The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Search the web her team is done,,,,

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Well, Indy owners took racing from being a businessman's hobby to being a businessman's second business.......in the end we all get what we go looking for. Over the years, the owners grew and grew their teams and went from pick up teams to full time paid teams, from mechanics to engineers, from a pit crewman to a car specialists, from a shop behind the house to a 40,000 sq. ft. bulding.......from affordable owned engines to expensive leased engines, from hiring the truly talented drivers to hiring the truly well financed drivers or a driver with a gimmick that could produce $$$$. 95% of the Indy car teams are operating on other people's money and derive their racing budget, payroll, and personal income from others......so, my opinion is that if you do not your own personal wealth to race with, being a Indy car owner is a very unsecure profession...........its hard to feel sorry for them because they new the rules and the risks when they decided to do it. ........somewhere there is a guy who invested his life savings to open a business and he worked very hard but failed and lost everythnig. Indy owners are just American businessmen taking the same risks as non-racers. Sometimes, we have to put our dreams to bed and go face the real world. They should feel blessed that they got to work at a job they loved for as long as they did......some people never enjoy the jobs they are forced to do.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

I neither have the time nor the inclination to understand the workings of an Indy Car team business so we won't get into that.

What I do know is that racing as a whole, and more specifically, Indy Car racing will be diminished to some degree if Sarah Fisher is no longer involved. I have followed Sarah's career since her days of driving sprint cars and midgets and she has been a credit to her profession and a pretty good race car driver, too. I've admired Sarah's sticktoitiveness and driving ability for many years and hopefully many years to come.

There will be a twinge of sadness when watching every race if Sarah doesn't field a race team in 2016.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

I will go one step further I watched her and my little brother racing go karts in Circleville, Ohio they were just kids I remember them chasing each other in the pits spitting on each other.....Yes spitting and seeing the gleam in her eye and having fun..... I hope she keeps her chin up and keeps going apart from all the promoters and expensive sponsorships I hope she remembers "why" she loves racing and powers through.....

I hate to see any team to out of business. Especially one that was a full time deal for a young American driver.

Anybody ever ask the question why corporations will spend 25 to 30 mil a year to sponsor a Sprint Cup team but won't spend 5 to 7 mil to do a full time Indy Car deal? Easier to get funding for a truck or Xfinity team.

Some companies will spend more money on Super Bowl commercials then it takes to do a full Indy Car season.

What is it they don't trust about Indycar? It's not engine leases, the country the driver comes from or that the Indy Mile isn't on the schedule. It goes deeper than that.

Originally Posted by LEADERS EDGE:
Anybody ever ask the question why corporations will spend 25 to 30 mil a year to sponsor a Sprint Cup team but won't spend 5 to 7 mil to do a full time Indy Car deal?

Some companies will spend more money on Super Bowl commercials then it takes to do a full IRL season.

What is it they don't trust the IRL? It's not engine leases, the country the driver comes from or that the Indy Mile isn't on the schedule. It goes deeper than that.

Too many foreign drivers in Indy Car. They sold out their roots "American Dirt Trackers" for foreign drivers who bought bags of cash. IRL was never better racing than when there was 75% open wheel guys. Bring back sprint car drivers to Indy. As to the other there aren't very many 30 million dollar sponsors left in Cup either. The rest of the money will dry up soon. NASCAR will be done in 10 years.

I can say one thing in my dealings with SFH Development and the whole O'Gara/Fisher families, They are first class people and always put 110% into everything they do! Hopefully one day we will see a Sarah Fisher owned IndyCar again! But im the meantime support Speedway Indoor Karting after ot opens on April 1st

I think that is a simplistic answer that rings hollow when analyzed.

The worst days of the IRL were dominated with American drivers. Many of them dirt drivers and one of them is by all accounts one of the top 5 favorite dirt guys ever.

The 1997 race had Stewart,Boat,Hamilton,Mike Groff,Steve Kinser and Tyce Carlson. About 23 American drivers in all. Crowd wasn't great an TV ratings down. Today the crowd is much bigger and ratings are up.

NASCAR will be around for a long time. I personally don't care for whatever it is they call racing ....but millions of others do.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

I remember 1967 to 1974 with 95% AMERICAN DRIVERS, there were 200,000 there for qualifying. Just to see 4 laps for each car and AMERICAN DRIVERS. The crowd standing up for the 4 laps and cheering the AMERICAN DRIVERS. The greatest era of the Indy 500. Oh ya, the dirt cars counted for the points to be the real Indy car Champion.

Lynn

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by LEADERS EDGE:
I hate to see any team to out of business. Especially one that was a full time deal for a young American driver.

Anybody ever ask the question why corporations will spend 25 to 30 mil a year to sponsor a Sprint Cup team but won't spend 5 to 7 mil to do a full time Indy Car deal? Easier to get funding for a truck or Xfinity team.

Some companies will spend more money on Super Bowl commercials then it takes to do a full Indy Car season.

What is it they don't trust about Indycar? It's not engine leases, the country the driver comes from or that the Indy Mile isn't on the schedule. It goes deeper than that.

Indy Car's MAJOR flaw, from a Sponsor's perspective, is that it is a part time series with NOTHING happening six months of the year.

Originally Posted by LEADERS EDGE:
I hate to see any team to out of business. Especially one that was a full time deal for a young American driver.

Anybody ever ask the question why corporations will spend 25 to 30 mil a year to sponsor a Sprint Cup team but won't spend 5 to 7 mil to do a full time Indy Car deal? Easier to get funding for a truck or Xfinity team.

Some companies will spend more money on Super Bowl commercials then it takes to do a full Indy Car season.

What is it they don't trust about Indycar? It's not engine leases, the country the driver comes from or that the Indy Mile isn't on the schedule. It goes deeper than that.

I will preface this response by saying that I am not a NASCAR advocate nor am I an IndyCar hater.

Over simplifying the answer here, but the reason companies are willing to sponsor a NASCAR team over an IndyCar team is all about the number of people that will see their logo. Look at the overall attendance for NASCAR vs. IndyCar. Look at the TV ratings for the two series. NASCAR has 36 races, IndyCar 16. The IndyCar season starts in March and will end in 2016 in mid September. NASCAR starts racing in mid February and won't finish until mid November. All of that equals exposure for the company that is shelling out sponsorship money.

There is one other thing that deserves some comment here, and that is how the drivers relate to the sponsors and the paying public. Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya are probably the two most popular drivers in IndyCar. How many national commercials have you seen them in? Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and others have all had national commercials in the last 3 years. During the racing season, MOST (not all I realize!) of the NASCAR drivers live in the Charlotte area, the hub of NASCAR. Only a few of the IndyCar drivers reside in the Indianapolis area during the season.

IndyCar will be poorer with the loss of Sarah Fisher, because she was relatable. She worked her tail off as a driver and an owner and found success because of it. But in big business in America, effort doesn't always translate to success or happiness.

Slightly off topic, but I constantly see people bashing Nascar or even Indycar. I understand the racing isn't exactly exciting and Nascar has some wild and unorthodox formats. But the future of oval racing in the US depends on the success of nascar. Nascar races are many times the first races young future fans and drivers see. So in order to grow the sports and keep teams and drivers like Sarah Fisher around, we must support Nascar and Indycar. I am not saying you have to be awake for the whole race, but supporting these major series is vital to growing open wheel racing.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

No one has mentioned this, but the team's not gone, just Sarah Fisher and Wink Hartman's involvement in it; Josef Newgarden still has a ride albeit with the newly re-renamed ECR.
Kind of a paradox that the low oil prices that make it easier for us to get to the races can kill someone else's ability to sponsor them...

Clipped from an article

In any case, the 35-year-old pioneering former IndyCar driver became a former IndyCar owner with the official announcement that Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing had become simply Ed Carpenter Racing on Thursday.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Hartman is an independent oil man. He was a major funder of the team. While we may like the low gas prices, the low oil prices have had a devastating effect down here in the Gulf and in other areas that were recently booming. . . . tens of thousands of people in the oil business and oil drilling services providers business are now looking for work. This really is nothing new, but this downturn was faster and deeper than most can handle. . . . some world ******** involved, too. . .

So the lesson here is:
The next time gas is $4 a gallon, everyone needs to be more thankful that an independent oil guy makes enough profit to bankroll an Indy Car team. 😀

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by Mattmac05:
Slightly off topic, but I constantly see people bashing Nascar or even Indycar. I understand the racing isn't exactly exciting and Nascar has some wild and unorthodox formats. But the future of oval racing in the US depends on the success of nascar. Nascar races are many times the first races young future fans and drivers see. So in order to grow the sports and keep teams and drivers like Sarah Fisher around, we must support Nascar and Indycar. I am not saying you have to be awake for the whole race, but supporting these major series is vital to growing open wheel racing.

I'd bet way more young fans get exposed to racing at your local Friday/Saturday night short track then NASCAR and IndyCar combined.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

A lot of sponsorships are based on the evolution of products and the life cycle of a product. Some sponsors look to attract those who would buy stock in like products they are advertising. Some just want regional name recognition. Some sponsors use it as a way to socialize and impress customers, giving a certain brand image.
My main point is that changes in cycles of products and like products can have a big effect on advertising budgets and change in target markets.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by Gene Franckowiak:
Well, Indy owners took racing from being a businessman's hobby to being a businessman's second business.......

Gene, this is not just the IndyCar owners, its ALL of racing. They were simply leading the way as the more popular motorsport for most of the last century. Cup is that way, NHRA, all the sportscar teams, WoO to a lesser extent. And even USAC teams. I see pics of inside of some of these shops and they arent in a garage being someones house. They are in an industrial park! I dont think its fair to blame the older Indy owners just because they were the first ones to do it.
And next, everbody on here yells because NASCAR gets all the sponsorship dollars, but are the first to bash IndyCar for this, that or the other and say they dont care and are not watching or going to the races. Well we must SUPPORT that series if we want more Clauson's to ever get to Indy! I'm not a fan of everything that happened in the change from the "good ole days" at Indy until now either. But I stuck it out and have seen some great races in IndyCar and even became a huge road racing fan! And have become a huge fan of Kannan, Heilo(who isnt), Dixon ect, as well as Newgarden and Karam. If you think these guys cant drive or are sissy's because they never ran Kokomo, you are just plain wrong, and have bought into some stereyotype that does no one any good! :15:

Originally Posted by davidm:
I'd bet way more young fans get exposed to racing at your local Friday/Saturday night short track then NASCAR and IndyCar combined.

I would have to say that is completely wrong unless the parents frequent short tracks. But most kids will see their first race on TV (nascar or indycar). If they show interest parents may then take them to a Nascar or Indycar race then possibly a dirt track if they are lucky. Take a poll of all kids under 18 and see where they first witnessed racing 75% will tell you Nascar or Indycar. And 25% will respond with "sprint cars are go-kart things, right?".

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by mattmac05:
.....then possibly a dirt track if they are lucky.

Best line of the week! :8:

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by Blackduce:
I remember 1967 to 1974 with 95% AMERICAN DRIVERS, there were 200,000 there for qualifying. Just to see 4 laps for each car and AMERICAN DRIVERS. The crowd standing up for the 4 laps and cheering the AMERICAN DRIVERS. The greatest era of the Indy 500. Oh ya, the dirt cars counted for the points to be the real Indy car Champion.

Lynn

To do you one better there was only 4 foreign drivers who participated in the 500 from 1970 through 1980. Jack Brabham, Vern Schuppan, Clay Ragazzoni and Cliff Hucul. If you add 67, 68 and 69 you would have to add 5 drivers. Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Dennis Hulme. The last all American race was 1980 if you count Italian born Mario Andretti as an official American after changing citizenship. By 1993 foreign drivers were dominating the race with 14 in 93, 16 in 94 and 19 in 95. In 1996 the first year of the IRL there were 10 foreign drivers. Unfortunately by 1995 NASCAR popularity was already making huge strides into taking over the nations racing preference.

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by Gene Franckowiak:
Well, Indy owners took racing from being a businessman's hobby to being a businessman's second business.......in the end we all get what we go looking for. Over the years, the owners grew and grew their teams and went from pick up teams to full time paid teams, from mechanics to engineers, from a pit crewman to a car specialists, from a shop behind the house to a 40,000 sq. ft. bulding.......from affordable owned engines to expensive leased engines, from hiring the truly talented drivers to hiring the truly well financed drivers or a driver with a gimmick that could produce $$$$. 95% of the Indy car teams are operating on other people's money and derive their racing budget, payroll, and personal income from others......so, my opinion is that if you do not your own personal wealth to race with, being a Indy car owner is a very unsecure profession...........its hard to feel sorry for them because they new the rules and the risks when they decided to do it. ........somewhere there is a guy who invested his life savings to open a business and he worked very hard but failed and lost everythnig. Indy owners are just American businessmen taking the same risks as non-racers. Sometimes, we have to put our dreams to bed and go face the real world. They should feel blessed that they got to work at a job they loved for as long as they did......some people never enjoy the jobs they are forced to do.

Very well said my friend.

Jerry #66j

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by Indy:
To do you one better there was only 4 foreign drivers who participated in the 500 from 1970 through 1980. Jack Brabham, Vern Schuppan, Clay Ragazzoni and Cliff Hucul. If you add 67, 68 and 69 you would have to add 5 drivers. Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Dennis Hulme. The last all American race was 1980 if you count Italian born Mario Andretti as an official American after changing citizenship. By 1993 foreign drivers were dominating the race with 14 in 93, 16 in 94 and 19 in 95. In 1996 the first year of the IRL there were 10 foreign drivers. Unfortunately by 1995 NASCAR popularity was already making huge strides into taking over the nations racing preference.

David Hobbs and Graham McRae were foreign born and started the 500 during the 70's.

Donald Davidson has said several times on his radio show during the Month of May, that the largest crowd in 500 history was the 1989 race. In the 1989 race, you had 10 drivers that were foreign born, 11 had short track experience and the rest of the field were American road racers or in the case of Rick Mears,an off road racer. So why did the 1989 race have over 400,000 fans in attendance? :11:

Re: The sad saga of Sarah fisher
 

Originally Posted by Vukie:
So why did the 1989 race have over 400,000 fans in attendance? :11:

Thats a good mixture if you ask me. Wish there was a magic wand to wave and get things back to those type of numbers with regard to the crowd and the various backgrounds of the drivers. But there isnt, so I just enjoy what we have now! As it is, I'm enjoying the Rolex! Yes, its racing season! :6: :5: