What's the problem(s)

[Lucky161]

Assuming that everyone is doing their part. Like TG is doing everything he should and can. Walker is doing everything he can and should to get Sarah a sponsor. Sarah is doing her part as well. Greg Ray and Dismore are doing what they should be doing and so forth. Then why do we still have:
1. The most popular driver without a ride
2. Former champion without a ride
3. Former winners without a ride
4. Promising rookies without a ride
5. Only 3 drivers from an oval background with a ride.
I think that everyone including us fans are doing our part. To me it boils down to the cars cost too much to support our series as it stands now. The cost to run our favorite series is around $180 million(5 million per car for 33 cars) and we only have around $100 million (3 million per car) coming in.
Of course several teams are doing it on less obviously and it won't take another 80 million to get the Indy field filled, but that is still a long ways from 33 "fully funded" teams without not a lot of promising prospects. So how would the racing be damaged if the cost of a fully funded team dropped to 3 million?

[JoeBob]

Here's some better questions to ask:
Why isn't any of the available sponsor money being directed towards the IRL?

Why are sponsors willing to spend money being an associate sponsor in other series, when the same money could fully fund an IRL team? How much money does Archipelago or Klein Tools spend on Team Green in CART? What would that get them in the IRL?

How much money does Corona Beer spend to be on the engine cover of the Herdez Car? What would that get them in the IRL?

What about the new "Best Western" logos on Rahal's cars? Those weren't free!

I'm not talking about huge companies with huge NASCAR marketing programs here. (Like Quaker State or Pepsi with Jeff Gordon - who sure do get a lot of exposure out of the tiny logos on his car)

If I walked into the IRL paddock at Phoenix with a suitcase containing $10,000 I bet that by the time Sunday morning rolled around, my name would be plainly visible on one of the cars. The sad part is, I'd probably have a few cars to choose from.

The problem, my friends, is not with costs. The problem is that nobody wants to spend the money.

[Guest]

Problem #1 - there is not room for 2 series. If not for the whole Internet boom 2 years ago the IRL would be going through this back then. What would the IRL car counts be without Penske/Ganassi/Blair?

Tony George holds the key - all he has to do is call Pook and say since we are all using the same equipment why not run one series. Both could agree on the tracks that make the most sense and go run them.

In the end however - there will still be ride buyers and foreign drivers. Underserving drivers like Fisher, deVries, Carlson, and Noda won't be in the series and still won't have rides.

Problem 2 - (related to Walker). Walker has the keys to Fisher. He has a lot invested and won't let here go. He also refuses to go on tonyfare.

To add to that, Fisher deserves to be sitting. She isn't getting results. Results typically lead to sponsorship. In a series where equipment is so equal - she should not be getting her azz kicked so bad if she is that good.

Problem 3 - popularity doesn't mean squat sometimes. In this case it goes to show that there is little behind all the hype.

[Jimbo7]

Not to be a 'smart-alec', but companies line up to give sponsorships to the NASCAR drivers. It is a very clear that OW racing does not bring in the capita like Winston Cup and companies prefer investing their money in a racing series like NASCAR. I wish it was the other way around.

[RightRear]

This is an interesting point. Last night I was reading my current edition of Auto Racing Digest. It is the issue with K. Harvick on the cover. In the section about the NHRA, they were discussing their new sponsor deal with Powerade ( a Coca-Cola product). According to the story, to be the "Powerade Drag Racing Series", as opposed to the Winston Drag Racing series, it only cost them 3 million dollars. And even at 3 mil, the purses were increased for all the professional classes. Are we over priced? Our teams are looking for 3-5 mil to run a season......you can't read the names on the side of the cars during an ABC telecast.....ABC even gets some of the smaller sponsors wrong on their running order board during the race. But for 3 mil....POWERADE Drag Racing Series. That's one heck of a deal.