Indy 500 to start at 1:00 local; Pace Car to be Chevy

[jkg]

Indy Star

The gates will open on race day at 6:00 instead of 5:00.

The pace car's make and driver is expected to be announced in April.

[aratapuss]

Indy Star

The gates will open on race day at 6:00 instead of 5:00.

The pace car's make and driver is expected to be announced in April.

That's OK with me, but the people driving greater distances might not be so happy. Time zone changes have these kinds of effect.

[Dick Ralstin]

I sincerely hope the "powers" at the Speedway aren't giving credit to the "big" increase in the tube ratings to such a simple thing changing the statring time.

I seem to remember a young lady, Danica Patrick I believe, who finally put the Indianapolis 500 back on the front sports pages, where it belongs.

Maybe if the "powers" would quit bowing to television's latest demands, the 14 race schedule for example, and begin paying attention to their dying series the crowds, publicity and yes tv ractings would improve.

The Indianapolis 500 was the number one sporting event, maybe the World, in this country before it began bowing to the boob tube.

[Defender]

....and NASCAR came along, and hundreds of new television channels started, and a myriad of communications delivery methods and new technologies were unleashed, and the Internet was commonplace in every school and household, and an unnecessary civil war drove away fans in droves, etc.

It makes no difference to me, however. I'll be there early in the morning soaking up the vibe as usual.

[jkg]

I sincerely hope the "powers" at the Speedway aren't giving credit to the "big" increase in the tube ratings to such a simple thing changing the statring time.

I seem to remember a young lady, Danica Patrick I believe, who finally put the Indianapolis 500 back on the front sports pages, where it belongs.

Maybe if the "powers" would quit bowing to television's latest demands, the 14 race schedule for example, and begin paying attention to their dying series the crowds, publicity and yes tv ractings would improve.

The Indianapolis 500 was the number one sporting event, maybe the World, in this country before it began bowing to the boob tube.

I don't know why the word big is derisively in quotes. The increase was nearly 60%. That is a monster increase anyway you slice it.

I would be surprised if the powers that be thought the time change was the biggest reason for the great ratings. As you point out, Patrick was the one that drew the eyeballs, but a secondary reason was very likely the time change. Another venerable American sports classic, the Kentucky Derby, saw its rating increase substantially when it made no changes to the nature of the event except a later start time (and a move to NBC).

I have no idea if the Indy 500 used to be the number one sporting event in this country (and it is still #1 in annual attendance). I find it hard to believe that it surpassed, for example, the World Series, but even if so, it would be foolish to ignore TV in 2006. Any sports entity from the mighty NFL to the most minor of sports has to face the reality that TV is the most important determinant of overall relevance today. If the Indy 500 hadn’t made moves over the years to be more TV-friendly, it would be far less popular than it is today.

[Dick Ralstin]

Hey Jkg,

My argument is: If the Indianapolis 500 enjoyed the stature today it had in the 1960's and 1970's the television networks would by lined up with their fists full of money bidding on television rights for not only the Indianapolis 500 but the IRls other events.

If this were the case I believe there would be "rub off" from the Indianapolis 500 that would carry over for the rest of a normal 18 to 20 race Championship season.

Maybe this in turn would attract major sponsors to a rejuvinated series, which in turn would lead to drivers being paid for there for talent, which miight stop the drivers switching to NASCAR to make a living.

I can remember pole days in the 60's when 200,000 people jamed the stands and there were 60 to 70 cars entered in the Indianapolis, now not only are the fans absent, even a 33 cars starting field is in serious doubt.

Has the boob toob been a savior or ?????????????

[Roadrage]

It makes no difference to me, however. I'll be there early in the morning soaking up the vibe as usual.

Me too, but all this tradition tampering will remind me of who's the real boss here.

[jkg]

Hey Jkg,

My argument is: If the Indianapolis 500 enjoyed the stature today it had in the 1960's and 1970's the television networks would by lined up with their fists full of money bidding on television rights for not only the Indianapolis 500 but the IRls other events.

That's likely true. My argument is that becoming television friendly didn't cause the decline of the attention paid to the race.

[Field of 33]

I really don't care a bit about the time change difference. It worked for me last year and it puts me ont he exactly same schedule again this year. For anyone coming from out of state, the change won't have an bring out an iota of difference.

What really pisses me off is that Chevy will again be the pace car. Why in the world is Honda not being rewarded for supporting the series?! I am absolutely appalled at IMS decision. Honda (or Acura) has some very niec sports cars that would be more than capable of pacing the field. As it is, is there much doubt that we are going to see a Corvette, again?

[Langhorne]

"My argument is: If the Indianapolis 500 enjoyed the stature today it had in the 1960's and 1970's the television networks would by lined up with their fists full of money bidding on television rights for not only the Indianapolis 500 but the IRls other events."


Weren't USAC Champ car races in the 60's and 70's lucky to see some coverage on Wide World of Sports? Or am I rewriting history?

[Plectraholica]

Thats actually good news for me, I get to sleep in an extra hour before the rush starts.

[Dick Ralstin]

Hey Langhorne,

It takes two, maybe three cameras, to cover a stick and ball game on the tube even today.

That wouldn't begin to cover a race even a half-mile sprint race, and by the tme you get to Daytona or the Indianapolis 500 it not only takes a minimum of 10 cameras but abot 100 miles of co-axe and a truck laod of engineers.

Did you ever see the ABC compound at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it is a regular city during the month od May, even down to bringing in caterers to feed all the engineers, anouncers, camera men producers, asst. producers secretaroes and hungry race drivers waiting to be interviewed.

And the way things are today ABC can't sell ad time on the Indianapolis 500 for anywhere near what Super Bowl time brings.

[jkg]

And the way things are today ABC can't sell ad time on the Indianapolis 500 for anywhere near what Super Bowl time brings.

Neither could any form of televised entertainment in the history of the United States. Even the World Series, played in prime time in the fall, sells ads for about 1/6 of what the Super Bowl does. A top rated entertainment program like Desperate Housewives, attracts about 1/4 the ad time price tag as the big game. The comparison of any auto race, run on a holiday weekend in the afternoon to the SB in terms of TV ad price is totally unrealistic (is that a new record for prepositions? ).

The Indy 500 of yesteryear wouldn't come close to today's Super Bowl either.

[BSJracing]

Chevy has no business being the pace car.
They aren't in the 500, they are supporting nothing about the league. It pizzed me off in 91 when they couldn't have a Dodge Stealth pace car because it was produced by Mitsubishi...
Honda employs a ton of Americans and builds lots of it's Vehicles in the US, it's time to quit bowing to Chevrolet and the UAW for that matter.

[MichaelP]

So really the start of the race isn't changing from last year, only the Indy time zone is changing.