Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

A short write-up about the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the issues Indycar faces trying to gain new fans.

http://www.wfopenwheel.com/2014/05/0...ing-oblivious/

After calling out short track fans in my last article I meant to write one about all the problems Indycar has and how they have done wrong by short track people, but with the baby coming this weekend I simply didn't have time. Rest assured, that will come soon.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Maybe they (IndyCar) should focus some attention on the old fans who have lost interest in the series too!

Outside the Indy 500 I really don't see much to get excited about anymore. And that's not even closed to were it used to be. Sad to think that they might not even get 33 cars for this years race.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Pretty sure this will happen but it wouldn't surprise me to see the Grand Prix of Indianapolis as the start of converting the Indy 500 to the Indy 500km road course race. If that happens the Indy 500 will be yet another Indy Car race that won't interest me.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Originally Posted by Gregg:
Pretty sure this will happen but it wouldn't surprise me to see the Grand Prix of Indianapolis as the start of converting the Indy 500 to the Indy 500km road course race. If that happens the Indy 500 will be yet another Indy Car race that won't interest me.

Don't believe that will ever happen!

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

As of now, my plan is to leave the Philadelphia area at 2:30--3:00 pm on Friday, buy a ticket for a grandstand seat sometime Saturday, or I might just get a general admission ticket and use one of the viewing mounds in the infield. I am quite intrigued about this race. On one hand, the month of May is reserved for the greatest race in the world, on the other hand something has to be done to grow the sport of Indy Car Racing again. I have always felt for every street race on the schedule there should be a race on dirt for the other racers. There should be an overall champion based on all races, a true road course champion, you may want to put the street races in this group or keep them on their own and a dirt champion. I know it will never happen, but a lot of people never thought the old CART teams would come back either. As long as there is an Indy 500 there is hope. I truly believe the sport can be saved by bringing back the grass-roots dirt racer along with a mix of the open wheel road racer and the speed of the Speedway. I am coming out, I hope the race is a success. In any case I and two of my friends will be back out for the Silver Crown at the fairgrounds, Carb Day, Bloomington, Lincoln Park, the 500 and perhaps Kokomo before we head back home

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

They lost me years ago when they tossed out the turbos and brought in the stock blocks. I check in from time to time, and when I did last summer, I was shocked at what I saw. What the hell is up with those triangle body panels in front of the rear tires?? Boy do they make for ugly cars! Back to watching F1. I'll check in again in a year or two...

Bill

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Q: What do they call a driver in IndyCar that races ovals only?

A: Almost retired.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Originally Posted by Bill84:
They lost me years ago when they tossed out the turbos and brought in the stock blocks. I check in from time to time, and when I did last summer, I was shocked at what I saw. What the hell is up with those triangle body panels in front of the rear tires?? Boy do they make for ugly cars! Back to watching F1. I'll check in again in a year or two...

Bill

They've brought back turbos. I thought it was interesting back in the day when there were actually stock block based engines competing against purpose built racing engines. Remember Roger Rager and the school bus engine?

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

I am actually quite happy with the new cars. Even though the asthetic is different, I think they are good looking cars. They lost a lot of short track people and the problem is they simply do not care. I think this is ridiculous, but they feel like they can take their product to the mainstream public and get more fans than short track racing can offer. Is it possible? Maybe, but talk about difficult! For years they have gone about marketing the series the wrong way, which has led to complete indifference for many fans. This race is the first true good move they have made on the promotional front in a long time, which is why it moved me to write about it. Thanks for reading guys!

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

"They lost me years ago when they tossed out the turbos and brought in the stock blocks"

They lost me when they went to franchise owners and "run what you brung" turned into spec cars and spec engines. If was always interesting to see what owners and drivers from different parts of the country would show up with. That was just a few years after the plane went down. Of course that was a long, long time ago.

I couldn't agree more that I desire a stronger connection to us local fans and it's drivers. However as a fan of motorsports, 68 lead changes among 14 drivers, 19 cars on the lead lap and a few more < 3 laps down all while setting records for fewest cautions, most consecutive green laps (131) and still not using an abhorrent "lucky dog" rule seems pretty exciting.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

I hope it works; I get the idea of ramping up interest early in the month. However, I've been a race fan in this area for almost 50 yrs. and really don't know many people who like road racing. What worries me is that a track like Kentucky can't make an Indy go just 2 hrs. from home.

I hear ya AT. My best friend and I
attended almost every pole and bump day through the 90's. We were there when Penske waited til the 11th hour to get a car from Rahal and STILL couldn't make the show. The place was in a frenzy. It was magical!

I can't help but wonder if they need a legit, Good vs. Evil, talented driver rivalry. We're so drawn to drama these days and there's not a true rivalry I can think of. I'll refer back to cheering against Penske. LOL

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Originally Posted by Gregg:
Q: What do they call a driver in IndyCar that races ovals only?

A: Almost retired.

I think they call him Ed Carpenter

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

There are several 1 mile dirt tracks around this great country.Rework the suspension and aero packages on a couple test cars and see what happens

There is no doubt that the racing at Indy and the other ovals is great. Even the road course racing has been improved with the new car, but it's still road course racing. I can't help but feel like the thing we are missing is drivers to pull for. We never had a problem with foreign drivers coming over and testing their mettle against our best. Of course, at that time our best was good enough to send them packing as much as they beat us. I know we have talented drivers running the short tracks that we all frequent, but they have been lacking the funding and the experience that it takes to get a car owner to take notice. Clauson skipped the road to Indy and proved himself worthy. I believe that when the new Indy Lights car hits the track next year it will repair the disconnect between the lower series and the top tier. Hopefully that will entice some of our young American talents to try and climb the ladder. With the current aim of Indycar that's what it is going to take, because they aren't interested in lending a hand to the boys we care about.

Put engines back in front of the driver, then Americans will have a chance.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

must admit I lost all interest in indy years ago (with the end of irl) and haven't seen anything come along with the intention of perking my interest again and seriously doubt I ever will:7:

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Personally, my hope is in a revamped, renewed Champ Car / Silver Crown division. Big one day events, hot laps, qualifying, the 100 miler.... car counts back to the 40's where a semi feature to make the race.

I would love to see our best young and old(er) USAC guys have a chance to race at Indy again, but it just isn't going to happen. If that can't happen, what I'd love to see happen is the best from Kokomo, Haubstadt, powri, the Burg, Put, and the USAC sprint car series go at it at the Hoosier Hundred, DuQuoin, and Springfield.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

usac let nascar ruin the champ car division, hell they not only let them they abetted them
:7:

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

I don't care what anybody says, The Indy 500 is still the Greatest spectacle in racing! I'm super pumped to hear back home in indiana one last time and glad my 16 year old son will be with me. He will race his 600 at U.S. 24 the night before and Indy on Sunday Morning and straight to Kokomo to finish with the sprints. Come on, Tell me how to get much of a better weekend than that.

Originally Posted by johnnythunderhead:
usac let nascar ruin the champ car division, hell they not only let them they abetted them
:7:

That's the smartest thing that you've EVER said on here!

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

I saw this over at http://stevechasseymotorsportsinsurance.com/id3.html

Originally Posted by :
In 1983 I began my association with the Genesee Beer team owned By Dick Hammond from Buffalo, New York and managed by Galen Fox from Indianapolis. I drove all of the "Genesee Beer Wagon" cars for them, Sprint, Champ Dirt, and the Indy cars. I finished the 1983 Indy 500 in 11th position. I had many top ten finishes with our Chevrolet Stock Block powered car. I set the one and four lap qualifying records at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a normally aspirated Push Rod Stock Block in 1985. In 1984 I won the prestigious "Hoosier Hundred" Dirt car race that is considered the Indy 500 for Dirt Cars.

That kind of story is why I paid attention to the 500 and when those days were over, that's when I stopped paying attention. Those days are long gone and they'll probably never be back. I could care less if they run on the oval or road course because the underlying nature of the sport has changed in a way that doesn't connect with me. I suppose I'm in the minority or else things wouldn't have changed.

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

Originally Posted by ThrowbackRacingTeam:
Put engines back in front of the driver, then Americans will have a chance.

Restart the roadsters:32:

Re: Changing the Tradition of Being Oblivious (Indycar)
 

When dirt tracks were taken off the championship trail back in 71' time started running out for the sprint and midget drivers being the choice of car owners. Then the death of Mr. Hulman, and the creation of CART and road circuits, teams figured you could teach a road course ace to drive an oval easier than you teach a dirt guy to do road courses. Tony George tried to go back, but the media (you know who I mean) wouldn't support a return to the past and the golden era of the Big Cars and just Ovals, dirt or other wise. So here we are wanting to relive the past but sadly it ain't going to happen. I'm 60 now and going to my 35th 500 I started listening as a an 11 year old in 65' went to the track for the 1st time in 69' and I'm grateful for what I've experienced. You don't have to embrace change but you can't live in the past.