Originally Posted by Pat O'Connor Fan:
If the Sports Illustrated report is accurate, which is likely the case, it would indicate that the possibility of saving IndyCar would seem to have benefitted from the proposed offer/plan.
I don't think the 500 should be used to prop up the series. Still not sure how things would shake up if this were to happen though.
The value to me " NOT MUCH ANYMORE " I used to live on 20th street in Speedway a long time ago went to the track every day of the month of May back then. Now I would just as soon as watch NASCAR on TV at least I know some of the the drivers names. They want to be Mini F-1's that's fine with me. Put them on dirt in a Champ Car and let's see if they are still "WORLD CLASS DRIVERS".
Originally Posted by DAD:
The value to me " NOT MUCH ANYMORE " I used to live on 20th street in Speedway a long time ago went to the track every day of the month of May back then. Now I would just as soon as watch NASCAR on TV at least I know some of the the drivers names. They want to be Mini F-1's that's fine with me. Put them on dirt in a Champ Car and let's see if they are still "WORLD CLASS DRIVERS".
Some things to think about. What does nascar care about Indy racing. They own or control the owners of all the tracks that Indy cars need. Indy cars owners in the USAC-CART war days should have been looking at that in the late 70's-80's. So now we have cars that are to fast for the tracks. Stock cars are not that fast but have the tv-fan base. Its like burger king helping out Mc Donalds.
How much longer will the old guard of cart still be around? Roger is getting up there in years. Should Indy car just be a once a year deal at Indy. Same way you watch the horse race at churchell downs then not think about it the rest of the year. How about use the old silver crown cars the rest of the year?
"The offer was not considered and George resigned from the board on Oct. 19 citing a conflict of interest in holding a seat while trying to reacquire the series he founded in 1996."
"Fans were just as opposed to George regaining control of the series, which was apparently never his intent."-really? see above...
The rest of this fluff piece talks about how he wasn't trying to acquire control. I hope to hell they have a plan, but I'll be damned if it looks like they do.
Originally Posted by Indy:
I am trying to put this whole thing in perspective in my own mine and here is what I have.... The 90's, NASCAR is is well on their way to stealing Indycar's thunder and a movie called Days of Thunder in 1990 give it a great boost. By the time 1996 and the split comes along NASCAR, with all it's southern charm, has become (like it or not) the big dog and is ruling the TV ratings and skimming the cream from USAC and open wheel has begun. At the time CART owners had there nose so high in the air they were stepping in dung and didn't know it. CART was so busy thinking that they were on there way to dethroning F1 when in reality F1 was taking top drivers from CART. Along comes Tony George who didn't like the direction Indycar was going and we have a new series that going to be all ovals and will hopefully lure owners that would hire American open wheel drivers. Great idea! I was all for it. Ahh, but wait, there was enemy out there who did not like Tony George and was not going to by in no matter what, Robin Miller! The one guy in the press who you would of thought would have supported the new series and American open wheel drivers had nothing but negativity for it. But here you have the guy who is the motorsports reporter for the newspaper located in the hub of Indycar totaly against your series and getting national exposure. Robin Miller soon became one of the most disliked men in Indianapolis. He was introduced at 16th Street Speedway one evening and was almost booed out of the facility. And now we move to today and who is Randy Bernards biggest cheerleader? That's right Robin Miller. And why? Because Randy Bernard being the gentleman that he is will pay some attention to him unlike Tony George. And we have the perspective that Indycar is in this huge mess. There is only one person that I hear is saying it, Robin Miller. 2012 car counts were up and the racing was the fantastic even on some street courses. Let's see how this thing plays out over the winter and form our own opinions.
I appreciate your point of view but I think you have revised history a bit. CART was indeed run by a bunch of owners who had their noses up in the air. However, it was a very successful series with good car counts, sponsorship and a business model which could succeed. George came along with what I thought was a great idea as well, to return to an oval racing model only and get grass roots racers involved. We see how that dream turned out, the split destroyed the fragile fan base that existed, he spent money like a drunken Senator, and nearly destroyed the Indy 500. Robin Miller did not like George but guess what, he was right all along, he could see George's vision was fatally flawed. I have read Robin Miller since I was a kid going back to his days with the Indy Star and frankly enjoy his writing even though he can be over the top at times. However, he had nothing to do with the failure of the IRL. To give a little known sports writer this much credit truly over estimates his influence.
