Originally Posted by smbpreformance :
Paul who do you think will have a higher car count - the IRL or the FIL?
The Firestone Indy Lights could assemble a starting field that would rival NASCAR Sprint Cup ! The Indy Racing League will boast a 200% competitor increase coming into the '09 Indy Lights season ! There is no evidence of a recession effecting this series ... but there are many underlying problems that you won't see mentioned anywhere in racing press.
Sergey Mokshantsev , Pippa Mann , Junior Strous , Sebastian Saavedra , Rodrigo Barbosa , Ali Jackson , are just a few of those new drivers to the series this year.
Is there any name here that you recognize ? Probably not. Not unless you have been a close follower of those Formula Series , i.e. Ford , Mazda , BMW plus some Skip Barber , maybe. These are the new faces of the 2009 Class of Ride Buying.
The turnover of drivers in FIL 's is probably unparalleled by any other series.
Driver retention is largely accomplished through sponsor relationships. There are few such long term relationships seen in this series. Thus massive turnover. When the money is gone the driver moves on. And the next rookie crop with new money moves in.
There are literally a few dozen drivers that have left this series over the years that did not advance to another series. Most are not to be found in lesser series either. Indy Lights ( formerly Pro Series ) has been a dead-end to many driving careers. Again , when the money is gone so is the driver. Lasting sponsorships have not been created to stabilize the driver roster.
It is very difficult for a "spectator" to become a "fan" when there is little name or name-to-face recognition between the grandstand to the starting field. People want to root for someone they know something about. Nobody knows anything about this group ! The IRL addresses this problem by holding nicely organized driver autograph sessions usually the day before the event. As soon as 200 to 250 people take there place in line it's usually done. Parents want their kids to meet the drivers to enhance the child's experience at the track. But they know that a long wait in a line is not likely to improve their day. More like ruin it ! As soon as that soda is gone that everyone has been sharing , it's game over - a miserable time is coming !
The other method of operation is a series program. Not everyone will spend $10. bucks for this ! A free program would go a long way in creating some driver recognition. Promoters think "free" becomes more trash in the stands... that only if you paid for it will you take it home. Not true. Make up a nice color piece highlighting drivers by name , photo , car # , short bio , etc. Sell some ad's to pay for it. This is needed now more than ever !
Until these and some other problems are addressed the Firestone Indy Lights will continue to be a revolving door for drivers even while car count remains high.
:idea:
