folks that aren't racefans to come to the event. they must think that showing a replay of the Indy 500 during the Nascar Coke 600 will help put people in the seats.:action-smiley-049::kookoo

but again.. what the hell do I know!

cecil98 · 3/2/08, 8:40 PM

I think having open qualifications for the Pole all 4 days would be a disaster. Why? The drastic changes in track conditions that can occur from day to day or weekend to weekend. If the first Saturday is 95 deg and humid, you may pay $10 to see absolutely nothing. Hell on Pole Day in 1995, we sat in front of an empty track for hours while the teams waited for better track conditions later in the afternoon. I can see where some of the teams wouldn't come out of the garage at all if the conditions were poor and there was a better forcast for the next day or next weekend. I think the format of the teams that qualify best under the conditions presented that particular day should be rewarded for it. I say keep the 1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day and bump day format. I do, however, like that they dropped the 3 strikes and you're out rule. Let'm try as many times as they want!

international · 3/2/08, 8:52 PM

If you have a great product to show people why block it out. A great product will sell itself. I guess the idea is to get those people who are on the fence about attending or not to commit-but what number of people is that exactly. It seems like in todays world where ESPN, CNN and Yahoo are updating people almost in real time it is hard for a person to miss something even if they want too.

I know it is a more complicated topic than this forum can settle, but like any other product-If you want to sell it you need to put out a consistent quality product people can identify with. Combining the open wheel series is a big step towards making the product more consistent. Easier to identify. Another way to help get local fans into the stands is to get local drivers involved. You can change the qualifying rules as much as you want, but until more local talent or at least talent the local crowd can identify with, is in the field it isn't going to get those people on the fence to attend. If you had the choice of watching Darren Hagen or Vitor Meira would it make a difference whether you attended. Nothing against Vitor but it would make a difference to me.

3/2/08, 5:33 PM	#1 Indy Quals Everyday Pole Day
D.O. Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,915	With the merger how about making all 4 days of qualifing count. 4 days of pole qualifing fastest 33 in the field. Car gets bumped he get the first spot to try to race back into the field. Let the fastest cars go in happy hour. Cars can quaify as many times they want. No limit in attempts. Tech only after they qualify.

3/2/08, 6:11 PM	#2 Re: Indy Quals Everyday Pole Day
Bill Gardner Administrator Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 4,077	Great idea... I've always thought it should be that way(all 4 days pole eligible)... I also think blacking out the race locally is stupid... but what the hell do I know.

3/2/08, 6:21 PM	#3 Re: Indy Quals Everyday Pole Day
Z-man Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 880	They black the race out in Indy?:kookoo Thats a sure way to build interest in the series. Especially for any local sponsors.

3/2/08, 7:39 PM	#4 Re: Indy Quals Everyday Pole Day
Bill Gardner Administrator Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 4,077	it has been that way years... the Indy affiliate has to black out the event.. I live about 40 miles west of Indy and we use to watch it on a Terre Haute station but not anymore... The idea that they will force people to buy tickets if they don't show it on tv doesn't make much sense to me. people here on the message board are the exception... all of us are race fans, but how do you get folks that aren't racefans to come to the event. they must think that showing a replay of the Indy 500 during the Nascar Coke 600 will help put people in the seats.:action-smiley-049::kookoo but again.. what the hell do I know!

3/2/08, 8:40 PM	#5 Re: Indy Quals Everyday Pole Day
cecil98 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,399	I think having open qualifications for the Pole all 4 days would be a disaster. Why? The drastic changes in track conditions that can occur from day to day or weekend to weekend. If the first Saturday is 95 deg and humid, you may pay $10 to see absolutely nothing. Hell on Pole Day in 1995, we sat in front of an empty track for hours while the teams waited for better track conditions later in the afternoon. I can see where some of the teams wouldn't come out of the garage at all if the conditions were poor and there was a better forcast for the next day or next weekend. I think the format of the teams that qualify best under the conditions presented that particular day should be rewarded for it. I say keep the 1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day and bump day format. I do, however, like that they dropped the 3 strikes and you're out rule. Let'm try as many times as they want!

3/2/08, 8:52 PM	#6 Re: Indy Quals Everyday Pole Day
international Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 47	If you have a great product to show people why block it out. A great product will sell itself. I guess the idea is to get those people who are on the fence about attending or not to commit-but what number of people is that exactly. It seems like in todays world where ESPN, CNN and Yahoo are updating people almost in real time it is hard for a person to miss something even if they want too. I know it is a more complicated topic than this forum can settle, but like any other product-If you want to sell it you need to put out a consistent quality product people can identify with. Combining the open wheel series is a big step towards making the product more consistent. Easier to identify. Another way to help get local fans into the stands is to get local drivers involved. You can change the qualifying rules as much as you want, but until more local talent or at least talent the local crowd can identify with, is in the field it isn't going to get those people on the fence to attend. If you had the choice of watching Darren Hagen or Vitor Meira would it make a difference whether you attended. Nothing against Vitor but it would make a difference to me.