IRL just posturing?

[Langhorne]

Could all this rhetoric coming from various sources in the IRL about road courses, possible street courses, lack of suitable ovals, etc. merely be a concerted effort to posture as THE Open Wheel Series. With their current competition in the open wheel entertainment market on the rocks, wouldn't it be prudent for the IRL to portray itself as an entity prepared to assume control of ALL the best venues, regardless of configuration. The immediate purpose of such posturing would be: discouraging any potential investment in propping up or morphing the current competing product, and affirming for any potential sponsors (Series, team, event, etc) that the IRL IS Open Wheel Racing.

Doesn't make it any easier for this oval fan to swallow though.

[Racewriter]

At no point in their history has IRL management shown itself capable of that type of strategy.

It's the real deal.

[cheeseczar]

Originally posted by Racewriter
At no point in their history has IRL management shown itself capable of that type of strategy.

It's the real deal.

ding, ding, ding, ding.

[Defender]

Originally posted by Racewriter
At no point in their history has IRL management shown itself capable of that type of strategy.

Says who? They've done a remarkable job of simply standing by doing nothing while their primary competition self immolated itself into total and complete obscurity.

Here is what would be perfect to me:

One INDY Racing League.

One ALL OVAL Division, with 16 events.

One Road Racing Division, with 16 events.

Neither would run on the same weekend as the other, and the schedules would be coordinated never to conflict with NASCAR. Even joint events would be cool.

The Oval Division would offer a Triple Crown featuring Indy, Texas and Michigan, and it would pay any winner a minimum of 10 million dollars.

The RR Division would also offer a Triple Crown of TBD events, and it would pay any winner a minimum amount TBD.

The Indy 500 would be the 'Super Bowl' mid-season all star game.

Crossover would be encouraged.

The IRL would need to promote this. ABC/ESPN would have to get off their arse and get serious.

There's my solution to the perceived 'problem.'

[IndyRob]

First, the idea of going road racing did not begin with CART's most recent financial woes. It began when the IRL started whooing teams like AGR, Penske, and Ganassi who have a history with road racing and the talent to compete well on those courses.

Now that CART appears to be heading in the toilet, many solid road racing venues out there will be looking for an entity to run at their course. The IRL would be stupid to not consider it. Even though the IRL is much more stable now then they were 3 yrs ago, they are in no position to disregard venues that want them based on some "vision" that people feel the league has turned it's back on.

As long as the IRL puts on 15-16 solid oval shows like they do now, I don't care if they run a few road courses. In fact the novlety of road racing will draw interest to the league and if there is one thing that the IRL needs, that's interest and attention on races outside of Indy.

[Brent_the_Lazier_fan]

Originally posted by Defender
The Indy 500 would be the 'Super Bowl' mid-season all star game.

Let's just hope we get B. Spears, some hip hop, and a colossal laser light show to go with it....

[Wheel-Nut]

Originally posted by Defender
. . . .


Neither would run on the same weekend as the other, and the schedules would be coordinated never to conflict with NASCAR. Even joint events would be cool.


. . . . .

So the season would run from mid-November to mid-February?

[vegasduo]

Re: IRL just posturing?

Originally posted by Langhorne
Could all this rhetoric coming from various sources in the IRL about road courses, possible street courses, lack of suitable ovals, etc. merely be a concerted effort to posture as THE Open Wheel Series. With their current competition in the open wheel entertainment market on the rocks, wouldn't it be prudent for the IRL to portray itself as an entity prepared to assume control of ALL the best venues, regardless of configuration. The immediate purpose of such posturing would be: discouraging any potential investment in propping up or morphing the current competing product, and affirming for any potential sponsors (Series, team, event, etc) that the IRL IS Open Wheel Racing.

Doesn't make it any easier for this oval fan to swallow though.

Those very public but conservative announcements declaring IndyCar will have a road race soon is a great way of letting any potential IndyCar road course venues know they are open to discussions. There could be legal and PR problems if IndyCar was to make direct contact with a specific venue.

After all, Tony did say he would do some road races when the time was right. It looks like he feels the time is close to being "right".

Personally, I can live just fine without any IndyCar road races but a few, very few, would be OK by me.

[vegasduo]

Originally posted by Wheel-Nut
So the season would run from mid-November to mid-February?

Not if some races of one division are on Saturday while the other division races on Sunday.

[Defender]

Originally posted by Wheel-Nut
So the season would run from mid-November to mid-February?

That's not what I said. NASCAR gernerally runs on Sunday. What I'm saying is pick a different time on Sunday, run on Saturday, or best yet give ABC a Monday Night franchise that runs outside football season. But that would require actual willingness and professionalism by ABC, who is currently going down the brutal self immolation path first braved by c^rt.

[Littleman]

Brent_the_Lazier_fan, I sure hope that you are kidding with:

Let's just hope we get B. Spears, some hip hop, and a colossal laser light show to go with it....
Those are some things that we surely do not need. Well, maybe the laser light show - for night races.

[Tex]

If you are going to avoid NASCAR for 32 weeks of the year, you may have to run Tuesday afternoons.

[speedy badger]

Re: IRL just posturing?

Originally posted by Langhorne
Could all this rhetoric coming from various sources in the IRL about road courses, possible street courses, lack of suitable ovals, etc. merely be a concerted effort to posture as THE Open Wheel Series. With their current competition in the open wheel entertainment market on the rocks, wouldn't it be prudent for the IRL to portray itself as an entity prepared to assume control of ALL the best venues, regardless of configuration. The immediate purpose of such posturing would be: discouraging any potential investment in propping up or morphing the current competing product, and affirming for any potential sponsors (Series, team, event, etc) that the IRL IS Open Wheel Racing.

Doesn't make it any easier for this oval fan to swallow though.

I believe that this is exactly what the IRL is doing. Check out this article-Link . It does not paint a pretty picture for the other series and this comes from RM. I believe the IRL is putting all potential sponsors and races teams on notice that the IRL IS the future of open wheel racing. (at least that is the hope) JMO

[dog-ring]

Originally posted by Tex
If you are going to avoid NASCAR for 32 weeks of the year, you may have to run Tuesday afternoons.

nope......won't work. They have them tied up too..............

[LeaderCardFan]

Originally posted by IndyRob
. . . . . and if there is one thing that the IRL needs, that's interest and attention on races outside of Indy.

North American Formula car racing was in the condition you allude as being desirable in the early to mid 90's, and, IMO, this perceived "threat" to the sancity of the I500 is what lead TG to form the IRL in the first place.