I view all CART fans as potential IRL Fans!

[trow]

Well, now that Tony and Brian have opened pandora's box, will more CART fans watch the series or will they still find too much to complain about and stay away?

I've thought all along that if the IndyCar Series were to add a couple of RR's more CART fans would open up and watch the series, and complain less. It seems by some of the comments around here that this is the case?

Unfortunately, if it weren't for the economy being so poor I don't think the IndyCar series would've had to go to RR's, but since so many of the sposors have interests in those areas the power's that be didn't have much choice.

Will more CART fans decide to lay down their swords?

[MicroRacer]

Re: I view all CART fans as potential IRL Fans!

Originally posted by trow


Well, now that Tony and Brian have opened pandora's box, will more CART fans watch the series or will they still find too much to complain about and stay away?

In one of the recent IRL polls over 40% of those polled didn't want any road racing. I hope the IRL gains a lot of CART fans because they are surely going to lose fans also.

I may be one of them. I do not want the IRL to become an F1 retirement or an F1 feeder series. If the IRL adds road couses that's what the IRL will become and it will never be the destination series that I hoped it would be.

[cheeseczar]

I welcome any and all fans to this series.
Just leave the baggage and sour grapes at the door, please.

[IndyIRLman]

Re: Re: I view all CART fans as potential IRL Fans!

Originally posted by MicroRacer
I hope the IRL gains a lot of CART fans because they are surely going to lose fans also.

I wonder how many IRL fans would just give up on the sport if the IRL added 2 or 3 road courses. I would hope that they would just skip the road courses and continue to enjoy the ovals.

[IndyIRLman]

Originally posted by Jeff Chiszar
I welcome any and all fans to this series.
Just leave the baggage and sour grapes at the door, please.

ditto that

[Brent_the_Lazier_fan]

Re: I view all CART fans as potential IRL Fans!

Originally posted by trow



I've thought all along that if the IndyCar Series were to add a couple of RR's more CART fans would open up and watch the series, and complain less. It seems by some of the comments around here that this is the case?

Read that thread Doc Austin pointed to yesterday and see if you don't change your mind. I try to enjoy each series for what it offers--some appeal to me alot more than others, and I suspect that most race fans feel the same. Some true race fans would undoubtedly come to appreciate the excitement of the IRL races, but there will always be people who take the J. Villeneuve approach, and will find something to hate no matter what, and who needs them?

I wouldn't mind the IRL governing two independent racing series, one for ovals, one for road courses (no street races), with identical or substantially similar specs so that the teams that have an interest could run both series or selected races as they choose. That would let the road racers find a home, and the oval drivers find a home, and hopefully there would be enough good seats for everybody.

But under *no* circumstance, period, would I want to see one or a few road courses added to the current IRL schedule just to say "we've got a couple road courses". That is just how CART started out, and before you know it, half the schedule will be r/c, we'll be "racing" at Detroit and Toronto, and you'll need an interpreter to pronounce any of the drivers' names.

N-O way.

If that happens, I'll be watching NASCAR instead.

[IndyIRLman]

Re: Re: I view all CART fans as potential IRL Fans!

Originally posted by MicroRacer
In one of the recent IRL polls over 40% of those polled didn't want any road racing. I hope the IRL gains a lot of CART fans because they are surely going to lose fans also.

I guess there are two ways to look at that pole. I was actually surprised that 60% of the IRL fans wanted some road courses.

[AdamM]

Will more CART fans decide to lay down their swords?

Nope, not many will.

The diehards on both sides are about all there is left and as long as Tony George is running the show, many of those folks on the CART will never accept the IRL. I think it is probably going to take a whole new generation of fans to come along that don’t have the memory of the split, but that’s a long way off.

IMHO, Bob Jenkins had the best idea, the IRL needs to forget about looking for fans among a pool (CART & road racing fans) that is predisposed to hate the league and instead market open wheel oval track racing to the giant group of fans Nascar has created that already like oval track racing. I think it is possible to present the series in such away that a person could easily be an active fan of both Nascar & the IRL at the same time. Maybe that means running on Saturdays and making other accommodations, but it certainly is heck of lot easier job than trying to woo a bunch of diehard CART fans.

[IndyMJH]

I will be one of those who will walk if the IRL goes road racing. I have ZERO interest in watching these parades.

Road racing will do two things to the IRL.

1) Foreign road racers will completely take over the series(nearly there already). There will be less than 5 Americans within two years.

2) The sprint and midget guys and gals will NEVER have a chance at IndyCars. It will be just as it was pre 1995.

The vision will finally be exposed for the lie that it was, and that is something I NEVER thought I'd say. The original fans who stuck with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the split will have been betrayed. I couldn't possibly be more dissapointed.

[IndyIRLman]

Originally posted by IndyMJH

1) Foreign road racers will completely take over the series(nearly there already). There will be less than 5 Americans within two years.

If say 2 or 3 road courses are added? 2 or 3 out of a 20 race season?

[IndyIRLman]

Originally posted by IndyMJH


The vision will finally be exposed for the lie that it was, and that is something I NEVER thought I'd say. The original fans who stuck with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the split will have been betrayed. I couldn't possibly be more dissapointed.

I thought that TG said from the beginning that there may be road courses added to the IRL. Am I wrong? Someone in the know please clarify.

[Racewriter]

Yeah, those CART fans are just gonna flood over to the IRL.

Road racing - the way to go.

Really.

I mean it.

They should try it.

After all, they've toasted most of the other racing fanbase...

[IndyIRLman]

Originally posted by IndyMJH
I will be one of those who will walk if the IRL goes road racing. I have ZERO interest in watching these parades.

Why not just skip the road courses? You would really just give up on the IRL if a couple were added? Now that I am sorry to hear.

[IndyIRLman]

Oh and by the way, I'd rather the IRL did not add road courses even though I like them. But I will not give up on the series that races the Indy 500 just because a couple are added. JMO of course.

[trow]

Originally posted by Brent_The_Lazier_Fan: before you know it, half the schedule will be r/c, we'll be "racing" at Detroit and Toronto, and you'll need an interpreter to pronounce any of the drivers' names.

N-O way.

If that happens, I'll be watching NASCAR instead.

I will STOP watching the series the FIRST TIME that they race on a street where it looks like a fricken parade!!!! I cannot stand to watch them and that's the reason I don't watch CART now. Parades are CHEAP forms of a race. There's no excitement watching a bunch of high bhp cars running in a dumbed down version of Macy's. I totally agree with you Brent, IF IndyCar allows itself to go back to being CART, I'll be a diehard that turns and walks. I stopped watching NASCAR already when they left TNN, I stopped watching the NBA, MLB, and NFL because of the superficiality of the sports, and I'll stop watching IndyCar if they go the "money route" and forget about those of us who have been solid fans for the last 8 years when the league pinched and struggled!! Hopefully they understand this and reward the fans by giving us NO street circuses!!!!!