Comments on: Versus Should Show Classic Races

By: Nat

Nat — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:54:09 +0000

I like the idea of the 1 hour show..If Vs is going to do this look at it as a multi yr project.. In yr 1 I would use Donald Davidson extensively and let him do a “talk of Gasoline Alley” kind of show with veteran drivers and reintroduce them..and then run a race..you could prob get around the ownership of the rights by not using the commentary..use the VS guys and redo the commentary..you don’t need to run the entire race but give deep color and background into the race and the personalities…you can even use some of the current drivers to talk about what a certain driver in the race meant to them growing up

By: uyin

uyin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:34:11 +0000

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By: Edward

Edward — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:19:13 +0000

I totally agree with your column, George. Not only does MLB Network air classic games, but so does the NHL Network, and NBA TV. It would absolutely great to see some classic racing in the off-season. It would be even better if VS. could gain the rights to some of the races Speed Channel no longer shows-which is everything except NASCAR.
OH! You’re my new favorite blogger fyi

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:48:48 +0000

P-dog may have a point about the ratings. I forget sometimes that we get a little geeked out for old racing. More so that the average channel surfing schulb.

Still, it’d be nice if Vs. could do something in the off season to maintain visibility. It would help with the ratings once the season began. I’m thinking either in house produced stuff like they did leading into the season this year, or some of the older IMS produced documentary stuff that they sell on DVD. I have to give credit, IMS did a bang up job with those short promotional video history clips they ran on the Interwebs back in the spring. Put Donald Davidson in front of a camera, and use some of that old footage. Get the old timers like Foyt, Johncock, Andretti Sr., the Unser’s etc. to tell stories. 30 min or 1 hr a week is all I’m asking. Just give me something to watch other than Taxi-cabs in the off season.

By: SkipinSC

SkipinSC — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:38:12 +0000

I have to agree with Pressdog on this one, although I used to have VHS tapes of every Indy 500 broadcast from 1978 – 2007 (with the exception of 1985, when I ran out of tape two laps from the finish.) I find that when I’d get fired up for Indy, I break them out of hiding and watch a series of them. Now, sadly, most of them have degraded to the point that they aren’t much worth watching.

It might, however, give Versus a way to acquiaint viewers with the earlier days of the series, particularly if they were interspersed with current day interviews with some of the participants like Foyt, the Andrettis, the Unsers, Mears, Luyendyk (not with Foyt) and the like.

There’s a lot of history to the series (under whatever banner) of which younger fans have no cognizance.

With the gaming generation taking over, maybe a more productive idea would be for Versus to co-sposor development of a new IndyCar rracing video game….

By: pressdog

pressdog — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:57:30 +0000

Interesting idea, but I don’t think people watching them much. I wouldn’t, and I’m a fairly into it fan. Too many new, fresh, never-been-seen things competing for my time and attention. I think at best you’d get the hard-core, long-time fans who are already fans to watch these.

By: IndyCar.com | The Silent Pagoda » Blog Archive » Albert Einstein Politely Begs To Differ, George

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:39:17 +0000

[...] way in which the League is packaged to (and perceived by) the masses, but rather through the re-broadcasting of old races. During the off-season. To people who aren’t necessarily IndyCar fans. The [...]

By: Leigh O'Gorman

Leigh O'Gorman — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:15:24 +0000

I may need another hard drive or two….

By: James O.

James O. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:30:25 +0000

I agree. Run everything. My DVR would probably burn out.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:56:10 +0000

Here’s the link to the vintage races on the Indycar website. They’ve added quite a few since the last time I checked.

http://indycar.neulion.com/indy/console.jsp

A good mix of CART and IRL races. Even if Vs. doesn’t show em, at least we can watch em on line, IZOD & Go Daddy commercial free. There’s something to be said for that.