My roadmap for growth in the unified Indy Car series.
Step 1.
A new car that is high horsepower, any aero aids must be incorporated into the body work. Its a low downforce car, that relies on mechanical grip to make it hold in the corners. I am thinking 1970's style cars, with sidepods for safety. They will have a distinctive retro Indy Car look that will separate it from the run of the mill formula spec racer that we have today.
The tub will be a common piece, but body work, as long as it conforms to the rules can be built by anyone.
Everything made out of foamed aluminum.
Figure out a way, even if its tube frames, to significantly reduce cost.
Reason: Put the car back in the driver's hands. By eliminating the aero advantage it decreases the perceived requirement that you have to drive an formula spec racer from the time you are conceived. The car will be fast on straights, and a challenge in the corners. For both ovals and road courses.
Step 2.
Get back to large fields on ovals and real road courses. No more streets. The cars will allow drivers from all over, from all disciplines to get in them and be fast. They will be a halfway point between the formula spec racer and the front engine short track car. International competition, from drivers of all backgrounds, none of which need to bring a check to race, will drive fan interest to the point where you will have paying customers in the stands at real race tracks, not manufactured events.
Step 3.
Promote the hell out of the return to the Indy Heritage. Indy has always been about great drivers from the US racing against great drivers from around the world.
Why it will work...
NASCAR has a good model to start from. They race on tracks that American's like.. (ovals). They have a lot of popular personalities, that Americans identify with.
Where NASCAR leaves room for improvement is their declining emphasis on racing, and increasing emphasis on manipulation for the show. I believe that there is a significant portion of race fans out there who want to see cars go blazingly fast (which Cup cars don't), put on tight good racing, without all the drama and random rules of NASCAR that manipulates results. But these fans also want to see guys who came from their local tracks, or at least some one else's local tracks racing each other AND drivers from other disciplines.
But it all starts with a new Indy Car that
A) reduces the cost of competition so new blood can get into the owner ranks
B) Gets rid of the perceived notion that US short trackers can't drive aero cars by getting rid of a lot of the aero
C) Still goes fast (220-230 at Indy) but is made out of materials and designs that are still safe.
Step 1.
A new car that is high horsepower, any aero aids must be incorporated into the body work. Its a low downforce car, that relies on mechanical grip to make it hold in the corners. I am thinking 1970's style cars, with sidepods for safety. They will have a distinctive retro Indy Car look that will separate it from the run of the mill formula spec racer that we have today.
The tub will be a common piece, but body work, as long as it conforms to the rules can be built by anyone.
Everything made out of foamed aluminum.
Figure out a way, even if its tube frames, to significantly reduce cost.
Reason: Put the car back in the driver's hands. By eliminating the aero advantage it decreases the perceived requirement that you have to drive an formula spec racer from the time you are conceived. The car will be fast on straights, and a challenge in the corners. For both ovals and road courses.
Step 2.
Get back to large fields on ovals and real road courses. No more streets. The cars will allow drivers from all over, from all disciplines to get in them and be fast. They will be a halfway point between the formula spec racer and the front engine short track car. International competition, from drivers of all backgrounds, none of which need to bring a check to race, will drive fan interest to the point where you will have paying customers in the stands at real race tracks, not manufactured events.
Step 3.
Promote the hell out of the return to the Indy Heritage. Indy has always been about great drivers from the US racing against great drivers from around the world.
Why it will work...
NASCAR has a good model to start from. They race on tracks that American's like.. (ovals). They have a lot of popular personalities, that Americans identify with.
Where NASCAR leaves room for improvement is their declining emphasis on racing, and increasing emphasis on manipulation for the show. I believe that there is a significant portion of race fans out there who want to see cars go blazingly fast (which Cup cars don't), put on tight good racing, without all the drama and random rules of NASCAR that manipulates results. But these fans also want to see guys who came from their local tracks, or at least some one else's local tracks racing each other AND drivers from other disciplines.
But it all starts with a new Indy Car that
A) reduces the cost of competition so new blood can get into the owner ranks
B) Gets rid of the perceived notion that US short trackers can't drive aero cars by getting rid of a lot of the aero
C) Still goes fast (220-230 at Indy) but is made out of materials and designs that are still safe.
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