[Tony Barhorst]

I think if they could find a way to get the promotional situation straightened out at Phoenix, Pocono and Milwaukee it would be nice to have the smaller traditional tracks back. Iowa Speedway is a great track...we need more tracks like that.

I feel the Nascar drivers would have jumped at the chance to go for the $5 million at a track like Milwaukee or Phoenix.

I can see why Randy Bernard decided to go to Vegas..I understand Indy Car took over the town with a parade and everything. He is trying to create interest in the races outside of IMS...The 1.5 mile Speedway just happens to be the venue there. Bernard has a lot of contacts in Vegas. He is doing the best he can. I just wish more ovals were built for Indy Car.

I feel terrible for Weldon's family...And very bad for the Indy Car family. Johnson should not have commented so soon. It was bound to be taken badly. But the media is talking to everyone from Dale Jr to Jeff Burton..go figure why.

[Vukie]

"No Knee Jerks and Snap Judgements, Please"

http://pressdog.typepad.com/dogblog/...ts-please.html

[PJ Wright]

I don't recall any Indy car drivers offering unsolicited advice to NASCAR the day Dale Earnhardt was killed. Too bad Jimmy Johnson didn't see fit to return the favor.

[chop]

I would say some of the problem was the press wanted "someone from racing" to talk about what happened. I would think the IRL drivers did not want to talk at the time. It would also be easier to track down a nascar driver to get some type of statement for the next news cycle. You may not like it, but more people know nascar drivers then IRL--drag racing ect.
Before you say I do not care. I feel for all that have been touch by Dans death. In the past week in west Michigan we have loss a policeman, killed in a high speed shoot out with bank robbers. He was killed on the off ramp that you would take to get to Berlin speedway. He left behind a wife and 2 little girls. Also we are getting ready to lay to rest yet another young man killed in the war that has been going on for over ten years.
So is there something that needs to be changed in IRL? Get rid off the outside wall at all tracks? The guys in the TV booth seemed to be blaming the fence for the being the problem. If you look at the crowd at the track, there was no one sitting in the lower level of the grand stands. So it would seem they know the cars can get into the air. Was it a spotter problem on his team. It would seem he did not know-let up as he got to the crash as it happened in front of him?

[gp8787]

just my humble opinion here. jj's comments were definately not apropriate but as has been stated before in this thread it is his opinion . i personally think the prob to be adressed with indycars is open wheels tangeling with open wheels 9as was the case with the nascar mods. do i like their solution no. putting bars right out even with the wheels so you cant jump another wheel/ but it may be the short term solution to help the problem.

[SpfldMile]

I agree that Jimmie overreacted. He is a 5 time champ and his voice carries some weight, unfortunately even in IndyCar racing. The series would not survive without the Indy 500, and you can't have just one oval on the schedule. Most Americans like oval racing, and I agree with them. Safety can be improved, and I think it will. I'm glad this was the last race of the season so the emotion will die down a little and people can make logical, informed decisions on safety, tracks, etc. It looked like Wheldon and Power both ran over rear wheels from behind which caused them to go airborne. There has to be an acceptable design that would prevent the nose from climbing the rear wheels. Whatever decisions are made, the drivers will have to be on board, it's their safety. Anyway, we lost a great one. RIP Dan.

[JarrettFarms73]

I'm baffled to say the least something like this was ever said. Especially by someone as groomed for media relations as him. BTW, if you haven't heard, JJ has stood by his comments via twitter so he is not backing down. I thought the media just created a story too then I read that this morning. Although I don't think it to be his intention, PACECAR has a lot to gain by INDY reducing oval races. A fact he surely knows! I also agree w/ so many of you, the timing is just flat out uncalled for.

Furthermore, this is like boxing telling MMA how to run their sport; or hobby stockers telling the local track how to run their sprint car division. The issue of speeds, # of cars, tracks etc and the decisions made from here should be between the drivers, owners, and officials of Indy Car and no one else. ESPECIALLY NOT THE MEDIA... The only point I might conceed is # of cars but only from the standpoint of quality difference from top to bottom. That's what is so awesome about Sprint Week. Every car starting the "A" plus some guys who didn't could actually win!!! I guess the point I'm trying to make is I could have a great time running a modified and be relatively safe (as racing goes) but a sprint car is what makes my pulse quicken and my eyes widen and even though I know comparatively it's waaaay more dangerous, it'd be worth every tug of the belts to do it. R.I.P. Dan...

[LocalYokel]

I don't know the entire story about this. However, Im inclined to believe that someone asked him his thoughts on the subject. He gave his opinion. That's what he believes, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, its HIS opinion.
We give our opinions on here all day. Why can't he express his?

[767]

Jimmy is the face of racing in the USA. Napcar is the highest rank in racing right now. Anything he says is considered creditable in the media's eyes. His one little interview went across the world. Now we have a guy who has no clue, telling everyone that indy cars should never run on ovals. Very very unproffesional. At the same time, I am sick and tired of hearing that a nascar does not fly. I don't watch the races, but I see the highlights. Didn't Carl Edwards get some decent air time some time in the last year. Think I remember Keslouiske (sp?) landing roof first on the wall. Car must have just drove up there.

[JarrettFarms73]

Originally Posted by LocalYokel I don't know the entire story about this. However, Im inclined to believe that someone asked him his thoughts on the subject. He gave his opinion. That's what he believes, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, its HIS opinion. We give our opinions on here all day. Why can't he express his?

You are right, he's entitled to his opinion, the problem is the platform from which he speaks. His word carries weight w/ the non racer media so when something like this gets said, it's dangerous. Indy car needs the media in part to develop its fan base and if the media continues to hammer at this, its bad... VERY BAD for Indy car. You think sponsors are hard to find now, let the media get involved w/ bad publicity and see what happens!!

On the subject of media, maybe we should be asking them why it takes a tragedy like this to do a story on somebody besides Danica... then again, they wouldn't understand.