Tweet
All of you traditionalist, I will give you a moment to load your guns........
Now, here's my idea. Change the Indy 500 to the Indy 1000. Here's why...
Indy should be unique. It has a mystique about it. A large part of that mystique stems from it's history as a testing facility. The manufacturers will want to be involved if winning this race would showcase their technological superiority in a way that they could translate into their superior quality. Today, 200 mph racecars are commonplace to the general public, however, 200 mph racecars that can go from halfway accross the country in 5.5 to 6 hours is unique and something to brag about!!
500 Mile Races don't mean as much as they once did. NASCAR runs them all the time now.
The race is over too soon now. 3 hours is just not enough time for the biggest race in the world. I know, I know, TV will never have a 5 or 6 hour event. To that argument I say, make it truly special and they will (How long does Fox run the Daytona 500 when you take into consideration all the Pre and Post race garbage.)
Here's the hard part. The purse needs to be $5 million to the winner. Again, Indy has to be unique. Something that clearly sets it apart from any other race in the world. A five million dollar check to the winner will do that. It also will return Indy as a place the best drivers from all series comes to take a crack at it.
Create a title for the winner. Something like "Worlds Greatest Racecar Driver" and market it as an athletic achievement as well as a technogical achievement. We create bogus titles for sports champions all the time. (Ex=Why do we call the Superbowl Champs the World Champs when no teams from other countries can ever try for it?) The key is that the race has to be special enough that the title has legitimacy to the general audience. I'm not saying that we will ever get a F1 zealot (no disrespect intended) to accept it, but to the average sports fan could embrace it if it was marketed right.
The bottom line is that Indy needs to think outside the box to re-establish itself as the exception to all the races out there. Unfortunately, it's fan base is aging (like me) and it must once again make itself truly unique.
Just my .02. Before you fire away, let me put my bias on the table.
10000000% devoted to the Indy 500. My first love.
10000% devoted to the IRL. Best racing anywhere.
Will watch CCWS if nothing else is on. Don't like the anti-IRL comments from some in the series or some fans.
Lost all interest in NASCAR about 1995.
Fire Away!!!!
Now, here's my idea. Change the Indy 500 to the Indy 1000. Here's why...
Indy should be unique. It has a mystique about it. A large part of that mystique stems from it's history as a testing facility. The manufacturers will want to be involved if winning this race would showcase their technological superiority in a way that they could translate into their superior quality. Today, 200 mph racecars are commonplace to the general public, however, 200 mph racecars that can go from halfway accross the country in 5.5 to 6 hours is unique and something to brag about!!
500 Mile Races don't mean as much as they once did. NASCAR runs them all the time now.
The race is over too soon now. 3 hours is just not enough time for the biggest race in the world. I know, I know, TV will never have a 5 or 6 hour event. To that argument I say, make it truly special and they will (How long does Fox run the Daytona 500 when you take into consideration all the Pre and Post race garbage.)
Here's the hard part. The purse needs to be $5 million to the winner. Again, Indy has to be unique. Something that clearly sets it apart from any other race in the world. A five million dollar check to the winner will do that. It also will return Indy as a place the best drivers from all series comes to take a crack at it.
Create a title for the winner. Something like "Worlds Greatest Racecar Driver" and market it as an athletic achievement as well as a technogical achievement. We create bogus titles for sports champions all the time. (Ex=Why do we call the Superbowl Champs the World Champs when no teams from other countries can ever try for it?) The key is that the race has to be special enough that the title has legitimacy to the general audience. I'm not saying that we will ever get a F1 zealot (no disrespect intended) to accept it, but to the average sports fan could embrace it if it was marketed right.
The bottom line is that Indy needs to think outside the box to re-establish itself as the exception to all the races out there. Unfortunately, it's fan base is aging (like me) and it must once again make itself truly unique.
Just my .02. Before you fire away, let me put my bias on the table.
10000000% devoted to the Indy 500. My first love.
10000% devoted to the IRL. Best racing anywhere.
Will watch CCWS if nothing else is on. Don't like the anti-IRL comments from some in the series or some fans.
Lost all interest in NASCAR about 1995.
Fire Away!!!!
Comment